Despite no official word from BlackBerry as yet, T-Mo UK pegs June 27 for BBM hitting Android and iOS

Odd to be heard via a carrier and not from BlackBerry, but according to T-Mobile UK BlackBerry Messenger will launch on Android on June 27. There's been some rumors floating around in recent days as to when BlackBerry's prized messaging platform will finally launch cross-platform, but perhaps we now know. 

The news appeared on the T-Mobile UK Twitter page, which is the official, verified account for the carrier. Accompanying the message was an image of what appears to be BBM running on a Samsung Galaxy S3. Well, a kind of Instagram image, at least -- click on past the break to take a look. Is this for real, is it a monumental slip up by T-Mobile, or just why would we first hear such a big piece of news from a carrier? Our buddies over at CrackBerry are on the case, so we'll let you know when we have more. 

Update: And BlackBerry has gotten back to CrackBerry, whom we met up with at Pinkberry, and sure enough, T-Mobile UK apparently pulled that one out of thin air.

Here's the full statement:

On May 14th, BlackBerry announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), available to iOS and Android users this summer, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. While there have been reports that BBM will be available to iOS and Android on June 27th, this is not accurate. We will communicate an update as soon as we have an availability date to share.

So, move along, folks.

Source: T-Mobile UK via CrackBerry

International LTE Galaxy S4s get first major software update, starting with unlocked German devices

The international LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-i9505) has started receiving its first substantial software upgrade today, with unlocked devices in Germany being among the first to get it. The update to version I9505XXUBMEA incorporates a number of visual changes, including a new, partially-transparent notification bar, new settings icons, and fix for ghosting issues in certain areas of the UI.

But the biggest addition for S4 owners might be reintroduction of apps-to-SD card support. First added in Android 2.2 Froyo and removed in the most recent 4.2 Jelly Bean, the ability to move apps to the SD card was originally a way to work around the anemic internal storage of older Android phones. The S4, of course, has been criticized for the fact that its 16GB version ships with only 9GB or so of available space. So the reintroduction of apps-to-SD might alleviate some of these storage issues, but you'll still be relying on app developers to enable apps-to-SD before you're able to use it.

(Update: We're also noticing significantly improved responsiveness and less animation lag in this new S4 firmware.)

German users with unlocked S4s should be able to pick up the update over-the-air or through Kies, and other regions should follow in the weeks ahead. (Of course, if you're feeling adventurous, you could always flash the German firmware directly.)

Source: SamMobile

Official accessory brings Qi wireless charging to the Galaxy S4, at the cost of a little extra girth

Wireless charging is one of those features that seems like an unimportant luxury until you've used it for yourself. The ability to place your phone down on a magical pad and have it charge through the ether can change the way you use your device. Suddenly, you're free from wires and don't having to worry about constant plugging and unplugging. It's an added convenience if you're sat working at a desk all day, or even if you want to charge your phone on a nightstand without getting tangled in wires.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 doesn't include wireless charging capabilities out of the box, but the official S Charger kit brings Qi-standard inductive charging to the device, in the form of a replacement back cover and charging plate. In exchange for a little extra thickness on the phone, this lets you take advantage of wireless charging on your S4. And it's available now from ShopAndroid.com priced $89.95, 10 percent off the list price.

So let's take a closer look -- we've got video, photos and more words after the break!

Latest installment teased ahead of annual games show, more FPS action with incredible looking graphics

Gameloft is heading to E3 next week with their big guns in tow, and the release of this trailer tells us one game we will be seeing. What we see here is the first teaser for new title Modern Combat 5, and it looks pretty incredible. The trailer shows the action tearing up Venice, Italy, with some pretty awesome looking visuals. There's very little else to go on, though we do know it will be coming to Android. As for when, and how much, maybe we'll find out more next week from E3. Mobile Nations will have a team on the ground in Los Angeles, so stay tuned!

Source: Gameloft (YouTube)

New plans come as carrier announces 500,000 4G subscribers, double speed rollouts and next phase of LTE expansion

EE, the UK's only 4G carrier, has today announced their next expansion plans for the network, alongside some new sharing plans as well as some pay-as-you-go 4G mobile broadband plans as well. The new sharing plans will allow customers to share their allowances across different devices, or with other people entirely. The mobile broadband plans represent the first time EE has offered 4G mobile data on the prepaid market. Prices and availability for both will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Also announced today are the first 10 cities to receive the 'double-speed' boost. This will take top line speeds up to 80Mbps with the average download speeds increased to 24-30Mbps. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield will all receive the boost in the weeks to come. 

