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All posts tagged "htc"


Friday, May 25, 2012

HTC Releases Ice Cream Sandwich Update Schedule

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 09:30 AM

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...ndwich-updates/

"HTC has published a brand-new list of its devices to get Android 4.0, but the difference between this one and previous lists is the level of detail. Most phones have a target OTA deployment range of 2 months, significantly more precise than the typical "quarterly" guestimates we see manufacturers publish generally."

HTC has a great track record of providing update for their devices. This list includes 17 phones that are scheduled to get Ice Cream Sandwich (Android version 4.0). Take a look and see if your phone made the cut. Most, if not all, HTC phones with more than 512MB of RAM did!


Monday, April 30, 2012

Cyanogenmod 9 Available for the Tegra 3 HTC One X

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 10:00 AM

http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/29/2...c-one-x-release

"If you love the powerful hardware, excellent screen, and beautiful design of the HTC One X, but would prefer your smartphone have a Sense-free, stock Android experience, the hacking community has answered your call."

If you have an LTE version of HTC One X, which uses a Snapdragon S4 CPU/GPU, this will not work for you. But if you want a clean, as it was meant to be, Android device, you can now have it with possibly the most high-end Android hardware available. The Cyanogenmod 9 is now available, though not officially released, for the Tegra 3 based, HTC One X. It sounds like most features are working other than the camera and WiFi hotspot.

Will you be giving Cyanogenmod 9 a try on your nice new quad-core phone? Let us know how it works for you!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

HTC One S Coming Soon to T-Mobile

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.tmonews.com/2012/04/htc-...99-full-retail/

"This new-ish page for the HTC One S has a terrific list of all the features available on the One S, still expected to hit store shelves a week from today on April 25th."

This may actually be my favorite phone from the One series. While it "only" has a 4.3 qHD screen (540x960) it still has the same high quality camera, 1GB of RAM, 1080p 60fps video recording, Beats Audio, and Snapdragon S4 processor as the One X. On top of that not everyone wants a huge phone with a 4.7" screen and the One S seems to get better battery life than the One X, possibly due to the One X having a larger and higher resolution display. Both the phones come with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The HTC One S should be available from T-Mobile for just under $600 on April 25th. Hopefully there will be a subsidized price option as well. Make sure you check the T-Mobile site for more information. My favorite feature of the One series is probably the Snapdragon S4 processor. It's the first 28 nm processor available in a smartphone and offers a "next generation" of speed and battery life.

Would you rather have the super-sized 4.7" 720p display or the 4.3 qHD display with better battery life?


Monday, March 5, 2012

End of Life for the HTC Amaze 4G

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.tmonews.com/2012/03/whit...htc-one-launch/

"Obvious news is obvious as the HTC Amaze 4G white has been officially discontinued for the better part of two weeks now as smart money would bet that T-Mobile is already making inventory space for the HTC One S."

No huge surprise but HTC has discontinued the white Amaze 4G. It seems like they're clearing out inventory to make room for the new HTC One series which is due in the next few months. I think the HTC Amaze 4G was one of the first non-Apple smartphones to have a back side illuminated CMOS sensor which helps image quality a lot in poor lighting.


Monday, February 27, 2012

Press Release: HTC Announces the New HTC One Series

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 12:00 PM

"Today at Mobile World Congress, HTC announced the new HTC One series, which represent the most premium mobile experience with a new level of iconic design and a new amazing camera and authentic sound experience."

HTC has announced three new phones that are part of their new, high-end, One series of devices. The HTC One X (Picture above) has a 4.7", HD (720p, 720x1280), SuperLCD, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and either a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 or a quad-core Tegra 3. The HTC One S is the thin model at 7.9mm. It has a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and a 4.3", qHD (540x960), AMOLED display. The HTC One V is the low-end of these high end devices apparently. HTC calls it "pocket friendly" and says it's designed to "provide a high-end smartphone experience for a broad appeal" so I guess that means really good low end. We don't really have technical details but I'm going to guess the screen is WVGA (480x800) with maybe a 4" diagonal. The HTC One X and S both have new and improved camera technology as well as Beats audio. I didn't care about Beats a few weeks ago but a friend got a pair of Beats headphones and I was truly amazed! I'd love to see other companies start paying more attention to the camera and the audio on the devices they release. I'm glad to see HTC upping the bar in those areas!

These are some nice devices but I still think HTC needs to work on their battery life. Motorola has started going huge with the RAZR Maxx at 3300mAH and the Atrix 3 announced with a 3300mAH battery as well. I think this should be standard for anything that's dual-core (or more) these days and supports LTE. That may not be needed once we hit third quarter and they start shrinking the die sizes of the processors but for now, I think the 1800mAH battery on the HTC One X is inadequate. I don't know the battery capacity of the S or the V but I'll bet they're smaller.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these new devices or battery life on high-end devices. How about Rezound (1720p, dual-core, LTE, 1620mAH) owners, how's the battery life in actual daily use for you? Maybe HTC has some new tricks to make their batteries last longer on their more recent phones. Press Releases after the break!

