This new update will have customers able to take their smartphone to more than 220 countries and will be receiving data in more than 205 countries. You won’t be able to simply head out of the country expecting your phone to work like this, of course, but the process for activating your global abilities is relatively simple. Just head on over to VerizonWireless.com/Global to get all the information you need on hot to flip the “on” switch.

The devices that will be included in this update will be the following four smartphones:
• HTC Rezound
• DROID RAZR by Motorola
• DROID RAZR MAXX by Motorola
• DROID 4 by Motorola

Have a peek at our reviews of each of these devices by clicking their name in the list above, and keep a keen eye on your update screen to see when you’ll be able to go global as fast as you can fly. Having used the HTC Incredible 2 this past season in Spain when we attended Mobile World Congress 2012, I can certainly say that Verizon and their global partners have this situation on lock – expect great things!

Instead of giving you a specifications run-down, what I’m going to do here is give you my “total package” view of what each device has to offer to you, the everyday user. I’ll speak about the displays, the buttons, the keyboards, and the version of Android they hold, sure, but it’s that one phone you’ll be purchasing, so it’s that one phone on its own that we’ll have a chat about.

Motorola DROID 4

This is the fourth self-titled DROID that Motorola has put out, and it offers you essentially the same thing as you’ve gotten with each past DROID device – a push-out keyboard with real physical buttons, a lovely display, and almost the most recent version of the Android software. The keyboard on this device, if you’re in need of a full physical QWERTY that is, is the nicest one you’re going to find on the Verizon network. Aside from that, and especially if you have no need for a physical keyboard, there are much better choices for you, most of them costing you a whole lot less.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID 4

Motorola DROID RAZR/ RAZR MAXX

What you’ve got here is the fat version of the DROID RAZR, a device that was otherwise known as one of the thinnest smartphones on the planet. This thickness adds so much battery life that you’ll only have to charge up every two days instead of every night – and it costs at least $50 more than the DROID RAZR, and in one case $100 more – that depending on if you get a memory card inside the device. If you want the biggest battery on the market, go for the MAXX. If you want a purple smartphone, get the original DROID RAZR – and note that bot the DROID 4 and the DROID RAZR are a bit wider than most people’s hand palms, so be sure to hold it in the store to see if you’re comfortable with that.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID RAZR

HTC Rhyme

Actually there’s another purple smartphone here at Verizon, that being the HTC Rhyme. This little mouse of a phone has all the power and capabilities you might like from a larger top-tier smartphone with its only drawbacks being its unique aesthetics. This phone was made for the feminine crowd, having cuteness and fashionability to the core – and it’s free at the moment, too.

Check out our full review of the HTC Rhyme

HTC ThunderBolt / HTC Rezound

Though these two devices may appear to be similar, and indeed they are much more similar to one another than they are to the rest of the device on the network, the devil is in the details: if you want the uniqueness of the HTC experience and you’d like to avoid the fashion forward experience of the Rhyme, you’ll want one of these two – and I’d suggest the Rezound. The HTC ThunderBolt was a fantastic phone for me for quite a few months after it was released – indeed it is a classic HTC device – but the Rezound has as high definition a display as you could ever want, has excellent speakers and Beats-brand earbuds in the box, and isn’t reaching its “end of life” as the ThunderBolt is. Its kind of like when they stop selling a car at a dealership: they’ll still support you, but they’ll keep updating your Rezound for a whole lot longer.

Check out our full review of the HTC ThunderBolt and our full review of the HTC Rezound

LG Spectrum

This device is the only LG device you should be considering. There’s also the Revolution by LG you can purchase used, but don’t bother with it – the Spectrum is going to be much more reliable for you in the short and long run. It also has a really great camera and an ultra-bright and ultra-sharp display on it as well. The only drawback here is, again, that it’s a pretty gigantic device, and might be uncomfortable for you to hold in one hand.

