Refresh Roundup: week of January 14th, 2013

Posted on 21/01/2013 by Zachary Lutz

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE: A minor update is available for Sprint's QWERTY slider that's said to improve overall device stability. [Android Police]
Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro: This rugged smartphone for AT&T is now eligible for an upgrade to Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean). Users will also find the additions of Swype and Music Hub in this build. [Phandroid]
LG Lucid: Verizon has announced an update for this smartphone that brings improved quality of voice calls and installs Flash Player. The newly updated file manager app now brings the ability to manage files in the cloud, and the software also installs Verizon Remote Diagnostics for troubleshooting purposes. [Droid Life]
Galaxy Nexus: Google has published the Android 4.2.1 update for the Sprint variant of the Galaxy Nexus to its servers. [Android Police]
Samsung Galaxy S III: Owners of unsubsidized Galaxy S III handsets throughout Australia are reporting than an update to Android 4.1.2 -- complete with Multi-Window enhancements -- is now available for download and installation via Samsung Kies. [Android Central]
ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T: An update is now available for the Transformer Pad Infinity that brings greater compatibility with microSD cards and decreases lag when playing music in the background. The software also fixes bugs in the camera and Movie Studio apps. [Android Police]
Samsung Galaxy Note II: Verizon has pushed out a fix to this smartphone that's designed to resolve Exynos security vulnerabilities. [SlashGear]
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7: Verizon has announced an update for this tablet that decreases electrical consumption while charging the device in a "power off" state. [Android Police]
Sprint Flash: Sprint has released an update for this ZTE-manufactured smartphone that brings improvements to the camera, adds timing preferences for the LED notification and resolves issues related to Swype. [Android Police]
Samsung Epic 4G Touch: An update is now available for Sprint's version of the Galaxy S II that brings security fixes along with the Sprint Connections Optimizer. [Android Police]
Rogers: The Canadian carrier has announced that its Jelly Bean updates for the Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Note, RAZR HD and Xperia T have been pushed to February. [MobileSyrup]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

Motorola Droid RAZR / RAZR Maxx: A root exploit has been published for the official Jelly Bean OTA software build, meant for these two non-HD smartphones for Verizon. [Talk Android]
Motorola Atrix 4G: Motorola is requesting soak test participants for a pending update to this AT&T smartphone. [Android Central]
Sony Xperia Z: Sony has announced that it'll release an Android 4.2 update to the Xperia Z shortly after the smartphone's arrival. [Android Central]
Motorola Atrix 2: A pre-release Jelly Bean update has worked its way into the wild for this smartphone on AT&T. Curiously, Motorola has previously stated that the Atrix 2 would never see an update past Ice Cream Sandwich. [Android Community]

Other platforms

HTC 8X: AT&T has released its first update for this Windows Phone handset. Known informally as the Portico release, it features an option to keep WiFi connections alive and allows users to reject phone calls while responding with a text message. [WinSource]
Nokia Lumia 810: An OTA update is now available for this Windows Phone on T-Mobile that brings fixes to Bluetooth functionality and is said to improve overall device stability. [T-Mobile]

Refreshes we covered this week

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Comments

Bell may get Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE on November 1st, give Canadians rough and tumble 4G

Posted on 14/10/2012 by Jon Fingas

Americans won't get to keep the Galaxy Rugby Pro all to themselves. As long as internal documents gleaned by MobileSyrup prove true, Bell should be carrying Samsung's ruggedized 4G phone as the Galaxy Rugby LTE on November 1st. Other than the name change, it's likely to be a match for the AT&T version down to the very wide frequency support we saw at the FCC, when it appeared as the SGH-i547. You're looking at a modest 4-inch screen, 768MB of RAM and 5-megapixel rear camera, but also a quick 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0 and that dust- and waterproof body. Pricing is an unknown, although the partly toned-down features imply that the Galaxy Rugby LTE will skew well below the $160 contract price for a Galaxy S III on Bell's network.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Bell may get Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE on November 1st, give Canadians rough and tumble 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro for AT&T hands-on

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

DNP Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro for AT&T handson

You can't blame us for having a bit of a soft spot for rugged devices. There's something comforting about knowing you can drop or drown your phone and it wont be any worse for wear. That's the reason we keep coming back to the Rugby series. Its specs dont impress and its certainly not a looker, but its sturdy masculine design kinda gets our blood pumping. So, we just had to stop by Samsung's table at tonight's AT&T event and spend some time with the Galaxy Rugby Pro, an updated version of the Rugby Smart we reviewed earlier this year. The basic design is the same -- it's a chunky slab of thick, ribbed, soft-touch plastic and rubber, with a sizable chrome screw holding the backplate in place. The textured rubber buttons up front have been reduced from four to three, in keeping with the updated user experience of Ice Cream Sandwich. Oh, did we mention it ditches Gingerbread for some delicious Android 4.0.4 goodness -- a most welcome upgrade from the Smart. It's not exactly smooth sailing on the 1.5GHz CPU, but the lag never got unbearable in our brief hands on time.

Perhaps the biggest knock against the device though, is the rather lackluster 4-inch WVGA screen. It's a Super AMOLED panel, which means top-notch contrast, but colors were definitely off and a little washed out looking. It does however mean it should be perfectly viewable in direct sunlight -- a major concern for devices such as this. The paltry 768GB of RAM and 8GB of storage aren't really anything to write home about, but at least there's a microSD slot under the battery. Along the left edge of the device is the volume rocker and a customizable key that can be used to turn on the torch or launch the camera or any number of other tasks, while the right side is home to the power / lock button. The micro-USB port is on the bottom under a tiny plastic door while the headphone jack is similarly protected at the top of the device. We can't say we're expecting much from the 5MP camera, but the extremely dark conditions at the AT&T event ensured that we couldn't get anything usable out of it. For more check out the video after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro for AT&T hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, AT&T

Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro for AT&T hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T 4G LTE adds Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Express and Galaxy Rugby Pro to lineup

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Joseph Volpe

Of the four big US carriers, AT&T's always been a solid go-to for variety across its wireless product portfolio. And today, the operator's welcoming a gaggle of Android devices from Samsung to bolster its 4G LTE offerings. Headlining this galactic quartet is the Galaxy Note II, the company's 5.5-inch phablet sequel which, though previously announced, has yet to receive a solid ship date. Also sharing that spotlight is an actual tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and two new smartphones: the Galaxy Express and Galaxy Rugby Pro. While that latter handset is a mere update to the rugged, water-, shock- and dust-proof OG Rugby Smart, the Express is a fresh 4.5-inch ICS device that reps a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and considerable 2,000mAh battery. All are said to be arriving within the "coming months" which, in non-PR garble, should translate to a pre-holiday release. Check out the official presser after the break.

Continue reading AT&T 4G LTE adds Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Express and Galaxy Rugby Pro to lineup

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, AT&T

AT&T 4G LTE adds Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Express and Galaxy Rugby Pro to lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.