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It hasn't been Samsung's best week. Just days after Judge Lucy Koh granted a preliminary ban on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, she's following it up with a similar granted request on the Galaxy Nexus.

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In case you somehow missed it, today is an important milestone in technology nostalgia: it's the fifth anniversary of the original iPhone's launch. We'll let you explore the memories of that insane day on your own terms, but ComScore has produced a visual breakdown of just how ownership has grown and shifted over the years. It's not hard to see that adoption has been on an accelerating curve, especially after the 2010 launch of the Retina display-toting iPhone 4: as of this past May, about three quarters of owners have either the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S. And the 2007 edition? Only two percent of all iPhone owners are still actively holding on to the aluminum-clad debut model, which suggests most would rather have Siri than reminisce. Whether you're a fan or have since moved on to a competitor, the chart is a reminder of just how far one of Steve Jobs' biggest projects has come.

Consider your last trip to the car dealership. Let's say you saved up and hit up BMW. While you might've looked at -- or even test driven -- the M3, there's a good chance that your better judgment (and your budget) led you to drive off of the lot with a 328i. Sure, it's only got a four-cylinder engine inside, but the car offers great handling and good gas mileage. Better yet, you didn't have to spend an atrocious amount of money to get behind the wheel. The same goes with mobile phones. While it's fun to dream of owning a One X, a Galaxy S III or an Optimus 4X HD, they're called superphones for a reason: they cater to power-hungry individuals with a fair amount of disposable income. Like supercars, they're designed to bring people into the store, even if shoppers ultimately leave with something else in hand.

Enter the LG Optimus L7. Positioned at the higher end of the company's entry-level lineup, it aims to be the 328i of smartphones. Sure, no one's lining up to drool over it, but LG is aiming for this to be a practical choice with just enough elegance and pizzaz to keep consumers grinning. Of course, that sweet spot is difficult to achieve, and we've seen plenty of smartphone manufacturers miss the mark in attempting to balance performance and amenities with a palatable price. So, does the Optimus L7 rise to the challenge? We've spent the past week with it as our daily driver, and we're ready to make the call. Read on for the answer.

LG Optimus L7 review

Regular time, regular place. Wait, what? For such a hectic and crazy week as this, it's equally astounding to think that we'll be doing the Engadget Mobile Podcast the usual way -- Friday afternoon at 5pm. Just like last week, this is definitely one you don't want to miss: Google announced a couple things, RIM broke a few hearts and we reviewed a few devices. Tune in and enjoy Myriam and Brad waxing poetic about the wild week that was wireless!

It took only one day for devs to unleash Jelly Bean 4.1 from its server confines and out into the eager underbelly of Android's community. And those enterprising hackers haven't wasted any time getting that buttered up OS running on Galaxy Nexus handsets (yes, even for Verizon subs). Now, good news is also on the way for any consumers who forsook the pure Google path in favor of Samsung's TouchWizzed way. That's right, a (mostly) working port has been made available to Galaxy S III (I9300) users that should see some of that point upgrade's features successfully implemented. Feel free to take it for a test run if you're skilled in the ways of flashing, but bear in mind you'll lose access to the camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, storage and audio. It goes without saying that this build is far from the perfect ROM for a daily driver, but if you're curious to check it out first-hand, there's no harm in trying. Hit up the source below for the step-by-step how-to.

Now that the dust has settled on the big Windows Phone 8 hoedown, Redmond is filling in the details of all its announcements. To wit, it just released a list of the 180 countries that will get access to its WP marketplace and developer app hub. That number is a big jump from the 63 markets and 38 app hubs of today, and with in-app purchasing coming soon, Microsoft emphasized that point -- along with the 100,000 apps in stock -- to developers. The software giant also added that the marketplace will filter apps by phone screen resolution and "other key characteristics," allowing easier targeting of users. To see if your country made the cut, check the source for the very long list.

With more carriers pushing unlimited calling plans, we can't say there's necessarily a need for the friends and family features of yesteryear on this side of the Atlantic, but plenty of networks beyond the good ole US of A are a bit more stingy when it comes to tallying talk time. The latest Google patent application to be published was filed last December and covers exactly this type of scenario, suggesting that the Google+ profile of the future could include an option to create a "Telco Co. Preferred Calling" circle, which would theoretically enable free calling between yourself and a small group of friends.

