Motorola Droid Bionic update to Jelly Bean coming Monday

Android 4.1.2 will be pushed to devices in phases

Droid Bionic users can expect an OTA starting Monday, changing software build numbers to 98.72.22.XT875. This is Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, and comes with some nice goodies. Google Now with its predictive search and voice commands will be included. Expandable notifications will now be accessible, letting users control music, return calls and texts, and even manage email from the notification panel. The Jelly Bean keyboard brings better dictionaries, as well as voice typing that works without a data connection.

Some Motorola-specific enhancements include better Mobile Hotspot connectivity, an updated 'Back Up Assistant Plus' and new Visual Voicemail, along with improved voice and data reception quality. The OS also gets a little lighter, with Sling and MOG apps being removed by default.

As the OTA update starts hitting devices next week, things will be quite busy in the forums. Be sure to post your findings after you give Jelly Bean a spin.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Motorola X Phone Delayed Until August

Motorola’s upcoming lineup (what lineup?) of Android devices is apparently not up toGoogle’s standards. We’ve heard a lot about a potential X Phone, but little to show for it—and the rumors have been conflicting. While many are expecting the company, which is under the guidance of Google, to introduce a big flagship during I/O in May, one report suggests we won’t see such a device until August.

According to a source speaking with PhoneArena, the device is still very much in its early prototype phase. As in, nowhere near a final retail build. The X Phone tale has been spun in many directions over the past several months, and it’s become increasingly difficult to keep track. First we heard one single flagship was coming, and then a report suggesting a build-to-order initiative.

PhoneArena claims the X Phone is just a single device, and that we’ve already seen a renderof the prototype. The handset itself will allegedly have a 4.7-inch Full HD display and minimal bezel, but otherwise specs are unknown. I’m sure plenty of folks are eagerly anticipating a big flagship to drop, but I’d be more interested in what Google will introduce in the next iteration of Android.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Facebook Home now (unofficially) available for almost any Android device

Despite an early leak on Monday, once again the internet lit-up with chatter about the release of Facebook Home in the Google Play store. All good and well if you find yourself in the right place with the right phone, but what about everyone else? Unsurprisingly, the digital door staff (read, Facebook's hardware restrictions) have already been dispatched, meaning almost any Android device can download and install the social software. We can thank Paul O'Brien at MoDaCo for doing the honors, and for those interested, the process is pretty simple. If your issue is location (rather than device) you'll need the latest version of Facebook's regular and Messenger apps first. Once you do, just download the APK, activate it, and you're good. If hardware is the barrier, then you'll need to get the patched versions of Facebook, Messenger and Home (via the source). Early reports suggest that most features operate just fine, but that sending SMS from Messenger can sometimes stop working. If that's a deal-breaker, you'll have to keep an eye out for updates. If it's not, then tap the source up for the full lowdown. If you do, head back here and let us know how you got on.

[Source: Engadget]

Facebook Home hits Google Play today, available for select Android devices

Chat heads, a virtual carousel of full screen (Instagram) images and enough status updates to let you keep close stalkerly tabs on your nearest and dearest -- that's what Facebook's got in Home. And as of today, it's breaking free from AT&T's exclusive HTC First and heading to a choice few Android flagships in the US. Now owners of the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II as well as the HTC One X+ can rush on over to Google Play or Facebook's site to download the free screen-stealing app / launcher. And when HTC's One and Samsung's GS 4 make their eventual way to the US market, Facebook heads will also have the privilege of setting up Home on those two flagships, just as Zuck promised. Home: it's where privacy and your free time go to die.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy S4 torn apart, is easy to repair

What's the first thing you'd do if you got your hands on the Samsung Galaxy S4? Tear that sucker to pieces, obviously, to find out how easy it is to repair.

TechnoBuffal has created a video showing the S4 being torn asunder, and it turns out the S4 is even easier to fix than the Samsung Galaxy S3, already a paragon of easyfixability.

To get knee-deep in the guts of the S4 all you need is a Torx screwdriver, a drop of elbow grease and a shocking disregard for the phone you've just dropped north of a monkey on.

Unscrew nine screws and the front and back of the phone come apart, giving you access to the S4's innards. The video reveals the important bits are easy to get at and simple to remove, replace and repair.

The only problem is the Gorilla Glass screen covering the 5-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display, which would be pricey to replace.

The model that's been disassembled is the quad-core version that's coming to the UK and US, giving us a good look at the 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core chip with 2GB of RAM. An alternative model boasts eight cores, with two quad-core processors on Samsung's own Exynos A5 Octa chip.

[Source: CNET]

Analysts & Reviewers NOT using products before commenting!

It goes without saying, that everyone is a reviewer nowadays. However, more & more often many companies publish reviews, or analysts pass judgement on products with very little hands-on time with them. If you are interested in follow the topic that really needs addressing, you can see the conversation below.

PS3 controller set to work with new Sony Xperia phones

Using a proper controller, while perhaps making you look slightly odd on the bus, means you're not obscuring the screen with your fingers. For console-style action and racing games -- of which there are a great wealth on the Google Play Store, not to mention (ahem) emulators -- this is a huge improvement. You also get the tactile feedback of knowing you've definitely pressed a button, which is sadly lacking when you're just poking a screen.

If you want to play with your PS3 controller on any Android device, you can already do so. It's a little more complicated, and involves downloading an app, but you needn't do anything drastic like root your phone. You can read how to do it in our full guide here, which also explains how to configure games and emulators to work with the controller.

