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Just yesterday, we reported that XDA Elite Recognized Developer Chainfire had triumphantly rooted the Samsung Galaxy S III, sight unseen. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better for Samsung’s new flagship, things have.

XDA Recognized Developer Faryaab has now shared with us the official I9300XXALE8 firmware for the much anticipated device. The firmware itself is carrier unbranded, and is based on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Naturally, it also dons Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz interface, which we highlighted in our hands-on with the SGS3 in London just a few weeks ago.

The leaked firmware is important for two reasons. First, it will help future SGS3 owners in the event that they need an original firmware to restore from. Secondly, and perhaps more interestingly, the leaked SGS3 firmware will more than likely serve as the base for many porting efforts, given the interesting user interface tweaks and gestures we saw in our time with the device.

Base Firmware: I9300XXALE8 (4.0.4)
Region Europe
Carrier: Unbranded
Build Date: 13th May 2012
Modem: XXLE8
CSC: OJVALE7
Change List: 554452

Instructions For Flashing Firmware:

• Extract the firmware
• Open the included Odin
• Put your device in Recovery MODE (Home + Volume up + Power)
• Wipe Data/Factory reset
• Wipe Cache
• Take Out Your battery & put it back in
• Put your device into Download MODE (Home + Volume Down + Power)
• Click PDA and select *.tar.md5
• Then finally click START! 

Developers wishing to get in on the action and future hopeful SGS3 owners can find the goods in the release thread.

[Thanks to Faryaab for the tip!]

You’ve heard a lot of talk about the ASUS PadFone, the famous hybrid between a phone and tablet… Well, here it is in the video below, previewed by our sister site, Tablet-News.com. The handset part of this hybrid looks particularly appealing, with a metallic edge around the handset, a very clean facade and a nice insertion mechanism for the tablet.

The combo between the two will set you back 699 euros, if recent rumors are to be believed and the launch is supposed to go down in late May, at least in Europe. Aside from the tablet and handset, you can attach a keyboard dock to the device, that is rumored to cost 149 euros. The PadFone handset features a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display with qHD resolution, an 8 megapixel camera at the back and a Snapdragon S4 dual core processor at 1.5 GHz. That’s actually the CPU powering both devices, once the handset is inserted into the tablet.

The PadFone measures 9.2 mm in waistline, it weighs 192 grams and it felt extremely light in the hand of the Tablet News folks. Its battery is a 1.520 mAh unit and while it may seem feeble considering that the Droid RAZR MAXX has twice the capacity, know that the PadFone Station tablet will increase its capacity 5 fold and with the dock it goes to 9 fold. Over the following days Tablet News will also offer a review for this prototype, so stay tuned!

Related posts:

1. ASUS PadFone Pictures Leak: Phone Inside a Tablet!
2. MWC 2012: ASUS Announces PadFone, Transformer Pad 300 Affordable Quad Core Tablet, Infinity Series
3. MWC 2012: ASUS Keynote at MWC, in Barcelona – Full Version Here (Video)

Last year, in a short while after Steve Jobs’ passing there was a theory that the Apple guru was less involved in the making of the iPhone 4S and more in the creation of the iPhone 5. This time, Bloomberg has a piece on this matter, making us believe it’s a real thing.

Many news outlets have claimed that the new iPhone will stray from the 3.5 incher format and give us a 4 inch or even 4.5 inch display. Reuters and Bloomberg, plus WSJ were among them, so we tend to believe them. It also appears that the new Apple handset will get a total redesign, once imagined by Jobs and it will include a new antenna system and a new case, made mostly of glass and aluminum. The sixth iPhone is expected to include a larger 4 inch display and 4G LTE connectivity.

We’ve also heard a theory saying that the new iPhone could use a Liquidmetal case, a quad core Apple A6 processor and maybe even a better camera. One thing is for sure: Apple fans will be pleased to know that their beloved Steve Jobs was involved in making their new iPhone.

Related posts:

1. Steve Jobs Shows Future Apple HQ – Spaceship Style! (Video)
2. Steve Jobs Could Have Been Involved in iPhone 5 Project
3. Steve Jobs Convinced We’ll Dig the new iPhone

Last year, in a short while after Steve Jobs’ passing there was a theory that the Apple guru was less involved in the making of the iPhone 4S and more in the creation of the iPhone 5. This time, Bloomberg has a piece on this matter, making us believe it’s a real thing.

