Rumored HTC phablet may land soon

Samsung and LG have already embraced the tiny-tablet form factor. It only makes sense that HTC would want to carve out a niche of this niche for themselves. Rumors of a five-inch HTC device have been circulating for some time, but now a report from DigiTimes is lending some credence to those murmurings, and a mysterious handset from the Taiwanese manufacturer has popped up over at GLBenchmark. According to unnamed sources the company has been working on a flagship level (One XXL?) device with a stunning 1794 x 1080, due to be released in either September or October. If you're taking that claim with a grain of salt, we don't blame you. But, an entry for the HTC 6435LVW that just popped up at GLBenchmark.com seems to fit the billy pretty nicely. It has the same listed resolution, which we assume is actually a 1920 x 1080 panel with room set aside for Android's soft keys. The device info has it running ICS, version 4.0.4 to be specific, on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 -- which should make it quite the powerful piece of hardware. The software build also singles it out as a Verizon handset, which means it'll be packing an LTE radio as well. Whether the rumored stylus is included, a la the Flyer, remains to be seen, but, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out for sure.

After Focus for Android Brings DSLR-Like Options to Your Phone

Android: If you want your image backgrounds to blur or apply the Bokeh effect After Focus is a free and easy way to get effects usually reserved for much more expensive cameras.
After your shot is taken the app you can select which areas of your photo to blur and to what degree by drawing lines with your finger to indicate the point of focus. There are also several other image aftereffects.
There is a pro version for $1.99 that adds support for images up to 2048 pixels, edge-feathering, creating double photos, and more filters.
If you want some of the effects of Instagram but don't want a social network experience this app might be up your alley. With over 6,000 positive reviews on Google Play you may want to give it a try.

Google Updates The Gmail Android App, Now Works Better With 7-inch Tabs

The latest Gmail Android app update brings several new features, but this is a must-have for 7-inch tablets. Google slightly reworked the UI and it now works better with 7-inch tablets. Previously, when in landscape mode, the app would occasionally abruptly cut off messages. That’s now fixed for 7-inch tablets running Android 4.0 or later. But sorry, kids, the app is still missing pinch-to-zoom within messages.
The new version also brings a new label API for 3rd-party developers, a feature likely related to homescreen widgets.
This update comes a few weeks after Google released the Nexus 7 to the retail market. Users quickly discovered that Gmail, one of the Nexus 7′s core apps, wasn’t as polished as shiny as it should have been. The updated version is now available from Google Play, which should apply the appropriate sheen to the app.

Ice Cream Sandwich now on 16 percent of Android phones

Google continues to see solid growth in uptake of Ice Cream Sandwich, but Android 4.0 is still a long way off trouncing Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Ice Cream Sandwich's share of the Android market continues to grow rapidly, with the operating system now present on nearly 16 percent of all Android phones.
Ice Cream Sandwich has more than doubled its distribution share over the space of a single month -- variants of Android 4.0 have risen from a combined total of 7.1 percent to 15.9 percent, according to figures from Google.
Gingerbread, version 2.3 -- first released in December 2010 -- remains the most popular Android version to date with more than 60 percent of the Android market.

The statistics show that Ice Cream Sandwich's successor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, is yet to make much headway. Announced at Google I/O in June, the Jelly Bean version of the mobile OS is now skirting the 1 percent mark.
Any boost to Jelly Bean's rankings will come from hardware partners dishing out upgrades to existing users: while Samsung and are rolling it out to some devices, Motorola, LG, and Sony have yet to announce Jelly Bean updates.
The data was collected from Android devices that access Google Play, the Android app store formerly known as the Android Market, during the two week period ending August 1.

 

Sony hoping to work Android 4.1 into Xperia line

Sony has not completely ruled out an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for its 2011 Xperia line, despite what the company may have told you just days ago.
A post on the company's blog today advises that it is "actively investigating" software updates for all of its devices and that 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich deployments still are on track.
Rumors spread quickly last week that Xperia models from 2011 wouldn't see an Android 4.1 update. A member of the Sony UK team hosted a Q&A with Facebook followers where he advised that the Xperia Arc S and a few other handsets would not be getting Jelly Bean. Fast-forward a few days and we've since learned that the rep "gave information out in error."
It's not immediately clear whether the agent was actually right or he let the news slip out in a very unofficial capacity. At this point, I'd be surprised if the left hand is talking to the right hand over at Sony. I suspect that some of the models released in the second half of 2011 will see 4.1, but those released early in the year may get snubbed. Sony was somewhat hesitant to push its Android smartphones stateside until just recently so I cannot imagine too many U.S. users worried about Jelly Bean.
Sony advises that users and interested parties keep an eye on its product blog where it will continue to outline details for Android 4.0 updates and beyond.

Samsung Galaxy S3 loses local search after 'stability' update

The latest update, earmarked to improve "stability," could in fact be considered a downgrade of the smartphone model.

Samsung is rolling out an update for its Galaxy S III smartphone that disables on-device search functionality.
According to Android Central, the over-the-air upgrade currently rolling out is described as a "stability" update and, although it brings system improvements, it also strips out the local search functionality from the device's inbuilt Google Search app.
Consequently, when S III owners conduct a web search on their smartphone, results generated from content stored locally on the device -- such as contacts -- will not be included.
Local search is reported to have been disabled on some U.S. S III devices, as well as on the unlocked international model.
The change is thought to be the result of the continuing patent spat between the South Korean company and Apple.
While Apple owns a patent that covers local searches, it has not been cited in the current legal battle. Samsung could well have just decided to go for the lesser of two evils -- limiting the functionality of the smartphone rather than face more legal wrangling over patents.

HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update officially cancelled

The HTC Desire HD isn't getting Ice Cream Sandwich after all. HTC has officially cancelled the software update for the popular phone, leaving owners stuck on Gingerbread.
HTC has led Desire HD owners a merry little dance in recent weeks. It was Canadian phone network Telus that first revealed the phone would not get Ice Cream Sandwich, a claim publicly denied by HTC. But now HTC has admitted that no update is forthcoming.
HTC says: "After extensive testing, we’ve determined that the current version of HTC Sense with Android provides customers with the best experience on the HTC Desire HD. When we consider new versions of software, we weigh a number of factors, but ultimately the customer experience on the product is the deciding factor. We apologize for any confusion this change may have caused our customers."
HTC is not the first manufacturer to suggest that Ice Cream Sandwich isn't always good for a phone: Motorola and Sony have both resorted to claiming the new software isn't even that good anyway, and you're better off with Gingerbread. Manufacturers have also claimed that modern phones are so complex it's hard to organise an update.
The Desire HD is two years old, which doesn't sound that old but in phone years is akin to shuffling round sheltered housing singing Al Jolson songs and forgetting to wear shoes. After two years, many owners will be nearing the end of their contracts and nearing upgrade time, so you can easily trade in your stale Gingerbread handset for an Ice Cream Sandwich or even Jelly Bean phone.
Still, it's pretty eye-opening that a piece of kit barely two years old can't handle what isn't even the latest software. After all, Ice Cream Sandwich is a year old itself, meaning phone and software don't get on despite being only a year apart.
HTC promises the Ice Cream Sandwich update is still on course for the Incredible and Incredible S, the Sensation family, and the Desire S. There's no word on Jelly Bean updates yet, but we expect another round of update confusion when that hits.