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Sprint updates Samsung Galaxy Tab to Gingerbread, gets over post-holiday blues
Samsung Galaxy Tab owners in the US have been anxiously waiting for their prized possession to get an update to Honeycomb and its tablet-optimized wonders, only to be warmly greeted by crickets for months. Fortunately, as we reported last week, Sprint's taken the first step in the right direction by bumping its Tab up to Gingerbread and throwing in a few standard maintenance fixes at the same time. The new build, also known as "GINGERBREAD.EF17," will be sent out OTA in stages; the deed should be done for every Tab on the Now Network over the next four days. To see if your tablet is ready to get its refresh on, go into settings, choose "About My Galaxy Tab," and select "system updates." Be sure to set aside five minutes for Gingerbread to download and install on your device, and you'll be good to go. It's no Android 3.1, of course, but at least Sprint's one step ahead of the pack.
LG Optimus 3D now available SIM-free for £500 at Carphone Warehouse
It's been mere weeks since we got the full specs on LG's Optimus 3D (also known as the Thrill 4G for AT&T), and here it is, as promised, popping up across the pond. Yup, everyone's favorite misnomered online retailer, Carphone Warehouse, has the glassesless Froyo phone going for a cool £500, SIM-free. You can also get 3D on your dual-core LG for £35 per month from O2, Orange, T-Mobile, or Vodafone. For those of you US patriots looking to get your hands on the thing in time for the Fourth of July, however, you'll have to find another way to capture the weenie roast in all three dimensions -- there's still no word on when the Optimus 3D will land stateside.
Cincinnati Bell brings Froyo to Milestone XT720, holds your hand through rooting process
Rooting is the dark side of the Android platform. It opens your phone up to a world of unsanctioned opportunities and typically has carriers swatting you back with illegal network usage fees. So you'll understand how bizarre it is that Cincinnati Bell is offering Milestone XT720 users software and an instructional video how-to that boots Eclair out, for its Froyo successor. Making use of the widely-popular SuperOneClick app, intrepid owners will be walked through the usual root, back-up and ROM-flashing steps. But the regional carrier's no dummy as the procedure ends with users unrooting their devices, freeing the network from unwanted congestion and reducing the risk of a bricked phone. Customers of this Ohio-based provider should check the source for a forbidden peek into Android's underbelly.
iRiver's MX100 Android tablet spotted in China? (video)
iRiver has spent the past couple of years testing the e-reader waters, but the company may now be ready to plunge into the deeper end of the pool, with its first Android tablet. A blogger in Korea recently spotted the slate, believed to be the seven-inch MX100, during an iRiver event in China. According to the source, it's powered by a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird core, runs on Android 2.2 Froyo and is equipped with 802.11b/g/n WiFi -- not exactly cutting-edge stuff, but at least it's not Bubble Yum-flavored. There's been no official confirmation from iRiver yet, nor do we have any details on pricing or availability, but you can head past the break to see a semi-recent commercial from LG U+, in which the MX100 makes a brief cameo around the 0:15 mark.
Xtreamer's Prodigy media streamer gets upgraded internals, shoots 3D video to your screen for €149
Last time we saw the Xtreamer Prodigy, it was shaping up to be quite the slick little media streamer with a Realtek 1185 chipset running at 500MHz, a plethora of supported codecs, and a fancy flash-based GUI with Android underpinnings. In the months since, the Prodigy hit the gym and now packs Realtek's 1186 silicon clocked at 750MHz and HDMI 1.4 for pumping out video in three dee. There's also Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, and support for up to a 3TB HDD in its 3.5-inch bay, so you can source your videos from home or abroad with the greatest of ease. Currently up for pre-order, this digital media distributing dandy will cost €149 (that's $213 here in the States), but won't ship until September.
