European Motorola RAZR maintenance update rolling out now

European Motorola RAZR owners should be waking up to an update this morning to software version 651.73.30, bringing with it some useful bugfixes along with a couple of new features. Here's whats new:

• New Evernote™ application
• Camera- General improvements to camera performance
• New Smart Rule Trigger;'Motion Detection'
• Security features -Added new security features in the Google™ Android™ release
• Phone stability -Improvements on call performance and Bluetooth® connectivity
• Localisation improvements
• Wi-Fi performance and stability General improvements to Wi-Fi connectivity

You can get the update by hitting Settings>About Phone>System Updates
Source: Motorola

Best Buy outs the unannounced Motorola Droid 4 on its Reward Zone site

Best Buy's stellar track record with Android images continues, with the Motorola Droid 4 making an appearance on the Best Buy Mobile Solutions Reward Zone section. That'd be the still-unannounced (and, hell, not even guaranteed to be released) Motorola Droid 4. That'd be the Droid 4 that looks like a Droid RAZR with a keyboard. Whoops.

We still don't know when Verizon's going to announce the Droid 4. One possibilty would be at CES in a couple weeks, which would make since because by all accounts the thing's ready to go, and Verizon and Motorola are known for making a splash in Vegas.
 Source: Best Buy Reward Zone (pic)

Sony Ericsson reminds us its sync service is shutting down, use Google's instead

Sony Ericsson today is sending out e-mails reminding folks (or chaps, since the e-mail we received was sent to our UK operation) that it's shutting down its Sony Ericcson Sync service on Dec. 29. The good news, of course, is that you can (and really should) sync all the same stuff with your Google account, including your contacts and calendars, along with, well, every thing else Android does extremely well.

So, you've got a couple days left to get it down. SE's worked up some instructions to ease the transition. Give 'em a look.

Source: Sony Ericsson

Carphone Warehouse offering up Nexus S for £199.95

The UK sale wagon continues to roll, with the Samsung Nexus S being offered up by Carphone Warehouse for a few pence under £200 SIM free. 

If you're anxious to get some pure Ice Cream Sandwich goodness but can't stretch to a Galaxy Nexus, at this price point the Nexus S is a bonafide bargain. Hit the source link for more information.

Source: Carphone Warehouse

What Android gifts did you receive this year?

The gift-giving season is winding down to a close, and we're all enjoying the time with our loved ones, warm holiday comfort foods, and maybe some cool Android goodies.  Did you get a new Android phone?  Or a tablet?  Maybe you got a Google TV unit of some sort or another, or your stocking was full of accessories.  Sound off and share with us (we're like your extended Android family) to let everyone know what great stuff you got this year.

Dell Streak 7 for £100 right now for UK buyers

The Dell Streak 7 may never have been the most popular tablet ever released, and it may also be discontinued officially. That doesn't stop British retailer Currys shipping them right now for an online only price of £99.97

The listing still shows the Streak as shipping with Froyo, but Dell began rolling out Honeycomb for the device a couple of months back. At the £100 price point we're in impulse buy territory, so if you want one hit the source link below. They might not be about for long. 

Source: Currys UK

Want Face Unlock on your Nexus S? We've got it

Because of the Samsung Nexus S' VGA front camera, face unlock was left out of the official and AOSP builds of last year's reference phone.  You know where this is going -- the files have been yanked out of the Galaxy Nexus and face unlock is working in all it's gimmicky goodness.  It's even working with a beard and glasses.
It goes along great with a pair of AOSP builds and a few tweaks for the Nexus S twins, which are available as well.  This is why we love Android, open-source, and Nexus phones.  Ice Cream Sandwich is running better than most expected on year-old hardware, and we're having a blast playing with things.  We have the phones, we have the code, let's tear the roof off this mother.
Be sure to grab the right version for the right phone below.

Sprint only: AOSP 4.0.3 for the Nexus S 4G
AOSP 4.0.3 for the GSM Nexus S

HTC Flyer's price dropped to £199, sale season starts early

Really wanted a tablet for Christmas but the high prices put you off? Well Dixons online in the UK could well have come to the rescue by dropping the price of the HTC Flyer to £199 for the wifi only version. 

While shipping with Gingerbread, it's important to remember before dismissing the idea that the wifi version of the Flyer will be getting a Honeycomb update like it's 3G brother. That's quite a lot of tablet for £199. Hit the source link below for more info. 

