Verizon activates Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX GSM radios, updates to ICS
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean may be right around the corner, but unfortunately, not every Android device is even running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich yet. Two such devices were the Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX, two of Verizon’s flagship LTE phones.
Thankfully, Verizon today finally issued updates to the two handsets. Not only do the updates give the RAZR and RAZR MAXX Ice Cream Sandwich, but they also activate the GSM radios that hadn’t served any purpose until today. Having these GSM radios activated will allow owners of either device to use their phones internationally.
Like most Verizon plans, international calling and data access is rather expensive: you can go on a monthly international plan, but you’ll have to pay $5 for access and then additional money every time you make a call. GigaOM writes that a one-minute call to the UK while on a Verizon international plan costs $1 per minute, with some countries going as high as $5 a minute. Data isn’t any better: the carrier charges $25 for a measly 100MB.
Still, Verizon has one of the best networks in the States. Its devices aren’t cheap, like its plans, so being able to use Verizon phones around the world is most likely an invaluable feature for a lot of people.
[GigaOM]