android
Verizon’s Sony Xperia Play Gets Update to Android 2.3.4
If you own the popular gaming smartphone, Sony Xperia Play from Verizon your long neglected device is in for a treat. Verizon has let slip information about an update for the phone with the build number 4.0.2.E.0.57. The update details which are etched alongside the illustration of the device above lists all the details you have to know. Given the leak, the update should be on its way to devices soon. The applications that have been updated with the build consists of the carrier’s own Wireless video on Demand which now comes preloaded, the Music Player now supports Fast Forward and Rewind when connected via Bluetooth, VZ Navigator has also been updated with what Verizon deems to be the latest 3D map improvements, and finally the carrier has improved user experience with a new delivery method of preloaded games.
As for the device itself, the update will upgrade the Android version on your Xperia Play to Gingerbread 2.3.4 and it has also brought a few added features like a long-press of the power button can capture a screenshot, the right trigger can now be used to capture pictures, Wireless Emergency Alerting System has been enabled with the device and Mobile Hotspot ID can now be turned off for increased security. With regards to a few issues users were facing, Verizon fixed the glitch which forced the device to be in landscape mode while charging, the ‘Recommended’ contacts now populate correctly when the dialer is open and finally 720p recording has been fixed to have continuous auto focus. If you own the gaming smartphone from Verizon, you might want to keep an eye out for the update which if the leak is accurate should be making its way out to you soon. According to the information provided, the update is 66MB in size.
The Fairphone 2 was first unveiled in June earlier this year, where this particular handset carried a modular design while featuring majority of its components that have been sourced from conflict-free mines. It seems that this particular handset that you can purchase with a clear conscience has begun to ship to those who happen to live across Europe.
Fairphone announced in a blog post, “It’s been almost two years in the making, and some of the earliest buyers have been patiently waiting since July to receive their new phones. As community manager, I want to personally welcome the new batch of Fairphone owners to our community.” The initial 1,000 units are tipped to ship this month, before the other pre-orders follow in January 2016.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Fairphone 2 will run on a Snapdragon 801 chipset, has a 5″ 1080p screen with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 2GB of RAM, an 8MP camera, with Android 5.1 Lollipop in tow. It will be a dual SIM capable handset with a microSD memory card slot and plays nice with 4G LTE networks, retailing for approximately €525 a pop.
It looks like the upcoming flagship model from Xiaomi will feature NFC support, at least based on a document that was released by China UnionPay. Just in case you are scratching your head and wondering who China UnionPay is, they happen to be the only domestic payment gateway supplier and card organization, and hence, to see them offer detailed support concerning the newly released NFC-based payment system points to the very real possibility of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 featuring NFC capability.
After all, the Xiaomi Mi 3 was also mentioned on the list, which so happens to feature NFC, and there is no mention of the Xiaomi Mi 4 which does not come with NFC. Still, such a new payment system would be the ideal tool to see the reintroduction of NFC to the flagship model.
OnePlus did make an announcement in the previous month that the Ceramic variant of the OnePlus X will be released on November 24. True to their word, they did exactly that – although only a pitiful number of units were made available, and not only that, this was through a charity auction. Thankfully for the rest of the masses who are on the lookout for this device, it has gone on sale officially already.
Needless to say, this particular variant is available only by an invitation, although do bear in mind that standard OnePlus X invites are not good here – you will still need to snag yourself a specific Ceramic variant invite before you make a purchase. OnePlus is also on the lookout to offer additional methods of picking up this smartphone, although no further details were revealed.
The OnePlus X Ceramic will be available only in select markets, where among them include Europe, India, and Hong Kong. To date, we do know that OnePlus had made only 10,000 units of the handset available. A case of the early bird getting the proverbial worm here?