[Guns_LotsOfGuns]

I need to stop checking engadget

Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract -- Engadget

All together now: "Finally!" At long last, the leaks are being plugged by none other than Verizon itself, who today confirmed that the Droid 2 is more than just a figment of everyone's imagination. Shortly after hamstringing the Froyo update for the original Droid, Big Red is tossing a tempting upgrade all up in your grille, as the Droid 2 ships with Android 2.2, mobile hotspot (a $20 / month add-on), Flash Player 10.1 and a revised QWERTY keyboard. It also ships with Swype pre-installed, though we'd prefer Swiftkey thrown in for good measure. You already know the specs by now -- a 3.7-inch multitouch display, 5 megapixel camera, DLNA streaming, 8GB of onboard memory and a 8GB microSD card -- but what you haven't known is the on sale date. VZW is putting this gem up for pre-sale tomorrow at $199.99 on a 2-year contract, with in-store availability locked for Thursday.

In other news, that R2-D2 edition Droid 2 we told you about last month is legit, and we're having a hard time containing our excitement just dreaming about the design. Said phone will be available online only in September, and it'll ship with "exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga." We're guessing these will sell out in no time flat, but there's no price being divulged just yet. Oh, and if you're wondering how on Earth you're going to swing this upgrade, Verizon's allowing any customer with a contract ending by December 31, 2010 to upgrade now (to any other smartphone, including the Droid 2) sans penalty. Sheesh guys, you shouldn't have!

Update: The R2-D2 edition portal has gone live. And yes, if you click this link, you will hear R2-D2 say "Droid!" Too bad there aren't any images of the handset, though. Thanks, Eric!

Its not that different but they have got rid of the D Pad on the keyboard making the keys bigger...

*looks at Milestone*

What now!?

[gingertilly18]

is this coming to the uk?

Id love a high end 2.2 android device with a keyboard....... whats that you say, htc vision?

1ghz on the droid 2 plus 8gb internal memory and sd slot, I'd trade in my desire in a heartbeat for one!

[RobM]

Nice leak and video here: Motorola Milestone 2 makes official, albeit unintentional, debut (video) -- Engadget

Looks like a good improvement over the original. It's the only phone I'd consider parting with my iP4 for I think.

Android 2.2, 40GB of onboard storage, 1GHZ CPU, 5MP camera with dual-LED flash and a redesigned keyboard. Happy days

[Tetlee]

It has some good improvements on the inside, but the design personally I'm not so keen on, much prefer the look of the original. This one seems more rounded on the edges, almost more formal, where as I like the stark, sharper edged industrial design of the current Milestone. Also I must be one of the few that actually likes the dpad, for browsing, and especially for games and emulators it's a godsend.

Also interesting to note the 5mp camera with duel-LED flash is just as the original, thought they might have at least upped the pixel count. And don't forget the original Milestone will be receiving 2.2 some time soon aswell(European rollout starts Q4 this year).

Some picture compaisons after a quick google.

Original

New

Side by side

[Amal99]

I was thinking about this, but now looking at the Desire Z, the CPU on the Milestone 2 seems outdated, and the phone is no way near to even being released from what I can tell.

[imberseal]

i have a motorola milestone 1...great phone but ill pass on this until they sort out their upgrade paths for firmwares

[c man]

So the Milestone 2 finally arrives in the UK:

Motorola Milestone 2 comes to the UK unlocked | News | TechRadar UK

Anyone getting one? £379.99 on Expansys.

Also, does anyone have any info on the Droid 2 Global?? Will we get it in the UK? 1.2 ghz processor!!
Info below:

Motorola Droid 2 Global hands-on -- Engadget

[SibTiger33]

was thinking about it until i heard about the new Motos based on the dual core processors!!

[RobM]

There will be a lot of dual core processor based handsets coming out over the next year, but not as many applications that will really take advantage of it. If you're buying a phone to keep for a couple of years, then waiting until Feb-ish would be wise. If you tend to change more than once a year, the Milestone wont disappoint and when the time comes to change, the new devices and applications should be more established and reliable.

[Idioteque]

Anyone actually own a Milestone 2 yet? Really tempted to pull the trigger on one!

[RobM]

Own... no. Have used in anger, Yes

I don't have one to hand but I will try and answer any specific questions you may have. My quick summary would be... the first out-of-the-box impressions don't 'wow' like a HTC phone does, as the software isn't as flashy and pretty. But it is very solid, feels like a premium device, the software adds real value where it counts (performance and battery life!) and once you settle down into normal use, you have a phone that's very, very hard to better overall.

IMO the initial wow factor is all well and good, but once the frustration of onscreen keyboards, poor battery life and other such impracticalities take over the experience goes downhill. This is much, much less of a problem with the Milestone 2.

As said, fire away questions and if I can't answer I'll either say so, or I'll try and blag another test drive...

