Three UK launches HTC Desire C, available on PAYG for £150

British network Three is the first mobile operator to launch HTC's latest budget handset, the Desire C. Announced just a couple of weeks ago, the Desire C is the successor to HTC's budget-busting Wildfire range. It's got a 600MHz CPU, a 3.5-inch HVGA display and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And being an HTC Sense 4 phone, it also ships with Beats Audio software enhancements. There's also a 5MP rear camera, though no front-facer, so video calling is out of the question. So it's not going to set the world alight, but the Desire C looks like a decent little budget handset.

Three's offering the Desire C for free on contracts starting at just £13 per month, or if you want to buy it outright, the PAYG price is an equally reasonable £150, when purchased with an initial £15 top-up. The network's selling the Desire C in black and white, and the phone is available to order online and in-store from today.

Source: Three UK; More: HTC Desire C gallery

HTC Desire C now available in the UK

As expected, the HTC Desire C is now available in the UK and will soon make its way to other countries across Europe. The HTC Desire C is the latest budget-friendly Android 4.0 handset from HTC. When you say budget-friendly, we’re talking about a free phone paired with a £13 (roughly $20) monthly contract which gives you 100 minutes, 5,000 texts and 250MB of monthly data. Anyone looking to buy the HTC Desire C off-contract can find it at T-Mobile and Orange for £169 while Three is looking to beat its competition by offing the handset for £149.

The HTC Desire C runs on Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0 and features a 3.5-inch HVGA (320 x 480) display, 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 5 megapixel camera, Beats Audio, and a 1,230 mAh battery. From what we can tell, the handset available from Orange, T-Mobile and Three is the standard model, but you will soon be able to purchase an NFC-enabled version of the Desire C for a slight premium.

Besides its looks, the HTC Desire C does not have anything in common with HTC’s flagship devices, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The HTC Wildfire and Wildfire S were very popular phones in Europe because of the value they offered and we’d expect the Desire C to at least live up to its predecessors’ successes.

Would you ever consider buying a device like the HTC Desire C as a starter phone for a family member or would you rather get them a used flagship phone from a year ago for around the same price?

Samsung Galaxy S III now available

That’s right, despite rumors of delays, the Samsung Galaxy S III is now available in 28 different countries scattered across the globe. The handset is now available in the United Kingdom, France, UAE, Saudi Arabia and a handful of countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa – but things will heat up in July when the Galaxy S III will be available in 145 countries around the world and will be found at 296 service providers.

The U.S. debut of the Samsung Galaxy S III has yet to be announced, but Samsung is rumored to be working with all major carriers to bring its new flagship device to as many customers as possible. If you’re not willing to wait, you can order the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III, but be prepared to pay a hefty price.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S III in your future or will you wait to see if Google officially announces its new Nexus strategy at I/O next month?

Android Overload: HTC One X Only $130 For New Customers and Upgrades, HTC EVO LTE RUU Now Available, and More

Congrats. You’ve mad it to the Android Overload. These are all the stories form throughout our day that didn’t make it onto our front page — but because we like to keep our readers well informed, we posted them here for y’all to take a final look at. There’s always something here for everyone, so, pull up a chair and dig right in!

HTC One X is only $130 at Amazon Wireless for new customers and upgrades. [Amazon Wireless]Motorola Xoom WiFi now receiving Ice Cream Sandwich update in Canada. [Motorola]Verizon clarifies: customers can keep grandfathered unlimited plans as long as they pay full price for upgrades. [NYT]Samsung devices account for 40% of all Android smartphone sales. [eWeek]LG Optimus 4X HD gains FCC certification. Sports global bands and AT&T compatibility. [FCC]Sony teams up with leading accessory makers to make cases for Xperia devices. [SonyMobile]HTC EVO 4G LTE RUU now available. Sense ROMs soon cometh. [XDA]

Flipboard APK Pulled From The Galaxy S III, Available For Download - We Go Hands-On

One of the things that we didn't have chance to cover at Samsung's Galaxy S III event last week was the presence of Flipboard on all of the demonstration units on show. Naturally, this has led to speculation that the release of Flipboard for the rest of the Android community may be coming soon - Flipboard's website says that it "will be available on select Android mobile phones" in the coming months - but you won't have to wait and find out, as the .apk file has already been taken from the Galaxy S III and shared for other Android users to install.