Update: I just noticed this morning that the Snapdragon S4 processors use the 28nm die size! That's very noteworthy because it means they should get better battery life than the any other CPU out there right now. I'm still not sure these devices could compete with a phone that has a 3300mAH battery but that 1800mAH may be plenty to keep you away from a power outlet all day. I think the S4's also have enhanced Adreno GPU's. The 220 was awesome and so anything newer could be pretty amazing and may even be faster than the Tegra 3 GPU - not sure but research it if you're interested.

Read more...


Monday, January 30, 2012

HTC UK Planning Less New Phones for 2012

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/1...arket_hero.aspx

"HTC UK chief Phil Roberson (pictured) told Mobile the manufacturer will return to a strategy of launching a limited number of high-spec devices this year, with a focus on second quarter releases."

Releasing less phones sounds like a smart move to me. They also said they're not going to focus on tablets. I'm guessing that HTC US will do the same thing.

I think HTC and Motorola are both guilty of releasing far too many phones. The result is OEMs and carriers can't provide the level of support (bug fixes, OS updates, etc.) they should for any of their phones. Hopefully in 2012 we'll see fewer, but more polished, phones from all manufacturers!


Friday, December 23, 2011

SmartPhoneGurus Review the HTC Sensation XL

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android Talk" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.smartphonegurus.com/foru...ensation-xl-o2/

"The XL builds on the prior Sensation incarnations, the original machine and the Beats audio enhanced XE. With this new variant HTC have changed both the internals and externals of the machines design and in effect it is a new machine in its own right and not a part of the original Sensation family."

This is a very detailed review that covers the hardware as well as many details about the software. For me, I think making a phone these days with a 4.7" diagonal and only 480x800 resolution (only 198dpi) should be a crime. Not only is the resolution low for the size but the aspect ratio is not as good as 16:9 for holding in your hand. In other words, the Galaxy Nexus has about the same size screen but it will not be so wide in your hand due to the aspect ratio difference. Of course the Galaxy Nexus has a 720x1280 resolution too. Anyway, the Sensation XL does have a fast single core 1.5GHz processor and 768MB of RAM as well as 16GB of built in storage. Take a look at the review for more details and lots of pictures.


Slipping into the LTE Jetstream -- a review of Rogers' HTC Jetstream

Posted by Don Tolson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 08:30 AM

Product Category: Tablet
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to Buy: Rogers or AT&T
Price: USD $499 w/3 year contract, $799 w/o contract from Rogers; $599 with w/2 year contract, $749 w/o contract from AT&T
System Requirements: Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) with HTC Sense
Specifications: 256mm (10.1in diagonal) LCD tablet with 1.5GHz, dual core CPU; 1G RAM; Quad band GPRS, Tri-band HPSA + LTE; 32G internal memory (28G available) + microSD card slot (32G maximum); 250mm (9.87in) x 178mm (7in) x 13mm (0.5in); 750g (26.5oz). Full specifications can be found here.

Pros:

  • First LTE-capable tablet available in Canada;
  • Very comfortable size and weight;

Cons:

  • Pricey compared to other tablet offerings available;
  • Yet another non-standard charging/sync port.

Summary: In October 2011, with much fanfare, Rogers announced the availability of the HTC Jetstream (aka the HTC P715a) -- Canada's first LTE-capable tablet. Even though the LTE network is limited to three cities in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) we were able to get one of the preview units and play with it for a week in Victoria and Vancouver! So, does an LTE-equipped tablet run circles around mere 3G/H models? The results were surprising. Read more...


Thursday, December 15, 2011

HTC Flyer Gets Android Honeycomb (3.2) Update

Posted by Michael Knutson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 08:00 PM

http://www.netbooknews.com/41485/ht...b-review-video/

"Great news if you’re an HTC Flyer user: the Taiwanese smartphone giant has released the Android 3.2 update for its 7-inch tablet. The update weighs in at 210MB and bumps the version of Android from 2.3 Gingerbread up to the proper 3.2 Honeycomb for tablets."

This has been long-awaited, but it's finally here! The Flyer has been a good performer with Android Gingerbread, and should be quite impressive with a true tablet OS. Aside from the enhanced dedicated stylus button, the other buttons become inactive. It'll be interesting to see if the 7-inch form factor catches on after the success of the Kindle Fire.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

HTC's Portable Bluetooth Conference Speaker

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "Windows Phone Accessories" @ 02:00 AM

http://www.expansys-usa.com/htc-por...bs-p200-226606/

1323852035.usr14226.jpg (400×266)

As accessories go this one's rather specialised, but you don't have to use it as a conference call speaker - it works just fine as just a speaker. That means movies, music, what-have-you's, can be played through it, and that versatility makes the price a little more palatable. It's not available yet, but you can pre-order through Expansys.


