Android 2.1 On The Motorola Droid

by Rob Jackson on December 21st, 2009 at 8:25 am

Are you a fearless Motorola Droid owner? Want a few extra homescreens? Extra fast and fluid navigation/actions? Some UI improvements? Google News and Weather? Then perhaps you’ll want to install Android 2.1 on your Motorola Droid as it will accomplish all of the above (at the risk of ruining your device of course):

He emphasizes how fast 2.1 is several times which is very encouraging. When the Droid first launched with 2.0 it was a bit sluggish but 2.0.1 took care of a lot of those issues and it sounds like 2.1 takes that to the next level.

And by the way, I can’t believe it took so long to get some more screen real estate on stock Android – FINALLY!

[Via AllDroid]

In the news:

Motorola Droid

4.5 / 5 stars

skillian
Apparently you lose GPS though, which makes the decision to go 2.1 a bit more difficult…
Kamilli0n
Keyboard backlight is not working in this 2.1 Rom
Raon
It’s a bit laggy eh…
androidnewby
I am sure the GPS will be fine once this is an “official” update…makes me excited for them to release the darn thing!!!!
Maj
i envy every android user who’s going to update to 2.1. Im sick of my g1 and how slow it is especially after quiting the browser, it takes few seconds to load the home screen and same thing for the phone dialer
transporter2000
Apparently, Droid DOESN’T upgrade with ease.
dkillian
Only if you take the cooked ROM. Official 2.1 is supposed to come out in January anyway,
Lori
After update, my phone contacts are gone except one.
Daniel
So that other Droid update that was planed for January… think it will be 2.1 or 2.0.x?
Daniel
@Maj
I still have my G1 and I just tried it, even with Open Home and some background apps running it doesn’t even take a second to launch the dialer or home screen… Maybe you have another app slowing it down?
John
Anyone know when/if 2.1 is to be rolled out to the Droid? Looks good.
Walt
No GPS = waiting til January
tmette
Glad to hear they will put in more home screens. Widgets take up way too much space for only allowing 2 screens. I tried using Home+ or whatever that app is, but I didn’t really like it.
Can’t wait for the January update.
Jake
Does this mean the 2.1 update will definitly come out or will it be like 1.5 and 1.6 where it will just be another OS for different phones and won’t be made to update old devices?
513
I just read the alldroid board and people are saying that the GPS is working.
http://rongthach.com/ Ron
There is speculation or possibly of another update for the Motorola Droid next month, and I wonder if its going to be Android 2.1, but I guess we won’t know for sure at the movement.
CJ
The loss of GPS is a non starter. Most of the services on the phone depend on GPS in 1 way or another.
Terry
Anyone have a link to this? I want to install OS 2.1
http://www.flash-the-brain.com Brenton
Smart enough to root and install a new ROM to his Droid, not smart enough to know how to focus a camera. I weep for our species.
Terry
Found it – http://alldroid.org/viewtopic.php?f=253&t=815
513
Slighty better vid of the same guy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFTXCs56Iv8
KNY
@Brenton,
Yeah, he also has trouble with numbers. There are 5 screens, not 6.
Powderhound
There….. Are…… 5….. Screens!!!!!! /Picard
Collin
2.1 looks great, the UI enhancments really look fresh and new, especially the application tab. Hopefully some devs will get creative with the ability for animated wallpapers. I love the fact that android gets new updates roughly every 3 months and the stupid Iphone doesnt get sh**…2010 the take over begins
http://igoogle bimbrook
This is a bad review because your presentation, diction and annuniciation are poor.
TheSchneidster
@23: Great quote! Loved it! LOL!
alexgarrett
You’re soo right bimbrook! It’s just too bad that not everyone out there in the world is as perfect as you…. lol
alexgarrett
If you could do better, maybe you could contribute something constructive and maybe even profound(gasp!) to the topic instead of hating on someone who is trying to inform the masses… go you, strong work, sir
http://twitter.com/supmahbruddah Brak
For those complaining… it’s not an official update. It’s not even for the right carrier. If you complain you should just go read the thread. I’m sure it’s like Alpha right now.
Dianne
It would be very dumb to try to install a system build from one device on to a completely different device. Unless you are not planning on using that device as your real phone, but rather an unstable testbed to play with.
Just saying.
Aquaman
alexgarrett clearly bimbrook is not perfect – he cannot spell enunciation correctly. :P
Gunner
*Sigh*
To all the tech gurus putting up these videos – I’m going to try my best to drill these 2 words into your heads:
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE MACRO MODE
Please learn it, love it, and USE IT on your video cameras. I’m continually amazed at how all these intelligent young techies can do the things they do, but cannot figure out the basic functions of their video cams.
The collective tech world thanks you.
Dave
I’m with those that will wait until an official update if this disables GPS. The Droid GPS is simply AMAZING.
cransr
@lori go to contacts and import from sd card. they should still be there. same thing happened to mine.
Oxmyx
I just upgraded via instructions here:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/10247-how-install-2-1-easy-way.html