They say that first impressions are everything, and if that's the case then I've already fallen head over heels in love with Flipboard. I've installed it on a Nexus One running Android 2.3, and all of the animations within the app are really smooth - I haven't experienced the slightest hint of lag so far. The fact that the application even runs on a device not running Ice Cream Sandwich also indicates that Flipboard is unlikely to remain a Galaxy S III exclusive for very long, if at all.

If you haven't used Flipboard before, you can set up your feed without creating an account and dive straight in with all of the content that's available. If you've already used the app in the past, then you can sign in and all of your feeds that you have previously configured will be there waiting for you.

 

The idea behind Flipboard is simple: you can take all of the things that you read, whether it's from the web, Twitter or even Facebook, and put it in one easily accessible place. The Android app definitely has a Metro-like feel to it, with tiles on each page resembling those that you might see on Windows Phone 7. Your home page contains each of the categories that you're interested in, and you can tap on each one to reveal the latest stories in each.

If you want to add more sources after you've setup your Flipboard, you can tap on the little search tab on the top of the screen to search for any feeds that you want. A quick search for 'android police', for example, revealed both our Twitter feed and RSS feed, giving you the option to subscribe to which one you wanted.

Tweets and other content on your page look absolutely gorgeous, with full screen images providing a background for post titles where possible. Compared to other RSS readers and news applications, Flipboard is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing. Unlike many RSS readers, however, when you tap on a story that you want to read, you're taken to the website where it originated, and the content here may not be tailored for easy reading on a mobile device.

If you want to share a story, you can do so straight from Flipboard as long as you've set up your Facebook or Twitter account through the app. You can also email a link to the story from the app too; selecting this option will take you to your email app so that you can send it to whoever you like.

If you're logged in to Flipboard, you can take advantage of the 'Read Later' option, which allows you to save a story for reading later. As this feature requires you to be logged in, anything that you choose to read later is linked to your account, so you can read it on any device that you want, too.

If I was to have one complaint about Flipboard, it would be that there is quite a bit of wasted space when viewing tweets without images on the screen. There is a sizeable gap between each tweet - only 3 could fit on the display of my Nexus One - which results in a lot of white space that could be otherwise filled with useful content. Some users may see this as attractive minimalism, so like most UI-related complaints, it comes down to personal opinion.

 

As the application isn't officially available on the Play Store just yet, there are no formal requirements available for it, but if you have a relatively new Android phone then you shouldn't run into any issues. I've installed and run it just fine on a Google Nexus One which has unimpressive specs by today's standards.

If you want to take a look at Flipboard for yourself, then you can download the .apk right now from XDA Developers. It's less than 3MB big, so it shouldn't take too long to come down and you can install it manually after transferring the file to your phone's storage.

LG Optimus Elite now available from Virgin Mobile USA

It was only a few days ago that pre-orders for the LG Optimus Elite were happening but now Virgin Mobile USA is ready to put their first device with NFC and Google Wallet into the hands of consumers. Yes, today is the day the LG Optimus Elite goes on sale today and you can pick yourself one up for only $150. A reminder of the specs let's us know it's not for everyone out there but it a reasonable device for those looking to possibly jump from a feature phone:

Android 2.3 Gingerbread3.5-inch touchscreen800 MHz processor5MP rear-facing camera

As a bonus, LG has also team up with the folks from Box so if you pick up an LG Optimus Elite, you can download the Box app from the Google Play Store and get yourself 50GB of cloud storage space for free. Keep in mind though, that offer only runs until July 22, 2012. Need more details? Check out the full press release below or have a look at our hands-on.

