LG Optimus 2X finally gets the Gingerbread update

We recently reported that LG would be rolling out the Gingerbread update to the LG Optimus 2X and according to reports online it looks like the update has started to arrive. So for those of you living in Europe or you purchased the international/unlocked version of this phone - start looking out for the notification to update on your phone. That's assuming you haven't already flashed a custom ROM for Android 2.3.

There's no word on whether those with subsidized/locked devices will be getting the update, but hey - at least some Optimus 2X owners can enjoy the official update, which is better than nothing. With the Gingerbread update set in place, let's hope that Optimus 2X owners won't have to wait this long for the Ice Cream Sandwich update once it's finally released.

In addition to releasing the Android 2.3 update for the Optimus 2X, LG has also announced the same update for the Optimus 3D and Optimus Black which should get it on the weeks commencing November 21st and 28th respectively. And yes, these dates are for unlocked/Europe versions of the phone.

Nokia 600 cancelled

A few months ago Nokia announced the launch of its “loudest smartphone to date” - the Nokia 600. Well for those of you that were waiting for the entertainment-filled phone with super loud speakers, we've got some bad news for you: Nokia has cancelled the phone. It all started when some people noticed that web pages dedicated to the phone were silently removed from the Nokia servers, and the Nokia developer website didn't have any mention of it. Even videos featuring the phone were removed from the Nokia YouTube channels.

If there wasn't the official announcement previously, it would have appeared as if the phone never existed in the first place. Well, a concerned fan recently asked about the phone on Nokia's Facebook wall and the Finnish mobile giant gave him a reply: “The thing is, after careful consideration, we have decided not to ship the Nokia 600.”

They didn't give any reason to their decision, but it looks like we definitely won't be seeing it anymore. Given Nokia's commitment to Windows Phone now, we wouldn't be surprised if other announced Symbian devices get axed along the way. Farewell Nokia 600, we hardly knew you.

T-Mobile's Nokia Lumia 710 is codenamed Sword

We all know that the Nokia Lumia 710 has already gone through the FCC while supporting T-Mobile's radios, so it is a given that the smartphone will be arriving Stateside via that carrier next January, although T-Mobile decided to keep things under wraps by calling it ‘Sword' as a nickname. I guess this kind of covert operations, so to speak, is not going to help much in this day and age.

The Nokia Lumia 710 is understandably the lesser of the two Windows Phone devices which was recently announced by Nokia at Nokia World 2011, where it will come in a bevy of colors if you happen to switch the back cover, of course, while the front leaves you with but two boring choices – black or white. It seems that T-Mobile's strategy with the Nokia Lumia 710 would be to penetrate the entry-level segment. As for the rest of the system specifications, you might want to read up on our past coverage of the Lumia 710.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Is Rooted

You don’t own one yet, but you can sure as heck root the Samsung Galaxy Nexus when you do. Android wizard Paul O’Brien of MoDaCo fame has put together a “Superbot” program that installs a new boot image the GNex, rooting it upon startup. Doesn’t get much easier than that, but if it still seems difficult, remember: you still have at least two more weeks to work out exactly how you are going to root your Galaxy Nexus, be it through the use of mockups, sketches, simulations, or what have you. It won’t be necessary but it never hurts to be prepared.

Sony Ericsson Xperia arc HD in the works?

If you're wondering about what Sony Ericsson could be up to next, well there's a chance that it's working on a sequel to its current flagship phone - the Xperia arc. According to GSMArena who was tipped off by a reader, there is going to be a Sony Ericsson Xperia arc HD. The phone will feature a 720p HD display, and will support 1080p HD video recording.  The Xperia arc HD is also said to be able to capture full-res photographs while recording video - just like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

The phone is also said to be blazing fast - and judging by the phone's speculated 720p HD display and full HD video recording, we're pretty sure it's going to pack a dual-core processor. It should also be running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. While there's no solid proof of the existence of such a phone, we'll just have to wait and see if it turns out to be real. The Xperia arc HD is expected to be announced at the MWC in Barcelona, February 2012.

