We can understand not investing in a deprecated product, we really can -- but when you consider the fact that Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 is still sold around the world, the fact that its hardware is still thoroughly modern, and the fact that Windows Mobile 6.5 is a trivial boost over 6.1, there's really no excuse for this. Sony Ericsson has gone ahead and made it official that it won't be providing an official 6.5 upgrade for its uber-pricey fallen smartphone that never quite achieved its seemingly stratospheric potential -- and its 6.5-based replacement isn't looking much more promising -- so we imagine this is going to spark a voracious run on hackery to get picture-perfect 6.5 builds working on units in the field. Oh, wait, that already happened! No worries, Sony Ericsson -- looks like we've got this one covered then.

Looking forward to a warm, delicious Donut or Eclair to get beamed down to your Sprint Hero? Well, keep on waiting -- because there's an update in the works, but it's still going to rock the same Android 1.5-based core that you're already enjoying. It looks like users can expect a so-called maintenance release in "the next few weeks," and while a complete changelog isn't yet available, folks are being told that it'll fix DST and messaging issues. As far as we know, HTC hasn't put the finishing touches on Sense for 2.0 anyway, so we wouldn't get discouraged just yet.

[Thanks, Matt Z.]

Yar, that was fast. Less than a day after Microsoft updated its Windows Marketplace for Mobile with new advanced anti-piracy measure, some apt xda-developers community member has managed to crack the new code -- in under two hours, according to Chainfire's posting. The hack itself won't be posted, but we're sure other astute programmers, many of more nefarious intention, will be able to have their way with it just as easy. Sad for developers who've been wanting something more secure -- better luck next update.

[Via WMPoweruser]

Windows Mobile 6.5 users rejoice, you now have a better marketplace experience your way. Microsoft's added a couple updates to its mobile app store. On the developers' side of things there's a new portal for submission, and "more advanced anti-piracy protection" -- no clue if it solves those DRM issues we heard about before, but sounds at least like a step in the right direction. For the consumers, there's now an online store that you can use from your certainly superior desktop / laptop browser. In the vein of Xbox Live Marketplace's online portal at Xbox.com, purchased apps from the browser will be sent to the connected phone next time you open up the Windows Marketplace client... what's that? You want support for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1? Microsoft reassures us it's coming later this month, so hang tight, okay?

[Via Mobile Tech World]

Read - Announcing new features...
Read - Windows Marketplace for Mobile

The last thing you want to hear about a few short days after a product's launch is a litany of issues plaguing devices in the field, but that's not quite what's going on here -- instead, this looks to be an extension of Verizon's well-known policy of testing the crap out of devices until manufacturers are practically crying uncle. The carrier has already generated long internal lists of issues on both the DROID and DROID Eris, it seems, with the leaked documents revealing some five pages for the Motorola product and seven -- yes, seven -- for the HTC one; the good news is that they're all slated to be fixed in one of two firmware updates slated for December and January windows. Again, knowing Verizon, these firmware updates could very well get stuck in the testing lab for another six years, but we'll keep our hopes skyward.

Read - DROID
Read - DROID Eris

It's not often that a manufacturer pushes a Windows Mobile version bump in a timely fashion, so color us impressed to see that Samsung has now released an official 6.5 upgrade for the Jack on AT&T. 6.5 is a relatively minor bump over 6.1 in the non-touch Standard world -- Professional devices are getting the lion's share of improvements -- but users will be happy to find that they're getting an updated Internet Explorer Mobile, Windows Marketplace access, and automated free connections to AT&T WiFi hotspots (anything to offload cellular strain, right?). Grab it now from Samsung's site, make sure your battery's charged, and let 'er rip.

Anyone with an existing Android device and a nasty case of DROID envy today might want to hold off before switching devices, emptying the bank account, and possibly switching carriers in the process, because HTC's got a little bit of information here to end our day on a high note. Here's the full quote:

"Yes, we are working on an Eclair update for the HTC Hero. Because Eclair is a significantly enhanced release, it will require some time to update Sense for this new version of the Android OS. Please be patient while we work to provide you with a tightly integrated experience like the one you are already enjoying on your Hero."

Bottom line, the Hero is signed up for Android 2.0 and it's just a matter of HTC getting Sense ported and tested -- makes sense (no pun intended), and we imagine Motorola will have to go through these same hoops with BLUR. The company went on to mention that it intends to bring the update to all versions of the Hero, though it's up to partners (like Sprint, for instance) to help coordinate how and when that's going to go down. We don't have any information on the sundry Dream and Magic variants around the world at this point -- but it's important to remember that the Hero uses the same processor as its older siblings, so at least there's hope for a good xda-developers port if nothing else.

