The Samsung Galaxy S3 is about the most anticipated device of 2012, and it was only a matter of time before someone got a hold of all the new features it comes with. The guys at XDA Developers have managed to get the device’s full stock firmware, and it is now up for grabs.

Simply put, this is a gold mine for custom ROM developers. They will be able to take advantage of all software features, like Smart Stay and S-Voice. Devs are working on it as we speak, so let the fun begin.

We will also be able to extract all those .apk files. People have already extracted S-Voice and it is working with other devices. It does seem to have its fair share of issues, though. It should mostly work with other Samsung smartphones. Users can download it here if they are feeling adventurous.

If you want to download all 786 MB of Galaxy S3 glory, just head over to the XDA Developers thread and have at it! At least to look around until we start seeing it being ported to all other devices.

[Source: XDA Developers Via: Android Police]

Well Facebook just seems to be on a roll lately. The Social Network is purchasing companies left and right, with the most recent including Instagram and Lightbox. But now they have decided to acquire Karma, a social gifting app.

Simply put, Karma allows users to connect to Facebook via their app and send people gifts. Why would Facebook want this service? Surely, Facebook could further integrate this service to create more revenue from gift sales. Karma states that the app will continue to run as usual, but now with a stronger backbone.

It seems like the Social Network is trying to get its hands anywhere they can, so we would not be surprised to see Facebook purchasing more services soon. Meanwhile, people are getting upset at the Giant. Interesting concept: We can cry and kick all we want, but we can’t stop using Facebook. And it is spreading its wings to other areas of the inter webs now.

[Source: Karma Via: Engadget]

Sony’s plan to roll out Android 4.0.3 to the Tablet P in April may not have come to fruition, but the Japanese manufacturer is now stating that the Ice Cream Sandwich OTA update will be coming next week, on May 24th.

The Sony Tablet S had its update as promised, soon after Sony issued a press release in Japan. A global roll-out of the Ice Cream Sandwich was seen, and we can assume the same for the Tablet P. There might be some delays if you happen to have the AT&T version, though. The update has to go through the carrier before it hits your device.

Any device without Ice Cream Sandwich is considered outdated for most Android fans. Therefore, it is good to see that manufacturers are updating their products, even if a bit late. If you have been carrying this foldable tablet, let us know when/if the update hits your device!

[Source: Sony Via: Pocketnow]

Google’s acquisition of Motorola has seen a long process since it was first announced last August. The purchase has been given green light by the US and Europe, but China was taking its sweet time considering said acquisition. After a long wait, China has decided to approve said acquisition, but with one condition.

China has asked Google to keep Android free to other manufacturers for at least five years. This is to ensure that Google is not trying to monopolize the Android OS by only allowing Motorola to use the software freely.

Google and Motorola have both stated that there will be no major changes after the acquisition. Both companies will continue to run as they have been, and the main reason for this acquisition is Motorola’s large patent portfolio. According to Google, these patents will aid the Search Giant in protecting Android and its manufacturers from the patent wars.

With this victory, Google is now able to finalize the deal and it is expected to be closed next week. Only time will tell what changes we might see, but let’s hope good conclusions come out of this acquisition.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: The Verge]

If you like to eat at Chili’s, today might be good day to place an order. The chain is offering a free Android phone (alas, with a new 2-year agreement required) if you spend $25 or more while placing an order online. They have also launched a mobile app, but it’s only available once you get the new phone, at which time they’ll text you the download link.

[Chili's via Android Central]

This hasn’t been the best of weeks for the Android community. First, we had the import ban on the HTC One X and the Evo 4G LTE, then came the news of a ban on Motorola devices, and finally earlier today we were left wondering if the HTC ban is spreading to other devices after the “unforeseen issue” at T-Mobile with the Amaze 4G. To top it all off, Apple is now filing for injunction against Samsung in relation to the two companies’ legal tussle over the original Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The news comes just a couple of days before the May 21 and 22nd meetings between the two companies, which the court ordered to make them come to a settlement. If you want to know what caused this latest legal trouble, it’s related to that funny old design patent that Apple holds on a thin rectangular black screen, with the black bezel (also known as the iPad).

