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Monday, August 2, 2021
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HTC One Max finally official after months of leaks

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htc-one-max The very first HTC One Max leak was way back in summer, when leakers found out something called the HTC T6 with high-end specs and a huge 5.9-inch display, since then we have had countless photos, specs info and executives detailing the HTC One Max.

Today we got an official announcement, one day before we expected it to happen. The HTC One Max has almost all the features leaked previously and the big exciting feature is the fingerprint sensor on the back of the smartphone.

Apple fanboys may claim copying, but the idea of fingerprint sensors has been around on computers for a while, fuelled by Apple’s new iPhone 5S and the leaks, HTC may have seen this as a great move in security and getting people excited about hardware features.

The HTC One Max sticks with the same design aesthetic from the original HTC One, the aluminium build, front facing BoomSound speakers, capacitive keys and 4 Ultrapixel rear camera, but comes with a 5.9-inch full HD screen, making this a “phablet” phone.

Inside the HTC One Max sits Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 600 alongside 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The Snapdragon 600 is a mediocre processor compared to the Tegra 4 and Snapdragon 800 and we aren’t sure why HTC didn’t put a faster CPU inside this beast of a device.

On the software side, the HTC One Max comes with Android Jelly Bean 4.3 on top of the Sense 5.5 UI skin. HTC has not announced any new software features to come alongside the fingerprint sensor, so this may just be another way to unlock the device.

HTC gave no official launch date on when the HTC One Max would be coming, but did say sometime next month. This may be enough time to wait for all the people who have been waiting months for this beast, but we believe many have already grabbed their phablet of choice, the Galaxy Note 3.

Galaxy S3 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Update Rolled out by AT&T Android 4.3 Not yet

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The AT&T edition of the Galaxy S3 would have Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update as the same has now been released by AT&T recently. AT&T has been late in rolling out the update for the Galaxy S3 for users of the said device have already received the upgrade from their respective provider in the US much before. Sure version 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is not the latest Android update though it is always a nice feeling when there is an update available.

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And the reason for that is there are new set of features that updates come along with and the Galaxy S3 benefits from the introduction of several cool features. This includes the Samsung “Premium Suite,” a feature that allows for multi-window functions on the handset. This will allow users to have two simultaneous apps running on two window panes. The “Auto Share Shot” makes sharing of photo a breeze though the feature requires the other devices to which the file is to be sent must have NFC and S-Beam enabled. The camera itself has the option, after the upgrade for paper artist and best face functions. Functions for easier access to calendar, SD Card is also brought in by this upgrade as also enhancement to the existing S-Voice function. Some of the interesting apps that the update includes are Drive Mode, Family Map, Live TV, SmartWifi, AT&T services and AT&T locker.

The latest Android version that Google recently launched is Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. With the S3 benefitting from the Android 4.2.1 update, some opine that the next upgrade  for the Galaxy S3 would be a jump to Android 4.3 without resorting to any incremental jump in between. At least Samsung has officially confirmed such a move to the Australian carrier Telstra and its likely to be applicable to the S3 as well.

Meanwhile, users of the S3 would start receiving their updates OTA by end of today. Users who do not update their sets till 7th august would be notified by AT&T individually regarding this update.

Sony Xperia Z Andriod 4.3 Jelly Bean Update – Sony Confirms Xperia Devices to Get New Android Update

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Sony confirmed that its line of Xperia Z devices will get the newest Android 4.3 update. The official announcement was made by Sony on Thursday. The devices that are supposed to receive the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update include Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia SP, and Xperia Z Ultra. Apart from these smartphones, the only tablet to get the Android 4.3 update is the Xperia Tablet Z.

Sony is also considering providing Android 4.3 update to its other handsets which are currently running on Android 4.1.  The Android 4.3 update was first made available by Google on is Nexus phones and tablets. When the most of the smartphones and tablets were running on Android 4.1, at that time Google had announced the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update. Like always, the update was first rolled out for Nexus devices. However, only few devices received the Android 4.2 update. We hope that the Android 4.3 update is made available for most of the devices that are still running on Android 4.1 Sony is the first among the top brands to get the Android 4.3 upgrade.

Sony Xperia Z Android 4.3

Even though Sony made arrival of Android 4.3 update official, the company is yet to announce the precise dates. Since Sony has announced that they will provide Android 4.3 update to handsets running on Android 4.1, this is a welcome relief to the users who have been endlessly waiting for the arrival of Android 4.2 update on their handsets.