Got an N97? Yeah? Reckoned that Nokia has forgotten about your loyalty and moved all of its focus onto the N900? Fret not, dearest early adopter -- the engineers in Espoo are making good on a promise to clear out lots of bugs in the aforesaid handset with firmware 2.0, and if we're seeing this right, it's available now to download all over the world. We know, you 5800 owners are clamoring for the same type of TLC, but for now it looks like the pricier sibling is getting its due. Hit the read link and get your download going, and make sure to report back on your kinetic scrolling experience, cool?

[Thanks, Daniel]

HTC promised way back at Mobile World Congress in February that the Touch Pro2 would be fully upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5 when the binaries went gold, and... well, here we are. Sure enough, they're making good on the promise by rolling out official updates for both the Touch Pro2 and the Snap so far, though this is one of those situations where availability for your particular version of the phone is going to depend on carrier branding, locking, and the phase of the moon, among other things -- so if the updates don't work for you, you can wait for your carrier to get in gear or, you know, try your luck over with the always-helpful xda-developers to roll your own update.

[Via Smartphone Thoughts]

Read - HTC Snap
Read - HTC Touch Pro2

Donuts for everyone! Well, not everyone -- but as we'd heard, at least some G1 and myTouch 3G owners on T-Mobile USA are now being blessed with an official Android 1.6 build over the air. The carrier says it has "begun delivery," which we take means it's not all happening at once; that's the way the 1.5 rollout was handled, so it really doesn't come as a surprise. Keep checking for that update notification, folks.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Something like a year and a half ago, every camera manufacturer in the world suddenly decided that face detection was the Next Big Thing -- so naturally, cameraphones were destined to follow down that path. Given that the N86 8MP currently resides as Nokia's undisputed photographic champion, it makes sense that the company would be pushing its awesomest (is that even a word?) camera features that way -- and indeed, the just-released firmware version 20 adds face detection, red eye reduction, improved video quality, and a host of bug fixes and tweaks. Seems like a must-have update, so fire up that NSU client and go to town, won't you?

[Via All About Symbian]

This is totally out of left field, but TmoNews (which tends to have a pretty solid track record when it comes to all things T-Mobile) is claiming that "select" G1s will be receiving Android 1.6 "Donut" starting... well, right about now. So much for any lingering worries that the first retail Android device was being left high and dry, eh? If everything goes well, the rumor goes on to say that myTouch 3Gs would be getting their own over-the-air upgrade in about 24 hours -- and like the 1.5 update before it, it'd likely be a staggered rollout to make sure that T-Mobile doesn't brick a bazillion phones in one fell swoop. Any G1 owners out there seeing anything yet? This sounds awfully quick, especially considering that the Dev Phone 1 just took delivery of 1.6 a handful of hours ago -- but hey, if it's true, we like T-Mobile's hustle.

Will Verizon release an official update to 5.0 for the current generation of the Storm? Maybe -- it's a total crap shoot -- but even if they do, your children's children could be having midlife crises before it's actually released considering the glacial pace that Verizon typically gets new hardware and software to market. Of course, that's partly thanks to an infamously back-breaking testing regimen that helps Verizon consistently earn high marks for network quality and generally keeps customers off the support lines, but for those of us who want nothing more than to live on the edge, it's good to see that another packaged 5.0 update for the 9530 has hit the wires -- this one versioned 5.0.0.230. We imagine this one's leaps and bounds more stable than the nearly unusable stuff from earlier this summer, and initial reports from users seems to indicate as much -- the camera works (always a good thing) and there seem to be countless minor tweaks and fixes that folks are describing as "promising." As always, your average BlackBerry user who relies on the phone day in and day out might want to wait for something a little less leaky -- but like we said, it could be a bit of a wait.

We know from discussions with tipsters (and from the simple fact that rumored phones take a century to get released) that Verizon tests the crap out of things -- generally speaking, anyway. Apparently that wasn't the case with the latest Tour firmware to see action, though, because 4.7.1.53 got pulled within a few hours of its release -- but not before wreaking havoc with at least a few users' phones, some to the point where Verizon went ahead and recommended a replacement unit. When you consider that BlackBerrys are probably among the most mission-critical devices in any carrier's lineup, this is a big deal; Verizon did the right thing by moving swiftly to pull the bunk build, but the question remains: how did such a quickly-detected problem make it through what was very likely an exhaustive internal testing phase?