HTC has taken to Facebook to detail its plans for Android 4.0 parent in terms of updates on its recent lineup, with the Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, EVO 3D, EVO Design 4G, Incredible S, Desire S, and Desire HD receiving updates to the new operating system during the year.

While HTC has been the most transparent in terms of timetables regarding future updates for its slate of Android devices, the manufacturer has been more reticent than usual owing to the sheer scale necessary to update its latest lineup as Android 4.0 is the most resource intensive version of Android in terms of memory and processor power necessary to handle its transitions and rendering requirements.

HTC has also pledged to reduce the total numbers of models it releases this year after it missed its 4th quarter projections following the announcement of its earnings earlier this week. HTC typically makes its profit by selling multiple versions of hardware around the world and modified to suit carriers, though it did cite the lower than expected sales of phones such as the Thunderbolt as a reason for the change in direction.

The change in release strategy may be a boon to the manufacturer, as less models means less money necessary to spend on marketing and promotion and less money spent on support, including R&D on future updates. While HTC did report a loss for the 4th quarter, the company expects to continue its growth targets while amending its projections based on the lower than expected earnings.

More details on Android ICS updates will be released for each phone that was confirmed earlier today in the coming months.

As we previously reported, HP was under fire by the open source community for refusing to release the source code for the Android kernel that they accidentally released for the HP TouchPad.

The Android kernel was based on Qualcomm’s reference Android source code, and was used by HP internally to accelerate the release of the TouchPad. It was never intended for public use, but rather, to ensure that the TouchPad’s hardware would be ready for release to consumers alongside webOS 3. As webOS 3 was lagging behind the hardware in development, Android was also used in the manufacturing lines to test TouchPads before ultimately being flashed with webOS.

This debacle for HP became a debacle when a handful of TouchPads were sold to consumers with the Android debug build installed. These units apparently did not get overwritten with webOS after the hardware was assembled and tested. Based on the “release” of Android by HP for the Touchpad, the open source community followed the terms of the GNU Public License (GPL) that drives the Linux kernel, and asked HP to release the source code.

HP eventually responded that they would not release the source code, under the basis that it was not an authorized action to release the Android build of Touchpad firmware. This opened a somewhat-new question for GPL, which is if a company is liable for source code mistakes that the company did not intend to release or publish.

While not at issue in this situation, the problem is more complex when involving the latest GPL license, GPLv3, which can demand the entire source code release for a published work, if any part of the code is licensed under GPLv3. Taken to an extreme, the accidental inclusion of GPLv3 could arguably force the release of entire source codes for products like Mac OS X and TiVo’s operating system, both of which employ only GPLv2 code as a result. HP’s argument would likely be conveyed by other companies in such a situation, but it underscores a lack of definition in GPL itself.

Today’s development of the release of the Android source code for the HP TouchPad comes as hackers have already created working Android builds for the TouchPad.

It appears though that HP may have faced legal pressure, the developer that convinced HP appears to have enlisted IP attorneys in the plight to get HP to release the code:

HP supports the community and was kind enough to provide us with the Android kernel source and some other GPL components that they modified for the few Touchpads that were accidentally released running Android.

Many thanks go to attorney Benjamin E. Maskell from Roetzel & Andress for helping with this.

Also I’d like to thank phil86 for providing his Android-running touchpad to me and to Snow02 to help with covering some shipping costs.

Prior evidence from the leaked TouchPad units point to the Android debug firmware being based on Qualcomm internal builds of Android. It is possible, though we cannot confirm, that HP was prompted to work out a resolution with Qualcomm in order to release the source code.

One issue remains, and that is the Wi-Fi driver for the TouchPad. HP’s quiet release of the source code lacks the source code for the driver, which the developer, Green, insists is linked against the Linux kernel, subjecting it to GPL disclosure. HP has reportedly responded to the developer that they are evaluating its status for release.

If it is correct that HP had to work with Qualcomm to release the source code for the Android build, it is likely possible HP will have to work with the developer of the Android/Linux driver for the Wi-Fi chipset as well.

HP has stated they hope to launch Open webOS, a fully open-source version of webOS, late this year.