LG Optimus EliteTM Makes its Way to Virgin Mobile USA on May 15

First device for Virgin Mobile USA to be enabled with NFC and Google Wallet

WARREN, N.J. & SAN DIEGO (BUSINESS WIRE), May 15, 2012 - Virgin Mobile USA answers to A Higher Calling™ once again, announcing with LG Mobile the availability today of LG Optimus Elite™ in Titan Silver for $149.99. The device operates on Virgin Mobile’s industry-leading, no-contract Beyond Talk plans with unlimited data and messaging starting at $35 a month. Stylish and slim, LG Optimus Elite comes with Google Wallet™ and is now available at virginmobileusa.com and major retailers nationwide.

A successor to the popular LG Optimus V™, this highly customizable full-featured smartphone keeps customers organized with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and other key features, including a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, 800MHz processor, 5MP autofocus rear-facing camera and camcorder with flash, and a virtual QWERTY keyboard.

A first for Virgin Mobile USA devices, LG Optimus Elite comes with Near Field Communications (NFC), allowing customers to access true value features, such as Google WalletTM, an app that allows payment using a mobile device from participating retailers at select Macy’s, RadioShack, Walgreens, Gap and more.

“Our customers fell in love with the LG Optimus V™, so bringing another great device to our lineup of Android™-powered devices from the Optimus family goes right along with our promise of A Higher Calling™,” said Jeff Auman, vice president for Virgin Mobile USA. “LG Optimus Elite offers full integration of social networking apps, Microsoft Outlook Exchange email, and advanced messaging capabilities. Combined with our awesome Beyond Talk monthly unlimited data plans, customers can realize true savings with no contract and no surprises.”

Operating on the Sprint Nationwide Network1, Virgin Mobile USA offers tremendous value for those customers who text, IM, post, email, friend, like and tweet more than they talk. Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk plans start at just $35 a month for 300 minutes of voice and include unlimited messaging and data. For those looking for a bit more talk time, the $45 plan offers 1,200 minutes of voice, and the $55 plan offers unlimited voice minutes each month. All plans include unlimited messaging and data (plans include 2.5GB of full-speed data).

“LG Mobile strives to provide the best technologies and services that are not only extremely useful, but also accessible to everyone,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. “The LG Optimus Elite not only has amazing features, but with add-ons such as Google Wallet, Box and Virgin Mobile’s affordable monthly plan, consumers will be getting a great smartphone with incredible value.”

Customers can also download Box on LG Optimus Elite and receive 50GB of free cloud storage and sharing2 directly from LG, an estimated value of $240 per year, so they don’t have to stress about storing all of their favorite music, files, photos and other memories.

About Virgin Mobile USA

Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk™ no-contract plans with unlimited data for mobile phone service, including Android-powered smartphones and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access on the Nationwide Sprint Network. Virgin Mobile-branded devices are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy and RadioShack. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Broadband2Go services. Experience Virgin Mobile on the Web at Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and purchase Virgin Mobile USA products at www.virginmobileusa.com.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances. With 117 operations around the world, LG achieved global sales of USD 49 billion (KRW 54.26 trillion) in 2011. LG is comprised of four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions – and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. For more news and information on LG Electronics, please visit www.LGnewsroom.com.

About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company

The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a global leader and innovator in mobile communications. With its breakthrough technologies and innovative designs, LG continues to establish a number of benchmarks in the smartphone market, while also helping create a better lifestyle for consumers by delivering a wholly enhanced smartphone experience. As a leader in 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, LG continues its commitment to developing groundbreaking LTE technologies and fulfilling consumer demands with differentiated LTE devices of the highest quality, all of which are based on the company’s wealth of LTE patents and technical knowledge. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

Google, Android, and Google Play are trademarks of Google, Inc.

1 Virgin Mobile customers have access to the Nationwide Sprint Network which reaches more than 280 million people for voice services and 276 million people for 3G data services.

2 The 50GB of free storage is exclusive to LG devices until July 22, 2012.

Firefox's new native Android version now available in beta from Google Play

Late last year Mozilla announced that it'd be moving its Firefox browser to a native Android user interface, instead of using XUL, and it's been pushing nightly builds since November. Today, those builds have reached beta status and are available directly from Google Play. You'll get the same excellent Firefox browsing experience you've come to know and love, only with an even better UI, faster load times and better performance. And because it's now available in Google Play, updating will be easier than nightly builds. Hit the link below if you're ready to give it a shot.

Download: Firefox beta

"Phil is a recovering print journalist, editor of Android Central, subtitles and street signs."

Samsung Galaxy S III available a day early for pre-order customers in some stores

Samsung originally revealed May 29 as the official launch date of the Galaxy S III in Europe, before retailers started announcing the device for a purported May 30 release. Today it seems the original date of May 29 will still stand, but only for pre-order customers in a handful of stores across the UK.

This morning Samsung UK sends word that customers pre-ordering the Galaxy S III at the Samsung store at London's Westfield Stratford City will be able to pick up their phones from 6pm local time on Tuesday, May 29. But if you're not in London, then don't worry -- Samsung is giving other retailers the chance to hold its own early launch events for pre-orderers, as early as 7pm on that evening. So it's worth checking with any stores in your area if you fancy getting your hands on an S III a few hours before everyone else.

Regardless, the phone will go on sale nationwide on May 30, and it'll be available on all five major UK networks.

We've got Samsung's press release after the jump. For more on the Galaxy S III, check out our full coverage from the London launch event earlier this month.

Toshiba Excite 10 available now for $450

Toshiba’s latest Android slate is now available for purchase. The Excite 10 is available in 16, 32, and 64GB configurations with prices starting at $449.99. The 10.1-inch Android 4.0 tablet features a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and the plethora of ports we have come to expect from Toshiba’s Android wares. We’re looking at microUSB, microHDMI, and a full-size SD card slot. The Excite 10 also features two HD cameras measuring in at 5MP for the rear and 2MP for the front. Toshiba’s site has more details. Amazon has it for sale.

[via Toshiba]

Samsung Unpacked 2012 app now available from Google Play, offers usual slim pickings ahead of event

It's definitely getting close to that time again. Another Samsung event is almost upon us, and as always theres a Samsung Unpacked Android application to participate in the buzz. Simply titled Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012, the app is free to download right now from the Google Play Store. An initial word of warning though -- it's buggy. It won't open on my HTC One X, so at least for now some of you won't be getting any joy from trying to open it. It could be an ICS thing, as theres already a comment that it also doesn't work on a Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Hopefully come the big day though, it'll be fixed. 

Anyone who has used these apps before will be right at home, it's pretty much business as usual. Naturally at the moment it's pretty useless, unless you're actually going to the event. The address for the venue and travel details from the major hubs in and around London are about all that's present right now. The teaser is also there, just in case you haven't seen it yet.

The important feature -- mobile streaming of the event. If you can't be there, or more to the point, if you're at work, this could prove key to keeping up with events. That and following Android Central of course, as we'll be there come May 3 to keep you guys fully up to speed. You'll find the download links after the break.

Dropbox for Android updates, folder linking now available

The Dropbox app for Android (and the related web service and desktop apps) has been updated today with "performance improvements and bug fixes", along with the option to share links to specific files or folders. The idea is to make it easier to make stuff you've uploaded directly accessible by providing a button next to them on the web site and mobile app. If you recognize these new features, it's because they've been in beta testing for a while, but from today they're accessible to all Dropbox users.

The timing of the update is interesting, with Google rumored to be unveiling its competing "Google Drive" service sometime this week. If it's to succeed in taking users away from Dropbox, Google will have to offer a compelling sharing solution of its own, particularly in light of today's new additions.

We've got the usual Google Play Store linkage waiting for you after the break, along with today's press release.

DROPBOX INTRODUCES LINKS FOR EXTREMELY SIMPLE, FAST SHARINGSharing Documents, Photos, and Videos with Anyone Made EasierSAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - April 23, 2012 - Dropbox, a free service that lets people bring their documents, photos, and videos anywhere and share them easily, today announced an even easier way for people to instantly share the things that matter most, with just a link. Now documents, photos, and videos can be shared simply by creating and sending a link to friends, family, or colleagues, whether they are Dropbox users or not."We're always looking for ways to make life easier and solve the basic problems people face everyday," said Drew Houston, CEO and co-founder of Dropbox. "Sending files has always been a painful process, but now with Dropbox, sharing with friends, family, and colleagues is effortless."Dropbox links allow people to easily view documents, photos, and videos in a beautiful full-browser display without any setup. Business presentations, home movies, and even entire folders can be opened and viewed instantly without having to sign in, download anything, or open files separately.From the Dropbox desktop, web, and mobile applications, the "Get link" button generates a unique link to a file or folder. The link can then be quickly sent to another person. For Dropbox users, opening a link will provide the option to instantly save the file to their Dropbox."Today we're excited to add instant sharing to Dropbox," said Jeff Bartelma, Director of Products. "We've simplified the process of sending files to just a few seconds and eliminated the need for email attachments."Dropbox has been refining this feature in beta since last year and today, with many improvements, it is available to all users. For more information, please visit www.dropbox.com/links/features.

"AC's resident Brit, cooking up steaming bowls of European Android coverage every day."

LG Optimus 3D Max now available in Europe, other markets coming soon

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HTC Incredible 2 No Longer Available On Verizon Wireless – Droid Incredible 4G Nears

Jump onto Verizon Wireless’s site today, and if you’re looking for an HTC Incredible 2, you may notice that, although listed, the link to purchase is currently disabled, prompting “the selection you made is unavailable” page on the site (some regions could show “out of stock”). This is nothing more than a raging clue that the much leaked sequel — the HTC Incredible 4G — is inching ever closer for its debut on ‘ol Vee-zee-dubs.

We’ve pretty much seen and know, everything there is to know about the Incredible 4G, which should fit in nicely into Verizon’s mid-range lineup. The DINC 4G will feature compatibility with Verizon’s 4G LTE network, 4-inch qHD AMOLED display, and Sense 4.0 running on Android 4.0.3.

We’ve gotten word from our own trusted tipster that demo units for the HTC Droid Incredible 4G and Motorola DROID Fighter demo are set to arrive in Verizon stores sometime in the next 2 weeks (unless delayed). Looks like an imminent release is imminent (meaning, it’s pretty much imminent). We’ll keep you posted.

Thanks, Anon!

[Verizon Wireless]

CyanogenMod 9 Nightlies Now Available For The OG Seven-Inch GSM/CDMA Galaxy Tabs

You can always count on the Android ROM development community to extend a device's relevance in the tech world. Take the OG Galaxy Tab for example - this little guy was the first Android tablet to hit the scene (running a phone-specific version of the OS, no less). It has been around for about a year and a half now, and there's no hope that it will ever officially be updated to anything past Gingerbread.

However, thanks to the CM team, OG Tab owners (both the GSM and CDMA variants) can now enjoy the first taste of Ice Cream Sandwich on their old-school seven-incher, as CM9 nightlies are now available for the P1000 (GSM) and P1c (CDMA).

Definition: A "nightly" is a bleeding edge release that is built on a daily basis, usually at night after a full day's worth of new code has been committed.

It could oftentimes be unstable and not properly tested, lacking any changelogs, but eventually evolving into alphas, betas, release candidates, and finally stable releases.

Considering the new CM build servers are almost ready to start pumping out CM9 builds every nine minutes, we should be seeing these, along with nightlies for all other supported devices, on a regular basis.

Download:

GSM Galaxy Tab - P1000. We're trying to confirm whether these builds will also work on SGH-T849 (T-Mobile) and SGH-I987 (AT&T) - if you can provide a confirmation, please leave a comment.

CDMA Galaxy Tab - SPH-P100 (Sprint), SCHI-800 (Verizon).