HTC Rezound hands-on

As expected, the HTC made the Rezound official at today's event in New York. Also, as expected, this is one multimedia-centric phone we're looking at here, starting with its big and bright 4.3-inch 720p display. Despite its decently large screen size, the phone is surprisingly light and feels nice in the hand. Unlike Motorola and Samsung, however, the company wasn't all that focused on thinness with the Rezound, and the thing rocks a slightly convex back - not unlike the HTC Vivid on AT&T, which has a prominent hump on the back cover. However you slice it, though, it's a great looking phone. The company clearly put some though into the appearance of the device, with its textured back featuring red accents as a reference to the company's partnership with Beats.

Unfortunately, the company wasn't showing off those custom Beats earbuds for our demo, and we had to settle for an over-ear pair - naturally, we rocked a little Dre on the thing. As you'd expect, the sound is extremely bass-heavy. You can thank Beats for that, no doubt. The music continues to play, even as you launch other apps, which can be bit a distracting when you're trying to stream a video using the phone's LTE radio. For the record, that video loaded quite quickly.

The latest version of Sense (3.5) - last seen on the HTC Rhyme - runs smoothly here, thanks to 1.5GHz processor inside. Flipping through apps is breezy, as is launching the camera app the company talked up during today's event. The Rezound is coming at you on Verizon November 14th for $299. Until then, have a gander at our gallery of preview shots

HTC Rezound Preview

“Best in sight and sound” is how HTC is marketing the Rezound. With a beautiful HD screen, Beats audio and a hefty 8-megapixel camera, HTC's going where no other smartphone has gone before – up and beyond what consumers expect. We had a brief hands-on with the Rezound after its announcement and here are our thoughts. Click on for the full preview of HTC's next great Android smartphone.

Specifications 4.3-inch screen (720p HD)

Android 2.3 Gingerbread (HTC Sense, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-ready)

1.5GHz dual-core processor

8-megapixel camera

32GB Storage (16GB flash / 16GB micro SD)

1GB of RAM

Verizon 4G LTE

Design The Rezound takes its design cues from the Droid Incredible 2 – even the inside, which is made of red translucent plastic is breathtaking. I've never had any reason to really look inside of a smartphone, but now I do.

The Rezound's translucent red innards are gorgeous.

Another view of the inside with the 16GB micro SD inside.

As you can see in the shot above, the battery is hot swappable. It's a 1,620 mAh battery in there.

Very nice texturized grip on the back.

Standard Android home buttons here.

The back sports a texturized grip and a very simple Beats logo. It almost feels like a darker Thunderbolt tossed into a blender with an Incredible. You'll also see that it tapers ever so slightly on its butt. It's significantly thicker than the iPhone 4 (nearly twice as thick), but the build quality doesn't feel cheap which makes not feel extra bulky in your front pants pocket.

There's a slight taper there. Can you see it?

The Rezound is thicker than the iPhone 4

Display 4.3-inch 1280x720 display

This is the first smartphone with a 4.3-inch HD 720p display that HTC is releasing. It's on par with the Galaxy Nexus's 1280 x 720 display. It's fantastic. When I checked out the Droid RAZR, I thought its qHD was already a huge notch above the rest of the smartphones out there, but HTC's really hit a home run with the Rezound. Video has really never looked so good on a smartphone.

The entire screen really engulfs everything and is the centerpiece to making the Rezound one of the best mobile devices available.

Performance HTC Sense 3.5

The Rezound is runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with the latest HTC Sense 3.5 skin. It doesn't have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but HTC said the smartphone is shipping as ICS-ready, meaning it'll get it ASAP when Google finalizes it. From our hands-on, we can proudly report that the 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM definitely never lagged. The Rezound is really fast and responsive. Though, to be fair, what dual-core smartphone that isn't a piece of junk isn't these days?

HTC said it was gracious to help kickstart the 4G LTE revolution with its lineup of smartphones such as the Thunderbolt and it follows through to the Rezound. HTC touts being able to download an audio track in four seconds via 4G LTE. We'll have to wait to review the Rezound it before making any judgments on data speed performance.

With 32GB of storage (16GB internal + 16GB micro SD), the Rezound is definitely not lacking.

