LG Prada Phone 3.0 Now Available In Korea – Hitting Europe In January

No, the image you see above is not in black in white — it’s actually in full color. That’s LG’s newest smartphone, the “Prada Phone by LG.” First thing I’m sure you’ve noticed the device is its minimalist “Prada themed” black and white UI, a clear departure from the manufacturer’s pseudo TouchWiz found on devices like the Nitro HD. Because, you know… nothing says “class” like black and white. The device has just launched in its homeland of South Korea and besides its sexy good looks, the LG Prada Phone 3.0 features a 4.3-inch 800×480 IPS display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear/1.3MP front facing cameras, 8GB of internal memory and runs on Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread. LG did mention that the device would see an Ice Cream Sandwich...

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European Union slams the breaks on Google-Motorola antitrust review

Excited at the prospect of Google having its own in-house hardware branch? Prepare to curb your enthusiasm: Bloomberg reports that antitrust proceedings for Google’s acquisition of Motorola in the European Union will take even longer than normal, after the European Commission has halted its investigation to allow for more discovery. The Commission is requesting “certain documents that are essential to its evaluation of the transaction”, with no ETA on the continuing process. This sort of thing isn’t entirely unexpected from the European Commission, but it does serve as a considerable roadblock for Google’s high-profile purchase of Motorola’s hardware division. While the EU couldn’t actually stop the two American companies from merging,...

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Motorola finally gives Gingerbread to European Milestone 2 owners

It’s been 347 days since the source code for Android 2.3 Gingerbread became available. And it’ll be just one more before Milestone 2 (the international version of the Motorola DROID 2) owners in Europe get their hands on an official Gingerbread update. Motorola confirmed the upcoming rollout on the company’s Facebook page. The staged update will be sent over the air. 348 days is a long time – practically an eternity in the mobile world. It’s time enough for a third model of the DROID hardware to be developed and released, with Gingerbread not insignificantly baked right in. It’s nearly time four a fourth model to appear, at least in the United States. It’s also time enough for Google to release not one, but two major version updates...

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Samsung Galaxy S gets Android 2.3.5 update in Europe

If you are a Samsung Galaxy S user that has felt left out when it comes to Gingerbread, your update is coming. At least that update is coming in Europe. That update should be available now or very shortly for users of the Galaxy S in Europe via KIES. It’s been a whole since we talked about that Galaxy S smartphone, we reviewed it way back in March of this year. Along with the update come a change log of what the smartphone gets feature wise. The update adds an animation shadow at the end of scroll lists. The messages app gets faster start up for opening SMS or sending them. The battery life and power consumption is improved as well. Overall performance of the phone is improved and there were bugs fixed in the system app. A hang issue...

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HTC Security OTA Appearing On European Sensations [Update: And Now The GSM EVO 3D, Too]

It's been eleven days since Android Police published this story detailing the discovery by Trevor Eckhart of some serious security issues within HTC's more recent software. Three days after that HTC responded, and now, a further week or so later, we are seeing reports of an "important security update" being pushed to HTC Sensations throughout Europe.Screencap by FG1234 of Android-Hilfe.deWhile HTC does not specify exactly what the ~9 MB update addresses, the timing seems right to relate to the preceding story. Besides alluding to some positive-sounding "performance improvements and new features", the update description does not mention any further details, and HTC certainly doesn't dwell on the nature of the security update itself.The...

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Sweet 3D game converter for LG Optimus 3D hits download in Europe

Back in August during IFA 2011, we talked a bit about the 3D game converter that LG was showing off at the show. The game converter is intended to allow the owners of the LG Optimus 3D smartphone to turn all their 2D video games into 3D games on the fly. That will mean that all of your favorite games can now be enjoyed in 3D. Optimus 3D owners in Europe will be able to get the new converter in the first Maintenance Release (MR) this month. LG notes that over the next few weeks the MR will be rolled out to other countries allowing other owners to get in on the 3D gaming action. The 3D Game Converter from LG is the first software engine that allows the conversion of Open GL-based 2D games to 3D and then back again at any time. LG...

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Amazon Android Appstore now live in Europe

Amazon has finally pushed its US-only Android Appstore out to (at least some of) the rest of the world, with UK users and those in a handful of other countries now able to download apps via the official Amazon Appstore app.The Amazon Appstore web site still carries the disclaimer that it’s only available to customers in the US, but we’ve just tried using the Amazon Appstore app on Android in the UK……and look, it’s actually working. Prices are still showing in dollars, but still. Free App of the Day is now GO without any region hacking. Ace. You’ll need to manually install the Amazon Appstore app direct from Amazon to make it work. Let us know if you also have access.Link via PocketGame...

