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Sometime in the last few years, "plastic" became a dirty word in smartphones. The reasons for this — like evoking the kind of cheap and unpleasant designs that defined early Android phones — are probably less important the outcomes. A whole class of materials were re-branded as low-rent, and today even many relatively affordable phones have made the switch to fully aluminum or metal-and-glass sandwiches for the superficially premium look they impart.
The (presumably) final preview release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow made its grand entrance last week, followed by the usual code drop to the Android Open Source Project on Friday. The changelogs have been generated, and we've got them available for the close examination they deserve.
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It seems like the only thing anybody can talk about is Android M, but we should remember that we've got about 4 more months with Lollipop v5.1.1 as the current version until Mango Mojito (probably not) is officially released in October. This is no more apparent than when an update appears on AOSP and brings with it thousands of changes. In fact, this update is large enough it probably deserved more than a barely noticeable revision bump.
The Android M Developer Preview was released just yesterday and we're all very closely examining the changes. While there's still quite a bit to dig through, it looks like Google is getting some of the source code up right away. Before anybody gets too excited, it's likely that this code dump occurred to ensure GPL compliance. However, there are quite a few projects in the changelog that wouldn't normally require updates due to licensing, so there may be quite a bit more going live on this release.
Releasing the L preview was an important leap forward for Android as an ecosystem, but, outside of a single almost meaningless update, we're probably not going to see any new builds up until the final L release. I can sort of see why the Android team doesn't want to put out builds with incremental fixes, saving all the improvements for a grand finale unveiling, so in the meantime, any glimpse at their progress is very interesting to us as well as developers working on porting their apps to adhere to the new Material Design guidelines.
With most versions of Android, we're not used to seeing a changelog until a few hours after the AOSP code has been fully uploaded and somebody has had time to generate a comprehensive list. Imagine our surprise when such a list for KitKat 4.4.3 was discovered simply lying around on Google's servers. The file, named KK-MR2_changelist.txt, is located amidst Android's platform documentation. This is something of a first, since we'll actually learn about what's to come before the code is even available.
ASUS Starts 4.2.1 Rollout To MeMO Pad Smart 10 With Build V10.6.1.15, Posts US Download Link
Over the past few days, ASUS has begun rolling out a treat to MeMO Pad Smart 10 owners, distributing Android 4.2.1 in an update to build number V10.6.1.15.
Over the past few days, ASUS has begun rolling out a treat to MeMO Pad Smart 10 owners, distributing Android 4.2.1 in an update to build number V10.6.1.15. The update, which rings in at about 500MB, brings the MeMO to 4.2.1 from 4.1, delivering on ASUS' "Q2 2013" promises noted in our review.
Google Pushes New Android 4.2.2 Code To AOSP (JDQ39E, 4.2.2_r1.2) - Here Is The Developer Changelog
Earlier today, Google started pushing some new open source code to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) marked with 2 new tags: android-4.2.2_r1.1 and android-4.2.2_r1.2.
Earlier today, Google started pushing some new open source code to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) marked with 2 new tags: android-4.2.2_r1.1 and android-4.2.2_r1.2. The build number corresponding to the 4.2.2_r1.2 release is JDQ39E.
The Xperia E, Sony's low-end Jelly Bean-powered smartphone which was announced back in December may have another trick up its sleeve yet. The manufacturer is offering owners of the device the chance to test out Mozilla's fledgling Firefox OS on the device via a downloadable ROM. Meant for "advanced developers," the ROM comes with a few warnings from Sony, chiefly that you should know what you're doing before you get started.
Earlier this week, we got wind of a new OTA build JOP40G possibly hitting the Nexus 4 soon. I thought this update would finally be the elusive Android 4.2.2 that we've been hearing about, but it looks like that's not the case.
Less than a month after its last firmware update (to build 10.4.9.6), ASUS' Padfone 2 is getting another incremental bump. The Padfone 2, which we know as the turducken of the mobile world, already got Jelly Bean 4.1.1 in December, so updates hence have naturally focused on the usual performance, stability, and other enhancements. Today's update to build 10.4.11.13 brings, among other things, new camera firmware, improved navigation, and a handful of optimizations. Here's the full change log.
After more than a month of unofficial CyanogenMod builds, the HTC Holiday (also known as the Vivid, Raider, or Velocity) has joined the ranks of devices with official CM support, receiving its first weekly CM10 build earlier today. It's not yet clear when or if the Holiday's build cycle will transition to a nightly schedule.
There aren't many things in this world that can be as purely amazing as LEGO. The only people who aren't fans of the world's best creativity toy are people who (mistakenly!) think the company has sold out and encourages kids to follow pre-made instructions instead of building something new. To that I say: Mindstorms EV3. With Android compatibility out of the box. Your argument is invalid.
In a post to Google+ today, it was announced that Cricket's Samsung Galaxy SIII (otherwise known as d2cri) had received its first official CM 10.1 nightly, meaning Cricket-connected SIII users can enjoy the Android 4.2-based ROM with all the tweaks and features CyanogenMod fans have come to expect. Those who have followed the Cricket GSIII's progress toward an official nightly build will also be happy to learn that the device's camera woes have reportedly been solved.
For many users, if an official firmware update for their device isn't available, a leaked ROM will do just as well. Owners of Samsung's International Galaxy SII (I9100) willing to run leaked firmware will be happy to know that today, XDA user izap has provided Jelly Bean 4.1.2 (build JZO54K.I9100XXLSJ) firmware for all to enjoy.
After numerous nightly and monthly builds, CyanogenMod 10 is finally ready for its stable release. The custom ROM is already available to download for the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE, LG Optimus Black, and the Samsung Galaxy S III (both Verizon and Sprint models).
Viva Media has just launched its award-winning Crazy Machines Golden Gears to the Play Store (with expected Tegra Zone availability), looking to bring the Rube Goldberg-inspired dreams of a mad scientist to your mobile device while challenging players to use boards, boxing gloves, laser beams, and dynamite to achieve various goals in each level.