Camera 8-megapixel with dual LED flash

One of the problems that HTC says its smartphones lag behind is in camera quality. With the Rezound, HTC aims to fix that with an 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 lens that can take great photos in extremely low light. Couple that with the dual LED flashes and pictures should look sharp.

How's the video recording? Keeping up with what's already on the market, the Rezound has 1080p HD video recording.

2-megapixel front facing camera

Neat features like Action Burst, Instant Capture, Panorama, Slow-motion various effects to pictures and video to share the moment as it takes place in real time round out the Rezound's camera. Impressive indeed.

Various photo effects. It's like a built-in Instagram!

See how it's warping in real time? Effects work live for video and photos.

Sound Beats audio earbuds included in the box.

One of the major features that HTC is playing up on the Rezound is it Beats Audio sound. After buying a 51 percent stake in Beats in August, HTC's worked hard to revolutionize mobile audio. By integrating Beats audio into the Rezound, HTC's managed to “figure out the degradation of sound” on the mobile phone.

We gave the Rezound a quick listen and it does sound kind of deeper, but we can't be sure how much of an improvement the audio really is over the pumping speakers at this HTC event. It does also have intelligent acoustic switching, so it automatically optimizes the sound based on what you're doing. Or you can do it manually (see below).

Toggle Beats audio when you want that extra oomph in your music.

Right in the box, you'll aso get a pair of slick looking Beats earbuds that'll allow owners to have quality sound, without the need to run out and drop $200+ for a decent pair.

Conclusion The Rezound drops in the U.S for Verizon on November 14 and will be in Verizon online shops, Verizon retail stores and Best Buy for $299.99 with two-year contract. My overall impression is that the HTC Rezound is a beast. It's fast, it's slick, it's backed by Beats audio, and that display is to die for. This is going to be a fantastic smartphone.

Windows Phone surprise next week

Microsoft has announced on the official Windows Phone blog that it has something special in store for us next Monday. The only hint that was given in the blog post is that it's going to be something fun, and they're going to bring Windows Phone to life in a “big, big, way.” For some reason the idea of a giant Windows Phone bouncing castle just springs to mind but hey, what do I know? Anyway, if you happen to be in New York City, check out Herald Square on Monday (November 7th) at noon to see what the fuss is all about. Be sure to let us know if we haven't reported about it already by then.

Any guesses to what this “big, big” surprise could be?

Rogers' Samsung Galaxy S II LTE Shipments Are In, Expected to Ship Within a Week

Just as Rogers expected, they have gotten their shipments of the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE in this week for use on their network. While they currently have the shipment, you know logistics dictates when they can actually ship devices to consumers and make them available in-store. Fortunately, they say the timeframe of “within a week” hasn’t changed at this point, though anything can happen between now and whenever. At least we know you all won’t have to wait long into the autumn days for it. [via MobileSyrup]

HTC Rezound Is Now Official

HTC and Verizon Wireless have officially announced the HTC Rezound at the HTC event in New York City. Powered by the Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, the smartphone comes jam packed with a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, a fast 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 dual-core processor, a 1GB of RAM, a 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and a 1,620mAh battery. The HTC Rezound features an 8-megapixel rear-facing AutoFocus camera to capture special moments and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. The HTC Rezound is also known as the first smartphone in the US with Beats Audio integration. Other specs include Verizon 4G LTE and 4G hotspot capability for up to 10 devices. The HTC Rezound will be released on November 14th, 2011 for $299.99 with a 2-year contract. Each purchase comes equipped with a 16GB microSD card. [Ubergizmo]

Motorola MotoKey Social

Motorola will launch the Motokey Social in Canada via Telus. What makes this handset special is that it has a dedicated Facebook button and provides basic access to Gmail and Twitter. The MotoKey Social features a 2.4-inch touchscreen display, a full QWERTY keyboard, a 3MP digital camera, WiFi and Motorola's proprietary platform. Stay tuned for more updates. [Engadget]

Sony Ericsson working on Xperia Arc HD with 720p HD display?

Sony recently bought Ericsson's share in Sony Ericsson for $1 billion dollars. What is Sony's next project? The answer to that question could very possibly be the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD.

