Amy Eichelberg

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus hasn’t officially launched on Verizon yet, but we now know that the operating system should be receiving an update within hours of its activation. According to the demo unit device pictured below, the update is indeed Android 4.0.2.  The build number is ICL53F and it is newer than the 4.0.1 (ITL41F) update. We’re not expecting drastic changes from Android 4.0.1, but rather minor last minute adjustments before tomorrow’s launch. Source

Finally, it’s official. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be available online and in stores starting December 15th (tomorrow) for $299 on contract. If you are more of an online shopper, the sale starts at 1AM EST, or if you’d rather not wait for any longer to get hands on with some Ice Cream Sandwich action, then hit up your closest Verizon retail store tomorrow. Continue reading below for the full press release. GALAXY™ NEXUS™ BY SAMSUNG NOW AVAILABLE ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK First Smartphone to Combine Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and the Power of America’s Fastest, Most Reliable 4G Network

It looks like Christmas is coming early for some lucky Verizon users, as the carrier is turning on the LTE switch in 11 new markets around the United States. The additional 11 markets will bring Verizon’s 4G LTE network to an impressive 190 total markets for 2011. Good stuff Verizon. If you have been patiently awaiting for the blazing fast 4G LTE speeds to make their way to your hometown, then check out the list below.  New Markets: Dover, DE Lafayette, IN Fitchburg/Leominster, MA Duluth, MN The Rochester Area, MN St. Cloud, MN Manchester/Nashua, NH Poughkeepsie, NY Findlay/Tiffin, OH Youngstown/Warren, OH Indiana, PN Expanding Markets: San

Perfect timing with the holidays right around the corner, as Skype for Android has received a notable upgrade. Now sharing all of those memorable gift opening moments with your friends and family across the country just got a little easier. The popular video calling app has now been updated to version 2.6, providing its loyal users the ability to share photos, videos and other files with their contacts. The update brings additional perks like enhanced video quality for devices running NVIDIA’s Tegra 2, and several new Android handsets, including the Motorola Droid 4 and Droid RAZR, are now supported by Skype. Don’t just

Now that AT&T has been issued a stay in their pending and publicly dramatic T-Mobile acquisition, wireless competitors Sprint and C-Spire have decided to withdraw their current suits to block the merger, for the time being. As reported by the Associated Press, On Monday, AT&T and the Justice Department agreed to cancel the antitrust trial scheduled for February while the wireless carriers determine the fate of their proposed merger, which has come under increasing government criticism that it would reduce competition and raise consumer prices. AT&T says it is considering along with T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany whether to revise the plan to win

While future Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus users imagine what life will be like once their Android 4.0 handset is actually released, Droid-Life was able to snag a blurrycam shot of the extended battery destined to join the device. The Galaxy Nexus will come equipped with a stock 1,850mAh battery, and the extended battery will boost it up to 2100mAh. Not overly impressive, but will certainly get the job done. Judging from the video clip, the extended battery isn’t obnoxiously large either, which makes it easier to purchase knowing it will aid in all of your future Ice Cream Sandwich fun. Check out the video above. Source

Microsoft has attempted to take a shot at Google by marketing a new promotion which offers free Windows Phone 7 devices to consumers which have been affected by malware found in Android applications. The promotion follows on the heels of recent reports that Google was forced to remove 22 apps from the Android Market due to the discovery of malicious code. Using the hashtag #DroidRage, here is what Microsoft’s Ben Rudolph tweeted about the new promo, “Share your Android malware story (there’s lots going around) and you could win a #windowsphone upgrade. #DroidRage”   Lookout, a mobile security firm, was responsible for