Not done there, EE has confirmed a bunch of new towns across the UK that will receive their own LTE expansions in 2013. Customers in Aberdeen, Bath, Bournemouth, Brighton, Cambridge, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Northampton, Norwich, Poole, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Swansea and York are specifically mentioned as getting 4G data. As well as the expansion to cover towns and cities, the next phase of the LTE rollout will target major commuter routes, shopping centres and Airports such as Gatwick which recently flipped the switch. 

While EE has been criticized for some high pricing for their 4G plans, there's no doubts that they're making the most of their headstart in the market while we await competing networks lighting up. 

Source: EE

A solid mid-range offering to expand U.S. Cellular's LTE device selection

LG is expanding the reach of its latest mid-range device, the Optimus F7, stateside as it becomes available today on U.S. Cellular for $99 on-contract. This Android 4.1 device is packing some pretty solid specs for the price, with a 4.7-inch 720x1280 display, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage (with SDcard support), 8MP camera on back and very sizeable 2540mAh battery. Being a recent U.S. Cellular device it naturally has LTE support, alongside standard CDMA 3G radios. On the software side the Optimus F7 has many of LG's latest custom software tweaks such as QSlide multi-windowing, QuickMemo and VuTalk which were previously reserved to its high-end devices.

We came away generally impressed with the style and build quality back when we took a look at an international version of the Optimus F7, and the U.S. Cellular version will likely meet that expectation. Customers picking up the device on a new 2-year contract can expect to pay $99 for it, and those upgrading out of cycle will spend a full $399, barring any changes in regional pricing in your area.

Source: LG; U.S. Cellular

A skilled hand and the HTC One's UltraPixel camera turns a lakeside sunset into art anyone would be proud to display

There are three constants you'll hear when anyone is discussing smartphone cameras: more MegaPixels doesn't mean "better", the best camera is the one you're carrying, and there are no bad cameras -- only bad photographers. This 46-inch wide print from a panorama photo taken by the HTC One's 4MP camera tells us all three just might be true.

The folks at SpittingImages let us know just what they did to the 5798 x 1088 sized 5.5MB image taken at Bobcaygeon, Ontario, and the work they describe to get it ready to hang over your fireplace or behind the couch is surprisingly light. Much less than what I have to do to make my pictures from a more expensive camera half as presentable. 

Of course, this is really a testament to the skill of the photographer, but it's still really cool seeing a picture snapped with the HTC One turned into an objet d'art. Be sure to follow the source link below to have a read, then head into the forums and thank k-fos for sharing! There's also one more view of the finished piece after the break.

Source: SpittingImages; via: Android Central Forums 

We all knew the controls were great for games, but did you know they're also a really cool way to navigate the UI?

As release day for the NVIDIA Shield gets closer, I know plenty of us are thinking of the games we're going to download and play on the Tegra-powered clamshell. I know I am, and so is Forums Moderator Team Leader Kevin O'Quinn. Hell, half of what we talk about is about the Shield, because both of us can hardly wait. Today, he showed me this video that makes things even more awesome.

I've used a game pad to navigate Android on my Transformer Prime, but this looks like an entirely new -- and better -- experience. The joysticks will scroll and pan, and the 5-inch LCD delivers all the same great content you would get from any other Android device. 

I'm hooked, and knowing that the controls work for more than just games has me even more excited. Have a look at the video, then be sure to head into the forums and join the discussion.

What ELSE can you do with SHIELD?

100 million pounds of unusable materials will be recycled as part of iDEN shutdown

As previously announced, Sprint is scheduled to shut down its Nextel iDEN network on June 30 -- starting immediately at 12:01am. Voice (including 911), push-to-talk, and data services will cease functioning. The last full day of service for iDEN customers will be June 29. During these final days, Sprint is pushing hard to get all users migrated over to Sprint's Direct Connect service, which they say has 'three times the push-to-talk coverage area compared to iDEN.'

What happens when networks die? In iDEN's case, it is going to the big recycle bin in the sky. Sprint announced today that all the equipment it can't reuse will be recycled, adding up to 100 million pounds of network gear and other materials. This move in the decommissioning plan will save landfills from having to absorb the iDEN network's remnants, which includes cables, batteries, radios, server racks, and air conditioners. Concrete shelters will be recycled into composite for roads and bridges.

The full press release about the decommissioning of the iDEN Nextel National Network and Sprint's 'environmental stewardship' can be found after the break.

Source: Sprint