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Sony's new flagship smartphone has finally caught up with its predecessors. Android Ice Cream Sandwich is now available on the Xperia S starting today. New features include the ability to display visuals during music playback, an updated calendar overview and notifications drop-down menu from the lock screen. The settings screen has been redesigned for a stronger stock Android feel, alongside Face Unlock and the camera lock screen shortcut we saw on the Galaxy Nexus. A new streaming movies app is also thrown into the update to make the most of that high-definition screen, while a new album app will offer an Ice Cream Sandwich-tinged interface for all your photos, videos and Facebook albums. Take a tour of the refresh after the break and check the source link more details -- Sony says the 200MB update will start rolling out today, but it will differ depending on carriers.

Aussies and Brits have been waiting awhile for either a truly broad LTE launch or to get any LTE at all. That wait is coming to an end, but not without some grousing. UK Minister for Culture Ed Vaizey has alleged that any slow movement stemmed from carriers that have "threatened to sue" regulator Ofcom if it's too hasty and does something they frown upon. Needless to say, that remark has ruffled a few feathers: one of the earliest expected British LTE providers, Everything Everywhere, tells Pocket-lint it has "no appetite" to take Ofcom to court and drag 4G deployments through the mud. Things are going a little more smoothly in Australia, if on a later timetable. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, now expects Australia to auction off 700MHz and 2.5GHz wireless frequencies in April 2013. That could lead to a very long wait for wider 4G service in the country, but at least the 700MHz support will be good news for device makers that don't want to be mired in disputes over LTE devices they've brought over from the US.

Today was a big day for the wireless world, and we definitely want to discuss it as soon as humanly possible while it's fresh on our minds. Myriam and Brad are going to chat it up about Windows Phone 8 and the other crazy happenstances from this week, so we hope you can join the Engadget Mobile crew for this late-night edition of the weekly podcast!

Unlike many of our friends in Europe, loads more Verizon Wireless customers are about to get turbocharged in time for their new Galaxy S III smartphones to arrive. Big Red is deploying its latest 4G LTE network tech in 46 new cities and expanding coverage in 22 others -- and it's all going down tomorrow. That'll bring VZW's total up to 304 cities across the land of the free two full weeks ahead of the July 4th holiday, giving many people one more reason to celebrate a Hump Day without work. And really, couldn't the world use more reasons to celebrate? Full PR after the break.

After watching Judge Alsup strike down its patent and Java API infringement claims, Oracle seems to be cutting its losses, agreeing to accept $0 in damages from Google. Confused? So was the Judge, who reportedly responded to the proposal by asking, "is there a catch I need to be aware of?" No catch, but Oracle isn't giving up, stating that it's taking its case to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If successful, the appeal could put the two firms back in Alsup's courtroom, perhaps asking for somewhere between the previously proposed $32.3 million and today's sum total of zilch. We'll let you know when the drama comes around again.

Huawei's presence at Mobile Asia Expo this year has a distinct flavor of RAZR Maxx about it. The Ascend P1 is getting a fresh 2600 mAh XL variant that does exactly what it says on the tin: throw almost 56 percent more battery power at the previously skinny Android 4.0 device. Along with this and a TD-SCDMA variant of the P1 for China Mobile fans, the other standout is the (not yet pictured) Mobile WiFi E5151, which brings a rare Ethernet jack to the 3G hotspot world for hoping onto the Internet in a more traditional form. It's radio silence on the E5151's release, but those in Huawei's native China can look forward to buying the lengthily-titled Ascend P1 2600 mAh XL in the summer -- just don't assume it will cross the ocean anytime soon.

