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Nexus 4 appears early at Carphone Warehouse, October 30th release date
Whoa there! The next Nexus just got an early reveal over at UK retailer Carphone Warehouse. Delivery is currently pegged for October 30th and apparently it's got brand new Android 4.2 (or Android 4.1.2 -- the listing mixes in both). The preorder screen confirms plenty of details we've already heard, including that 4.7-inch 1,280 x 768 display, Snapdragon S4 processor and 8-megapixel camera. Unfortunately, at least according to the phone seller, there's only 8GB of storage and no microSD card slot. Other curious parts include a "360-degree camera", whatever that is, and an on-screen render that's been previously been identified as a custom ROM. Diving into the supposed feature list, we're intrigued to see whether "gesture typing" will form a part of Google's new Android build -- the Carphone Warehouse compares it to Swype's finger-dragging input method. Price-wise, it looks like you could get the handset for free on contracts over £31 per month, with both O2 and Vodafone named as prospective networks for the device in the UK -- but no news here on whether the 4G-capable EE will offer an LTE iteration. Excited? Good, because we're going to hear plenty more on this next week. Update: And the page has been pulled. Hopefully, to iron out some of those suspect features...
Samsung Galaxy Note II to arrive at US Cellular on Friday, pre-orders ship tomorrow
US Cellular has been offering the Samsung Galaxy Note II on pre-order for over a month now, but it just sent out an email clarifying that the device will be stocked on retail and virtual shelves beginning this Friday, October 26th. This falls in line with the "late October" timeframe we were promised; pre-orders, by the way, will also begin shipping tomorrow. As a recap, the Note II will only be available in titanium gray and with 16GB internal storage, and will cost $300 with a two-year commitment and $800 without one -- a huge difference, no doubt, given T-Mobile's $650 full retail cost. Tomorrow is the last day to pre-order if you're worried about facing inventory shortages or long lines on Friday. The best part? No silly logo on the home button (we're looking at you, Verizon).
LG exec claims Nexus due at October 29th event, ships to India one month later
It's either a premature confirmation or one of the larger executive gaffes we've seen in recent memory, but it's hard to ignore. LG's Mobile Product Planning lead for India, Amit Gujral, just claimed in an interview with IBNLive that the "LG Nexus" will launch at Google's October 29th event and ship to India "by the end of November." He even stuck his neck out to offer specifications -- the Nexus will reportedly have a very Optimus G-like 4.7-inch screen and quad-core 1.5GHz chip while throwing the unreleased Android 4.2 into the equation. Nothing's official so far despite the statements, and we're not expecting to Google to spoil its own party; if Gujral really does have the inside track, though, we may have been given a peek at the main attraction in Google's playground.
Refresh Roundup: week of October 15th, 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!
HTC Droid Incredible X possibly spotted with Verizon badging intact (Update: DLX is short for 'Deluxe')
It's about time. The HTC DLX has most often been rumored carrying a Verizon-style 6435LVW or Droid Incredible X name, and yet it was unveiled first in Japan as the J Butterfly; we really needed the photos just now surfacing at Android Central to remind us that the 5-inch, 1080p gigantophone could still come to Big Red. While nothing's confirmed yet, the black-with-red-trim design and all too prominent Verizon labeling make a convincing case for the DLX's ultimate US destination. A helpfully provided phone profile screen might be more interesting to some, as it hints that we might get the same quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2GB of RAM and 8-megapixel rear camera as in the J Butterfly -- Verizon won't pull a Droid Incredible 4G LTE and tone down the hardware, if this is true. Without any more details, we're still left wondering just how soon Verizon could commit to launching the smartphone. There's no guarantees that Verizon will follow KDDI's schedule and ship in early December. Update: We've been wondering whether the odd name was meant to be short for Droid Incredible X, i.e. "DIX" instead of "DLX," but our friend @evleaks on Twitter just showed us a list of device PIDs that mentions the latter. @evleaks also suggests that DLX might be short for the codename "Deluxe" for the international variant, just as "ENRC2" was short for "Endeavor C2" (One X+). Update 2: It turns out the J Butterfly has the codename "Deluxe J" in its bootloader menu, so there you have it. Thanks again, @evleaks!
