Refresh Roundup: week of August 12th, 2013

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!

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Verizon’s HTC One sign-up page is live, still no confirmed ship date

Back in June, Verizon gave us fair warning that it would start selling the HTC One “later this summer.” Well, we’re just about halfway through August, and while you can’t buy a VZW One just yet, you can at least let Verizon know you’re interested. The carrier has added a sign-up page to its website, where eager beavers can put in their e-mail addresses so that they’ll be the first to receive more information as it becomes available. Unfortunately, that splash page says nothing about when the device might ship or what it will cost with the usual two-year agreement. So for now, then, this page is really just for the most impatient of HTC fans.

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Source: Verizon Wireless

LG G2 vs. the competition: flagship Android smartphones square off

LG G2 vs the competition flagship Android smartphones square off

Now that the LG G2 is official, the battle between mid-2013 Android flagships is fully underway. But which wins the war? We’ve pitted the new smartphone against its biggest competitors in the US — Samsung’s Galaxy S 4, the HTC One and the Motorola Moto X — to understand which device most deserves a place in your pocket.

Based purely on the spec sheet, the G2 is the frontrunner. Its larger 5.2-inch screen, quicker 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 and image-stabilized 13-megapixel rear camera will please those who want a media powerhouse. Its extra-large battery and 24-bit / 192KHz audio are also unique in a category where longevity and sound quality tend to play second fiddle. If all you want is the most technically capable device, look no further.

Yet each of the G2’s competitors has an advantage that’s harder to quantify. The GS4 has a full set of hardware nav keys (for those who prefer them), air gestures and a slightly tougher plastic build. The One claims superior low-light photography and dual speakers. And the Moto X partly makes up for its lackluster speed through design customization and helpful tricks like Touchless Control. To us, that puts LG in an awkward middle. While the G2’s performance is almost beyond compare, many of its software features aren’t all that unique — those who aren’t sold on its performance could easily be lured away.

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HTC One gets shown off in blue, could land later this year

HTC One shows up in blue

The HTC One has seen a few different colors in its days — silver, black and “glamour red” come to mind — but we haven’t actually seen one of the company’s flagships in blue until now. It appears that this rumored blue variant is about to get official, though: that press render up there comes courtesy of leakster @evleaks, who claims the phone should be showing up sometime this year. We’re not seeing any carrier branding, which indicates that it would likely be released in other parts of the world besides the US, such as Europe, but we certainly don’t want to rule out a possible appearance on this side of the Atlantic either.

Update: PhoneArena is reporting that the blue-colored One has been seen in Verizon’s internal systems, so it’s possible we will indeed see this particular color option here in the states. [Thanks all!]

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Source: @evleaks

Refresh Roundup: week of July 29th, 2013

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!

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HTC One Max reportedly surfaces in photos with 5.9-inch display

HTC One Max reportedly surfaces in photos with 5.9-inch display

Word of the HTC One Max first surfaced in a leaked document from UK carrier O2, but now the phone seems to be making an appearance in the flesh. Taiwanese site ePrice has gotten its collective mitts on two photos of what’s claimed to be the retooled flagship, which boasts a 5.9-inch 1080p display. Differences in the hardware don’t exactly jump out at first blush, but the relative distance between the lower speaker grill and its buttons hint at a larger screen. While the One Mini’s grate doesn’t extend as far as the full-sized smartphone’s, the grill on this jumbo device stretches past that of both handsets.Though this model also sports traditional China-specific tweaks such as dual SIM slots, the most notable changes include an upgrade to a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and a 3,200mAh battery. ePrice says an official One Max appearance is rumored for next month at IFA, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for invitations to special unveiling events.

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Source: ePrice (translated)

Google Play Edition smartphones start receiving Android 4.3 (updated)

Google Play Edition smartphones start receiving Android 43

If you were wondering just how long it would take the Google Play Editions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 to get Android 4.3, we can now tell you: not long at all. Owners of both devices report that they’re receiving over-the-air updates to the new OS. There isn’t yet word of any GPE-specific additions, but we’ll let you know if there are surprises in store.

Update: AnandTech has noticed a few GPE-specific changes. Most home screen icons appear larger, infrared now works on the HTC One, and Bluetooth-based internet tethering is now an option for the Galaxy S 4.

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Via: Brian Klug (Twitter), Ernesto Arias (Twitter)

Source: AnandTech

MoDaCo.Switch enters public beta, gives indecisive HTC One owners both worlds

MoDaCo.Switch enters public beta, gives indecisive HTC One owners both worlds

Can’t decide between HTC One’s native spin on Android and the Google Edition’s vanilla build? Now you don’t have to: MoDaCo.Switch is now officially available for public beta testing. True to its name, this custom firmware allows users to reboot the phone and switch into a different version of Android, making it easy to enjoy both Sense 5 and Google’s stock AOSP Android build independently. It’s more than a simple dual-boot, however, MoDaCo.Switch shares apps and data between both builds, which makes using them together a less jarring experience. The Beta still has some limitations of course; MMS and call log data isn’t shared between ROMS and there seem to be some issues with fast boot. Still, if you’re willing give it a spin, hop over to the adjacent source link to get started.

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Via: Liliputing

Source: MoDaCo

MoDaCo.Switch for HTC One nearly ready for prime time, beta tester applications now open

MoDaCoSwitch for HTC One nearly ready for prime time, beta tester applications now open

It wouldn’t surprise us to hear MoDaCo’s newly minted HTC One ROM triggered some reactions that could’ve easily been turned into animated GIFs. And if you were one of the many folks excited at the thought of seamlessly Switching between vanilla Android and Sense 5, then you’ll be happy to know creator Paul O’Brien has begun taking applicants looking to put the ROM through its paces. MoDaCo.Switch is said to be “nearly ready for beta testing,” and thus we’d recommend filling out the form at the source link below pretty soon — O’Brien says he’ll “be picking a number of people of varying abilities and devices.”

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Via: AndroidCommunity

Source: MoDaCo

The Daily Roundup for 07.16.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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