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

HTC Invites Fans To Chill In NYC, Chicago, & L.A.

Posted by Jon Westfall in "HTC Android Phones" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.facebook.com/htcusa

HTC held a combination fan-appreciation and device demo event last night in NYC at a super swanky location, and if you missed it, they'll be doing it again in Chicago and L.A. later this week! The event featured ample opportunities for hands-on experiences with the latest generation of HTC Android devices, such as the HTC Rezound, as well as music, food, and drinks. An excellent event at a great venue - and a wonderful way for HTC to give back to it's hardcore fans! Check out HTC USA's Facebook page for more details on the upcoming events!

Tags: htc

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

HTC Flyer 3G Gets Honeycomb Update

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/...c-flyer-owners/

"HTC just confirmed over on Facebook that the GSM 3G version of the Flyer gets the Honeycomb update today, the update for WiFi-only users is "coming soon.""

It's great to see HTC doing the right thing here! Anyone with the HTC Flyer should be pretty happy about this. As far as I know Samsung still has not released an update for the original Galaxy Tab to bring it up to Honeycomb. Have any of you updated your Flyer to Honeycomb? If so, how's it working for you?


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Engadget Reviews the Sensation XL

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 06:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/...tion-xl-review/

"Yes, the family's Windows Phone flagship, the Titan certainly tickled our fancy -- no other phone had landed on that nascent OS with such a screen. But the Sensation XL faces phones both bigger (and only slightly smaller) in the increasingly crowded world of Android."

Check out the Engadget review of this new Android phone from HTC with a 4.7" Super LCD display. It's only 480x800 but if you're looking for something with a big screen and you're not so concerned about the resolution or pixel density this could be just what you're looking for. The Sensation also uses a single core 1.5GHz Qualcomm CPU instead of going with a dual core processor you may expect. Engadget has a video and all their thoughts to help you make your decision.


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Coming November 14th to the US: HTC Rezound

Posted by Karey Westfall in "HTC Android Phones" @ 09:30 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/...zound-unveiled/

"HTC's Rezound first leaked its way into our gadget-lusting hearts in late summer. Then bearing the virile Vigor codename, we suspected a heartily specced, Beats Audio-branded destiny for the device. And today's official unveiling doesn't disappoint, setting this 4.3-inch handset on a 4G course for Verizon's LTE airwaves."

It has been announced that HTC and Verizon will release the HTC Rezound November 14th! This new phone will be the first phone in the US to feature Beats Audio which promises to deliver an "introduction of advanced audio and high-definition visual experience". Also arriving with the Beats Audio is a 8 megapixel camera, Sense 3.5 on top of Gingerbread 2.3.4 (and Ice Cream Sandwich-ready), 16 GB internal storage, 1 GB RAM as well as those totally cool Beats headphones. With a contract, expect to pick up the new phone at $299.99, which is a steal considering that the headphones alone cost about $150!


Monday, November 7, 2011

HTC Announces ICS Specifics

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Android Software" @ 05:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/07/...dwich-upgrades/

"It's been a little over two weeks since Google unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich along with its first ambassador, the Galaxy Nexus."

Want some more information on Ice Cream Sandwich and where/when/if your phone will get it? Engadget's got more as well as the official word from HTC's mouth!


Thursday, November 3, 2011

HTC Releases Earning Statement

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Android News" @ 04:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/...percent-shipme/

"It's been another stellar quarter for the folks over at HTC."

As Engadget loves to point out, HTC is racking up quite a nice string of profitable quarters. Hopefully this means more awesome phones in the near future to keep fans happy & buying!

Tags: htc

Monday, October 17, 2011

HTC Jetstream LTE Tablet coming to Canada on Rogers

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:00 AM

"Available tomorrow to Rogers customers, the HTC Jetstream is the first HTC tablet running on the Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) operating system. Beyond blazing speeds, it also boasts a striking design, HTC Scribe™ digital ink technology and the latest in HTC Sense innovation - HTC's unique user experience that puts people at the centre."

HTC and Rogers have officially announced the HTC Jetstream. This nicely loaded Honeycomb tablet will be available in Canada starting tomorrow for $500 on "select three year plans". As far as hardware goes, it has a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, 10.1" 1280x800 Super LCD screen, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage and a MicroSDHC card slot. It supports Rogers gsm, HSPA, and LTE. One thing that I really like about it is the fact that it has a 7300mAH battery! That should give some descent battery life. One thing I'm not sure I like is the fact that it has some form of Sense on it and it only has Honeycomb 3.1, not the latest 3.2. While it supports the HTC Scribe stylus it will cost you an extra $80. Follow the "Read more" link to see the full press release.

