Motorola Droid 3 getting a sizable update, but not to ICS

The Motorola Droid 3 has a large system update queued and ready to roll out, but it's just another version of Gingerbread. The 5.7.905.XT862 update checks in about 230 MB, and is chock full of fixes, patches, and enhancements -- all very welcome for most any user. With "only" 512 MB of RAM, we didn't really expect the Droid 3 to ever officially run Ice Cream Sandwich, but there's always that glimmer of hope when we see the system update prompt. What did get fixed and updated? I'm glad you asked.

A Google Security Patch has been added to improve the security level.
Fixed issue where the device may power ON without user interaction.
Avoid device interruption when accessing an application prior to the storage being fully mounted on the device.
Improvements in device stability help avoid device power cycles.
When connected to a Bluetooth® headset or HDMI cable, the device will no longer lock up and power cycle.
Improvements to the camera’s auto focus will reduce the shutter response time and enhance the quality of captured imagery.
Device is enabled with the Wireless Alerting System.
Use a wired headset without the interruption of a high pitched tone.
Plus code dialing has been enhanced, improving the experience while traveling.
Playback media can be heard while using a Bluetooth headset.
Place a call to the appropriate recipient using the contact widget.
When moving applications to the SD card, shortcuts to these Apps will remain.
After updating the contact database from the Messaging App, the Messaging UI will display the latest contact information.
Successfully post and play videos on Facebook.
Purchased ringtones are now able to be downloaded, saved and used where appropriate.
Contact pictures display properly in Google Voice.
VZ Navigator 3D City is now preloaded.
Resolved excessive data usages and continuous downloading for VZ Navigator® 3D City downloads.

For more information about the update process, hit the Verizon support link below. For the more experienced Android users, just start hammering on the update button.

Source: Verizon support

Reader comments

Motorola Droid 3 getting a sizable update, but not to ICS

24 Comments

IceDree

230MB ? damn thats allot for "Bug Fixes" !!!!
My Atrix's Foroyo to GingerBread update was 130MB & that included all kinds of new stuff , including a whole new UI

5 years ago

hkklife

i'll wager that over half of that update file size is just the bloatware. That 3D VZNavigator sounds like it could be a whopper by itself.

Anyone got the update yet? Any noticable improvements other than the already reported faster camera response? Is it on par with the RAZR's camera now?

Hatecrime69

*update*update*update*fail* darn, not there yet! Maybe i need to press harder! *UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*CRACK* oops... :P

jcastag

Did moto promise ICS soon for this handset? Not that it matters because even the ones they did promise it for they have not delivered on.

FAIL

dcreed

It's on their "Evaluating" list. Which means, "We've put it on a page that mentions Ice Cream Sandwich, just to give you hope. But we're not ever going to consider it because ICS needs more RAM, and we don't want you hating us immediately for being short-sighted in this phone's design, or hating Android for bloating up."

Suntan

You forgot to add, "And our guys are just about ready to release then abandon the Droid 5, almost finished with the Droid 6 and half way through development of the Droid 7, so we're too busy to get ICS on the Droid 3. In fact the only reason we stuck Jimmy with the thankless job of cleaning up the GB loose ends on the Droid 3 is cause he bought a SGSII last year..."

Anyway, can I just get the Google safety update as a separate 100kb patch. The rest of the update sounds like a waist of time that doesn't affect my phone.

-Suntan

VetteDude

@dcreed
Im running ICS on my Fascinate which has 370mb of RAM and its buttery smooth, almost iPhone smooth. Stop making crap up.

chubb

"With "only" 512 MB of RAM, we didn't really expect the Droid 3 to ever officially run Ice Cream Sandwich, but there's always that glimmer of hope when we see the system update prompt."

What Jerry implies is an official update. The nexus one has ics too, just not an official update from Google. Even the G1 had 2.2 roms, but official support stopped at 1.6.

B.S There is no Webtop to hog the RAM and no Tegra2 SoC like the Droid X2. Archos has already released official ICS updates for their G9 tablets with "just" 512MB RAM and they run at higher resolutions than the Droid 3 (though admittedly without Blur or a telephony stack).

No, Moto is basically trying to exist that every device they have made prior to the RAZR/MAXX/Droid 4 does not exist. They want to shove out a few final mediocre updates to keep VZW happy and then they'll EOL all of these devices. M$ did it with all of their WinMob handsets when WP7 came out, RIM's doing it with BB 10 and Palm did it repeatedly over the years with their Treos and PDAs.

P.S. I think Moto has an especially vested interest in paring their handset and tablet lines and support commitments down to a bare minimum going forward as it'll make them a more attractive acquisition target for whomever buys Motorola Mobility from Google (Huawei etc).

blueletter

You people and your paranoia, nah its not even paranoia anymore. More like diarrhea of the brain.
As long as it's a Motorola device first it was "it'll never get updates! Moto doesn't care!"
Then it gets updates and now suddenly it'll never receive ICS
And by the way, you STILL think Google is selling Motorola? They aren't, and even if they were it certainly wouldn't be to Huawei. The government wouldn't even let them. You might know that if you weren't so busy cooking up reasons why every other device won't get ICS.

booger

I bet its such a large file bc Verizon is forcing its"3 D navigator" upon us.... More bloatware we can't erase.

I wonder how many people actually use VZ navigator?

There is more than enough ram to run ICS.

murof

Anyone get this yet?

Redx

Still nothing for me yet :(

jediman

Hey Jerry check your sources, please.

It's a soak test right now, not officially pushing yet.

It is this type of lack of fact checking, coupled with speculative bull plop that keeps me from coming to this site as often as I used to.

Also, ICS is more fluid on the Droid 3 than you would think.

JeremySVilla

Seems same old same old.

eclein

I have had 5 of these hoping to get one that doesn't recycle or shutdown for absolutely no reason. I'm disabled and need the keyboard or else this phone would be trashed!

Send it, send it.....its about time!!!!!