Windows Phone Marketplace now populated by 25,000 apps

It's not just Apple's App Store striding past milestones today, Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace has also rounded a notable marker in its development. Specifically, it's now reported to have passed 25,000 apps by one site tracking comings and goings within it, though that figure's up for debate as the other WP7 apps tracker still lists the total at just under 25k. The main point is that the WP7 ecosystem is growing, and faster than previously at that — it took until the end of March to accrue 11,500 apps, a span of five months from its launch, whereas the last 13.5k have come in the brisker period of three months. Provided this acceleration continues, and there's no reason to expect it'll slow down with Mango on the horizon, Microsoft's mobile OS reboot promises to be in pretty competitive shape in time for its first anniversary — a notable feat considering how far behind WinMo had fallen. Perhaps RIM can use this as an instructive example?
source: 2DayBlog.com

Cincinnati Bell teaches Motorola Milestone XT720 users how to root their phones

If you own a Motorola Milestone XT720, and you're on Cincinnati Bell - we've got some great news for you. The carrier decided that it won't be waiting around for Motorola to release the Android 2.2 update for the phone it is taking things into its own hands: by teaching its users how to root the phone and install the update by themselves. (Just in case you were wondering, rooting an Android phone is the process of "freeing " an Android phone of its restrictions, to give its user the permission to modify files on the phone that they're normally not allowed to touch. This allows them to tweak and customize the phones to their heart's content.)

Once a phone has been rooted, users can modify its system files; which in this case lets them install a newer version of Android 2.2 through a custom ROM. While it definitely isn't the easiest way to update a phone, it's the only way to get the phone updated without having to wait for the OEM to release an update.

Who would've thought we'd ever see the day where a carrier would teach its subscribers how to root their own devices? It looks like today is the day. Granted, it's not one of the four major carriers in the country, it's still encouraging to see support for the rooting community coming from a company that's supposed to be against such practices. Motorola Milestone XT720 users can head over to the Cincinnati Bell website for more details.

Nokia X7 Comes to Canada

Nokia X7 will be available this July in Canada. Optimized for navigation and entertainment experience, the Nokia X7 comes with unique tapered corners, big 4-inch AMOLED screen made of toughened glass and a seamless stainless steel casing. The Nokia X7 is PVC-free, free of nickel on the product surface, brominated and chlorinated compounds, and antimony trioxide. All materials in the Nokia X7 can be recovered as materials to make new products or to generate energy.

Nokia X7 features include: Distinctive silhouette designed to highlight the large 4-inch AMOLED touch screen; LED screen that provides brighter colours and darker blacks because it is not lit from behind; Kinetic scrolling; QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode; Galaxy on Fire HD and Asphalt 5 HD games pre-installed; "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" trailer pre-installed; 8-megapixel full-focus camera that offers 720p HD video recording and comes with a dual LED flash; 8GB memory card pre-installed, with up to 350MB built-in operating memory; New themes, backgrounds, wallpapers and smooth effects; Multiple home screens
source: Trendy Gadget

Skype 2 video chat unofficially enabled on the Galaxy S II, Sensation, and some others

The latest Skype update for Android is available to everyone, but it only enables video chat on four specific handsets. Fortunately, impatient modders have gone some way to correcting this profound injustice, by creating APKs that activate video calling on other handsets too. So far we've heard of successful ports on the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation, Thunderbolt and EVO 4G. If you've got some other handset with Android 2.3, a little experimentation with the APK might also be worth your while.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nokia says sayonara to Japan, one last time

Nokia has finally decided to pull out of the Japanese market entirely once and for all. Although Nokia stopped supplying handsets to Japanese carriers in 2008, Nokia’s luxury brand of handsets – Vertu – still had some presence in Japan.

However, now Nokia will be shutting down the Vertu stores in the Shibuya and Ginza districts of Japan by the end of July. As for their phone service, run on network infrastructure leased from NTT DoCoMo Inc. it will be discontinued when its contract expires at the end of August.

Meanwhile, Nokia’s Tokyo office will remain open till the end of the year to handle fee refunds and other matters but then that too will be shut down, thus ending Nokia’s presence in Japan completely.