Motorola Triumph for Virgin Mobile goes up for pre-order at Best Buy for $300
Fans of Virgin Mobile's prepaid plans were mighty jazzed over the Motorola Triumph, a 4.1-inch, vanilla Froyo-packing handset that might seem ho-hum on paper, but is a marked improvement over what you'd normally be able to score without the shackles of a two-year service agreement. At the time, more than a few of our readers swore that once they dutifully fulfilled their contractual obligations, a Motorola handset sans Motoblur would be enough to send them packing to Virgin. Well, it's time to put your money where your mouth is: she's up for pre-order at Best Buy for $299.99. In the world of unlocked phones, of course, that's a steal. Why, the Droid Charge costs the same with a two-year contract, and the (admittedly higher-end) Dell Venue fetches $500 unlocked, with the iPhone 4 topping it at $649. Order now and you're in for several weeks of thumb-twiddling -- Best Buy estimates it'll arrive sometime between July 19th and July 26th. As always, commitment-phobes, hit the source link to order and peep the spec list while you're at it.
Telstra will scrap Sense UI to make room for Gingerbread on the HTC Desire
What's this we spy in the dusty depths of a Telstra software update page? A little sentence that displays some crowd-pleasing logic in bringing Android 2.3 to the hoary old Desire. HTC originally told us the handset had insufficient memory to run Gingerbread, and so would be excluded from the update. Then it did a 180-flip and said the Desire would be getting Gingerbread after all, but with the sacrifice of some memory-hogging apps. But now Aussie Telstra has opted for arguably the smartest alternative: prepare a special update that kicks HTC's Sense UI out of the pub instead, freeing up plenty of room for Gingerbread while also pleasing punters who like to drink their Android neat. If it can work Down Under in August, other operators around the world ought to be able to make it work too. And if they don't, there's always the option of a spicy home-brewed beverage instead. [Thanks, Alejandro]
Hulu Plus for Android is available now... for six devices
The good news is that Hulu Plus for Android is on the market, but the bad news is that you may not be able to install it yet. The official Hulu Blog has just been updated with news that six phones -- Nexus One, Nexus S, HTC Inspire 4G, Motorola Droid II, Motorola Droid X, and the Motorola Atrix -- are on the compatible list with "additional device announcements" due later in the year. While there's some crossover with the list of Netflix-compatible devices, it's hardly complete and many flagship phones are still missing. Here's hoping the tweakers can work their magic on that apk and get it running for the rest of us, whether we're shelling out $7.99 a month or just want to leech some Chappelle's Show eps on a free one week trial. If you can't get it running yourself, check out a quick video demo embedded after the break. [Thanks, Tyler, Isaac]
Optimus 2X caught on camera wearing WIND's clothing, it's a G2x in disguise
LG's first foray into dual-core was recently spotted in full WIND Mobile attire, where it appeared ready to soar on the provider's AWS spectrum. Of course, given the LG-P999 designation, this handset reveals itself to be the same as its 1700MHz-capable US cousin -- the T-Mobile G2x -- and we're hoping this version of LG's flagship will also ship with plain Android (unlike the skinned affair on the Optimus 2X). With no firm announcement from WIND, it's difficult to know what customers should expect from this beast -- but as long as those troublesome reboot issues don't interfere, this could be a smooth flight indeed.
Motorola Triumph release date leaked by 'People' magazine, coming to Virgin on July 19th
You've seen many views of the Motorola Triumph in our recent hands-on segment, but perhaps no angle is so tempting as the release date itself. Fortunately, that tidbit arrives courtesy People's current issue, where Virgin Mobile's July 19th release date is outed on page 77 -- in the StyleWatch Concierge section, if you just have to know. Given the "379 hot summer looks" to fawn over, it's easy to overlook this Blur-less handset, but the proof awaits at your local news stand. Sadly, we're still waiting on pricing for this newcomer, but perhaps it'll show in the next edition of The Economist, no?
