Hasta La Gadget!

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!

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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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!

Official Android updates

• HTC One X: Following in Rogers’ footsteps, Telus has released its Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and Sense 4+ update for over-the-air installation. The software weighs in at approximately 629MB. [MobileSyrup]
• Samsung Galaxy S II: T-Mobile has begun delivery of an incremental update to address an issue with the Qualcomm SoC. The software also brings security fixes and S Voice improvements. [Android Central]
• Samsung Galaxy S II: Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) is now available for the international version of this handset (i9100), which includes Samsung’s Nature UX enhancements. Owners of this handset can grab the update either over-the-air or within Samsung Kies. You’ll also find a walkthrough video and a screenshot tour at the source link. [SamMobile]
• ASUS PadFone 2: Build 10.4.11.13 is now available with a hefty number of performance and stability tweaks for the WWE version of this smartphone. The software also brings improved power management software and refinements to the HDR capture and white balance functions of the camera. [Android Police]

• Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

• AOKP: A new milestone build of this popular Android 4.2 custom ROM is now available. With this release, the Galaxy S III on AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon are all supported, as is the Nexus 10 and the Nexus 7 (HSPA+). Among the customizations in this build, you’ll find the ability to use the power button as a makeshift camera shutter button and enhancements to the boot animation chooser. [Android Police]

Other platforms

• Nokia Lumia 900: An update to Windows Phone 7.8 now seems imminent for this AT&T handset, as the revised OS (build 8878) has been spotted on Nokia’s servers. For what it’s worth, January 31st is currently being kicked around as the rollout date, but you might wanna circle that date in pencil, just to be safe. [WPCentral]
• HTC 8X: Rogers has released the ‘Portico’ update for this smartphone, which brings improvements to text messaging and WiFi connectivity. [MobileSyrup]

Refreshes we covered this week

• By popular demand, Sony releases Jelly Bean alpha build for Xperia T
• Nokia Drive+ beta now available for all WP8 users in US, Canada and UK
• CyanogenMod 10.1 Milestone 1 hits Nexus and Samsung devices
• Leaked HTC Sense 5 screenshots suggest a leaner, cleaner skin

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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Maybe it was the gadget-in-a-gadget thing, or just that fact that it was a good ‘ole “twofer.” Either way, when the PadFone 2 from ASUS landed in our hands a few weeks back, we were pretty smitten. Now, the deal just got better thanks to the arrival of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the “fone” part of that combo. While the proprietary skin remains the same, you can now enjoy all the new perks that 4.1 brings along. The update is being sent out over the air right now, so be sure to point your phone / tablet at the system update screen to make sure you get the goods. Now, ASUS, we just need you to roll out that keyboard add-on we wanted…

[Thanks, Quan Truong]

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS

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Spend yesterday away from the internet? ASUS’ launch of the new PadFone 2 might have passed you by. Fortunately, we live in the internet age, where any action can be reviewed and examined to Zapruder-esque proportions. If you’d like to relive the press conference as if you were there with Jonney Shih in Milan, grab yourself an espresso and catch the footage we’ve tucked after the break.

Continue reading Watch ASUS’ PadFone 2 Milan press conference from the safety of your home (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, ASUS

Watch ASUS’ PadFone 2 Milan press conference from the safety of your home (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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!

Continue reading ASUS PadFone 2 hands-on in Taipei (updated with video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS

ASUS PadFone 2 hands-on in Taipei (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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