Thursday, April 19, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

Droid 4 Scheduled to Receive OTA Maintnace Update, Grab it Here and Now

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 04:29 PM PDT

Earlier today we told you about the pending update for the Droid Razr and Razr Maxx and apparently that isn’t the only Motorola device receiving an update soon. The Droid 4 is also scheduled to get an update and will mark the first official update for the device since its launch. The new build will bring the device up to build number 6.13.219 (not ICS) and includes the MotoCast widget, improved battery life, fixes for the keyboard backlight and Wi-Fi connectivity and the rest of the goodies you see in the image above.

The update should begin to roll out over the next week but if you are anything like me and you will take any opportunity you can to snag an update early I got some good news. Thankfully for folks like us, our pals over at Droid-Life managed to procure the signed update and have already placed it into a flashable zip for all to enjoy. You need NOT be rooted to use this update and the file is only a mere 18MB in size. For those who are not rooted but plan to do so in the future, flashing this update will not break any ability to do so. For those folks who are rooted, it is recommended to use Voodoo Rootkeeper in order to maintain root.

If you are all ready to get started, jump past the break for a download link and full installation instructions.

Download: Blur_Version.6.13.215.XT894.Verizon.en.US.zip

Instructions:

  1. Download the above file and place it on the root of your SD card.
  2. Power off your device.
  3. Press both the volume keys and the power button at the same time and hold until the device powers up. You will now be in bootloader mode.
  4. Using the volume up key, select “Recovery” and press down both volume buttons when the exclamation point appears.
  5. Using the volume key again, scroll down and select "Apply update from sdcard." using the power button.
  6. Scroll down and select the file named 'Blur_Version.6.13.215.XT894.Verizon.en.US.zip'. It should be there if it downloaded correctly.
  7. Your device will apply the update and reboot.
  8. you are now good to go with an updated Droid 4!

 

 

source: Droid-Life / Verizon

 

 

 

Could this be the Galaxy S III? We doubt it!

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 03:50 PM PDT

Is anyone else bored of seeing so called “exclusive” photos of Samsung‘s hotly anticipated, forthcoming flagship device? I can honestly say that it’s reached the stage where I let out a little sigh when I come across a new mock-up or leaked photo. It’s to Samsung’s credit that this is the case, the hype and anticipation for the successor to the uber-successful Galaxy S II surpasses anything I’ve witnessed since the birth of Android. The rumours and speculation are simply a result of the astronomical success of the Galaxy range.

I’m now going to be a huge hypocrite and add further fuel to the fire by giving you a peek at the latest would-be Galaxy S III design. Gizmodo Brazil landed some exclusive photos of what it believes could be the Galaxy S III. The design doesn’t really stray much from the Galaxy S II, it’s reportedly a little thinner yet heavier and sports a 12MP camera. Gizmodo also reported that the device number is GT-I9300 which we had previously reported to be the Galaxy M. If the photo does turn out to be genuine then it backs recent speculation that the device may only be an incremental update and not the massive overhaul that everyone expects.

Roll on the 3rd of May, when the rumours will finally be put to rest under the bright lights of London town. Check out the images below and let us know your thoughts on the authenticity in the comments.

xlarge xlarge (1) xlarge (1)

source : Gizmodo

T-Mobile HTC One S will be available on April 25 for $199

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 02:13 PM PDT

We’re just a couple of hours away from T-Mobile unveiling the HTC One S in New York City, but we already have all the details. As predicted, it will be available on April 25. It will be priced at $199, which might be a little high when you consider AT&T is going to have the One X for the same price. Still if you’re a T-Mobile customer, the One S is an amazing phone with an amazing camera. The specs are basically the same as the global One S which include:

  • 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display
  • 1.5 GHz dual-c0re Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 8MP rear camera with f/2.0 lens and 1080p recording
  • VGA front facing camera
  • 16GB of storage
  • 1650mAh battery
  • 7.95mm thick
  • Beats Audio
  • HSPA 42+ support
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Sense 4

Our own Joe Sirianni is on hand tonight so look for a hands on video soon as well as an unboxing. Hit the break for the full presser.

T-Mobile Launches Ultra-Sleek HTC One S April 25

T-Mobile's Thinnest Smartphone Brings an Amazing Camera and Beats Audio™ Integration to America's Largest 4G Network™

BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 18, 2012 — Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and HTC Corp. announced the highly anticipated HTC One™ S will be available at T-Mobile® stores nationwide on April 25. As HTC's premier launch partner in the U.S., T-Mobile will be the first to offer the ultra-sleek HTC One S, which is the company's first device to ship with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and HTC Sense™ 4.

The latest smartphone from T-Mobile to take advantage of 4G (HSPA+ 42) technology on America's Largest 4G Network,™ the HTC One S provides T-Mobile customers with an amazing camera and authentic sound technology, plus a diverse selection of apps and services that give customers amazing 4G experiences.