Marvell Kinoma Play Android app hands-on preview (video)
First unveiled back in February, Kinoma is Marvell's take on a "new open app platform" targeted at everything from mobile devices to desktops to embedded handhelds. Here in New York, the company is finally showing off a live version of the software in the form of Kinoma Play, an implementation of the platform that runs atop Android 2.2 Froyo -- for the moment at least. The folks from Marvell also had a massive touchscreen loaded up with a desktop version of the software running in a simulator atop OS X for eager onlookers to fool around with. Head past the break for a quick rundown of the offering and plans to do with it, along with some juicy video footage of the stuff in action. %Gallery-126857%
Archos unveils bare-bones Arnova 7 Android tablet, priced at $99
We caught a brief glimpse of Archos' new Arnova 7 tablet when it hit the FCC last week and now, we have a few more details on the company's affordable Android-based slate. Though there's no information on its RAM or processing capacity, the latest addition to the Arnova clan boasts a seven-inch, resistive touchscreen LCD with 800x480 resolution, supports 720p HD playback, and offers 4GB of flash memory. Running on Froyo, this WiFi-enabled slab will give you access to the AppsLib store, rather than the Android Market, and won't come with any of the front- or rear-facing cameras you'd expect from higher-end products. But, then again, it's pretty hard to argue with any tablet priced at just $99. No word yet on when the Arnova 7 will start shipping, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.
Droid X gets friendly with CyanogenMod 7 beta, nightlies to follow (video)
After months of labor and many helping hands, a tenacious modder known as "cvpcs" has succeeded with his efforts to bring CyanogenMod 7 to the Motorola Droid X. While this is still a beta release, fixes are coming swiftly and the developer intends to deliver nightly updates to resolve the outstanding issues -- the camera is non-functional, for instance. If you're willing to take the plunge with this one, you'll need to revert to Froyo for sake of kernel compatibility (but don't worry, CM7 is Gingerbread-based). Also, the most recent set of Google apps aren't working yet, so you'll need to grab an older release. All the juicy details -- along with the CM4DX download -- can be found at the source, and we've included some helpful guides to get you on the right path. So if you're feeling wily this weekend and Moto's Gingerbread isn't fitting the bill, be sure to thank "cvpcs" for his dedication. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
LG's Optimus 3D officially launched, debuting in Europe with dual lens and dual core CPU
The long wait is finally over! Joining the likes of HTC EVO 3D and Sharp SH-12C is LG's very own Optimus 3D aka Thrill 4G for AT&T, which we first got our hands on back in February and again in March. The specs for this Android 2.2 device (yeah, we know) have remained untouched since we last checked: here we have a 4.3-inch glasses-less 3D LCD with 800 x 480 resolution, a 1GHz dual core TI OMAP4430 processor, 512MB of speedy dual channel RAM, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and a couple of 5 megapixel cameras on the back that can capture 3D 1080p video at 24fps, or 3D 720p at 30fps. Other tidbits include 14.4Mbps HSPA+ connection, an HDMI-out port, and a removable 1500mAh battery, all inside a 5.93 ounce package. Alas, no date's been mentioned for the phone's US launch, but the lucky Europeans will get to pick up this phone first, followed by the rest of the world "over the next several weeks." Stay tuned while we keep our eyes peeled open for further news.
HTC pulls a 180, now says Gingerbread is coming to Desire (updated)
So, here's the tally: as of June 14th, there's just "not enough memory" in the Desire for Gingerbread to run properly. As of the 15th, however, there is. We won't pretend to understand what changed so drastically in the past 24 hours, but what is clear is that the aforesaid handset maker is listening to its most demanding of users. While it's safe to assume that the Average Joe (or Jane) wouldn't be able to recognize the difference between Android 2.2 and 2.3, folks clamoring for the update seem to have coerced the company to make things work. In other words, it looks like the update is back on... now it's just a matter of making it run well. Kudos HTC, and godspeed. Update: Turns out that HTC's engineers will "cut select apps" to enable the Gingerbread update. [Thanks, Frederik]
Virgin Mobile lets Android run Blur-free on the Motorola Triumph
Motorola hopes to rescue its tarnished MOTOBLUR UI with a name-change. We, however, think the rust runs deeper than that -- and it seems we're not alone. Virgin Mobile has decided to give its prepaid customers the "true Android experience" from now on, which means you'll find no proprietary shell whatsoever sitting atop its new Motorola Triumph handset. Aside from a few bits of Virgin bloatware, the Triumph escapes with a relatively standard install of Android 2.2. Meanwhile, MOTOBLUR will still be foisted on pay-monthly customers who buy a Photon 4G or XPRT from Sprint, Virgin Mobile's parent company. Some of them might like the shell and its add-ons, but others will be better off without such OS contamination.