Source: Dixons

Samsung's Korean blog explains why the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab didn't make the ICS cut

And so begins the long list of Android devices that won't officially be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Samsung's "Samsung Tomorrow" blog, in Korean, has explained why two of 2010's top devices, the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab, won't be getting official updates to ICS. The short version: older hardware and a slew of customizations, including Samsung's own TouchWiz.

This shouldn't come as a surprise, folks, seeing as how Samsung just announced its initial round of ICS updates, and neither the Galaxy S nor the Galaxy Tab were on it. And neither device made our list of ICS update predictions, either. It sucks, but not every phone will receive and official update.

Your best bet will be the custom ROM route, and we guarantee you, you will see them.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow (translated)

US Cellular gets the Huawei Ascend II, free after rebate

US Cellular today announced it's carrying the Huawei Ascend II. The phone's decidedly mid-level, but the price is right -- free after $100 mail-in rebate.
Full specs include:

3.5-inch display at HVGA resolution

Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Qualcomm MSM 7627 processor at 600 MHz

5MP camera

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

2GB microSD

1400 mAh battery

Weight: 4.8 ounces

More: US Cellular

You'll shoot your eye out! (For only 99 cents)

Google's got a bunch a bunch of movies on sale right now in the Android Market for just 99 cents. But do you really need to go past "A Christmas Story?" It's got mystery. It's got intrigue. It's got a kid who gets his tongue stuck to a lightpost. And it's just 99 cents on your Android smartphone or tablet Sold.

More 99 cent movies in the Android Market

C Spire gets the Motorola Milestone X2

C Spire Wireless, the former Ceullar South that you're seeing in a smattering of TV commericials now, just announced availabilty of the Motorola Milestone X2. That's the same as the Motorola Droid X2 on Verizon that we reviewed back in the summer. Same 4.3-inch display, same 1GHz dual-core processor, same 8MP camera, no Droid branding. It's running Android 2.3 and has Swype on baord. C Spire's offering it up for $99 (after $50 rebate) on two-year contract.

Source: Press release; more: C Spire

Sony Ericsson says Ice Cream Sandwich updates start in late March/early April

Sony Ericsson already told us which of its phones will be the first to get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Today it's giving us a time frame.
Toward the end of March or early April, the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia Ray will be the first to get Ice Cream Sandwich. The Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini and Mini Pro, Xperia Active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will start getting updates in late April/early May.
That's still some months away, of course, but kudos to Sony Ericsson for being so transparent about the process.

Source: Sony Ericsson

Archos announces the 70b Internet tablet, Honeycomb priced under $200

Archos has been around for quite a while, but they are looking to break into the Android tablet market in a big way with their 70b Internet Tablet, which features Honeycomb and checks in at $199.  We don't have all the details when it comes to specs, but what we know puts this one squarely at odds with the likes of the Kindle Fire or HTC Flyer:

• 1.2GHz CPU
• 512MB RAM
• HDMI out
• 1024x600 capacitive screen
• Starting at 8GB internal storage
• Micro SD Card slot
• Android Market and Google Apps

Starting at $199 and coming in January 2012, it's certainly worth a look, which we'll be doing come CES -- which is right around the corner.  Hit the break for the full press release.
Availability & Price
The ARCHOS 70b internet tablet will be available in stores  starting in January with the
recommended retail price of $199.
www.archos.com.

Droid RAZR about to get bugfix update, including data and camera

Some good news for those of you suffering with that little slice of sexy otherwise known as the Motorola Droid RAZR: An update's on the way (and we're told that a soak test has already begun) that's going to squash a few bugs, including that blasted SIM card error, and to improve the camera. Here's the list:

• SIM error notification has been fixed
• Improved camera features and quality
• Improved stability of menu access, browser, phone dialer, video playback and music player to prevent force-close errors and lockups
• Updated group message notification in e-mail
• Improvement in 3G/4G data connectivity
• Maintain network connection upon completion of a voiec call
• Background color has been adjusted to improve readability in Lapdock connection UI menu items.

Good stuff. Look for the update to drop any time now.

Source: Verizon (pdf)

Android 4.0.3 OTA for T-Mobile Nexus S ported to Nexus S 4G

Samsung Nexus S 4G hacker Beezy has done it again, this time porting the Android 4.0.3 OTA update for T-Mobile phones to the Sprint 4G version.  There's no Wimax of course, but for the most part everything is working well -- including GPU rendering that we all have been wanting.  Hopefully the real OTA for the Nexus S 4G is coming soon, and we can't wait to see what the fellas can do with it when it comes out, but for now you can enjoy the very latest version of Android as it should be on your phone with this ClockworkMod flashable version.From:ICS Dooderbutt 4.0.3-v1

Available from Verizon Dec. 15 ... the white Motorola Droid RAZR!

