GPe Sony Xperia Z Ultra Lollipop update official

Yesterday we heard unconfirmed reports that the Sony Xperia Z Ultra Lollipop update for the Google Play Edition version of the phone has been rolled out, but today, we’re seeing official confirmation from the manufacturer itself concerning the latest and greatest from Google. A post on the official Sony Mobile blog confirms that Lollipop rolls out starting this week for the GPe variant, though some regions might get it earlier than others.Aside from the latest version of Android, with all the ...

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GPe Sony Xperia Z Ultra Lollipop update reportedly rolling out

While HTC is still struggling (and owners are still eagerly waiting) to get the Android 5.0 Lollipop update on HTC One Google Play Edition devices, other manufacturers who have GPe phones are offering the latest dessert treat to owners of their own GPe devices.The Google Play Edition Sony Xperia Z Ultra Lollipop update has been allegedly spotted reaching at least one phone, if the screenshot above turns out to be true. There is no official word yet but according to the information unveiled by that certain ...

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Oversized and absurd: why I’m enjoying the Z Ultra one year later (Video)

Usually, when I hit Publish on a review, I’ve had enough time to mull over the words and reread everything enough to be completely certain of everything I wrote. And if I question anything, I can just grab the phone, double-check my thoughts, and reassure myself that I got it right – right then and there, firsthand proof.In all the phones I’ve reviewed, there was only one time I can recall that I hit publish and immediately wanted to take it back. It wasn’t that I was unsure of what I had said. It was that, no matter how certain I was, I didn’t want to believe ...

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Why I bought the Z Ultra one year later

One year ago, almost to the day, I received the Sony Xperia Z Ultra in the mail from Negri Electronics. Brandon and Michael decided I would be the one to review the massive 6.4-inch smartphone from Sony, likely because I’ve always had a penchant for extra large smartphones – excessive smartphones.Just two months before the Xperia Z Ultra landed on my doorstep, I had reviewed the Galaxy Mega. All things considered, I ...

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Google Play edition hardware sees deep discounts in retailer sale

Last week saw Google take the chopping block to its selection of Play edition devices for sale, pulling the HTC One, Sony Z Ultra, and the LG G Pad 8.3 from its listings. While that may be a sign that new, more modern GPe hardware is on its way, it was still a little shocking to see some of those models retired after just over half a year. If you’re wishing you jumped at the chance to buy one when they were available, we’ve got just the deal for you, as retailer Expansys puts these former ...

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Google pares down Play edition lineup: and then there were three

The feeling of change coming to Google’s lineup of Play edition devices has been almost palpable these past couple months. There was that brief hint of a GPe Galaxy S5 back in April, and then last month we noticed half of the six devices making up the series going out of stock, no longer up for purchase. Were new models just about to arrive? Was Google ready to kill-off Play editions entirely in favor of ...

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Sony already delivering Android 4.4.4 updates, leaving other OEMs in its wake

When did Sony become the manufacturer to compete against when it comes to delivering timely Android platform updates to its smartphone lineup? Lately it’s felt like Motorola had the upper hand in that department, quickly getting Google’s latest releases out to its near-stock handsets, but Sony might be raising the bar even higher this week, as it distributes Android 4.4.4 updates to a number of its smartphones.Granted, Android 4.4.4 isn’t a big update itself, but it only even started rolling ...

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Google Play edition phones get their taste of Android 4.4.3

Google may have taken its sweet time in getting around to the release of Android 4.4.3 – evidence of the build had been hanging just out of reach for months before Google finally went ahead with distribution this week – but now that it’s here we’re seeing updates waste no time at all in becoming available. Unsurprisingly, Nexus models led the pack, though Motorola wasn’t too far behind with news of updates for its own recent ...

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Google takes axe to Sony Z Ultra Play edition’s price tag

Will we still have the Google Play edition family of Android devices this time next year? With those rumors of the ambitious Android Silver project making the rounds, and the consequences it may have for how Google sells Android hardware, it’s difficult to say. But for the moment, at least, GPe devices aren’t going anywhere, and today we learn of a pretty big change hitting the first phablet to bear the GPe name, with Google knocking a whopping 30 percent off ...

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Android 4.4.3 spotted for Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition?

Back on Monday, Sprint gave its users the heads-up that a Nexus 5 update was incoming, and based on the information the carrier made available, this sure looked like the arrival of Android 4.4.3. The weird thing was, Google had yet to announce the update itself, and even the factory image download page for Nexus devices failed to reflect the availability of this new version. As of today, we’re still waiting to see confirmation of users getting this Sprint update. ...

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Sony delivers fix for Xperia audio glitches

Yesterday we spent a little time looking at reports of some hardware issues with the Xperia Z2, the latest Sony Android to hit the scene, but far from the first to run into a few problems. In addition to other Xperia models experiencing their own share of hardware faults, we’ve also heard about a few software bugs in our time. Luckily for users, those tend to be a lot easier for a manufacturer to resolve, and Sony is committed to getting such ...

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KitKat updates incoming for Sony Xperia Z1, Z1 Compact, and Ultra

So far this year, Sony’s introduced us to plenty of new hardware, including the Xperia Z2, the Z1 Compact, and the Xperia Z2 Tablet; that’s all well and good, but what’s cooking over on the software side of things? Sony’s been working at updates for a number of its Android models, and today announces the start to distribution of KitKat updates for the Z1, Z1 Compact, and Z Ultra. Android 4.4 is on its way to all three of those handsets beginning today, but expect the usual regional delays as ...

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Here’s what “water resistant” and “water proof” really mean

“Water proof” and “water resistant” mean the same thing, right? Apparently that’s what Archos CEO Loic Poirier thought — he was wrong. Poirier was happily showing off his new phone — a Quechua — which is advertised to French hikers and mountain bikers. He tossed it on the floor. No problem! Then, with cameras rolling, he found a glass jar, dropped the phone in, and started to fill it up with water. The phone is rated at IP54 and advertised as being ...

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Sony Xperia Z2: here’s what we want

Sony’s current flagship, the Xperia Z1 (or the Z1S here in the States) may only be a few months old, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from already pouring out word of its successor. The Xperia Z2 is said to be a lot of things – bigger, better, more powerful, and the rest of the typical hype-mongering buzzwords – and we’re hearing rumors that is just might show its face as

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Pocketnow Weekly 080: HTC M8 x, Galaxy Note 3 Neo, a $50 Motorola smartphone & a resurgent BlackBerry

 ”Our revels now are ended, Kirk.” That’s a quote from Star Trek VI, paraphrasing a line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In the latter instance (minus the “Kirk” bit) it’s a conceit of sorts, an admission that the play is a falsehood – and an observation that so, perhaps, is life. In the former example it’s a wisecrack from a Klingon bent on shooting our favorite captain’s ship out from under him. In both cases, it’s a kind of farewell. And in today’s example, it’s also a goodbye – to the old times. ...

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