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Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012

Zachary Lutz
Updated ·5 min read

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

  • Asus Eee Pad Transformer: Users of the TF101 will now find software version 9.2.1.21 awaits for download, which is said to bring improved system stability, support for WiFi Direct and the ability to unzip files. [SlashGear]

  • Acer Iconia Tab A100: Like the A500, Ice Cream Sandwich is now rolling out for this 7-inch tablet. [Android Community]

  • Samsung Galaxy S II: A bit more patience is needed for SaskTel subscribers in Canada. The carrier has announced that the Android 4.0 refresh won't arrive until mid-May. [MobileSyrup]

  • Samsung Galaxy S II: The UK division of T-Mobile has begun delivery of Android 4.0. Here's to being fashionably late. [CNET UK]

  • Samsung Galaxy S II: This long-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich update is similarly now available for Telstra subscribers in Australia. [TechnoBuffalo]

  • HTC One S: Fresh off of its debut at T-Mobile, a software patch is available for download that's said to resolve battery drain when using WiFi Calling. [Android Central]

  • Motorola Photon 4G: The manufacturer has opened up a soak test, which hints at a future update for this handset. Only 1,000 slots are available for those willing to play with this pre-release build. [Android Central]

  • HTC Sensation: Android 4.0 and its Sense 3.6 overlay is now available for users of this smartphone on Cincinnati Bell. The carrier expects the rollout to be complete by April 30th. [Android Central]

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Google's premiere handset has recently struggled with a bout of connectivity woes, and Sprint's variant isn't immune. Fortunately, news suggests that the carrier is working to push an update out the door in the very near term. [Phandroid]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

  • HTC Amaze 4G: It has one of the best cameras you can find on a smartphone, and now, the handset from T-Mobile can be loaded with a pre-release build of Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 3.6. [TmoNews]

  • Sony Xperia S: Good news for owners wanting to dive into the custom ROM scene -- this handset has been blessed with unofficial builds of both ClockworkMod Recovery and CyanogenMod 9. [Android Community]

  • Samsung Epic 4G Touch: Owners of this Galaxy S II variant for Sprint may now take advantage of a leaked, pre-release build of Ice Cream Sandwich. Grab a taste of the forbidden in the source links. [Thanks, Andy] [xda-developers (1), (2)]

  • HTC: S-Off status is now possible for the Amaze 4G, myTouch 4G Slide, Rezound, Sensation, Sensation XE, Vivid, Raider and Velocity. [Android Police]

  • Nova Launcher: This alternative launcher for Android 4.0 has now reached version 1.1. Among the new features are the ability to scroll vertically in the app drawer and configure transparency settings. It's also said to bring many optimizations and bug fixes. [Phandroid]

  • Motorola: A universal root method is now available for all Motorola handsets running Android 2.3. On the downside, it appears that Linux is necessary admission. [Phandroid]

Other platforms

Refreshes we covered this week