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HTC October 6 event could deliver Euro HTC Vigor

The HTC Vigor could make its official debut in early October, with the news that HTC UK is sending out invites for a “press conference and party” on October 6. While the company has told us it cannot confirm details about the event – and asked that we not mention where in London it will take place – the language indicates this will be another of the company’s high-profile public events. Saved for the firm’s more significant launches, and usually announced at the HTC UK Facebook page, these parties give would-be buyers a chance to play with new smartphones well ahead of retail availability. Although the early October timeline could indicate Windows Phone 7 related news, the fact that HTC has already announced its new Mango-based line-up...

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HTC enables bootloader unlock for EVO 3D in Europe and Canada

HTC has added two additional flavors of EVO 3D to its bootloader unlocking site, following in the footsteps of the Sprint version, which become unlockable last month. If you own an unbranded European EVO 3D, or a Rogers-branded device in Canada, then you can begin your quest by using the web tool over on the HTCDev site.Unlocking your bootloader will allow you to monkey around with custom firmware and the like, though you'll void your warranty by doing so, even if you use the official HTC unlocking tools. Still interested? Hit the link below to begin.Source: HTCD...

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New Motorola Defy+ smartphone to launch this month in Europe markets

Apple’s successful appeal for a second injunction to block the Samsung Galaxy Tab series in a court in Germany has snatched away a chance from Samsung to showcase its latest tablet devices at one of the world’s largest consumer electronics shows. The South Korea based Samsung Electronics, which is the closest competitor of Apple in the tablet market, has recently pulled out its newly released Galaxy tab 7.7 from the IFA electronics show which is being held in Berlin after a court in Dusseldorf accepted Apple’s call for a countrywide ban on the Samsung tablets on 2nd September, said a Seoul based spokesperson of Samsung named James Chung. Chung, however, did not confirm if the court orders had reached Samsung yet. An Apple spokesperson...

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Vodafone becomes the first in Europe to offer operator billing for Android apps

You buy a new fancy smartphone from the shops, take it home, and then after you get all your data on there you start looking for applications to make your shiny toy unique to your individual needs. If said smartphone was an iPhone, then all you need to purchase apps is your iTunes username and password. If you picked up an Android device … then you’re going to be put through the hell of having to enter your 16 digit credit card number, expiration date, security code, and more, just to be able to get your Angry Birds fix. Now there’s a way to get around this called operator building, which is exactly what it sounds like, your apps are put on the same bill as the one that comes in the post every month from your operator. It’s been available...

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Galaxy Tab 10.1 ban suspended outside of Germany

We have already talked about Samsung looking for a court date to try to get the ban on the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe overturned. That court date was slated for August 25. Samsung won’t have to wait that long to get the tablet back into some parts of Europe. The ban on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet has been lifted in many parts of Europe allowing sales to start back up.The only country left with the ban in effect inside Europe is Germany. Exactly why the German court that had placed the ban suddenly changed its ruling is unknown. It is possible the evidence that Apple may have manipulated images used to get the ban put into effect could have affected the decision, but the validity of that is unknown. Others suggest...

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HTC Sensation OTA Update for 2.3.4 Gingerbread Hitting Europe

New reports this morning are suggesting the update to the late Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread is currently underway for the European model. The update hit a few unbranded Germany roaming HTC Sensation phones but should be rolling out to other carriers throughout the next week or so. As far as I know there hasn’t been any word regarding an update for the Sensation but this could be a good time to include some fixes and update to the latest OS version.Folks that have received the update are saying it was around 41mb and was a fairly fast and easy process, as well as bringing the phone software version up to 1.45.401.2. We are still waiting more details but it appears to bring GTalk video chat to the device as a standard option instead of using...

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Samsung gets court date for attempt to overturn Galaxy Tab ban in Europe

It has been a few days now since German courts banned the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet in most of Europe. Samsung and Apple have been fighting a legal battle there over Apple’s allegations that Samsung is copying its design for the Galaxy Tab series. The courts in Germany set a date for Samsung’s appeal to try to get the ban overturned. The date is set for August 25 and a decision will likely come a few weeks after the court date.Apple is also attempting to ban the import and sale of the Galaxy Tab tablets in other areas too. Apple filed an injunction with a court in The Hague reports Reuters that seeks to stop the Samsung gear from being sold in the Netherlands. That filing is also seeking to stop the import of the Samsung...

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Hands-On in Germany

Tweet It appears that our Android pals in Deutschland have gotten their hands on the yet to be release Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, one of two new tablets announced back at CTIA 2011 (we where there!) but without working units (we got to see the dummies!) We also got to see a working version of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb with TouchWiz overlay on a different test-unit tablet that same faithful day – what NewGadgetsDE has for the world now is no less than those two elements combined – and in a white-backed unit!Have a look at the images of this ultra-sleek 9.09 x 6.21 x 0.34-inch (230.9 x 157.8 x 8.6-mm) tablet, noting that it’s hella light at 16.58 oz (470 g) and holds in its guts a dual-core 1GHz chipset and an 8.9-inch 1280 x 800 pixel...

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