Source

Samsung SCH-i405 spotted in a leak

The Samsung SCH-i405 is a QWERTY slider smartphone that does seem to look like the Epic 4G Galaxy S variant over at Sprint, but bear in mind that this smartphone will actually be arriving on Verizon Wireless' CDMA network instead. It will more or less fall short of the Epic's 4G capabilities, but at least it has been spotted in the wild – which means it will be coming real soon. Specifications are still quite hard to come by, but this is more or less the first Android-powered slider from Samsung that will be arriving on Verizon Wireless.

It won't be a high end model though, since the suggested specifications do point towards a solitary 1GHz processor with a WVGA display. Bear in mind that the Samsung SCH-i405 has already picked up its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi certifications, although it hasn't gained approval from the FCC just yet (which ought to be happening real soon, too). Since this is slated to be a mid-range phone, you shouldn't have to worry about seeing a $199 price tag with a 2-year contract attached to it.
source: Ubergizmo

Nokia N950 With 12-megapixel Camera

The FCC has unveiled the Nokia N950, which will be available in the US very soon. The MeeGo phone features a superb 12-megapixel AutoFocus camera, a QWERTY keyboard, a 4-inch (480 x 854) LCD display, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, a 1GB of RAM and Bluetooth 2.1. Stay tuned for more updates. [Electronista]

HTC EVO 3D desktop dock on Best Buy backorder

Are you ready to be a proud new owner of the HTC EVO 3D? Well, if you have answered in the affirmative, then perhaps you might be interested in picking up the desktop dock for the HTC EVO 3D which is currently on backorder from Best But. Retailing for $49.99 a pop, this accessory enables you to plug your handset right into the dock in a landscape orientation, letting you synchronize to a PC or Mac while recharging the battery on the handset. Since the HTC EVO 3D is powered by Google's Android operating system and boasts of some high powered specifications, making sure it has its adequate supply of juice each day is important – unless you do not mind running out of battery supply during the more crucial moments in your business life.

While the HTC EVO 3D will be rolling out on Friday, the docking station is already on backorder, with Best Buy keeping their fingers crossed to have it start shipping from the warehouse within a week or two. Of course, until the desktop dock actually arrives in front of your doorstep, you will just have to be happy with your new smartphone getting its daily juice from the AC outlet.
source: Ubergizmo

Pre-orders for the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro start in the UK, £239.99, shipping August 5

Last month, Sony Ericsson decided to officially announce the successors to the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro, which the company confusingly decided to call Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro as well. Back then, the only thing we knew about when these devices would ship was that it will happen in the third quarter, so sometime between July and September. A bit vague.

Today we can shed some more light on the issue, because the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro has just become available to pre-order in the UK at a well known retailer, Play.com. The price being asked for the Xperia Mini Pro is £239.99, and free shipping is available. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro is due to be released on August 5, so just one day after the Xperia Neo. It certainly looks like the beginning of August will mark the arrival on the market of many new Sony Ericsson Android-powered devices.

So if you find the Xperia Mini Pro interesting, perhaps you should head over to Play.com and pre-order one for yourself. That way you know you'll be among the first in the UK to get your hands on it.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro has a 3-inch 320×480 LED-backlit capacitive touchscreen, a 1 GHz processor, a 5 MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording, a secondary front-facing VGA camera, a full physical side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, 400 MB of internal storage space expandable via microSD (a 2 GB card is included in the sales package), 512 MB of RAM, 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 1200 mAh battery.
source: Unwired View

Nokia N5 caught in the wild

Interested in seeing what the next Nokia Symbian Anna device will look like when it is released? Well, the folks over at Excellular managed to get their hands on what they claim is the Nokia N5 - the company's upcoming Symbian Anna phone.

The phone features a pretty small touchscreen (there's a lot of bezel!), has a front facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and it'll come in two colors: all black or white with a green back. No word on pricing or release date, but speculation has autumn 2011 as its release date.

