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New carrier Voyager Mobile starts May 15th, promises rewards for chatting it up
Competition among US cellular carriers is about to get a bit fiercer with a fresh national network that will actively encourage using your phone rather than setting hard limits. Newcomer (and MVNO on Sprint's network) Voyager Mobile is teasing a "frequent talker program" that will give all kinds of perks for the more talkative among us: call your Aunt Ruth a lot and you'll get phone upgrades, free months of service and smaller nice-to-haves like air mileage and gift cards. That's helped by Voyager starting off at $19 a month for unlimited voice, although picking a smartphone in the early catalog will hike that to a still rather thrifty $39 for all-unlimited voice, text and WiMAX data. If you're tempted by the price and don't mind an early phone roster that focuses on mostly Android-based carryovers like the LG Optimus S, Motorola XPRT or Samsung's Conquer 4G and Epic 4G Touch, Voyager will swing the virtual doors open for some states (with more to follow) when its countdown expires on May 15th.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 2nd, 2012
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!
Refresh Roundup: week of September 26, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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 The top story this week revolves around the HTC Thunderbolt's long-awaited Gingerbread OTA update. It was finally rolling out, which was exciting news for owners of the device -- until it had to be pulled because of some rather significant bugs. The largest of them all was that voicemail notifications no longer worked properly; video chatting through Google Talk was also slightly messed up as well. No word on when we can expect to see it come back with those bugs fixed. [Droid-Life] Unfortunately, the Thunderbolt isn't the only phone falling victim to pulled revamps; the LG Optimus S on Sprint had its Gingerbread update kiboshed, though users have had two weeks to get it -- plenty of time for anyone to experience some of the bugs, which included the phone not charging, the SD card not being recognized when the phone's connected to the computer, no access to data services, and predictive text on the virtual keyboard stopped working. It's disappointing to see this happen so soon after the Kyocera Echo update went through a similar debacle. [SprintFeed] LG Optimus 3D: V10K firmware update, enables phone to convert OpenGL-capable 2D games into stereoscopic 3D. Note: this still runs Android 2.2.2, so we're still waiting for Gingerbread. [AndroidCentral] Motorola Xoom WiFi: Android 3.2.1 is beginning to roll out. [AndroidCentral] Dell Streak 7: Honeycomb update rolling out now to unspecified regions [AndroidCentral] Asus Eee Pad Transformer: Revamped to Android 3.2.1, adds other bug fixes [AndroidCommunity] Casio G'Zone Commando: Gingerbread rolling out now [Droid-Life] Motorola Droid 3: Minor maintenance refresh; enhances Google Talk with video chat support, several other fixes. [PhoneDog] T-Mobile Samsung Nexus S: OTA install (with option to manually install) to Android 2.3.6; doesn't appear to break tethering. [AndroidCentral] Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery The Android 2.3.5 ROM for the global Samsung Galaxy S II leaked early this week. [Pocketnow, SamFirmware] You can now download the Android 2.3.4 SBF for the Motorola Droid X2, courtesy of XDA. [Droid-Life] If you have a Sony Ericsson Xperia-branded device from 2010 or 2011, CyanogenMod7 support will most likely come included as part of an upcoming update. Ten Xperia devices will be added, though a timeframe for release wasn't announced. Check here to see if your device made the list. [XperiaBlog] Other platforms Check here to see if your phone is ready to receive Windows Phone Mango. The ultra-rare AT&T HP Pre 3 just received an OTA update to 2.2.3.2207, right after a new webOS Doctor became available for the same refresh. [PreCentral] Refreshes we covered this week Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update now rolling out How to force Mango to your phone right away Samsung Taylor receiving Mango?