It's taken a very long time for Sony to integrate such an obvious bit of functionality into its phones. It bought out Ericsson to take full control of its smart phone business over two years ago, and its previous gaming effort the Xperia Play, one of its last with Ericsson, was half-baked and very clunky. It's not until this year's waterproof Xperia Z that we've seen a genuinely brilliant mobile from Sony alone.

[Source: CNET]

AT&T announces 20 new LTE locations

AT&T dumps a bucket full of LTE location news, both currently active cities and coming soon announcements

AT&T just sent out 20 press releases with a bunch of LTE announcements. There's a lot to digest, so allow us to break it all down in one place for easy reading.

New LTE cities that are currently active:

New LTE cities coming this summer:

There's no word on when exactly during the summer these will light up, but I'm sure AT&T will remind us again when they go live -- or you fine folks will let us all know the minute it drops.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Facebook Home software leaks, try it out early

If you want to go Home early, now's your chance: a pre-release version of Facebook Home has leaked to turn your Android phone into a photo-liking, status-updating machine.

Facebook Home is software that completely replaces the interface on your Android phone, loading your friends' photos, posts and status updates on your homescreen. The software is showcased on the HTC First phone, but you'll be able to download it for a range of Android phones.

And ahead of the official launch, MoDaCo has pulled an early version of the software from the ROM of the HTC First, consisting of three APKs.

There's the main Facebook app, codenamed 'katana'; the Messenger app, codenamed 'orca', which integrates with your text messages; and a launcher shell app codenamed 'home'. To try out the pre-release software, including the floating head Chat Heads feature, you need to completely uninstall the existing Facebook app. The leaked software works on phones with a resolution lower than 1,280 x 768 -- and, as ever, you mess with the dark arts of leaked pre-release software at your own risk.

[Source: CNET]

Nokia Lumia 928 leaks, thinner than the 920

A new Nokia is on the cards, and this one promises to strip the Lumia 920 of its flagship status. Called the Lumia 928, it's leaked via the@evleaks Twitter account, and it's a slightly tweaked version of the 920.

The 928 is heading for US network Verizon, so I don't know whether us Brits will ever see it on these shores. Still, we can hope…

So what's changed from the Lumia 920? The two look very similar, but the 928 has a longer flash on the back. It'll also be slightly thinner, measuring 10.2mm at its thinnest point and 11.2mm at its thickest, with a slightly curved back, according to The Verge. Instead of an LCD screen, the 928 will sport a 4.5-inch OLED jobby. Other than that, the specs are near identical, with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GB of storage, and 1GB of RAM. Good stuff.

The Lumia 928 will eschew an aluminium frame in favour of a thinner polycarbonate one. It'll also reportedly have a new xenon flash as well as the same LED one as found on the 920. Lighting your snaps shouldn't be an issue, then.

It's expected to go on sale in the US later this month, but as I say, there's no word on whether it'll find its way across the pond.

The Lumia 920 earned itself a highly commendable four out of five stars in our review. But that's not as good as the wallet-friendly Lumia 620, which scored four and a half. Proof you don't need to spend big to get a decent smart phone.

[Source: CNET]

The HTC First is Official

HTC has officially unveiled the HTC First at today’s Facebook Home announcement. The company says this is the best social experience you’ll find, with Facebook’s new Home experience pre-loaded and optimized onto the phone right out of the box. It’s clearly aimed at the younger crowd, but more clearly the Facebook fanatic.

Just as we saw leaked earlier this week, the device will come in multiple colors, including red, light blue, white and black, covering a nice little spectrum for users who want more choices. HTC First will be available on April 12 for $99. Right now, neither HTC or Facebook has talked up specs, so we’ll look out for those to hit soon.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

4G free in taxis courtesy of EE from today

EE is today offering passengers in London and Birmingham cabs the chance to experience the UK's only 4G network. It's free in taxis for the next three months -- by which time you might be able to sign up to a much cheaper 4G network.

A superfast Wi-Fi network is perhaps the last thing you'd expect to find in a London cab, yet EE has fitted 40 cabs in London and 10 in Birmingham with MiFi routers you can connect to free of charge. The service will offer anyone with a Wi-Fi enabled device to experience the speed of 4G, without the staggering expense.

EE has the first 4G -- or LTE, as it's sometimes called -- network in the UK because it was allowed to use a specific part of the radio spectrum ahead of all the other companies bidding in the recent 4G auction. It's used this headstart not to build goodwill and a huge customer base, but to charge an extortionate amount of money for data.

Other networks will open their 4G networks later this year, and price is certain to be the main difference between them. Three has already promised 4G won't cost any extra.

EE's Spencer McHugh, announcing the three-month project, said: "The first motorised black cabs hit the streets in 1901, nearly 70 years before the first smart phone was available to consumers, now we are bringing this icon of British transport into the 21st century with a 4G makeover."

Despite McHugh suggesting the trial will "demonstrate the benefits of a superior online experience", it remains to be seen whether such a service will become a permanent fixture in London cabs after the trial ends.

From the start of the London 2012 Olympics until the end of January this year, Virgin Media offered a similar service, giving free Wi-Fi access to over 100 tube stations. As expected, the service is now only available to registered customers of Virgin, EE and Vodafone for free, with customers of other providers having to pay a fee.

Will you be looking out for a 4G cab in London or Birmingham? Are you already an EE 4G user? Let us know in the comments here, or indeed over at our Facebook page.

[Source: CNET]