Cell Bytes

Amazon is continuing its streak of offering devices for the extremely low price of a single US cent, this time putting the Motorola Droid 2 up for sale at the price. For a measly 1/100 of a dollar and a new two-year contract the phone can be all yours. You will need to add the item to your cart to see the price, and it looks like you will also qualify for free shipping. That’s a savings of $199.98 from what you would pay through Verizon.

It kind of makes you want to hold off an initial smartphone purchase at launch knowing it may very well go up for a cent through Amazon. No clue how long the deal will last, so if you are thinking about it you may want to jump in quick.

We here at Phandroid are always game for the geeky, quirky, and weird, so it should come as no surprise that we jumped at the chance to get our hands on the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 edition. Its everything the Motorola Droid 2 already is with a healthy dose of nerd-tastic content and an extremely well-executed deco. Not only is the R2-D2 likeness on the back of the handset, but there are also plenty of little touches that pull in the Star Wars experience. We will get back to you later with a walkthrough of some more content on the phone (my Google account loaded in my old Droid wallpaper immediately so I completely overlooked the nice selection of Empire Strikes Back Live Wallpapers available) and a better look at the cool but ultimately pointless ESB Goggles app. But for now enjoy this unboxing of a geek’s dream come true.

Three out of the four Galaxy S smartphones that made their way to US shores didn’t come with a front-facing camera in tow, but that’s not going to stop the crafty guy in you. XDA’s done it again and has found a way to take a replacement camera for the Galaxy S and install it in any other Galaxy S phone (it’s only been tested for the Vibrant but I can’t imagine it’d be much different from the other devices.)

They’ve already taken care of the hard work for you by whipping up the necessary software, but you’ll have to crack open your device to make room for the camera by peeling some paint and connecting some wires. Shouldn’t be too hard if you’re the type that’s already into this sort of stuff. Head on over to XDA for the full suite of download links and instructions (including a link to where you can buy the camera itself.)

[via TalkAndroid]

Not that we’re surprised, but here goes nothing: Vodafone’s getting the HTC Desire HD. Shocker, right? The original Desire is one of their most popular phones (despite all of the shenanigans you guys had to put up with in Vodafone 360 bloatware), so it only makes sense that they bring out the sequel. The news comes to us as the phone was spotted in a coming soon catalog for the carrier. So who’s ready for even more Desire in glorious “HD” fashion?

Need a refresher on what you get with this package? No problem. Enjoy Android 2.2 with the latest version of HTC Sense with a 4.3-inch screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, GPS, HSPA, WiFi, an 8-megapixel camera with HD video recording, and more.

[via Cool Smartphone]

If you have been ticking the days off the calendar waiting for tomorrow so you could get the Motorola Droid R2-D2 (who would have guessed this day might come before you could land a real girlfriend), anticipating the launch party and hoping it in some way might rekindle the magic of those midnight lines for the new trilogy (or in some cases the old trilogy) you will want to peak at the list below. The following sites are sure to be some of the most geeked out places on the planet come tonight at midnight and tomorrow morning at 8AM. There will be free shwag, stormtroopers, and a chance to grab the very limited edition phone before anyone else on the block.

East Coast:

New York, NY:
34th Street, NYC store — 134 W. 34th St, NY, NY 10001
Big Apple Comic-Con Convention (10/1) — Penn Pavilion, 401 7th Ave, NY, NY 10001

Rochester, NY
Jefferson Rd, Rochester — 951 Jefferson Rd, Rochester, NY 14623

Chicago, IL:
36 S State St, Chicago, IL – (312) 726-8277
3 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away
6-8PM, 9/29.

Boston, MA:
Washington St, Boston store — 340 Washington St, Boston MA 02108

Miami, FL:
Hialeah store – 1599 West 49th Street, Hialeah, 33012
Costume contest starts at 9:30PM, 9/29.
2 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away.

