Amazon has recently pushed out an update to their AppStore client that brings an exciting new feature. Now in version 2.6.53, the Amazon AppStore on you Android device now has the Test Drive feature built into the app. Test Drive allows you to try out apps before purchasing and installing them, a handy feature if you’re on the edge about getting a new app. This feature has been available on the desktop version of the Amazon AppStore for a while and is rolling out as a beta on the Android client, initially only available for a handful of devices and applications.

Additionally, there’s also some fixes for 3G/4G downloads and stability enhancements. If you already have the Amazon AppStore installed on your device, you may receive an update notification, or you can update from the Settings menu. If you don’t have it, head on over to the Amazon AppStore to download and install it.

• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC: To be determined (by the end of August)
• HTC Amaze 4G: May-June
• HTC Desire S: June-July
• HTC Desire HD: July-August
• HTC EVO 3D: June-July
• HTC EVO 4G+: May-June
• HTC EVO Design 4G: June-July
• HTC Incredible S: June-July
• HTC Sensation: March-June
• HTC Sensation 4G: March-June
• HTC Sensation XE: March-June
• HTC Sensation XL: April-Jun
• HTC Rezound: June-July
• HTC Rhyme: June-July
• HTC Thunderbolt: July-August
• HTC Velocity 4G: March-June
• HTC Vivid: March-June

It’s great to see HTC being as transparent as possible when it comes to update time frames. It’s understandable that they don’t have much control over it once they hand over builds to the carriers, but at least you know if a device is in the pipeline. A few older or less powerful devices are missing from the list, but you can’t win ‘em all.

[HTC via Android Police]

The Flipboard app was the first of the exclusive goodies to be pulled from the Galaxy S III for use on other devices, and now the full Android 4.0.4 ROM has been leaked. Developers and other folks anxious to get their hands on Samsung’s latest TouchWiz with all the tweaks and other apps are going to want to download the full thing and start taking it apart. Hopefully some of the new features will start trickling into other custom ROMs.

Download: I9300XXALE8 (4.0.4) – Turkey (OJV) [19-05-12]

If you’re just an ordinary user, the S-Voice app has already been pulled from the ROM and is ready for a standalone download on XDA here.

How to install: You can either install it through the Android package installer like any other 3rd party app but reports suggest it is better to install it as a system app. To install as a system app do the following:

• Make a nandroid backup! (just to be safe)
• Download the apk on your SD card
• Using a file manager, copy/paste into system/app
• Longpress the apk file from Within system/app, select “permissions” and change to r-w, r, r

If you are experiencing force closes or other issues after installing as a system app, try this route: After the app is installed, use a file explorer and navigate to system/app and press on the voicetalk.apk to reinstall again over top of the original install. Readers have reported that this helps with ongoing issues.

[XDA Developers]

T-Mobile has been teasing Ice Cream Sandwich updates for a while now, and now they’ve finally come out and gave us a date, at least for the HTC Sensation 4G.

Beginning May 16, an optional update will be available for the Sensation 4G to update to the latest operating system, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). You can choose to download the update to Android 4.0.3 by following the software update steps.

In addition to Android 4.0 and HTC Sense 3.6, the Sensation 4G support documents also list the following changelog:

New Features

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
• Data usage controls.
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life
• Note: HTC Sensation 4G will be required to add Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot feature in order to use the service after completing this update.

Improvements

• Improved text input and spell checking
• Improved menu structure

Prerequisites

• Manual update
• Device is running Android version 2.3.3 / Software version 1.50.531.1, 1.29.531.2, or 1.45.531.1
• Device software is not rooted
• More than 50% battery life
• Data or Wi-Fi connection

Additionally, Android 4.0 for the HTC Amaze 4G is also nearly ready. T-Mobile’s support documents for the Amaze 4G also list nearly the same changelog as the Sensation, but we don’t have a specific date yet.

[via Android Police]

Samsung has started rolling out Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the international Galaxy Not (N7000). The mega sized 318.89MB update not only includes Android 4.0, but also Samsung’s Premium Suite apps. It may depend on your region whether or not the update is currently available for you. Users in Germany can download the update via Kies.

[via SammyHub]

While the Asus Eee Pad Slide might not be as popular as its transforming cousin, it’s still eligible for the Ice Cream Sandwich update. We first heard the update was coming months ago, but the more popular Asus tablets received it first. Today, Asus took to Twitter to let everyone know the Android 4.0 update is dropping today the new software version is 9.2.1.21. So if you’ve got the SL101 Slider tablet, you may want to hurry up and click that update button to get the latest and greatest Android version.

UPDATE. #Android ICS release v9.2.1.21 hits the Eee Pad Slider SL101 today in the US.

— ASUS (@ASUS) May 10, 2012

A newspaper in the UK recently published a story that the Google Play Store was about to surpass 15 billion apps downloaded. Google’s last published numbers were 11 billion downloads as of January 2012, so it seemed about the time to hit 15 billion. TechCrunch reached out to Google, and a spokesperson confirmed the Play Store already hit 15 billion apps downloaded “a few weeks ago”.

With Android stomping out market share over Apple, it’s no surprise that the Play Store is closing the gap on the iPhone App Store. Currently the Google Play Store has around 500,000 apps, while Apple has 600,000 apps in their App Store. Meanwhile the Play Store is averaging about 1 billion app downloads per month verses about 1.25 billion from the iPhone App Store. Of course these numbers don’t include other app markets such as the Amazon App Store and other outlets, so it’s entirely possible those numbers could be higher.

It’s barely been a week since we saw that last build (3.13.605.7) leaked for the HTC Rezound, and now there’s another one out, with bugfixes and new radios.

Changelog:

• Lock screen shortcut settings separated from launcher bar shortcuts
• 3G/4G icon displayed prior to entering decryption password
• Hidden menu (*#*#4636#*#*) removed
• Messages application – wrong sender displayed on occasion
• IPv6 solicitation timer value change
• New radios

If you’re interested in flashing this to your Rezound you have to be completely stock with a locked bootloader or S-OFF. For downloads and flashing instructions, head over to the source link below.

[Android Police]

AT&T announced a bunch of new devices back at CES that they had planned for the first half of 2012. We’re sill waiting on the Sony Xperia Ion and the Samsung Skyrocket HD. And now we may know when the Xperia Ion is going to get released. It appears that someone pulled the trigger on an ad in Google Search just a bit too early. As you can see above, the ad says the 4G LTE device with a 21MP camera is coming to AT&T in June. We haven’t heard anything official from AT&T yet, but the ad appears to come directly from them.

With CTIA going on this week, we can only assume AT&T will announce the Xperia Ion release dates and pricing, etc. But that one little Google ad seems to have already stolen their thunder.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a phone outed early due to a prematurely launched ad. The one that stands out in recent memory was the Sprint Galaxy Nexus, that was spotted in an ad before an official announcement.

[via Android Police]

It might have taken them a week or two to realize it was a bad idea, but Facebook has finally removed those annoying Camera and Messaging shortcuts from the Android app with the latest update. Sure it makes sense if you’re trying to force users to use Facebook more, but the shortcuts were overkill and redundant. It’s not all that hard to share a picture to Facebook from the stock camera or gallery. And Facebook has had a stand-alone Messenger app for quite a while, perfect for those that use Facebook as a primary communication.

If you haven’t already, head over to the Play Store and update to get rid of the extraneous icons. Or if you just couldn’t stand it and uninstalled, feel free to reinstall at will.

[via Droid-Life]