Motorola lists phones that won't get Jelly Bean, offers $100 credit to buy a phone that will
Back in September, Motorola Mobility announced that some of its handsets from 2011 and later wouldn't be making the jump to Jelly Bean. In an effort to smooth things over with exiled customers, the company pledged that it would offer a $100 rebate to those who trade up to a select Motorola smartphone. Today, the Google-owned Android maker has released a list detailing which phones qualify for this promotion. If you're among the many who purchased a Droid 3, Droid X2 and Photon 4G, it looks like an official update to Android 4.1 is out of the question. It should be noted that this offer doesn't affect your wireless contract's terms and conditions (read: ETF may still apply). However, if you're just aching to pick up a Motorola phone that released in 2012, then why not score a $100 credit for your troubles? Move past the break to see which other devices made didn't make the cut.
Samsung begins delivering Jelly Bean to UK-based Galaxy S III owners
Samsung has already started on the Jelly Bean upgrade path for the Galaxy S III, but that hasn't meant much so far unless you live in Samsung's homeland. The update's global relevance is expanding in grand fashion now that the company has confirmed the software is rolling out to Galaxy S III units across the UK. Variants on the smartphone for British carriers should get their taste of Android 4.1 over the course of a multi-week update process that brings everyone to the new version. Different carrier testing methods prevent Samsung from being any more specific; it's reasonable to say, though, that most owners living in Old Blighty should be running Jelly Bean before the holiday season kicks into overdrive.
Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones
We've got mixed news for those who were wondering just where Sony's Jelly Bean updates were headed. The good? Sony has narrowed down its upgrade schedule for the Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V to the middle of 2013's first quarter, or roughly February. Just about every other reasonably capable 2012 model is also getting an upgrade once Sony has narrowed down the timetable, ranging from the Xperia S through to the Xperia ion and Xperia go. Brace yourself for the dark side of the news, however: not a single 2011 Xperia phone will make the Jelly Bean leap, no matter how quick or recent it might be. The company was "not able to guarantee" the experience the devices would have with the newer OS, we're told. While we know that some older phones would have been borderline at best, that cutoff won't be pleasant for anyone whose Xperia Arc S is already out of the Android upgrade loop after less than a year.
Acer Iconia Tab A110 reaches North America on October 30th for $230, faces a tough fight
Acer hasn't had an easy mid-year: it trotted out the Iconia Tab A110 at Computex as a budget Android tablet that could still claim Tegra 3 speeds, only to watch the Nexus 7 arrive and leave virtually every other comparable tablet in a tight spot. It's North America's turn at the A110 this month, and the side-by-side looks aren't getting much easier. When the 7-inch Jelly Bean slate ships to the continent on October 30th, it will cost $230 in both the US and Canada for the lone 8GB version -- a better value than we see in Europe, but still a slightly awkward middle ground between an 8GB Nexus 7 at $199 and its $249, 16GB edition. We're guessing that Acer is counting on the microSD and micro-HDMI expansion to tempt would-be North American buyers away from a less flexible (if Google-blessed) rival. %Gallery-168615%
Google Calendar for Android becomes stand-alone app
Google has historically broken out preloaded Android apps like Gmail and Maps as stand-alone titles so that they don't have to be upgraded in lock-step with the main OS, but its Calendar app typically hasn't had that privilege. The isolation ends with a newly distinct Google Calendar that's treated as just another Google Play download. You'll need at least Android 4.0 or 4.1, which leaves relatively few differences between the download and what's already on your device, but that's not the point -- the change really lets Google move users on to the Jelly Bean app and beyond, even if their device makers aren't ready. Owners currently running Jelly Bean will still get a few extras, such as better support for non-Nexus hardware and a wider time range for calendar syncing. Hit the source link if you're game for that kind of futureproofing.