Sprint Guardian has been in the oven for some time now -- we actually heard about it during our interview with John Tudhope and David Owens at CTIA 2012 -- but now, at long last, the service is available. Concerned parents nationwide can locate Guardian on "many" Sprint Android-powered phones through the Sprint Zone. The program itself features apps from Safely and Lookout, enabling parents to "protect their phone-carrying children through location checks and limits on texting while driving or at school." In other words, you can prevent a child's phone from being able to call or text whilst the user is driver, and lost phones can be located more easily. Naturally, such luxuries don't come free: Sprint Mobile Controls, Sprint Drive First and Sprint Family Locator are available as a Family Safety bundle for $9.99 per month for up to five lines on the same account. Or, you know, just give your youngin' a Hamilton each month for not acting like a lunatic with phone in hand.

We've seen T-Mobile roll out Android 4.0 for its Galaxy S II variant, and now another American carrier is joining the pack. AT&T has started pushing out Android 4.0.3 (no 4.0.4, oddly) to its near-reference version of Samsung's 2011 range leader. We wouldn't brace for any surprises over the conservative OS updates seen elsewhere in the world, but it will at least give you Chrome for Android without turning to custom firmware. The odd man out among the major US carriers is Sprint's Epic 4G Touch -- it's still humming along on 2.3 for now, and neither Sprint nor Samsung has given any further signs that they're ready to make the leap.

[Thanks, Tom]

Eager to get your hands on a Samsung Galaxy S III with the little Sprint logo on the back? The Now Network is being ever the tease, confirming to us through an official company spokesperson that overwhelming demand has prevented sufficient inventory from reaching store shelves. This doesn't count for early adopters that pre-ordered a 16GB model, however: they'll likely still find the precious new smartphone on their doorstep tomorrow as originally anticipated. According to Sprint, pre-orders for the 32GB version will begin next week, but the carrier isn't completely certain as to when we can expect to see those shipped out -- we'll keep you posted as the news pours in.

We hope you took advantage of those Italian lessons. If you didn't, the gist is that Samsung has warned at least one HDBlog.it visitor (and Galaxy phone owner) that its Readers Hub will soon drop Kobo e-book support. While there isn't a mentioned cutoff point, Samsung is steering the faithful to the regular Kobo app on Google Play if they want to keep reading. The company's only explanation may be a good one: it's promising a "new and improved" e-book service that should be ready in the near future. We'd very much like to know what that is, but until Samsung is more forthcoming with actual details, we'll have to be content with the company's alert-as-teaser approach to marketing.

Today at the Windows Phone Developer Summit, we had the opportunity to sit down with Kevin Shields, SVP of Program and Product Management at Nokia, and chat about the day's announcements including Windows Phone 8. Our discussion started with the apps Nokia unveiled today -- PlayTo for DLNA support, Nokia Counter to monitor data usage, My Commute for personalized routing, an update of Nokia Music to 3.0 and the Camera Extras imaging suite -- which are rolling out next week for all Lumia handsets running Windows Phone 7.5. Kevin gave us a little more insight on Camera Extras, a set of four apps (Self Timer, Panorama Maker, Action Shot and Smart Group Shot) designed to enhance the camera experience which leverage technology from Nokia's recent Scalado acquisition.

We then moved on to discussing Windows Phone 8 and specifically NFC support, with a small tangent spent on Kevin showing us the recently launched Lumia 610 NFC. The next topic was about what we can expect from Nokia in terms of hardware for upcoming phones running the latest iteration of Microsoft's mobile OS. We know that the first batch of Windows Phone 8 devices will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Plus dual-core SoC, but on the topic of quad-core processors Kevin said "where additional hardware makes a difference, then sure, let's talk about it," adding "we're going to stay committed to the experience." Finally we discussed the future of Nokia's PureView technology and how it fits in with the next generation mobile OS. PureView "is a core technology that we are dedicated to and invested in" said Kevin. Sounds quite promising, right?

We can't wait to see what the next wave of Lumia handsets brings to the table. Until then, go ahead and watch our video interview.

