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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
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: smartphones
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we're tapping away on our smartphones -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Now more than ever, collegiate studies require a wide variety of devices to help you get that prized "A." The thirst for knowledge you so desperately seek can strike at any time, and you're not always going to have that desktop or laptop nearby to find the answer to a burning question. Perhaps you just need to hurl birds at pigs for a while to blow off your stress. Whatever the case, you'll need something to help you study, store (and edit) all of your important term papers, keep you in touch with classmates or family, and everything in-between. What better way to get all of that than with a smartphone? We've picked nine respectable candidates that can help you through your upcoming semester -- three for each budget level. Oh, and while you're looking, we're giving away $3,000 worth of essential back to school gear to 15 lucky readers, and you can be one of them by simply leaving a comment below! So, which phones are most likely to help you get smart? Head past the break to find out.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 15, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011: Vodafone's very own budget-friendly Facebook Phone, the Vodafone 555, is now on sale. £62.50 is all it will take to get the non-touchscreen featurephone in your fingertips. [via SlashGear] A spec sheet and screenshots of the Sony Ericsson Nozumi leaked this week. The handset will likely feature a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm S2 CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, and 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution. Interestingly enough, the phone is rumored to require a micro SIM, much like the iPhone 4. [via XperiaBlog] US Cellular launched two new Android devices for its prepaid lineup, the Samsung Gem and HTC Merge. The Gem offers a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 800MHz CPU, and Android 2.2 for $140, while the Merge is a global-capable QWERTY slider with a 3.8-inch display, Android 2.2, and more for $300. [via US Cellular] Immediately following Google's acquisition of Motorola, discussion centered around the possibility of the latter company becoming the preferred OEM for Android -- a privilege that would, in theory, include designing and producing the next Nexus. Andy Rubin, the head honcho for the open-source OS, put such rumors to bed by offering more insight on the approval process for upcoming Nexus phones, and insisted that HelloMoto will continue to be treated the same as every other OEM; it will have to bid for the job just like every other company does. [via AndroidCentral] The Huawei Blaze, a budget Android handset that runs on Gingerbread, may arrive in the UK as early as September. The Blaze would mark the first time we've seen the company offer a phone under its own branding in the UK. [via CNet] Shocked to hear the Kyocera Echo isn't selling as well as the company had hoped? Yeah, neither are we. Nonetheless, in the hopes of sparking sales, it's started offering twelve premium games for free to the first 10,000 downloads as part of its "summer of free apps" campaign. Good luck with that. [via Electronista] With all of the buzz rightfully centered around Nokia and its quest for Windows Phone dominance, how bright does Vertu's future look? If Eldar Murtazin is to believed, Espoo's luxury phone branch will also be on the receiving end of WP7 devices. The main difference with Vertu's version compared to the rest of Nokia's lineup? It'll most likely be covered with gold and diamonds. [via WMPowerUser] The Samsung Galaxy Q, another name for the Gravity Smart, is now available on Rogers. The device is geared toward the lower end, so it may not be the most lustworthy letter in the Samsung Galaxy alphabet. [via MobileSyrup]
HTC Merge now shipping from US Cellular, LG Genesis arriving June 9th
We know many US Cellular customers have been waiting for this day, because after missing its rumored launch, the HTC Merge has arrived and is ready to meet your pocket. As expected, it's selling for $250 on contract (before a $100 mail-in rebate) and marks the CDMA provider's first Android world phone. To refresh your memory, this QWERTY slider features a 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera and runs Froyo. Alongside this release, the carrier announced it's getting the LG Genesis on June 9th. If you'll remember, this is the refashioned enV Touch that US Cellular picked up after Verizon dropped the ball. It's also going for $250 on contract (before a $100 mail-in rebate) and true to its legacy, the clamshell provides a full keyboard. Priced equally, it appears QWERTY-lovers on US Cellular have quite a decision ahead. What a happy conundrum, indeed. Follow the break for the PR heralding these arrivals.
