Refresh Roundup: week of August 12th, 2013

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!

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MetroPCS adds Lumia 521 and Optimus F3, covers 19 new cities

If you've been holding out for a new $40/month smartphone, you're in luck. We're not even three months separated from T-Mobile's MetroPCS acquisition and the value carrier is already reaping benefits from Ms. Magenta. The Bring-Your-Own-Phone carrier is getting its first Windows 8 Phone handset, the HSPA+ Nokia Lumia 521, and the Jelly Bean-running LG Optimus F3. Both phones feature 5MP cameras, July 26th street dates for select markets and attractive pricing -- the 521 is $99, while the F3 is $149. The news doesn't stop rolling there, either.

Not only is the wireless provider's device lineup expanding, but its coverage area is too. Metro's availability is growing to 19 additional cities (listed after the break), including Washington, DC; Cleveland, Ohio and Fresno, California. Sadly, the embedded press releases don't mention the most important aspect of all: whether you can get the F3 in a Grimace-worthy hue.

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Source: MetroPCS

Refresh Roundup: week of May 20th, 2013

Refresh Roundup week of May 13th, 2013

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!

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HSN’s order page for T-Mobile’s Lumia 521 goes live early

HSN's order page for T-Mobile's Lumia 521 goes live early

It feels like only yesterday we told you HSN would be the first retailer offering T-Mobile's Nokia Lumia 521, and although the place hasn't changed, the date has. The Lumia 520 variant wasn't expected to be available through HSN's online store until tomorrow, but in a bit of good news to kick off your Friday, the order page is now live. An off-contract handset will set you back $149.95, or four payments of $37.49. The next confirmed date we have for availability is May 11th at Microsoft and Walmart stores, so if you're looking to bag one of the budget Windows Phone 8 handsets before then, head to the source link and hit the virtual checkout -- not only may stock run dry, but HSN could've accidentally pulled the trigger early and hide the page when orders start rolling in.

[Thanks, Tim]

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Source: HSN

Lumia 521 for T-Mobile arrives early at HSN on April 27th for $149.95, general availability on May 22nd

Lumia 521 for TMobile arrives at HSN on April 27th, Microsoft Store on May 11th

Wanting to get first dibs on the Lumia 521 for T-Mobile? If so, it looks that you may need to tune into HSN on April 27th, because -- strange as it sounds -- the television network is offering the earliest access that we know of. Here, you'll be able to score T-Mobile's variant of the Lumia 520 for $149.95 off-contract, which includes a bonus car charger and screen protector. Following its arrival at HSN, the Lumia 521 will then hit Microsoft retail stores and Walmart on May 11th, with the same off-contract pricing. As you may recall, a previous leak from TmoNews suggested the smartphone would hit T-Mobile stores yesterday, but this date has come and gone without official availability (or even an announcement) from the carrier. Fret not, though, because we've done a bit of digging, and our sources tell us that the Lumia 521 is currently set to hit general availability on May 22nd, which by all measures should include all T-Mobile stores. Naturally, you now have some options to weigh, even if one of them might cost an ounce of your pride.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of April 15th, 2013

Mobile Miscellany week of April 15th, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a possible arrival date of the Lumia 521 to T-Mobile, our best look yet at the Lumia 928 for Verizon and news of a new Android compatibility option for Tizen. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of April 15th, 2013.

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Nokia Lumia 521 for T-Mobile given FCC approval

Nokia Lumia 521 for TMobile caught with FCC approval

RM-917. It may not sound like much on the outside, but the model number and above picture correspond with the Nokia Lumia 521, T-Mobile's version of the lower-end Lumia 520 announced at MWC last month. We still don't have any details on when it'll show up on retail shelves, but it's at least made its way through one of the final barriers to entry: the FCC approval process. As you might expect, the docs are low on details, but the frequencies support 850 / AWS / 1900 HSPA+ / UMTS as well as quadband GSM / EDGE. To refresh your memory, the 520 will sport a 4-inch WVGA LCD panel, 512MB RAM, a 5MP camera, microSD storage and quite a few other respectable goodies. Head to the source if you're a sucker for numbers and acronyms.

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Source: FCC

Nokia Lumia 521 bringing Windows Phone 8 pizazz exclusively to T-Mobile

Nokia Lumia 521 bringing Windows Phone 8 pizazz exclusively to TMobile

Neither Nokia nor T-Mobile USA are spilling too many beans on the Lumia 521, but needless to say, it's heading exclusively to Señorita Magenta in the near future. Announced in a blurb here at Mobile World Congress, the Windows Phone 8 handset will connect to T-Mob's HSPA+ network, and the carrier swears that it'll "embody a range of high-end features at an affordable price." Of course, additional details -- including device availability and specifics on pricing -- are being kept under wraps until a heretofore undefined date. We'll be sure to share more as we hear of it.

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Source: T-Mobile USA