Refresh Roundup: week of September 12, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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 The HTC Merge on US Cellular can now be bumped up to Android 2.3.4. It appears to be a manual install, so visit here to download the file and learn exactly how to update your device. [via UnwiredView] HTC has added another device to its growing list of phones and tablets that now support the HTCDev bootloader unlock tool. [via PocketDroid] The LG Optimus S on Sprint is now on the receiving end of an OTA Gingerbread rollout. [via UnwiredView] Great news, Samsung Infuse 4G users: you're getting an update. The bad news: it's a maintenance fix, rather than a full-out Gingerbread upgrade. Still, it may be worth the download if you have the time or opportunity. [via AndroidCentral] Samsung has released the kernel source for the Epic 4G Touch. [via PocketNow] Sprint's certainly getting a lot of love this week, and we're not done yet: the Motorola Photon 4G is beginning to push out another smallish bug fix meant to curb WiFi issues experienced by a few users, and appears to be a gradual rollout. [via SprintFeed] The original Motorola Droid X is expected to receive a maintenance refresh as early as tomorrow, which is intended to resolve a widespread issue with the keyboard. If you're in this category, definitely keep a close eye out on this space. [via Droid-Life] We're hearing that the Droid 2 R2-D2 update to Gingerbread, which we originally reported on last week, is officially rolling out to eager fanboys and fangirls countrywide. [via AndroidCentral] Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery Those CyanogenMod7 builds for the HTC Sensation and EVO 3D we were talking about last week? They're now available. As extremely early builds, download and flash at your own risk. [via AndroidCentral] Since we're talking so much about HTC, here's one more thing: you can now grab a ROM for your HTC Desire HD that enables the beats audio technology. [via GSMArena and Android Community] A dev has been hard at work pulling various Motorola Atrix ROMs and porting them over to the Droid X2. The first one available is plain vanilla Android 2.3.4, if you're just not feeling up to using MotoBlur (aka the now-nameless Moto UI). [via Droid-Life] The initial build of the Motorola Droid Bionic bootstrap is available for install, which essentially will enable you to bootstrap your recovery and create backups on your device. Custom ROMs still aren't around for the Bionic yet (although early builds of CM7 began showing up this week), but the bootstrap is a big step toward achieving that goal. [via Droid-Life] Other platforms Symbian's Anna update is continuing to expand support to more countries, including Italy, Switzerland, Taiwan and Turkey. The refreshes for the US, Canada and Australia -- according to an email from Nokia -- is expected to arrive within the next two weeks. [via MyNokiaBlog] Refreshes we covered this week AT&T Windows Phone 7 devices to receive Mango this fall BlackBerry PlayBook to get OTA update next month that will offer native email, calendar
Refresh Roundup: week of August 29, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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 The biggest update we saw this week was a widespread push of Android 2.3.3 to the Motorola Droid 2. This one is done OTA, so simply go into your settings menu and check for updates to see if it's there. (thanks to everyone who sent this in) While we saw a rollout of Android 2.3 to a select few LG Optimus Ones in June, we're hearing reports that the update's now getting pushed out again to a few more regions. This refresh must be done manually through LG's updater tool, so you'll definitely want to check to see if your phone is one of the lucky recipients. [via PocketNow] US Cellular took to its Facebook Page to let customers know it's working on revamping the Samsung Mesmerize to Gingerbread at some point, though no official date or timeframe was given aside from "as soon as possible." [via AndroidCentral] HTC announced the arrival of Android 2.3 for the Thunderbolt and Droid Incredible this month, via its Facebook page. [via AndroidCommunity] In fact, some users have already reported getting Gingerbread for the Incredible, and we suspect the rollout will be complete no later than the end of the month, to fulfill the company's promise. [via Phandroid] Gingerbread is in the plans for the Motorola Milestone 2, and according to the company the refresh will begin rolling out in early Q4. [via MyDailyGadget] The Samsung LC11 LTE mobile hotspot is getting a new build, EF07, that appears to improve its handling of multiple devices and congested WiFi locations. It also adds security patches and new protocols. [via Verizon] An update for the Droid 3 was apparently available to soak testers and leaked online, but was pulled from Motorola servers shortly thereafter. It appears to add video chat support in GTalk and adds a new radio that's supposed to save battery life. The via link still has the update available for anyone interested. [via Droid-Life] Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery The root method used on most Motorola Android devices has been employed to root the Droid Bionic before it's even been released. [via Droid-Life] LG has released the kernel source for its Gingerbread build of the Optimus S. [via AndroidCentral] The HTC Dev site expanded its support for the bootloader unlock tool this week, now encompassing all versions of the Sensation -- including T-Mobile's. [via AndroidCentral] Other platforms SPB Shell 3.0 is now available for Symbian^3 devices. It brings a fresh 3D-style UI to the OS, and can be yours for $15. [via IntoMobile] Updates already covered this week HP planning TouchPad OTA update for added functionality HTC Flyer Honeycomb ROM leaks Samsung Nexus S updated to 2.3.6, fixes voice search and breaks tethering
Sprint's LG Optimus S gets minor software update
Gingerbread? No, not so much -- but Sprint's pushing a software update to the LG Optimus S today that should make your user experience ever so slightly better. Changes include a new LCD driver (whose improvements are unknown), a fix for a microSD card detection problem, and the elimination of the language selection when you start up the phone for the first time. Yep, that's it. Good news is that the Optimus S is one of the more put-together Android devices in Sprint's stable already -- so until they've got 2.3 ready, there's not much need to go crazy with the firmware.
