What you see above is a document leaked to Engadget, showing that Android 2.2 (Froyo) is about to roll out for the HTC Evo 4G as early as this weekend.  Supposedly an announcement will be made tomorrow, and the software will be made available for users to download and manually install as a sort of test bed.  Along with the update comes all sorts of new widgets and features -- flashlights, upgraded video recording quality (720p!), LED flash during video capture, and more.  Looks like I'll be getting up early tomorrow to hopefully hear an announcement and download some Froyo for my Evo.  Engadget has a gallery of the rest of the document right HERE, it's chock full o' changes.  Now let's hope this pans out and we're not just getting set up for another disappointment.  [Engadget]

Posted originally at Android Central

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We've already seen the mysterious (and as-yet unannounced) myTouch 3G HD, which is rumored to be T-Mobile's first HSPA+ phone, from the front. Looks like the same tipster fed TmoNews the back of the device. 

No word yet on if these pictures are real or if this is in fact T-Mobile's first HSPA+ phone. T-Mobile is keeping their lips sealed on this one, so it's likely we won't know for a while. But we're likely to see more of this before release, we reckon. Does the back of the phone change any opinions you had about the device prior? [TmoNews]

Posted originally at Android Central

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HTC’s European representative, Mark Moons, let it slip through a tweet that there’s a chance Froyo will begin rollout to their many devices starting with HTC Desires in the Netherlands as soon as tomorrow. A Dutch tech news site, tweakers.net comments that, “the update will start Thursday, but due to a limit on bandwidth it will be a gradual rollout” again, that’s if they have all the kinks worked out and are ready to roll out this highly anticipated update. Nonetheless we can all be sure that all  Desire owners in the Netherlands will be checking for updates nonstop tomorrow. [via engadget and tweakers.net]

Posted originally at Android Central

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Sprint this morning announced its second-quarter earnings, and more than a few investors likely had to be picked up off the floor after learning that the carrier had a net gain in subscribers for the first time in three years.

We'll let that soak in for a second. Sprint gained more subscribers than it lost. For the first quarter in three years. (That's, like, a lot of quarters.) There were a total of 111,000 subscribers gained in Q2, which also happens to be when the Evo 4G, Sprint's largest (and currently best) Android smartphone was released.

Money-wise, Sprint saw $8 billion in revenue but a net loss of $760 million, which it attributes to some long-winded financial thingy you can read all about if you want. [Sprint]

Posted originally at Android Central

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We know all you T-Mobile fans are waiting with bated breath over what's going to be the carrier's first HSPA+ phone for its updated network.  One train of thought is that it'll be the as-yet-unannounced HTC Vision/Blaze. Let's throw something new into the mix. Above is what our tipster says is the myTouch 3G HD, and indeed it does seem to match the shape of that mystery T-Mobile HSPA+ phone silhouetted at TMo's website [via PhoneScoop].

But, wait, there's more. Source code for the HSPA+ site [via BGR] originally made use of the "Vanguard" code name, which we've seen before and was widely believed to have been the HTC Vision/Blaze. That Vanguard reference is now missing, which could mean that it was a true leak, or it could mean that it was just wrong. Or maybe it means what we see above is the Vanguard. Who knows?

But let's return our attention to that tall-drink of black-slab water you see above, which at least "feels" like more than a fan-rendered mockup (though that's still a possibility). That's definitely a sizable touchscreen, and the Genius button introduced on the myTouch 3G Slide is back, alongside physical home, menu and back buttons (matching what's on the myTouch 3G Slide, along with the trackpad). We're thinking that button on the side is slaved to the camera. And speaking of cameras, is that a front-facing job up there next to the earpiece?

Anyhoo, for now we'll have to wait and see what comes out of it all. Anybody licking their chops over this one? Thanks, C!

