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Refresh Roundup: week of May 14th, 2012

zachary lutz
Updated ·6 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

  • Sony Xperia S: It shouldn't be long now... said the monkey as he backed into the fan. But seriously, Sony has confirmed that Xperia S owners may expect their Ice Cream Sandwich delivery by early June, and there's even a small chance that the update will make its way out by the end of the month. [Ubergizmo]

  • LG Revolution: Verizon is sending out a small update for this handset that's said to bring security improvements, resolve an issue that'd caused duplicate text messages to be received, and will allow users to properly send picture mail messages when connected to a WiFi network. In this update, the Revolution will also receive support for the Wireless Alerting System. [Android Police]

  • ASUS Eee Pad Transformer: While it's a small update, software version 9.2.1.24 brings Face Unlock to the ASUS TF101 tablet. [Droid Life]

  • Motorola Xoom WiFi: While Motorola has left Canada a bit behind the curve with this device, it's now made Android 4.0.3 available as an OTA download for owners of this tablet up north. [Android Central]

  • HTC One S: We reported last week of an update that was made available for the unlocked, unbranded version of HTC's mid-range handset. Said to fix issues with WiFi connectivity, the same update is now available for Three subscribers in the UK. [Android Central]

  • Motorola: The manufacturer has updated its roadmap for the delivery of Ice Cream Sandwich in the US. Now, the Droid RAZR, Droid RAZR Maxx and Xoom WiFi + 3G devices are slated for a Q2 rollout, whereas the Xyboard 8.2, Xyboard 10.1, Atrix 2, Atrix 4G, Droid 4 and Bionic are all scheduled to receive the update in Q3. Similarly, Motorola has confirmed that both the Droid 3 and Droid X2 won't receive the Android 4.0 update. [Phandroid, Android Central]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

  • HTC Sensation: Nightly builds of CyanogenMod 9 are now available for this device formerly known as the Pyramid. [Android Life]

  • Samsung Nexus S 4G: A ROM developer known as fergie716 has successfully built a version of MIUI complete with WiMAX support. The addition is a bit of a holy grail for some, as the implementation of WiMAX into this custom ROM has been notoriously difficult. [Thanks, decalex] [MIUIAndroid]

  • Motorola Droid Bionic: Merely Gingerbread is being served up with this leaked build, but if you want to join the bleeding edge, version 5.9.905 will take you there. As a special precaution here, users who've previously upgraded beyond the current stock release will need to downgrade to version .902 to install this one properly. [Droid Life]

  • HTC Rezound: We've known for a while now that this Verizon smartphone supports global roaming (after a bit of coaxing), but a new ROM known as Venasaur is now available for the Rezound that enables this support with zero headache. [Droid Life]

  • Motorola Xoom 4G: Thanks to its new build servers, the CyanogenMod team has been able to significantly step up its efforts for the nightly deliveries of CyanogenMod 9. Motorola's first LTE tablet is now the latest beneficiary of these Ice Cream Sandwich builds. [Droid Life]

  • HTC One X: AT&T has yet to push out the most recent update for its premiere smartphone, which is said to improve battery life and fix a WiFi glitch. The software has been available on the international scene for nearly a month now, and most recently, a leaked version of the update for Ma Bell handsets has made its way into the wild. If you'd prefer to not wait, you can download it today. [Brief Mobile]

Other platforms

  • Apple iOS 5.1.1: Pod2g has provided a status update for his untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1.1. If everything goes according to plans, the only device he won't be able to support is the latest Apple TV. [Pocketnow]

  • BlackBerry Curve 9350: BlackBerry OS version 7.1.0.355 is now available for owners of this entry-level handset through C Spire Wireless. [N4BB]

  • BlackBerry Bold 9930: Like it's similarly done for the Curve 9350, C Spire Wireless has made BlackBerry OS version 7.1.0.355 available for users of this premium smartphone. [CrackBerry]

  • Nokia Lumia 710: A new, fully unlocked custom ROM is available for this Windows Phone handset known as Metro Rock. It brings the ability to sideload XAP files directly from within the browser, adds Bluetooth file transfer and allows for tethering. Additionally, the ROM removes Nokia's custom apps and replaces Bing with Google as the default search engine. [WMPoweruser]

  • BlackBerry Curve 9320: Brightpoint in Australia has made BlackBerry OS version 7.1.0.398 available as a download for Curve 9320 owners. [N4BB]

Refreshes we covered this week