According to the application, semi-public information, such as a telephone number, would be shared between Google and a registered service provider, and you would maintain discount calling relationships from within Google+, adding and dropping callers to and from your online contacts list. You could also dictate custom rules, such as ringtones for contacts in specific groups, or create carrier-branded circles that are populated with your friends on the same network, making it easier to determine whether or not you'll be billed for calls to a particular user. Like all patent applications, there's no guarantee that Google's submission with come to fruition, but if you're feeling optimistic, you can hit up the source link below for all the legalese.

Starting this week, Windows Phone users with a Twitter fixation will have a much easier time feeding the little, blue, bird-shaped beast. The latest update to the app features long-awaited Notifications support. Downloading version 1.5 will deliver such important Twitter info as retweets, mentions, direct messages, new followers and favorited tweets to the forefront where they belong. You can download the app in the source link below and then tell all your friends through the microblogging service of your choice, whatever that might be. Fair warning in the meantime -- a number of folks are reporting issues with the update, and we've had some difficulty getting it up an running on our own handsets. Feel free to sound off in the comments below -- since you may have some trouble doing so on Twitter.

U.S. Cellular has confirmed to PC Mag that it's "excited" by the prospect of carrying Windows Phone 8 handsets when they land later this year. A PR person even went as far as saying that WP8 "will be an important part of our lineup." The move leaves Sprint, Cricket and MetroPCS as the only major-league holdouts for the new platform -- or perhaps their PR departments just aren't as bubbly.

It's that time of the year when folks in the US of A tend to get a tad bit patriotic. Pretty soon, those of us in the States will be all about grilling and putting back a few hot dogs and / or hamburgers before rushing off to catch some fireworks. We're looking to keep the spirit alive in our weekly, too. This time around, we offer up a Made in the USA edition with editorials that tackle Nevada's solar-geothermal hybrid power plant and just how much coin it takes to offer internet in American Samoa -- along with a few more stops in between. The Nexus 7 and Nexus Q were revealed at Google I/O and we offer some initial thoughts on the pair of gadgets from the folks in Mountain View. Find yourself jonesin' for a closer look at that fancy Tesla S? You're in luck. You'll find some detail shots of the new $50,000 EV in "Eyes-On" this week. So what are you waiting for? There's a monster truck on the cover for crying out loud! Dive right in to the latest issue via your download method of choice.

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When Verizon finally came good on its Share Everything promise, mobile matrimony on the big red finally seemed a solid reality. If your team couldn't wait to get its sharesies on, then rest easy, as Verizon's come good on that 28th delivery date. Don't forget, you'll still have to cough up a monthly fee per device ($40 for a smartphone, $20 for a mobile hotspot etc) but you can still divvy up that $50-$100 monthly access fee, and be prepared to argue over that $15 overage charge if you choose the wrong one.

Virgin Mobile is offering the iPhone to its prepaid customers as of today. The Sprint-owned subsidiary is using the event to kickstart a new retail strategy that will see the company open branded retail stores in Chicago -- with a nationwide rollout dependent upon its success. Since all carriers have to make a minimum commitment to Apple in order to receive the handset, it's interesting to see that Virgin's allocation forms part of Sprint's $15.5 billion gamble on the handset that's still yet to pay off. The handset will set users back $650 for a 16GB iPhone 4S, while plans begin at $30 for 300 voice minutes, unlimited messages and data, but only if they commit to automatic monthly payments.

It turns out Foursquare's massive 5.0 revamp was just the start of the changes, as the location sharing app unveiled a new twist with the launch its Connected Apps platform. Available as a developer preview, it lets the makers of apps like Untappd, Instagram or The Weather Channel connect directly with the Foursquare app. Many apps were already connected via the API, and once users upgrade to the latest version on Android or iOS their checkins pull information from those apps into Foursquare itself. That means they get things like the weather forecast on their first check in of the day from The Weather Channel, see what songs their friends have shared at a particular location via Soundtracking or beer recommendations from Untappd. Developers can get all the info on how it works at the overview, the rest of us can see the list of enabled apps on the official blog post.

The Q1 earnings news from RIM of layoffs and a delay in its next generation of handsets has unsurprisingly led to some rumors from the usual "people familiar with the situation," according to Reuters. The options reportedly being considered by the board probably also won't shock you, like the possibility of following former co-CEO Jim Balsillie's plan to open up its network to others and / or or sell it outright. An alternative path comes from Microsoft and Steve Ballmer, who has reportedly been putting a full court press on the folks in Waterloo to pull a Nokia and bring their arms to the Windows OS camp. That choice is reportedly less attractive because it would mean giving up technology independence, but we'll see how long that feeling lasts if future earnings projections remain similarly dismal.