I was already rooted, so the process was familiar.
GPS works as does Google maps.
I have all my contacts sync’d with gmail.
It is smoother/more responsive. The main app drawer has been replaced by a scrolling ‘film strip’ for lack of a better description.
Pinch zoom only works with apps that support it, i.e. Dolphin browser. Which is kinda nice.
I lost my podcast feeds in dogcatcher app. No big deal.
I’m glad I tried it. No showstopper bugs so far…
Eric
I have been using 2.1 on my rooted Droid for 3 days and I assure you that GPS, GPS Apps, Naviagation, ect., all work as if they were on 2.0.1. My favorite feature is the 5 screens and when you long press the lower right or left corners mini pictures of all five screens appear at the bottom to choose from. Launcher is slick and so is the news and weather widget.
thelee
holy crap! look at that ui fly! makes my 2.0.1 droid look like a dinosaur
BachinPhx
Want multi screens, fast phone, GPS and don’t want to brick your phone? Just download Home++ and let your Droid ROCK baby!!! Beautiful interface too. Wait until 2.1 is official and all the glitches are worked out.
Amitab M
2.1 ROM has been fixed. Live wallpapers work. GPS was never broken. Speech to text is amazing.
androidmylife
So can anyone who has down the update do a video showing more about it? For example showing the gps working. And I heard that there is a glitch that shows the drawer misaligned when having it in portrait mode and how is the battery life?
androidmylife
Ok after loading the rom one problem I have noticed is the touch screen whenu place ur finger on the screen and hold it there it starts to move a little can anyone try this amd see if theirs does this?
KevKaos
androidlife, could that be the reactive background that I have read is on the Nexus One that is causing that effect? It is supposed to send out ripples when you touch the screen.
droidelicious
does 2.1 actually have multi-touch? and GPS DOES work now?? what else is different? speed? more home screens? cooler UI? I’m so torn. should I go for it or wait for the update? if I put 2.1 on can I switch back to 2.0.1 by updating from verizon?
androidmylife
Kevkaos I found out what the problem was. When I had the charger plugged in or plugged in via laptop it affects the scrooling and touch screen not sure why and if I’m the only one. And droiddelicious it depends on what you use ur phone. I made the change but reverted back. It was faster but not by much to me. It seemed a lot of changes were just visual for my use. The news feed and weather was nice. The speech to text I found to be best part.reverting back is easy only problem I found was getting rid of the superuser permission icon. That took some tricky work. Lol honestly if you are happy with ur phone and don’t need speech to text I would just wait. Me personally I like messing with phones so I took plunge.but I’m back to stock now
androidmylife
Oh and gps does work, 5 screens, and the droid already has multitouch just not native and 2.1 doesn’t change that.
androidmylife
And reverting is easy as reloading 2.0.1. But to get rid of some icons takes a lil trick. So if you take plunge and wanna revert back before u try reload the 2.0.1 post a message here because you phone needs to be rooted foor the trick to go work to get rid of superuser permission. Also before u load the 2.1, make sure u keep a copy of your settings on your computer its a backup file. If you need help message me and I’ll give all info that I can.
http://www.gizmodo.com ho0droid
@Transporter
Well “apparently” your an idiot. The rom he is using isn’t an official upgrade you smarmy tool. It’s a hacked kernel upgrade. The official upgrades have been easy as cake to install either by OTA or manually. Do some research before you speak turd. The Droid does own your piddly iPhone.
Anglave
Can anyone who has tried 2.1 confirm that the browser scroll lag issue from 2.0.1 is fixed?
If you’re unsure, load IMDB and scroll around. Smooth in 2.0, jumpy and laggy in 2.0.1. How does it run in 2.1?
John
Droid has multi touch on maps now! just go to android market, search google maps click on it, and instead of install it says update!
Peter
Just heard from engadget that DROID WON’T BE GETTING ANY ACTIVE WALLPAPERS or ANY CHANGE TO THE HOME SCREEN in its release of Android 2.1 coming OTA sometime this week. If this is true, WTF MOTOROLA and GOOGLE??? How’s it gonna sound when the new slogan goes “Droid DOESN’T have active wallpapers and Droid DOESN’T have 5 homescreens like every other smartphone”. “IN A WORLD OF DOES DROID DOESNT!!!!” You guys suckered everyone into buying your expensive ass phone. You better not rip us off!!!!
Peter
http://i.engadget.com/2010/02/08/motorola-droids-next-update-to-be-android-2-1-includes-multito/
Read this and you won’t even care about when your 2.1 update is coming anymore, BECAUSE ITS TOTAL LETDOWN AND OFFICIALLY SHOWS THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT US DROID OWNERS!!!!
sean
what a fail
QmyDroid
My Droid does. I just installed the official update and there is no 5 home screens, and the App “Drawer” is still there but I have everything else. I like the 3D image menus, they’re interesting. just playing with my phone has sold probably 6 or 8 for people coming up and wanting to try the Droid. My iphone user friends are actually envious now. Haha. Droid Does!