"The HTC One series is a revolutionary device portfolio and we're proud to be the first carrier to introduce the HTC One S to the U.S. market," said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. "With a stunningly thin design that doesn't compromise performance, the HTC One S is a sleek 4G smartphone with beauty and brains that our customers will be proud to show off."

With the HTC One S, customers will find a fantastic music experience that works seamlessly on T-Mobile's 4G network. Customers can listen to their music libraries — up to 20,000 songs — straight from the cloud  and purchase new music on the go with Google Play. Virtually all audio experiences sound better on the HTC One S thanks to its built-in Beats Audio™ technology, which provides a richer and more authentic sound experience whether consumers are watching movies, listening to music or playing games.

Featuring an 8-megapixel back-side illuminated camera and HTC ImageSense,™ which provides a variety of enhancements to the camera's lens, sensor and software, the HTC One S is always ready to capture pictures in the blink of an eye. Consumers have immediate access to their cameras from their home screens and a super-fast auto focus with continuous shooting to take continuous photos at 4 frames per second simply by holding the shutter button. In addition, the smartphone enables high-quality video recording with a full high-definition (HD) 1080p camcorder and the ability to concurrently capture HD video and still images at the same time. With access to 25 GB of free cloud storage from DropBox, HTC One S customers also can bring their photos, documents and videos virtually anywhere they go and upload new content to the cloud via T-Mobile's network or Wi-Fi. HTC One S also gives customers a new way to share their content through use of HTC's wireless Media Link HD accessory.* The small accessory allows easy sharing of any content on the phone with any TV that supports HDMI.

"Blending the latest technology with HTC's focus on consumer experience, the HTC One S allows people to capture amazing images as high-definition video and photos at the same time with merely a touch of their finger," said Martin Fichter, vice president, product management, HTC Americas. "And HTC's Media Link HD accessory provides an easy wireless solution to share those great photos, videos and other entertainment on their TV screen with a swipe of their hand."

Also included with the HTC One S are applications that deliver added value, utility and fun.
T-Mobile TV makes it possible to enjoy free or premium live and on-demand programs, from the hottest TV shows to kids' programs. With the Amazon Mobile application, T-Mobile customers can search and buy millions of products directly from their device and receive special offers on select merchandise. Also highlighted is a T-Mobile-exclusive version of the popular "Where's My Water?" game from Disney Mobile, with ten levels that can't be played anywhere else.

The ultra-sleek and modern HTC One S will be available in gradient blue and is T-Mobile's thinnest smartphone (7.95mm). In addition to featuring a beautiful 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED screen, the HTC One S is equipped with a 1.5GHz, dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor by Qualcomm® and access to T-Mobile's fastest 4G (HSPA+ 42) speeds, making the HTC One S a powerful device ideal for customers seeking a fantastic mobile experience.

Availability

The HTC One S will be available on April 25 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers, national retailers and online at http://www.t-mobile.com for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card with qualifying two-year agreement. For more information, visit http://www.t-mobile.com/one or http://www.htc.com/us/products/htcones-tmobile.

Customer Support now available for Rooted Devices at Sprint

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 01:53 PM PDT

The news we have today will definitely cause many to give a second thought to rooting their Sprint device. From the image above you'll see that Sprint has a policy in place for handling rooted devices! We all know that the norm for carriers is to look down on you in shame if you root your Android device and not provide any support whatsoever. Many loyal Sprint customers, myself included, that love to tinker can take a collective sigh of relief, and no longer worry that you'll be without support if you ever need to exchange that rooted device. They will take note that you've rooted your android device as it states, but they'll do what they can to help and if a fix isn't found, per standard procedure they will start the process of getting you an exchange.

Just note that although this policy is in place, it could be likely they won't replace it if the problem was caused by rooting the device. So keep that in mind. I for one am glad to see this. I've been a customer of Sprint for a long while, and my complaints have been minimal. If you are a Sprint customer and have been on the fence about rooting your device, does this news give you that extra push to go ahead and do it? Let us know in the comments.

source: androdianrevolution 

How Does Your Carrier Rank In PC Worlds’ Recent 4G/3G Speed Test?

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 01:11 PM PDT

According to a recent speed test conducted by PC World, we now have some respectable carrier speed test results to make an honest comparison. I am sure many of you like myself have wondered exactly which carrier provides the faster 4g and 3G speeds for us end consumers. If so, check out the following results as obtained by PC World. Tests were completed over 13 cities and should show a fairly accurate average although your personal results may vary depending on location…

The clear winner in 4G download speeds was AT&T at an average of 9.12Mbps only to be closely tailed by Verizon with an average of 7.35Mbps. T-Mobile took the third spot with an average of 5.53Mbps down with their HSPA+42 network while Sprint came in last registering an average of 2.81Mbps. As far as 4G upload speeds go, well, Big Red took this one with an average of 5.86Mbps up with AT&T trailing at 4.91Mbps. T-Mobile and Sprint followed with 1.32Mbps and .97Mbps respectively. Bring 3G into the mix and T-Mobile is the carrier to beat. Scoring an average of 3.84Mpbs down on their HSPA+21 network and a 1.32Mbps average upload speed.