[Idioteque]

Originally Posted by RobM

Own... no. Have used in anger, Yes

I don't have one to hand but I will try and answer any specific questions you may have. My quick summary would be... the first out-of-the-box impressions don't 'wow' like a HTC phone does, as the software isn't as flashy and pretty. But it is very solid, feels like a premium device, the software adds real value where it counts (performance and battery life!) and once you settle down into normal use, you have a phone that's very, very hard to better overall.

IMO the initial wow factor is all well and good, but once the frustration of onscreen keyboards, poor battery life and other such impracticalities take over the experience goes downhill. This is much, much less of a problem with the Milestone 2.

As said, fire away questions and if I can't answer I'll either say so, or I'll try and blag another test drive...

Are they in shops yet? I was tempted to pop into Bestbuy at Thurrock to see if they had one I could play with, but I remember about them being an exclusive to Expansys.

I know what you mean about the wow factor of the HTC phones, but from what I've seen of Motoblur it looks ok. Battery life is a big draw for me so the milestone seems perfect in that sense. The only slight niggle I've had researching the Milestone 2 is that it, more so with Motorola that they aren't the best at updating, or being at the front of the queue for updating the versions of Android. But then again Htc have the same problem too!

[gingertilly18]

The battery life on the Desire Z is very good too

[RobM]

Originally Posted by Idioteque

Are they in shops yet? I was tempted to pop into Bestbuy at Thurrock to see if they had one I could play with, but I remember about them being an exclusive to Expansys.

I know what you mean about the wow factor of the HTC phones, but from what I've seen of Motoblur it looks ok. Battery life is a big draw for me so the milestone seems perfect in that sense. The only slight niggle I've had researching the Milestone 2 is that it, more so with Motorola that they aren't the best at updating, or being at the front of the queue for updating the versions of Android. But then again Htc have the same problem too!

Moto are no worse than HTC for updates, but neither are ground breaking. Few manufacturers are particularly great at this though to be fair.

MotoBlur is very practical and looks decent, but personally I would keep that installed for the practical enhancements and get my flashy 'wow' fix from standalone Apps and Widgets from the Market. Things like the MotoBlur 'Find my phone' and the battery life enhancements are great to have so embedded into the experience... but we all love a bit of show off too

The closest I've seen to it being available on the highstreet is Expansys. I'm lucky that I have access to things like this a bit earlier, just not always for keeps

If I was in the market for a new Android handset, I would go with the Milestone 2. I did buy a Desire HD recently and that went back within a week, but was an impulse buy really as I don't need a new phone, especially one that was so disappointing.

[Idioteque]

I'm pretty much sold on getting this now. Love the look of the keyboard and the general look of the phone. I love Android as well so it's really win win. Some of the features of Motoblur will be nice as well.

[RobM]

If you do, make sure you report back here with your thoughts

[Idioteque]

Originally Posted by RobM

If you do, make sure you report back here with your thoughts

Not long now to wait! The fiancee just brought herself an iPhone 3gs (Didn't want the 4) so I will be having new phone envy.

I'm a little confused as to what's going on with Motoblur. It's being killed off/ not focused on any more, does that mean the Milestone 2 won't be getting any further google updates?

Do I have to use motoblur? or sign up for it? I'm assuming you can download other Facebook and Twitter apps, and use their widgets instead?

[RobM]

You don't have to use it and as far as I know, it will still exist with all current devices including future updates for them. But Google are on a push to keep Android as 'vanilla' as possible, as they are not fans of manufacturer customisation and replacement launchers like MotoBlur and Sense.

[Idioteque]

Originally Posted by RobM

You don't have to use it and as far as I know, it will still exist with all current devices including future updates for them. But Google are on a push to keep Android as 'vanilla' as possible, as they are not fans of manufacturer customisation and replacement launchers like MotoBlur and Sense.

Ahh that makes it a little clearer. As far as I know blur just seems to be an aggregator for your social networks, a bit like the friend stream on sense. I'll probably give it a whirl to see how it is, and disable it if it's naff.

[RobM]

MotoBlur is also an online service, like Sense.com has become and like Apples MobileMe. It lets you find your lost phone, backup your contacts and calendars and other stuff like this. It's useful to have and I'd be very surprised if this disappears any time soon. I think Moto will embed this into Android in the future still, but will limit the amount of software they use to skin Android.

[Idioteque]

Originally Posted by RobM

MotoBlur is also an online service, like Sense.com has become and like Apples MobileMe. It lets you find your lost phone, backup your contacts and calendars and other stuff like this. It's useful to have and I'd be very surprised if this disappears any time soon. I think Moto will embed this into Android in the future still, but will limit the amount of software they use to skin Android.

Yeah. It doesn't seem that bad, a lot of people moan that it can drain the battery with the constant syncing. I guess I'll have to see first hand if it bothers me.

[RobM]

Anything using constant data access can drain the battery, but it's customisable so it can be reduced. If it's just backing up data, one or two syncs a day can be enough.

MotoBlur also has some added features to manage and increase battery life, so you tend to find the battery lasts longer than equivalent devices from other manufacturers. It's no Blackberry-beater in this area, but all improvements are good.