Hasta La Gadget!

Great news for everyone that owns a Sony Xperia Z that they have sourced from the “uncarrier,” T-Mobile. The carrier has finally started releasing the much awaited Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for the smartphone today, and apart from all the bells and whistles we have come to expect from version 4.3, the update also brings various other improvements and fixes. The T-Mobile Xperia Z Android 4.3 update is rolling out in phases, so it might take a while for the update to become available for everyone. Patience, is key.

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T-Mobile Xperia Z Android 4.3 Update Released original content from Ubergizmo.

Google’s latest Android 4.4 update is in the process of being rolled out, it will be initially released for compatible existing Nexus devices over the next few weeks. OEMs have yet to reveal when they’ll be releasing Android 4.4 KitKat for their devices, Samsung has apparently begun testing the update for Galaxy Note 3. Until the official release happens, Android enthusiasts longing to get a taste of KitKat can turn toward version 4.4 custom ROMs based on AOSP. Today, a Sony Xperia Z Android 4.4 custom ROM has been released, it is a stable build with very few bugs.

All main functions of the Xperia Z such as GPS, telephone, texts, Wi-Fi, camera and more are working in this ROM. The developer notes two glitches, one with manual selection of a mobile network, where the “Please wait…” dialog stays even after the Xperia Z is registered on a network. Tapping the home button makes the dialog vanish, so its a simple fix. Calendar sync with Google is another glitch that might be faced on a fresh installation, rebooting the device two times is described as a fix to get the Calendar syncing again. The compatible Google apps package comes bundled with this ROM, so you won’t have to search for it once you’ve flashed it. Flashing custom ROMs is tricky if you’ve never done it before, so proceed only if you know exactly what you’re doing. The Android 4.4 custom ROM for Sony Xperia Z can be downloaded from here.

Xperia Z Android 4.4 Custom ROM Released original content from Ubergizmo.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 is Nokia’s upcoming phablet device which has also gone by the “Bandit” codename in the past. We’ve seen images and press renders of the device make their way onto the internet, and now thanks to a handful of photos obtained by The Verge, the handset has made yet another appearance, this time sitting alongside the Sony Xperia Z. For those unfamiliar with the Xperia Z, it’s Sony’s Android smartphone device that was unveiled earlier this year at CES 2013 and sports a 5” display.

Clearly the photo above shows that the Lumia 1520 is the larger of the two, and according to previous leaks and further confirmed by the person who submitted the photos to The Verge, the Lumia 1520 will sport a 6” Full HD display. Previous photos didn’t really show how big a device the Lumia 1520 is, so we guess the new photos should clue you in. Other specs reportedly “confirmed” includes 2GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 32GB of storage, an SD slot, and will run on the Windows Phone GDR3 update. What do you guys think? Could this be Nokia’s swan song before the brand is dropped by Microsoft?

Nokia Lumia 1520 Caught On Camera Alongside The Xperia Z original content from Ubergizmo.

Much has been said and whispered about the upcoming Sony Honami (i1) flagship smartphone from the folks over at Sony Mobile, so much so that we spotted a leaked teaser image just yesterday, in addition to the possibility of an official launch this coming September 4th. Of course, there were also whispers concerning a possible 20-megapixel camera as well as a reported appearance over at GFXBench benchmarks. All of that are fine and dandy, but just in case you have recently picked up a Sony Xperia Z for yourself (which is a pretty fine phone by itself, mind you), and obviously do not have the kind of monetary capability to upgrade to the next flagship model, fret not. As you can see from the video above, it seems that the eXistenZ Ultra custom ROM (Honami’s software) is already up and running on the Xperia Z.

This particular ROM would include the entire range of Honami apps that have been leaked to date, its framework included. To call this a ‘full’ Honami port would definitely be misleading, considering how the device itself has yet to roll out officially, so enjoy it while it lasts! Would you want to give this port a go, or do not want to risk bricking your handset?

Partial Sony Honami Port On Xperia Z original content from Ubergizmo.

While Sony’s Xperia Z managed to steal the show at CES 2013 earlier this year, sadly the device was eclipsed by the Samsung Galaxy S4 which was announced a few months later. While Sony’s smartphone and tablet efforts have been pretty decent, undoubtedly the company does play a second fiddle to Samsung who’s probably the biggest name in Android at the moment. Well if you’re a Sony fan and you’re worried about the overshadowing, fret not because it seems that Sony is doing quite well for itself, despite their products not generating the same amount of buzz that Samsung’s does.

According to a recent financial report by Sony, it was revealed that the company managed to ship a whopping 9.6 million smartphones in Q1 2013, which is up from 7.4 million back in Q1 2012. This provided Sony with a revenue of $3.9 billion, and a net income of $60 million which is an improvement on the loss Sony made last year. Granted shipments don’t necessarily equate to sales, but an increase in shipment from last year could be taken as a sign that demand for Sony’s smartphones has increased, and rightfully so. Perhaps those numbers could increase later this year with the upcoming launch of the Sony Xperia i1 “Honami”.

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Sony Shipped 9.6 Million Smartphones Last Quarter original content from Ubergizmo.