Kajeet might be an unfamiliar name to most, but the company has been around for the past five years, providing wireless service as a virtual operator in its own niche as a child-friendly alternative to  other, more expensive services.

The provider has recently rearranged its lineup to include smartphones, but with the new additions comes added features to protect kids and teenagers from unsavory and potentially unsafe content as well as new features for child tracking and safety. Read more for the complete review.

I was sent a standard LG Optimus S as an example of the smartphones Kajeet is now carrying earlier this month, which include the HTC Shift, Samsung Conquer and Replenish. The smartphones themselves are typical of Sprint’s current lineup and are identical in terms of hardware. Where the phones differ is in the services supported, as Kajeet has taken extra steps to make the phones safe for children and teenagers.

Starting with its most recent feature addition, the provider offers a free content filtering service included in the monthly rate which lets parents control what children can browse and do on the phones and gradually decrease filtering until deemed unnecessary. Not only does Kajeet allow content filtering, but it also allows near complete usage control for voice and messaging by scheduling appropriate time blocks to deter phone use at inappropriate times, such as at night and during school hours.

Another feature which Kajeet is heavily promoting for all of its lineup is its GPS Phone Locator service which can be used on a pay per use basis at 0.99/per use or as part of a monthly add-on for $7.99 that includes access to a web portal that tracks a child’s phone in real-time as well as allowing the addition of landmarks, a monthly overview of a child’s activity and automatic triggering of emails to track a phone if its either lost or if the child is lost.

Having used the LG Optimus for two weeks, the hardware itself is solid and testing the content filter worked as advertised along with the usage control features. Battery life was surprisingly solid despite the phone only running Froyo and not having an update to Gingerbread available.

As far as monthly plans are concerned, all Kajeet plans are monthly plans with no agreement and start at $4.99 a month going all the way up to $50 a month for unlimited voice/text/GPS Locator access, though smartphones are excluded from unlimited picture multimedia messages and rely on an additional monthly data plan for use, while featurephones are allowed to send unlimited picture messages. Data plans start at $4.99 for 50MB of access and go all the way up to $24.99 for 1GB of access which can be combined with the feature manager to block or enable select sites and services.

Using the phone for two weeks and testing out all of the features, I was pleasantly surprised to see that none of the features got in the way of normal phone usage. I did like being able to track the phone and looking back at the history of where the phone went while I did my usual errands as the location service was accurate to within ~20 feet. The content filter did its job, blocking out access to sites depending on filtering level and worked well enough for the purposes of this review.

After all is said and done, Kajeet is a viable alternative for parents looking to get their kids a smartphone without having to worry about what they can do with them that could potentially lead to inappropriate activity or content, with the bonus of being cost-effective and a good way to keep watch over them with the inclusion of pay-per-use GPS location service. Even though I personally don’t have kids, I would highly recommend Kajeet over taking out another line on a postpaid plan or another prepaid service for any parent that does.

Kajeet – Official Site

The second tablet to receive the long awaited Android 4.0 update will be Motorola’s Xoom Wi-Fi tablet, with the update being pushed out as an OTA update.

The update pushes the software version to IML77 and takes full advantage of the new operating system, being that the Xoom was the reference device for the previous Android version in Android Honeycomb. The update is also notable for being available pre-rooted for those looking to maintain such access for maximum customization options and functionality not yet available officially on stock Android 4.0 or as the gateway to custom ROMs. of which many are also available.

While this update does signal that life does remain in the original Motorola Xoom, what is not yet known is whether the same updates will be provided to the LTE version of the tablet.

When the tablet was initially announced last January, the hardware and sales copy indicated compatibility with Verizon’s then new LTE network, but the actual tablet was not capable of accessing the then new network at its launch in February.  The initial plan was for Verizon to launch the Xoom LTE without the LTE hardware in order to avoid lengthy delays while Motorola prepared the LTE modules for a late Spring/early Summer 2011 launch.

However, additional delays in LTE hardware production ironically forced more delays on the intended free upgrade program past the initial timeframe, to the point that Verizon was forced to relaunch the tablet in October of 2011 with the LTE hardware included in order to drive already slow sales, while the upgrade program for those that bought the Xoom LTE at launch wasn’t completed until later that month, almost six months after its original upgrade timeframe was first announced.

