Android Tablet Update

Last week, HTC released a somewhat cryptic update regarding their little customs problem, stating that some models had been released to carriers.

This left us with more questions than answers, as they did not specify which devices had been released. It also left us questioning whether the holdup, which was believed to only affect the One X and Evo 4G LTE, was in fact hampering the importation of additional devices.

Well it appears we might never have a straight answer. HTC sent out an e-mail this afternoon indicating that the Customs review is complete and all devices have been released.

HTC has completed the review process with US Customs, and HTC devices have been released, as they are in compliance with the ITC’s ruling… Future shipments should continue to enter the US, and we are confident that we will soon be able to meet the demand for our products. HTC Public Relations

HTC is still working with Customs to get the devices to retailers and did not have a firm timeline for that as of yet. Suffice it to say that the wait should not be long.

This has been an unfortunate distraction for what most reviewers (including our own Taylor Wimberly) have said are the best Android phones currently available in the US. Not to mention that HTC has to be hoping to ring up as many sales as possible before Samsung’s Galaxy S3 can land stateside as early as next month.

Motorola would do well to pay attention. This could be a glimpse of the future, if the company doesn’t act on the ITC exclusion order that was issued following the finding that it infringed on Microsoft patents.

After months in testing, Verizon has finally approved the Android 4.0.4 update (build IMM76K) for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The news comes from Verizon’s support page that details the benefits of the software upgrade. We haven’t received the official word from Verizon that the update has begun pushing out, but this is a sign that it should start going out in batches any day now.

For those of you that are curious, this is the exact same build that was leaked in early May and appeared on Google’s servers again just last week. If you already flashed that version, you have the same version that is going out to normal customers soon.

Verizon Wireless and Samsung encourage users to download this update. Fixes that we know of include:

Email, Messaging & Data

• Email messages will display properly when the text size is set to large.
• When sending a multimedia message to an Outlook email address, the file extension will send, allowing the recipient to successfully open an image.
• Successfully deleted emails on the device will be deleted from the desktop as well.
• Successfully send text messages without experiencing network connectivity issues.

Applications

• When viewing a Calendar reminder or appointment, you will now be able to view the full notes associated with the appointment.
• A down arrow has been added in the Calendar application that will expand the calendar message body, allowing you to view the entire message.

Device Features

• Successfully turn on Wi-Fi using the Power Control widget.
• Updates have been made to prevent the display from freezing or becoming unresponsive.
• Complete calls without experiencing choppy audio, clicking noises and one-way audio noises.
• Successfully access Voicemail and other automated systems without error.

I’m glad that Verizon finally got this update approved, but Galaxy Nexus owners should expect more of the same with future updates. Google will announce their Android 4.1 upgrade next month and it will hit the GSM Galaxy Nexus shortly, and then Verizon subscribers with the CDMA/LTE Galaxy Nexus will be left waiting for months before Verizon approves it.

Give us a shout out if you happen to receive the latest update on your Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Did it resolve the issues you were experiencing with the device?

That’s right, despite rumors of delays, the Samsung Galaxy S III is now available in 28 different countries scattered across the globe. The handset is now available in the United Kingdom, France, UAE, Saudi Arabia and a handful of countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa – but things will heat up in July when the Galaxy S III will be available in 145 countries around the world and will be found at 296 service providers.

The U.S. debut of the Samsung Galaxy S III has yet to be announced, but Samsung is rumored to be working with all major carriers to bring its new flagship device to as many customers as possible. If you’re not willing to wait, you can order the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III, but be prepared to pay a hefty price.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S III in your future or will you wait to see if Google officially announces its new Nexus strategy at I/O next month?

Motorola’s first Android 4.0 updates have yet to roll out, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get an official look at what the Ice Cream Sandwich build for the Motorola RAZR will look like. Motorola Japan has put up an Android 4.0 page on its site, giving consumers a preview of Motorola’s Android 4.0 customizations and the new Webtop 3.0 UI.