Check out our full review of the LG Spectrum

Motorola DROID X2

This smartphone is the only one on Verizon you’re going to find with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor. There are other dual-core processor toting devices on the carrier, and in tablets there are even some more NVIDIA Tegra 2 chips inside, but this is the only smartphone to hold such a distinction. What this means, in short, is that you’ll be able to download games from the NVIDIA Tegra Zone, a store where only the sweetest monsters slumber.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID X2

Pantech Breakout

This device doesn’t get a whole lot of press because Pantech is really still only a small gunner of a manufacturer of Android devices here in the United States, but check it out: this device is certainly not the worst device on the carrier. It’s one of the last of its breed having a single-core processor inside, and the camera is only a 5-megapixel shooter on the back, but they’re both decent, and you can certainly play Angry Birds if that’s your winning combination.

Check out our full review of the Pantech Breakout

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Soon you’ll no longer see the name “Ericsson” on Sony-branded smartphones, this one being one of their most famous combinations before Sony bought out Ericsson’s half of the business. This is the fabled PlayStation Phone, and with it you’ll be able to access a set of games only available to this device specifically. This device was also one of the two choices Google made for Gingerbread hero phone — in short, this means it works very, very well with the software its got running. This device is made for gamers, make no mistake about it, and it’s certainly fun to own.

Check out our full review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

If you’re looking for the most advanced Android software, look no further than the Galaxy Nexus: Google’s hero phone for their newest mobile operating system Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This device has many futuristic characteristics such as a massively high definition display, a button-less front face, and a sleek exterior, and it’s running a vanilla version of Android. This means that there’s no user interface changes made by the manufacturer or the carrier – though it does have a couple of helpful Verizon-added apps. This device is both Google and Samsung’s current hero smartphone.

Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Editor’s Choice

If I had to choose just one device, I’d probably end up going with the Galaxy Nexus as I do love to mess with the software – and all Nexus devices are made to make that process easy. Other than that, I’d either choose the LG Spectrum for its camera or the HTC Rezound because its user interface and headphone branding makes it a nice full package. If I wanted a Motorola device, I’d pick the original DROID RAZR because its so incredibly thin and I’m constantly charging my devices anyway – look at that stack of coins in the lead image of this post – sharp!

The renders you’re seeing here seem awfully light compared to the all-black metal devices Motorola is prone to releasing with Android, and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich interface appears to have been bent over backwards to work with Motorola’s own user interface, icons and all. This leak could very well be a falsified bit of evidence, but it’s certainly an interesting one nonetheless.

This device has been tipped as having an instant-on capable camera with 15 frame-per-second burst capture. This lines up decently with the rest of the camera upgrades the rest of the industry has been pushing over these past few months in light of the idea that users actually care how nice their smartphone-based camera is. Need to grab those quality photos and videos or its all for naught! Have a peek in the timeline below for additional Medfield news and leaks.

Also note that if this device does turn out to be real, we’ll likely see it at Mobile World Congress 2012 – and we’ll be there to let you in on the business as it goes down!

[via PocketNow]

Hardware

The display here is a massive 540 x 960 pixels on 4-inches of space, putting this device at 275 pixels per inch. That’s quite impressive when it comes down to it, it being not quite as rich with pixels as the Galaxy Nexus (at 316 ppi) but certainly ready to contend with the DROID RAZR whose same resolution sits on a slightly larger display, putting it at just 256 ppi. At this close range you wont notice the difference unless you’re holding these devices up next to one another, but the difference is there.

Other than that you’ve got what’s actually a slightly larger device than the DROID 3, this bulk coming from the additional plastic around the edges, seeming to have been added here for stylistic purposes instead of necessity. The device is almost exactly the same height as the previous DROID QWERTY and the keyboard is similar, but quite a bit nicer when you’ve used it for a bit. While the older DROID keyboards did seem excellent when they were first brought forth on the first couple of units, the age started to show harshly on the DROID 3. Here there’s a new amount of space and a sensor-activated light surrounding the keys.