Samsung Indulge moseys to Cricket, $330 price ensures it won't leave your sight
Not to be outdone by MetroPCS, Cricket now offers a Samsung Indulge for its customers who demand a taste of Android's better half. While the $330 price is sure to test the commitment of some, the device stands out among its underpowered Huawei, Sanyo and LG peers -- it's also the only game in Crickettown if you want to combine El Goog's OS with a physical keyboard. Like its MetroPCS counterpart, customers will find a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a 3.5-inch HVGA LCD display and a 3 megapixel camera -- although unlike the former, Cricket doesn't yet offer LTE service. Taking into consideration this is a zero-commitment affair where $55 a month brings unlimited voice, text and data, it's not a bad proposition -- though, your heart is likely to race if the phone gets dropped. So, if you think you can hold onto this Froyo-filled Sammy, follow the break for the PR.
Motorola Triumph for Virgin Mobile hands-on (video)
We're live here at Motorola / Sprint's press event in New York City, and while most of the folks are swarming around the newly minted Photon 4G, we wanted to give some love to the Motorola Triumph, the first Moto handset to land on Virgin Mobile's network. While the 4.1-inch, Froyo-packing phone and its 2GB of storage might seem ho-hum to spec junkies, it's a shockingly solid option for a prepaid carrier. And it comes Motoblur-free! How many Photon 4Gs have that to say for themselves? Take a stroll past the break for a tour, and see why we think the Triumph could actually be a pretty solid score for those who detest strings and fine print. Update: Looks like it's coming in July, per Virgin's site. %Gallery-125986%
Virgin Mobile welcomes 4.1-inch Motorola Triumph, brings Froyo to the prepaid side
Fear not, pay-as-you-go fans -- Virgin Mobile saw a hat tip of its own at today's Sprint / Motorola event in the form of the Triumph, a 4.1-inch Android 2.2 handset that perhaps doesn't quite live up to it's hyperbolic name. Virgin Mobile's first-ever Motorola handset has 2GB of built-in storage, 512MB of RAM, a five megapixel camera, WVGA display, 1400mAh battery, A-GPS, WiFi, a Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU and HDMI output. It also comes pre-loaded with Virgin Live 2.0, a musical social networking feature that gives users access to exclusive musical content -- not quite the stuff victory laps are made out of, but it's certainly a welcome addition to the prepaid market. Triumphant press release after the break, which is triumphantly devoid of any pricing / release information. %Gallery-125986%
Pantech Crossover review
Time to ditch the pull-ups, because Pantech's a big kid now. It's hard to fathom that the company responsible for hits like the Zoolander-ish C300, Helio Ocean and dual-sliding Duo is only now -- after five long years -- taking a chance at the Android market in the US. Certainly its long-time partnership with AT&T is finally looking to pay off in a big way, as the network introduces the appropriately-named Crossover. The carrier's been starving for a decent physical QWERTY to add to its (fortunately) blooming Android lineup, so seeing Pantech step up to the plate and fill the void should come as a huge relief. Though it's serving up monoliths in Korea that feature 1.5GHz dual-core processors and other outlandish specs, Pantech looks to be starting its stateside tour with a less-risky investment: at $70 with a 2-year agreement, its modest first impression appears targeted toward first-time smartphone buyers. Is it worth dropping a Grant and a Jackson to adopt the Pantech Crossover for the next two years? Read on to find out.
