Motorola Droid users on Verizon will be in for a surprise today as the long awaited and highly requested Android 2.1 update is finally ready to grace their devices. Engadget has the scoop directly from Verizon of the all the changes and rollout process planned for the week.
Today at noon, 1,000 users will get notification of the system update and then by midnight, 9,000 more will go through the same process. The staged rollout allows for Verizon and Motorola to identify any withstanding bugs so they can correct them before it"s fully released to the masses. If everything goes as planned, the remaining users will get the 2.1 update beginning on Thursday, April 1.
Starting 03/30/2010, Verizon Wireless is pleased to announce a new software update for the DROID by Motorola. Users will be able to upgrade their software to version AP: ESE81/BP: C_01.3E.03P to receive new improvements and enhancements.
Key Advantages:
- Email - Yahoo Mail is now supported - customers can simply sign in with their Yahoo! Email address and password. Note:Yahoo! Email is not available over Wi-Fi
- Pinch to Zoom now available in the Browser, Maps, and Gallery
- Speech-to-Text - Customers can now use their voice instead of typing whenever a text-entry box appears
- Google Goggles is now preloaded
- The new Gallery application uses 3D layout and shows both pictures taken with the customer"s Android device and images from Picasa Web Albums account online
Software Schedule: Below is the software-upgrade notification schedule (All times listed are Eastern Time):
- At noon on 03/30, 1,000 users will receive notification of the update.
- At 11:59 PM on 03/30, 9,000 more users will receive the update notification.
- After the first 10,000 users receive the update on 03/30, there will be a 24-hour period when no additional upgrades will be delivered.
- On Day 3 (04/01), 200,000 users will receive the update notification at 11:59 PM. This schedule will continue each day thereafter until the update has been delivered to all users.
Download & Install Conditions:
- An OTA download requires 40% or more power availability if the device is not connected to an external power source or 20% or more power if it is connected to an external source
- If roaming, the customer will not receive the update. The only option in this scenario is for the subscriber to enable Wi-Fi and wait for a mandatory OTA. The wait period in this case will not be more than 12 hours
- User must wait to receive the upgrade via OTA
- User is unable to make or receive calls, including emergency calls during this time
- Users will see the following information when they select *More info* on the update screen: This software update includes new enhancements to support Yahoo! Email, pinch-to-zoom, and many other improvements for your DROID by Motorola. You will be unable to use your device or make emergency calls for the duration of the install. The software updates automatically, and your DROID will power off and on as part of this software upgrade.