St. Petersburg, FL:
4870 Part Street N., St. Petersburg, FL 33709

Orlando, FL:
3742 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

Orange Park, FL:
1911-1 Wells Road, Orange Park, FL 32073

Atlanta, GA:
Buckhead Store – 3535 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30326

Bloomsburg, PA:
Bloomsburg Fair (Millennium Park section) — 620 West Third Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Mt. Laurel, NJ:
Mt. Laurel, NJ store — 1211 Rte 73, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

Philadelphia, PA:
Market Street, Philadelphia (will sell from Store on Wheels outside City Hall) — Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19103

Columbia, MD:
Columbia, MD store — 9021 Snowden Square Dr, Columbia, MD 21046

Fairfax, VA:
Verizon Experience Store — 11750U Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA 22033

West Coast:

Portland, OR:
635 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97205 – (503)827-4287
Party starts at 10AM, will include Storm Troopers.
1 R2-D2 DROID 2 to give away.
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 6AM, 9/30.

Seattle, WA:
1633 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 – (206)254-0415
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 6AM, 9/30.

Houston, TX:
Verizon Wireless Copperfield store – 15749 FM 529 Rd., Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 463-0475
Costume contest starts at 7PM, 9/29.
2 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away.
Computers on hand for midnight online orders.

Salt Lake City, UT:
Sugarhouse – 2274 S 1300 E, Salt Lake city, UT 84106 – (801)461-0288
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 9AM, 9/30.

Lone Tree, CO:

Park Meadows – 8461 S Yosemite St, Lone Tree, CO 80124 – (303)708-1353

Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

Corte Madera, CA:
417 Corte Madera Town Ctr, Corte Madera, CA 94925 – (415)924-9084
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

Mountain View, CA:
1020 N Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 – (650)966-1441
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

San Diego, CA:
Sports Arena – 3505 Sports Arena Blvd, Ste A, San Diego, CA 92110 – (619)523-4500
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 9AM, 9/30.

Santa Monica, CA:
2530 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 – (310)828-1279
Buy any Droid, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 9AM, 9/30.

Tempe, AZ:
Marketplace – 2040 E Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281 – (480)557-9017
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

Las Vegas, NV:
Boca Park – 8780 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89117 – (702)952-8525
Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

[via DroidLife]

Special edition always has to come at a special price. In the case of the original trilogy it was the inclusion of some sort of useless deleted scenes and a lot of unneeded CGI. In the case of the Motorola Droid R2-D2 that price is an extra $50 on top of the Droid 2’s $199 price tag. For $249.99 after a mail-in rebate and two-year contract agreement you can walk with the limited run device come this Thursday, September 30th. Per Verizon’s official announcement, the extra dough will net you a custom Star Wars dock, a special box designed to look like carbonite, and a whole mess of ringtones, live wallpapers, widgets, and photos. You even get a “binoculars” app to provide you with a Star Wars lens through which to view your ordinary world.

Oh, and if you have an Android 2.1 phone on VZW you can download a bit of Star Wars goodness onto your handset so you don’t feel so left out. It will cost you $2.99. Full press release below.

MAY THE DROID BE WITH YOU: LIMITED EDITION DROID™ R2-D2™ BY MOTOROLA LANDS ON VERIZON WIRELESS’ NETWORK

DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola Brings the Galactic Empire to Customers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless announced that the highly anticipated limited edition DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in select Verizon Wireless Communication stores beginning Sept. 30. With a graphic design to look like the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, the DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be packaged in a custom box resembling carbonite and come with a Star Wars media dock and wired stereo headset. Exclusive content comes pre-loaded on the special edition smartphone, including:

· R2-D2 notification sounds and ringtones

· Four live wallpapers

· R2-D2 Clock Widget

· “The Best of R2-D2″ video with the original Cantina music

· Exclusive Binoculars App

Star Wars Mobile App Available for All Customers with Android 2.1 phones
To celebrate 30 years since the film hit theaters, customers with Android devices running Android 2.1 or higher will soon be able to get the Empire Strikes Back app from Android Market™. The app, only for Verizon Wireless customers, allows Jedi Masters to browse, preview and download Star Wars content related to Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Verizon Wireless customers can access premium Star Wars content for a one-time charge of $2.99.