Sad thing is that Sony has not been quick in offering Android releases to its customers. In December 2012, Sony had announced that they will be offering Android 4.2 updates to all the Xperia devices that were rolled out in 2012. However, the process was accomplished in the previous month. Sony has acknowledged the fact that they were slow in providing the Android updates. The company is aware of the frustrations customers have gone through and they are consistently making efforts to bring about improvements.

Another thing Sony users needs to be aware of is that the availability of the Android 4.3 update depends on the approval from carriers. However, this time around Sony hopes to provide the updates as quickly as possible. Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is ruling the smartphone market and the next one to follow is HTC One. Hence, Sony does not want to stay behind and wants to offer the latest Android update on most of its devices.

Samsung has announced that they will be offering Android 4.3 update in the forthcoming months. HTC will also be offering the newest Android for its handsets but before that they wish to review the software and see it fits their plans. Even other brands will ensure that they offer the latest Android 4.3 to its customers. The specific date of Android 4.3 update is not available yet but we feel that the update will be out in November or December. This can be good for Sony as most people in US are expected to make purchases during the holiday season.

The Android 4.3 update cannot be called a ‘major’ update but it does improve the performance of the operating system. It also brings new features such as restricted profiles, Bluetooth Smart technology, better streaming multimedia support, and auto-complete feature in dialer.

At present, Xperia Z and Xperia ZL are the two devices from Sony that are in the process of receiving the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update. The next in line are the Xperia ZR and Xperia Z tablet to receive Android 4.3 update in the coming month. So, we can know that at least for these devices the Android 4.2 will not be skipped which means these devices may take some more time to receive the Android 4.3 update.

We hope that the new Android 4.3 becomes available to all the recent Xperia devices very soon.  Sony has been quite slow in releasing the updates. Now is the time to release updates to stay in competition with the market leaders.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Update not a Major Update from 4.2.2 Android

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With Google finally announcing its Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update, it’s now time for the device manufacturers to act and update their hardware respectively. The above is already applicable to the Nexus device range which includes the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and the Nexus 10 (official intimation have started reaching out in some regions) while Sony too has come up with the list of devices to be upgraded to Android 4.3 jelly bean.

However, Samsung seems to be least perturbed with the change of events and has stated they will reveal their plans to upgrade their devices at an appropriate time. Android Jelly Bean version 4.3 may not be a big upgrade over the older version Android 4.2.2, and hence, there is not much to be missed. But still there is hope among the users of Samsung Galaxy S3 that the company might keep them updated.

Samsung-Galaxy-S3

Meanwhile, some of the recent developments show that Samsung has firmed up plans of skipping the Android 4.2.2 update and instead has plans of rolling out the 4.3 version sometime in November. Samsung has not confirmed the news yet though an Australian carrier has claimed to have received word from the South Korean manufacturer about skipping the Android 4.2.2 update for the Galaxy Note 2 in favor of the more recent 4.3 version of Jelly Bean. That the same approach will also be applicable to all regions and more devices including the Galaxy S3 is all too evident. Further, a recent leak from Samsung India has revealed the Android 4.3 build for the Galaxy S3.

As such, there is not much for Samsung Galaxy S3 owners to do at this point, other than waiting for the South Korean electronics biggie to reveal something more definitive on this.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Update for Galaxy S2 won’t Come from Samsung

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With Google having announced the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean version which will remain in vogue until the Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is launched, manufacturers the world over have engaged in a mad rush to update their hardware to the latest software build. Key Lime Pie is rumored for a release not before early 2014, which means the current Android version will remain the latest version for several months now. However, while the devices that are still fresh in the market can be sure of their elevation to the Android 4.3 version, those that has been there in the market for quite some time may not be fortunate enough to be provided with the 4.3 update.

Galaxy-S2-Jelly-Bean

Take for instance the Galaxy S2 which was launched by Samsung amidst much fanfare in 2011. However, while the South Korean manufacturer has already made it known they are committed to providing updates to the latest software build for the smartphones and tablet devices it has launched last year, the same might not be extended to the devices it launched way back in 2011, which virtually rules out the latest Android flavor 4.3 jelly bean for the Galaxy S2. The S2 had started out with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has subsequently been updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with the latter having being made available this January itself. However, it’s Android 4.2.2 where the update saga for the S2 is expected to come to an end.

