Leaked renders purport to show Sony Xperia SL's fresh coat of paint

Sony's IFA 2012 line-up has been subject to some major leakage over the past couple of weeks. We've already seen leaked photos and spec sheets for the international Xperia GX (LT29i Hayabusa), the Xperia J and the Xperia Tablet, and now it's the turn of the "Xperia SL."

As previously rumored, the SL seems to be an Xperia S with a fresh coat of paint and a shiny new CPU. In addition to the black and white exteriors used by the Xperia S, the SL brings silver and pink to the table. And the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 powering the S is clocked up to 1.7GHz in the SL. Essentially, it's a spec bump similar to the move from the Xperia Arc to Xperia Arc S in late 2011. There's also a fairly important software change, too -- the SL runs Andorid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.

The images above (and the couple more after the break) have appeared over on Chinese site ePrice, along with specs for the rumored device. They're unconfirmed at this point, but ePrice has proved fairly accurate at sniffing out unreleased Sony phones in the past.

Anyone tempted by this re-vamped Xperia S? Let us know in the comments.

Source: ePrice; via: XperiaBlog

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CyanogenMod shelves ICS/Jelly Bean support for Snapdragon S1 devices

The CyanogenMod team has announced that it won't be able to officially support phones powered by first-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon chips in version 9 or 10 of its popular custom firmware. The CM team broke the news on Google+, where it revealed that a combination of hardware limitations and concerns for user experience quality were behind the decision. This means many older Android handsets that shipped in Q1 and Q2 2010, such as HTC's Nexus One, Desire and EVO 4G, will not see official CyanogenMod 9 or 10 builds, and will have to look elsewhere for their ICS or Jelly Bean fix. All affected devices will continue to be supported on the Gingerbread-based CyanogenMod 7.x branch, the team says.

Explaining the technical issues behind the decision, CM highlighted the good old Nexus One. In order to run CM9 or 10, the phone's internal memory would need to be repartitioned, and even then the lack of certain proprietary code for the phone's SoC (system-on-a-chip) would've made for a janky user experience -- "the pieces just aren't there." The team notes that it wouldn't be impossible to get ICS or Jelly Bean running on this hardware, but that doing so could break third-party application support because of the hackiness of the code involved.

If you still want Android 4.x on your Nexus One, you'll certainly be able to do so on other custom ROMs (and unofficial CM builds), though you'll sacrifice stability in order to do this. It's unfortunate, but when you remember that most of these phones shipped more than two years ago on Android 2.1 or earlier, it's not all that surprising.

We've got the full list of affected devices after the break.

Source: +CyanogenMod

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US Cellular gets the Motorola Defy XT and Electrify 2

US Cellular today announced it's picking up a pair of new Motorola devices. Of the utmost concern is the Electrify 2, with a 4.3-inch display and a 1.2 GHz processor pushing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It's got a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and has the same Smart Actions we've come to know and love on the likes of the RAZR line on Verizon. The Electrify 2 will cost $179 on contract and after a $100 rebate.

The Defy XT (that's the one on the right) is a 3.7-inch ruggedized Android smartphone with a 5-megapixel camera. It'll run $99 on contract after a $100 rebate.

We've got a couple promo videos after the break.

More: Electrify 2 at US Cellular; Motorola press release

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Qmadix Q-i-sound Stereo Bluetooth speakers review

The  Qmadix Q-i-sound Stereo Bluetooth speakers let you stream your tunes to quality stereo speakers.

 

Sometimes, you need a Bluetooth headset that also handles music. Other times, you want to listen to your music via Bluetooth and occasionally need to field a phone call.

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Gmail updated with improved 7-inch tablet support, new labels API

For the first time since the launch of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the official Gmail app for Android has been updated. The new version is available right now through the Google Play Store, so head to the "My Apps" tab to get yourself up-to-date.

There's not too much in the way of radical changes in this latest Gmail app update -- the changelog reveals that Google's rolling our improved 7-inch tablet support on Android 4.0 and above, and a new "labels" API for third-party apps on Android 2.2 and above. The former obviously refers to the Nexus 7, which is now starting to make its way out to consumers around the world. Despite the news of 7-inch tablet improvements, we haven't been able to track down exactly what Google's changed on our Nexus 7. The UI is much the same as it was before, so we're likely looking at subtle alterations for 7-inch tablet owners. The new labels API is also a bit of a mystery. It's possible this is a replacement for functionality removed around a year ago which disabled third-party Gmail widgets, though this too is mere speculation.

