Hasta La Gadget!

Turns out the LG Motion 4G wasn’t all that MetroPCS had up its sleeve for reveal today, as the prepaid carrier separately let its new fall lineup slip, and wouldn’t you know it, among those devices is the Samsung Galaxy S III. Joining the superphone will be a smaller Sammy smartphone, and like the LG Connect 4G, it’ll support VoLTE — curious that the carrier isn’t touting the feature for the Galaxy S III, don’t you think? ZTE will also be making another go at MetroPCS, as an Android handset with a 4.3-inch screen is now in the cards, but other relevant specs remain sorely absent. Rounding out the lineup will be an import from Coolpad, which is said to wield a 4-inch screen and will retail for $149. According to Phone Scoop, we may see this one make an official debut later this week. Naturally, none of these slabs carry the same clout as the Galaxy S III, and if you’d like to get a bit more familiar with the soon-to-be premiere smartphone at MetroPCS, be sure to check out PC Magazine below, which managed to score a hands-on with the latest version of Samsung’s finest.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

MetroPCS reveals Samsung Galaxy S III as part of fall lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of August 13th, 2012

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software

Refresh Roundup: week of August 13th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were intrigued to see a bootloader unlock emerge for Verizon’s Galaxy S III variant just this week. Unless you’re the kind for whom a beta is just too… safe, though, the method on offer to date has been a tad cryptic. Dingus on the RootzWiki forums has taken all the danger out of it through EZ-Unlock, an app that reduces most of the process to a single tap. While it does require existing root access, everything else is sorted out; its most recent forms can also re-lock the bootloader if there’s any anxiety about venturing out of bounds. The app is even available through Google Play, which makes unrestricted (if warranty-challenging) firmware just a short hop past the source link.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon gets one-click bootloader unlock, freedom is just a Google Play away originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting Jelly Bean to run on a Galaxy S III has so far required a strictly unofficial build that strips away much of Samsung’s handiwork. If you prefer the official software to the point where thoughts of TouchWiz keep you comfortable at night, you’ll be glad to hear that a beta of a more official Android 4.1 upgrade has reportedly landed in the hands of AndroidMX.net. An extensive video look in Spanish (after the break) almost completely mirrors what you’d expect: clear advantages like the expanded notifications and Google Now make the cut, while Samsung’s Nature UX vibe remains intact. Only a few minor surprises have snuck their way in, such a brightness slider in the notification bar that we’d previously seen in some firmware for the Galaxy Note. We’re skeptical of claims that Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S III is just days away — Samsung isn’t exactly known for speedy Android updates. As long as the update we’ve seen here isn’t just a clever hack, however, it’s close enough to completion that it might tame the pessimists.

Continue reading Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video)

Filed under: Cellphones

Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Jacob, who needs to ensure he can find his Android phone if it’s lost. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“Hi good folks at Engadget! I just upgraded to a Galaxy S III and I need a new “find my phone” tool. I used to use SeekDroid on my DROID 2, but the web interface won’t work on the new phone. I know Samsung’s got an app called DIVE that can do this, but it doesn’t seem to be supported on Verizon phones. If you’ve got any suggestions, that’d be fantastic. Thanks!”

Actually, we had a look and we don’t think it’s available on any US Samsung handset without flashing your firmware. But let’s imagine he doesn’t want that level of hassle. What app should he be picking up? Where’s my Droid? Plan B? Something else? What’s worked for you — share your wisdom.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Ask Engadget: best ‘Find my Phone’ app for Android? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Aug 2012 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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