Motorola Droid X: Thoroughly Reviewed
by Brian Klug on July 20, 2010 4:27 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Motorola Droid X
- OMAP
- Mobile
Of course, any discussion of the OMAP 3630 series would be incomplete without mention of the recent headlines involving Motorola’s potentially locked down bootloader.
The original controversy stemmed from speculation that Motorola would be blowing e-Fuses on the OMAP platform. If you’ve been following console modifications the last few years, you’ll likely recall that Microsoft has been using and blowing e-fuses for years now to prevent users from downgrading the Xbox 360 kernel. The reality is that TI has included mobile security and e-fuses through M-Shield on their SoCs for some time now, including the OMAP 3430 on the original Droid. We pinged TI just to clarify our suspicions:
“TI's M-Shield technology, which is integrated on the OMAP processors, does include OEM-specific, one-time-programmable keys (e-fuse) that are only accessible from inside the secure environment for authentication and encryption. It is up to our customers - Motorola in this case - to comment on how this component is utilized on our chips.”
So M-Shield and e-fuses have always been on the TI datasheet, Motorola has just decided to use them on the X. It’s highly likely that the X will have an encrypted and locked down bootloader just like the original Droid’s European cousin, the Motorola Milestone - a device which is still unbroken months later. If Motorola goes this route, it’s possible that it will be a long time before we see the same kind of custom ROMs on the X as we did the original Droid, and if a phone’s bootloader isn’t unlocked within a few months, the phone will likely be forgotten and replaced with the latest and greatest.
Motorola’s official statement on the matter is that while they won’t be bricking devices, they will be enforcing official firmware for the OS and baseband - and the mechanism for doing so is with e-fuses. The result is that if you aren’t running updated and approved software (assumedly OS and baseband), the X will go into recovery mode and won’t boot until approved software is re-installed.
Motorola is in an interesting bind here - there are carrier requirements and other legal requirements which force them to lock the bootloader. However, bootloaders from HTC devices are famously (in fact, possibly purposefully) easy to crack, making it easy for anyone to cook and flash their own ROMs and enable all kinds of customization. If the X truly is as locked down or more locked down than the Milestone, it might not even see that kind of development at all. As it stands now, if that kind of modification is important to you, you’re better off with an HTC device.
Android’s openness is an interesting subject. The platform is undeniably more open, but users are still forced to unlock bootloaders and flash custom ROMs, or root their devices to play around with things like overclocking or even loading different skins (Sense, Blur, stock, or others). Though it’s unquestionably less locked down than iOS, Google and its partners could do well to take a look at Nokia, which famously provides instructions for and even encourages users to gain root on devices like the N900.
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Spoooon - Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - link
Just noticed some similarities between a "review" on CNN (http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/100... and this one:CNN Money:
Overall, the build quality of the X is solid. Motorola has pulled off two high-end Android phones -- this and the original Droid -- that really feel good and inspire confidence. There's no give on any of the buttons, the volume buttons aren't loose and broken out of the box like some were on the original Droids, and the grippy plastic makes it feel even better. Having the phone tilt a few degrees and not rest completely flat on surfaces will help prevent the back from getting scratched up.
Anandtech:
Overall, the build quality of the X is solid. Motorola has pulled off two high end Android phones that really feel good and inspire a lot of confidence. There’s no give or play with any of the buttons, the volume buttons aren’t loose and broken out of the box like some Droids were, and the grippy plastic makes it feel even better. Again, I think having the phone tilt a few degrees and not rest completely flat on surfaces will help the back not get scratched up.
They are peppered throughout the CNN review. Maybe CNN borrowed your content with your consent?
Spoooon - Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - link
Oops. Noticed the attribution on the first page of the CNN article.LOL, I started reading it an hour ago, then stopped to work, then went back to it. :)
grkhetan - Thursday, July 29, 2010 - link
Hello, One question about the antenna chart. In the "holding naturally" column, where you touching the lower left black strip in the iphone 4?THanks
Gaurang.
brucebergman - Thursday, July 29, 2010 - link
I buy a phone to make phone calls first, be fancy second. (Fancy is nice, yes! But...) I didn't see anything on antenna analysis, or an externally accessible antenna jack should you feel the need to plug in some serious RF gain.My last two phones were the Audiovox CDM9000 and the LG VX2000, and currently is a Palm Treo 700wx. What do they have that the new crop do not? A real antenna, for those places where the NIMBY's won't allow new cell sites, and a way to connect an external antenna if you go out in the boonies a lot.
Until someone addresses this, I'm sticking with the Palm Treo. Or till it's hopelessly outdated and/or breaks and they can't find a replacement, at least.
weekilter - Thursday, July 29, 2010 - link
Too bad Moto couldn't have had the same understanding that Apple did and prevent VeriZon from putting their logos all over the device. Why the carriers think their logo adds to the appeal of a device is lost on me.myshadows - Monday, August 9, 2010 - link
Thanks for the awesome review! I may have missed this, but what is the speed of the internal 8 GB of memory compared to the Class 4 SD Card?ItsaRaid - Sunday, August 29, 2010 - link
Anand or Brian-Which would you pick?
Im trying to decide which way to go, I have a BB9700, with problems, I have looked at Both Phones the IPHone 4 and the Droid X- Im stuck- Hope maybe you can guide me as well.
Here is my Direct Contact Info:
ItsaRaid@columbus.rr.com
Hope you will take a few moments of time and help guide my decision making. Both Screens are Gorgeous and their sizes are no a big deal-
Thank You
Larry
BookDoctor - Monday, September 27, 2010 - link
I'm with you right down the line, especially regarding the length of the charging cord. Seems to me it's just another case of the supplier wanting to make an extra buck on accessories. Oh, well. . . . Nonetheless, I think the superior performance across the board makes it a small price to pay to have what's--at least in my book--the best Android device thus far.smithgood9 - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
As a Droid X fan, I find it useful to me. I wanted to transmit videos to PS3 for enjoying, but I failed. Because PS3 can only play it supports video formats. and PS3 can't support 3GP or other formats. Fortunately, I find a great Droid X video converter - Foxreal Video Converter, which can convert between various videos with excellent output quality. Use it transmit videos to MP4 and transmit videos to PS3 by DLNA function.