Best Buy Mobile will offer free smartphones, mostly Android, every day in December
Holiday spirit over in Best Buy land must mean "getting rid of old stock by discounting it." The Droid Incredible and Xperia X10 are among the handsets to be featured in the big retailer's December mobile sale, which will involve offering up four free phones each day (one for each carrier) at a price of $0 upfront and subject to the usual two-year agreement. LG's Optimus T and Optimus S will also get their moment in the spotlight this month, though the discount there isn't exactly massive when you consider that the S started life costing $50 on contract. Speaking of S-branded Android phones, wasn't it Best Buy that first leaked out the next Nexus? Now that'd be a holiday offer worth talking about.
LG Optimus T and Optimus S review
It wasn't long ago that buying a smartphone meant spending at least a Benjamin and committing to an expensive 2-year contract. But things are changing, and shopping for a smartphone on a budget is getting easier than ever, thanks in great part to a recent flood of reasonably-priced Android devices that are pouring into the market. We've already talked about the HTC Wildfire, Huawei Ascent, ZTE Racer and Blade/San Francisco, and the Motorola Citrus -- not to mention the lovely Comet (and its international cousin, the Ideos) on T-Mobile. Enter the LG Optimus T ($30 post-rebate on T-Mobile) and Optimus S ($50 post-rebate on Sprint), two Android siblings that might prove once and for all that "affordable" doesn't mean "cheap." Let's dig in. %Gallery-106845%
LG Optimus S, first hands-on! (update: video)
The low-end Android game just got real, folks, with Sprint's introduction of the LG Optimus S, a $50 (on-contract, post-rebate) Android slatephone running Froyo on a 3.2-inch HVGA screen, with mobile hotspot functionality for up to five devices, 802.11 b/g WiFi and a 600MHz processor to run the whole shebang. As you'd expect in a world of 1GHz smartphones at the $200 price point, it's not quite up to spec, but that doesn't keep it from having a super-solid build, durable and weighty, that belies its low price. It honestly feels much like a Nexus One in the hand, though with nice big physical buttons instead of capacitive function keys, and of course a lower-quality LCD screen. There's an auto-focusing 3.2 megapixel camera on the back and a fairly responsive capacitive touchscreen up front, and though browsing was a little painful on the low-res screen, the Android 2.2 device sped through the UI without skipping a beat. If this device impresses as much after we throw it through a barrage of tests, I'll be hard to imagine ever spending a cent on a regular ol' featurephone again. Update: We've just been informed that the Optimus S has 256MB 512 MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, an MSM7627 chipset and Bluetooth 2.1, but there's more -- it pulls a respectable 430 in the Quadrant benchmark thanks to Qualcomm Adreno 200 graphics, and we've got visual proof. See some direct-from-device screenshots and a couple sample pics from the Optimus S's camera in our second gallery below! Update 2: Video after the break! %Gallery-104469% %Gallery-104475% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Sprint guns for mid-range Android: $149 Samsung Transform, $99 Sanyo Zio, and $49 LG Optimus S include 'Sprint ID'
The rumors were dead-on -- the Samsung Transform and Sanyo Zio are headed to Sprint this week, and by the end of the month the carrier will play host to an LG Optimus smartphone as well. Priced at $150, $100 and $50 (after $100 mail-in rebates) respectively, they're definitely not high-end phones, but if you're looking for a capable QWERTY messenger (with video chat!) the Samsung Transform just might fill the bill. In many ways it's a scaled down Epic 4G, with the same look and feel, though a somewhat slower 800MHz processor, a 3.5-inch screen, and no 4G support, obviously. We weren't terribly impressed with the Sanyo Zio the last time we saw it, but we're happy to hear it's now sporting Android 2.1 and hopefully some bugfixes, and we're eager to try the LG Optimus S simply because it's got Froyo at the $50 price point. Hardware's only half the story here, however, because these three phones will ship with something completely new -- a settings / apps / widgets / themes packaging solution the company's calling Sprint ID. Rather than fill the device with bloatware apps or overlay a custom UI, Sprint's installed a software button that takes you to a store exclusively designed for Sprint's new Android devices. You pick a package -- say, Business Pro -- and it downloads a specific set of apps, widgets and a custom wallpaper targeted at business owners, though if you'd rather decline you can use a package that's pretty much stock Android. The carrier's launching Sprint ID today with 17 partners and 13 free content packs, with more on the way. There's a Sprint exec waiting to walk you through Sprint ID in a video after the break!