Vodafone Australia halts Jelly Bean update, cites regulatory issues

Uh oh. Seems all is not sweetness down under, with yesterday's news of an impending Jelly Bean update for the Nexus S from Vodafone Australia, today replaced with the news it has been pulled.

The Aussie carrier has put out a new statement on its blog, which reads something like this: 

Important news

We’ve just been advised that due to a software issue, the roll-out the of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to Vodafone Australia customers has been delayed.

It’s been advised the software currently does not meet all the Australian regulatory requirements related to emergency calls.

At this stage, we don’t have any further information on when the roll-out will resume, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know here on the blog.

We thank you for your understanding and appreciate your patience at this time.

While, understandably, eager Nexus S owners will take this as a bitter blow, regulatory requirements are just that. Requirements. At least Vodafone has been good enough to give their customers an actual, specific reason for the delay. 

Of course, this particular issue only applies in Australia. We had heard word from France too that an update for the Nexus S was in-bound, so we'll carry on keeping an eye out. This statement from Vodafone, while frustrating, does at least give a pretty clear indication that such an update does exist. Somewhere. 

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Source: Vodafone Australia

HTC One XL now available in Australia from Mobicity

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Aussie carrier Telstra, may have delayed its own launch of the HTC One XL, but that doesn't mean our Australian friends are completely out of luck. Enter third-party retailer Mobicity, which is now stocking the One XL regardless. 

The One XL of course is the non AT&T, Snapdragon S4 powered variant of HTC's flagship device. Available in black only, the One XL will work on all Australian 3G/HSPA networks, as well as the 1800MHz LTE network offered by Telstra. (And if anyone's thinking of importing, the One XL also supports European LTE networks on 2600MHz bands.)

Pricing is set at AUS$850, and the phone is available right now.

via Ausdroid

Virgin Australia to use Android-powered Galaxy Tab for in-flight streaming

Virgin Australia has decided to go with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to provide in-flight entertainment for passengers instead of the iPad. The system, which starts to roll out in April, will have the Tabs pre-loaded with movies, television and audio programs, and full in-flight streaming via Lufthansa BoardConnect wireless is slated to be up and running by the end of 2012. Once the Lufthansa system is in place, passengers will be able to choose from a wide range of entertainment to stream to the Galaxy Tab 10.1, as well as their own tablets or Windows and Mac computers. The tablets themselves will be included in the price of a business class ticket for travelers on the companies 737 and E-190 planes, and will be offered as a rental option for coach passengers on flights that take over three hours.

When the folks at Australian Business Traveller asked Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti why the company decided to use the Galaxy Tab instead of the more popular Apple product, he had the following to say:

The Samsung tablet is being recognised as a better product than Apple. That's not unusual, second-generation stuff usually is. In fact, it's getting better reviews than the iPad 2. The screen itself is better, and the [Android-based] system is a plus. It's (also) much thinner, as you know, and overall it's a better product.

We're not going to argue. Neither is Boeing, who has decided that all of their 787 Dreamliners will use a Panasonic manufactured Android tablet for in-flight entertainment. Certainly the fact that vendors can fully customize an Android product has played a role here, and this is something we should start getting used to seeing. All we can really say is that we know you have a choice when you fly, and we appreciate you choosing Android.

Source: Australian Business Traveller