The Motorola DROID 4, DROID RAZR MAXX, DROID RAZR, and the HTC Rezound were previously rumored to feature global capabilities in the near future in order to be used overseas.  Earlier today, Verizon Wireless confirmed the recent speculation to the public by issuing a statement saying the four devices would receive an OTA upgrade and then voice services will be available in over 220 countries with data being available in over 205 countries.

The benefits of being able to operate overseas means you can travel overseas with your smartphone — assuming a global roaming service is added prior to leaving the country.  In addition, the four devices are 4G LTE capable, therefore they come with SIM cards built-in and the SIM cards are already unlocked.  Verizon Wireless customers who own these phones can simply purchase a prepaid SIM card and pop it in while traveling as a second method.

The timeframe for the DROID 4, DROID RAZR MAXX, DROID RAZR, and the Rezound is simply in the Summer.  Hopefully, Verizon will release the OTA update sooner, rather than later.

[AndroidCentral]

We have some good news for Motorola DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX owners as Motorola recently updated its ICS Upgrade forum page to reflect some new dates.  The aforementioned Android smartphones on Verizon Wireless will receive the coveted Android 4.0 upgrade sometime in Q2, which implies in the next couple of months.  Since this information is straight from the Motorola website, we expect the time frame to be fairly set in stone.  In addition, the Motorola Xoom with 3G or 4G connectivity will also receive its own upgrade to Android 4.0 in Q2.

The Motorola forum page also mentions that the DROID 4 and DROID Bionic will each receive Android 4.0 in Q3.  The XYBOARD tablets will also get its own helping of Ice Cream Sandwich goodness in Q3.

Lastly, we will keep our eyes open for any exact dates in Q2 for the DROID RAZR, DROID RAZR MAXX, and the Xoom 3G/4G for the ICS roll-out.

[Motorola Forums]

UPDATE: Motorola has some bad news for anyone clutching a Droid 3 or Droid X2 – neither of those phones will receive an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Motorola confirmed that the Droid 3 and Droid X2 are stuck on “Will remain on Android 2.3″ status, meaning that it has no plans to update either device.  It’s an unsurprising but still disappointing move considering Motorola’s weak track record of supporting phones. If your gadget, like the X2 and Droid 3, aren’t slated for updates, here’s Motorola’s statement on why:

You may be wondering why all devices aren’t being upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here’s the deal. We work very closely with Google and cell phone carriers for every software update. And, obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device.

Happy upgrading!

Okay, here we go again. Verizon said it’s killing unlimited data plans when users upgrade, then said it would be nice enough to give you a warning first. Then hours later, the company clarified that it will provide an out for current customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans – you can keep operating under a meter-free model, but you’ll no longer get phone subsidies.

The New York Times Bits blog reports that Verizon issued this statement when questioned about how it would transition customers to 4G.

• Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.
• When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.
• Customers who purchase phones at full retail price and are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.
• The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.

Sounds like a fair trade. The key point to take away from this is that Verizon isn’t taking away unlimited data plans. If customers want to continue watching videos, browsing the web, and video chatting without eyeing restrictive data caps, they can. The downside is that they’ll have to pay full price for phone upgrades, but that might be in their best interest. S

Consider the cost of the lowest tier of a single data plan on Verizon – $30 for 2 GB of data per billing period – is the same as grandfathered unlimited plans. Over the course of a two-year agreement, that’s $720. Anyone still clinging to an unlimited plan probably wants more than 2 GB, so the monthly 5 GB ($50) or 10 GB ($80) plans are more desirable. Those plans cost $1,200 and $1,920 respectively.

Even if a user pays the $500 to $700 full price for their next phone, it might be more cost effective to pay the upfront costs. You’ll save a couple of dollars, have more flexibility in your contract, and have higher data access. At worst, you spend more up front, spend comparable amounts of money, and get the peace of mind of not having to temper your usage habits like the rest of us.

Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said earlier today that his company will move away from 3G unlimited data plans and shepherd customers into its tiered data plans the next time they upgrade their phones. Shammo made the comments today at a J.P. Morgan tech conference while noting that Verizon will use its 4G LTE network as leverage to force customers into transitioning to a tiered data plan.

Shammo explained:

“LTE is our anchor point for data share. As you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go onto a data share plan – moving away from the unlimited world and moving everybody into a tiered, data share type structure…As [3G customers with unlimited data plans] start to migrate into 4G, they will have to come off of unlimited and go into the tiered data plan.”

Shammo’s comments echo statements Verizon has already made about its network. The carrier stopped offering unlimited data plans in 2011, but it grandfathered existing users who signed-up prior to the introduction of tiered pricing in July. Those customers were able to retain their unlimited plans even if they upgraded to a 4G device, but that’s not the case under Verizon’s updated LTE model.

However, it’s unclear what will happen to people who already signed up for unlimited data on an LTE device. Shammo alluded to LTE as leverage to end unlimited data, but will current 4G users also be forced to dump their unlimited data plans when they purchase a new phone? I personally know someone who regularly uses more than 25 GB’s per month on his Thunderbolt, and someone upgrading to the Droid RAZR from a Thunderbolt the day I got my Galaxy Nexus managed to retain his unlimited plan.

We’ve put in a request for more info and clarity from Verizon and will update this post once we receive a reply.

[Verizon] via FierceWireless

The Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX recently received a price cut from $299 to $199.  The most attractive aspect of the device is its battery life as it has a 3300 mAh battery providing up to 21 hours of continuous talk time.  For some customers, it was hard to justify a $299 price tag for a great battery life, but now the price may be a little easier to swallow since it is just $199 on a two year contract.

Ironically, the Motorola DROID RAZR still costs $199 on a two year contract, but I imagine Verizon will lower its price soon enough.  The DROID RAZR MAXX at the same price is definitely the better deal with the bigger battery, but at $199, it is one of Verizon’s top smartphones.

Recently, Verizon and Color for Facebook teamed up and the app on the DROID RAZR MAXX can be used to live stream 30 second HD clips powered by 4G LTE.  While this app sounds kind of cool, I can’t imagine myself using it that often.

If Android 2.3 is holding you back from purchasing the DROID RAZR MAXX for $199, then you should know that Android 4.0 should be right around the corner.

[Verizon Wireless]

In case the black, white, or purple Motorola DROID RAZR just doesn’t suit you, then Verizon wants to offer you a chance to purchase the same DROID RAZR in blue.  Currently, the Motorola DROID RAZR in a blue finish is available in select stores across the United States.  If your local Verizon Wireless retail store doesn’t have the blue model in stock, then you will simply have to wait until May 17 for a chance to purchase it online.

The DROID RAZR in blue will cost $99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and for a limited time, new account subscribers (or those looking to renew a contract) can buy double the data for the same initial price.  For example, 4GB of data will only cost $30 per month for the duration of the contract period.

The only major complaint about the DROID RAZR (in any color) at this time is the lack of Ice Cream Sandwich, however, Verizon and Motorola seem committed to providing Android 4.0 in the near future.

[CNet]

Mid-range phones are the butt of many jokes around the Android circles, but there is large market for them and, let’s face it, a lot of people don’t need or use a top of the line phone. The good thing for the mid-level crowd is that with each top of the line hardware upgrade, the perception of what a high-end vs low-end device should be changes proportionally. Luckily, the LG Lucid has the specs that could have competed at the top of the line last year, but this year is a budget friendly, high-performing device. With the perfect shape and size, the Lucid boasts a perfect handheld form with the specs to perform comparable to its mid-level brethren, even ones with a higher price tag.