HTC Merge makes an official landing at US Cellular May 31 for $250
If we could bet on phone launches the same way we put money down on horse races or slot machines, we'd lose our shirts on the HTC Merge. Like a ghost, this elusive Android smartphone has an innate ability to pop up from out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. Over the last few months we've seen this repeated multiple times on both Verizon's and US Cellular's ends -- until yesterday, that is, when the latter finally ended its part of the charade by announcing a launch date. Taking on Facebook, the regional carrier officially committed the Merge to a May 31st launch, selling for $250 with contract before $100 rebate. Oddly, the date won't matter much since store reps have the go-ahead to sell it as soon as it's in stock (according to the screenshot below), and the Facebook post reveals that shipments should begin arriving as early as today. If you've been wanting a Merge and are up to the task, we invite you -- nay, we challenge you -- to go to your local store this morning and see if your rep got the memo. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC Merge launching on US Cellular on April 29th? (updated)
While we wait for the HTC Merge to maybe (or quite possibly) launch on Verizon, the phone's rolling out fast and furious on smaller carriers. Alltel's already selling it, Cellular South said it plans to, and now it seems US Cellular is gearing up to launch it on Friday. If you take a gander at that screen grab an anonymous tipster sent in, it's clear the carrier is putting the finishing touches on its plan to unveil the device in its retail stores. Just to refresh your memories, the Merge is a world phone with a slide-out keyboard, 3.8-inch touchscreen, and 5 megapixel autofocus camera running Android 2.2 with HTC's Sense UI layered on top. Still no word on whether US Cellular will match its competitors' sweet $125 price or bundle Amazon's App Store, but we're optimistic on both counts. Update: A US Cellular rep wrote in to clarify that the carrier will launch the Merge "later this spring," not this Friday. So there you have it!
HTC Merge coming to Alltel, preloaded with Amazon Appstore on Cellular South
The elusive HTC Merge has been on our radar since last fall, and while it's been officially announced, played with, and FCC approved, carrier availability has been all but a mystery -- until now that is. Alltel is presently taking pre-orders for the Merge with a price of $125 on contract (after $50 mail-in rebate) and a ship date of April 5th. Meanwhile, Cellular South is launching the Merge "next month" for an undisclosed price, but will offer the handset pre-loaded with the Amazon Appstore for Android -- a world first. Strangely, there's still no indication when (or even if) the device will emerge on Verizon. Just a quick recap: the Merge is a global smartphone (dual-mode CDMA / GSM) with a slide-out keyboard, 3.8-inch touchscreen, and 5 megapixel autofocus camera, running Android 2.2 with Sense UI. Hit the source link below for Alltel's pre-order page, and jump past the break for Cellular South's press release. [Thanks, Chase M.]
Visualized: the HTC keyboard slider family
Clockwise from the top left, that's the Sprint Arrive, the likely-for-Verizon Merge, the Sprint Evo Shift 4G, and the T-Mobile G2. If we had to rate them, we'd say the Arrive has the best key feel, followed by the Merge, the Evo Shift, and finally the cramped G2 -- although the super cheap-feeling hinge on the Evo Shift knocks off several points. We'd also say the physical keys on the G2 feel better than the mushy keys on the Merge, but the G2's cramped layout doesn't do it any favors. In any event, picking one of these is a pretty great problem to have, don't you think?
HTC Merge first hands-on! (video)
HTC just rolled in to set up for our San Francisco reader meetup tonight, and what's this? They brought a brand-new HTC Merge with them. No one's talking about what carrier this interesting Android slider is going to launch on yet, but that Verizon-red earpiece and search button aren't exactly coy. Apart from that, it's pretty much exactly the device we've seen leaked all over for months now -- a really nice landscape Android slider with a solid keyboard. More pics in the gallery, and a video after the break! %Gallery-117639%
HTC Merge official, coming to 'multiple' US carriers this spring
Boy, we've had so many leaked materials relating to the HTC Merge that we kind of assumed the handset was official by now. Never mind, HTC is taking care of that little oversight now, admittedly much later than we expected the phone to show up, by announcing that the Merge will arrive on multiple US carriers in the spring. It brings Android 2.2, skinned with HTC's Sense UI, a 3.8-in touchscreen plus that slide-out keyboard, and a 5 megaixel autofocus camera with 720p video recording. Not bad, now let's see how those carriers decide to price this mid-range contender.
