Tired of waiting for the over-the-air Android 2.2 update to hit your Droid X?  Take a number.  But if you’re willing to do a little work, you can have your sexy-Xey up and running with Froyo in under thirty minutes.

Interested?

Some devoted geeks at MyDroidWorld have gotten their fast-moving fingers on the Droid X Android 2.2 “Froyo” update – and they’ve posted it as a ready-to-install .ZIP file.  Anyone with a Droid X can install it; all you need is a USB cable, openness to some very low-level geekery, and a few minutes of free time.

We’ll walk you through the process step-by-step.

First, you’ll need to download the 68MB update file – update.zip – and store it on your Droid’s microSD card.  We’ve posted the file for download here, but you can also download it from the MyDroidWorld page.  Be sure the file is stored in the root directory of the SD card (in the main directory and not a subfolder).

Next, you’ll need to restore your Droid X to factory specs.  This will erase all third-party apps and any data not stored on the microSD memory card.  Doing a hard wipe is not absolutely necessary to install this update, but without letting the built-in wiper do the wiping, you’ll have more work to do.  And, even with that, it’s always better to start clean to avoid troubles. 

We highly recommend the clean slate approach, but if you’re interested, you can read a more detailed list of what must be done before starting the upgrade at the main MyDroidWorld article.  You’ll also find information there related to rooting your Droid X and upgrading already-rooted handsets if such things interest you.

To restore your Droid X to factory specs, navigate to Menu > Settings > Privacy, then select Factory Data Reset.

Once your phone is back to its pristine, out-of-the-box state (which can take up to 10 minutes), power your phone off.  Then hold the Home and Power buttons down at the same time.  This will boot the phone into Recovery Mode.  When you see the green android beside an exclamation triangle icon, press the Search hardware button below the screen on your Droid.  This will display a list of options, one of which is apply sdcard:update.zip.  Use the volume-down button to select this option and the camera button (right side red button) to execute it.

The files stored in the update.zip file will work their magic and upgrade the OS of the Droid X to Android OS 2.2.  This will take five to ten minutes.  When complete, you’ll see a message stating that the upgrade completed.  Press the Menu hardware button below the OK label. 

You’re done.  Froyo at last.

After the upgrade (or any factory reset), you’ll have to activate your phone again with the built-in utility.  This takes a couple of minutes.

We’ve installed the update to our Droid X as described above and everything went off without a hitch.  But, as is always the case with non-official upgrade procedures, be careful.   If you turn your Droid into a sleek paper weight, don’t blame MyDroidWorld (or us).  Try at your own risk.

Many thanks to everyone at MyDroidWorld.

Nexus One owners have been rockin’ Android OS v2.2 “Froyo” for weeks.  But millions of other Android-powered smartphones have been left high and dry, still running Android 2.1, 2.0 or – condolences – 1.x.

Android 2.2 won’t be limited to the Nexus One forever, though.  HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and the four major U.S. wireless carriers are each working to bring the latest version of Android to a number of existing handsets between August 1st and the end of 2010.

Here’s what we know – or think we know – about Froyo updates for existing handsets.

According to an AndroidSPIN tipster, Motorola will begin rolling out over the air (OTA) Froyo updates for the recently-released DROID X and the original Motorola DROID as early as next week.  The Verizon Wireless inside source believes August 6th may be the launch date for the 2.2 upgrade for these Motorola devices.

Similarly, the DROID Incredible, built by HTC, may also receive Froyo in the next week or so.  The (purportedly) final build of 2.2 for the Incredible has been leaked and is already available for download on XDA Forums, so an early August release doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility. The AndroidSPIN tipster also claimed that the Incredible would be updated alongside Motorola’s DROID smartphones.

HTC plans to update other models in its Android lineup, too.  On Tuesday, August 3rd, the Sprint EVO 4G will be getting Froyo.  Later in Q3, the Desire, Wildfire and Legend will follow suit (some say the Desire will get its Froyo update as soon as this weekend).  The T-Mobile MyTouch family of smartphones (also built by HTC) are rumored to be getting Froyo, too, but this has not been confirmed.

Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones – the AT&T Captivate, T-Mobile Vibrant, etc. – will be getting the 2.2 treatment, though the release schedule is pretty wide open.  While Samsung has committed to upgrade Galaxy S handsets in the UK come September, there have been no hints as to when U.S. versions will be updated.  Samsung isn’t talking other than to say that U.S. versions will get Froyo.

The Motorold DROID 2, which is scheduled to be released next month, will reportedly ship with Android 2.2 pre-installed.

Older and/or discontinued Android handsets including the HTC Eris and Hero, Motorola Devour and Backflip, Samsung Moment, and T-Mobile G1 are almost certain to never taste sweet, delicious Froyo – at least not officially.

Android v2.2 is, at present, limited to the Google Nexus One in the United States.  Other newer, even high-end Android handsets like the Droid Incredible, Samsung Captivate or Motorola Droid X are running the older v2.1.

But according to information provided to BGR by a tipster, at least one of these devices will also be getting Android 2.2 (a.k.a. Froyo) in as soon as two or three weeks.

That device is the HTC Droid Incredible.  The tipster says that the popular smartphone will be getting the Froyo upgrade by early August which will add sought-after features like 802.11n connectivity, 3G Mobile Hotspot functionality, 720p HD video recording and new widgets for email and news.

This has not been confirmed by Verizon or HTC.

When it rains it pours.  On the heels of the AT&T Tilt and Verizon XV6800 getting their long-awaited Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional upgrades, the Samsung SGH-i617 BlackJack II is getting its first taste of Windows Mobile 6.1.

You can grab the Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard upgrade for the Samsung BlackJack II at the Samsung web site; installers are available for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

UPDATE: The landing pages for the WM6.1 updates are back up and working.

A few days after the AT&T Tilt finally got the WM 6.1 treatment, the Verizon XV6800 is getting Windows Mobile 6.1 love courtesy of UTStarcom.  The ROM image updates the XV6800’s OS to Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and adds EVDO Rev. A, treaded SMS,  VzNavigator support, and compatibility with larger microSDHC cards.   

Download the Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro upgrade for the Verizon XV6800…

HTC has posted a new ROM update which upgrades the AT&T Tilt’s OS to Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.  In addition, the update contains tweaks and fixes, new software, MS Voice Command, Threaded SMS and more.

Get the AT&T Tilt WM6.1 Pro ROM Update…

Sunnysoft has released version 1.5 of their Sunnysoft Contacts software, which is designed to update your contacts management and calling experience on touchscreen Windows Mobile Smartphones.  Features include search, finger-friendly contacts browsing, skins, adjustable font, photo and button sizes, speed dial, call history and more.

Visit Handango for more details on Sunnysoft Contacts…

After weeks of an unofficial update dangling in our faces, Motorola has posted the official Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard ROM update for the Motorola Q 9h Global (AT&T Mobility).

You can download the update here.  Remember that ROM updates wipe all data from your device, so be sure to sync and backup before installing.

An updated version of Winterface [DOWNLOAD] is now available from VITO Technology.  Version 1.1 offers several improvements including a new start gesture, updates to the Calendar and Tasks display icons, the ability to add contacts and settings shortcuts to the main screen, updated icons and more.

If you’ve already purchased Winterface, you can upgrade free of charge here.  If need to backup your current settings, you only should rename file pages.db (for example, pages_old.db) in the Winterface folder. Then you should uninstall the old version of Winterface, rename it back from pages_old.db  to pages.db after that install new version of the program.

MOTOMODDING has posted a file (requires registration) which is purported to be the official Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard ROM update for the AT&T version of the Motorola Q 9h Global.  We got word not long ago that AT&T will be releasing its WinMo6.1 update for the Q 9h sometime in late July or August, so it’s at least somewhat reasonable to assume this leaked ROM is the real thing.

Keep in mind that this update is not yet official, so you should proceed with caution.

UPDATE: The ROM image does indeed upgrade the Q 9h Global to WM6.1 Standard, but doesn’t include AT&T’s data service settings; as a result, 3G connectivity appears to be a problem after the update is installed.  A post on AT&T’s user forms indicate that the official WM6.1 update for the Motorola Q 9h may be released on August 22, 2008.