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HTC's Droid DNA will get updated to KitKat this week, despite its age
Don't worry, Droid DNA fans -- HTC may have given the One series its first batch of Android 4.4 KitKat upgrades, but it still has plenty of love for Verizon's late 2012 flagship. Mo Versi, Executive Director of Product Management, announced that the DNA will get an over-the-air update to the latest firmware update (along with the Sense 5.5 interface) starting on April 24th. This is great news because the DNA, Verizon's version of the Butterfly, is quickly approaching its 18th month of life -- a milestone which is too often considered an expiration date by Android manufacturers. HTC recently announced its Advantage program, in which it guarantees its flagship phones will be updated for at least two years, but the DNA came out well before such a promise was given. Adding to our surprise is the fact that Verizon isn't exactly the quickest at pushing out phone updates.
HTC One to receive KitKat upgrade in North America and UK by late January
HTC promised that One owners would get Android 4.4 KitKat within 90 days of the OS' announcement, and it's now detailing when specific countries will get their turn. The company's North American and UK branches both say that they will start upgrading Ones to KitKat by late January, or right at the tail end of the 90-day window. There isn't any word regarding the upgrade schedules in other large countries. However, Droid DNA fans won't be left out -- HTC says they should get KitKat by the end of first quarter, or no later than March.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 30th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of September 9th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Android 4.2.2 lands on HTC Butterfly, brings Sense 5 to last-gen handsets
Flash-happy Droid DNA owners have had access to HTC's latest Android skin for a while now, but the company is finally delivering Sense 5 to its older phones in an official capacity -- at least in Taiwan. According to Engadget Chinese, users of the Taiwanese Droid DNA variant, the HTC Butterfly, can now download a Sense 5 flavored Android 4.2.2 update, delivered in two packages: one to prep the system, and one to actually upgrade the device. HTC previously said that some of the skin's features would be exclusive to the HTC One, but it should be noted that BlinkFeed isn't one of them, as the content aggregator seems to be alive and kicking on the updated Butterfly. No word yet if this update will make its way to our local Droid DNA, but we wouldn't be surprised: it's pretty much the same phone.
Verizon Cloud spreads to iOS devices, Droid DNA and Galaxy S 4
When Verizon Cloud launched last month, it would only back up a few Android devices -- not quite the cross-platform utopia that the carrier had in mind. Today's launch of the Verizon Cloud iOS app should get the company (and subscribers) closer to the original vision. Like its mobile counterpart, the iPhone-focused release syncs or streams documents and media from every platform that Verizon supports, including PCs. Just don't expect a wide safety net, though, as the iOS app won't back up call logs, contacts or messages. Still prefer Android? You're covered as well -- Verizon has expanded the compatibility list to include more Google-powered hardware, such as the Droid DNA and the Galaxy S 4. As long as you're inclined toward Verizon Cloud in the first place, the source links should get all your devices working in harmony.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 8th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
HTC delivers source code for the One and Droid DNA
If you loved the One's hardware, but weren't quite sold on HTC's software notions, the company's looking to get the smartphone dabblers on board by releasing the source code for several iterations of its new flagship. The files, available now on HTC Dev, should kick open the door for modders and tinkerers to attempt to slough off the likes of BlinkFeed or throw (a little less) caution to the wind and install a stock Android experience. HTC also added the Droid DNA to the source code roster, so US-bound Verizon users also get to play. If you know what you're doing, or are at least willing to read up on it, you can find everything else at the link below.
HTC Droid DNA gets an early taste of Sense 5 thanks to beta ROM
While plenty of Android users prefer the vanilla OS experience, manufacturer-created skins persist, like HTC's updated Sense 5 UI debuting on the latest One flagship. HTC's Droid DNA will almost certainly receive this new version in the future -- the handset maker has confirmed it's coming to the Butterfly, a DNA variant -- but if you're partial to flashing, you can get your fingers on it right now. XDA Developers member newtoroot clearly isn't lacking the expertise their handle suggests, and has taken to the site's forum to offer a beta build of Sense 5 for the DNA. Bear in mind it's a beta, but everything is said to working bar MMS and the new Zoe camera mode. If you've got the hardware, know your way around a ROM and are up for toying with HTC's latest skin, head to the source link for the file and thread.
Refresh Roundup: week of February 25th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of February 18th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Switched On: Moving forward with leaning back
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Just a few months have passed between the introduction of the Droid DNA and the new HTC One, but it seems that HTC has been turned upside down in that time. While the Droid DNA was introduced in conjunction with Verizon and can't be a wholly representative picture of how HTC might have introduced the device otherwise, it was a spec- and design-driven product -- a 5-inch, 1080p display with a 440-ppi density that appeared to spill over onto sides that included a microperforation. In contrast, little was said about the HTC One hardware itself until later in the device's introduction, surprising because the HTC One is not only the most attractive handset the company has ever built, but also certainly one of the most attractive on the market. While it is an Android device, the casing builds upon the tapered, Windows Phone-inspired 8X, substituting aluminum for polycarbonate. That said, there is also the spillover glass effect found on the Droid DNA. The HTC One retains the 1080p display found in the Droid DNA. However, since the screen is smaller, the pixel density is even higher (468 ppi) than in that record-breaking device.