The processor is the same one that’s in the DROID RAZR and several devices that’ve been released in the past few months, that being the Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core 1.2GHz SoC. This chip will get you where you need to go and will allow you to play essentially any game you’re hankering for on the Android Market without a hitch. Consider these Quadrant Advanced results – Total 2747, CPU: 6957, Memory: 2586, I/O: 3046, 2D: 283, 3D: 862, and note the comparatively powerful results when you consider the rest of the Android devices released with this same OMAP processor very recently – looking quite similar.

Software

Inside you’ve got your regular suite of Motorola, Google, and Verizon apps, no real surprises in the mix, and all of it comes complete with Webtop. Motorola devices released inside the last year have all had their proprietary desktop-like software installed aboard, this working through your HDMI-connected display with the device itself acting as an intermediary. If you’ve got any of the suggested docks you can turn your DROID 4 into a standalone computer with your HDTV as your monitor and a USB-connected mouse and keyboard as your controllers. Alternatively you can use the DROID 4 as a trackpad to control your cursor on the display. Check out a demonstration of how this all works in our review of the Motorola Lapdock 100.

Motorola devices are connected with a series of basic cloud-connected services such as My Music which connects you to your computer at home via the web. This and the rest of the cloud suite on the DROID 4 are connected via MotoCast, a service which connects all of your Motorola devices via an interface you download for your desktop machine at MyMotoCast.com. Also prominent in the apps drawer is an instant link to your MOTOACTV, a device which acts as both a music player and a fitness tracker which you can attach to your arm, your wrist, or wherever else you’d like to carry it.

Camera

Motorola is back to having a decent beast of a camera here with 8 megapixels on the back along with 1080p video capabilities. Though it’s not the most perfect setup we’ve seen with such specifications, it certainly out-does its predecessor. Have a peek at some demonstrations of the DROID 4′s back-facing camera here and behold the loveliness.

Phone and Battery

The battery on this beast is a full 1785 mAh placing it right beside the original DROID RAZR in battery rating and capturing just about as much time in the wild as well. When you’re using this device for streaming video you’ll get a few hours out of it – enough time for about a full movie and a half. If you’re using it heavily throughout the day, you’ll get something like 6-8 hours. If you’re using it lightly, for email and web browsing exclusively that is, you’ll be getting 10 hours or more no problem. One charge a night should be good for most users.

Wrap-Up

The DROID 4 is the bulkiest device on the Verizon network here at its launch, yet at the same time it’s got the nicest keyboard Motorola has ever offered on a smartphone. If you’re so in love with the basic QWERTY DROID line that you’ve sworn off all other smartphones, it’s time to upgrade to this model. If you’re looking for the best Motorola device on Verizon, I’d recommend the RAZR MAXX. It doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard, but it does have a battery that’ll last you until kingdom come, and you’re working with essentially the same innards as this device otherwise.

This device certainly deserves to have a spot amongst the high-end line of Android devices at its release, but will be forgettable within a few months at the dawn of the quad-core smartphone and the start of the Ice Cream Sandwich having Androids being released in bulk closer to the middle of the year. You’ve got the option of grabbing the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung on Verizon right now as well if you want the newest Android software – DROID 4 is still stuck on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread – but that would require you to leave your beloved Motorola and go Samsung’s way, a very different beast indeed.

There’s also an 8-megapixel main camera with LED flash and 1080p Full HD video recording, a front-facing camera for video calls, and WiFi hotspot support for tethering other devices. Motorola has splashed plenty of enterprise-level software at the DROID 4, too, with government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) and the Citrix Receiver app preloaded.

However, even if you’re planning on using the DROID 4 for play rather than work, the 1.2GHz dual-core processor should be easily sufficient. OS is Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, but an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is in the pipeline.

More on the Verizon DROID 4 by Motorola in our hands-on and unboxing from earlier this week; stay tuned for the full SlashGear review.

Inside the box here you’ll find the usual – that being the device itself, a microSIM card already installed for us, and a power cord and adapter. This device uses a microUSB cord like the past few years of DROID devices have, and it’s running Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, the newest edition before Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This device is set on Motorola’s timeline to be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich before the year is over, and it’s looking more and more likely that the change will be coming sooner than later – hopefully inside the first half of the year.