So its features such as Daydream, Quick Settings, new enhanced notifications area as well as the new TouchWiz user interface that users of the Galaxy S2 can look forward to at the most. That said, it is not the lack of Android 4.3 Jelly Ben update for the S2 that is likely to hurt users of the said device the most but Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie which is touted to be a comprehensive improvement over the current Android version.

Google Nexus 4 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Update – Manual Downloads Available

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Google’s Android head, Sunder Pichai had stated the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for the Nexus devices will be out the same day the latest Android build was released. It was on Wednesday last and three days later, things obviously have not turned out the way it should have been. Instead, Google has resorted to using the ‘coming soon’ tag and has revised the schedule of the coming of the Android 4.3 to the Nexus 4 to the next few days. Other devices that are also awaiting the coming of the Android 4.3 update are the Nexus 7, Nexus 10 as well as the Google Nexus.

However, before it gets too disappointing, the above applies to the update being pushed over the air since the update has already emerged online and can be downloaded manually.

NEXUS 4

However, before beginning with the download process, users will have to ensure they have Android Android 4.2.2 (JDQ39) build running on their devices. Also of course, the usual pre installation guideline of creating a backup of the device is extremely necessary to prevent nasty surprises later on. The official intimation of the update is still being sent out and it be a couple of days more for the same to make it to every Nexus device out there.

As for the update itself, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean version might not be anything to get too excited about as it marks a rather small improvement over Android 4.2.2. Among the new features to look out for include better parental controls who can now restrict the usage of app or games they deem unfit for this kid’s use and so on. The Android 4.3 build will however be faster than the current version.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, New Nexus 7 2 Release Date Discussed

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With the new head of Android and Chrome, Sundar Pichai set to reveal it all (read Android 4.3 Jelly Bean as well as the new Nexus 7 2) at an event in San Francisco, we take a closer look at what enthusiastic buyers can expect of the new Android version as well as the new gen Nexus 7 tablet.

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Android 4.3, to begin with is expected to come out with minor updates over Android 2.2.2 Jelly Bean and was originally expected at the Google I/O event in May. Mentioned here are a collection of new features that could part of the latest Android version

A Much Improved Performance

Lot of improvements in the performance aspect is expected and the initial reports do suggest a positive link to that thought. Users are expecting Project Butter like enhancements from Google in Android 4.3 that increased system performance in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the first time.

Dialer Auto complete

The auto complete option for the dialers that helps user to save time is there in the Android 4.3. Dialler settings are the source to turn on this feature as Xda user krypta points out. Auto complete option is a common feature in the skinned versions of Android and this will be the first time it will probably be included in the stock Android. The attractive part of this feature is that users will be able to see the suggested numbers and contacts when they start dialing. A small but handy feature, it must be said.

New Emoji

The keyboard is updated with the latest Emoji, which resemble closely to emoticons used in chat. There will also be new nature Emoji as well and will surely fun to use.

Wi-Fi Always On

This new feature will enable the user to keep the wireless on at all times, even if it has been switched on via the quick settings. This is to save power as it is more efficient than to switch on the energy sapping GPS chip. Also, such a feature will come in handy for those apps that need the coarse location and nothing more.

Bluetooth LE

Users do expect a Bluetooth LE support in the latest release that would make it easier for Nike Fuel Band, Jawbone Up and other Bluetooth devices to work with Android devices. The supporting list is currently small and that includes phones like Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S4, along with a few others. Android 4.3 and Bluetooth LE should take concrete steps to fix the issue of a broader support which may not be initially possible but would take place in the long run. The next round of smart accessories and fitness accessories will support the android devices.

Better Camera App

The new camera App looks similar to the video that it displayed earlier in the year. Some of the prominent changes here include new Kernel, new touch drivers for the Nexus 4 and font changes. There is no clock symbol on the  status bar when users activate lock screen. New widgets are expected though the company has kept it as a secret.

Now coming to the Nexus 7 2, the tablet has already been revealed in a leaked images and while its sports looks similar to its first gen avatar, the device is believed to be more slim and light this time round. Specs wise, the Nexus 7 2 will feature a quad core chip. A much imporved 7 inch display that now boasts of a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, front 2 mp and rear 5 mp camera along with of course Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Expect more soon.