[Pocketnow]

Well, no one saw this coming: GameStop has launched a cellular service in the form of an AT&T MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Customers will have to bring their own devices, capable of working on AT&T’s bandwidth frequency, and will have pay-as-you-go plans from $5 to $55 upwards to choose from.

Details are a little unclear right now: TechCrunch says the $55 offer includes unlimited voice with limited data, which drops to $20 on a pay-as-you-go plan, while Engadget says all their plans are strictly pay-as-you-go, and that unlimited voice, text and 500 MB will cost $55. As I followed the source links on both their pages, it took me to a GameStop page which required required a username/password combo.

As such, we’ll have to wait to get the full information on this.

[TechCrunch via Engadget]

If the import ban on the HTC One X and the Evo 4G LTE wasn’t already a bitter pill to swallow for HTC, it looks like they’re in a bit more trouble than earlier anticipated. TmoNews were tipped off earlier today that customers who were looking to purchase a new Amaze 4G were being told that the device is unable due to “unforeseen issues”, and the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G was being offered as an alternative.

While there’s no arguing that the patent issue itself is the main problem, and that Apple has taken advantage of that, HTC must still take some blame for the ban. They knew months ago of the ruling, and they said they would remove the infringing features. It seems like they were trying to push their luck. Surely they didn’t just... forget?

[TmoNews via Engadget]

Well, the good news is that creating various carrier variants isn’t slowing down the Samsung Galaxy S III’s launch in the US by too much. However, the bad news for those looking to use the phone on T-Mobile’s network is that you might have to do without LTE.

While it’s a bit understandable considering T-Mo won’t have an up and running 4G LTE network until 2013, I’m sure there would have been a few people who would have wished it was at least capable of LTE, so that they don’t require a new device next year.

On a side-note, we had all pretty much taken it for granted that the US variants of the Galaxy S III would have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor, thanks to the onboard LTE. That probably means that T-Mobile’s variant comes with Samsung’s own quad core Exynos instead.

If that were to be the case, would you be interested in T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S III? Or is LTE a must-have?

[via TmoNews]

A 10-inch Kindle Fire has been rumored for a long, long time. It was even believed that the first generation Amazon tablet would come in both the 7-inch and 10-inch flavors, until Amazon scrapped the larger version to focus on one device, and on keeping the price down.

It worked brilliantly for the company, with the Fire believed to hold over 50% of the Android tablet marketshare. However, Digitimes has reported that there might be a 10-inch version coming after all, and might as early as the 3rd quarter of the year. Amazon, it says, wants to go head-to-head with the other larger Android tablets and the Apple iPad, and as with the original Fire, is looking to undercut the competition by pricing the device at about $300.

How many of you would be interested in a 10-inch Fire? Personally, I could never opt for an Android device outside Google’s ecosystem, but with an attractive price and good hardware, I could be tempted.

[via Wired]

The Samsung Galaxy S III has been rooted ahead of launch…sort of. A developer going by the alias of Chainfire has successfully achieved root with the device’s release candidate firmware but never even had GS3 in hand. Instead he took advantage of a leaked software build and did the rooting virtually. The good news is that if Samsung doesn’t make any adjustments to the phone’s kernel rooting will be an easy process once users have the new Galaxy in hand. The whole process required only reloading the kernel with an altered adb binary and then manually installing SuperUser.

Chainfire isn’t making the build he is working with available to the public, and there is still time for Samsung to change things up. For now, it seems like the Korean smartphone maker has decided to forego adding extra hurdles for developers when it comes to rooting the Galaxy S III.

