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HTC Publishes Official, Detailed List Of Phones To Get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Updates
HTC Publishes Official, Detailed List Of Phones To Get Android 4.0
The title should make this one obvious. HTC has published a brand-new list of its devices to get Android 4.0, but the difference between this one and previous lists is the level of detail. Most phones have a target OTA deployment range of 2 months, significantly more precise than the typical "quarterly" guestimates we see manufacturers publish generally. Here's the list:
HTC, keeping up with its recent pattern of speedy source release, has dropped official ICS kernel source code for a heaping handful of devices, perhaps most notably the One V, a member of HTC's new One line which hasn't yet debuted in many countries.
Koushik Dutta, the mastermind behind ClockworkMod recoveries and other goodies, has been hard at work today after releasing the initial beta versions of the new Touch iteration of CWM for the Nexuses. "What was he doing?" you may ask. Adding support for more devices, one by one. They are, as of this moment:
Those following HTC's efforts to liberate bootloaders everywhere have a bit more to talk about tonight, as the Taiwanese manufacturer added support for a handful of devices.
Skysoft... errr, I mean Skype updated its previously measly Android device support from 5 devices to more than 20 today with the introduction of version 2.1 of its Android app. There are no new features outside of expanded device support, which was badly needed in order for the app to climb out of the sea of 1-star reviews (although stability and quality improvements would have made today's release even sweeter).
The newest version of Sense UI has been somewhat of a hot topic among HTC owners, as HTC itself said that certain aspects of it has been reserved for newer devices only. Naturally, the dev community over at XDA was not about to stand for that, and shortly after the Sensation ROM leak, got to work on spreading the Sense 3.0 love.
A couple of months ago, we told you that the HTC Desire HD and Incredible S would be getting an OTA update to Gingerbread, but we didn't know exactly when this would happen. It looks like the wait is over though, because HTC has started rolling out the official OTA update to European users. Unfortunately, there is no official word when the Desire Z will see an update, but we're still expecting it sometime close to the end of the second quarter.
Let's go back in time for a moment, shall we? Think with me, if you will, back to when we first told you about the Sensation ROM leak. Do you remember? Ah, the nostalgia. It seems like it was only yesterday that we were trying to get the download mirror set up so all the devs could get to work on porting this ROM to other devices and... Oh, yes. It was just yesterday.
CyanogenMod 7 has earned its reputation as the most reliable Gingerbread ROM, even though it hasn't yet entered stable mode. And tonight, the fun goes on - RC4 RC3.14159265358979323846264338327, as the CM team so lovingly refers to it, has just been launched for all supported CM devices.
That's right folks - CyanogenMod7 RC3 is up for grabs, and we'll be posting the devices it's available for as they come in. Here's the links we have so far:
Well, it's finally here - after almost as many rumored (and subsequently unmet) release dates as the Notion Ink Adam, the HTC ThunderBolt has finally gone on sale. But with a sky-high $250 price tag and essentially the same hardware as the rapidly aging Desire HD, can it still impress?
If you are into custom ROMs at all, it's likely you have heard of MIUI. While its "fruity" UI is a deal-breaker for some, if you use any third-party launcher (LauncherPro, ADW, etc.), you'll find a well-built and speedy alternative to the standard list of ROMs (and you don't have to look at rounded squares all day).
SlashGear has confirmed with HTC today that the Desire HD, Desire Z, and Incredible S (along with the standard Desire) will be receiving the bump to Gingerbread some time in the second quarter of this year. But, there's a potential caveat: US phones might not be included.
People want to own their phones. Try as they might to frustrate their customers, networks and manufacturers are fighting a losing battle against the hacking community. The latest victory is an enormous one: the HTC Vision, better known as the T-Mobile G2 and Desire Z has finally been defeated. That pesky eMMC chip locking up the /system of the G2 has been circumvented, and full, glorious, permanent root has been attained:
It's not HTC's first 4.3-inch monster of a phone, but according to these early reviews, the Desire HD might just be the best. It would be really hard to say no to its sexy aluminum casing, stunning 8MP camera, and next-generation Snapdragon processor, not to mention all the advantages not immediately visible from its spec sheet. Let's take a look at what reviewers have had to say so far:
While the UK has had the Desire HD since early last week, the EVO look-a-like model and its sibling are only starting to trickle into Irish stores. Currently Vodafone appears to be the only carrier offering one of the new Desires, with the Desire HD available on pre-pay for €479 or €229 on an 18 month €35 contract. However, many Irish Android users appear to be holding out for their network of choice, Meteor, to announce the Desire HD and to a lesser extent the Desire Z.
You may envy those who have their hands on a Desire HD already, but early-adoption is rose-like with its obligatory thorns attached. Many owners on XDA-Developers are reporting issues with their phone's screen when making and receiving calls. Outbound calls appear to deactivate the screen permanently and render the phone entirely unresponsive, save for a battery-pull and fresh boot. Receipt of calls conversely keeps the screen on and active, even when pressed against your ear.
One lucky Dutch guy (xda member Clock1932) has swept aside any considerations of failed Google "Type Approval" testing and has gotten his paws on what many are calling "the EVO for Europe." Not so fast: while it may lack a kickstand, a 4G radio, and a front facing camera, its new Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8255 CPU appears to be quite a step up when it comes to benchmarks. Preliminary tests show a result of about 1900, compared to about 1200 on an EVO 4G running Froyo.