Nothing too interesting looking about the phone though the green and white combination is admittedly one of the more interesting color combinations we've seen so far.
source: Ubergizmo

Sprint HTC Evo Shift 4G now free with new two-year contract

The HTC Evo Shift 4G for Sprint sure is one smartphone that gets its price cut a lot. Since its launch, we've seen it go through about a dozen different great deals that saw its price cut, but this one today is absolutely the best ever. So read on, lovers of Android QWERTY devices.

Wirefly will now give you a brand new HTC Evo Shift 4G for free, if you agree to sign a new two-year contract with Sprint. That's by far the best deal you'll be able to get for this smartphone, so if you're interested in an Evo Shift 4G, you should go to Wirefly now and order one.

A couple of weeks ago we saw the Evo Shift 4G go for just $39.99 at Amazon, but free is free after all. And so, the Evo Shift 4G joins its older brother, the Evo 4G, in the ‘free smartphone' club at Sprint. If you intend to become a Sprint customer (or have nothing against it), these are both still very capable phones that you're getting for nothing.

The HTC Evo Shift 4G has a 3.6-inch 480x800 capacitive touchscreen, an 800 MHz processor, a 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording, 2 GB of ROM, 512 MB of RAM, microSD card support, WiMax 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 1500 mAh battery.
source: Unwired View

Telstra Has No Sense! GingerBread for the Desire!

When the Desire hit Telstra back in early 2010, it was their premier device, but Android has evolved and grown in size. As the Android OS matures, it inevitably has a larger device footprint, and older devices like the HTC Desire, don't have the inbuilt ROM storage to support it, and HTC's Sense UI. So many Telco's, like Telstra, are preparing ROM updates that don't include Sense. There's a need to get around the 512 Mb internal rom storage on the phone, and while you would think that maybe apps could be stripped out of there, it seems like Telstra as removing what makes HTC's android deployment special.

After a few days of bad press and dealing with the public outcry, HTC has changed their stance on the Gingerbread update. In order to get around the HTC Desire's 512 MB ROM limitations, HTC will be stripping out a few applications from the new Gingerbread build.

While some will say this is a second rate solution, it is the only way you can get a real carrier approved build of GingerBread on your Telstra Desire, Stripping Sense from the Desire will make a lot of users feel uncomfortable, the pure Android experience is very different, but let's hope HTC can in the future, apply Sense as an application that can be installed to SD, so that older devices can still maintain that familiar interface.
source: HTC Source

Nokia N5 spotted with Symbian Belle running

Don't you just love the Internet that has its ability to make a leak go global due to man's curious nature? One of the latest leaks concerns the house of Nokia, where it is the Nokia N5 which has been spotted to run an updated version of the Symbian Belle software, touted to be the first handset to do so. Here is a little bit of trivia just in case model numbers are your cup of tea – the Nokia N5 is also known as the RM-701.

The Nokia N5 or RM-701 does seem to ship with a 3.2″ capacitive display coupled with a 5-megapixel camera with a LED flash. This seems to trend towards it being on the lower end of things, so you can more or less expect it to come on the cheap if it arrives Stateside, or perhaps even for free on some carriers – who knows?

As for the Symbian Belle, its latest update will feature an improved user interface, an upgraded browser, a new homescreen with free form widgets, a new pull down notification bar in the same vein as the Android operating system from Google, alongside a bunch of other performance upgrades. No need to start saving up for one if you're interested, as we mentioned earlier, it shouldn't cost much and might even be an impulse purchase.
source: Ubergizmo

Google Nexus Prime with Android Ice Cream Sandwich to be made by Samsung?

Last time we reported on Google's alleged first Android Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, we told you that the handset may have a 1280 x 720 pixels display. Now new info on the handset has been uncovered, apparently confirming this resolution.

According to BGR, the upcoming smartphone will be manufactured by Samsung (which is also the maker of the Nexus S). Apparently, its display will be branded "Super AMOLED HD" - the name covering not only the Super AMOLED nature of the screen, but also its HD (1280 x 720) resolution.

Another confirmed thing is the handset's processor: a dual-core TI OMAP 4460.

