Hasta La Gadget!

It seems like only yesterday that Google bundled Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 in its little biscuit layers and sent it off into the world (it was December, 2011, actually). That Android flavor has since climbed the charts rapidly, around four percent each month for the last while, and now occupies the ROM on 23.7 percent of robot-based devices — up from 20.8 percent last month. That’s in part due to new devices (like many in China) still coming out of the box with it, on top of older warhorses like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 finally grabbing some ICS. Meanwhile, its smooth-running younger sibling, Jelly Bean, made a slight gain to 1.8 percent of all Google-run slates and phones — though that will likely change when the Galaxy Note II hits the market en masse and the Galaxy S III OTA 4.1.1 disseminates to all its owners. Meanwhile, Gingerbread still dominates Google OS installed devices at 55.8 percent, probably thanks to delays or denials of newer flavors to legacy devices.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Google

ICS and Jellybean now on a quarter of all Android devices, but over half still stuck on Gingerbread originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, it looks like Sony’s in-house software developers have decided this is the perfect week to deliver delicious treats to a large portion of the company’s mobile lineup. Not long after outing updates for the Tablet S and Xperia Ion (in the US), the electronics giant is now bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to handsets such as the Xperia go, Xperia U and Xperia sola. The refresh itself brings a slew of novel traits to the trio of Xperia slabs, including a “new way to experience” music, photos and video, improvements to the lockscreen, the ability to resize widgets and the addition of a “multitasking” button. While the standout features remain the same across the board, the Xperia sola does get an added bonus in the form of a so-called, self-explanatory glove mode — which is made possible by the device’s “floating touch” technology. Sony does note that availability of the 4.0 upgrade will vary by market and, not surprisingly, carrier requirements. Let’s just hope you get to enjoy the changes soon.

Continue reading Sony starts delivering Ice Cream Sandwich update to Xperia go, Xperia U and Xperia sola

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sony

Sony starts delivering Ice Cream Sandwich update to Xperia go, Xperia U and Xperia sola originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Sep 2012 01:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Few of us who live outside of Asia or Eastern Europe know the potential convenience of a dual SIM phone. Own one and you can globetrot, or else keep separate home and work lines without the bulk of an extra device in the pocket. Sony is gambling that enough Americans have that multi-line desire by selling the Xperia tipo dual and its regular, single-SIM counterpart in the US as unlocked GSM models. Neither of the Android 4.0 phones is what we’d call a powerhouse with the same 3.5-inch screen, 3.2-megapixel camera and 800MHz Snapdragon inside, but both can latch on to HSPA 3G on AT&T, refarmed T-Mobile coverage and 2100MHz carriers abroad, even if the single-SIM tipo curiously has 900MHz 3G support that the tipo dual lacks. It’s undoubtedly price that Sony is counting on more than anything: at respective contract-free prices of $180 and $190 for the tipo and tipo dual, the pair of Xperias may be sold most often as travel-only phones for the jet set.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Sony Xperia tipo and tipo dual reach the US in unlocked form, give Americans a taste of dual SIMs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’d wondered what Huawei might bring to the table for the launch of the UK’s newly-minted 4G network, your time is up, as the Ascend P1 LTE has been revealed as a national exclusive for EE, with availability in other markets to follow. Like its forebear, the handset features Android 4.0 alongside a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display and an 8-megapixel camera, although as a nice surprise, it’ll also come with a beefier 2,000mAh battery. There’s no word yet on pricing for the latest entrant, although it seems a safe assumption that all will be revealed in rather short order. In the meantime, you’ll find the remaining details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Huawei Ascend P1 LTE named as EE exclusive in UK, other markets to follow

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Huawei Ascend P1 LTE named as EE exclusive in UK, other markets to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s only been a few days since we saw those leaked shots of what was rumored to be Boost Mobile’s own variant of that Optimus L7 — and, well, today the LG handset sees its official debut on the prepaid carrier. The LG Venice, as it’ll be more commonly known around these parts, boasts a 4.3-inch, WVGA screen alongside a 1GHz CPU, a 5-megapixel camera on the rear (VGA quality on the front) and a video mode capable of shooting up to 720p recordings — of course, this is all running LG’s UI 3.0 flavor of Ice Cream Sandwich. As we’ve become accustomed to, Boost Mobile is pricing its new Android handset at a decent price ($220), with the device expected to start hitting “exclusive” shelves on October 10th and other “select” retail shops later the same month.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Boost Mobile announces the LG Venice: a $220, 4.3-inch handset with Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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