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HTC pulls a 180, now says Gingerbread is coming to Desire (updated)
So, here's the tally: as of June 14th, there's just "not enough memory" in the Desire for Gingerbread to run properly. As of the 15th, however, there is. We won't pretend to understand what changed so drastically in the past 24 hours, but what is clear is that the aforesaid handset maker is listening to its most demanding of users. While it's safe to assume that the Average Joe (or Jane) wouldn't be able to recognize the difference between Android 2.2 and 2.3, folks clamoring for the update seem to have coerced the company to make things work. In other words, it looks like the update is back on... now it's just a matter of making it run well. Kudos HTC, and godspeed. Update: Turns out that HTC's engineers will "cut select apps" to enable the Gingerbread update. [Thanks, Frederik]
HTC Desire tries to catch Gingerbread, can't keep up
After months attempting to bring the Desire up to speed with Android 2.3, HTC is throwing in the towel, and it doesn't have much more than a comments section full of disappointed handset owners to show for it. The UK branch of the phone manufacturer announced via its Facebook page that attempts to upgrade the Nexus One-esque smartphone to Gingerbread have proven fruitless, due to a lack of internal memory on the device. According to the company, the promised update just won't play nicely with its Sense UI. Those desiring less official methods can always check out the leaked 2.3.3 ROM. Everyone else will have to suffer through the Froyo brain freeze. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Arduino, magnet wire, and Android combine to create poor man's NFC (video)
Jealous of your Nexus S-owning friends and their fancy NFC chips after yesterday's Google Wallet announcement? Well tech tinkerer Joe Desbonnet has whipped up what he dubs "poor man's NFC" using an Arduino, some magnet wire, and any compass-equipped Android smartphone (which is almost all of them). By placing a coil of wire on the phone and connecting it to the DIYer's favorite microcontroller, Desbonnet was able to send data, albeit very slowly, to his HTC Desire running a special app to decode the signals. Granted, you're probably not going to see American Eagle mod their point of sale systems to talk to your phone's magnetometer, but it's still a neat trick. In fact, we'd break out our Arduino right now to give it a try, but our secret lair is strangely devoid of enameled copper wire. Check out the source link for instructions, and don't miss the video after the break.
HTC Desire S gets a candy apple makeover exclusively at Vodafone UK
Oh, the Desire S. It's attracted plenty of attention around these parts, and if a thorough review or family scuffle wasn't enough to draw your attention, we imagine this fire engine paint job will do just nicely. Vodafone is bringing this exclusive red-headed beaut to its UK network, where it's available free with all monthly plans £30 or more. So, if you're the type who loves aluminum unibody enclosures but detests the color of... well, aluminum... it seems that you're in luck. Just don't get too cocky around MacBook Pro fans -- they're likely to get jealous of your free paint job.
HTC Desire gets unsanctioned build of Android 2.3.3 courtesy of 911Sniper
When we last checked in with HTC's Desire, an upgrade from Android 2.2 to 2.3 had been announced for release in late May or June. While Gingerbread hasn't officially rolled out for this Nexus One kin, the crew at 911Sniper recently leaked the Desire's upcoming European / Asian ROM, complete with Android 2.3.3 and Sense 2.1. Many daring enthusiasts have already taken the plunge, reporting mixed results with flashing their device. it's worth noting, however, that when installed properly, user reports are quite positive. As always, please know what you're doing before you dive down this rabbit hole -- we hope to see you on the other side. [Thanks, Omar]
HTC Desire solves dodecahedron Rubik's Cube, will blow your mind (video)
If this image doesn't have you completely dumbfounded, scroll down and watch the video. Sufficiently awestruck? Good. Now, for a little background on exactly how someone got a pile of Legos and a smartphone to solve the devil's puzzle Megaminx. The aptly titled Megaminxer enlists the Mindstorms NXT kit to do the dirty work and an HTC Desire, running a custom Android app, as the brains of the operation. Said app uses the phone's camera to take individual images of each of the puzzle's 12 faces, then processes the information and sends a signal via Bluetooth to the NXT controller, which in turn goes to town. Unfortunately, there's no explaining how they got the Android to dance like that, but, really, why ruin the magic? [Thanks, Stuart]
HTC Incredible S, Desire HD, Desire Z and original Desire will all be eating Gingerbread by the end of June
When it launched the Incredible S at MWC a couple of weeks ago, HTC promised the new 4-inch device would be quick to get a Gingerbread update and now it's giving us a definitive schedule for it by saying that Android 2.3 will be distributed to its new flagship phone by the end of Q2 2011. We're not sure four months of sitting by the window waiting for the OTA update to float in necessarily matches up to our definition of "quick," but there are much better news for owners of HTC's older devices. The Desire HD and Desire Z -- both released in September 2010 -- will also be leaping away from Froyo and up to Gingerbread and will be joined by the original Desire, which was announced way back at last year's MWC. That handset was essentially HTC's own-brand Nexus One, so we already knew it was capable of running Gingerbread, but it's still rare to see a device go through two significant Android updates (the Desire began life with Android 2.1). All these old Desires are placed on the same update schedule as the Incredible S, whereas the newly announced Desire S and Wildfire S will ship with Gingerbread preloaded. [Thanks, Johannes]