Adobe was very public about dropping mobile Flash last fall. In case that wasn't clear enough, the developer just drew a line in the sand: Android 4.1 doesn't, and won't ever, get certification for Flash. The company is stopping short of saying that Flash won't run, but it's evident that Adobe won't help you if the web browser plugin doesn't install (or breaks in spectacular fashion) on that Nexus 7. Just to underscore the point, the firm is also halting new installations of Flash from Google Play as of August 15th. Security updates and other vital patches will continue on for existing users. Any fresh downloads after that fateful day, however, will have to come from Adobe's mausoleum for old versions. The company had already said that HTML5 was the way forward on phones and tablets -- now we know just how quickly it's backing up that claim.

You know all those lawsuits swirling about in the tech industry? Yeah... Qualcomm is looking to avoid some of the weighty implications of courtroom battles with an air gap strategy that will restructure its R&D division into a new, wholly owned subsidiary known as Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI). While the parent company will retain the company's existing patent portfolio, QTI will be responsible for product development and the existing semiconductor business. Interestingly enough, it's also said that the subsidiary will ramp up its use of open source software, and it'll strive to avoid the patents of parent company, Qualcomm. It's also said that the restructuring will help the business bring its products to market more quickly, and if the company is able to avoid just one lawsuit / injunction, it may be very correct with that assertion.

Apple has announced that its Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, Bob Mansfield, will retire and over the course of the next few months transfer his role to Dan Riccio. Mansfield is credited with leading the Mac engineering team since 2005 and took on a more visible role as an exec during the reshuffling in 2008. He's also mentioned as leading iPhone and iPod engineering since 2010 (when he took over the role from Mark Papermaster in a move curiously timed around those antenna troubles) and the iPad since it began. He'd been with Apple since 1999 when it acquired his previous employer, Raycer Graphics, and most recently popped up on our radar earlier this year while integrating another acquisition, flash memory maker Anobit. If you'd like to get familiar with his replacement, Dan Riccio is currently vice president of iPad hardware engineering. Check the press release after the break for a few more details on both individuals, there's no word on Mansfield's post-retirement plans.

RIM hasn't had much good news to offer along with its glum fiscal first quarter, but it has given a reason to mark early 2013 on the calendar if you're a BlackBerry fan. CEO Thorsten Heins revealed during the results call that the first QWERTY BlackBerry 10 phone will arrive in "close proximity" to its touchscreen-only counterpart. What that entails is still very much under wraps, although there were clues. Heins stressed that the early batch would focus on the "premium" space, while BlackBerry 7 would hold down the entry and mid-range markets until their BlackBerry 10 replacements were ready. The tidbits won't provide much comfort to someone who has to decide on a phone by the holidays, but they hint that the truly patient could be rewarded for their calm under pressure.

Today's Google I/O keynote was, as expected, all about the Chrome. Easily one of the biggest among the company's laundry list of announcements surrounding the browser-turned-operating-system has to be its arrival on iOS, bringing the functionality that an ever-growing number of users have come to know and love to the iPhone and iPad. The list includes, perhaps most notably, its cross-device syncing, ensuring that you can pick up where you left off on the desktop version of the program, taking your pages and tabs with you on the go. So, is Google's fancy mobile browser enough to get us off mobile Safari altogether? Check out some impressions of the iPhone version of the app after the break.

Google Chrome for iOS

It's an exciting time when two worlds collide, especially for iOS users that have an affection for Google services. The head honchos in Mountain View took to the stage at Moscone West today and announced two programs were going to be made available in the App Store by the end of day: Chrome and Drive. The latter pushed out first, so we decided to give the free app a closer look. Head below for some screenshots and our impressions of the service.

