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Samsung Galaxy Nexus torn down, Ice Cream Sandwich gets everywhere
What sorts of mysteries does the Samsung Galaxy Nexus hold? Only the folks at iFixit and their trusty screwdrivers know for sure. Thankfully, the site is willing to share. Check out a teardown of one of the year's most eagerly anticipated smartphones. Thrill to the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, marvel to the five megapixel rear-facing camera and be astonished by the NFC antenna in the source link below.
Samsung draws in developers with S Pen SDK for Galaxy Note
Ever since the mighty Galaxy Note first popped up at IFA we've been curious about that S Pen and how it'll make its way into our real-life workflow. Samsung promised there'd be an SDK back at its October London launch and it's finally here, letting developers get busy adding some S Pen magic to their apps. Version 1.0 lets you add a basic canvas, a pop-up for pen settings (opacity, line color and so on) as well as erase and un/redo. Sure, ICS might natively support stylus input, but as Samsung is keen to point out -- with its capacitive tip and configurable button -- a simple stylus this is not. And remember: until the Note gets an ICS update, you'll be scribbling all over that snappy Gingerbread install anyway. Tap that source link if you want to get your hands on the goods, and let the tic-tac-toe commence.
Lenovo unveils the LePad S2007 and LePad S2010, both with Honeycomb and 1.5GHz dual-core chip
Oh no, it isn't just about the 5-inch tabletphone today. Announced at the same event in Beijing just now are a couple of larger tablets from Lenovo: the LePad S2007 and the LePad S2010. Interestingly, the latter 10.1-inch device isn't quite the same as what we saw in our exclusive scoop from two weeks ago: it's 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual-core rather than 1.6GHz NVIDIA quad-core, 1GB RAM instead of 2GB, no funky fingerprint scanner on the back, and it's launching with Android 3.2 instead of Ice Cream Sandwich. But fret not, as we've been informed that its international counterpart -- aka the IdeaTab K2 in our scoop -- will launch with the latest Android OS; so we're just waiting for a release date. Both of these Honeycomb tablets share many similarities: Qualcomm's dual-core 1.5GHz chip, 1GB RAM, 1,280 x 800 IPS display (pretty nice on a 7-inch form factor, with 216ppi density), eight megapixel main camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, dual-mode 3G (China Telecom's EV-DO plus China Unicom's WCDMA) for data plus voice calls, and plans to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich in the future. Aside from the obvious physical differences, these tablets also come with different battery capacities: the 360g-heavy, 9.7mm-thick S2007 comes with 3,780mAh that can last up to eight hours on WiFi; whereas the 670g-heavy (almost the same as the original WiFi iPad, uh-oh), 9.9mm-thick S2010 has a generous 7,560mAh that can push it to 11 hours. Like the S2005 tabletphone, both tablets will be available in China next month; so for now, stay tuned for some hands-on photos from our folks over at Engadget Chinese. Update: It turns out that there was a slight misunderstanding regarding the voice call feature -- the Chinese press release meant using Skype-like software to enable this. Pah.
N900 takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, suffers Android brain freeze (video)
Espoo's freshly dug some graves for its operating systems past, but that doesn't mean the mobile underground's leaving its antiquated wares behind. A hacker going by the winsome moniker of Drunkdebugger has kept the NITDroid project chugging along on the N900 with a port of Android's latest 4.0 frosty delight. Fair warning -- this is an extremely early build and is even referenced as being "pre-pre-alpha," so don't expect the overhauled, pure Google experience to be running seamlessly. Still, it's a bright spot for Nokia fanboys and girls that simply refuse to make peace with the wireless days of old. Jump past the break to take a brief look at this buggy ROM force closing.
Sony Ericsson: Xperia handsets to receive Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade by March
The Ice Cream Sandwich announcements keep dribbling in this morning, with the latest morsel coming from Sony Ericsson Italy. In a Facebook post published last week, the company's Italian outpost confirmed that its Xperia line will receive an upgrade to Android 4.0 sometime next year. Head of marketing Maurizio de Palma clarified this declaration in a follow-up post, adding that the update should "arrive by March." That's certainly more specific than anything the company has announced thus far, though we'll obviously have to wait and see whether this timeline holds up.
Galaxy Nexus volume bug fix gets early release, official testing continues
Google had promised it was incoming, and now the guys over at MoDaCo have been kind enough to offer up a software fix for the erratic volume antics seen on Europe-based Galaxy Nexii. Paul O'Brien notes that the ROMs he's uploaded -- while based on the official release -- are still in the midst of internal testing, and that flashing your device will wipe its contents -- so fair warning. For those brave, brave early adopters, you can grab both the files and instructions at the source below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
More Optimus handsets will receive Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, LG confirms
LG's list of Android 4.0 phones is about to get a little longer, now that the manufacturer has confirmed the arrival of Ice Cream Sandwich for even more handsets. LG revealed the news today in a Facebook post, specifying that the Optimus Black, Optimus 3D and Optimus LTE will all receive updates to Google's latest OS, along with the previously announced Optimus 2X. The company also said that it's "continuing to evaluate the ICS OS to determine whether it is compatible with the functionality, features and performance of other LG smartphones," adding that it hopes to bring the update to as many devices as possible. LG hasn't provided any concrete timeline for the rollout, though it expects to publish more details next month. As always, we'll be sure to keep you posted.