Many news outlets have claimed that the new iPhone will stray from the 3.5 incher format and give us a 4 inch or even 4.5 inch display. Reuters and Bloomberg, plus WSJ were among them, so we tend to believe them. It also appears that the new Apple handset will get a total redesign, once imagined by Jobs and it will include a new antenna system and a new case, made mostly of glass and aluminum. The sixth iPhone is expected to include a larger 4 inch display and 4G LTE connectivity.

We’ve also heard a theory saying that the new iPhone could use a Liquidmetal case, a quad core Apple A6 processor and maybe even a better camera. One thing is for sure: Apple fans will be pleased to know that their beloved Steve Jobs was involved in making their new iPhone.

Related posts:

1. Steve Jobs Shows Future Apple HQ – Spaceship Style! (Video)
2. Steve Jobs Could Have Been Involved in iPhone 5 Project
3. Steve Jobs Convinced We’ll Dig the new iPhone

Motorola has updated its release time frame for Android 4.0 ICS updates for a bunch of devices, including the Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX and the Bionic. It appears that in the USA the Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX will get their share of dessert before the second quarter ends.

The 3G model of the Xoom will also be updated during the same time frame, while Q3 will bring Android 4.0 to the following devices: 8.2 inch and 10.1 inch Xyboard tablets, Droid 4 and the Droid Bionic. Sad news for owners of the Droid 3 and X3, who won’t be receiving the updates at all and will be stuck with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Luckily, they can use custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod 9, or simply wait for the good will of Motorola, that may feel kind enough to release a “value pack”.

The devices that are getting ICS were also listed back in February, under the category evaluation and planning, so they’re pretty much certain. It’s a pity to see that Motorola couldn’t move faster, especially since they’re part of Google now and they should have some priority.

Related posts:

1. Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX Get Software Updates, Not ICS!
2. Android 4.0 New Build Leaked for Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX
3. Android 4.0 Delayed for Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX, HTC Rezound Should Get It Today

Motorola has updated its release time frame for Android 4.0 ICS updates for a bunch of devices, including the Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX and the Bionic. It appears that in the USA the Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX will get their share of dessert before the second quarter ends.

The 3G model of the Xoom will also be updated during the same time frame, while Q3 will bring Android 4.0 to the following devices: 8.2 inch and 10.1 inch Xyboard tablets, Droid 4 and the Droid Bionic. Sad news for owners of the Droid 3 and X3, who won’t be receiving the updates at all and will be stuck with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Luckily, they can use custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod 9, or simply wait for the good will of Motorola, that may feel kind enough to release a “value pack”.

The devices that are getting ICS were also listed back in February, under the category evaluation and planning, so they’re pretty much certain. It’s a pity to see that Motorola couldn’t move faster, especially since they’re part of Google now and they should have some priority.

Related posts:

1. Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX Get Software Updates, Not ICS!
2. Android 4.0 New Build Leaked for Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX
3. Android 4.0 Delayed for Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX, HTC Rezound Should Get It Today

Dish has been tranquil about facing a longer FCC review period for its planned LTE-based 4G network, and now we might have an idea as to why. The satellite TV giant is telling the FCC that it only expects coverage to reach up to 60 million potential customers “within four years,” or about 2016 — six years after MetroPCS and Verizon first flicked their respective 4G switches. This is also assuming that the 3GPP cellular standards group clears the AWS-4 frequency band for LTE use. There’s speculation that Dish is giving the extra time so that it can sell the spectrum later, but we’d take the safe road and assume Dish is serious. After all, AT&T wouldn’t be trying to set tough conditions for Dish’s LTE if it didn’t think there was possibly significant competition on the way.

Dish warns the FCC its 4G LTE might come in earnest as late as 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GigaOM  |  FCC (PDF)  | Email this | Comments


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If your device runs a stock ROM, whether that might be a leaked version of the latest impending update or simply a rooted version of the devices current official firmware, chances are it’s going to include a certain amount of “bloat.” You know, those apps and widgets that OEMs feel are oh-so-important to the overall user experience. The fact is though that most of us disagree, and could quite happily live without most of them. There are many different ways to remove them, but if you find yourself regularly repeating that same process everytime you update your device, this might be of interest to you.