Another day, another major announcement from Microsoft -- and yes, another round of opinions from your humble team at Engadget. Today it's Windows Phone 8, the (finally) formally announced successor to the company's mobile platform. Rather tragically, there's no upgrade path from any current Windows Phone device (the 7.8 stopgap notwithstanding). Your hot new cerulean blue Lumia 900? It'll be obsolete this fall. Join us after the break to get our thoughts on that and all the other bits of information gleaned today -- right after you read our initial thoughts from the original Windows Phone 7 Series, to see just how far we've come.

If you've been following our Windows Phone 8 coverage today, you know that anybody who buys a Windows Phone today will not be able to upgrade to WP8 when it ships this fall. If you were an early adopter that's not such a bad deal, but if you bought a Lumia 900 oh, say, three weeks ago you might be upset -- and rightly so. And rightfully angry is Luke, who sent us an email he fired off to Nokia's Stephen Elop and AT&T's Ralph de la Vega in which he asks why he shouldn't, right now, turn around and return his phone.

I just watched the Windows Phone 8 announcement and learned that the Lumia will not be upgradeable to WP8, it will more or less get a skin with the new live tiles and a few other features... at the end of the day unless one of you responds and convinces me to stay with Microsoft Windows Phone, Nokia Lumia or Att wireless I will just wash my hands of all three companies and move over to Verizon.

Surprise surprise, Elop responded very promptly, stating:

We have a lot of exciting capabilities coming as part of a pattern of updates for the existing Lumia products. This includes some of the most significant visual elements of WP8 – for example, the new start screen. As we have always been, Nokia is committed to delivering a long term experience to any purchasers of our products.

Granted, Nokia is bringing some nice updates to current Lumias, like some Scalado-augmented photo magic, but Elop's mention of "significant visual elements" leaves us wanting. We're waiting to hear what Luke's going to do, but here's your chance to weigh in. What do you think he should do? Full emails are after the break.

We know who's making Windows Phone 8 hardware, but we're now seeing US carriers step up to either confirm their support for the new OS or stay on the sidelines. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have all pledged to PCMag that they'll support WP8, with those first two publicly promising to have devices by the end of the year. None of them is a big stretch, even Verizon -- but it's good to know that the HTC Trophy is still on track to get a successor. Other carriers aren't quite so enthusiastic. Sprint prefers to keep things a mystery and will only say that it won't comment on unannounced products, while Cricket and MetroPCS won't budge from their fence-sitting. As such, this year's American release appears to be a repeat of years past, just with a possible dash of Nokia.

Verizon may be getting into a regular habit of carrying high-end LG smartphones. If the FCC is anything to go by, the Optimus LTE II could be next to get the Big Red treatment: a filing has just emerged for the VS930, a likely successor to the VS910 (Revolution) and VS920 (Spectrum). While it's been showing up only in bits and pieces through certifications and tests, the more complete picture we're getting now shows a world-ready roaming device. It has the requisite CDMA and Verizon-specific LTE frequencies, but also GSM and HSPA as bonuses -- on AT&T-friendly bands, no less. LG is understandably shy about showing photos or other clues, but anything resembling the Optimus LTE II would flaunt a 4.7-inch 720p screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and that all-important 2GB of RAM. To us, the real question is one of timing. Verizon has been making a habit of offering one 4G-equipped LG flagship every year, but early 2013 would be a long time to wait for what's more of an iteration than a... wait for it... revolution.

It doesn't look good. This Galaxy S III apparently malfunctioned while in an in-car holster, causing some substantial melting and burn marks across the lower half of the device. The global HSPA+ iteration of Samsung's new flagship apparently sparked into white flames, followed by a bang. While it's certainly not the first smartphone to implode in transit, the damage -- along the base but separate to the charging port -- looks pretty substantial and although the screen still apparently worked, reception was dead. The phone has been whisked off to a repair center through phone retailer Carphone Warehouse for the full autopsy. User dillo2k10 was left unscathed, but it's apparently left some nasty molten plastic remains on the inside of his car. Hit up the gallery link below for some more scorch-marked close-ups.