After receiving less than stellar 2011 sales numbers, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gaming device is now rumored to be in line for a complete overhaul. Appropriately dubbed the “Xperia Play 4G”, its moniker alludes to the 4G radio being the primary upgrade. Unfortunately, additional upgrade details remain scarce at this time. The good news is that Droid-Life obtained a leaked memo which suggests Sony Ericsson has already begun training its employees on the Xperia Play 4G. While an exact launch timeline is unclear, the company has hinted at launching new handsets during CES in January. Let’s hope we won’t have much longer until we can get our

Eager Apple developers received a treat today in the form of the second beta release for iOS 5.1. Build 9B5127c allows individul picture deletion from Photo Stream, which stands apart from the current delete all or nothing process. NEW: Photos taken using iOS 5.1 can be deleted from Photo Stream on your device and will be removed automatically from Photo Stream on your other iOS 5.1 devices. Older photos can be manually deleted from your iOS 5.1 devices. It’s unclear if the build corrects the remaining battery issues that some users are still reporting, but feel free to visit Apple’s developer website to grab the download

After several months of anticipation, Nokia has confirmed that the Lumia 710 began shipping out today. The Mango infused device can now be found in retail stores in Taiwan, alongside the already popular selling Lumia 800 handset. Over the next week, eager consumers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Russia, and India will be able to get their hands on Nokia’s latest Windows device, while the rest of us wait it out. Nokia plans to continue their rollout to the remaining global markets over the ‘coming weeks’. No word if the handset will make its way to T-Mobile USA, but we will keep you covered

When HP shockingly pulled the plug on their TouchPad and any other devices running the webOS platform, we assumed that we had seen the last of the ill-fated operating system. However, when HP replaced CEO Leo Apotheker with Meg Whitman, rumors began to run rampant that webOS may not be dead after all. We weren’t left waiting long for our answer, as HP has confirmed that they plan to support webOS through the open source community. Essentially, HP hopes to breathe new life into the platform by allowing both inside and outside developers the opprotunity to reinvigorate the software. Sadly, HP stands firm that they

Verizon confirmed today that the Motorola Droid XYBOARD tablets, in both the 10.1″ and the 8.2″ models, are available now online. However, if you are more of a hands on type of consumer, then mark your calendar for December 12th as the devices are scheduled to hit Verizon retail stores then. Both tablets sport an impressive spec roster with Both tablets feature top notch specs with 1.2GHz processors, 1GB of RAM, dual cameras, 4G LTE radios, and Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). Pricing starts at $429 with a contract, so interested consumers won’t find a bargain just yet on these tablets. DROID XYBOARD Tablets

Who doesn’t love a solid update for their Nokia? Well, the manufacturer has had their hands full as they just started to roll out the first update to for eager Lumia 800 owners everywhere.  Lumia 800 owners will need to sync their handset to Zune to receive the update, but the improved features are well worth it. Highlighted improvements include charging and audio quality improvements, and improved display switching in bright light. Additionally, the update provides notable enhancements to Nokia’s free web-based maps service. The 3D Maps, which are currently available in 25 cities, will sport improved navigation functions, sharing and search options. Nokia

Twitter has received a new look thanks to a complete redesign of its web portal and mobile apps centered around four new tabs, “Home”, “Connect”, “Discover”, and “Me”. The overhaul looks to have made Twitter less complicated to use, and provides its loyal users a more streamlined experience. Here is what the official Twitter blog had to say about the update, We’ll be rolling out the redesigned Twitter over the next few weeks. You can see it immediately on the just-updated versions of mobile.twitter.com, Twitter for iPhone, and Twitter for Android. You can get early access on your computer by

T-Mobile has finally confirmed a December 14th launch date for the highly anticipated white version of the Samsung Galaxy S II handset. Provided there are no unforseen delays, T-Mobile customers can mark their calendars for the 14th and expect to pay $230 for the white version, after a $50 rebate and with a contract. As a refresher, both black and white models of the Galaxy S II handsets sport a 4.5-inch screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, and an 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras.  T-Mobile users can look forward to 42Mbps HSPA+ data speeds, which secures their Galaxy S II model to be the