Specs wise, the Xperia Arc HD is rumored to feature a  4.3-inch HD touchscreen with 1280 x 720p resolution thanks to Sony's Bravia Engine. This device will also likely feature a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and possibly Android Ice Cream Sandwhich, although it is unlikely depending on what time it is released. The coolest feature of the Arc HD is the ability to record 1080p HD videos and take a full HD photo at the same time while recording by tapping the screen.

It's very logical for Sony Ericsson to jump onto the HD bandwagon and get an HD phone out on the market with competitors such as the HTC Rezound and Galaxy Nexus. We will keep you updated on the status of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD.

HTC Sensation XL now available at Three UK, free from �34 per month, �449.99 on PAYG

Just how big is too big? The answer to this question obviously isn't clear cut, as it depends on many factors. What's huge for someone may be tiny for someone else. So if you don't think that HTC's 4.7-inch Sensation XL is simply too big to be usable, here's some good news (especially if you live in the UK). The monster of a smartphone is now available at Three.

The device can be yours for free if you sign a two-year contract that's at least £34 per month. That cheapest option nets you 500 minutes, 5,000 texts, and 1 GB of data each month. For £3 more you can get unlimited data, or you could choose Three's The One Plan. That costs £40 per month, but brings you 5,000 Three-to-Three minutes, 2,000 nationwide minutes, 5,000 texts, and unlimited data.

Or if you'd rather not do any contract signing, then you can get the Sensation XL on Pay as you go for £449.99. It's your choice really. Whatever that turns out to be, head over to Three to place your order.

And before you compare the Sensation XL to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, do remember that the latter doesn't have any touch-sensitive keys below the screen, which, alongside the display's different aspect ratio, makes it narrower than the Sensation XL (though not by much).

Nokia Lumia 800 to hit the UK on November 16

The first Nokia Luma 800 shipments were leaving the factories last week, but it's only now that we learn the actual date of its arrival. The Finns announced that UK residents will get the chance to buy the Lumia 800 on November 16.

Previously, the company set the price of the Lumia 800 at €420, which should translate to about £430 after the UK taxes are added. It may seem pricey, but you shouldn’t forget that this fella comes with free lifetime voice-guided navigation, a gorgeous AMOLED screen and that oh-so-sleek non-colored plastic unibody.

You are welcome to check out Nokia World 2011 live coverage for live photos, camera samples and benchmarks of the Nokia 800 Lumia. After that, feel free to drop us a line in the comments section and say if you consider getting one.

Via

Redesigned Motorola Droid RAZR (MT917) spotted in China

Although Motorola has officially unveiled two versions of its new Droid RAZR smartphone (a CDMA one for Verizon, and a GSM one - simply called RAZR - for non US markets), they both look the same.

However, there's a third version of the handset, which is slightly different design-wise, and has been approved by China's equivalent of the FCC recently.

Called Motorola MT917, the different RAZR has most of the features the original model offers, including the qHD (960 x 540) display, Android Gingerbread, the 8MP rear camera, the ultra-slim body, and Kevlar fiber on the back. But its edges are more rounded, and there's a TD-SCDMA radio inside - which means the MT917 will be released by China Mobile at some point.

Unfortunately, if you like the MT917 better than the original Droid RAZR, you'll probably not be able to get it outside China. But it would be nice if everyone could choose between the two designs, wouldn't it?

Motorola Atrix 2 Easily Rooted with Existing Methods

Proud to call yourself an owner of the Motorola Atrix 2 on AT&T? Though the handset was just released last week, a root method is already in place. The method deployed is based around the procedure developed for the Motorola Droid Bionic and was compiled by user Jimmy273 over at XDA. The original method is credited to p3droid. Instructions as well as a one-click method are available at the XDA link below.

Samsung Illusion Coming to Verizon this Month?

