One of the best things about owning an Android phone is that you can customise your gizmo to no end with open source software that is available and well-made by a committed community of enthusiasts.

Yes, I’m talking about custom ROMs that replace the operating system that comes with your phone. In particular, the popular CyanogenMod 9 (CM9) version of Android 4.0 that is now very mature and have reached “release candidate” status – in other words, it is very stable for many phones out there.

A couple of days ago, I finally decided I’ve had enough of Samsung’s version of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.3) on my Galaxy S II and flashed it with CM9. Since then, I’ve never been happier with my phone.

The interface is understated and cleaner than Samsung’s rather cartoony Touchwiz interface which it layers on top of its Android operating system. Better yet, CM9 doesn’t come with a lot of the useless stuff that the phone maker deems it necessary to include. Without that bloat, the performance is very zippy.

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Just when you think that Samsung is forcing you to upgrade your Galaxy S II, the Korean phone maker finally decided to deliver its much-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) update for Singapore users in the past few days.

It has released a “DXLP9″ version of the phone’s firmware, which essentially updates the current Android software onboard to version 4.0 or the much-talked about ICS version.

It brings along enhancements like a niftier task switcher and a more powerful Gmail app, along with cosmetic upgrades like smarter icons and fonts.  …

The Korean phone maker finally released its official Ice Cream Sandwich update for the popular Galaxy S II phone, after weeks of leaked rumours that it would be available this month.

The update brings the S II on par, at least in terms of the software, with the Galaxy Nexus, along with several other features like an improved Gmail experience, a new task manager and improved browser.

However, the release is only available for South Korea and several European countries like Poland, Hungary and Sweden, and there is no news still of availability for Singapore users, who have had the phone since last year.

Samsung said on a Facebook post today that it was still working with other wireless carriers in other markets to get the Android 4.0 operating system out to more users.

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The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the Google phone that had fans waiting for months, is finally here in Singapore this Saturday with a small bonus – it will come in both black and white.

The first model here to sport the new Android 4.0 OS out of the box, the top-end phone had been delayed from its original January launch, missing both the Christmas and immediate post-Chinese New Year buying sprees.  …

SingTel is upping download speeds on the go on December 22, with a new mobile broadband service that promises up to 75Mbps with the new LTE or long term evolution technology.

The new service will be available at Singapore’s central financial district at launch, along with other high traffic areas like Orchard, City Hall, Marina Bay and Novena. By end 2012, SingTel expects to provide coverage for 80 per cent of users, and 95 per cent by end 2013.

Rival telco M1 had launched a limited LTE service earlier this year, but it offered this only to business customers. SingTel’s service is open to consumers as well. …

It’s that time of the year again when you play Santa to your friends and family by buying them the presents they deserve, depending on how good they have been.

If you are thinking of phones to stuff into the stocking this year, here are five of the hottest mobiles that would not disappoint most gizmo lovers. Check them out.
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The Korean electronics giant said today that it has sold 10 million of the popular Galaxy S II phone worldwide, even as its legal battles with Apple rages across several markets around the world amid the iPhone 5′s impending launch next month.

According to Samsung, its popular Android phone has taken just five months to hit the target in “global channel sales”. It said this was helped by a doubling of demand from five million units just eight weeks ago. The feat is even more eye-catching for the fact that the Galaxy S II had only started selling in the United States in recent days, despite shipping in Asia and Europe from late April.
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This year’s edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) at Barcelona drew to a close with a dizzying array of phones and tablets unveiled, some more exciting than others.

There’s every indication that Android is leaping ahead in the tablet wars, and some companies are still noticeably absent from this rising segment. Here’s quick round-up of some of the most important mobile gadgets to look forward to this year. Better start saving up! …