HTC Incredible S, Desire HD, Desire Z and Desire Goes Gingerbread this Q2

The Gingerbread is coming, the Gingerbread is coming! HTC, one of Apple’s fiercest competition in the smartphone category, just brought out the big guns to their aging phones as they unveiled that their resilient Desire line-up, the Desire HD, Desire Z and the Desire, along with the new Incredible S will get the Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread update by the end of Q2 of 2011.

We’re switching from one dessert to another folks as the HTC phones move from Froyo to Gingerbread. Yes, looks like HTC still has some love for their Desire series, especially the original Desire, despite the onslaught of new smartphones storming their way month after month. Looks like Desire people don’t have to worry about their phones being ancient history just yet.

Android Market Welcomes E-Books; Are Movies and Music Next?

Over the past week, Android lovers has been in a frantic frenzy (Gadg is well aware of its redundancy) with the rise of new Android Market URLS which fixated us on two, to be specific: http://market.android.com/music/ and http://market.android.com/movies/. But before we go crazy over the two yet-to-be-functioning URLs, let’s give some love as we welcome [...]

Dell’s Tablet and Smartphone Line-up for 2011 Leaked; Android Ice Cream, Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 Devices Coming This Year

WPCentral and Android Central has just leaked some alleged Dell smartphone and tablet line-up for 2011 and it looks like things are going to get Dell-licious this year as the Windows Phone 7, the Android Ice Cream and Windows 8 is landing on the company’s tablet and smartphone devices by mid-year to Q1 of 2012. Dell’s also got some subtle surprises in the next couple of months with the Venue (Android Froyo), Venue Pro (WP7) and Venue Pro MLK (WP7)

Remember that some of the names are only for internal purposes and won’t necessarily reflect the name of the product once it goes into full-throttle. Check out the complete roadmaps after the break!

Froyo Update for Samsung Epic 4G Still in the Works

After saying that the Android 2.2 Froyo update for Samsung Epic 4G is due last December 26, Sprint has still not pushed the update. However, the data carrier Tweeted that they are working to release the Froyo for EPIC 4G soon. Unfortunately, no dates are floating around. People should also take note that it’s Samsung update we’re talking about. With their poor track record of pushing official software updates on their mobile devices, the word “soon” could mean anything.

What are your thoughts on this delay? Drop your insights by leaving a comment.

Dell Streak is Coming to Froyo

The Dell Streak will start to ditch Android 1.6, and will go to 2.2 very soon. The Android 2.2 update will initially roll out in UK by the end of the month and will move to other regions from there. Along with the Android update, Dell Streak will also have Flash 10.1, Wi-Fi hotspot, Stage UI and a list of new features. Moreover, Dell will be offering a backup and restore app to preserve a user data after the updates. Once the update is available, a notification on the right of the phone should appear. Another interesting rumor is that Dell Streak will be available in new colors too! But aside from the Android 2.2 update, there are no other news posted.

Seems like more will be revealed, so don’t forget to check back at Gadg more often.

Sharp will Release 3D Android Phones in Japan

The 3D phenomenon is really on the rise. This technology is now its to dominate mobile phones.  But it does not mean users have to wear 3D glasses while using your mobile phone. Sharp found a solution in two unique Android mobile phones —Galapagos 003SH and 005SH.

The mobile phones sport 1GHz Snapdragon CPUs, Android 2.2, and a 3.8-inch 3D-capable display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution. This marks the first 3D mobile phone in the industry. With large touch screens just like other Touch phones, these devices are capable of 3D.

Capcom announced the 3D release of Mega Man, Ghosts ‘n Goblins: Gold Knights, and Resident Evil: Degeneration for Android. These games will be tested via the Galapagos.

The 3D phone is coming to Japan’s Softbank by December while the other one on February 2011.

