The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (unlike its smaller Note II sibling), but its Jelly Bean update has now started its rollout. It's the 4.1 version of Jelly Bean and not 4.2, but the differences between the two aren't major anyway.
The rollout is rather limited as of now - just in Germany as an OTA update that weighs in at 300MB.
The guys from AllAboutSamsung.de, who have already installed the update, report that it improves performance, adds the same S Pen functionality as the Note II has (e.g. the new Quick commands), adds Pop Up Play and new Mini Apps. Paper Artist is also pre-installed.
If you don't live in Germany and you just can’t wait to try out Jelly Bean on your Galaxy Note 10.1, you can grab the ROM from SamFirmware. The update brings the S Pen-enabled tablet to Android version 4.1.1 (PDA N8000XXBLJ9, CSC N8000OXABLJ9).
Keep in mind that flashing the ROM manually will void your warranty and you might brick your tablet, so proceed at your own risk.
Wednesday, Sony announced a new set of firmware updates which would add a host of new features to its Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Xperia T and Xperia TX smartphones.
Set to start rolling out globally this week, as the updates become live across certain regions, the Xperias will notify users when they can be updated.
There are four major features getting solid improvements with this update, each of which should make the Xperia experience much more satisfying for its users.
Mirror, mirror
Coming only to the Xperia T is what Sony calls "the most significant voice quality upgrade in mobile history."
The Xperia T's HD Voice feature provides a clearer, crisper conversation even when the user is in a noisy or crowded locale.
Sony's upgrades to the Xperia T's HD Voice further filters out background noise and is able to capture and transmit a "broader spectrum of the human voice."
While the Xperia TX is sadly absent HD Voice, it will enjoy other features the Xperia T gains such as Screen mirroring.
Utilizing a compatible WiFi enabled TV, users will be able to stream photos, games, movies, music and more from the smartphone to their screen effortlessly.
Additionally, both Xperia devices will be gaining an extended stand-by mode, which disables features like WiFi and data traffic once the phone is in sleep mode for a few minutes.
Several of the media applications on the Xperia T and Xperia TX will also see some improvements, including a better interface for the Walkman app, and dashboard controls for the movie app.
It's not quite a complete OS update, but these additions should help the Xperia T and TX continue to stand their ground against the Nexus 4 and HTC One X+.
Android distribution numbers for October are in and Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean are still short of the reach Google might have hoped for.
At merely 2.7%, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean usage has jumped just 0.9% compared to September, 2012. The OS debuted exactly 6 months ago, and despite Samsung and HTC's best efforts to update their high-end devices, Jelly Bean is still to get proper traction.
Ice Cream Sandwich distribution is also on the rise clocking in at 25.8%, almost 2 points up from last month. With most manufacturers having completed their scheduled ICS updates, we don't expect this number to continue to climb. Especially with the majority shifting their attention to Jelly Bean.
Finally, Gingerbread is continuing to drop from 55.8% in September to 53.9% in October. With most devices comprising this number being low-end droids that would never see an update in their life, this number isn't likely to plummet anytime soon.
For more details and data, click on the source link below.
Ice Cream Sandwich used to be the new kid on the block, but it's been usurped by the likes of Android 4.2: Jelly Bean as the OS to have on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Google Nexus 4.
However, loads of users are still waiting for their Ice Cream Sandwich update, and Google told us that this is one of the biggest overhauls of the operating systems since it unleashed the Android project three years ago - and there's certainly a lot to plough through.
From enhanced contact menus to improved keyboards and NFC capabilities, even the most ardent Android users will have to spend some time getting used to the new OS if they've never been Android 4 - so let's dive in.
Interface
The most noticeable change with Ice Cream Sandwich is the interface - it might follow the same principles as the Android of old, but the way it's used is radically different in a number of ways.
Firstly, Android 4.0 is designed to work without buttons. However, it's clear that notion has died, as physical buttons are still everywhere over a year on... so don't worry if you're a fan of a good home button.
Now to navigate around, you're offered three softkeys: Back, Home and Multi-tasking (or Recent Apps). The latter is particularly new for phones, and comes from the Honeycomb UI - basically a set of thumbnails that show recently opened apps.