See what we did there?

Yes, folks, the white Motorola Droid RAZR will be available from Verizon on Dec. 15 for $299 on contract. Or, you can get it for $199 if you pony up for a Droid XYBOARD for another several hundred dollars -- and yet another two-year contract.

Source: Verizon

Sprint Epic 4G Touch gets unofficial CyanogenMod 7.2 port

It's not anything official, but enterprising Android developer bubby323 has ported CyanogenMod 7.2 to the Sprint Epic 4G Touch.  Yes, 7.2 is Gingerbread and not the Ice Cream Sandwich everyone wants, but CM9 (the ICS-based build number) isn't quite ready for any unsupported devices. We'll manage with Gingerbread for a while longer.
Using device files from the TeamHacksung Github, bubby and friends have got a semi-complete ROM built and running, and while probably not ready for a daily driver, it's more than complete enough for anyone who wants to test an AOSP-like experience on this hardware.  Notable missing functions include 911 calling (let's hope it isn't an issue similar to the Vibrant), Wimax data, SMS and MMS from the native messaging client, GPS and external SD card mounting.  Early reports seem positive, and users certainly love the freedom from TouchWiz.  The folks are hard at work fixing the bugs and getting all the features up and running, if you're rooted and up to helping test be sure to hit the sourcelink and have a look.
Source: XDA-Developers.

Motorola Droid Bionic major maintenance update rolling out

Judging from the excitement in our inbox and in the Droid Bionic forums, it looks like that major maintenance update is rolling out. Here's what you get, and it's a pretty long list:

E-mail, messaging and data

• Improved stability of data on 3G and 4G
• Fixed lockup that could occur while browing during the handoff from Wifi to 4G
• "Data roaming" pop-up message will display once when roaming in CDMA internationally
• Jump to the most recent message after changing the device orientation while in message list view

Device features

• Mobile hotspot now supports up to eight devices
• Black screen of death fixed
• Improved stability to avoid power cycles
• Fix lock up and power cycles when connected to Bluetooth headset or HDMI cable
• Improved cold SIM card activation speed
• "Low memory" warnings when using the Laptop have been reduced
• Improved camera autofocus for better shutter response time and better imagery
• Location privacy message will display when using location based service setup
• Fixed issue where device would power back up after being powered down

Lapdock

• Improved stability
• Display will not turn off after use
• Calling screen will no longer be recreated
• Reduced frequence fo the "Low memory" warning messages

You can check for the update now by going to Menu>Settings>About Phone>System Update.
Source: Verizon

Toshiba Thrive 7-Inch tablet now available in Canada

Back in September when it was intially announced Toshiba had stated an expected release date of December for the Toshia Thrive 7-Inch and they've managed to stick to that -- at least in Canada.
The Android 3.2 powered 7-Inch tablet brings a 1280x800 resolution with Toshiba's Adaptive Display and Resolution+ video enhancements, stereo speakers, a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera, in either 16 or 32-gigabytes sizes with a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual processor. Plus, you get plenty of ports to make use of such as a miniUSB, microHDMI and a microSD card slot.
When it comes to price, you're not totally breaking the bank here. You'll be able to pick one up right now from Future Shop for only $370 -- that's not bad, all things considered.

Source: Futureshop

NOOK Color to receive OTA update this week, includes Netflix support

Barnes & Noble has announced that they will roll out a software update for the NOOK Color that includes Netflix support. The update will be software version 1.4.1 and will include:

• Netflix support, as mentioned above
• Comic and graphic novels
• New PagePerfect NOOK books
• The ability to read books in portrait or landscape mode

The update will be an OTA that will roll out beginning today. It will automatically download to your NOOK once you're on Wi-Fi and the device is idle. If you absolutely have to have the update right now, here is the link to the manual update.

Source: Barnes & Noble; More: Nook Color forums

Do not buy this Verizon Galaxy Nexus for $1,200

We've seen a lot of crazy things when it comes to the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus. We've seen them pop up and mysteriously disappear from Cragislist, gone without a trace. And now one's made it to eBay for the high, high price of $1,200. It goes without saying, but that's just ridiculous. That's a good $500 or so over what you'd pay for an unlocked GSM Galaxy Nexus. And as much as we love LTE, it's not worth paying that much more to have it a week or so -- assuming it's indeed launched next week.

Anyhoo, $1,200's just ridiculous. Save your money. Save your soul.

