Update your DROID to 2.1 to enjoy some pinch-to-zoom

If you've been holding out hope for the ability to upgrade your DROID to 2.1, your wait is finally over. Verizon Wireless is now offering the update and has posted instructions on performing the update, including a list of features available in the update.

Included in the update are things like pinch-to-zoom in the browser, Gallery and GoogleMaps, a new Weather and News app and widget, voice-to-text entry support, and a whole lot more. Basically, 2.1 delivers a lot of the features that the Nexus One did, albeit a bit late.

Google is also offering up a bunch of improvements in this update so be sure to do the update via the "Install now" option.

I like that Verizon is finally making this update available and sort of bringing the DROID up to par with the Nexus One. I have to wonder, though, if Google is planning similar updates for all of its Android-based phones. Right now there's a lot of fragmentation in the Android OS marketplace with devices running anything from 1.1, 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, 2.0.1, and of course, 2.1. Each OS offers different features and while some devices running the earlier OS can't be upgraded to the latest, perhaps Google can offer some of the same features of the new OS as an update? Also, with the fragmentation of the Android OS comes the inability for all apps in the now 30,000 strong Android Market to run on all Android devices. I would think that cleaning up that issue would be even more important for Google as it tries to play in the "App Store" game.

The good news is that Google does seem committed to trying to upgrade the OS often. Now it's just a matter of where the line in the sand will be drawn for features and upgradability.

UPDATE: We're hearing that the update is delayed again but have not yet been able to officially confirm the delay.