[via AndroidPolice]

The ITC is passing down judgement in a patent spat between Motorola and Microsoft, and the decision doesn’t fall in the Android smartphone manufacturer’s favor. After an initial ruling in December of last year found Moto guilty of infringing on at least one of seven Microsoft patents, the international body has agreed and ordered a import ban. Motorola is blocked from bringing new shipments of their smartphones, which include the Droid RAZR, into the US. Given the damage this could have on the company’s sales, it is likely the two parties will attempt to reach some sort of licensing deal before all is said and done.

[via Engadget]

Verizon wasn’t shy to tease global roaming capabilities for a number of 4G LTE smartphones, including the LG Spectrum and Motorola DROID 4. Months later it looks like at least one handset is just about ready to do some globetrotting. An info sheet on display for the HTC Rezound mentions that the ability to use the phone in 185 countries is “coming soon” with a “global feature.” From the wording, it sounds like users may have to pay for a global plan to unlock the world-ready radios already built in to the handset.

Employees are being told to post up similar in-store info sheets for the Motorola DROID RAZR and Droid 4, so we could see the feature on all three phones very soon.

[via DroidLife]

What do David Beckham, the Olympic anthem “Bugler’s Dream,” and the Samsung Galaxy Note have in common? If you answered “a newly leaked advertising tie-in for the upcoming Olympic Games to be held in London,” well, you’d be correct. Samsung teased the new TV spot on its Facebook page earlier today, but the full ad subsequently leaked to the internet, initially appearing on Twitter.

Along with the ad  Samsung is teasing something for March 22nd. We’re likely looking at another Olympics-related event rather than a device or software announcement. Samsung is playing a large part in sponsoring the London games this summer, so expect plenty more ads like this to be in our future.

[via AndroidCentral]

Motorola has update their upgrade schedule for devices in the US giving us a better idea of when to expect Android 4.0 for a range of smartphones and tablets. Motorola DROID RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX owners will be first to see the official version of Ice Cream Sandwich along with the WiFi + 3G Motorola XOOM tablet this quarter. With Q3 approaching rapidly the update shouldn’t be too far off.

Most other major devices are expected to receive their upgrade to ICS next quarter, with the Droid XYBOARDs, Atrix 4G and Atrix 2, and Droid 4 and Droid Bionic set to receive the update in Q3. The adjusted timeline also confirms that the Droid 3 and Droid X2 won’t receive an upgrade to Android 4.0, which comes as disappointing news for owners of the handsets that were released within the last year. For everyone else it will soon be time to start anxiously refreshing your system updates screen in hopes that a nice, chilled dessert will be waiting for you.

[via DroidLife]

It looks like another build for the Motorola DROID BIONIC has leaked. It’s not Ice Cream Sandwich, but it is yet another update that should make the device that much smoother. And we’re sure these updates are all preparing the phone for the transition to Android 4.0 before too long. Users should be happy that this phone is getting the attention it gets considering how bad it was when it first launched.

The DROID Bionic has evolved into a very stable phone over time, though, and it can still go toe to toe with many of Verizon’s current devices. In any case, you can go ahead and flash this update if you want. It’s build 5.9.905 but it requires .902 to properly flash. Find an SBF file that will take you back to .902 here, and instructions and download links for the leaked .905 build are here. [via Droid-Life]

Something odd is going on with the Google Wallet app. After a recent update the app appears to be requesting root access, though the initial report is that nothing has changed within Google Wallet that would need root access.

Some suggest Google is doing this to check if a phone is rooted or not so they can deny access, but the app has worked for some whether they grant it access or not.

Another odd thing is that some people were not able to use the app after allowing it root access, but were able to use it once they disallowed it. In other words, we have no idea what’s going on with Google Wallet. Nothing in the changelog suggests Google made this change intentionally. It’s just one big mind scrambler. How is it acting for the lot of you? [via Droid-Life]

Virgin Mobile is running an interesting promotion to get people to buy their newly-launched LG Optimus Elite. They’re giving $25 of Google Wallet credit to use at participating retailers and shops.

