Apple made a big thing about the fragmentation on the Android platform at yesterdays WWDC keynote speech, and for actual users of the platform it can be frustrating waiting months for new software to arrive, and today we have news that the Motorola Droid Bionic ICS 4.0 release could be nearing.
Motorola themselves have said that the Ice Cream Sandwich update would be arriving for the handset during the third quarter of this year, but as GottaBe Mobile are reporting that the release of the update is on schedule as a test build has emerged. Apparently a test build surfaced over the weekend and was found by the Cheesecake application.
This app works its way through servers that are used by Motorola to host files, and it seems it stumbled across a Droid Bionic Ice Cream Sandwich build. While this may not seem like big news to some especially as it currently can’t be flashed, but it does show that work is well underway with Motorola getting the software ready for the smartphone.
Previously the manufacturer has given a quarter 3 rollout for the software, which leaves owners with a date of anytime between July through to September, but as a test build of the operating system is already out in the wild may mean the ICS update for the Droid Bionic is closer than was previously thought.
While it can’t be guaranteed when it will be released officially it would be nice if it is as early as next month. Motorola and Verizon arguably owe Droid Bionic owners something after delaying the release of the device until September 2011, and then releasing the Motorola Droid RAZR quickly after, which is arguably a better handset.
Hopefully the software is pushed out as quickly as possible so owners of the handset don’t have to wait too much longer. Do you own the Motorola Droid Bionic?
iOS 6 features that won't work on your older iPhone or iPad - Crave
We all love new stuff -- and iOS 6, the new software for iPhone and iPad, is packed with cool new stuff. But before you get too excited, is your iDevice a bit long in the tooth? Read on to find out which features you won't be able to get on your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or 3G, or older iPad.
The features that are most likely to be missing from your iPhone or iPad are Siri and some elements of the new Apple Maps app, as well as restrictions on photo sharing, FaceTime and Safari. Here's which features are missing from which phones.
iPhone 4S
As the most recent model, the iPhone 4S has all the features of iOS 6 present and correct. So there's the new own-brand Maps app, updated Siri and Safari, Facebook integration, 3G FaceTime, and a new-look phone app. Plus there's the photo stream to share snaps to the web, and a new data-storing Passbook. The 4S is also the only Apple device to support officially certified Made for iPhone hearing aids.
iPhone 4
The iPhone 4 gets many of the new features in iOS 6 -- but not all. Kicking off with the Maps app, the iPhone 4 won't get sat nav-style turn-by-turn directions or the 3D Flyover mode. We're not too fussed about missing out on Flyover -- the 3D-modelled cities in Android's Google Maps look lovely but are distracting when you just want to get around.
But turn-by-turn directions are far more useful and are a serious omission. Instead, you'll have to turn to third-party apps such as TomTom or CoPilot.
The other thing missing from the iPhone 4 is Siri. Apple's voice-controlled personal assistant has a tonne of new features in iOS 6, but none of them are coming to the iPhone 4, 3GS or older.
iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS will get iOS 6, but as with the iPhone 4, turn-by-turn navigation, 3D flyover and Siri are missing. The 3GS also misses out on shared photo streams, 3G FaceTime and VIP smart mailbox. And there's no offline reading in Safari, but you can still stick with the likes of article-saving apps Instapaper and Pocket (formerly known as Read It Later).
But we're more worried about what the update will do to the phone's performance -- just because the new software will work on the phone doesn't mean it'll improve things. We remember when previous updates arrived on the iPhone 3G and 3GS, and slowed those older phones down to a horrifying extent. We suggest waiting to see how other 3GS owners get on before updating.
iPhone 3G and original iPhone
No iOS 6 for the 3G and original iPhone, but come on -- isn't it about time you got a new phone anyway?
New iPad
On to Apple's tablets. As with the 4S, the new iPad is the latest model and so is blessed with the full range of iOS 6 features -- including, for the first time, voice-controlled smart-aleck Siri.
iPad 2
The iPad 2 gets iOS 6 and all the new features and apps, including turn-by-turn navigation and 3D flyover in the new Maps app. But there's no love for Siri: the chirpy voice-controlled personal assistant remains exclusive to the iPhone 4S and new iPad.
iPad
The original iPad adds the new Maps app, but misses out on turn-by-turn directions and the 3D Flyover mode. At the time of writing it seems that the original iPad won't get the update, so there's no access to shared photo streams, no 3G FaceTime, and no VIP smart mailbox. Like the iPhone 3GS, if you want to save an article to read later, you'll need a third-party app because Safari won't save articles for you. And of course, Siri says no siree.
Which new Apple features are you most excited about? Are you disappointed that your phone is missing out? Which features would tempt you to splash out for a new phone? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page -- and check out more on iOS 6 in our video.