Refresh Roundup: week of February 11th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Verizon details Droid DNA update, hints at menu key software option
Despite our love for the Droid DNA, it has a few flaws that are hard to ignore. Perhaps most vexing is the lack of an option to map the contextual menu button to the recent apps key. Fortunately, we're now hopeful that Verizon will remedy the situation. Big Red just posted an overview of a forthcoming software update, and among the line items, it's said that users can expect "enhanced recent apps functionality." As you can see, the wording is frustratingly vague and open to interpretation, but the fix is logical and would follow precedent from HTC. Other changes are more clearly spelled out, such as improved WiFi and hotspot connectivity, better audio quality when using a wired headset and correct timestamps for incoming messages. For a complete breakdown of what's in store, just hit up the source link.
HTC Droid DNA vs. J Butterfly vs. Butterfly: fight!
HTC made quite an impression when it launched the Droid DNA with Verizon a couple of months ago, and we're happy to say that its Butterfly variants on the other side of the world -- namely Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), India and China -- have achieved similar success, with some areas struggling to keep up with the surprising demand. Still, if you're in the market to pick up one of these 5-inch quad-core beauties, it's worth noting the subtle physical and technical differences between them. At HTC's Frequencies event this week, we had the rare chance to get all four (yes, four!) models side by side, so read on for our detailed comparison. %Gallery-178314%
Bloomberg: HTC backing away from plan to build five-inch Windows Phone
We've been fans of super-sized live tiles ever since the OG Titan came around, but maybe we can't count on HTC to push things any further. According to Bloomberg's sources, the Taiwanese manufacturer has given up on a project to create a Windows Phone with a display larger than five inches. Instead, it'll focus all its big-screened efforts on Android, much as it's already doing with the Droid DNA (shown above) and Asian Butterfly. The reason? Well, that bit's unclear. Microsoft's mobile OS doesn't currently play nice with 1080p, which puts a limit on the pixel density of any big device -- but then there's always the potential for software updates, and besides, the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II is hardly being held back by its 720 lines. Bloomberg does mention another, more plausible reason, which is that HTC simply believes the WP market is too weak to haul a juggernaut.
Verizon's limited edition Droid DNA puts the company colors in employees' hands
There are more perks to being a Verizon employee than just discounted phone plans -- like limited edition versions of the carrier's hottest handsets. Much like it did for the Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx, Verizon's gearing up to offer its staffers a special, red-backed version of the Droid DNA that adheres strictly to the company's signature colors. Apart from the obvious red and black cosmetic change, each phone is set to ship with a serial number denoting its exclusivity and type on the back marking it as a "Verizon Employee Limited Edition." According to DroidLife, these one-offs have already begun to enter into circulation. So, don't be surprised if you see any related listings surfacing on eBay in the near future.
Hack gives HTC Droid DNA the bootloader unlock that Verizon took away
Custom ROM fans were briefly teased with the prospect of Verizon loosening its anti-modding stance when the HTC Droid DNA first arrived: in the pre-release days, the official HTCDev portal allowed unlocking the DNA's bootloader. While the carrier unfortunately clamped down and denied the option by the time the giant smartphone was in stores, that hasn't stopped Android Police and Sean Beaupre from keeping the dream alive through very unofficial means. A special backup file, a carrier ID generator app, a shell script and judicious use of ADB tweak the carrier information to trick HTCDev and let the unlock work once again. To call this a risky procedure would be an understatement, however -- venturing past a certain point raises the real possibility of bricking the device, and HTC's bootloader tool already puts limits on post-unlock support even when it's blessed by carriers. Should the urge to liberate the Droid DNA overwhelm a sense of caution (or a wait for the Deluxe), you'll find both the hack and unofficial help through the source links.
Mobile Miscellany: week of November 19th, 2012
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, we discovered an abundance of special edition smartphones and T-Mobile gave ten new reasons for owners of unlocked iPhones to smile. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of November 19th, 2012.
PSA: HTC Droid DNA now available from Verizon
What are we thankful for on the day before Thanksgiving? How about the glut of great smartphones? Phones like HTC's Droid DNA, on sale today over at Verizon. $200 (with the obligatory two-year contract) will get you a gorgeous five-inch 1080p display, a quad-core processor, NFC and some Android Jelly Bean action. The battery life leaves a bit to be desired, however, though it'll get you through the amount of time required to cook a 20 pound turkey, at least.