Google Drive for iOS

The last quarter has been about as rough as they come for RIM, and it's now detailed just how things stacked up in terms of hard numbers. For the first quarter of its 2013 fiscal year, the company brought in $2.8 billion in revenue, down a full 33 percent from the prior quarter, while it reported a net loss of $518 million -- much worse than analysts were expecting. What's more, it's also announced that it's cutting an additional 5,000 jobs as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts, and that the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones now won't launch until sometime in the first quarter of the 2013 calendar year (that includes a QWERTY model launched in "close proximity" to the touchscreen-only device). As for why, RIM only went as far as to say that the integration of some key BlackBerry 10 features and the "associated large volume of code" has "proven to be more time consuming than anticipated." For his part, though, CEO Thorsten Heins says he remains "confident that the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones will provide a ground-breaking next generation smartphone user experience," and that he's "encouraged by the traction that the BlackBerry 10 platform is gaining with application developers and content partners." He further notes that the response to BB10 from key carrier partners has "been very positive."

In terms of its existing devices, RIM reports that BlackBerry smartphone shipments (not sales) for the quarter totaled 7.8 million, while there were about 260,000 PlayBooks shipped -- on the company's earnings call, Heins noted that the total BlackBerry subscriber base now stands at 78 million. Not surprisingly, the company is warning of more bad news to come. It says it expects the "next several quarters to continue to be very challenging," with everything from the "increasing competitive environment," lower handset volumes, impact from the BlackBerry 10 delay, and the company's plans to "continue to aggressively drive sales of BlackBerry 7 handheld devices" expected to cut into its bottom line. In another bit of news, the company also announced that it has appointed Steve Zipperstein, Verizon's former General Counsel, as its new Chief Legal Officer. You can find the full earnings report at the source link below.

NFC's potential uses are numerous -- contactless mobile payments, automated actions and content sharing to name a few -- but aside from its scattered inclusion in a limited number of handsets in the US and overseas, we've yet to see it truly take off. Cue Orange France. The wireless carrier's taking a non-traditional route to spur adoption by sidestepping manufacturers and bringing the near field communication tech to all 27 million of its subscribers directly. To do this, the operator's implementing Gemalto's UpTeq SIM, a secure NFC solution the company claims is on par with existing chip-based implementations. Going forward, the enhanced SIMs will be standard issue for new post-paid users throughout the carrier's home footprint, while current subs will have to contact Orange to specifically request it. Head on past the break to check out the company's official PR.

If three's a crowd, the Samsung Galaxy S III party in the US is about to get pretty stuffy. Having already reviewed AT&T and Sprint's variants -- not to mention the original I9300 before them -- we're now ready to put a third iteration through its paces, this time from the country's fourth-largest carrier, T-Mobile.

Of course, the phone itself needs no grand introduction, as it's fast become the new darling of the smartphone world. And rightfully so, in many respects: it's the first high-end device to launch on all four major mobile operators in the US (a feat in and of itself), and it's done so with minimal carrier branding, hardware changes or bloatware levies. It is, in essence, an unadulterated handset. The reason this piece of news is so wondrous is that it opens up your ability to choose your phone service based on the network, not on the actual phone each individual carrier offers.

Sadly, the big tradeoff here is the loss of an Exynos quad-core processor in exchange for a Snapdragon S4 dual-core chipset and additional RAM. Join us as we take a deeper look at the T-Mobile Galaxy S III. Is it the best phone on the network? Is it worth shelling out $280 (with a two-year contract) for the 16GB model or $330 for 32GB? How well does it perform? This and more answers await you in our full review below.

Samsung Galaxy S III for T-Mobile review

The Dolphin browser has earned quite a following, by offering a healthy mix of speed and features. Now the company is opening up its offerings to further expansion though an open API service called Garage. The new portal opens up 150 APIs to third party developers who might want to build upon Dolphin's solid browser base, or integrate their web apps. As part of the launch of the Garage, four new add-ons have been added to the Dolphin repository. Dropbox, Evernote, Pocket and Wikipedia all now tie directly in to the browser's UI, exposing all the important features of those services. For more, check out the PR after the break and the Garage portal at the source.

We're live at day two of I/O and the theme of this keynote is all about "Going Google." With this focus on Mountain View's various cloud-based apps, Clay Bavar, Director of Product Management for Google Apps, announced that Docs will now work offline for editing. In the onstage demo, Bavar was able to log into several devices, including a Nexus phone and tablet, to interact and collaborate in real-time on a document. Thanks to the smooth syncing at work, edits made from each device showed up as they were being entered, keystroke-by-keystroke. Now, those edits can also be created without a working internet connection and synced up later. You won't have to wait long, either, to take this offline mode for a test spin, as the feature will be enabled later in the day, with that functionality "coming soon" for presentations and spreadsheets. Check out the official PR after the break.

Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!