Now with the availability of the Droid Xyboard/Xoom 2 in Verizon’s lineup, it remains to be seen whether the carrier will bother updating the Xoom LTE, as they can be easily found on the myriad of deal-a-day websites for an average of 30-40% off of their MSRP while Verizon slowly moves away from supporting the tablet in favor of newer tablets.

Of course, this also raises the question of what kind of carrier support can be expected for tablets in general, as T-Mobile abandoned support for its version of the Dell Streak 7 due to low sales while Dell continuously updated its Wi-Fi only versions.

With carriers continuously releasing Android tablets in order to compete in the marketplace with more power and more features at the expense of low overall sales and lower consumer awareness, long-term support means the difference between having a satisfied customer base that would be willing to buy more from that carrier and having people completely skip over an entire product line.

Unfortunately, with the compressed development and release cycles that have become the norm for Android smartphones and tablets, having timely consistent updates being made available for older devices are now a much lower priority for carriers than developing and selling new devices with new features, as evidenced by the launch of the Droid Xyboard series shortly after the relaunch of the Xoom 4G, despite the Xyboard 10.1 and Xoom 4G being priced identically.

Prepaid virtual operator Straight Talk has announced its first high-end Android smartphone in the LG Optimus 2X. The key differentiator between this version of the phone and the T-Mobile version in the G2X will be the inclusion of an LTE radio, which will make this the first high-end prepaid Android smartphone on Straight Talk and the first to function on AT&T’s nascent LTE network.

It also marks the first time that AT&T will allow prepaid access to its LTE network, as its own GoPhone lineup is limited to 3G devices and its smartphone lineup on GoPhone does not feature access to either unlimited 3G data or LTE access.

The LG Optimus 2X is underpinned by a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 at 1GHz, an 800×480 resolution touch display, front-facing 1.3 megapixel VGA camera and 8.0 megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capture along with a Wi-Fi N radio, Bluetooth, microSDHC slot with pre-installed 4GB card, 3.5mm jack and mini HDMI out.

This marks a potentially disruptive development for the prepaid brand, as it simultaneously competes against its Master Service Provider in AT&T in terms of services offered for the monthly rate, since the $45 monthly rate for service includes unlimited access to voice, data and messaging while the service also undercuts its competitors in Boost Mobile, Cricket and MetroPCS in terms of value for money.

The lowest priced service plans for Android on MetroPCS with LTE access start at $50 per month and do not include unlimited data access, while Boost Mobile’s Android data plan is $5 higher per month for the first six months and is unlimited in terms of data access, but is limited to much slower EV-DO Rev. A access. For Straight Talk to offer 4G LTE data access as a part of its current $45 monthly rate is not only potentially game changing, but it opens access to even more people that normally wouldn’t be able to take advantage of such service, as LTE access is currently being limited by carriers to capped postpaid and prepaid tablet access to generate the revenue necessary to cover costs associated to network buildouts.

It’s also important to note that such service additions and newly included support for faster data access on prepaid providers are usually followed by significant increases to the monthly rate to cover the additional costs incurred by the provider.  For Straight Talk to maintain the $45 smartphone rate while offering its first high-end smartphone with LTE is a sure way to drive not only frugal customers looking to jump into its low cost and inclusive flat-rate service as well as those that will undoubtedly upgrade from older smartphones, but the hardcore Android enthusiasts will no doubt take a second look at the service as it now supports LTE, which will doubtlessly drive even more activations on the service.

However, as Straight Talk is notoriously tight-lipped about its limits on data access per month dating back to the release of the E71, what is currently not known is how LTE access will be treated in terms of any monthly caps or throttling. AT&T is especially notorious for its current monthly data caps, but at least those are clearly defined.

With Straight Talk, reports vary on exactly how much is “too much” data use for a given user, as experiences range from ~6GB of data use a month with no issues or warnings, to situations where using more than 200MB in one day has led some customers to have their service suspended until the next renewal period without being able to restore it, or worse, having service completely terminated and having to reactivate completely.

With this latest development, Straight Talk is well on its way to being the disruptive provider that so many have tried and failed to be. The phone will be launched by the end of the month as an online exclusive with pricing to match, as the phone will be priced between $249-299.99 and slot at the top of the current Android lineup, which currently features the Sprint-powered and sourced Samsung Precedent and LG Optimus Q.

What remains to be seen is just how many people will be led to the service of flat-rate service with LTE access for half of the cost of the typical postpaid monthly rate on AT&T. Will it drive new customers that normally wouldn’t have considered prepaid service, or does the allure of the $45 rate leave it open for abuse by the same people that would take full advantage of such service if given the opportunity to pay such a low rate for it?

Update: After extensive research, it has been confirmed that the model offered is not an LTE enabled version of the Optimus 2X as is being advertised by Straight Talk, rather it is in fact an unbranded version of the US G2X that will be sold by the provider with Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 pre-loaded along with a new series of T-Mobile SIM card that will allow access to the carrier’s HSPA+ network for the phone, with no possibility of swapping current SIMs used on other GSM smartphones such as the E71 and E5 since they only work with AT&T.

Update 2: Straight Talk has pulled its reservation page for the Optimus 2X and replaced it with the page for the Optimus Q. The service provider has also pulled its Google Doubleclick ad campaign for the phone and replaced it with the previous campaign for the Optimus Q. Below, a screen cap of the Optimus 2X ad.

Update 3: Straight Talk has re-opened the reservation page for the LG Optimus 2X and has removed all references to 4G LTE support and is instead referring to T-Mobile’s HSPA+ data network as “4G”.

Update 4: Sibling provider Net10 has opened its own page for the phone, with a screencap of its Google DoubleClick ad below detailing the removal of 4G LTE references:

Boost Mobile is steadily shoring up its Android smartphone lineup as it has added the LG Marquee to its lineup with the launch set for January 23rd via Boost Mobile’s online portal and retail stores with a wider launch in February. The Marquee is identical to the version released on Sprint with a 4 inch NOVA display, Android Gingerbread, front facing camera for video calling, Wi-Fi radio, Bluetooth and a 5.0 megapixel camera with 720p video capture. Pricing for the phone is set at $279.99 with either the monthly Android service plan or daily unlimited plans for activation.

As Boost Mobile transitions from the push to talk service that made it a pop culture icon, the move to smartphones does improve its prospects for longevity, but with Virgin Mobile following a near identical path with its own cheaper plans and smart phone selection, it will need to differentiate itself even further besides the Shrinkage program that rewards long-term customers for staying with the virtual operator and adding to Sprint’s overall subscriber numbers.

With the arrival of the Network Vision realignment and the focus moving quickly to LTE, it also remains to be seen how much attention will be paid to Boost Mobile and Virgin in terms of network access priority, as the popularity of the service has led to longstanding complaints of poor service for both services in terms of quality and data speeds. The next few months ahead of the expected launch of LTE on Sprint will prove crucial for both Boost and Virgin Mobile as they follow behind Sprint’s lead in terms of direction.

Polaroid has introduced its first Android powered smartphone with a full point and shoot assembly in the SC1630. While the SC1630 resembles a typical Android smartphone, a closer look reveals that it is actually a rebranded and re-engineered version of the Chinese Aigo A8 sold by China Unicom in that country.

The SC1630 as developed by Polaroid features a 16 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom, LED flash, a 3.2 inch touchscreen display on the back of the device at WVGA resolution and dedicated control buttons on the top for the camera shutter and volume rockers as well as a microSD slot and Bluetooth.

The device also features Android Gingerbread with full Google Apps and Android Market support along with AT&T/international 3G support for cellular data along with Wi-Fi and FM radio. The device does feature a mic for phone calls, suggesting that the device may be sold via  as well as unlocked directly by Polaroid depending on interest along with the possibility of an LTE version.

The SC1630 also features built-in dedicated camera apps for photo and video capture with cropping, red-eye removal, resizing and color correction. The device is being touted as a hybrid between a smartphone, media player and digital camera. The actual camera assembly consists of an F3.1 – F5.6 aperture lens assembly, 3X optical zoom, 5X digital zoom, a max shutter speed of 1/1400 and ISO max of 3200 with geotagging, anti-shake support and 720p video capture.