As for its name, it looks like the next Nexus won't be called Nexus 4G, as previously rumored, but Nexus Prime. Of course, this may change until the handset actually hits the market (sometime in Q4).
source: Unwired View

Official Renders of the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide Surface

Last week we got one of our first real clear looks at the upcoming myTouch 4G Slide for T-Mobile. To no one's surprise, no striking differences between the original myTouch 4G and its Slide cousin were deduced other than a full QWERTY keyboard tucked away under the 3.7-inch display. In case you needed to clarify that or just want to feast your eyes on the phone that new rumors state could be released on July 6th, promotional renders of the device have leaked. Nothing fancy, just another solid entry into the myTouch lineup.
source: Android Phone

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo actually became available today in the UK, priced from £342 SIM-free

Earlier today, we let you know that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, an upper-midrange Android-powered smartphone, was finally up for pre-order in the UK after having been delayed for a few months in part because of the earthquake in Japan.

However, the strangest thing happened. If you were interested in picking an Xperia Neo up, and went to Expansys as we suggested you should and pre-ordered a handset, you'll be very surprised to find that it will arrive at your address in 3-4 days. That's either because Expansys just had what probably was the world's shortest pre-order period, or someone over there entered August 4 as the shipping date by accident.

It turns out that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo has actually become available to order in the UK today. So those of you who are after a decently-specced Android smartphone but don't want to pay an arm and a leg now have a real alternative to HTC's Desire S.

The Xperia Neo is available at three well known online retailers in the UK, with many more to come surely. First off, there's Expansys. As mentioned in the earlier article, they ask £379.99 for the device, with 3-4 day shipping. If you want next day shipping, you'll have to pay an additional £7.19.

There is a cheaper option though. Clove has the Xperia Neo selling for only £342, which just may be the cheapest right now in the UK. So go over there and order yourself one if for some reason you haven't pre-ordered from Expansys.

Alternatively, you can also head to Amazon and get the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, but it's the most expensive retailer of the three, asking no less than £389.99 for the device. Also, at the time of writing this, Amazon's partner who sells the Xperia Neo only has one device left in stock. So if you want to get this smartphone from Amazon, hurry or be prepared to wait for it to come back in stock.
source: Unwired View

Samsung Galaxy S II now just £429.49 at Amazon UK

The Samsung Galaxy S II, even not yet bumped up to 1.4 GHz, is certainly a top of the line device, and one of the handful of smartphones at the moment to come with some absolutely high-end specs. It is also Samsung's flagship device right now, and all of the above may very well have justified its various prices. In the UK, for example, it has just recently gone below the £500 mark.

And while back then it was priced very near £500, today it has gone a lot closer to £400, with Amazon UK offering the Galaxy S II up for just £429.49, free shipping included.

Granted, that still isn't cheap no matter how you choose to define the word, yet it is cheaper than we've ever seen the device at independent third-party retailers. Needless to say, it comes SIM-free and unlocked. So if you haven't yet purchased one, but wanted to do so, perhaps this new price will make you act. If so, just head on over to Amazon and place your order. Since there's no telling if this is a limited time offer or not, you should probably hurry if you really want to get a new Galaxy S II for cheap(er).

The Samsung Galaxy S II has a 4.3-inch 480×800 Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass, a 1.2 GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos processor, an 8 MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash and 1080p HD video recording, a secondary front-facing 2 MP camera, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage space, microSD card slot, 21 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and a 1650 mAh battery.
source: Unwired View

Samsung Galaxy Europa is now just £39.99 at O2 UK on Pay as you go

Speaking of great deals, here's another one. This is for you if you live in the UK and want a cheap Android smartphone on Pay as you go. And you don't mind said device running an ancient version of the operating system, or having O2 as your operator (if you'd rather be involved with T-Mobile, perhaps you should take a look at their dirt cheap Pulse Mini).

If you tick all of the above boxes, then the Samsung Galaxy Europa may be for you. This smartphone, known elsewhere as the Galaxy 5 i5500 is now being offered by O2 UK on Pay as you go for just £39.99. And while this is a low-end device and not a fancy dual-core beast, this is a great deal nonetheless.

So if you want a new smartphone that runs Android but won't break the bank, go to O2 now and order a Samsung Galaxy Europa.