4G is the new 3G, but 3G has not been forgotten. The Samsung Illusion which we last saw floating around Flickr, won’t fool anybody with it’s  mid-range hardware, but  it will provide a decent alternative to the barrage of high-powered smartphones Verizon is offering this holiday season. A leaked rebate sheet reveals the device could be headed to Verizon very soon. How soon? We’d guess it will slip in alongside one of the bigger releases, perhaps paired with the HTC Rezound Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Motorola Droid RAZR

Droid Bionic OTA Update Expected in 30 to 60 Days

Those still awaiting an answer to bugs that have become a nuisance to some Motorola DROID BIONIC owners might have to wait a bit longer. While it looked hopeful that patched software would be coming sooner rather than later, a post from a spokesperson on the Motorola Owners Forums reads slightly less promising. An update is in the works, but it won’t be available for another 30 to 60 days. That pushes the date as far back as January of next year, a timeframe that most would have thought timely for an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, not a simple bug patcher.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Will Bring Smoother UI Experience – GPU Accleration Turned On By Default

A couple of Android engineers, the Romain Guy and Chet Haase made an interesting post today on Android Developers. As if I needed another reason to drool over Android 4.0, turns out that for the first time ever — Ice Cream Sandwich will turn on hardware acceleration by default. This is the same hardware acceleration found in Android 3.2 for tablets but in that version, it required a developer had to enable GPU acceleration with a simple line of code.

So, what does this mean for the regular ‘ol end-user like you and me? Well, this will translate into an all around smoother and faster UI. Things like menu’s, scrolling and various animations should be more fluid and responsive in all apps regardless of whether a developer enables GPU acceleration or not. It’s one small step for man but a huge leap for Android.

If there’s one thing that’s always irked me about the Android UI, it’s the fact that in most cases, it’s choppy. Having a smooth and responsive UI is actually one of the (very) few things I envy about iOS or WP7. Just add this to the ever growing list of reasons why I absolutely cannot wait for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Hardware acceleration? Check! V’room v’room!

Motorola Droid RAZR (MT917) For China

The new version of Motorola Droid RAZR has been unveiled in China. Dubbed as the Motorola MT917, the smartphone comes jam packed with a qHD (960 x 540) display, the Google Android Gingerbread OS, an 8MP rear-facing camera, a built-in TD-SCDMA radio and a Kevlar fiber back case. China Mobile will release the Motorola MT917 later this month.

LG DoublePlay Should Be Available in T-Mobile Stores Today`

If you were waiting to see an in-store demo of this phone yourself, the LG DoublePlay is expected to land in T-Mobile’s magenta-laced stores today. It’s a dual display device which sees its secondary display sitting between keys on the slideout QWERTY keyboard.

The display is advertised to be used for keeping in touch with your social life while being able to do other things on the main display. We also imagine you will be able to launch applications from the display. If you prefer to get it online, it has been available for $100 at T-Mobile.com.

Android Browser leapfrogs Opera Mini, but Safari increases its lead

Web browser warriors have some more statistical firepower to play with, now that Net Applications has released the latest usage figures for mobile browsers. Google's vaguely titled Browser has inched up from a 16.3 percent share last month to 18.7 percent, counterbalanced by Opera Mini, which declined from just under 19 percent to 13.1 percent. Similarly, both Symbian and BlackBerry's mobile browsers dropped a few percentage points, down to 2.6 and 2.4 percent respectively. While rumors of a mobile-friendly version of Chrome continue to bounce around, there remains a substantial gap between second-place Android and the current mobile browser boss, Apple's Safari, which has now extended its dominance from 55.6 percent to 62.2 percent. The battle of the browsers wages on.

HTC Sensation XL launched by Vodafone UK

Only one day after it was introduced by Three in the UK, the HTC Sensation XL is now available at Vodafone, too.

Vodafone is offering the Sensation XL for free on contract with plans starting at £41 per month (that's an offer not as generous as Three's, which lets you get the handset for free for just £34 per month).

Anyway, Vodafone lets customers choose between five different plans – they can be checked out here at the network's official website.

Telus HTC Amaze 4G to be launched on November 4, priced from $99.99

The HTC Amaze 4G has been leaked many times on its way to T-Mobile in the USA, and in September we've first heard that it was also headed to Telus in Canada. And last month the carrier even confirmed that it would be selling this superphone at some point.

