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HTC confirms Gingerbread for four handsets, including new Incredible S

HTC has confirmed that at least four of its existing Android smartphones will see Gingerbread in the second quarter of this year. A company representative informed SlashGear that update would arrive on the Desire, the Desire HD (the global version of the Evo 4G), the Desire Z (the global version of the T-Mobile G2), and the forthcoming Incredible S.

Looking at HTC's track record for releases, I might also look for Gingerbread to come to Sprint's Evo 4G, Verizon's Droid Incredible, and a few others. What's more, I anticipate that the Wildfire S and Desire S will get Android 2.3 as well, considering they, too, were announced at Mobile World Congress earlier this month.

As mentioned, the T-Mobile G2 and myTouch 4G are U.S. versions of the Desire Z and Desire HD, so expect those handsets to get the update as well. Depending on how far apart the Android updates get, these phones should be powerful enough to handle another release or two.… Read more

Two months later, the Nexus One gets Gingerbread

More than two months after making its debut with the Nexus S, Gingerbread is finally coming to the Nexus One.

Readers may recall hearing back in December that the HTC handset would see Android 2.3 within a "few weeks." The same time frame was given more than once, ultimately resulting in a few months' wait time.

However, the official word of the Gingerbread update came courtesy of the Google Nexus Twitter account last night, where it advised Nexus One owners to be patient. According to them, it may take a few weeks for the over-the-air update to … Read more

Game on: Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play (photos)

It's game time. At Mobile World Congress, CNET got a thumbs-and-eyeballs-on look at the much-anticipated Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, the official name of the long-rumored "PlayStation phone."

Unlike the unsettling Frankenstein-esque nightmare of a Super Bowl ad, the Xperia Play's Android 2.3 Gingerbread-plus-PlayStation duo is much cooler in the non-mutilated flesh. See for yourself in our gallery.

Next-gen Samsung Galaxy S II unveiled

BARCELONA, Spain--As promised, Samsung unveiled its next-generation Galaxy S smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2011 today.

Dubbed the Samsung Galaxy S II, the handset improves on its predecessor in a number of ways. First, you've got the addition of a dual-core processor. We were originally told by the company that it was using Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset but were later informed that it was Samsung's own chip; unfortunately, further details were not provided at the event but generally speaking you should see faster performance and graphics.

It also runs the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but unlike … Read more

LG readying mobile payment system in Europe

European consumers may finally be able to pay for items via their smartphones next year, through a system under development by LG Electronics.

LG's system would use a combination of near-field communication (NFC) and cloud computing to allow certain retailers in Europe to accept payments from customers using NFC-equipped smartphones. Scheduled to launch sometime in 2012, the system would also find its way into interactive TVs and security products sold by LG, Reuters reported this week.

"The point-of-sale technology, which will be targeted at small and medium-sized businesses..., is currently in beta testing," Jin-Yong Kim, vice president … Read more

preGame 36: LittleBigPlanet 2

preGame is starting 2011 off with a bang, bringing LittleBigPlanet 2 to the show an entire week before it's released. Join us as we demo a few early levels of the game and discuss some of the newest features to hit the franchise.

But first, Mark and Jeff recap CES 2011 with talk about the highly anticipated portable console from Nintendo, the 3DS. Jeff had some hands-on with the 3D glasses-less device in Las Vegas, so tune in to hear his impressions and thoughts.

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame … Read more

LG promises Gingerbread support for Optimus handsets

LG is offering up a double dose of good news today, both relating to the Optimus One line of handsets.

After shaking up the Android community earlier this week with whispers of not supporting Android 2.3 for its Optimus line, LG issued a statement to CNET yesterday that confirmed that a Gingerbread upgrade is in the works.

"LG will upgrade all Optimus One smartphones currently using the Froyo OS to the next version of the Android OS, Gingerbread," the statement said. "Details of the upgrade schedule will be announced locally in due course. We sincerely apologize … Read more

Six things not to love about the Nexus S

As promising as the new Samsung Nexus S sounds, there are a few notable issues that might give some potential buyers pause for concern. Yes, the Nexus S could rank as a premier smartphone when it arrives given its new NFC chip, contour display, and Gingerbread, but the advantages over its Nexus One predecessor aren't many.

I think it's only fair to point out some of the items that aren't quite what I expected out of Google. I've spent considerable time playing with various iterations of the Galaxy S line of phones and have found them to be some of the best devices Android has to offer. If you ask me, any one of them would be worth your money, and I hoped that the Nexus S will be on par with its Samsung siblings. But after I compiled the below list, I'm not so sure.

Here six reasons why I'm disappointed with the unveiling of the Nexus S. While none of these are deal breakers for me personally, they might be for someone else. … Read more

When will you get a Gingerbread update?

We can't blame you for getting excited about Google's official Gingerbread announcement--also known as Android 2.3--and all it contains. That said, we wouldn't hold our breath over seeing an Android 2.3 update immediately pop up.

Yes, purchasers of the Google Nexus S will be the first to use the Gingerbread OS update--it'll be available at Best Buy stores in the U.S. starting December 16 and from Carphone Warehouse in the U.K. on December 20. (The Samsung-made Nexus S will cost $529 or with a two-year contract with T-Mobile for $199.)

Everyone … Read more

Android 2.3's 'Gingerbread' OS: What's inside

We've been talking about Android 2.3--code-name Gingerbread--for so long, this morning's Google's co-announcement with Samsung of the Gingerbread-powered Nexus S was frankly anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, version 2.3 of the operating system that's taking the mobile world by storm is a significant next step in Android's evolution.

While there are plenty of user interface changes (we'll get to those), some of the more esoteric back-end changes are also the most impactful to the Gingerbread recipe, especially those that will boost mobile gaming and make two-way video chatting open to all.

On the gaming … Read more