Update: Sammy updated its Samsung Tomorrow blog with a quick statement, reading: "Samsung is aware of this issue and will begin investigating as soon as we receive the specific product in question. Once the investigation is complete, we will be able to provide further details on the situation. We are committed to providing our customers with the safest products possible and are looking at this seriously."

[Thanks Dillon]

Not interested in paying $200 on contract for a new Galaxy S III over at Sprint / AT&T? Fret not, lost souls -- T-Mobile USA will soon be willing to sell you one for more. Much more. We just landed our hands on an internal pricing sheet for the forthcoming Android superphone, with the 16GB model listed at $229.99 on a Value Plan contract, or $279.99 (after $50 mail-in rebate, no less) on a Classic Plan contract. Those on the latter can snag it for $449.99 if you're eligible for an early upgrade, while those who'd rather not extend their contractual relationship can pay $629.99 for a (still carrier locked) off-contract handset. The notice also states that no sales can occur prior to June 21st (that's tomorrow, folks!), but of course, it'll be even later if you aren't in one of those "top 29 markets."

[Thanks, Anonymous]

It may not be the mysterious prototype Joe Belfiore showed off at today's Windows Phone Developer Summit keynote, but it's a nice treat nonetheless: we had the opportunity to sneak a peek at an AT&T-branded Nokia Lumia 900 running Windows Phone 7.8, complete with the brand new Start screen. Because it's at such early stages in the development game, we weren't able to get our own grubby hands on the device and play around with any of the highlighted features, but it was still great to see it working on a real, honest-to-goodness device. What other secrets this software holds will remain that way for now, but we can certainly look forward to an action-packed summer full of interesting revelations.

Update: We were able to snap a few extra images of this very same Lumia 900, but we weren't allowed to touch the screen or interact with the software in any way, since the build we saw of Windows Phone 7.8 is just a special version highlighting the Start screen and is nowhere near final production quality. For what it's worth, we had the opportunity to view a demo of the tiles being resized, and we couldn't detect any flaws in its execution. Check out the full gallery of precious pics below!

Windows Phone 7.8 eyes-on

Myriam Joire contributed to this post.

In case those famed Pinterest and Flipboard apps just weren't doing enough tricks for you, Jolicloud's here to save you from your application wretchedness. Essentially, the Jolicloud Android offering will allow you to bring services such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Flickr together into one place (much like its ME beta), with the cloud service saying others are expected to be added at some point in the future. Of course, this means the Jolicloud app will show you content you've pinned, tweeted and liked, as well as giving you multiple searching options -- all without the need to ever leave out of the new application. Even better, Jolicloud won't ask a dime out of you, and it's up for download now via the Google Play link down there. Worth a shot, no?

Remember Metaio? Back in February we reported on the company's rather neat brand of markerless augmented reality, and now it has some fresh news: a major revamp to its Junaio AR browser for iOS and Android, which incorporates the markerless algorithms and a lot more besides. The browser is an open platform for a myriad of smaller AR apps coded by independent developers, and the new version includes both a new UI and API to give those devs additional tools in HTML5 and JavaScript.

Right now, the app is worth a peek for the various curiosities demo'd after the break -- such as the ability to see other people's Instagram photos overlaid on the view from your rear camera, showing the direction and distance to the point where they were snapped. In time, though, we're really hoping that developers will latch on to platforms like this and take AR to where it needs to be: something that let's us recognize and augment people and objects naturally and instantaneously, without pre-conceived markers. In fact, Junaio really needs to have coffee with Project Glass.

Update: looks like the Android version has jammed in a pipe somewhere and won't hit Google Play til June 25th.

It's not quite App Store numbers, but the Windows Phone Marketplace has finally managed to break the six-digit published apps barrier (making good on the promise of all those app submissions) as Microsoft just announced that its mobile users now have over 100,000 apps to choose from. And, while it may not be as big a deal as multi-core proccessor support, a new Start screen, or turn-by-turn navigation, Microsoft just told of two more apps that'll be popping up in the Marketplace soon. That's right, a duo of Zynga's most popular titles, Words with Friends and Draw Something, are coming to Windows Phone. Congratulations, all you Microsoft mobile aficionados, your time-wasting can now reach levels previously seen only by your iOS and Android-toting friends.

