Refresh Roundup: week of September 5, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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
- Verizon was spitting out new refreshes left and right this week, as we saw Gingerbread begin to roll out as OTA downloads on the Motorola Droid 3, HTC Droid Incredible, and — get this — even the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 edition. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
- Interestingly enough, Android 2.3 for the Droid 2 Global was already getting pushed out, but was pulled just a couple days later after a Microsoft Exchange encryption issue was discovered. We’ve been told the updates will resume “soon.” [via Droid-Life]
- Finally, Verizon also pushed out one other software upgrade — this time on its 4510L LTE MiFi. (Thanks, Matt)
- HTC continues to expand its bootloader unlock tool to more phones, region by region. This week the company enabled support for the EVO 3D in Canada and Europe. [via Phandroid]
Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery
- The Motorola Droid 3 and Droid X both now have access to an SBF — System Boot File — to act as a safeguard for anyone who manages to brick their phones. [via Droid-Life (1) and (2)]
- Recently we heard about the Honeycomb ROM for the HTC Flyer getting leaked by MoDaCo, but no screenshots were available at the time. This week, however, someone successfully grabbed a few images to share with the world (shown in the above image). The ROM appears to run on Android 3.2 with HTC Sense 1.1 for tablets as the featured UI. [via AndroidBugle -- thanks, Dennis]
- Let’s talk a little more about leaked Sense ROMs. We’ve already seen Sense 3.5 working on the Desire HD, and now we have another device to add to the list: the EVO 4G. [via XDA]
- The first kernel for unlocked bootloaders on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is now waiting for your download, so head over to the link for instructions. [via XDA]
- If you’ve been waiting and hoping for CyanogenMod 7 on your HTC Sensation or EVO 3D so you can shed the Sense UI, that time may be very close at hand. According to a member of the CyanogenMod team, an early alpha build for both devices may be available by the end of this weekend, so keep an eye out. [via Phandroid]
Other platforms
- Two new unofficial ROMs — one for Windows Phone Mango and another for NoDo –are now available for the Samsung Omnia 7. The Mango ROM improves the device’s radio, camera drivers and motion sensors, in addition to a few other enhancements. [via WPCentral]
Refreshes already covered this week
Refresh Roundup: week of September 5, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: Gingerbread Now Rolling Out for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
After a false start earlier in the week, the Gingerbread update for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is now rolling out. The announcement comes via a post on the official Sony Ericsson blog, which states that the update is being made available to non-carrier handsets first with 10 percent of devices already receiving their update notifications. The rest should be seeing the update within the next week. Not all is good news, however, as it was also made clear that some operator customized versions of the X10 won’t be receiving the Gingerbread update.
[via Sony Ericsson | Thanks, Vlad!]
Xperia X10 Gingerbread Update Coming Along Well, Gets Official Preview Video
Sony Ericsson committed to bringing out Gingerbread for the Xperia X10 (non-branded devices, anyway) and they look like we’re nearing a rollout date. It’s coming along nicely, they say. It’s coming along so nicely, in fact, that they felt the need to preview the update on video. It looks like the software will be in line with what’s found on the Xperia Play, Arc and more 2011 devices. Unfortunately, their stance on the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro still stands – nothing past Android 2.1. Let’s hope carriers of the X10 work to provide the upgrade to their customers. [Sony Ericsson]
Gingerbread Shows Up on SE Xperia X10 – Brings New Features [Video]
I’m sure there were more than a few X10 users out there who thought Sony Ericsson may have forgotten all about them (weren’t they on Android 1.6 Donut for the longest time now?). But thanks to ThaiAndroidPhone who snapped some pics and even a quick video of a Gingerbread equipped X10, we now have an idea what SE has in store for X10 users.
Besides a firmware upgrade to the latest Android dessert, the video shows us that the Xperia X10 will also be receiving a new kernel (hopefully similar to what’s already on the Xperia Arc, because that thing flies), 10 million color support and given SE’s new policy on the subject, possibly a shiny new unlocked bootloader. Lets hope we will see this update stateside and soon because if so, this phone just went from “meh” to “fly” all in about 2 seconds.