Refresh Roundup: week of November 21, 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!
Verizon's LTE-enabled Galaxy Nexus priced at $200?
We're still not sure when the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will arrive on Verizon, but a new flash ad may have just revealed its price. Spotted by Smart Keitai, the above ad has reportedly been making the rounds on sites like Android Police, Phandroid and Droid Forums, offering an LTE-enabled version of Sammy's new handset at a price of $200 on a two-year contract -- notably lower than previously rumored, and well below Verizon's price points for its other high-end devices. At the time of this writing, the page's "Learn More" link isn't activated, but its URL appears to include an inexplicable November 29th dateline, suggesting that the ad, if indeed legit, may have leaked earlier than intended. We'll obviously have to wait a bit longer before we know whether this rumored pricing holds up, but we'll be sure to keep you abreast of the latest. [Thanks, Eagon]
Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ review
Every now and then a device comes along that we really look forward to getting our hands on. Google's line of Nexus smartphones falls into this category, setting the new standard for Android each year.
Galaxy Nexus LTE casts slightly larger silhouette
Getting giddy of the thought of an LTE-powered Galaxy Nexus? Well, Google, has just unveiled a full 360-degree view of the Verizon-bound smartphone, and it's packing a bigger caboose. Around 0.6mm thicker than the HSPA+ version available now in the UK, the 4G-stuffed version loses, at least visually, some of its curved charm and the chin's become more prominent too. Fortunately, as the tech specs confirm, the slightly bigger body does cram in an extra 100mAh of battery juice, presumably to feed that LTE radio. Will it feel any different in the hand? It looks like we'll have to wait until Verizon decides to furnish us with one -- whenever that is.
HTC G1 gets a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (video)
Even though Ice Cream Sandwich is popping up everywhere since its source code was released to the public, we've got to give a shout out now that its been squeezed onto the original Google phone, HTC's G1. The G1 was last seen sporting an unofficial Honeycomb port, and now jcarrz1 from XDA-Developers is showing off his device running Android 4.0 in this video. So far the touchscreen is (slowly) working, along with all apps and "ICS goodies", though WiFi, Bluetooth and rotation are still out. That's a nice effort for a device that some said wouldn't see any versions past 1.5, so press play and witness the unholy fusion of Android's past and present working all at once, or hit the source link below to grab the alpha release for yourself.
Galaxy Nexus shipping now in America: unlocked for $750 through Expansys
Pre-order, pre-schmorder. Americans more anxious to blow $750 on the planet's first Ice Cream Sandwich handset than anything on Black Friday can do so right now, as Samsung's Galaxy Nexus is shipping from the warehouses at Expansys. We've received independent confirmation that orders placed today are shipping out, with the aforesaid tally nabbing you an unlocked 16GB GSM (HSPA+) build that plays nice with T-Mobile and AT&T's 3G bands. What it won't nab you, however, is a pack of nabs. Can't win 'em all, right? [Thanks, Dan]
Galaxy Nexus volume fix in the works, Google confirms
Google has heard your Galaxy Nexus complaints loud and clear, and it's already working on a fix. That's just about all the company had to say today, in response to widespread gripes over a strange volume bug on Samsung's new flagship handset. "We are aware of the volume issue and have developed a fix," Google said in a statement. "We will update devices as soon as possible." It appears, then, that the problem lies not in the phone's hardware, but in its software, meaning that a simple OTA update may just do the trick. No word yet on when we can expect to see the fix, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we find out.
ASUS Transformer Prime goes up for pre-order in North America, banks on your lust for Tegra 3
It's only been a few weeks since ASUS went official with it's Tegra 3-packing Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet. We knew the keyboard-dockable hybrid would available sometime this December, but now the Android 3.2 Honeycomb-running slate (later upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich) has just popped up for pre-order at various North American retailers. If you'll recall, inside of its Zenbook-esque shell you'll find a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.2 megapixel front facer -- not to mention other goodies like a mini-HDMI port, USB 2.0 port and a SD card reader. Folks in the US can place their funds down for the 1.3-pound 10.1-incher with Amazon, B&H Photo, Tiger Direct and Best Buy, while those up in Canada can currently look to Future Shop for the privilege. Arriving in your choice amethyst gray or champagne gold with 32 or 64GB of storage, you'll find it priced at $500 and $600, respectively. So, if you want to ensure you're the first kid on the block with a quad-core slate, find your credit card, get Eee-xcited and hit the source link below.