Source: eBay;

Sense 3.0 updates rolling out for HTC Desire HD, Incredible S

Looks like HTC is going on something of an updating spree. According to reports from multiple HTC users, the Desire HD and Incredible S have both received updates to Android 2.3.5 and HTC Sense 3.0, bringing their software in line with more recent phones like the Sensation and EVO 3D. In addition, the Wildfire S has apparently received an update of its own, and while it's still on Sense 2.1, its Android version has been bumped up to 2.3.5, and it's now sporting the fancy Sense 3.0 lockscreen that we've enjoyed on high-end HTC devices for some time.
Source: XDA (1, 2, 3)

T-Mobile G2X Gingerbread update available again - maybe the third time's the charm

T-Mobile and LG have announced that the Gingerbread update for the T-Mobile G2X is once again rolling out, after a couple of failed attempts.  At first you had to use the LG desktop software to install it, then we saw a limited OTA which was halted, and now we see another OTA.  Hopefully, all the issues are ironed out and all of us who bought one of these can enjoy a more current OS.  If you're impatient and don;t want to wait for the OTA, you can manually apply the update via the LG updater tool -- hit the links below for more info.As one of the best built Android phones ever, with the great Tegra 2 game heavy chipset, we're happy to see it with almost current software.
Source: T-Mobile

T-Mobile confirms Galaxy S II arriving in white Dec. 14

The last we heard about the white Samsung Galaxy S II on T-Mobile was when they confirmed it would indeed be arriving in time for the holidays. At the time, they weren't exactly willing to elaborate on it any further but T-Mobile has now set a date officially. December 14th is when you can get you Samsung Galaxy S II in white on T-Mobile for as low as $230 with a new 2-year agreement -- just in time for the holidays.

                                                                                            Source: @TMobile; More info: T-Mobile

Sprint Epic Touch 4G OTA update rolling out now

Late last month we caught word of an upcoming OTA update for the Sprint Epic Touch 4G, and reports are now that it is rolling out. The update fixes the radio signal loss and the 4G hotspot disconnect during phone calls, which is a huge relief to many of you. If you haven't received a notification for the update yet be sure to hop into your system settings and manually check for an update.

                                                                                    Source: Sprint; via: Android Central Forums

AT&T's LG Nitro HD, white Samsung Skyrocket available now

One new smartphone and another revamped are now available from AT&T. First up is the LG Nitro HD, the carrier's version of the LG Optimus HD. It sports a 720p display and has AT&T's new LTE high-speed data. The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket -- AT&T's LTE version of the Galaxy S II (and scaled up to 4.5 inches) -- also is now available in white.

The Nitro HD is going for $249.99 on contract, as is the Skyrocket.

More: AT&T (Nitro HD, Skyrocket)

Motorola Droid Bionic gets an alpha Ice Cream Sandwich ROM

Fear not Motorola Droid Bionic owners, you are no longer left behind and can join the cool kid party with a taste of some Ice Cream Sandwich. Developer dhacker29 of the TH3ORY ROM team has released a mostly functional ICS build for Bionic users to play around with, and while not everything is working reports are pretty positive so far. While still working on getting data & wifi working along with getting the SD card to mount the developer feels they are getting closer to getting this functional. Looking for something new to play around with this weekend on your Bionic? Be sure to hit the source for full details.

                                                     Source: Rootzwiki

AT&T's holiday white Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket available Dec. 4

Just a quick heads up that white Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket -- that's essentially AT&T's LTE version of the Galaxy S II -- will be available starting Dec. 4. Specs are exactly the same as the black Skyrocket, save for the white shell, and pricing remains the same: $249 on contract.

More: Galaxy S II Skyrocket review

Win an AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G

What better way to get over the mid-week slump than by entering a contest and maybe, just maybe, winning your very own AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G? All you have to do to enter is head on over to the contest thread and drop a comment. Not just any old comment though. We want to see if you were paying attention to Phil's review of the Infuse. Tell us what was one of Phil's favorite features on this device, as well as what you're looking forward to in it, and you're entered.
Contest is open to the US only, one entry per person, and the lucky winner will be chosen on Friday, Dec. 2.

Gingerbread for the Samsung Droid Charge rolling out now

Last week we got word that the Samsung Droid Charge was set to receive its own official Gingerbread update, and now word in the forum is that the update is rolling out. Bringing a bunch of changes some of which include a new color scheme, a new download manager and added SD encryption. If you haven't already received the update notification be sure to head into your settings and check manually for the update!

More in the Android Central Forums