Hardware

Most mid-range phones don’t have a hook. They either have average specs and/or a black box-shaped body. However, the LG Lucid brings some excitement to the Android OS with its smoothed, curvy design and pleasuring ergonomic, hand-fitting case. What people say about the iPhone’s design, they should also say about the Lucid’s. It is a beautiful form that is comfortable to hold and play with. The color of the Lucid depends on your viewing angle. It looks black with a sparkly back cover, but in a bright light it shows flashes of a dark red-purple. The power button is a great position and is easily pressed, but a very similar button is on the opposite side of the phone which I thought was the camera button. Unfortunately, it’s just a screw cover so I was excited for nothing. The volume rocker is a little difficult to press as it blends in with the curvature of the phone. The headphone jack and USB port round out the rest of the hardware features.

The now-smallish 4″ display took some getting used to after handling my Nexus, and the amalgamation that is LG’s keyboard doesn’t help matters. The Lucid houses a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Quite a bit of horsepower for a small, middle of the pack phone, and this helps the Lucid stand out in the crowd. Even with Verizon’s and LG’s bloatware, the Lucid can run circles around phones in its same class. The only downside for the Lucid is the small amount of memory it comes packed with. Only a 8GB hard drive comes standard, but you can upgrade it with an external mini-SD card. It’s hard to imagine how far Android phones have come in a couple of years, and the Lucid can show all the progress in a small package. A great processor and a fluid, sexy design combine to form the complete Android package.

Screen/Camera

The screen is one of LG’s best technological achievements. It is bright and vibrant even compared to a Samsung display. LG’s problem, however, is that their software, what’s running behind the screen, that isn’t up to par. Despite not being full high-definition, the Lucid and LG certainly bring a sharpness that you won’t find in many non-HD phones. Colors are pretty in apps, just don’t look for the complimentary colors and vibrancy from LG’s skinned overlay. The pastel color palette is outdated, and with a screen like this, LG really should have kicked their developers into making something more creative to take advantage of the the sharp, bright screen.

The camera itself is really lagging behind the hardware. While the 5MP back camera does produce good shots in all sorts of lighting and angles, I noticed whatever wasn’t focused on in the picture seemed to be drowned out by whatever was focused on. The camera app though worked great. It took pictures quick and had quite a few setting options for you camera-tweakers. The washing out habit didn’t carry over to the 1080 HD video quality from the pictures. Videos looked and played marvelously wherever I took them. The front-facing camera is only VGA, but it handled OK for quick pictures to your friends. You won’t get the quality of an HTC One X from the Lucid’s camera, but it can certainly serve the purpose if you need a snapshot in a cinch.

Software Performance

With LG, there’s not really anything to complain about in terms of their software that’s put on top of stock Android. So, I can’t blame the Lucid for LG’s lack of imagination or the lack of effort put into making the “LG experience” something noteworthy. It’s not intrusive, but semi-beneficial like HTC’s Sense or Samsung’s Touchwiz, and it’s not as worthless as whatever Motorola is putting on their phones. I’ve almost gotten to the point where this is the skin I expect on every mid-range Android phone. I expect it to have pastel blue, green, and oranges, an app drawer that makes it harder to find your apps, and a few handy app icons for the “new-to-smartphones” crowd. The call quality is tinny, but overall I didn’t have any dropped calls, and the GPS locked on right away.

While it isn’t really a hindrance, it’s not very beneficial either, and with those negating each other, I can’t see how LG thinks it is better to worry about the hassle of a customized skin than put stock Android on the phone. High-end Android enthusiasts would pay more attention to these devices if they were simply the “pure Android” experience. Aside from this, the Lucid flies through boot-ups, multiple screens, and apps with only a few stutters when switching between these things quickly. It’s noticeable, but the dual-core processor can generally eat up these tasks with ease. Another way LG could set itself apart is to release the mid-level devices with the latest software. No, I didn’t want to see capacitive when I opened the box. Ice Cream Sandwich has been out long enough for the Lucid to have shipped with it, and with it being the type of device it is, the consumer is left wondering when it will  be upgraded (They promised an update to ICS). LG, if you want to sell more phones and give yourselves less of an update hassle, release your phones with stock Android!