Samsung will update US Galaxy S III devices to Jelly Bean 'in the coming months'
The about screen on your US Samsung Galaxy S III may look a lot like the one above in the near future (albeit in English). Samsung has officially announced its intention to make an upgrade to Jelly Bean available to stateside versions of the company's flagship, though it left out one very important detail: the actual date. Instead, all we know at this point is that an upgrade to Android 4.1 will be offered OTA and via Kies sometime in the coming months. Why so vague? It's likely because Samsung is now at the mercy of each individual carrier to finish testing the new version of Android on the GS3 before unleashing it to the public. The refresh will deliver some TouchWiz-based enhancements like Blocking Mode, Easy Mode and a few new camera settings, as well as the usual suite of Jelly Bean improvements like Google Now and expandable notifications. Head below to check out the press release, which offers a more detailed list of what to expect.
KDDI unveils HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), the first phone with 5-inch 1080p display
We've been hearing about a certain 5-inch HTC phablet for Verizon since July, but it looks like its Japanese counterpart may actually hit the market first. Unveiled by KDDI as the HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), this Android 4.1 device is the first announced phone to feature a 5-inch, 440ppi full-HD "Super LCD 3" panel, and it's fittingly complemented by a 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 underneath, making this the latest member in the small family of Snapdragon S4 Pro phones. There's an eight-megapixel camera that naturally handles 1080p video at the back, accompanied by a 2.1-megapixel front-facing imager. Other details include 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSDHC expansion, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), NFC, LTE and CDMA/GSM/UMTS/GPRS radios -- that's right, it's a global device. Not bad for a 140g package, and it's waterproof as well, rated at IPX5. But the question is how well will the 2,020mAh battery last under that super dense LCD and high-end processor? Only time will tell -- even KDDI has yet to finalize this part of the specs. Folks on the KDDI network can grab hold of this powerful phone in early December, with a choice of red, white or black. Update: HTC confirmed to us that this phablet will use panels supplied by Sharp and JDI.
ASUS PadFone 2 hands-on in Taipei (updated with video)
Well look at this! Our lucky buddies over at Engadget Chinese managed to get an early hands-on with the brand-spanking new PadFone 2 from ASUS. As we mentioned earlier, the bulkiness of the original model is totally gone and we're still blown away by the combo's new weight. But first, the phone: in our hands, it really just feels like an enlarged version of the original PadFone, especially with the ripple pattern on the back, as well as the plastic chin at the bottom along with the slightly tapered aluminum bezel. We do love the new and larger Super IPS+ screen, which is much sharper than the old PenTile Super AMOLED display, and it no doubt has better outdoor performance as well. Additionally, the Android soft keys are no longer virtual -- you can access them below the screen at any time, and we dig that. While docking the phone into or pulling it out of the PadFone Station is hardly a challenge, there's some sort of magic that keeps the phone tucked into the bay no matter how hard our pals shook the tablet upside down (please don't try this at home) -- the geared rubber grip along the two sides of the bay are somehow responsible for this. The back of the PadFone Station has a rubbery texture that's essentially identical to its predecessor's, making it just as comfortable to hold, but only time will tell how durable the coating is. Software-wise it's just as snappy on the tablet as it is on the phone, and we noticed the switch between phone mode and tablet mode is now a tad quicker as well. It'll probably be easier to see once we have our English hands-on video, so stay tuned. Update: We've finally managed to upload our hands-on video -- it's right after the break. Watch how we kept shaking the PadFone Station upside down and the phone still stayed inside its bay (again, don't do this at home, kids!). Also, we have a demo of the phone's Instant Dictionary feature. It's very handy. Update 2: We've just been informed that the magical grip mechanism in the docking bay took over two years to develop. Nice one, ASUS!
ASUS PadFone 2 vs PadFone 1... hang out!
While getting their hands dirty with the ASUS PadFone 2, our guys over at Engadget Chinese also had the chance to compare it with the OG PadFone, and they came back with a generous batch of side-by-side shots. Here you can see how the phone itself is almost just a scaled-up copy of its predecessor, while the new PadFone Station slate loses some body fat by shedding the original docking bay cover, and we're certain that the battery has become denser and lighter as well to achieve this amazing diet -- we're talking about losing just over 200g here! Also apparent is the new 13-pin dock connector (MHL plus concurrent data, display and power) at the bottom of both the phone and the tablet. For the rest, we shall let your eyes do the work in the gallery below. Enjoy!