TomTom to power Apple's satnav - PC Pro
Apple vs. Google
[Apple + Facebook + Tomtom] vs. [Google]. Time to buy some Facebook shares.
By gavmeister on 12 Jun 2012 
Shame...
... I was hoping they'd be using NavTeq's maps which are significantly more up-to-date (particularly here in London).
However, if it's just the map data they're using and we won't have to deal with TomTom's poor customer service, then that's some blessing at least.
By mrmmm on 12 Jun 2012
ooooo lookie
How fresh and invigorating.
IOS to incorporate some SatNav into the OS. And get a proper SatNav data company on board too.
Oh, Just like WP7 did with Bing maps and Nokia, a year ago, and more.
You'll be telling me next that Twitter and Facebook don't need separate Apps 'cos they're baked into the OS too, next... What the Fruits have copied that too?
Meanwhile, over in the courts Samsung is being sued for copyright infringement....
By nickallison on 12 Jun 2012
Good for drivers, but is that all?
This might be good for drivers, but there are other reasons to look at a map, and also not just the location where you currently are or might be travelling to.
Is TomTom as good at covering the whole world? Totally unscientific and completely random example - compare Kathmandu on Google and at http://routes.tomtom.com.
What about other geospatial apps that use the in-built mapping?
By halsteadk on 12 Jun 2012
There are some very uninformed opinions here from the anti-Apple trolls whose miserable sarcasm merely illustrates how good the new features from Apple are.
FYI Samsung, RIM and Google already use Tom Tom map information. Apple uses its own cartography to turn the data into vector graphics for smooth zooming, panning and scrolling. As usual, a neat and efficient solution from Apple.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227978/App
le_signs_global_agreement_with_TomTom_for_maps
By SwissMac on 12 Jun 2012
Makes you wonder what TomTom are going to do to their own app to make it more attractive than the built in functionality on iOS 6.
By John_Greythorne on 12 Jun 2012
@John Greythorne
We bought a TomTom XL. I have 3 smartphones, but I wouldn't use them for navigation - I have Navigon on Android, iPhone and Windows Phone 7 (free with T-Mobile in Germany), but it is no replacement for a dedicated SatNav.
By big_D on 12 Jun 2012
This is an intermediate step...
This is a very logical step for TomTom, who have correctly surmised that in hardware terms, the real 'Action' is in 'Vehicle Telematics' (don't blame me for that phrase!). Selling software & services is their only survival strategy.
As a frinstance of where this is going, Ford uses the latest version of MS's 'Windows Automotive' as the basis for its SYNC system. This combines SatNav and 'infotainment' (see caveat above) systems along with Hands-free capability and various vehicle status functions.
Data is displayed on a built-in touch-screen (or screens, depending on implementation) and the whole shebang is integral\ intergrated to the vehicle's management & control systems and sensors.
Ford have shown Apps running on Windows Phone which can interrogate and interact with the cars' systems, both in-car and remotely.
I'm sure Android and iOS versions will also be available.
Similar Apple and Android-based products are in other makers like Mercedes' cars.
This is an infinitely more rational approach (in the medium term and beyond) to using the iPhone or any other 'phone as a SatNav or touch\display device. In the short-term Apple & TomTom's solution is quite attractive, but it has a seriously limited TTL.
I'm sure something like SYNC will become the norm, as Car makers catch-up with the 21st Century.
You don't need Nostrodamus to see that today's in-vehicle systems can be greatly enhanced through greater use of digital sensors and emerging display \ UI technologies. Electric & hybrid cars showed the way, and now these technologies are migrating to the mainstream.
Many suppliers have their 'multiscreen' technologies ('Phone, PC, TV) I think we can safely add 'Car' to the screens encapsulated in these strategies, and the range of services that can be offered is mind-boggling!
I think PCPro should do an in-depth on this quite soon.....
By wittgenfrog on 12 Jun 2012
thank you
Swiss-Mac, for missing the point and failing to mention WP7.
How very Apple.
By nickallison on 12 Jun 2012
Lenovo turns mobile broadband operator for 3G-equipped ThinkPads - zdnet.co.uk
->'However, it occurred to me that, over time, this is exactly how PCs become: slower, less responsive husks of their purchase-day glory' We're...
1 day ago by SoapyTablet on Ultrabook vs laptop: Is an ultrabook worth £500 more?T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note waiting in the wings: Update - Phones Review
Since it was released late last year the Samsung Galaxy Note has proven to be quite successful in terms of sales, and while it may not quite match up with the figures for the Galaxy S2 many consumers like the handset, and today we have news of the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note waiting in the wings ahead of a release.