The Samsung Galaxy Europa has a 2.8-inch 240×320 capacitive touchscreen, a 600 MHz processor, a 2 MP camera, 170 MB of internal storage, microSD card support, 3.5 mm headset jack, Bluetooth, 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11n, GPS, and a 1200 mAh battery. The phone runs Android 2.1 with Samsung's TouchWiz UI 3.0.
source: Unwired View

Google's third Nexus will be made by Samsung

Roughly a couple of weeks ago, we told you about the rumored specs of the upcoming third Nexus phone from Google. Now, we have a couple of additions for you from the same source. As always, bare in mind that everything is subject to change without notice in rumor land.

It turns out that the 720p HD screen of the highly anticipated device is branded as Super AMOLED HD. Now this sounds familiar, doesn't it? We can think of only one company which can produce such a display - Samsung. Obviously, this rumor dismisses the talk that the third Nexus device will be LG or HTC made.

The OMAP 4460 processor is also confirmed for the hottest droid of the year. We find this particular speculation difficult to believe - after all Samsung does a wonderful job in manufacturing its own CPUs. All you need to do to confirm this fact, is look at the performance of the Galaxy S2.

The code name of the first Android Ice Cream Sandwich phone is "Prime". Rumor has it that Google Nexus Prime is a likely name for the device.

It is needless to say that we will keep you posted on any further developments surrounding this hot topic. In the meantime, feel free to tell us what you make of the latest rumors in the comments section below.

Source

NTT DoCoMo offers phone-to-phone overseas mobile remittance service

NTT DoCoMo of Japan will be the country's pioneer mobile carrier to offer a convenient mobile service that will enable overseas remittances, and that includes phone-to-phone money transfers all the way to the Philippines. This will be made possible when it rolls out DoCoMo Money Transfer this coming July 7th. All remittances to the Philippines (as to why they picked that particular country, we will explain it in the next paragraph) is possible courtesy of an i-mode-compatible DoCoMo phones to SMART Money, where the latter is a reloadable payment card operated by Smart Communications. All beneficiaries are able to confirm receipt promptly by accessing their SMART Money card through a Smart mobile phone.

In the opposite direction, funds also can be sent from an i-mode phone in Japan to another beneficiary's account at a participating bank or financial institution in Brazil, South Korea or China (apart from the Philippines, of course) – as all four countries comprise of 80% of all foreign residents in Japan. There are plans to introduce this model in other countries, with smartphone users being able to use the service in the near future. All remittances will cost roughly $12.39 after conversion, making it far more affordable compared to a host of other overseas remittance services.
source: Ubergizmo

Microsoft details the new Games Hub for Windows Phone Mango

Still not clear on what your gaming options will be like with Windows Phone Mango? Then Microsoft's now got you covered with a fairly extensive overview of its new Games Hub, which has actually been tweaked a bit further from earlier previews it's offered. One of the biggest changes is that the Hub now includes features previously relegated to the separate Xbox Live Extras app, including improved Xbox Live messaging, integrated achievements (complete with comparison views with your friends), and the ability to edit your Xbox Live profile — not to mention fully animated 3D avatars. The Hub also boasts a new Collection view that promises to let you more easily manage your installed Windows Phone games, and it's literally been brightened up a bit across the board. Check the link below for the full details dude.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nokia's first Windows Phone 7 handset leaked by Nokia itself

Nokia was holding a closed door conference to unveil the N9, and an unknown prototype called the "Sea Ray". Nokia CEO Stephen Elop foolishly asked a crowd of people to “put away their cameras” for the unveiling of something “super confidential". Naturally, a few people ignored the plea for “no pictures please” and, indeed, someone leaked what appears to be a Nokia-produced video of the unveiling to the blogosphere.

Surprise! It's Nokia's first Windows Phone. While it looks nearly identical to the just announced N9, the different LED placement on the back (in line with the same 8 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens) confirms it's a new device as does the additional hardware button (for shutter release, we presume) along the side. And the fact that it's running Windows Phone 7 Mango seals the deal. See a few more shots and the full uncut video (and relevant snippet) after the break.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nokia's First Windows Phone Leaked

During an event, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop asked a crowd to “put away their cameras.” Apparently, he was about to unveil something “super confidential.” As it turns out, it is a Nokia smartphone that runs on Windows Phone 7 Mango that goes by the code name “Sea Ray.” Pinch me, I might be dreaming.