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For Galaxy Note 2 Skipped, Android 4.3 Update by Samsung Instead

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Samsung has some good news and some bad news rolled into one. To begin with the bad news, the Android 4.2.2 update for Galaxy Note 2 device is reported to have been scrapped. However, the good news supersedes this as Samsung is reported to be working instead on the Android 4.3 update, which will be even more up-to-date.

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Now, the above if true will make a lot of sense considering Android 4.3 will be the newest Android version and will be in relevance till Android 5 Key Lime Pie comes on to the scene. There already are rumors of Google launching Android 5 during early 2014. A confirmation to this effect has been received by the Australian carrier Telstra though such a development is unlikely to be localized to any particular region. No specific time lines have been mentioned either.

Samsung is yet to officially confirm any of these developments but has assured owners of its Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 devices that they are committed to introducing the update to the latest Android versions. This will include not only the stock Android version but will also include the updated TouchWiz user interface. Such a line of thought will also save Samsung from having to devote its resources into developing the Android 4.3 update soon after they have done with Android 4.2.2.

Samsung meanwhile is expected to launch its Note 3 device on Sept 4, just 2 days before the IFA event kicks off. However, there is no reason to believe the Note 2 will fade into oblivion once its successor is launched. Moe so when Samsung has made it known they will continue to provide updates as and when they come along.

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For HTC One Now Being Rolled Out

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The HTC One is no doubt one of the best smartphone that your hard earned money can buy right now. It has got the looks, the build and above all, the attitude of a true performer. However, the one area where HTC One has lost the lead vis-à-vis its staunch rival, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the operating system. While the S4 comes pre-loaded with the newest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right from day one, the HTC One made do with Android 4.1.2 version. Although it is not too big a deal considering Sense 5 that comes with the HTC One covers most of the default Android UI features, the fact is it still lacked some features. The Taiwanese manufacturer too had announced the Android 4.2.2 update will be made available soon after the smartphone is launched. Fortunately, the day has arrived and according to an announcement made by HTC, the update is being made available around the world.

HTC One

As per the latest on this, Android version 4.2.2 is to reach out to the Scandinavian and Taiwan countries, but is also expected that other nations will follow soon thereafter. Those using the HTC One can also go through the settings panel and check whether the update option is available or not. The 465MB update comes with quite a few goodies to look forward to. The list includes a latest lock screen style as well as widget, launch bar enhancements, modified behavior of the home keys, widget panel rearrangements, the inclusion of quick settings, AF/AE camera arrangements along with a battery percentage indicator placed in the status bar. Lastly, there is also an option for removing the black menu bar. Similar to the HTC One X/S after updating the Jelly Bean version, those owning HTC One can map the multitask button in order to make it act like a menu key.

Galaxy S4 Mini with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean 4.3 inch Screen Released by Samsung

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The official launch of the Galaxy S4 Mini is well in accord with rumors and predictions about the existence of the device. The surprise element is that the announcement comes a bit earlier than expected – most predictions pointed to a June 20th launch at the London event.

As expected, the Galaxy S4 Mini is a miniature version of the flagship Galaxy S4, and the launch pattern is similar to that of last year’s Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S3 Mini. The S4 Mini is a budget-friendly option yet harmonious with the high-end design and features of the Galaxy S4. It will be available in black and white colors, and pricing has yet to be announced.

Galaxy-S4-Mini-white

The Galaxy S4 Mini measures 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94 mm and boasts a 4.3-inch screen compared to the 4.99-inch screen of the Galaxy S4. It is still larger than the iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen. Its resolution is qHD 960 x 540 compared to Full HD 1920 x 1080 of the Galaxy S4.

The Galaxy S4 Mini is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, most probably Snapdragon 400 SoC, and 1.5 GB RAM. The 8GB internal storage is expandable to 64GB via microSD. Camera features are impressive – 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera. The 1,900mAh battery is removable.

The S4 Mini runs on Android 4.2.2 OS and comes loaded with many of the features of the S4, such as TouchWiz Nature UI. Android 4.2.2 has a good number of enhancements including better interface and speed. Pre-loaded apps include S Travel, ChatOn, Group Play, S Health and S Translator, among others.

The device will come in three versions namely, a 3G version, 4G LTE version and 3G dual-SIM version. Connectivity features include dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GLONASS and GPS. Will the other Galaxy S4 models wait till June 20th or make it earlier?