HTC Rezound Android 4.0 update now available from Verizon

After countless rumors, leaks, and missed release dates, the Android 4.0 update for the HTC Rezound has finally arrived! Verizon has posted documents detailing the new update along with download/installation instructions on the Rezound’s software update page. Those not willing to wait for Verizon to push out the update can grab the RUU [...]]]>

HTC EVO 3D Android 4.0 update now available from Sprint

The Android 4.0 update for the HTC EVO 3D has finally arrived! We’ve heard multiple confirmations from users that the Ice Cream Sandwich build of Sprint’s 3D-enabled Android handset is being pushed out, delivering a slew of new features – including improvements to multi-tasking, face unlock, new browser capabilities, and access to Android 4.0 applications like [...]]]>

Google Wallet update takes things to the cloud, lets you add any credit card

This is big, folks. Google Wallet finally has been opened up to more payment methods. Mainly, it now works with any credit card and lists credit cards previously tied to your Google account. It's taking a new approach to mobile payments, moving everything into the cloud and off your device. That means a couple things. For one, you'll still need a PIN to use Google Wallet, and Google (and us as well) recommends you have a lock on the entire phone. But should things go awry, you can lock and remotely disable Google wallet on a lost phone. As Google points out, that's not something you can do with your leather wallet.

After that, alls you need is a Google Wallet-compatible device (here's the list of 'em), and you're off and running. No more exclusives. No more errors.  So head to the Play Store and smash that update button, and be sure to let us know in the comments how it goes adding cards to the app.

Source: Google Commerce Blog

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Ice Cream Sandwich update finally starts rolling out on HTC Rezound

Rejoice, long-suffering HTC Rezound owners. Your protracted wait for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich seems to be nearing its end. After a shelved update and countless leaks, it looks like ICS for the Rezound is officially official this time. Posters on the Android Central forums, and elsewhere, have confirmed that a 299MB over-the-air update for the Rezound has begun pushing out to handsets across the country, bringing the phone up to software version 3.14.605.12.

Like other Ice Cream Sandwich updates for Sense 3.x phones, ICS on the Rezound comes bundled with Sense 3.6, which includes all the benefits of Android 4.0, but without the fancy new visual finery of Sense 4.0.

As is the case with many over-the-air updates, not everyone will get the update right away, as releases are staggered over a period of days to reduce the strain on the download servers. Nevertheless, Rezound owners can rest assured that the update is complete, and should be making its way to all handsets fairly soon.

If you're an HTC Rezound owner, let us know how you're getting on with the ICS update -- if you've received it -- down in the comments.

Source: Android Central forums

Xperia U update solves network issues; Xperias P, Go and Sola also due fixes

Sony is pushing out another Android 2.3 Gingerbread-based firmware update for its leading entry-level handset, the Xperia U, according to reports. Forum posts indicate that the new version 6.0.B.3.184 is now starting to appear on Xperia U handsets across Europe. According to XperiaBlog, that same firmware has also been certified for the Xperia P, Xperia Go and Xperia Sola, which use the same ST Ericsson NovaThor chip.

In a post on the company’s official community forum, a Sony Xperia rep indicated that the new updates had been put out to fix networking issues with these phones.

We have received isolated consumer complaints about network selection issues for the products Xperia™ U, Xperia™ P, Xperia™ sola and Xperia™ go in connection with Android 2.3.7 SW version 6.0.B.3.162, successfully resolved by re-starting the phone.

Further optimizations of the network selection procedures were made and affected consumers are recommended to upgrade their handset SW to a new Android 2.3.7 SW version to be available from early August onwards.

So hopefully this update fixes any issues that Xperia P, U, Sola and Go owners may have been experiencing. And with this bug fix out of the way, we’re sure they’ll be hoping for a swift update to ICS later this quarter.

Source: XperiaBlog, XDA, Sony community forum

HTC Support confirms HTC Rezound Android 4.0 update coming before the end of July

By now, many of you are already looking forward to the Android 4.1 update for your device – but let’s not forget that there are quite a few people still craving for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). Verizon’s HTC Rezound owners are among those who still have not received the Android 4.0 update [...]]]>

Uncertainty surrounds Desire HD ICS update as HTC issues revised statement

It seems there’s a little more confusion than there should be surrounding the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update (or lack thereof) for the HTC Desire HD. Last week Canadian carrier TELUS released an update roadmap stating that HTC had canceled the update. Then a few days back, we reached out to HTC and received a statement indicating that updates for the Desire HD, and similarly-spec’d Desire S, were still on the table.

Since then we’ve been in touch with TELUS, which insists that it’s been informed that the update had been suspended, and that it was an HTC decision unrelated to TELUS’s network, testing or software. TELUS said that if HTC was to go ahead with the ICS update after all, it'd gladly test it and put it out for its customers. And after seeking further clarification from HTC, we were given a revised statement indicating that it’s still examining the Desire HD’s ability to run ICS --

"HTC is committed to providing the best customer experience on our devices and are currently determining the ability to support Ice Cream Sandwich on the HTC Desire HD.  We'll provide more information when we've completed our analysis."

So it looks like the future of ICS on the Desire HD is currently hanging in the balance, and that HTC is in the process of working out if it can support Android 4.0 without compromising the user experience. This could also be worrying news for owners of the Desire S and Thunderbolt, which sport almost identical internals, and which are also due to receive an ICS upgrade.

Whatever happens, we’ll keep you posted with any further developments on HTC ICS updates.

