Zhesty.NET - Gadgets and Technology

While the rest of Hong Kong were enjoying their dim sum breakfast, we've been busy fiddling with the freshly delivered Meizu MX due out on January 1st. As expected, the customized Android 2.3.5 (dubbed Flyme OS) is pretty slick on that 1.4GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 4210 and 1GB of RAM, but we keep an eye on the consistency of its performance. Compared to the smaller M9, we're hugely impressed by this successor's solid build quality -- the white crystal casing on the back gives out a premium feel and look, though only time will tell how scratch-resistant it is.

The promised volume bug fix for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is now rolling out over-the-air, with multiple Nexus owners reporting that updated software has arrived on their handsets. The OTA package weighs a little under 1MB, and updates the Nexus from build ITL41D to ITL41F, while the Android version remains at 4.0.1. So far it seems that the update contains only the volume bug fix, and that there are no other goodies hiding inside.

If you've noticed the bug on your device, you'll want to head straight to Settings > About phone > System updates to grab the new software. At the time of writing, not all Nexuses have received the patch, so if you don't get it straight away then be sure to check back in the hours and days ahead. Unlike previous Nexus devices, there's no easy way to directly apply apply the OTA package without unlocking the bootloader and rooting the phone or other such hackery. If you're comfortable messing around with Android's software internals, though, we've figured out a way for you to apply the OTA update manually, without waiting. Check it out.

How much cloud storage space do you need? 2GB? 5GB? Pah! Box.net scoffs at your puny storage needs, and plan to offer a substantial 50GB of free storage (again) for anyone packing a Sony Ericsson Android phone. While the plans have leaked ahead of schedule, the fine details haven't been hammered out just yet; the official blog tells us that the company's "working to provide this offer very soon to all Xperia customers." When the offer does go live, logging in to (or creating) a Box.net account on any Xperia handset will open the floodgates to 50 gigs of intangible internet storage fo' life. If this keeps up, it shouldn't be long till we're looking at gratis terabytes and are freed of our not-exactly-crippling USB stick addiction, right?

Frankly speaking, the phones that Lenovo have announced so far this week haven't been all that exciting (unless, of course, you're somehow aroused by its 5-inch tabletphone), but it turned out the folks had a little surprise for us: the LePhone K2. What we got here is a 4.3-inch IPS display (resolution of which not yet announced), a powerful dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 chip, 1GB RAM, 1GB ROM and an eight megapixel 1080p camera. Sadly, like the S2 and the S760, this crouching tiger also packs Android 2.3.5 instead of Ice Cream Sandwich, but without a price or a release date, perhaps there's still a small chance that we'll see it eventually launching with the newer OS. Anyhow, that's just our wishful thinking.

Just to wrap up today's product launch extravaganza in Beijing, Lenovo also threw in its new LePhone S2 dedicated to the phone category in China (while insisting the 5-inch LePad S2005 is more of a tablet, but we'll let you guys do the debate). This 3.8-inch WCDMA phone is no match for many of the big players out there with its single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 chip, but other than that it should be pretty sufficient for the average user. The specs include a 800 x 480 TFT display, Android 2.3.4, 512MB RAM with 8GB ROM or 1GB RAM with 16GB ROM (neither comes with memory expansion), slightly different casing design for both models, eight megapixel 720p CMOS camera and a much lighter body compared to its two predecessors -- we're looking at a reduction from 165g to just 120g (including the 1,500mAh battery) at 10.9mm thick. Sadly there's no word on release dates or prices for the S2, so again, come back in a bit for our hands-on photos

You could sit there and twiddle your thumbs while you wait for the Lumia 800 to arrive on US shores. Or you could just head over to Expansys, where you can grab an unlocked version of Nokia's new handset, for $789. The Mango-soaked device comes packed with 16GB of internal storage and is primed for use on AT&T, so if you're prepared to shell out the dough.