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Refresh Roundup: week of July 9th, 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

  • HTC Desire HD: We usually start out the weekly roundup with good news. This time, we're doing the opposite -- you know, to mix things up. Unfortunately, Telus has announced the cancellation of its planned Android 4.0 update for the Desire HD. The move comes as a bit of a shock, as the carrier has previously committed to a July 25th delivery. [MobileSyrup]

  • HTC Rezound: In response to customer inquiry, HTC states that Rezound owners can expect an update to Android 4.0 at the end of July. [Thanks, Aschrauth]

  • Samsung Galaxy Note: Similar to the recent arrival of Ice Cream Sandwich in the US, Canadian users of the Galaxy Note are now eligible for the Ice Cream Sandwich update, which has been made available to customers of Bell, Rogers and Telus. Not to stop in Canada, the international Galaxy Note is now eligible for an update to Android 4.0.4, which introduces the ability to play videos in a pop-up window and the ability to unlock the phone with your signature. [Android Central 1, 2]

  • Samsung Galaxy S III: Like the update that recently went out to Sprint users, AT&T is sending out a minor software revision to Galaxy S III users that's said to disable universal search. If it's any solace, the update is also said to include a new version of the baseband software. [Android Central]

  • Toshiba AT200: Toshiba had promised back in March that it would update its AT200 tablet to Android 4.0, and now, that day has come. While the rollout is currently limited, the software is said to be available for download in the Netherlands. [Unwired View]

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus: Last week, we saw the arrival of Android 4.0 for the Galaxy Tab 7.7, and now, a similar bit of ICS love has arrived for the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. [Android Central]

  • Motorola Photon 4G: Sprint sent out a small update to the Photon 4G this week that enables 1080p video capture and brings WiFi hotspot enhancements. Users will also find it easier to import contacts from the microSD card, along with improved music playback. [TechnoBuffalo]

  • HTC One S: Bell is sending out an update for HTC's middle-of-the-road smartphone, which is said to improve WiFi performance and the MediaLink user experience. [MobileSyrup]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

  • Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR Maxx: Another week, another leaked, pre-release ICS build for the Droid RAZR. This one features a new kernel and is said to resolve battery life issues that had existed in the official Android 4.0 build. [Android Central]

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus: The folks at Droid Life have put together a nice guide of some of the better ROMs available for the Galaxy Nexus that are based on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). For those who'd like a good place to start, both Jelly Belly and Peter Alfonso's Bugless Beast ROMs come highly recommended. [Droid Life 1, 2]

  • ASUS Transformer Pad TF300: Last week, we announced the arrival of CyanogenMod nightlies for this tablet, but if you're already bored, then you might consider an AOSP port of Jelly Bean for the TF300. The ROM is said to be extremely experimental at this point -- and the camera doesn't work at all -- but that's half the fun, right? [Android Community]

  • Nexus Root Toolkit: A reader wanted to tip everyone onto this nice bit of software that supports all versions of the Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7. Known as Nexus Root Toolkit, the program can be used to easily unlock and root Nexus devices, and can also return them to stock and re-lock the bootloader. What's more, it can also be used to flash ROMs, create backups, install apps and set file permissions. [Thanks, Mike] [Nexus Tablet Forum]

  • Samsung Galaxy S III: The CyanogenMod team has announced official support for the AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile variants of the Galaxy S III, along with those from Bell, Rogers, Telus, Mobilicity and Wind. [DroidDog, MobileSyrup]

Other platforms

  • Nokia Belle: Word has it that Nokia is slowly making a new update available for Symbian Belle phones that enables a new "Upload to SkyDrive feature." For the impatient type, you'll find a link to manually install the update through unofficial means. [My Nokia Blog]

  • Nokia Lumia 900: AT&T has announced its plans to deliver the Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh for the Lumia 900. Also known as Tango, the update is expected to arrive in the next few weeks. [PhoneArena]

  • HTC HD7 and LG Optimus Quantum: Bell Mobility is now pushing out the Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh for these two smartphones. [MobileSyrup]

  • BlackBerry Bold 9790: Telus has made BlackBerry OS 7.1.0.523 available for download. [MobileSyrup]

Refreshes we covered this week