Here's the new part: swipe sideways to shut down an application, which will greatly help reduce the battery consumption of your phone if there's something silently updating in the background.
The Home and Back buttons are the same as they've always been, but no longer have a 'long press' function attached... so you can't automatically call up the keyboard, for instance.
If you move into something media-ish, such as watching a movie or browsing the web like a pro, these three buttons shrink down to tiny dots, so you've got more of the screen to look at. However, remember what each dot does, as pressing it will take you home/open the recent apps etc and you might not want to.
For Android fans, this presents something of an issue: with the menu button gone, you'll have to hunt around the screen for three vertical dots which have taken its place. However, these can be anywhere, so sometimes you'll get distracted trying to work out how on earth to alter settings.
The multi-tasking pane also seems an odd choice for one of three buttons - it used to be you could access this functionality by long-pressing the home key, and it makes more sense to keep this and then have the multi-tasking slot taken up by a menu key.
However, despite the odd placement, the multi-tasking pane is cool - simply swipe horizontally on any open app to shut it down, in a similar way to the Cards system on webOS - it certainly helps keep open applications under control.
The home screens are once again limited to five, but this time there's no option to get rid of those you don't want. It's not a huge issue to some people, but with the expandable widgets and loads of apps you'll be looking to download, we'd have expected more.
This isn't the case with most other phones, which will extend it to at least seven screen, but Google likes to be stingy.
There's a plethora of tiny tweaks and changes to the Android OS that we were impressed with, ranging from the Tron-like blue theme that pervades throughout the OS to the ability to unlock the phone simply by using your face.
The latter security option is more novelty than anything else, with Google outlining at the start that it's not meant to be 100% secure.
We also found a few issues with getting it to recognise our face in varying light levels, or even working out which bit of the picture was a face - not the most effective for unlocking your handset, but when it works it's a great party trick.
This has been updated in Android Jelly Bean to include blink detection, but you sadly won't have this option if you're stuck on Ice Cream Sandwich.
The notifications bar has been given a functionality overhaul to now include larger information slots - if it's a contact that's sending you a message or a missed call, their contact photo will now appear too, which is a nice touch.
And sometimes you want to get rid of some notifications, but not others - this has been taken care of by allowing you to swipe away the updates about apps and messages you don't care about, making it easy to maintain your info bar.
Settings has also been given a spot in the notifications pane, meaning no matter where you are in the OS you can always duck out and tinker with the phone - this is excellent news for some applications that need GPS or Wi-Fi enabled swiftly.
However, we would have though Google would have copied the likes of Samsung here and offered one-tap switching to these elements - it works really well on most phones, so we're surprised by its omission.
The other new addition is the dock at the bottom of the screen - this stays on every home screen, and like iOS can be altered to contain the applications you like to tap away at the most.
Folders are more iOS-like too, with users given the ability to drag and drop icons on top of one another from the home screen to create bundles of apps which you can simply rename. Given Apple's ire about Google 'stealing' certain elements of its UI, we can't help but think this created a little more angst down on Infinite Loop.
Google is clearly also thinking about giving users more ability to enjoy apps than ever before by putting a link to the Market in the top right hand corner of the menu screen, which we really liked as it meant we always knew we could quickly update our app catalogue when needed.
The other big change is widgets have been brought to the fore: you can now look at each one on the menu screen without having to actually select it - this really helps when a new application you've downloaded has an associated widget and you're wondering whether to waste time popping it on the home screen.
Overall, we love what Google has done with the Ice Cream Sandwich UI. It's nothing mind-blowing, but the little touches here and there will add to user delight, and that's what's needed to chip away at those that are dyed-in-the-wool iPhone users.
Back in February, Motorola released a chart with names and dates that told us when each of its Android devices will be getting upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. Unfortunately, it seems the company won't be able to keep its promise for all the announced devices.
The updated chart now showws that the Motorola Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and the Electrify do not qualify for the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade and will remain on Gingerbread. Other devices remain unaffected, with perhaps some minor changes in dates at most.