Of course, not everyone is foolish enough to follow Mr. Elop's request. Within hours, leaked photos and videos of the secret phone were released into the blogosphere. The Sea Ray looks just like the just-unveiled Nokia N9, although the LED flash is placed differently on the back plus it has an additional hardware button on the side.

You can check out the full, sneakily-recorded video at the source link.
source: Gadget.com

HTC EVO View 4G Gets Pre-Release Software Update of its Own

The HTC EVO 3D has already received two pre-launch updates, and its tablet partner in crime isn’t getting left behind on this one. Yes, the HTC EVO View 4G is also launching tomorrow, June 24th, and HTC and Sprint have an OS update for the Android slate, as well. With the OTA, the View 4G will be bumped up from Android 2.3.3 to Android 2.3.4, which will enable GTalk video calling. The update will also do away with a few bugs that users should never have to experience provided they download the new software after picking up their View 4G tomorrow. How’s that for timely OS updates?
source: Android Phone

Deal of the Day - HTC Evo 3D Dual-core Android Smartphone for Sprint with Free Activation

Today's LogicBUY deal is for the HTC Evo 3D Android Smartphone for Sprint for $161.99. Features: Dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon cpu, 4.3x540X960 qHD Super LCD 3D display that offers a glasses-free 3D experience, dual 5MP rear cameras to capture in 3D, 1.3MP front camera, 3G/4G connectivity, hotspot capability, 1GB built-in memory that's expandable via microSD card. Runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with HTC Sense UI.

$179.99 - 10% coupon = $161.99 with free activation. (Sprint sells this phone for $199.99 plus an activation fee.)

This deal expires June 27, 2011 or sooner. Check the above link for more details on this deal, and check the LogicBUY home page for other deals.
source: The Gadgeteer

BEST DEALS: Samsung Galaxy Europa for £39.99 on O2 PAYG

The little Galaxy Europa only has a 2.8″ screen running at 240×320 resolution, but it is one of the few super-budget Android phones that features capacitive display technology. Which makes O2′s GIVEAWAY price tag of £39.99 all the more impressive.

In return for your £40, you also get Android 2.1, a 600MHz processor and a 2megapixel camera. Not great, but damn cheap for a workable Android phone.

Spotted by reader Hecatae, who also sent us that Pulse Mini deal yesterday. He must be in the market for something cheap. He also says there's an official Android 2.2 ROM for the Galaxy Europa available over at XDA, if you fancy buying one cheap and doing a bit of OS DIY.
source: Eurodroid

AT&T HTC Status Android Smartphone

AT&T's version of the ChaCha will be known as the HTC Status. In case you didn't know, this Android-powered smartphone comes jam packed with a dedicated Facebook button, allowing users to easily access their social networking account. The HTC Status also features a 2.6-inch (480 x 320) display, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a front-facing VGA camera, an 800MHz processor and the Google Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread OS. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. No word on pricing at this moment. [MobileCrunch]

Gingerbread coming soon for HTC Thunderbolt

If you bought a HTC Thunderbolt phone and were hoping for a Gingerbread update - well you're in luck. The folks over at Droid-Life got their hands on a letter by a HTC representative that was issued to one of their readers, with some interesting tidbits. Not only will the next update fix the rebooting issues (that has plagued the phone for quite awhile now), it will bring the phone's operating system up to speed with Android 2.3 Gingerbread! Hopefully it will solve battery life issues with the phone as well, which is one of our major concerns about the HTC ThunderBolt.

Here's what the HTC letter had to say:

Dear Adam XXXXX,

I understand how important it is for your Thunderbolt to function properly and I apologize that you have been experiencing rebooting of the device. HTC and Verizon are aware of this issue and an update will be released soon that will address the reboot issue, and bring the Gingerbread 2.3 upgrade on board, as well as several other enhancements. Although I don't have an official release date to provide you, this update will be released soon. Please monitor our website for further information as the release date moves closer.