The Jetstream looks like a very nice Android tablet. I would want to play with the interface a little before picking one up but I like the hardware HTC put in it! What are your thoughts on the HTC Jetstream? Will this be your next Android device?

Read more...


Thursday, September 29, 2011

HTC Amaze 4G Coming to T-Mobile

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.tmonews.com/2011/09/t-mo...e-htc-amaze-4g/

"The Amaze 4G is the latest in a line of T-Mobile’s advanced camera phones joining the myTouch 4G Slide and is equipped with an 8 megapixel camera, 1080p video, backside illuminated sensor for low-light performance, zero shutter lag and dual-led flash along with some advanced camera features..."

This looks like a great phone from HTC and T-Mobile! I like the fact that it has a qHD (540x960) 4.3" display for one thing. The CPU/GPU is probably the fastest available right now with a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 and Adreno 220. I also do like the fact that they seem to have really put some work into the camera. I've heard the camera on the myTouch 4G Slide is excellent and it sounds like this camera is at least as good and has more horsepower behind it. As you would expect from any high end Android phone these days it supports 4G and can handle at up to HSPA+ at 42Mbps. The Amaze 4G also has Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and NFC if you're interested. You can buy the Amaze 4G on October 10 from an online pre-sale with delivery to a store 2 days later. I think the price is fair for what you get at $260 after a $50 mail in rebate and with a 2-year contract.

Are you in the market for a new phone on T-Mobile? How does the HTC Amaze 4G look to you?


Monday, September 26, 2011

I'm Selling These Web Sites, Moving to the USA, and I Got a Job Working for HTC. Any Questions?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Thoughts Media Status Updates" @ 08:00 AM

I've been writing and re-writing this post in my head over the past couple of months, and that headline was the best I could come up with. It's not easy to encapsulate one of the most significant changes in my life in a single sentence. Now let's unpack that bombshell I've just dropped...

The HTC Job

I've been working with HTC, the mobile phone and tablet maker, since August 1st of this year. Being a long-time fan of Microsoft's efforts in the mobile space - and largely tying my career to those efforts, for better or worse - I've watched HTC grow from being a nameless, brandless, tiny Taiwanese ODM making Palm-sized PCs/Pocket PCs to the mobile powerhouse they are today. I've always had tremendous admiration for HTC as a company and loved their products, so when someone I knew from Microsoft got a job with HTC in late 2010, I reached out and we started talking. The rest, as they say, is history. I believe HTC is uniquely positioned to do some amazing things in the mobile space over the next few years and I'm excited to be a part of it!

Thoughts Media is currently a vendor for HTC USA, and come October 1st, I'll be a full-time employee. I have an H1B work visa, and after closing the sale of my house this weekend (phew!), I'll be moving in the near future to the Bellevue, Washington area with my wife, our two year old son and our dog, and starting my new career. To add a little extra stress into my life, we're also building a new house and will be in temporary lodging until it's finished. Oh, did I mention this is the first corporate job I've held in 13 years? This is the single biggest career transition I've ever gone through. Read more...


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The HTC Rhyme Goes for Form Over Function

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 12:00 PM

http://blog.laptopmag.com/htc-rhyme...199#more-108313

"Available in a female-friendly Plum for Verizon customers, the Rhyme has clean lines and a nice soft-touch back. HTC tweaked the Sense interface to make it more open and friendly, relegated the clock to the bottom right corner and adding dynamic shortcut icons to the home screen."

The Rhyme is not a bad phone at all actually. It's not for me but for a phone that's not supposed to be high-end it's got very reasonable specs. It has a 1GHz CPU with the Adreno 205 GPU, 3.7" 480x800 SuperLCD, 768MB of memory, and 4GB of built in storage. It comes with an 8GB MicroSDHC card as well for additional storage. It also comes with Gingerbread (Android 2.3.x) which is expected by now. The front facing camera is only VGA and the rear camera is 5MP but honestly they should work as well as the cameras on most other phones for general use.

What sets the Rhyme apart, and may make the $200 it costs worth the money, are the tweaks to the HTC Sense interface and the included accessories. The interface, among other things, includes slide out drawer-like widget icons. I think this is a cool idea though really it's not much different then folders I guess. It does look cooler to me. As far as accessories go the Rhyme includes a dock, tangle-free ear buds with in-line controls, and a funky notification dongle/charm thingy. The charm plugs into the earphone jack and flashes when you get calls or other notifications. See the video in the source article (click the "Read" link below) for a demo of the charm working. I think the notification charm is a cool idea but should have been done with Bluetooth. Of course then you would have something else to keep charged. It will be interesting to see if owners find the notification charm useful or useless just because it's too much of a hassle to plug in all the time. I'd love to hear what you think of this new phone from HTC!


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