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Refresh Roundup: week of April 2nd, 2012

zachary lutz
Updated ·5 min read

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!



Official Android updates

  • LG Optimus S: Sprint finally released its re-worked build of Gingerbread for the Optimus S this week. Along with the new version of Android, the update brings a handful of bug fixes that relate to charging the device, unmounting the microSD card and establishing a proper volume during phone calls. Hey, it's better late than never. [Android Central]

  • Samsung Galaxy S II: Optus subscribers in Australia received the Ice Cream Sandwich update for their Galaxy S II handsets this week, which was made available via Samsung's Kies service. One proud user went so far as to make a video of the latest goodies. [Thanks, Nick] [YouTube]

  • Samsung Nexus S: We understand the thrills of custom ROMs, but if you ever want to return your Nexus S to a stock build, a new round of updates from Google will help you do just that. The most noteworthy release is Android 4.0.4 (Build IMM76D) for the Nexus S GT-I9020A -- in other words, the model that supports AT&T's 3G bands. Likewise, it's released the recovery ROM of Android 2.3.7 (Build GWK74) for Nexus S 4G owners, along with Android 2.3.6 (Build GRK39F) for the Korean SHW-M200 variant. [Android Police]

  • Samsung Galaxy M Style: Samsung delivered a firmware update via Kies this week that adds support for Face Unlock and brings a new photo editor. [Samsung Tomorrow (translated)]

  • Samsung Conquer 4G: Want to remove Carrier IQ from your phone? Thanks to the latest "security fix" from Sprint, you can blast it to bits with a few easy clicks. This update will also remove several bundled live wallpapers. [Android Police]

  • Samsung Galaxy Note: Last week, we reported that Bell Mobility would deliver the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Galaxy Note this month. Unfortunately, the Android 4.0 release has since been bumped to May. [MobileSyrup]

  • Pantech Crossover: Gingerbread has finally arrived for this QWERTY slider. Unfortunately, the update isn't available over-the-air, and even worse, Mac users will need to seek out a friend with a PC to help with the install. The update is also said to resolve two known power management bugs. [Unwired View, Pantech]

  • Samsung Infuse 4G: AT&T is giving another go at delivering Gingerbread for the Infuse 4G. While the update was first made available in January, it was subsequently pulled in February. Once again available via Samsung Kies, the refresh brings Android 2.3.6 to the table, adds an option for airplane mode to the notification window and delivers a new traffic widget. Also, Google Books has been added to the mix, and likewise, the bundled version of Angry Birds has been removed. [Android Central]

  • Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket: AT&T resumed its delivery of Android 2.3.6 for the Skyrocket this week, after its previous attempt in February met with failure. [Thanks, Andrew] [Android Community]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

  • Android 4.0: Motorola's ICS launcher has leaked into the wild, and so long as you've got a rooted handset with Ice Cream Sandwich, you should be able to take it for a spin. [Android Community]

  • HTC Rezound: A custom ROM has been released for the Rezound, complete with Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 4.0. The only significant bug is its lack of Bluetooth support. So, if Sense 3.6 has left you less than satisfied, this could be a worthwhile project to follow. [Droid Life]

Refreshes we covered this week