Hasta La Gadget!

The Galaxy Note 2 was launched back in September last year, it came with Android 4.1 pre-installed. Rumor has it that Samsung is testing an official Android 4.3 update for the device. No word as yet on the exact release date, but the update has apparently just recently entered the testing phase, so its likely that it might take a few weeks for it to be rolled out to the public.

According to the folks at Sammobile, Android 4.3 update for Note 2 will be released between November and December. The reason for this is that apparently the company wants its latest phablet, the Galaxy Note 3, to have exclusivity over Android 4.3 for a couple of months before the update is rolled out to its siblings. It is currently the only Samsung device right now that comes with Android 4.3  pre-installed. As per the report, Samsung wants to wait a while before it brings some Android 4.3 features and improvements over to Note 2. More functions apart from the latest TouchWiz interface are expected from Android 4.3 for Galaxy Note 2. Furthermore, it is also being claimed that Samsung has already started testing the Android 4.3 update for its Galaxy Mega series, a launch window for those devices has not been provided as yet.

Android 4.3 For Galaxy Note 2 Reportedly Being Tested original content from Ubergizmo.

At its Unpacked event earlier this month Samsung announced that Android 4.3 update for Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 will be released next month. A concrete release date for the official update has not been provided. A screenshot of Android 4.3 build XXUBMA8 running on Galaxy S4 has surfaced online, the device in question is the octa-core i9500 model. Android 4.3 isn’t a major update by any measure, though it is expected to bring a couple of new features from the Galaxy Note 3, apart from the performance and stability improvements, always-on Wi-Fi scanning for location reporting, OpenGL 3.0 and more.

Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 update will finally bring support for the Galaxy Gear smartwatch to the smartphone. Right now, only the Galaxy Note 3 is compatible with Samsung’s new smartwatch. Google announced the Android 4.3 update last month, as previously mentioned, its not exactly a major update. Many had expected that the company will say something about the next Android version, which many believed to be Key Lime Pie. Earlier this month, Google announced out of the blue that the next Android version, Android 4.4, is going to be called KitKat, which is a result of a partnership between Mountain View and Switzerland’s Nestle, the company that makes KitKat chocolates. [Image via AndroidKurd]

Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 Screenshot Leaked original content from Ubergizmo.

HTC has already confirmed that it will released the Android 4.3 update for HTC One next month. Today a custom ROM that brings a pre-release version of Android 4.3 with HTC Sense 5.0 to the international variant of HTC One has been released. The ROM was released by well known Android developer LlabTooFeR, who says that he will release the original, untouched pre-release Android 4.3 update for HTC One on August 28th at 10 a.m. GMT.

It should be clear that this is not an official ROM, its a custom ROM. This particular ROM is based on the unreleased firmware version 3.09.401.1. There are a few noticeable changes. Users can now use their own music for video highlight reels, Sense will automatically sync picture changes to the track’s beat. There are a couple of new shortcuts for Data Usage and Wi-Fi hotspot. A new Task Manager is also present in the app drawer. Since this is a pre-release build, its likely that you might encounter some bugs while using this ROM. Future builds are likely to bring more features for HTC’s flagship Android smartphone. HTC is yet to announce exactly when it intends on rolling out Android 4.3 for the HTC One. This custom ROM can be downloaded from XDA forums, only do so at your own risk.

Pre-Release Android 4.3 For HTC One Leaked original content from Ubergizmo.

Last month when Google announced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the folks at CyanogenMod made a little announcement of their own. Soon after the new OS update was rolled out, initially for Nexus devices, it was announced that work on CyanogenMod 10.2 builds for Android 4.3 had started. The first CM10.2 nightly builds for new Nexus 7 as well as a couple of other devices have started to roll out.

CyanogenMod ROMs are some of the most widely used custom third-party ROMs for Android devices. The team has been working on a lot of interesting features recently, such as a new camera app they’ve built totally from the ground up. CM ROMs also come with increased privacy options as well as Google Voice SMS integration with messaging apps. Expect to run in to some bugs in these ROMs, considering that they are nightly builds. As of now, a dozen or so ROMs for various supported devices have been made online. Some of the supported devices include Sony Xperia Z, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for T-Mobile and AT&T, Sony Xperia Tablet Z, Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, Galaxy S4, HTC One and a couple of other devices. The relevant build for each device is posted in alphabetical order as per their manufacturer and CyanogenMod codename. CyanogenMod 10.2 nightly builds can be downloaded from here.

CyanogenMod 10.2 Nightly ROMs For New Nexus 7 And More Rolling Out original content from Ubergizmo.

If you were to ask someone about the best custom ROMs for Android smartphones, CyanogenMod would definitely make their list. The team creates some of the world’s widely used custom ROMs, they’ve already started work on CyanogenMod 10.2 for Android 4.3, and the feature set is quite impressive. 11 additional Android devices have now been added to the list that is supported by CM, the list includes two Barnes & Noble tablets, a few Motorola smartphones and a couple of Samsung ones as well.

The B&N Nook HD and HD+ get CyanogenMod support. Representing Motorola on the list are the Photon Q CDMA and GSM models, the Droid Razr M, the Rarz HD GSM, and the Droid Razr HD CDMA. For Samsung, the Galaxy S Relay 4G, the Galaxy S4 for C Spire and Verizon Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE receive support. It is expected that nightly CyanogenMod builds for these devices will be released over the next few days. Apart from the C Spire Galaxy S4, there exists a possibility that ROMs for all of these devices will be upgraded to CM 10.2 down the road.

CyanogenMod Now Supports 11 Additional Android Devices original content from Ubergizmo.