HTC Merge emerges on Verizon site a little early
Far be it from us to tell Verizon how to do a product launch, but showing off a 360-degree view of the HTC Merge before the phone's even been announced doesn't seem like the soundest strategy to us. Of course, we doubt anyone intended for this Flash module to have become public knowledge like it has, but sure enough, a forum member over at Android Central spotted it among VZW's web properties and now we can all take a multidimensional look at this upcoming Android handset. Yes, that includes seeing it with its sliding QWERTY keyboard open -- you can find more imagery of that after the break -- though the pivotal questions of when, for how much, and "can you disable Bing?" remain unanswered for the time being. Ah well, let's just enjoy the eye candy.
Verizon pricing Droid Pro at $179, Samsung Continuum at $199?
Well, here's some good news -- we just received an internal Verizon pricelist confirming that the Droid Pro will sell for $179 when it hits on November 9th, a far sight lower than the $299 we'd originally heard. That's a pretty tempting price for Moto's Android-with-a-Blackberry-keyboard handset, although we're assuming that it'll be $279 with a $100 rebate at launch. We're also seeing that the dual-display Samsung Continuum Galaxy S phone will hit for the usual $199, while the Droid 2 indeed fell to $149 last week in order to make room for the now nearly-mythical Droid 2 Global, which will come in two colors for $199. We're also separately told that the HTC Merge won't arrive until after the 17th, so those reports of a launch on the 11th might be premature. Either way, it looks like Verizon's going to have a pretty loaded holiday lineup -- and it looks like we've got some serious reviewing to do.
HTC Merge / Lexicon prototype previewed, 800MHz processor produces sweet scores (video)
Here's a little something to make your weekend fly by -- Android Central scored a hands-on look at Verizon's dual-mode CDMA / GSM worldphone, the HTC Merge (or is that Lexikon?) and it's looking like one hell of a handset. Though the prototype's Android 2.2 build is saddled with HTC Sense and Bing for search, the hardware's reportedly superb, with a "clicky and responsive and very well spaced" slide-out QWERTY keyboard with no Desire Z hinge nonsense, and a weighty, solid feel. There's also a 5 megapixel shooter that does 720p video, a likely 2GB of on-board storage and 512MB of RAM, not to mention an 800MHz processor that'll surely help derail the megahertz myth with superb benchmark scores. See it pull a 1,500 in Quadrant after the break, and start dropping those nickels into your piggy bank.
HTC Merge / Lexicon user manual leaks out
We've already seen the phone itself in the wild, and the folks over at Droid Life have now gotten their hands on what appears to be an early version of the HTC Merge / Lexicon user guide. While there's not a ton of surprises to be found, it does further confirm the inclusion of Bing (and Bing Maps), and the fact that it is indeed a global phone. What's more, Droid Life notes that any mention of the phone's name seems to have been left out, suggesting that HTC hasn't yet completely decided whether to call it the Merge, Lexicon or something else -- the site seems confident that it won't be called "Droid," however, although it says it's heard "murmurs" that was once under consideration.
HTC Merge for Verizon gets snapped: another Android phone with Bing
We're not sure exactly what Verizon is up to with these high-end Android phones that aren't Droids and feature Bing over Google, but it looks like the Fascinate is about to get a friend: BGR just got these snaps of the HTC ADR6325, which appears to be the Merge we've heard so much about, and the same dual-mode set we saw at the FCC. Nothing's confirmed specs-wise except a five megapixel camera, microSD slot, and SIM slot for global roaming, but we're still pretty sure this thing will basically be the CDMA version of the Desire Z / T-Mobile G2 and feature a Qualcomm MSM7630 processor with 4GB of onboard storage. And then there's that Bing logo on the homescreen -- we don't know how thoroughly it's integrated into Sense, but here's hoping it's better than what Samsung accomplished with TouchWiz on the Fascinate -- hardware this promising shouldn't be saddled with carrier-wrecked firmware.