ASUS PadFone 2 unveiled in Taiwan, boasts quad-core CPU, LTE, NFC and lighter tablet (video)
Today's no doubt a big day for ASUS: while chairman Jonney Shih is gearing up to introduce the PadFone 2 in Milan later today, we just saw CEO Jerry Shen wowing the crowd with the same phone-in-tablet combo back in Taipei. Just as the recent leaks have shown, ASUS' surprisingly quick follow-up to the original PadFone is simply bigger and better in many ways, notably with a screen upgrade to 4.7-inch 720p Super IPS+ panel (with up to 550nits brightness thanks to Sharp's efficient IGZO LTPS technology), Qualcomm's awesome quad-core APQ8064 SoC instead of its dual-core sibling, 13-megapixel f/2.4 BSI sensor from Sony, 1.2-megapixel front camera, and a much slimmer PadFone Station slate -- partly because it no longer features a docking bay cover! New owners will be greeted by Android Ice Cream Sandwich, but ASUS promises a Jelly Bean upgrade soon. There's much more than meets the eyes so read on to find out more. Update: We've been notified that the phone's display is of the more mature LTPS nature instead of IGZO. %Gallery-168424%
Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S start receiving Android 4.1.2 over the air
When Android 4.1.2 hit the airwaves for upgrades, it was limited to a very exclusive club of Nexus 7 owners. Google has widened the gates considerably as of today: we're receiving multiple reports of GSM-based Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S owners getting the new Jelly Bean build through official, over-the-air channels. Upgrades here aren't as noticeable as they are on the reference Android tablet; besides fixes, we've mostly heard that it's now possible to expand a notification with a single finger. Those with CDMA-based phones are left out so far, but if you discover any surprise extras before 4.1.2 hits our own devices, be sure to leave us a tip. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
LG outs Jelly Bean update itinerary (for the Korean market, anyway)
LG has released a schedule for the Optimus VU, VU II, G and LTE II to get Jelly Beaned with the latest Android 4.1.1 flavor -- at least in its home market, Korea. It'll start next month with the Optimus LTE II and continue in December with the Optimus G, a device we've pawed a number of times. The first quarter of 2013 will see refreshes for the Optimus VU and VU II, both 5-inch 4 x 3 aspect ratio models, the latter of which was only recently launched. There's no word on how that'll translate to stateside model upgrades, which of course depend on the vagaries of US carriers -- and we all know how that goes.
Toshiba Excite 10SE / AT300SE gets caught visiting the FCC, may tout Jelly Bean
If you're Toshiba, what do you do when you're looking to goose interest in the Excite 10 tablet? Roll out a quick follow up, of course. Accordingly, the FCC has just recently cleared a refreshed tablet, the AT300SE, that the Bluetooth SIG suggests will be called the Excite 10SE in North America. As shown, it's a European-spec WiFi model that gives away little by itself. It's when we combine this with the Bluetooth listing and speed tests that a clearer picture of the upgrade emerges -- there's been an AT300SE in GLBenchmark's performance charts that we've seen running Jelly Bean (unavailable to current Excites) on top of what looks to be the familiar 1,280 x 800 display and 1.3GHz Tegra 3. While there may be other surprises lurking in areas the tests can't reach, the documents point to a quick nip-and-tuck from Toshiba to keep tablet sales afloat rather than a full overhaul.
Refresh Roundup: week of October 8th, 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!
Alleged LG Nexus 4 reviewed by Belarusian tech site
Well, the Belarusian tech site Onliner.by made waves yesterday by publishing the clearest photos yet of the alleged LG Nexus, the E960. Now the site has published a quick and dirty review of the unannounced phone, which may go down as one of the worst kept secrets in smartphone history. An editor at the site claims to have scored a prototype version of the handset, and as such, any judgements made should be taken with a grain of salt. There were plenty of bugs, including serious issues with Android Beam, which in our experience has never really worked as well as advertised anyway. This model also only comes packing 8GB of storage, which will most certainly change before launch given its lack of a microSD slot. The site found that both the screen and the 8-megapixel camera were a vast improvement over the Galaxy Nexus, however benchmarks showed that while it's quad-core Snapdragon outpaced last-year's Nexus, it didn't put up the staggering numbers many were expecting. For the complete review hit up the source. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