The Star Wars mobile app will have the following features and content:
· Bounty Hunt Visual ID: Find and capture images around the Star Wars universe to unlock hidden content

· Sound and Photo Gallery

· Live Wallpapers:

o Blast the Probe Droid

o Luke Balancing Yoda

o Navigating the Asteroid Field

o Watch Bespin’s Cloud City

· Trivia Challenge: Answer trivia questions about The Empire Strikes Back

· Widgets

The DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available for $249 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan (beginning at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access). Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

For more information on DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola, go to www.droiddoes.com/r2d2.

[via Engadget]

Special edition always has to come at a special price. In the case of the original trilogy it was the inclusion of some sort of useless deleted scenes and a lot of unneeded CGI. In the case of the Motorola Droid R2-D2 that price is an extra $50 on top of the Droid 2’s $199 price tag. For $249.99 after a mail-in rebate and two-year contract agreement you can walk with the limited run device come this Thursday, September 30th. Per Verizon’s official announcement, the extra dough will net you a custom Star Wars dock, a special box designed to look like carbonite, and a whole mess of ringtones, live wallpapers, widgets, and photos. You even get a “binoculars” app to provide you with a Star Wars lens through which to view your ordinary world.

Oh, and if you have an Android 2.1 phone on VZW you can download a bit of Star Wars goodness onto your handset so you don’t feel so left out. It will cost you $2.99. Full press release below.

MAY THE DROID BE WITH YOU: LIMITED EDITION DROID™ R2-D2™ BY MOTOROLA LANDS ON VERIZON WIRELESS’ NETWORK

DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola Brings the Galactic Empire to Customers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless announced that the highly anticipated limited edition DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in select Verizon Wireless Communication stores beginning Sept. 30. With a graphic design to look like the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, the DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be packaged in a custom box resembling carbonite and come with a Star Wars media dock and wired stereo headset. Exclusive content comes pre-loaded on the special edition smartphone, including:

· R2-D2 notification sounds and ringtones

· Four live wallpapers

· R2-D2 Clock Widget

· “The Best of R2-D2″ video with the original Cantina music

· Exclusive Binoculars App

Star Wars Mobile App Available for All Customers with Android 2.1 phones
To celebrate 30 years since the film hit theaters, customers with Android devices running Android 2.1 or higher will soon be able to get the Empire Strikes Back app from Android Market™. The app, only for Verizon Wireless customers, allows Jedi Masters to browse, preview and download Star Wars content related to Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Verizon Wireless customers can access premium Star Wars content for a one-time charge of $2.99.

The Star Wars mobile app will have the following features and content:
· Bounty Hunt Visual ID: Find and capture images around the Star Wars universe to unlock hidden content

· Sound and Photo Gallery

· Live Wallpapers:

o Blast the Probe Droid

o Luke Balancing Yoda

o Navigating the Asteroid Field

o Watch Bespin’s Cloud City

· Trivia Challenge: Answer trivia questions about The Empire Strikes Back

· Widgets

The DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available for $249 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan (beginning at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access). Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

For more information on DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola, go to www.droiddoes.com/r2d2.

[via Engadget]

Special edition always has to come at a special price. In the case of the original trilogy it was the inclusion of some sort of useless deleted scenes and a lot of unneeded CGI. In the case of the Motorola Droid R2-D2 that price is an extra $50 on top of the Droid 2’s $199 price tag. For $249.99 after a mail-in rebate and two-year contract agreement you can walk with the limited run device come this Thursday, September 30th. Per Verizon’s official announcement, the extra dough will net you a custom Star Wars dock, a special box designed to look like carbonite, and a whole mess of ringtones, live wallpapers, widgets, and photos. You even get a “binoculars” app to provide you with a Star Wars lens through which to view your ordinary world.

Oh, and if you have an Android 2.1 phone on VZW you can download a bit of Star Wars goodness onto your handset so you don’t feel so left out. It will cost you $2.99. Full press release below.