XDA Recognized Developer / Contributor eaglerazor123 has written a simple script to automatically strip out anything you might not want with just a few clicks. The script itself is based around a Samsung firmware for the Samsung Galaxy R, but to adapt it to any other device is simply a case of tweaking the list of .apk files. Once you’ve made these changes, you have a very simple and quick way of de-bloating any ROM you flash in the future. As an added bonus, once the bloat is removed you are given the option to install any .apk. This is handy if you removed something like the TouchWiz launcher and need to install a replacement.

You’ll need a rooted device with a custom recovery and ADB set up to take advantage of this script. You can find the full set of instructions in the original thread.

If your device runs a stock ROM, whether that might be a leaked version of the latest impending update or simply a rooted version of the devices current official firmware, chances are it’s going to include a certain amount of “bloat.” You know, those apps and widgets that OEMs feel are oh-so-important to the overall user experience. The fact is though that most of us disagree, and could quite happily live without most of them. There are many different ways to remove them, but if you find yourself regularly repeating that same process everytime you update your device, this might be of interest to you.

XDA Recognized Developer / Contributor eaglerazor123 has written a simple script to automatically strip out anything you might not want with just a few clicks. The script itself is based around a Samsung firmware for the Samsung Galaxy R, but to adapt it to any other device is simply a case of tweaking the list of .apk files. Once you’ve made these changes, you have a very simple and quick way of de-bloating any ROM you flash in the future. As an added bonus, once the bloat is removed you are given the option to install any .apk. This is handy if you removed something like the TouchWiz launcher and need to install a replacement.

You’ll need a rooted device with a custom recovery and ADB set up to take advantage of this script. You can find the full set of instructions in the original thread.

Hot off the heels of the One X and EVO 4G LTE spending some prolonged time at customs, now another member of HTC’s sensational family appears to be feeling the rigorous effects of the ITC. According to a recent email acquired by TmoNews, it looks as if the Magenta carrier is delaying shipments of the HTC Amaze 4G in the US, saying it’s facing “an unforeseen issue with receiving the product from the manufacturer,” and that it doesn’t know when the handset will be up for grabs again. What’s also interesting here, however, is T-Mobile going as far as recommending Sammy’s Galaxy S Blaze 4G as a substitute — which, let’s face it, can’t be good news for HTC. Here’s to hoping this all gets sorted out relatively soon. In the meantime, you can check out the aforementioned email in its entirety at the source below.

T-Mo delays HTC Amaze 4G online orders due to ‘unforeseen issue,’ has other recommendations originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TmoNews  | Email this | Comments


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Hot off the heels of the One X and EVO 4G LTE spending some prolonged time at customs, now another member of HTC’s sensational family appears to be feeling the rigorous effects of the ITC. According to a recent email acquired by TmoNews, it looks as if the Magenta carrier is delaying shipments of the HTC Amaze 4G in the US, saying it’s facing “an unforeseen issue with receiving the product from the manufacturer,” and that it doesn’t know when the handset will be up for grabs again. What’s also interesting here, however, is T-Mobile going as far as recommending Sammy’s Galaxy S Blaze 4G as a substitute — which, let’s face it, can’t be good news for HTC. Here’s to hoping this all gets sorted out relatively soon. In the meantime, you can check out the aforementioned email in its entirety at the source below.

T-Mo delays HTC Amaze 4G online orders due to ‘unforeseen issue,’ has other recommendations originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TmoNews  | Email this | Comments


Go to Source

Hot off the heels of the One X and EVO 4G LTE spending some prolonged time at customs, now another member of HTC’s sensational family appears to be feeling the rigorous effects of the ITC. According to a recent email acquired by TmoNews, it looks as if the Magenta carrier is delaying shipments of the HTC Amaze 4G in the US, saying it’s facing “an unforeseen issue with receiving the product from the manufacturer,” and that it doesn’t know when the handset will be up for grabs again. What’s also interesting here, however, is T-Mobile going as far as recommending Sammy’s Galaxy S Blaze 4G as a substitute — which, let’s face it, can’t be good news for HTC. Here’s to hoping this all gets sorted out relatively soon. In the meantime, you can check out the aforementioned email in its entirety at the source below.

T-Mo delays HTC Amaze 4G online orders due to ‘unforeseen issue,’ has other recommendations originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TmoNews  | Email this | Comments


Go to Source