To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Sincerely, Jessica

HTC Want to see what others are saying? Have a question to ask other HTC fans?

Great news indeed. Now let's just sit tight and wait for the update to be released.
source: Ubergizmo

Today's Mobile News in Brief (June 23, 2011)

As reported here on Cell Phones Etc. and across the Web, here's your daily brief on what happened in the world of mobile phones this Thursday, June 23rd 2011.

Telus Makes It Simple To Terminate Contracts, Replace Your Feature Phone

Taking a page from its own playbook, Telus Mobility has extended its Clear and Simple Device Upgrade program to the logical conclusion of contract termination. Now, if a customer chooses to cancel their service, they must pay only a $50 administrative fee and the remaining portion of their phone's subsidy — it could still result in a lot of loonies, but the amount decreases monthly according to a fixed schedule. Similar to Rogers, Telus offers its customers early upgrades by allowing them to pay this unrecovered subsidy and commit to a new contract.

Engadget

Rogers Releases Two Unlimited U.S. Text Message Plans

A couple weeks back Rogers posted a "coming soon" notice on their site regarding a new $10 Unlimited U.S. text message package. Today, this has been released along with a new $50 Unlimited offering. Here are the details: The $10 Unlimited U.S. Roaming Text Messaging Pass gives you Unlimited sent/received texts in States, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The fine print states that this plan "is only valid for 2 days: from 12:00am EST on the purchase date to 11:59pm EST the following day". The $50 U.S. Roaming Text Messaging Pass allows Unlimited sent/received texts but Rogers says it "expires one month after the date of purchase".

MobileSyrup

ThinkGeek Now Selling The FastMac U-Socket, The USB Wallplug

Most gadgets charge off USB nowadays so it only makes sense to have a wall outlet with a couple of outlets. ThinkGeek has you covered with the FastMac U-Socket USB Wallplug. The standard 110 volt socket has two 5.0V 2100mA outlets playing wingman. ThinkGeek has them in stock and shipping for just $24.99

CrunchGear

Google Sites Simplifies iOS And Android Viewing With Automatic Mobile Rendering

The search giant just added automatic mobile rendering to make your website more mobile-friendly when viewed on an iOS 3.0 or Android 2.2+ device. A new setting to “Automatically adjust site for mobile phones” can be activated in the site management page, at which point pages designed for desktop viewing will be displayed in a much simpler web format, so readers won't need to pinch-to-zoom just to see a page's content. Google also added mobile versions of the site list, sites search, and browse sites categories, for easy access from your smartphone.

Engadget

40% Of European Smartphone Buyers Intend To Buy An iPhone Next

Yankee Group is set to release its European Mobile User Study next month and the research firm has just provided a quick glimpse into its early findings. Reportedly, 40% of European smartphone buyers plan to purchase an iPhone as their next device. 19% plan to purchase an Android powered device, 17% have their eye on a BlackBerry, and 15% plan to buy a Nokia smartphone. "These findings highlight the continued strength of Apple in the European smartphone market and, in particular, its phenomenal brand appeal," Yankee Group research vice president, Declan Lonergan, said.

BGR
source: Cell Phones Ca

Gingerbread Update For HTC Thunderbolt

An HTC rep has recently confirmed that the next update for the Thunderbolt will address the reboot issue, and bring the Gingerbread 2.3 upgrade on board, as well as several other enhancements. This update will be released soon. Stay tuned for more updates. [Droid-Life]

OnLive Viewer lets you watch people play games from your Android device

While OnLive plans to bring its game streaming service to the HTC Flyer later this year, the company has decided to release an app to curb your itch for it in the meantime. OnLive Viewer, already available on iOS for quite sometime now, turns your HTC Flyer into a display for you to stream live video feeds of other people playing games using the OnLive service.

OnLive Viewer is part of a firmware update for the HTC Flyer and can't be downloaded from the Android Market but the folks at XDA-developers managed to rip the app and put it online for everyone to enjoy. Now you can use any Android device to watch other people play games since you can't play them yet. As is the case with ripped apps - it isn't officially supported by the company so don't be surprised if it doesn't work on your Android phone or tablet. Head over to XDA-developers to download it.
source: Ubergizmo