This is no doubt a promotion to highlight the device’s NFC chip and to encourage users to try out mobile payments, a fairly new field of technology for American consumers. You’ll first get $10, and another $15 will show up after three weeks of the device being activated.

If you return the phone before then, you’ll lose out on the full promotion. This ends in July so you have a fair amount of time to take advantage.

Don’t forget that you’ll also get a $35 account bonus good for one month. That specific promotion is for new customers only and it ends on the 30th of this month. Head to Virgin’s site to get started and read on for full press details.

The Ultimate Pay Phone

MAKE YOUR VIRGIN MOBILE LG OPTIMUS ELITE YOUR WALLET AND GET $25

From 5/18/12 through 7/18/12, you can get $25 credited to your Google Wallet™ account by first purchasing and activating an LG Optimus Elite™.

Then activate your Google Wallet and Google Wallet prepaid card within 7 days of activating the device on a Virgin Mobile USA Beyond Talk monthly plan.

With Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities and built-in services like Google Wallet, you can now use your LG Optimus Elite like never before - as a wallet – making it one of the fastest, easiest and flat-out coolest ways to make a purchase at participating retailers.

For more information on the LG Optimus Elite:

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/lg-optimus-elite-phone.jsp

For more information on Google Wallet:

http://www.google.com/wallet/what-is-google-wallet.html

Limited time offer, promotion runs from 5/18/2012 through 7/18/2012 ("Promotion Period"). Not available in all markets/retail locations. $25 Google Wallet offer Terms and Conditions: Offer requires: (1) purchase of a new LG Optimus Elite from Virgin Mobile and activation on a Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk account; and (2) activation and set up of Google Wallet prepaid card within seven (7) days of Virgin Mobile account activation, during the Promotion Period. Upon successful activation, Google™ will: (i) add a $10 credit to the Google Wallet prepaid card within 48 hours of activation; and (ii) add an additional $15.00 credit to the Google Wallet prepaid card within three weeks of successful activation and set up. No personal credit card information is required for offer to apply. To see where Google Wallet is accepted, please go to http://www.google.com/wallet/where-it-works.html. NOTE: Credits applied toward Google Wallet accounts are performed by Google or its designees. For more questions or inquiries about this offer, or about the status of your credit, please call Google Wallet: 855-492-5538. Other restrictions apply.

©2012 Virgin Mobile USA, L.P. All rights reserved. VIRGIN and the Virgin signature logo are registered trademarks of Virgin Enterprises Limited and are used under license. The LG Electronics, Inc. and Optimus Elite logo are registered trademarks of LG Electronics, Inc. The Google logo and Google Wallet is a trademark of Google Inc. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

While a proper Android-based computer has yet to form in a practical way, this new option is a viable alternative for its price. It’s the $74 MK802 stick from retailer All Express. The device comes with Android 4.0, apparently, and while the listing’s title mentions “Google TV,” we can’t seem to figure out whether or not that’s the Google TV we all know and love or just an SEO trick.

The device is equipped with hardware that can be found inside a mid-range phone. It’s sporting a 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB o RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 1080p playback capabilities and more. If the 4GB of storage is a little on the low side, fret not: a microSD card slot is available for expanding storage up to 32GB.

WiFi is included for downloading apps and browsing the web, and it all hooks up to your monitor or TV using an HDMI port (cable not included). It’s an interesting device for $74.  If the development community gets their hands on it this could become an inexpensive, yet functional Google TV module. I wouldn’t fully bet on that, of course, but it’s possible. Find it at All Express. [via Electronista]

If you didn’t know, Samsung introduced some alternate colors for the Samsung Galaxy Note. Unfortunately, those alternate colors only launched in Korea. Well, it looks like parts of Europe are about to get in on the fun as Carphone Warehouse have pegged June 2012 as the launch date for the berry pink version in the UK. You can sign up to be notified of its arrival if you’re into it. Head to Carphone Warehouse to do just that. [Recombu via Android Central]