Tired of plugging your Lumia 900 into your PC or Mac in order to apply software updates? Tough luck -- you'll still be doing it while future buyers snack on Windows Phone 8. Harshness aside, Microsoft made clear at today's Windows Phone Summit that all WP8 updates will be delivered over the air, with an available program to give "registered enthusiasts" early access prior to broad consumer pushes. The real kicker, however, is this line: "Devices are supported with updates for at least 18 months." For those keeping count, the Lumia 900 shipped here in the US on April 8th. Two months later, it's already confirmed that the flagship WP7 handset in America won't get Windows Phone 8. We'd also like to take this opportunity to remind you just how poorly an identical promise from Google went over in May of 2011. You may remember Andy Rubin confessing that an 18 month Android update program was being put into place at Google I/O 2011, and here we are -- halfway through 2012 -- and we've still heard zero details on how that's being policed. Pardon our skepticism, but we'll need to see it to believe it.

To check out the latest updates from Microsoft's Windows Phone event, visit our liveblog!

When Windows Phone 8 arrives in the fall, it will have a relatively narrow slice of hardware makers: HTC, Huawei, Nokia and Samsung will represent the first wave. That's excluding some significant partners that have surfaced even over the past year, including ZTE. When they do ship, though, all of them will be using new Qualcomm processors; we have a hunch that's code for Snapdragon S4 variants. There certainly won't be any shortage of regional support with apps available over 180 countries and 50 languages accounted for -- more than Apple mentioned as attached to iOS 6, Microsoft is keen to add. While the number of hardware launches isn't likely to come that close anytime soon, it does mean that phone designers will have considerable more flexibility as to where they launch.

To check out the latest updates from Microsoft's Windows Phone event, visit our liveblog!

Update: Not to miss a good opportunity, Huawei has issued a press release to announce that its Ascend Windows Phone 8 handset will launch first in the US, Europe and China, with other countries to follow. You'll find the full spiel after the break.

That Nokia would be joining Microsoft on this day of Windows Phone 8 revelations is no surprise -- the companies long ago inked their blood pact on the back of Mango. Now, at today's summit in San Francisco, Espoo's Kevin Shields just announced a slew of new and updated apps to currently available Lumia handsets starting next week. Spreading the love to Mango and above, existing users will be treated to a new DLNA app dubbed PlayTo that allows for video, music and photo sharing wirelessly, Nokia Counter to monitor and manage data usage, My Commute which utilizes Drive to compute travel time and arrange routing and a 3.0 update to Nokia Music.

And, given that this is the company behind PureView, current Lumia devices running Windows Phone will receive an imaging facelift of sorts, augmenting the baked-in optics via Camera Extras. This suite of apps will effectively upgrade the core photo-taking experience with the addition of a self-timer, action shots, panorama and a Smart Group Shot setting (likely built upon Scalado software). So, while your eagerness to adopt that cyan Lumia 900 may not pay off with an upgrade to WP 8, at the very least Nokia is adopting a policy of no Lumia user left (that far) behind.

To check out the latest updates from Microsoft's Windows Phone event, visit our liveblog!

Well, Microsoft has officially left Apple as the only player in the Mobile field to not support real multitasking. With the next version of Windows Phone, background multitasking will be opened up to all devs, thanks to libraries provided directly by Redmond. During today's presentation two different background tasks were demoed, VoIP and location. The VoIP integration allows users to have calls come in, preferably via Skype if Microsoft has its way, without having the app running in the foreground and have them appear the same as a standard phone call. While watching for incoming calls is nice, a more commonly used feature is location monitoring. Now apps will be able to monitor location in the background while you perform other tasks. One by one, Microsoft is checking off boxes on our list of complaints about Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 8 multitasking