App Performance

Another great device to try Temple Run and one of Gamevil’s latest games, Immortal Dusk, on. With the dual-core processor beefed up to 1.4 Ghz, the Lucid can handle most games that pass through the Play Store. You may notice a small amount of lag from fast paced games like FPSs or something like Riptide, but the Lucid did not disappoint at all when it came to the average game at all.

Websites and videos loaded quickly with Verizon’s LTE. Again, last year we wouldn’t be having the discussion of this type of phone having LTE, but now, Verizon has made it standard for any new phone on their network. It is a such a leg-up for the Lucid and Verizon that even phones like this can bring consumers over from other carriers. The Lucid shows that 3G is the past, and the average to low-end consumer can satisfy their speed desires with devices in their price range.

Final Thoughts

The LG Lucid is a tale of how far Android and smartphones have come. A gorgeous design covers some fairly high-end specs. Hardware we were dreaming of last year is this year’s mid-range device. LG has come a long way from rectangular, squared corners to perhaps creating a design that other manufacturers can learn from. The innards can’t even be scoffed at by the hardcore Android crowd, and while they may not be completely top of the line, they are certainly high-end for such a low-cost phone. It’s a great time when an $80 phone can rival personal computers and still be considered mid-level. It’s also great that Android novices can get into the smartphone crowd without their wallet being broken, and the LG Lucid is the best bang for your buck.

Verizon has officially confirmed that it will launch another follow-up to its popular Droid Incredible developed by HTC. This time around, the device will offer 4G LTE compatibility, hence the name Droid Incredible 4G LTE.

The Droid Incredible 4G LTE was announced today at the CTIA 2012 conference. The phone is running HTC Sense 4.0, which is HTC’s customization of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It also has Beats Audio for an integrated audio equalizer that optimizes sound quality. HTC promises that users will notice a difference in superior sound whether watching YouTube, playing a game, or streaming music.

On the hardware side, the Incredible has a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. The screen size is “only” 4 inches, but that’s a good change of pace from the boundary pushing that HTC and other companies have been doing in recent years. Less enthusing is that the 4-inch screen has a super LCD qHD display. The body of the device also has that elevated rear that has become a staple of the Droid Incredible design history.

Verizon has yet to share pricing or availability details, saying only that the Droid Incredible 4G LTE will go on sale “in the coming weeks.” Count on more news to emerge soon. Here’s a look at a few key specs:

• 4-inch super LCD qHD display
• 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash, BSI, f/2.2 and 28 mm lens
• Front-facing camera for video chatting with friends and family
• 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 processor
• Mobile Hotspot capable to share 4G LTE connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Support for up to 32 GB microSD™ memory card
• 1,700 mAh lithium ion removable battery

A Reddit user was recently able to spend some time testing out the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE thanks to an unnamed HTC representative.  The Incredible 4G LTE is going to be the next HTC flagship Android device on Verizon.  It has been rumored for quite some time now and nearly every aspect of the device is known.  Today, however, we have near confirmation that it will launch with NFC as the phone was able to perform the Beam function touted in Android 4.0 with NFC.

Several days ago, the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE was spotted momentarily on the DroidDoes page, implying a release in the coming weeks.  At this point, we expect it to launch in early to mid May for $199 on a two year contract.

Unfortunately, for some, the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is probably not going to launch under the same One series as the One X and One S on AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively.  The rumored specs on the Incredible 4G LTE include a 4 inch qHD touch screen display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0, Sense 4.0, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear facing camera, VGA front facing camera, NFC capability, and 4G LTE capability.

The HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE sounds like a solid smartphone option on Big Red, but it lacks the appeal of the larger screen and powerful processor found in the One X and One S.

[Phandroid]