Posted originally at Android Central

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The G1. The founding father of Android as we know it today has finally been removed from the T-Mobile website. This device has had quite a run since its launch in the fall of 2008, and we have seen a lot more happen for this device then we ever thought imaginable. The original Android device, the one running "only" a 528MHz processor, may have not been anywhere near the top in comparison to other device specs, but this will be a device that no one will ever forget. From the protoype demo by Andy Rubin to the leaked specs to the long awaited release the device will surely never be forgotten, heck it even landed itself a 2.1 based ROM for all the faithful users. Now, let's all take a minute to remember our fallen soldier. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Posted originally at Android Central

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HTC recently announced it was going to start outfitting certain handsets with SLCD screens rather than AMOLED, due to short supply of the latter. The SLCD screens may be easier more plentiful, but do they look as nice? The people over at Howard Forums put them to a test in a video comparison, with a Nexus One sporting an AMOLED screen, an HTC Desire with S-LCD, a Motorola Milestone with regular LCD and a Samsung Wave with Super-AMOLED. 

The conclusions:

All the displays were really good, they all had decent colour and respectable viewing angles. The super AMOLED was noticeably less reflective than the others and was blacker with the best viewing angles. Super LCD had similar detail in the rock face video and had a superior horizontal viewing angle compared to a regular AMOLED display. The AMOLED had slightly better blacks (you can't tell from the video - sorry) and slightly better vertical viewing angles. Both Super LCD and AMOLED were very reflective.

Can't wait to get our hands on some. Check out video of the test after the break. [HowardForums via Slashgear]

Posted originally at Android Central

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The Mobi Products skin case for the Sprint Evo 4G protects your Evo from bumps and scratches and feels great in the hand while doing it.  Made of some secret variety of rubber, it feels like silicon without the slipperiness.  It wraps your phone completely, leaving only the touchscreen, capacitive buttons, and the speaker grille (including LED and prox/light sensors) uncovered for ease of use and maximum protection.  The skin has cutouts for all the ports and microphone, as well as the kickstand, camera/flash and rear speaker.  Most importantly for the Evo 4G, the skin is thick enough so that laying the phone on it's back still keep the camera lens from making contact with whatever surface it's laying on.  This alone makes the Mobi skin a perfect case for your Evo.

The material is also coated in a special anti-dust and anti-slip coating, and this is one time that a product lives up to it's billing.  I live on a dirt road, and everything in the office collects dust -- everything but this case that is.  It will grab a little pocket lint, but a quick shake (after taking your phone out of course!) and a flick of the finger will send that lint straight to oblivion.

The fit is great, tight enough to stay on while slipping in and out of your pocket, but easy to put on by stretching it around the four corners of your phone.  The sides wrap completely around the bezel, and should offer great protection from an occasional bump on the corners.  The Mobi Products skin case is available in several colors at the Android Central Store for $9.95.  There's a slew of other pics after the break, check em out.

Posted originally at Android Central

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This isn't the first time we've seen the fabled (and unannounced) HTC Vision, but this one looks a little more finished, and with T-Mobile branding to boot, and the tipster who sent it to Engadget notes that it may well be called the G1 Blaze when all is said and done. One big question still hanging over the phone's head is whether we're talking T-Mobile Europe or T-Mobile U.S. (And if it's the latter, will this be the rumored HSPA+ device?) Rumored specs are largely what you'd expected -- 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen and 1GHz processor. And with that, we wait. [Engadget]

Posted originally at Android Central

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Call the Nexus One what you want -- failed experiment, iClone, ahead of its time, whatever. We'll call it a solid phone, born from Google's desire to "shake up" the smartphone market, both in terms of available hardware and the way it was sold to consumers. Some of it worked. Some of it didn't.

We're not going to recap the life of every Android smartphone when it gets replaced. That would be silly. But the Nexus One was Google's earnest attempt to change things, and it deserves a final send-off, which is marginally less silly. And so, after the break, a Nexus One retrospective.

Posted originally at Android Central

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