This device includes Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for all of your ever-loving typing needs, that being email, calendar, and contacts, and you’ll be able to use Webtop like the rest of the Motorola line from 2011. Plug it on in to the full suit of Motorola-made accessories at Verizon right this second! You’ve got Citrix Receiver on Webtop right out of the box as well for full desktop virtualization and access – how kind!

This device has a front-facing camera for video chat, a back-facing 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video, and the whole device is set for full 4G LTE access at what Verizon continues to note is 2 to 5 Mbps right here in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We’ll be giving this device a full rundown soon – for now check out the video and the photos below. And be sure to ask any and all questions in the comments – we’re waiting to work for you!

On the back there’s an 8-megapixel camera with Full HD video recording, while a 1.3-megapixel camera is up front for video calls. The 4G connection can be shared out with up to eight WiFi-tethered devices, and there’s WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth along with GPS.

Motorola is also pushing the Lapdock 500, complete with its full-sized keyboard and 14-inch display, for those willing to spend another $299.97 turning their smartphone into a notebook. More details in our full hands-on.

Motorola DROID 4 hands-on:

Verizon is promising an Android Ice Cream Sandwich update for the DROID 4, though there’s no timescale for its release; until then, you’ll be using Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread.

[via Android Community]

The “Droid” name has proven to be really powerful for the Android brand, and the one reaping the rewards is Verizon, which holds the rights to the name. However, after the original Droid came and gone, there were other handsets that made their splash, like the new Evo phones and HTC’s myriad models that have come out over the past couple years.

However, Droid is making a comeback, notably with the Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx, and with the Droid Xyboard tablet. It’s time to revive the name in a big way, and bring the Droid brand into the same path as the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S – numbered phones. We all know something with the number “4″ in its name is good, right? I guess we’ll find out on February 10.

[via Wireless Ground]

This handset is a Verizon-branded Motorola DROID device, this meaning that it’ll come packed with an official Google-made suite of applications as well as Verizon’s own additions, plus a Motorola custom user interface. This device has a 1.2GHz OMAP4 dual-core processor from Texas Instruments, a 4-inch qHD display, 4G LTE connectivity, and a lovely slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The look of it reminds one very much of the Droid RAZR and the Droid RAZR MAXX, both of which have been released inside the last couple months.

The video above is yours truly checking the device out at CES 2012, it looking ready and willing to be launched inside these first few months of the year. You’ll be able to find all the lovely details on this device that haven’t been listed here at Droid Does or in the timeline of leaks below, and stick around on SlashGear for the full review soon as well! Will this be your next QWERTY superstar, you Motorola lovers, you?

[via Android Community]

On the back of this device is an 8-megapixel camera, on the front is a camera fully capable of working with you for video chat, and you’ll be able to work with it with all of the Lapdocks in the latest line: the 100, the 500 Pro, and the rest of the HD dock suite. This device is a half-inch thick, works with mobile hotspot out of the box, and is going on sale “in coming weeks.” It’ll be sold on a two-year agreement for more than likely right around $250 USD and in general feels pretty nice to hold.

Have a peek at our hands-on pics and video and let us know: is this everything you’ve been waiting for? When a device has been leaked as much as this one have, we’ve got to expect that it either affects you in a way that has you chomping at the bit to get it or tired to death of hearing about it – this certainly is a wicked qwerty – is it your next?

There’s also an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p Full HD video recording, 16GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot, along with Mirror Mode for outputting the display on a TV. Plug in that way, and you can access the full Firefox browser and use the multi-window Webtop app; you can also dock the DROID 4 with the Lapdock 100 or Lapdock 500 Pro.

Despite the specs, the DROID 4 by Motorola is only 1/2-inch thick. It has mobile hotspot support for up to eight WiFi-tethered devices, and MotoCast for streaming multimedia and documents from your home or work computer.

The Verizon DROID 4 by Motorola will go on sale “in the coming weeks”; the carrier is yet to announce pricing, though we’re guessing it’ll be $200-250 with a new, two-year agreement.