MAY THE DROID BE WITH YOU: LIMITED EDITION DROID™ R2-D2™ BY MOTOROLA LANDS ON VERIZON WIRELESS’ NETWORK

DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola Brings the Galactic Empire to Customers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless announced that the highly anticipated limited edition DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in select Verizon Wireless Communication stores beginning Sept. 30. With a graphic design to look like the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, the DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be packaged in a custom box resembling carbonite and come with a Star Wars media dock and wired stereo headset. Exclusive content comes pre-loaded on the special edition smartphone, including:

· R2-D2 notification sounds and ringtones

· Four live wallpapers

· R2-D2 Clock Widget

· “The Best of R2-D2″ video with the original Cantina music

· Exclusive Binoculars App

Star Wars Mobile App Available for All Customers with Android 2.1 phones
To celebrate 30 years since the film hit theaters, customers with Android devices running Android 2.1 or higher will soon be able to get the Empire Strikes Back app from Android Market™. The app, only for Verizon Wireless customers, allows Jedi Masters to browse, preview and download Star Wars content related to Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Verizon Wireless customers can access premium Star Wars content for a one-time charge of $2.99.

The Star Wars mobile app will have the following features and content:
· Bounty Hunt Visual ID: Find and capture images around the Star Wars universe to unlock hidden content

· Sound and Photo Gallery

· Live Wallpapers:

o Blast the Probe Droid

o Luke Balancing Yoda

o Navigating the Asteroid Field

o Watch Bespin’s Cloud City

· Trivia Challenge: Answer trivia questions about The Empire Strikes Back

· Widgets

The DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available for $249 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan (beginning at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access). Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

For more information on DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola, go to www.droiddoes.com/r2d2.

[via Engadget]

While it isn’t the first time we have heard the sentiment, a recent survey by Appcelerator and IDC shows that developers have more faith in Android as a long-term platform than Apple’s iOS. 59 percent of developers favor Android for future investment as opposed to the 35 percent who favor the long-term outlook of iOS. That equals a gap widened by 10 percent since Appcelerator last posed the question to developers back in June.

The reasoning behind the shift can be explained by another statistic gathered in the study. A full 72 percent of developers agree that “Android is best positioned to power a large number and variety of connected devices in the future.” Apple and iOS had the agreement of only 25 percent of developers. This means devices like Android tablets and Google TV could be a huge factor in the long-term success of Android as a development platform.

iOS does continue to lead in areas tied to the current smartphone market. 91 percent of developers are “very interested” in developing for that platform while 82 percent said the same for Android. Part of this can be tied into the fragmented state of the OS, which developers gave higher scores to Apple for their unified hardware experience.

While the smartphone battle continues to see large growth on Google’s part, the future lies in the other avenues that can deliver Android as an entertainment experience. Developers seem more than eager to help in those areas, too.

[Press Release]

While it isn’t the first time we have heard the sentiment, a recent survey by Appcelerator and IDC shows that developers have more faith in Android as a long-term platform than Apple’s iOS. 59 percent of developers favor Android for future investment as opposed to the 35 percent who favor the long-term outlook of iOS. That equals a gap widened by 10 percent since Appcelerator last posed the question to developers back in June.

The reasoning behind the shift can be explained by another statistic gathered in the study. A full 72 percent of developers agree that “Android is best positioned to power a large number and variety of connected devices in the future.” Apple and iOS had the agreement of only 25 percent of developers. This means devices like Android tablets and Google TV could be a huge factor in the long-term success of Android as a development platform.

iOS does continue to lead in areas tied to the current smartphone market. 91 percent of developers are “very interested” in developing for that platform while 82 percent said the same for Android. Part of this can be tied into the fragmented state of the OS, which developers gave higher scores to Apple for their unified hardware experience.

While the smartphone battle continues to see large growth on Google’s part, the future lies in the other avenues that can deliver Android as an entertainment experience. Developers seem more than eager to help in those areas, too.

[Press Release]