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May

[Updated: Q&A] Dan Rosenberg Has Unlocked AT&T Galaxy S4's Bootloader, But We Won't Get To See How For A While - Here Is Why

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in AT&T, Development, Galaxy S4, News, Samsung

It was only yesterday that Cyanogen definitively confirmed AT&T's treacherous move to lock down the Galaxy S4's bootloader, but there is light at the end of that tunnel. No thanks to AT&T but to security researcher extraordinaire and a person I admire Dan Rosenberg, a.k.a. the magician, a.k.a. the root whisperer.

Dan, who is responsible for numerous root and unlock exploits, tweeted this photo of his Galaxy S4 earlier today:

There are no instructions or blog posts explaining the unlock at Dan's blog yet - these should be coming in the future. When, you might ask? This part is not decided just yet, for a good reason (put down your pitchforks).

Nov

Google Publishes Sprint Galaxy Nexus Factory Image For The First Time (Android 4.1.1)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Development, Galaxy Nexus, Google, Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Sprint

After Google's release of "experimental" binaries for Sprint's Galaxy Nexus variant, Jean-Baptiste Queru (Chief Android Release Engineer) confirmed that the binaries represented not full AOSP support, but the "taking down [of] many hurdles that were preventing [AOSP support]," citing bugs in the network stack as one of the issues yet to be addressed.

Less than one month later, it would appear that those issues have been sorted, as Google today published the toroplus' factory image for the first time. The image, for those who are wondering, carries Android 4.1.1 (build FH05).

So what does this mean? For one thing, it means that four months after Verizon's Galaxy Nexus started getting with the program, Sprint's Galaxy Nexus has caught up.

Oct

Sony Confirms 2012 Smartphones Will Receive Jelly Bean In 2013, 2011 Devices Are Stuck On ICS

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Sony

Straight from the horse's mouth is always the best way to hear about updates, even if it's less-than-stellar news. Today, Sony confirmed its schedule for Jelly Bean updates on its line of phones. For starters, the recently-launched Xperia T and Xperia TX will be upgraded "from mid-Q1 2013." This will put the latest and greatest from Sony a solid six months behind Android 4.1's initial launch and, if our guess is correct, at least a few months behind the possible release of Android 4.2.

After that, the rest of Sony's 2012 lineup, including the Xperia S, Xperia acro S, Xperia ion, Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia J will all be upgraded to Jelly Bean sometime next year.

Oct

HTC Promises Jelly Bean For One X And One S To Begin Rolling Out In October

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Jelly Bean 4.1, News, One S (Ville), One X (Endeavor)

Tucked away in HTC's press release about the HTC One X+ and Sense 4+ was one tidbit that should make quite a few people happy:

The Android Jelly Bean with HTC™ Sense 4+ update is scheduled to begin rolling out for the HTC One™ S and HTC One™ X from October.

As most of you probably already know, Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) is the most polished version of Android yet. Coupled with some of the "enhancements" in Sense 4+ - namely, the improved camera software and the Get Started functionality - it should be quite a nice update. With the rollout scheduled to begin "from October," it seems safe to assume it should be out en masse by the end of the year.

Sep

Sony Tablet S Software Update Rolling Out In The US With Goodies From Xperia Tablet S

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in News, Tablet S

Sony's Tablet S (or "S1") was released over a year ago to little hubbub. Still, that's not keeping the increasingly-awesome Sony from shooting a new update out for it with many of the software features of its successor, the Xperia Tablet S. None of them are especially mind-blowing, but they certainly add functionality:

Guest Mode
Redesigned media players
More "Small" (floating) apps
Expanded functionality for the remote control app
New widgets
Social Feed Reader Cloud has been updated to Socialife
Oddly, they suggest people also download Watch Now from the Play store

Otherwise, things stay basically the same. There are no Android updates included (still 4.0.3), nor other changes, from what we can see.