HTC: Desire HD to stay on current software, no ICS update

After all the confusion surrounding the status of the HTC Desire HD's Android 4.0 update, we have confirmation from HTC that it's completed its analysis of the software and reached a decision. Unfortunately, it's disappointing news for Desire HD owners -- the manufacturer has decided not to update the phone to Ice Cream Sandwich, saying it has the best software experience possible for its hardware on the current Android 2.3/Sense 3 ROM.

Here's the company's statement in full --

"After extensive testing, HTC has determined that the current version of HTC Sense with Android provides customers with the best experience on the HTC Desire HD.  When we consider new versions of software, we weigh a number of factors, but ultimately the customer experience on the product is the deciding factor. We apologize for any confusion this change may have caused our customers."

So it's sad pandas all around this evening. It looks like Desire HD owners will need to rely on the custom ROM community if they want a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean. In any case, the device already has several unofficial Android 4.x ROMs available, so at least those brave enough to root won't be short of options.

Manually install the Jelly Bean update on your GSM Nexus S

Though only a .1 release, Jelly Bean feels like a major upgrade to the Android platform. Project Butter makes the operating system feel smooth and fluid, addressing one of the bigger criticism of Androids past. When the 4.1 OS was unveiled at Google’s I/O developer conference, Google told us that the Nexus devices would receive [...]]]>

Carrier confirms HTC One XL, HTC One S Android 4.1 update being prepped

HTC’s official stance on the Android 4.1 update is still “reviewing the software to determine our upgrade plans and schedule,” but that’s not stopping Telstra from confirming that HTC is already working on the Jelly Bean update for the HTC One S and HTC One XL (aka HTC one X in the US). Telstra’s [...]]]>

Google Music gets a major UI update

Google Music has received a pretty major UI overhaul, which brings the interface on previous phones and tablets up to par with the version that ships with the Nexus 7. In short -- it's a great update. The Music app now has the same feeling that the Google+ app has, with plenty of big images and the trademark Google app look. The change log:

• Now Playing queue that allows for queuing and reordering of currently playing music.


• New UI for navigation with transport controls on the action bar.


• New large album art view on Recent.


• Playlist art is now constructed from album art of songs in the playlist.


• Now Playing widget has album art and support for thumbs up.


• Harder, better, faster, stronger.

The changes are great, and the app now has a polish it lacked before. It's great to see the various teams at Google pushing out great updates for their Android apps. If you're a Google Music user (and you should be) this is one you won't want to miss. It's rolling out, including an update for the Nexus 7, via Google Play for devices running Android 2.2 or higher. Grab it at the link below.

Download Google Music from Google Play

ShopAndroid Update: Now shipping Android accessories to more countries worldwide for less!

Since Android Central launched in 2008, two of the most frequently asked questions we receive from visitors outside of the United States have been When will ShopAndroid ship to my country? And in the case where we do ship to that country, Why is it so expensive to ship to my country?

Recently we introduced our dedicated ShopAndroid Canada store.

Today we're announced that the same stellar service offered in our U.S.-based ShopAndroid.com store is open to our international customers as well! We've also rolled out free shipping to AFP/FPO destinations around the globe.

To our international customers - thanks for the patience. And thanks for the ongoing support. Now keep reading for all the details!

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of ShopAndroid Update. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

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. 

The more authentic information about Vodafone Australia halts Jelly Bean update, cites regulatory issues you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Vodafone Jelly Bean update, cites regulatory issuesexpert. Read on for even more Vodafone update, cites regulatory issuesfacts that you can share.

Source: Vodafone Australia

TELUS HTC Desire HD update to Android 4.0 cancelled, down to 'poor device performance during testing'

TELUS has been pretty good as far as information surrounding their devices update schedule to Ice Cream Sandwich. There's another update now doing the rounds, and sadly it brings bad news for owners of the HTC Desire HD. The update for the Desire HD has been cancelled "due to poor device performance during testing." 

While it's sure to be a bitter blow to owners of the device eagerly awaiting their turn to upgrade, if performance is an issue then it's the right decision to make. An update isn't worth waiting on, let alone accepting, if it doesn't make for a good user experience. 

Additional Android devices featured on the latest documentation still shows August for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 with the 10.1 also slipping to August after we'd previously seen late July for the tablet. Also, there's prospective August 7 in market date for the LG Optimus LTE. 

Source: TELUS via Mobilesyrup

Samsung Just Released Android 4.0.4 Updates for the Galaxy Note

Samsung just unveiled a slight update for the international owners of the Galaxy Note. The update will change the current Galaxy Note’s Android 4.0.3 to 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Together with the typical performance improvements and bug fixes are couple of pretty awesome enhancements to the software.

First is a feature called the POPup Play that was spotted at the Galaxy S III announcement which allows users to enjoy video playback while accessing other apps. It is truly an amazing feature to those who want to read a text or email and still want to continue playing the video at the side of the screen.

Second feature will be the “Signature Unlock” function where you can simply sign your name by means of Sammy’s S Pen to get access to the content of your phone, replacing the old fashioned PIN.

It is indeed not a useless update. The update is already available OTA and can be downloaded through Samsung Kies or the Samsungfirmware page.

LG Prada 3.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update now available in Germany and Italy

If you happen to own the awkwardly named LG Prada 3.0, you can now take some joy in knowing that Android 4.0 is now available for download provided you're in Germany or Italy and have a non-carrier branded version.

Having launched with Android 2.3.7, the upgrade to ICS can be found by plugging your device into your computer and then using the LG Mobile Phone Support tool that is available for Windows PC's. If you're on a Mac, you'll have to find a Windows machine.

According to the documentation, the update should only take a few minutes and leave your device info intact though, a back up is suggested.

Source: LG Germany, LG Italy via: The Verge