Introducing the Archos 70 Android Tablet

After Archos 101 Android Tablet, it seems like the manufacturer has a new tablet to offer. The Archos 70 Android Internet Tablet sports a 7-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, Android 2.2, 1GHz Cortex A8 processor and graphics accelerator, and 250GB hard drive. More over, it also features a 8GB flash drive, microSD/SDHC card slot, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and WiFi 802.11b/g/n. The Archos 70 also has a USB port, HDMI output, frontal VGA camera, microphone, built-in-speaker and stand, and a G sensor. As for the price, the 8GB model will cost $274.99, while 250GB model is priced at $349.99. There are no information for the release date as of the moment.

More product information are posted after the skip.

LG Drops Plan to Release an Android 2.2 Tablet

Last Monday, LG Electronics Inc. scrapped its plan to release a tablet computer based on Google’s Android 2.2 for the next quarter. According to an LG official:

“We plan to introduce a tablet that runs on the most reliable Android version … We are in talks with Google to decide on the most suitable version for our tablet and that is not Froyo 2.2.”

The decision might delay the roll out of LG’s first tablet PC which might cause another setback to the South Korean company. Being the world’s third largest mobile phone maker, LG is a slow poke in terms of booming smartphone market. LG’s smartphone, Optimus One, is yet to reach its one million unit sales mark and is betting that Android-based smartphones can help them get back to the recovery path. But with LG seeking to boost its loss-making handset division, their new tablet may come in too late to a suddenly crowded market led by Apple’s iPad.

Gmail’s Android App Gets a Froyo Facelift

The Gmail Android App has gotten a whole new make over for devices running on Froyo OS. Gmail’s new version for Android provides users more access to content such as quoted text, replies and threaded messages. In addition to that, the latest Gmail feature – Priority Inbox – is also supported on Froyo-enabled devices. Owners of Froyo hand-held devices can also add shortcut to “Important” on their phone’s home screen. Other than Gmail features, there are also some improvements on user interface. The bar featuring the most important actions, for instance, sticks to the top of the screen no matter how down low you scroll.

When it comes to mobile experience, Gmail was significantly inferior in the recent past. However, this Gmail’s Android App iteration might make it a much more efficient and productive application.

If you’re using a Froyo device, get the new and free Gmail Android App from the Android Market, and don’t forget to comment on your mobile experience below.

Motorola Warning: Do Not Load the Leaked 2.2 Upgrade

Motorola Support Forum posted a warning about users who load the leaked 2.2 upgrade that has been roaming around the web. According to the forum, there is no official path for the load that will be included in the upcoming upgrade this coming September. Do not be lured about the increased performance it can give. Otherwise, you might be stuck on the leaked version. The new Droid X has already a new software update, and it will give your phones some great benefits. In an effort to spare the owners of Droid X from the pain that other people undergo, Motorola made a list of items that they are working on.

1. Owners who can’t setup their Exchange Accounts, or who can get their e-mail but don’t get any notifications, on their Xs will be addressed in the Android 2.2 update set for early September.

2. Some users find that using Smart Profile will make their phone lose its voice. Setting it up on vibrator mode, will no longer make their phone ring anymore. If you are encountering this problem, Motorola listed a simple recovery steps to reset your settings.

3. The company is also making a change for deleting text messages, since many users gave their feedback that such feature is not a nice experience.

4. They are also planning to increase the Droid X’s volume in an upcoming software update.

5. Motorola already confirmed that VPN encryption is not working. However, PPTP encryption will be enabled in the software update, and they are working on fixes for other VPN versions

6. Motorola and Verizon already released a statement about flickering screens. If you are experiencing such problem, check out if your phone matches the criteria for an exchange.

7. Some owners reported that their camera shutter freezes and can only see black screen. If you are one of them, you might want to check if your phone is qualified for a swap.

It seems that Motorola is not happy that anyone would hack and tweak one of their handsets. That’s why it is not a surprise that they are going to cut the owners with leaked 2.2 upgrade from their official software improvement. But isn’t it the risk that one really takes? Being stuck with a leaked version of a firmware that promises unlimited features? What do you think?