Users on all versions of Android also get a healthy helping of bug fixes and performance improvements, so that's reason enough to upgrade even if you're not a Nexus 7 owner or an application developer.

If you've noticed any dramatic changes in this new version of Gmail, hit the comments and let us know what you've found.

Download: Gmail on Google Play

Motorola RAZR HD appears in some new images sporting Vodafone software

Better known as the Droid RAZR HD from previous images, some new photos of the Motorola RAZR HD have now turned up sporting some Vodafone software. Looking at them it's kind of hard to tell where in the RAZR HD timeline this particular device is. It could be an earlier engineering unit that was made available before the Verizon branded versions were handed out or it could be a later revision but either way, we may never know, as the person who posted the photos doesn't have the device. We know the FCC has this one already, awaiting approval so it's only a matter of time before this one fully lands. Some more images can be found below for your viewing pleasure.

Source: XDA

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Motorola ELECTRIFY 2 and DEFY XT Launch on U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular and Motorola Mobility today announced two new Android™-powered smartphones to the carrier’s lineup. Motorola ELECTRIFY™ 2, the next generation of the popular ELECTRIFY that runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, will be available online on August 1 and in stores on August 2. Additionally, Motorola DEFY XT will be available online and in stores on August 3. Visit uscellular.com for detailed pricing and visit motorola.com for additional product details.

The Motorola ELECTRIFY 2 and DEFY XT through U.S. Cellular come with the carrier’s unique user benefits, including faster phone upgrades without re-signing contracts and the only points-based rewards program in the industry. Both smartphones will run on U.S. Cellular’s high-speed nationwide network, which has the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier.

“Customers who purchase Motorola ELECTRIFY 2 or DEFY XT will not only enjoy a new cutting-edge Android-powered smartphone, but will also get the best customer experience,” said Edward Perez, vice president of sales and marketing operations for U.S. Cellular. “A mobile phone should make life simpler and easier to get things done and U.S. Cellular believes the customer relationship with their wireless carrier should be the same.”

With a slim 8.4 millimeter design, Motorola ELECTRIFY 2 is ultra sleek, made Kevlar® strong and features an invisible splash-guard coating to protect from spills. The 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 4.3-inch ColorBoost™ display make ELECTRIFY 2 a multimedia powerhouse, perfect for gaming, movie watching, and web surfing. Great for capturing photos and videos, the ELECTRIFY 2 features a rear-facing 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1080p HD camcorder. It’s also the first U.S. Cellular device to include SMARTACTIONS™, the free Motorola app that can help extend battery life as well as intelligently automate routine, everyday tasks and suggest ways to personalize your phone to make your life easier.

Motorola DEFY XT is perfect for customers looking for the features and functionality of an Android-powered smartphone with a durable design. Water-resistant, dustproof and with a scratch-resistant 3.7-inch touchscreen, DEFY XT is ready to take on everyday scrapes and spills. Not only strong and sturdy, it’s also a great device for keeping connected with friends and family with a 5 megapixel camera and a front facing webcam for video chats. Stay entertained with access to more than 600,000 apps and games on Google Play™, as well as millions of books and songs and thousands of movies and TV shows. Also, the customizable activity dashboards offer additional functionality with access to an integrated compass, pedometer, music player, and weather.

“Motorola is excited to bring the next evolution of ELECTRIFY to U.S. Cellular customers and Motorola ELECTRIFY 2 is ideal for those who crave premium features,” said Jeff Miller, corporate vice president, North America Go-to-Market, Motorola Mobility. “Motorola DEFY XT packs innovative specs into a resilient design that can withstand whatever life throws your way. These two products provide unique experiences and give consumers choice.”

For more information about all of U.S. Cellular’s devices and plans, visit any U.S. Cellular store, go to uscellular.com or check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.

Purchase of a data plan is required, and a new two-year agreement and activation fee may apply for new customers. Additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply.