BlackBerry's A10 the new full-touch flagship smartphone reportedly to Launch in Novenber this year

As BlackBerry is busy rolling out its first QWERTY smartphone running on BlackBerry 10 operating system, BlackBerry Q10, there are news reports emerging that suggest the company is working on a new all-touch flagship model.

As per a report by CNET, this smartphone will be called BlackBerry A10. The report also claims that BlackBerry will be looking at launching the A10 around November in time for the holiday season. The BlackBerry A10 is likely to be the successor of BlackBerry Z10 and will "occupy the highest tier". Post the launch of BlackBerry A10, BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 will be become "midtier" smartphones.

BlackBerry had recently showcased its lower-end QWERTY smartphone, Q5. This smartphone is expected to start retailing in select markets from July. After the debut of BlackBerry A10, this smartphone will continue to be one of the most affordable offerings by the Canadian smartphone maker.

CNET also hints that BlackBerry A10 will debut in the United States with the telecom operator Sprint Nextel. Interestingly at the time of Z10 launch, Sprint was the only major telecom operator that did not offer this BlackBerry flagship. The website claims that Sprint's reason to skip BlackBerry Z10 was based on the understanding that the BlackBerry A10 is worth the wait.

The report also mentions that the Canadian smartphone maker was pressurised to launch the BlackBerry A10 at the BlackBerry Live conference held in May 2013. However, the company could not do so, as the product was not ready.

BlackBerry A10 is said to be the same smartphone which was code-named Aristo. As per past rumours, this smartphone is expected to come with a premium build. This smartphone is also touted to come with a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display and 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor.

Google releases stock Android keyboard as standalone app in Play Store

It seems that Google has started to take the Nexus experience and provide bits and pieces of it to users on non-Nexus Android devices. To begin with, Google has released its Google Keyboard app for phones and tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above. The app on the Google Play Store is now available for English speaking countries while Google says that more locales will be added soon.

The application gives you the stock Android keyboard that comes with Nexus devices. Much like how keyboard applications like Swiftkey and Swype work, you can download the Google keyboard application from the Play Store in order to replace the existing keyboard on your Android device. It is however important to note that while these popular keyboards are paid, Google has launched the Google keyboard free of cost.

The stock keyboard was updated during the launch of Jelly Bean and comes with features such as Gesture typing and next-word prediction. With gesture typing you basically glide through letters without lifting your finger and when done you can lift your finger to finish a word. You can also tap the microphone on the keyboard to compose messages with voice typing.

The keyboard comes with support for 26 languages. One major missing point that most users claim is the absence of emoticons, something that OEMs like Samsung, LG and HTC add to their keyboards.

For Nexus enthusiasts the stock keyboard coming to the Play Store is certainly positive news. Third-party applications that claim to give a Nexus keyboard experience are available on the Play Store, but there's nothing like the real thing. With the official Google keyboard now available for download, all these have surely become obsolete.

The keyboard is presently not available in India for download. But staying in line with Google's promises, we expect a roll out soon.

Waterproof Galaxy S4 Active with quad-core CPU,1080p display announced

Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S4 Active, the ruggedised sibling to the current Galaxy flagship. While the internals are still top-of-the-line, the biggest change here is the design and the dust-proof, waterproof body of the S4 Active.  The Galaxy S4 Active comes with IP67 certification for water and dust resistance, which means the fully-sealed smartphone can be used for up to 30 minutes in water up to a depth of one metre. The S4 Active’s earphone jack is also water-resistant, so technically one could use a pair of earphones in rainy conditions without worrying about water leaking in. From the looks of it, the back of the phone is made out of carbon fibre or plastic, so it looks like Samsung has not yet embraced metal construction. Galaxy S4 Active is now official In terms of processing power, the S4 Active could very well turn out to be a monster. It’s got a 1.9 GHZ quad-core processor, but Samsung has not mentioned which chipset it’s using for the Active. There’s 2GB of RAM, which along with the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean software version, should make it one smooth smartphone. Like the Galaxy S4, this one too has a 5-inch full HD TFT LCD screen with a pixel density of 443 ppi. Samsung has included ‘Glove Touch’ technology in the display, which lets users operate the touchscreen while wearing gloves. Just like the S4, the S4 Active has a large 2,600mAh battery. The only spec aspect that is a step down from the Galaxy S4 is the camera. The S4 Active has an 8-megapixel rear camera and it comes with a special ‘Aqua Mode’, which can be used to “increase visual quality and clarity for enhanced underwater images and video,” says Samsung. In addition, the volume key doubles up as a camera key. Just like most recent Samsung phones, the full TouchWiz features suite has been bundled into the S4 Active. That includes S Travel, S Translator, Smart Pause, Air View, Air Gesture, S Health, plus the camera-specific Drama Shot, Sound & Shot, Story Album features.

How To: Root the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500

Searching for the easiest and safest method to root your new investment? Here you go.

You just bought yourself a new Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 and you are impressed with your investment. The smartphone was shipped to you with an older operating system version of Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and the shopkeeper informed you to go ahead and update it from the Internet. You readily agreed and went home to start the phone and set up the email accounts and all the necessary applications on it. You also noticed the update from Samsung available and went ahead to install it. Now that you are pleased with the performance, you want to root it. Uh-oh! You went through a lot of websites online to find a method to root it and got the easiest one out. But it happened to be working on the older version of the operating system. Unfortunately, you have already updated to the latest firmware version from the Internet. Now your smartphone shows you the version or build number as "I9500XXUAMDK", which is not being rooted with the older method. So, how do you root your S4? There are a lot of websites helping users out on rooting the Samsung Galaxy S4, but most of these are methods to root the older version of the operating system, which has been blocked by Samsung. The new version for the S4 states build number "XXUAMDK" and cannot be rooted as easily with the older method. We show you how you can root this version with great ease. So let’s get started. First, confirm that the Galaxy S4 you are using is the I9500 (Exynos version) and not the I9505(qualcomm version). You can confirm this at the booting screen itself or via "Settings -> More -> About Device". Check your build number here too – it should reflect "XXUAMDK" as the last few digits. Now you need to get your phone ready for the rooting. And for this you need to enable the USB Debugging mode. But the newer operating system does not have the "Developer options" visible or enabled in the settings by default. To enable it, click on "About Device" and scroll down till you see the "Build number". Now keep tapping continuously on the Build number field till  you see some messages on the screen counting down to enable the Developer options. After a while, you will see a message informing you that the "Developer mode" is enabled. Hit the back button and you will find the Developer options field available. Click on it and enable it with the toggle switch on the top right. Now head below to the "Debugging" section and enable "USB debugging". Finally, go back to the "Security" options and click on the field "Unknown sources" to allow third-party apps to be installed. Your phone is now ready for being rooted. Now all we need are two files and a simple utility to be downloaded from the Internet. Download the files from the links below. Enable Developer options, USB debugging and Unknown sources Samsung SGS4 drivers. These are drivers required for the PC to recognise your phone.  Odin. This is the utility that will help you flash the above two files to your phone.  Adam’s kernel. This is an insecure kernel that needs to be replaced with the Samsung SGS4 kernel; it will also root the phone for you in a single step. It has a built-in auto rooting feature. ClockworkMod Recovery. This is a recovery utility that you need to install on your phone to flash ROMs and take backups of your existing operating system.  The entire rooting takes around 10 minutes (even less actually) once you have everything in place. So let’s begin. Preparing the phone: Make a folder on your desktop and unzip the files you downloaded into this folder. Switch off your SGS4 and wait for a few seconds. Now press the "Volume down" button and the "Home button" together and keeping the two buttons held down, press the power button. Release the buttons when you see the Samsung logo on the screen. You shall see a message stating that the phone is in download mode and asking you to continue by pressing the "Volume Up" button. Go ahead and press the Volume Up button once. Your phone is now in download mode and ready for being flashed with new files. Put the phone in download mode by pressing the Volume down+Home+Power buttons simultaneously Flashing and rooting: Plug in the USB cable to the phone and the PC. Windows will now be seen installing the necessary drivers for the phone. Wait for a while till all the driver installation work is done. Now open the folder where you have your files you downloaded for the rooting. Double-click on the Odin executable file. Odin will start up and you should see the phone connected to the utility and ready for flashing. To confirm this, the field "ID:COM" should have a light blue colour with "0:(ComXX)" written in it. (Please note that XX can be any number and will vary from PC to PC). This states that your phone is recognised by Odin and is ready. Now click on the button "PDA" and choose the file "GT-I9500_AdamKernel.V1.2.Odin.tar" from the folder where you stored the downloaded files on your desktop. Next, ensure that the check boxes "Auto Reboot", "F. Reset Time" and "PDA" are the only check boxes checked and the rest are not. Double check and hit the "Start Button". Watch the "Message" box on the lower left side to see if everything runs fine and there are no errors. This process will take a few seconds and Viola! The phone should reboot on its own. After the phone restarts, you should see the "Superuser" app installed and the phone already rooted automatically by this kernel. To confirm that the phone is successfully rooted, download any app that needs superuser permissions (such as Titanuim backup, ROM manager  or Root explorer) and you should be prompted for the root access. Flash the kernel by choosing the PDA option and the .tar file Flash the CWM Recovery: Now that your phone is rooted, you will need the recovery utility to be flashed. The procedure is very simple and involves similar steps that you followed earlier. Proceed similarly as above—shut down the phone and put it in download mode and start Odin. This time, click the PDA button and choose the file "recovery-clockwork-6.0.3.2-i9500.tar.md5". Once again, ensure that the check boxes "Auto Reboot", "F. Reset Time" and "PDA" are the only check boxes checked and the rest are not. Hit the "Start" button and wait a few seconds till it gets done and the phone restarts automatically. Disconnect the phone from the PC and shut down the phone. This time, press the Volume Up button and the Home button together, and keeping the two buttons held down, press the power button. The phone should now enter the recovery mode automatically. Congratulations! Your phone has now been rooted and you are free to install root-level applications and flash your own custom ROMs. For starters, go ahead and make a complete backup (Nandroid) of your existing operating system from the recovery mode to ensure that the operating system can be safely restored in case of a mishap.  Flash the recovery by choosing the PDA option and the .md5 recovery file Note: Rooting your phone is considered risky and can brick or damage your phone permanently. Rooting also will void any and all warranty on your phone. Proceed with the steps mentioned above with extreme caution. We are not responsible for any damage to your phone. The steps in the workshop are limited to the mentioned build version only. Do confirm this before you proceed. Root your SGS4 at your own risk.

How To: Root the Xolo Q700 and flash CWM Recovery

We found a method on XDA to root the Xolo Q700 and install CWM recovery.

Just purchased the Xolo Q700? Do you want to root it? Do you want to install CWM recovery and take backups, install custom ROMs and do more? Well, here's a step by step method to root the phone and install CWM recovery. This method was cited on the XDA forums recently and we combined the procedure for you in a How-To. Lets head straight for it. Requirements: The Xolo Q700 phone fully charged Download the USB and ADB drivers for the Xolo Q700 from here and here Download the Motochopper rooting utility from here Download the flash tool for the recovery from here Download the recovery image from here Download the necessary drivers and tools to a folder on your desktop and extract the archives to their respective folders. First, we shall root the phone and later install the CWM recovery patch. Make sure you have administrative rights on your Windows PC before you proceed. Install the necessary driver(s) Rooting the Xolo Q700 For this, we will need the USB and ADB drivers installed. Go ahead and install the drivers (usually one driver should work, but in certain cases, you would have to install both the drivers). To be on the safer side, install both to make your work easier. Once the drivers are installed, head over to the phone’s settings and click around 5 to 7 times on the “Build Number” in the “About Phone” in “Settings”. This will enable the “Developer Options” from where you should enable “USB Debugging”. Then head back to the “Settings > Security” and enable “Unknown sources”. Now connect the phone to the PC and let the drivers be installed for the ADB mode. Your phone is now ready for rooting. If you have installed both the drivers on the PC, make sure that the “PdaNet Desktop” utility is not running in the background. You will see the app running in the system tray. Shut it down or your phone will not be rooted. Don’t forget to do this before proceeding. Execute Motochopper and let the exploit complete Now all you need to do is double-click on the folder where you downloaded the files, double-click on the Motochopper folder and then again double-click on the “Run.Bat” file. This file is a DOS mode batch executable file, which will do the needful for you. Proceed with the on-screen instructions and your phone should be rooted in a few seconds. In case you see the procedure halted for more than 5 minutes, you should try repeating the method. If you still get stuck here, go to the “Settings > Security” and enable/disable “Verify Apps”. This should allow the Superuser app needed to be installed on the phone by the rooting script. Now run the batch file again till you see the last line stating “Exploit complete” and “press any key to reboot the phone”. Your phone should reboot automatically and your Xolo Q700 is finally rooted. Install any app that requires root permissions, such as Root Explorer or Titanium Backup, to verify that the rooting is successful. Confirm the rooting with an app that needs superuser permissions Flash the CWM Recovery on the Xolo Q700 Rooting and flashing a recovery software on the phone is considered risky and will void any and all warranty on the phone. The procedure can also brick your phone rendering it dead or useless. Do this with extreme care.  Assuming that you have gathered all the necessary files for this process in a folder on your desktop, proceed with extreme caution. Also make sure that you have two files required for the recovery present on the recovery folder. These files are “recovery.img” and “MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt”. Now head on to the folder “SP_Flash_Tool_v3.1248.0.96” in the folder you downloaded all the files. Here, execute the “Flash_Tool.exe” file and bring on the utility. Now follow the steps given below very, very carefully. Do not connect the phone as yet. Make the necessary settings and give proper file names before flashing 1. In the Smart Phone Flash Tool utility, click on the button named “Scatter-loading” and feed the file named “MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt”. The window below will fill up with some vague values and text. Make sure the “Recovery” line is the only one checked.  2. Then click on the “Recovery” line and feed the file “Recovery.img” from the folder you downloaded. Usually this is done automatically, but we recommend you confirm this step.  3. Next, click on “Window” in the menu, click on “Write Memory”. Make sure the check mark is present. This will bring up an additional tab “Write Memory” in the main interface. 4.  Click on the “Write Memory” tab. Here, check the box “EMMC” in the “Memory Settings” section.  Double check the entries you type in before hitting that "Write Memory" button 5. Now click on the “Open Raw Data” button and feed it the “Recovery.img” file again. This file path should be seen in the “Write Parameter” field below.  6. This step is crucial. In the “Write Parameter” section, you will find two mode fields— “Begin address” and “Container Length”. Enter these two values respectively: Begin Address:            0x2d80000 Container Length:       0x600000 The above values are “Zeros” and not the alphabet “O”. Double-check the values or copy and paste them from here. Check the screenshot for verification.  7. Once all these settings are done, hit the “Write Memory” button on the top. The utility will start searching for the phone.  If you see the green circle, the flashing is successful 8. Now turn off the phone, remove the battery and reinsert it after around 30 seconds. Do not switch it on. Just connect the switched-off phone to the USB cable. The drivers for the EMMC mode will be installed automatically and the utility will start writing the recovery software to the phone. You can see this happening and confirm it with the change in colours and the activity on the bottom of the utility’s window. At times, the phone’s drivers take a while to be installed. Don’t panic if the utility does not continue ahead after the drivers are installed. Give it a while more, then disconnect and reconnect the phone again after the drivers are installed. Voila! The recovery utility is installed and to confirm this, you will see a small square window pop up with a bright green circle in it. It is now safe to disconnect your phone.  The Xolo Q700 in CWM Recovery mode.  To get into the recovery mode, simply press the “Volume UP + Power” buttons together for a few seconds and you will automatically land into the recovery mode. Now you can take backups and flash custom ROMs on your Xolo Q700. Sadly, there are no custom ROMs available as yet, but I am sure, there are a few developers already working on a few. Check out the XDA forums for more information.

iOS 7 may offer inter-device file transfers via AirDrop

The next iteration of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 7, could bring some kind of inter-device file transfer, if a new report is to be believed.

According to a new report by 9to5Mac, Apple is extending its AirDrop file transfer feature to iOS devices. The report cites sources to inform that the AirDrop functionality is currently integrated with the standard iOS system-wide share menu in the current test build of the OS. It's worth pointing out that the feature may or may not make it to the final version of the OS when it is previewed at the WWDC conference, next week, as a lot of features are internally tested but dropped from the final release.

If implemented, the feature would allow two iOS device users to transfer and receive files, including pictures and other documents, with each other if both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. Currently, files between two iOS devices can be synced via iCloud if both devices are signed-in with the same user credentials. File transfers would also be possible between a Mac and an iOS device.

It's interesting to note that the iPhone 5 and other new Apple devices include new dual-band Wi-Fi hardware that supports Wi-Fi direct and thus content streaming. It was reported that Apple was working on bringing the feature to the OS last year but it abandoned it. So, it's quite possible that the Cupertino-headquartered company has revived its plans to offer this feature.

We're not sure if users will also be able to save certain file types such as music and video files on their devices as iOS doesn't offer direct access to the file system. Android already offers Wi-Fi Direct, allowing peer to peer file transfers. Samsung even offers an advanced version of the same coupled with NFC support on its high-end smartphones. Most Android phones also allow file transfer over Bluetooth, while iOS devices do not offer that functionality.  source NDTV GADGETS

Sony Xperia M and Xperia M dual smartphones officially announce

Sony has announced two new members in its Xperia family in the form of Xperia M and Xperia M dual. Both these smartphones pack in similar specifications, with the Xperia M dual being a dual-SIM smartphone.

Sony Xperia M and Xperia M dual sport a 4.0-inch TFT display of FWVGA resolution. The smartphones pack in 1GHz dual-core processor along with Adreno 305 graphics. They come with with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage of which 2.8GB is user-accessible. The storage can be further expanded by up to 32GB via microSD card.

For camera, there is a 5-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and a 0.3-megapixel front snapper. Both these smartphones have a 1,750mAh battery and the connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. As these smartphones have NFC connectivity and dedicated sharing apps, Sony is pegging Xperia M and Xperia M dual to be phones with "magical one-touch functions".

Sony Xperia M run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) while the Xperia M dual will offer Android 4.2 out of the box. Sony has shared that both Xperia M and Xperia M dual will start retailing from the third quarter of 2013.

The Sony Xperia M will be available in four colour options - Black, White, Purple and Lime. While Xperia M dual will be available in Black, White and Purple colours.

So far there is no word on the pricing of these smartphones but they are expected to be mid-range Xperia smartphones like the recently launched Xperia L.

Commenting on the launch, Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications, said, "Consumers looking for their first steps into the world of Xperia smartphones, would be well-advised to look at Xperia M or Xperia M dual. Both models benefit from Sony's proven innovation and engineering expertise, and are perfect for those who want the premium technology and experiences often only associated with high-end models."

Sony Xperia M and Xperia M dual key specifications

• 4-inch display with FWVGA resolution
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, expandable by up to 32GB via microSD
• 5-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus
• VGA front-facing camera
• Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) only for Xperia M dual
• Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, aGPS, NFC
• 1,750mAh
• Android 4.1 for Xperia M, Android 4.2 for Xperia M dual

Micromax A116 Canvas HD Android 4.2 Jelly Bean manual update [How to Install]

We now have got hold of the Android 4.2 firmware file for Micromax A116, using which you can easily update your A116 Canvas HD smartphone to Android 4.2.1.

Before you go any further, the usual disclaimers apply, if you haven’t done this before, you are better off visiting a service center and getting your phone updated by them. We are not responsible for any harm that might or might not come to your phone as a part of this update.

So, first you need to download the Android 4.2 update file for A116 from this linkor this link. Make sure the whole 362MB file has been downloaded.

Now, download the flash tool from here and drivers from here.

·         Install the drivers

·         Unzip the flash tool and the firmware files to separate folders on your PC

·         Open flash_tool application from the folder where you have unzipped the flash tool.

·         Click on scatter-loading and select the scatter loading file from the unzipped firmware file.

·         Now, switch off your A116 Canvas HD and keep it switched off.

·         Then, go to options in the menu of flash tool and select USB mode.

·         After enabling USB mode, go to options again and go to DA Download All under the USB mode click on speed and then click High Speed.

·         Now, Go to the Firmware > Upgrade option, click on it then Flash tool will look for your phone.

·         NOW, connect your A116 Canvas HD (in switched off state) to your PC. The Flash Tool will start the flashing of your phone and this process can be seen by a colour progress bar present at the bottom of the Flash Tool.

·         A green ring will be displayed once the process is complete.

·         Disconnect your phone and remove the battery once and put it again

·         Now, switch on your phone and there will be a TP update your phone, do not touch the display during this update. Once finished, you are good to go.

·         Your phone is now running on Android 4.2.1. Enjoy. Do let us know about the experience in the comments section.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD getting Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update

Good news to all Micromax A116 Canvas HD users, the Indian Smartphone company today announced the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update for its flagship device, MMXNewscaster reports

As the update will not be available over the air & If you're looking to get the latest Android 4.2 update on your Micromax A116 Canvas HD, you'll have to contact the company's service center,

However, if you don’t want to go to a Service Center and want to update the phone yourself, Be in touch with our blog will update the same very soon.

Micromax had launched its flagship device A116 Canvas HD with 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box & this update is the first major release. According to the report, Micromax makes full use of Google’s Project Butter with this update & it terms of the features the update brings a new notification panel also it includes offline voice typing and panorama shot capabilities for the 8MP camera. There’s also some minor bug fixes and performance improvements. More importantly, Micromax has also introduced support for Over the Air (OTA) function, which means that future updates should arrive faster and you should be able to update your phone while sitting at home.

Official Android 4.1.2 ZQLT4 Jelly Bean OTA Firmware [How to Install]

Galaxy S2 I9100G is among the few lucky Android devices to receive a spate of official Jelly Bean updates from Samsung. Recently, the handset received Android 4.1.2 DXLS8 Over-The-Air (OTA) Jelly Bean firmware for Malaysia.

Now Samsung has rolled out its latest Over-The-Air (OTA) update, Android 4.1.2 ZQLT4, for the handset in several countries including China. The firmware is still unavailable for download through Samsung KIES. Those who missed the OTA update notification for the firmware and those who cannot wait for its official release in their country can now download and install the same manually, using our step-by-step guide.

NOTE: This firmware can be installed via ODIN flash tool and does not require ClockworkMod (CWM) recovery or a rooted Galaxy S2 smartphone.

Key Points to Note

ZQLT4 official firmware and instructions provided in this guide are applicable to the Galaxy S2 I9100G model only and will not work on any other device. Verify the device's model number by navigating to Settings > About Phone.
Back up important data and settings on the phone to avoid data loss while performing any necessary wiping task during firmware installation.
Ensure the phone has at least 80% battery charge to prevent unexpected device shutdown (due to battery drain) during firmware installation, as it may inadvertently damage or brick the device.
Enable USB Debugging mode on the phone by navigating to Settings > Developer Options (if device is running on Android 4.0 or later) or go to Settings > Applications > Development (if phone is running on Android 2.3 or earlier).
Make sure the device is factory unlocked (not locked to a specific carrier) and its bootloader unlocked to prevent conflicts during firmware installation.
Installation of this firmware requires ODIN, which is exclusively designed for Windows OS only. Linux and Mac OS users should use CrossOver Utility to run ODIN.
Instructions provided in this guide are meant for reference purpose only. IBTimes UK will not be held liable if the device is damaged or bricked during or after firmware installation.
How to Install Official Android 4.1.2 ZQLT4 Jelly Bean Firmware on Galaxy S2 I9100G

Step 1: Download Android 4.1.2 ZQLT4 Jelly Bean firmware for Galaxy S2 I9100G and Odin v3.07 on the computer.

Step 2: Extract the firmware zip file to the desktop to get a .tar.md5 file and some other files (optional).

Step 3: Extract Odin zip file to obtain Odin3 v3.07.exe along with few other files.

Step 4: Power off the phone and wait for vibration (about 5-6 seconds) to confirm complete device shutdown. Now boot the phone into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home  and Power button together until a construction Android robot icon with a triangle appears on screen. Then hit Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.

Step 5: Launch Odin3 v3.07.exe that you obtained in Step 3 as an Administrator, as Admin privileges are required to complete the firmware installation process smoothly.

Step 6: Connect your phone to computer via USB cable. When the device connects successfully, the message saying "Added!" appears in ODIN and the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the corresponding COM port number. If the message fails to appear, try reinstalling the phone's USB drivers or changing the port on the computer.

Step 7: Choose the following files from I9100GDXLS8 folder that you obtained in Step 2 in Odin using respective checkboxes:

Select the PDA checkbox, and click the .tar.md5 file
Tap the Phone checkbox, and select the file named 'modem' (ignore if such file is not found)
Choose the CSC checkbox, and click the file named 'CSC' (ignore if there is no such file)
Click the PIT checkbox, and choose the '.pit' file (ignore if the file is missing)
Step 8: In Odin, enable Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options by selecting the checkboxes. But, the Re-Partition checkbox must be selected, only if a .pit file was chosen in the previous step in ODIN.

Step 9: To prevent ROM related errors, verify Step 7 and Step 8 are done correctly. Then hit the START button to begin flashing the firmware.

Step 10: Once the firmware installation is complete, the phone will reboot automatically and soon a PASS message with green background appears in the left-most box at the very top of Odin. Now it is safe to disconnect the USB cable to remove the device from computer.

The Galaxy S2 I9100G is now running on the latest Android 4.1.2 ZQLT4 Jelly Bean official firmware. Go to Settings > About Phone to verify the firmware installed.

[Source: Droid Firmwares]

Samsung Galaxy Note II & S3 Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update Finally Arriving

If you have the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the Samsung Galaxy Note II and you have been patiently waiting for the update to Jelly Bean 4.2.2, this is your lucky day as we have news.

We had had some emails from some sources, not mentioning any names, that says that Jelly Bean 4.2.2 is heading to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the update could be here in just 48 hours. We did ask Samsung and other sources for clarification, but are waiting to hear back.

If this is true then the two devices could have the update within the next couple of days. On 10th May SamMobile posted a Tweet about the update, however no one has verified the release dates.

SamMobile Tweeted about a June release for the update and so it is looking promising, thanks to the recent emails, that owners of the handsets will get the update very soon. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the 48 hour window turns out to be true.

We also heard that owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 along with the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be getting updated to Key Lime Pie. However we think that this will not happen and the last update will be to 4.2.2. We think that it will be just the newer devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 that will get the Key Lime Pie update, however we could be wrong.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie release date, features update: 2013 release to come with camera, keyboard, messaging upgrades

The Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie release date is still not official confirmed but rumors continue to swirl about the release, as well as the new features to be unveiled with the latest Android operating system.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is presumed to be the successor to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, however, Google has yet to confirm its release.

Many had expected to hear something about the new OS at the annual developer conference, Google I/O, two weeks ago but the event came and went by without any information being released.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is expected to be a major upgrade of Android's operating system, with a massive number of new features set to be released.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Release Date

Although Google has said nothing officially, many rumors point to a June or July 2013 release date. However, there are also other suggestions that Android fans will have to wait a bit longer until October 2013 for Key Lime Pie.

Google will be celebrating Android's fifth birthday in October, which has led some to believe they will celebrate the date with the release of their next generation OS.

Yet other reports have been suggesting that the next release from Android will in fact be the 4.3 Jelly Bean. If those rumors prove correct then it is likely that any Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie may not be released until towards the end of 2013 or even into 2014.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Features

Google Babel could come with Key Lime Pie, and would look to unify various popular messaging options such as Talk, Voice, SMS, Gmail and others into one service.

Camera-wise the Key Lime Pie update could include Samsung Orb, which is software to create a panoramic photo across 360 degrees. However, this is a Samsung software and so some rumors suggest this feature will only be provided on Samsung devices. Some Google Nexus devices already use this feature though, but use it under a different name – Photosphere.

A new feature will also be a revamped Android keyboard, which will provide a smoother, and smarter typing experience. In particular, word suggestion and swipe typing technology is expected to be greatly improved from the currently available options.