Speaking of which, we may now know when that will happen. According to a leaked shot of an internal Telus system obtained by MobileSyrup (and which you can see below), the HTC Amaze 4G will be released on November 4. Yes, that's in just a couple of days.

So if you're wondering if you'll be able to afford it, here's the full pricing information. The Amaze 4G will cost $99.99 with a three-year contract, $499.99 on two-year, $549.99 with a one-year service agreement, and $599.99 without any contract whatsoever.

Vodafone UK Releases HTC Sensation XL

HTC's latest Android smartphone ‘Sensation XL' is now available for purchase in the UK via Vodafone. The handset can be yours for free on contract with plans starting at 41 GBP (about $65) per month. To refresh your memory, the Sensation XL packs a 4.7-inch 480 x 800 Super LCD touchscreen display, a 1.5GHz single-core processor, a 768MB RAM, a 16GB of storage, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, an 8.0MP rear-facing camera with 720p HD video recording, GPS, HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 1600mAh battery and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. [Product Page]

HTC Radar on sale for $49.99 at Wirefly

The HTC Radar hast actually been available since Monday on T-Mobile's website for $99 on a new two year contract., but today was the day that the device became available in retails stores nationwide. If you are looking for a better deal, Wirefly is offering the device for $49.99.

Specs wise, the HTC Radar spots a 3.8-inch Super LCD touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution, Windows Phone Mango, a 5 megapixel camera, a .3 megapixel front-facing camera, 512 MB of RAM, and a 1 GHz single core processor.

You wil also be getting free Standard shipping via FedEx as well as 2GB of Wirefly's Mobile Backup Service for free when you purchase the device. If you are interested in the Radar with no contract commitment, it will cost you $439.99. If you happen to be looking for a good deal on a new Mango phone, go ahead and take advantage of Wirefly's deal.

LG Optimus 3D Gingerbread Update Brings Improved Data Speeds and Video Recording

The LG Optimus 3D is all set to receive it’s Gingerbread update with open arms but rather than wait, some ballsy XDA users have begun flashing a leaked official build for the device. While not quite ready for primetime, the leaked 2.3.5 build does clue us in on what we can expect once the official OTA begins rolling out for the Optimus 3D.

According to the leak, the update will bring improved HSPA+ speeds bumping up download speeds to 21Mbps down. Also improved are video recording adding video stabilization and better video quality. The gallery app has also been improved with faster loading and a new video editor has also made it into the update as well.

All in all, I’d say Optimus 3D users have a lot to look forward to once the official update begins making the rounds come November 21st. So, LG… where’s that Thrill update?

More Samsung Galaxy Nexus Accessories Make Their Way Online – Retailer Now Taking Pre-Orders

Have you come down with the Galaxy Nexus fever? If waiting for the device has you antsy, you may want to take a more proactive approach and begin pre-ordering the device’s many accessories. We’ve already seen Samsung’s plans for dock in their announcement video but apparently they have quite a few more “Genuine Samsung Accessories” planned for the device.

If this online retailer is to be trusted — and I’m not saying they aren’t — all the official OEM accessories can be pre-ordered ahead of the SGN launch. No pics are available just yet but you can follow each of the links to the appropriate accessory down below.

Vehicle Mount ECS-K1F8BEG: Retail: $40, Discounted price: $35

Multimedia Dock Samsung EDD-H1F8BEG: Retail: $70, Discounted price: $50

Battery Charging Stand w/1750 mAh Battery and Travel Charger: Retail $40, Discounted price: $33.96

Standard Li-Ion Battery, 1750 mAh EB-L1F2HBYB: Retail $40, Discounted price: $25.20

Case Mate ‘Barely There’ Case, Glossy White CM017192: Retail $25, Discounted price: $15.09

Two Piece Soft Touch Snap-On Case, Electric Blue 378846: Retail $20, Discounted price: $8.16

These accessories are all listed as being compatible with the Verizon version of the device (i515) and most are scheduled to ship on November 21st (almost a week after the UK release of the device). If you’re feeling wary, feel free to bookmark this page and come back a little later once things become a bit more “official.” Anyone going to jump on these?