ASUS Transformer Prime gets a stomach full of Ice Cream Sandwich (video)
Sure, the Transformer Prime has been official for a couple of weeks now, but we haven't seen the 10-inch tablet get much action, aside from a few quick hands-ons. ASUS is finally ready to show us the quad-core Tegra 3 tablet -- running Ice Cream Sandwich, no less. The tablet won't actually ship with the brain-freezing mobile OS, but the company has promised a sweet, sweet upgrade. Check out the video, including 1080p video playback and some time with the quad-core-friendly Riptide GP after the break.%Gallery-140063%%Gallery-140066% Update: We've also gotten a peek at what looks to be the user manual for the new Transformer. Check it out in the second gallery above. [Thanks, Jeremy]
ASUS PadFone crops up in benchmark database, hides its S4 SoC out in the open
Late last spring, we got hands-on with dummy units of the PadFone and its companion dock, but aside from potential form factors and a Christmas release window, details of its glorified guts were scarce. That's all changed now thanks to GLBenchmark's public results database, which outs the category-straddling device as having a Krait S4 MSM8960. Yes, the first in a line of uber-performing Qualcomm SoCs will be embedded in the heart of ASUS' smartphone, bringing support for a global range of frequencies (including blazing HSPA+ and LTE speeds) and an Adreno 225 GPU. What could very well be disheartening is evidence the handset's running Gingerbread 2.3.5, but we'll chock that up to early testing and cling tightly to the company's hard ICS-laden wink. If you've been eagerly anticipating this mobile power couple, you shouldn't have to wait long -- that target holiday release is surely creeping up. So, expect to see an official announcement of the dual-core goods any day now.
Ice Cream Sandwich supports USB mass storage after all, Galaxy Nexus does not
When we gave our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, we were a bit taken aback by the fact that USB mass storage wasn't supported on the device, leading us to believe that it was a flaw in Android 4.0. Android engineer Dan Morrill took to the 'net to sort out the confusion, explaining that Ice Cream Sandwich does indeed support the feature, but only on devices that offer removable storage cards -- which explains why we weren't able to use it on the Nexus. Here's why, according to Dan: It isn't physically possible to support UMS on devices that don't have a dedicated partition for storage (like a removable SD card, or a separate partition like Nexus S.) This is because UMS is a block-level protocol that gives the host PC direct access to the physical blocks on the storage, so that Android cannot have it mounted at the same time. With the unified storage model we introduced in Honeycomb, we share your full 32GB (or 16GB or whatever) between app data and media data. That is, no more staring sadly at your 5GB free on Nexus S when your internal app data partition has filled up -- it's all one big happy volume. However the cost is that Android can no longer ever yield up the storage for the host PC to molest directly over USB. Instead we use MTP. On Windows (which the majority of users use), it has built-in MTP support in Explorer that makes it look exactly like a disk. On Linux and Mac it's sadly not as easy, but I have confidence that we'll see some work to make this better. Mystery solved. To check out the full transcript of his comments, you can head over to the More Coverage link, where Android Police has done a nifty job of putting it together into an easy-to-read format.
Galaxy Nexus coming to Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada December 8th, pre-orders begin today
Time to start whoopin' and hollerin', Canada -- not only do you have a date with the Galaxy Nexus on December 8th, you can begin pre-ordering it on Bell and Virgin Mobile today. Getting your phone ordered early ensures that you can have the $160 handset (after a three-year commitment, of course) shipped out "as soon as it's available," but it doesn't necessarily guarantee your brand new treasure will show up on launch day. Bell's got a promo going on that we don't recall having seen before: a Twitter line-up. The idea is to sign up on the site on December 1st between 10am and 11am (EST), claim a spot in the virtual line and you'll be given a message to send on Twitter. Then, return to the site once an hour until 10pm and tweet out the latest message. If you remain in the top 100 when all is said and done, your Galaxy Nexus will be guaranteed to arrive on the 8th. 'Course, given the amount of interest circulating around the phone, it's probably best if you're on the site ready to get your Tweet at 9:59am. Check out the press release for the deets.
Flash for Android not quite dead yet, will land on Ice Cream Sandwich by year's end
Those of you lucky enough to get your mitts on a Galaxy Nexus may have noticed something odd -- no flash in the champagne room Android Market. Turns out the latest edition of Adobe's multimedia plug-in isn't compatible with the newest version of Google's mobile OS. Don't panic just yet though, while the end is nigh for mobile Flash, it's still got one more release left in it and that will deliver ICS compatibility. Adobe told the folks over at Pocket-lint, "[it] will release one more version of the Flash Player for mobile browsing, which will provide support for Android 4.0." Or, if you're a glass half-empty type, ICS will be your last chance to browse the "full" web on Android. The final release of the mobile plug-in will also be accompanied by one last version of the Linux Porting Kit -- after that, you better hope HTML5 really hits its stride.