Hopefully, this will be the extent of the changes, with no more devices (and their owners) being forced to suffer on Gingerbread.
The LTE flavored Sony Xperia ion for AT&T's has finally left the land of Gingerbread. The handset's long overdue Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update is now available to download directly from Sony.
The update to Android 4.0 brings a number of features to the smartphone. They include tabbed browsing, offline reading, desktop mode, etc. Of course, users will also receive Sony's proprietary UI on top of Google's OS.
In case you are an owner of the said device, you can download the update over here.
Toys "R" Us has debuted its own tablet for kids: the 7-inch Tabeo, which runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Toys “R” Us announced this weekend that it will begin selling its own branded tablet for kids. The 7-inch Tabeo tablet will cost $150, and goes on sale on October 1. Pre-orders for the device are available through ToysRUs.com now.
The Tabeo will run on a stripped-down version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and come pre-loaded with 50 apps, including games, books, and educational apps. Other Tabeo technical specs include a 1.0 GHz processor (of unknown make), HDMI output, 4GB of internal storage, a front-facing camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The devices also comes with a “drop-safe” cover to keep it protected from children’s inevitable disregard for fragility.
While Toys “R” Us says that the Tabeo will give its young users the “full Internet experience” (including Flash support!), the Tabeo will be limited to Toys “R” Us’s Tabeo Store, which the company says currently has around 7,000 apps. Parental controls will also come pre-loaded to keep that “full Internet experience” kid-friendly.
The Tabeo is far from the only tablet available from Toys “R” Us. Other child-centric options include the LexiBook Junior Tablet, MEEP! Kids Tablet, and the Kurio Kids Tablet. Toys “R” Us also sells more grown-up devices, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), and the Kindle Fire.
So, why is Toys “R” Us getting into the tablet game? According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s because the toy seller is struggling to make ends meet. As with other big box retailers, Toys “R” Us has seen a drop in in-store sales over the past year, due in part to its inability to compete with online retailers who offer lowers prices. Unlike general electronics retailers, like Best Buy and Radio Shack, Toys “R” Us continues to benefit from the fact that its customers (parents) still like to buy its products in person.
HTC unveiled three exclusive droids for China Mobile - the One SC, One SU and the dual-SIM One ST. They all run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich skinned with HTC Sense 4.0 UI.
HTC One ST
Let’s start with the one we already met yesterday – the One ST. As it turned out, the previous leak turned out perfectly accurate. The One ST packs a 4.3-inch SuperLCD2 WVGA display and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor. The specs sheet continues with 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, 5MP camera (BSI sensor, F2.0, LED flash) with 720p video recording, Beats Audio and a microSD slot.
HTC One ST
The One ST is a dual-SIM phone with support for dual-standby. It also supports 3G with HSPA+ networks but only on the primary SIM card.
HTC One ST will be available in three colors – white, red and black. No word on the pricing and the availability yet.
HTC One SC and One SU
HTC One SC and One SU share identical specifications but different designs. They both have 4.3-inch WVGA displays, 1GHz dual-core processors, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, 5MP camera (BSI sensor, F2.0, LED flash) with 720p video recording, HSPA+ connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, Beats Audio and a microSD slot. Yes, these specs are also identical to the One ST, sans the dual-SIM functionality.
HTC One SC
The One SC has a rather extravagant design, while the One SU is a standard HTC affair.
HTC One SU
The pricing and the availability of the One SU and SC is also TBA.
The 2011 Xperia line-up of phones was lucky enough to get updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (sans the Xperia PLAY, that is), but it appears it will be left out of the new Sony Media apps fun.
The sad news was brought by the Sony Mobile official blog in its IFA 2012 Q&A session.
Fortunately, the 2012 Sony Xperia range will receive the Media apps in the form of a software update later this year. The new Sony Media apps include the new Walkman, Album and Movies apps. We already got to see them in action in our Sony acro S review, so make sure you check that out.
And here's a promo clip Sony made demonstrating some of their key features.
Mind you, whilst the apps won't be officially available, this doesn't mean the Android developer community won't make them available as standalone apps available for download in the near future. At least that's what we're hoping for.