[Via AndroidForums]
AT&T’s Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Updated to Android 2.1
You might not even remember that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 ever launched on AT&T, and a big reason why is that the phone hit the scene pretty late sporting a rather outdated version of Android. Today, the X10 can be upgraded to something a bit newer as the Android 2.1 update has been made available. This is the Android 2.1 update that X10 owners in other areas of the world have had the pleasure of getting to know for a few months now. It isn’t Gingerbread (or even Froyo), but it’s something.
[via Engadget]
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 to Get Android 2.3 Gingerbread [Official]
While Sony Ericsson may have moved slow to get their first Android-based product upgraded to a modern version of the operating system, they look to zoom past Froyo and provide Android 2.3 to bring it in line with the crop of new products introduced in the past couple of months. (Such as the Xperia Arc and Play.)
They’ve announced on their blog that the Xperia X10 will get Gingerbread at the end of Q2 or early Q3. Only “generic kits” will be getting the upgrade starting out meaning those bought from retailers unlocked or not released for a specific carrier. Of course, that won’t stop the development community from trying to port the upgrade for those of you tied to a contract.
It’s the first step Sony Ericsson’s taking to do better in their Android-based ventures. They publicly came out and said they wanted to take all of what they learned from 2010 and apply it to 2011. This could have meant a few different things – such as better devices or more interaction with the after-market development community – but it’s clear that one big part of their strategy is supporting users for the long haul.
It’s a great turn around from a time where it seemed Xperia users would be stuck on Android 1.6 forever. After the X10 user-base received 2.1 Eclair, uncertainty loomed about Froyo or any other future upgrades. Fortunately, it’s not because they weren’t doing anything but because they didn’t want to promise something they couldn’t deliver.
Sony Ericsson notes that they will not be upgrading the Xperia X10 Mini and Mini Pro, and that the X10 won’t get an upgrade past 2.3.3. (Which we can understand considering we don’t even know when the next version of Android will be out.) Those on their newer handsets can at least expect Ice Cream, though, which is said to bring certain features and a bit of the style from Honeycomb to phones. Head on over to SE’s blog for the full rundown. (It’s lengthy, but I’m sure many of you will appreciate it as much as we did.)
Milestone, Xperia X-10 to get updates, says O2 Germany
O2 Germany says that the Motorola Milestone and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will soon be getting updated ROMs. Sorry, but the Milestone won’t be getting Android 2.2/Froyo this time around, nor will the X10 be getting Android 2.1/Eclair — they both are getting small maintenance releases. Expect them within the next two weeks according to O2.
We’ve heard nada from Motorola or Sony Ericsson about this, and can only assume that the software will also be headed for other carriers if needed. And even though it’s not the update you might have been hoping for, it’s nice to know the manufacturers haven’t forgotten you. [Twitter via TheUnwired.net]
Posted originally at Android Central
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Spotify integrated into X10′s Mediascape and Timescape
Sony Ericsson (via the Sony Ericsson Product Blog) announced today that the Spotify service will now be integrated deep into the Timescape and Mediascape shell on the SE Xperia X10. The integration allows Spotify to show as an online media service in Mediascape, and your recently played songs will appear in the Timescape timeline. Check out the video — it’s pretty sweet.
The drawback for some of us (OK, a lot of us) is that Spotify isn’t available in the U.S., but then again, neither is the X10. This is an idea I would like to see catch on, and other manufacturers with custom Android UI’s weaving Slacker or Pandora into the OS would be welcomed here. [via Unwired view]
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 coming to Canada’s Rogers network On April 15
There has been a alot of hype about the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and to make matters worse we even watched Sony unbox it for us. (It’s cool. We’ve done a hands-on and have one in the office as we speak.) We’ve been waiting to hear when and where this bad boy would end up. No surprise, it’s not coming to the U.S. first (if at ever) Instead, it’s going to our neighbors to the north. Come April 15 one can go into any Rogers store and pick up the new Xperia X10 and get a Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth headset for free.
Not a bad deal, not only do you get the newest high end phone, you get a free headset that’s about $100 at retail. [Rogers via Engadget]