Representatives from Polaroid have also confirmed during CES that the company intends to sell the phone for $299.99 beginning in April and the release window hinges upon completion of final development work before then.

Requesting anonmimity, Toshiba engineers confirmed to PhoneNews.com that both the seven-inch and ten-inch versions of the Toshiba Thrive would be upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (or ICS for short).

This contradicts unconfirmed reports from Toshiba technical support that the Thrive line would not be upgraded to Android 4.0.

Toshiba has not yet offered an official statement regarding if the Thrive family of devices would be upgraded to ICS. The tablet line has faced an embattled launch, with Toshiba struggling alongside other Android tablet manufacturers to provide competitive advantage over Apple’s iPad.

The key differentiator for Thrive, at launch, was its built-in USB host ports. This enabled Thrive to be the first mass-production Android tablet to allow users to connect USB keyboards, game pads, and mass storage devices with ease. Toshiba accomplished this using newer Honeycomb features that were made official in Android 3.2.

However, shortly after launch Motorola embraced the same functionality via an adapter cable. In addition, hackers had already unlocked the functionality in Xoom prior to the release of Thrive. This subdued hackers to Thrive’s otherwise-attractive innovation.

More recently, Toshiba announced the seven-inch Thrive, which is more in-line with other current-generation seven-inch Tablets.

The lack of official commitment to Android 4.0 isn’t helping Thrive sales, either. Motorola recently committed to upgrading all of its Android tablets to Android 4.0, including the failed Motorola XOOM. Samsung has also committed to Android 4.0 for its lineup of second-generation Galaxy Tab devices.

Toshiba representatives at CES declined to provide an official comment to PhoneNews.com related to the Thrive and Android 4.0. We received no clarification or corrections regarding the comments from our discussions with Toshiba engineers..

T-Mobile at CES is a company newly transformed after the fallout and eventual termination of the unpopular AT&T purchase and merger. Starting with a new Android smartphone, the carrier has announced a new high-end smartphone in the Samsung Blaze which features HSPA+ 42 Mbps support, Snapdragon S3 dual-core processor at 1.5 GHz, and a Super AMOLED screen at 4.5 inches, with more details forthcoming.

In related news, T-Mobile’s Bobsled Facebook-based VOIP service is now making the transition to smartphones with new apps for Android and iOS via the new Bobsled Calling service, which allows free outgoing calls and text messages via internet connections in the US and Puerto Rico with group messaging and cloud sync.

Finally, T-Mobile has announced a further expansion of its 42Mbps HSPA+ overlay, with Beaumont, Longview, Midland, and Tyler, Texas; Michigan City, Indiana.; Modesto and Stockton, Calif.; Mount Vernon, Wash.; Naples and Punta Gorda, Fla.; Sandusky, Ohio; and Shreveport, La. to markets that feature HSPA+ at 42Mbps and bringing total 42Mbps coverage to 175 markets.

T-Mobile also added nine markets that feature HSPA+ at 21Mbps, bringing the total to 217 markets at 200 million people and noted that it would receive AWS mobile spectrum in 128 markets and in 12 of the top 20 markets in the country, pending regulatory approval. Going forward, T-Mobile will also refocus marketing on the lower cost of its family-oriented postpaid plans compared to the rest of the industry.

The first live shots of the LG Viper LTE, Sprint’s second LTE smartphone announced at CES. Sprint was up-front in saying that the Viper was not as far along in development as the Galaxy Nexus LTE that they also had on show.

But, they did show us the phone for the first time. With a four-inch display, and Android 2.3.x installed, the Viper is shaping up to be one of Sprint’s entry-level LTE smartphone.

Read more to see the hands-on.

Note: While this phone has Gingerbread installed, we could not confirm or not if it will launch with Gingerbread or Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Unfortunately, due to lighting, and LG’s guarded nature, this was about all we could grab of the phone. Unlike Galaxy Nexus, it was a very locked-down demonstration of the phone. Little more than the device’s home screen was viewable, and Sprint was not making devices available for private shots of the device.

We also could not confirm if NFC and Google Wallet would be included, but could find no evidence of it on the device.