We’ve seen several leaks of Moto’s ICS build in the past, and it doesn’t look like much has changed. Last time we checked, the Verizon DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX were scheduled to receive their Android 4.0 update before the end of Q2. That gives Motorola roughly five more weeks to deliver the update. Once the RAZR is updated to Android 4.0, updates for the BIONIC, ATRIX and DROID 4 should trickle out in quick succession.

Take a look at the videos below and let us know what you think of Motorola’s Android 4.0 customizations.

The Samsung Galaxy S III goes on sale in Europe next week, but when is the device coming to the US? David Beren of TmoNews just posted T-Mobile’s device roadmap for the next couple months and his sources say the device could launch as soon as June 20th.

Release dates are always subject to change, but it’s a good sign that the device could be scheduled to hit our shores less than a month after the international version. Last year with the Galaxy S II, some US carriers did not launch the device until six months later.

We are still waiting to learn which US carriers will carry the Galaxy S III, but rumors and speculation suggest it will be coming to the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and possibly a couple regional carriers as well.

Additional rumored T-Mobile release dates include:

• Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB Metallic Blue – June 20th
• Samsung Galaxy S III 32GB Metallic Blue – June 20th
• T-Mobile myTouch (Huawei Phoenix) – July 11th
• T-Mobile myTouch (Huawei Buddy) – July 11th
• Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB Ceramic White – July 11th
• Samsung Galaxy Note – July 11th

I’m sure some readers will be glad to see the Galaxy Note is arriving on T-Mobile in July. This could be a signal that AT&T’s exclusive launch period is over, and we might see the unique device on additional carriers like Sprint or Verizon.

TmoNews is normally pretty accurate with their leaked device release dates, so hopefully we will be hearing some kind of official announcement soon. The T-Mobile Galaxy S III would be a perfect match with one of their pre-paid plans, don’t you think?

Officially, the AT&T HTC One X bootloader can’t be unlocked due to certain restrictions, but that has not stopped the development community from devising a solution of their own. XDA member grankin01 has released a simple solution which allows the bootloader on the AT&T HTC One X to be unlocked by spoofing one of the phone’s internal identification codes which makes the phone and HTC’s bootloader unlock tool think that it is a Rogers HTC One XL.

The twelve step process is fairly simple, but you will need a hex editor, a little ADB knowledge and a rooted HTC One X. After the code changes are made on the AT&T HTC One X, you will then be able to use HTC’s bootloader unlock tool found on htcdev.com.

Now that the bootloader on the AT&T One X can be unlocked, it’s only a matter of time before the HTC One X development community releases countless tweaks and custom ROMs for the phone. Do any of you plan to unlock the bootloader on the AT&T HTC One X and make some tweaks to your phone or will you stick to the stock HTC Sense 4.0 experience for a little longer?

Early this month an update file for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus was discovered on Google’s servers that upgraded the device to Android 4.0.4 (build IMM76K). Google quickly pulled the file down so we assumed it was just a test version and not the final Verizon approved file. Now several weeks later, the update file has mysteriously reappeared on Google’s servers.

Verizon has given no indication that they are finally pushing out the long-awaited update, so this should still be considered a test build. Some have speculated that this is Google’s way of thumbing their nose at Verizon, by allowing Nexus users to manually update their phones before Verizon approves the update.

Most Nexus users that want to hack their phones have already installed custom ROMs based on Android 4.0.4 months ago, but the average Verizon user with the Galaxy Nexus is still stranded with the bug-filled Android 4.0.2 build that has been on the device since launch day.

If you can’t wait any longer and you want to install this test build, then you can grab the file and follow the instructions below. Google does not allow stock Galaxy Nexus phones to manually flash an update.zip file, so you will have to temporarily flash a custom recovery image to get the job done. This requires users to unlock their bootloader, which will wipe all data on the phone.