Aug

Rumor Has It Samsung Set To Announce Galaxy S Camera Alongside Note 2 At IFA, Based On Galaxy S III

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in News, Rumors, Samsung

We hear a lot of rumors around here, and it's not always easy to decide which ones to cover. Some we cover just because of how ridiculous they are, but usually we stick to ones we think hold merit. This one, though... well, I just can't decide which category it falls into, but it might be a little of both.

A tipster has told GSMArena that Samsung will announce a Galaxy S III-esque point-and-shoot alongside the Note 2 at IFA next week. Think a Galaxy S III that's just under twice as thick (which, let's be honest, would still be pretty thin for a camera) and packs "a 16MP sensor and 10x zoom, with a pop-out Xenon flash and a curved right side aimed at improving its ergonomics." The chuckle-inducingly bad name will apparently be Samsung Galaxy Camera.

Aug

Jelly Bean (4.1.1) OTA Leaks For T-Mobile's Galaxy SIII (T999)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy S III, Jelly Bean 4.1, Leaks, News, T-Mobile

After catching sight of Jelly Bean for Samsung's Galaxy SIII on video, then seeing a leaked build for the i9300 pop up on XDA, it looks like T-Mobile's variant of Sammy's latest powerhouse has its own leaked Jelly Bean goodness.

Earlier today, XDA user LuffarJoh posted up what seems to be an early (though enticing) OTA file for T-Mobile's Galaxy SIII (aka T999) that will bring your device up to 4.1.1. While it's exciting to get a hold of Jelly Bean for T-Mo's SIII a little it early, the OTA (which carries build JRO03L) is not without its caveats.

Aug

Galaxy SII 4G Coming To Boost Mobile's Lineup Promising "High-End Speed And Performance Without A Contract"

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Boost Mobile, Galaxy S II, News

In a press release on behalf of Boost Mobile and Samsung Mobile today, it was announced that Boost's lineup is soon to be enhanced by the addition of the Galaxy SII 4G. The SII 4G, which initially debuted back in 2011, is just what you'd expect from a Galaxy SII variant: a 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display, dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 8MP camera (with a 2MP front-shooter), and 16GB internal storage. Unlike its older counterpart, however, Boost's SII 4G will be shipping with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

While a bit dated, the SII 4G is still a powerful device, and its addition to Boost Mobile's lineup will be great for Boost customers who want a capable device "without the stress of a contract." From the PR:

“Together with Samsung we continue to launch compelling device options from entry level to 4G-enabled smartphones to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Andre Smith, vice president-Boost Mobile.

Aug

Verizon Galaxy SIII Unlocked Thanks To Leaked Unsecure Bootloader

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Development, Galaxy S III, News, Verizon Wireless

Despite Verizon's best efforts to keep their own variant of the Galaxy SIII locked down, ingenious users haven't been deterred in rooting, flashing custom ROMs, and even bypassing the device's locked bootloader to use custom kernels. The fact remained, however, that VZW's SIII had a locked bootloader which, in general, is a hassle for developers and tweakers hoping to customize the SIII to its fullest potential. It was this fact that made Samsung's promised Developer Edition SIII appealing to many.

Things started to look a little brighter for SIII users on Verizon today though, with the introduction of an unsecure bootloader "leaked by an African-Canadian Sock Monkey," revealed earlier this evening at XDA.

Aug

Apple Claims 2 Million Lost Device Sales, Judge Koh Removes Three Samsung Devices From Trial

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Legal, News, Samsung

Apple's trial against Samsung, which resumed today, has hit another milestone – Apple rested its case against Samsung today after a somewhat shocking testimony from a financial expert who indicated that the Cupertino manufacturer may have lost up to 2 Million device sales (including both iPhones and iPads) because of Samsung's alleged infringement. This testimony came after last week's revelation that Apple asked Samsung for up to $30 per smartphone and $40 per tablet device for patent licensing.

The report, figured by CPA Terry Musika, relied on three main number sets: how much revenue Samsung brought in with the accused products, royalty fees based on infringed patents, and any profits Apple may have lost to Samsung sales.