The handset has recently found its way onto the AT&T LTE network in the US, and according to Pocket Now the device is getting ready to arrive onto T-Mobile as well. Previously hackers have tried to modify the handsets radio software to offer some basic T-Mobile 3G support, and later some images were leaked to show an official T-Mobile version of the Galaxy Note was being worked on.
These images revealed a Samsung model number of SHG-T879, and now a model with that number has appeared at the FCC, and the handsets certification paperwork has been published. As expected there is voice and 2G data coverage on both the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands, with 3G on 1700MHz.
There is also 3G on 1900MHz that the carrier has already started to use in some areas along with support for 3G on 850MHz, with the latter not being used by T-Mobile at the moment. The documentation also shows there is also a NFC antenna located on the battery cover as well.
While it is thought that the T879 is the Samsung Galaxy Note there is something that doesn’t quite add up in the documentation. It is showing the width of the Note to be correct but the handset should be a bit taller, around 147mm. Maybe the figure is just for an internal circuit board and not actually the handsets external dimensions.
A recently leaked T-Mobile roadmap showed that the Samsung Galaxy Note would arrive on the carrier on July 11th, and going on this paperwork this date is quite possible, and there is a good chance the handset could come with Android Ice Cream Sandwich already installed. We recently reported on rumours though that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 could be coming as early as October. Update: TmoNews are reporting that a blue Samsung Galaxy Note demo unit is set to arrive in T-Mobile stores.
Are you waiting to get the Galaxy Note on T-Mobile?
Chinese Telecom Firms to Expand in Latin America - CRIENGLISH.com
OTMT pays $0.17 dividend after Mobinil sale - Reuters UK
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Deutsche Telekom Sees Obstacles to French Network Merger - Bloomberg
Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE) said a combination of its German network with France Telecom SA (FTE)’s domestic system to create Europe’s largest single network would create little value and be too difficult to manage.
“I’m not sure there are many advantages for both parties because you get to limits,” Niek Jan van Damme, Deutsche Telekom’s head of Germany, said in an interview in Cologne today. “The management of a bigger network normally has more challenges than a smaller network.”
France’s new Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg favors France Telecom merging with its German counterpart to create a group modeled after European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. (EAD), Journal du Dimanche said June 10. Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom and Paris-based France Telecom already cooperate on joint purchasing of 13 billion euros ($16 billion) worth of items including handsets and infrastructure every year. They also co- own the largest U.K. phone operator, Everything Everywhere.
Van Damme said he couldn’t say whether Deutsche Telekom’s current alliance with France Telecom will lead to deeper integration. He declined to comment on the prospect of a full merger. The German government owns 32 percent of Deutsche Telekom, while France controls 27 percent of its biggest phone company through a direct stake and another held by the sovereign fund Fonds Strategique d’Investissement.
Low Valuations
The valuation of European phone companies has fallen during the region’s debt crisis, with the 19-member Bloomberg Europe 500 Telecom Services Index (BETELES) near the lowest in three years. That has invited investors such as Carlos Slim’s America Movil SAB, which last month made an offer to increase its stake in Royal KPN NV, and may facilitate the return to large intra-European telecommunications deals reminiscent of Vodafone Group Plc (VOD)’s 1999 takeover of Mannesmann AG and Telefonica SA (TEF)’s 2005 move on O2 Plc.
Deutsche Telekom shares jumped 1.7 percent in Frankfurt today, while France Telecom gained 1.5 percent in Paris.
The French Minister discussed the ideas of combining the companies in a June 4 meeting with France Telecom Chief Executive OfficerStephane Richard, Journal du Dimanche reported, without saying where it got the information. A representative at Montebourg’s ministry couldn’t immediately be reached today for comment.
Cost Pressure
Europe’s former phone monopolies are under pressure to cut costs as the crisis saps demand for services. A combination of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom would create a company with sales of more than 100 billion euros, assets covering most European markets and stretching from the U.S. to the Middle East.
“Even if there are numerous topics of discussion and collaboration between Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, there is no discussion about a merger,” Tom Wright, a France Telecom spokesman, said today.
Members of Deutsche Telekom’s supervisory board have discussed how to deepen the cooperation with France Telecom, according to a person familiar with the situation, who declined to be identified because it’s an internal matter.
Suggestions include obtaining access to emerging markets through France Telecom’s network, cross-border phone service free of roaming charges, joint negotiations with content providers and building shared fiber-optic networks in border regions, according to a document obtained by Bloomberg News.
To contact the reporter on this story: Cornelius Rahn in Frankfurt at crahn2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net
Deutsche Telekom
Wolfgang von Brauchitsch/Bloomberg
The headquarters of Deutsche Telekom AG stand in Bonn.
The headquarters of Deutsche Telekom AG stand in Bonn. Photographer: Wolfgang von Brauchitsch/Bloomberg
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