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AT&T says Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 will get Amber update starting tomorrow
AT&T subscribers with Lumia 820 and 920 smartphones have had to wait a long time to get their Nokia Amber update, but it's at last on the way. The carrier tells customers in its Community Forums that the upgrade should reach their handsets starting tomorrow, October 10th. Much like the many preceding rollouts, AT&T's Amber release should add a slew of camera tools, double-tap to unlock and other extras that have been shipping with more recent devices. As long as you can resist the siren's call of shiny new hardware in the days ahead, you'll likely be happy with the new software.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 16th, 2013
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 August 26th, 2013
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!
HTC 8XT for Sprint: what's different?
This summer, Sprint's lineup of Windows Phone 8 devices increased from zero to two. The first to show up in stores was the HTC 8XT ($100 on contract), a modified version of the 8X designed for Sprint customers upgrading from old Windows Phones. Though in many ways it's a chip off the ol' block, there are enough differences in the hardware (and to a lesser extent, the software) that it has a personality all its own. So what exactly makes this particular handset sit apart from last year's flagship? And does it enhance or take away from the original 8X user experience? Keep reading to find out.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 19th, 2013
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 August 12th, 2013
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!
Nokia Amber update arriving on Lumia devices: camera improvements, Glance Screen, and plenty more (updated)
Those unofficial Amber ROMs you (briefly) considered toying with 10 days ago? History. Nokia has just announced that the honest-to-goodness, ready-for-consumption Amber code has been approved, and Lumia owners the world over will begin seeing it hit their Windows Phone 8 handset in the coming days / weeks. The software update is a fairly major one, delivering a wide range of new and improved features and apps, like Nokia Glance Screen with the standby clock and an even better imaging experience that mirrors the one found on the 1020. Users will be graced with a new FM radio player and improvements to Xbox music and the Internet Explorer browser, as well as improved image processing and the Nokia Smart Camera app (which debuted on the Lumia 925). The Glance Screen acts a bit like the glanceable extras added to the Moto X, but sadly, it won't be available on the Lumia 520 and Lumia 625, which have a smaller display memory. Longstanding Nokia loyalists will surely appreciate the addition of "Flip to silence" and "double-tap to unlock," and those who rely heavily on Here maps will find future updates easier to install. The rollout starts now first for the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in selected countries as well as the Lumia 521, Lumia 810, and Lumia 928 in the US, while owners of the Lumia 520, Lumia 620, Lumia 720, Lumia 820 or Lumia 920 will likely have to wait until the end of September. Update: There's one more important tidbit: if you're using a Lumia 920, 925 or 928, you also get the Nokia Pro Camera app.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 5th, 2013
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!
Unofficial Amber ROMs emerge for Nokia Lumia 820 and 920
If you're a Nokia Lumia 820 or 920 owner, you now have a chance to try the Amber update a little early. WindowsMania.pl has posted unofficial ROMs (820, 920) that upgrade international versions of the Windows Phones to the Amber release ahead of Microsoft's rollout. Both ROMs are relatively easy to install from a PC using NokiaViews.com's instructions, although they're risky: they require wiping the phone's data, and there's no guarantees of future official upgrades. Even so, the new code may be worthwhile for Lumia fans who'd rather not wait a few weeks for a minor OS refresh.
Google Sync support for Windows Phone to be kept alive until December 31st
As it turns out, yesterday wasn't the last opportunity to get your Windows Phone chatting with Google Sync. At the final hour, El Goog decided it wasn't the right time to block new connections for contact and calendar syncing -- the end date has been postponed again, this time to December 31st. That should leave plenty of time for all handsets to receive the GDR 2 update, letting CalDAV and CardDAV take over syncing duties so that Google Sync can finally retire with a clear conscience.
PSA: Windows Phones to lose Google Sync activation on August 1st
Windows Phone users who want to use Google Sync for contact and calendar integration had better act quickly: today is the last day that they can link their handsets to the service before Google pulls the plug. From August 1st onwards, Google Sync will only work on a given Windows Phone if it's already configured. The GDR 2 upgrade keeps syncing alive through CalDAV and CardDAV support, although many users could go without that support for some time -- to date, Americans can only see the OS refresh on the HTC 8XT, Lumia 520, Lumia 925 and Lumia 1020. If you're not in that group and miss the Google Sync deadline, you'll just have to sit tight while Microsoft finishes rolling out the GDR 2 update this summer.
Refresh Roundup: week of July 15th, 2013
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!
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 8th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Microsoft detailed its forthcoming Windows Phone 8 update, Masayoshi Son laid out grand visions for Sprint and Verizon announced a new reason for children to resent their parents. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of July 8th, 2013.
Telstra says Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update should reach testing in mid-May
We've heard talk of a GDR2 update coming to Windows Phone 8, including more recent claims of restored FM radio support and a double-tap-to-wake feature, but it's been unclear when the mid-cycle refresh would show up. Telstra may have just given us a better clue: the Australian carrier tells customers on its support forums that Nokia should deliver its version of GDR2 for testing sometime in mid-May. That suggests the upgrade is relatively close, although we wouldn't make too many assumptions beyond that -- Telstra is just one of many networks that needs to sign off on GDR2, and it's likely neither the first nor the last. Nonetheless, it's apparent that Microsoft is relatively close to delivering a big tune-up.