Although Sprint came in dead last in all the mag’s speed tests, they hope to change those results with their upcoming 4G network. Sure the speed increase is going to be nice, but how long will it take them to roll out the service to as many customers as Verizon already reached? You got a bit of work ahead of you, Sprint, and we wish you luck!

You can check out the rest of the 3G test results below, and if you want to read the full report go ahead and click the source link down there, too.

source: PC World
via: The Verge

FCC Filing for the Samsung Galaxy Beam Reveal AT&T Capable Radios

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 11:34 AM PDT

A recent filling at the FCC shows that AT&T might be getting the Samsung Galaxy Beam. You know, the smartphone with a built in Pico projector capable of tossing a 50-inch display on to you wall. Sweet! As far as the FCC details go, the device comes equipped with 3G radios that support the AT&T 1900MHZ and 850MHz bands. Other details we know already include a dual-core 1GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, Android 2.3, a 4-inch WVGA display… and that crazy-ass projector.

Whether AT&T will actually sell the device is entirely up to them. A Pico based Samsung phone has been around for a couple years but has never actually made it’s way to the states. Although I don’t really care for the phone’s design too much, I do think it would give the AT&T something that no other carrier has, and this could actually prove beneficial to them, who knows. Only time will tell and we will fill you in if/when we hear more. Anyone interested in this thing?

source: FCC
via: Engadget 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 unboxing and initial hands on review

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:41 AM PDT

There is no shortage of tablets from Samsung, expecially in the 7-inch category. They started with the original Galaxy Tab, then the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, and finally the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Samsung isn’t resting as they showed off the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 / 10.1 at Mobile World Congress. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 isn’t an upgrade from previous tabs, but more of a price-driven concept. The specs aren’t jaw-dropping, but will satisfy the average consumer. It’s priced at $249, which makes this the first tablet from mainstream Android manufacturers that can actually compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire in terms of price.

As for the specs, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has a 7-inch (1024 x 600) display, 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP rear camera, VGA front camera, 8 GB of internal storage, microSD for up to an additional 32GB of storage, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and the latest edition of TouchWiz.

Another notable is that all users will get 50GB of Dropbox storage for one year. You will be able to get your hands on it on April 22, but for now check out our initial hands on video (after the break)  and look for our full review soon.

Click here to view the embedded video.

PSA: The Google Play Store Actually Has 24 Hour Phone Support

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:21 AM PDT

For those of you who may not have already known this (I sure didn’t) the Google Play Store actually offers 24 hour technical support over the phone. Pretty slick, huh? If you ever have any difficulties with purchasing/downloading an app, movies or music you can simply fill out an online form and a Google Representative will actually call you during your requested time. Now this isn’t to be used for silly things that may occur on your particular device that is not Play Store related, this is only for issues that have to do with store transactions. So next time you find yourself wondering why that $17 launcher replacement isn’t downloading to your device, just hit that link below and a G rep will lend you a hand.

Google Play Support
via: Reddit 

 

 

Huawei announces it’s slim Ascend P1 availability around the world

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:18 AM PDT

This Huawei device, the Ascent P1 has been said to be launching in Q2 of this year. TalkAndroid has been keeping track of the phone manufacturer and where it’s been headed. Here’s a hand-on video from CES of the P1 S which is even thinner than its counterpart the P1 which is 7.7mm thick. The P1 has some pretty decent specs. Packed with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8mp camera with 1080p video, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and a decent sized 4.3-inch qHD AMOLED screen with a resolution of 540×960 all protected by Gorilla Glass.

The rollout plan for this super thin android device is as follows: Initial release will be showing up in Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong at carriers and retailers in May of this year. Thereafter, in June you’ll spy the device in Latin America, and later this summer across Europe. This press release is only refering to the P1. As for the P1 S we’ll have to wait and see what develops. So stick around and we’ll bring you more news on the subject.

source: gsmarena

Motorola DROID RAZR And DROID RAZR MAXX Gets Software Update

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 09:47 AM PDT

What a ride it’s been for the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX smartphones for the last few weeks. We’d heard everything from a soak test for a small update to a soak test with a potentially big update— which caused a ton of confusion and uncertainty as to what this upcoming update could be. Well friends, an update has officially arrive out of the blue for those devices which does confirm it is the Version.6.12.181.XT912.Verizon.en.US update we had previously suspected before.

The update includes a host of nice features too. For starters, there’s improved device stability, extended battery life, a more accurate 4G indicator and improved text messaging. If you’re an owner of one of those devices, make sure to be on the lookout for the 17MB update which should arrive very soon. Let’s hope it’s not too much longer before we see the Ice Cream Sandwich update afterwards.

source: Verizon Wireless
Posted by at 5:39 AM

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