• Android 4.0.4 IMM76k for Verizon Galaxy Nexus: Google download
• Instructions to flash zip file: xda-developers

For people that have never hacked their phone or those that just wish to remain on the official Verizon build, I suggest waiting on the final build to be pushed to your phone over the air.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus is no longer my daily phone, so I went ahead and flashed this test build to make sure it works. The total process from start to finish took less than 30 minutes, and everything appeared to be working.

I have purposely remained on the stock Verizon build to see how long it takes the carrier to roll out the update, so I went ahead and flashed the factory image to return back to Android 4.0.2 (build ICL53F).

Now we return back to waiting on Verizon to update the Galaxy Nexus for the masses. How long do you think it will take Verizon to roll out their update and fix their Galaxy Nexus?

The delayed launch of the HTC EVO 4G LTE has officially come to an end. Sprint has just released a statement indicating that pre-order customers will receive their HTC EVO 4G LTE “on or around” May 24th — just one day after the May 23rd launch date claimed by Best Buy. This is certainly good news for those who have pre-ordered the phone, but we’d like to point out that the date only applies to those who pre-ordered the phone directly from Sprint’s website. Those who snatched up discounted pre-order deals from Amazon or Best Buy will most likely have to wait a few extra days before their handset is delivered.

Neither HTC nor Sprint have indicated when the handset will be available in retail stores, but we assume HTC EVO 4G LTE handsets shouldn’t have any issues making it through U.S. Customs going forward.

How many of you are excited to get your greasy fingers on your pre-ordered HTC EVO 4G LTE?

Customers who pre-ordered HTC EVO 4G LTE...Your wait is almost over! Sprint expects to begin shipping HTC EVO 4G LTE for arrival on or around Thursday, May 24 to customers who pre-ordered the device online from Sprint. We will provide details on the full national launch as soon as possible. To access the latest news and device information, visit our Sprint Community page where we'll be providing regular updates. To check the status of your pre-order, please visit www.sprint.com/myorder.Sprint

Android 4.0 for the T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G has arrived! To initiate the download, press Menu > Settings > About Phone > HTC Software Updates > Check and follow the instructions to download and install the new build. The HTC Amaze 4G’s Android 4.0 update can downloaded over T-Mobile’s 3G/HSPA+ network, but we’ll understand if you want to connect your phone over Wi-Fi to download the update just a little faster.

The HTC Amaze 4G’s Android 4.0 update is nearly identical to the HTC Sensation 4G update which T-Mobile started pushing out last week – including improvements to multi-tasking, face unlock, new browser capabilities, and access to Android 4.0 applications like Google’s Chrome browser. Full details of the HTC Amaze 4G’s Android 4.0 update can be found on the T-Mobile’s support site.

New Android 4.0 features

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
• Data usage controls.
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life
• Improved text input and spell checking
• Improved menu structure

Before you start downloading the Android 4.0 update, make sure your handset has at least a 50% battery charge.  Let us know how the update process goes and how you like all the new features included in the Amaze 4G’s Ice Cream Sandwich update. We’re curious to know if the T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G will benefit from the same performance improvements we’ve seen on other HTC devices which have been updated to Android 4.0.

The U.S. Customs holdup of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE may soon come to an end. In a statement submitted to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, HTC claims some of their handset models have passed the U.S. Customs inspection and are on their way to various carriers. At the time the statement was released, HTC was not given any specifics as to which devices had passed inspection, but we have a feeling the ITCs exclusion order is holding up more devices than we originally thought.

According to T-Mobile, shipments of the HTC Amaze 4G have been delayed due to ”an unforeseen issue with receiving the product from the manufacturer.” There’s no direct evidence that the Amaze 4G delays are connected to the U.S. Customs inspections which are currently holding up the HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE, but the exclusion order issued by the ITC can be applied to all HTC devices which pass through U.S. Customs. We’re sure HTC is trying to keep things as quiet as possible, knowing that widespread delays to all U.S. service providers could result in significant losses for the quarter. There’s no indication as to how long the rest of HTC’s handsets will be kept out of the hands of customers, but we’re hoping for the best.