HTC Desire 2 picture leaked, also shows up in Vodafone's inventory
Over the weekend, a surreptitious new photo of the new HTC Desire 2 hit the world wide web, and in addition to the image, the new handset has found its way into Vodafone Germany's inventory system (along with several other goodies) -- meaning that the second coming of the Desire is likely imminent. Word on the street is that it has a Super AMOLED screen of unknown resolution and runs Android 2.3.1 (Gingerbread). Examination of the spy shot reveals that HTC swapped out the tactile buttons of the original Desire for the capacitive variety, added a front facing camera, and made it slightly smaller than its predecessor. It seems that HTC has failed on the 'quietly' part of its slogan, but at least it looks like the company didn't botch the 'brilliant' bit as well. Stay tuned to find out -- Mobile World Congress gets going in under a week, you know. [Thanks, William and Robert]
HTC HD2 and Nexus One get some Gingerbread crumbs (update: EVO, Droid and Desire, too)
With Gingerbread freely distributed to the open-source masses, it probably won't surprise you to hear there already a custom ROM for Google's darling Nexus One. But what if we told you Android 2.3 is now available for the HTC HD2 as well? That's right, the Windows Mobile 6.5 powerhouse can now snap off a sugary piece of the same Android code, and from what we hear in the XDA-developers forums, it works pretty decently, too. Like the Samsung Galaxy S we saw getting the green tie treatment this morning, the HTC HD2 and Nexus One don't exactly have stable, fully functional builds, but as long as you know what you're doing and don't need petty luxuries like cameras, GPS receivers and official Google apps, you'll probably be just fine. Find files and a modicum of instruction at our source links below. Update: While these cookies are half-baked, unconfirmed and potentially dangerous to those not well versed in the art of Android hackery, we're hearing that the HTC EVO 4G, original Motorola Droid and HTC Desire are now sporting early Gingerbread ROMs too. It seems the source code is relatively easy to compile for other phones, so with any luck there'll be a compatible build for your device soon. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
GameString demos its streaming, custom World of Warcraft UI by raiding on an HTC Desire (video)
We're still not ready to apply the label "Gaming 3.0" here (or to anything, for that matter), but despite its boasts, GameString's making a compelling case for cloud-based play time. We've already seen the company bring World of Warcraft to Google TV, but now the company's showcasing its take on a challenge we've seen a few times before -- streaming a playable version of WoW to a mobile phone. (Gotta get 'em out of the house somehow.) The trick here is a streamlined UI overlay that makes for a every touch-friendly experience; there's translucent "thumbstick" spots and larger buttons for spells. The setup in question here is its Adrenalin Host Server from approximately 80 kilometers away (geographically) and an HTC Desire running over a home network that's 2Mbps down / 2Mbps up. And while there's some notable lag and parts of the interface that's still too tiny to really use, it's still an Alpha build that seems functional for all but the most intense of moments. See it for yourself after the break.
HTC outs black Legend and white Desire to keep you busy for the time being
It's almost a given that HTC may have a little announcement for us next Monday, but chances are you'd like to let Windows Phone 7 settle in for a bit while you cling on to your trusty green bot. Assuming neither the Desire HD nor the troublesome Desire Z / G2 tickled your fancy, you now have two more options for consideration: a "phantom black" Legend and a "brilliant white" Desire (as seen a few weeks ago). Patrons in Europe should be seeing these new handsets starting this month, but here's a caveat: we're told that rather than going 100 percent SLCD for the Desire, it's actually a mix of both SLCD and AMOLED, so be sure to double-check with your store before handing over your hard-earned euros.
HTC Desire HD ROM ported to Droid Incredible, Desire (update: EVO 4G too)
You've already seen it ported to the HTC HD2, and it looks like the recently-leaked HTC Desire HD ROM has now also made its way to two more likely candidates for a port: the Droid Incredible and original Desire. As you might expect, there are a few issues that you'll likely want to consider before diving right in -- there's no camera support yet on either phone, for instance -- but it does look like it otherwise reasonably stable for a beta, and it does bring some of the boot speed improvements seen on the Desire HD itself. Head on past the break for a quick video, and hit up the source links below for all the necessary details. Update: We're getting word that even the HTC EVO 4G's in on the speedy-booting game now, with a Desire HD ROM as well as an original Desire build from MIUI. They're apparently still half-baked like the other two, missing camera support, WiFi and 4G as well, but if you've been looking for an opportunity to tweak, hit up link number three below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC Desire official Froyo rollout commences on T-Mobile UK
We knew it was coming to European carriers, and it's already hit unlocked phones, but if your HTC Desire is bound and chained to T-Mobile UK, you'll be getting a feature-filled Android 2.2 update any day now. The official T-Mobile UK forums announced the news, which has been corroborated by a number of tipsters who say they've already received the download, but if yours doesn't appear, never fear, the frozen yogurt is just being dished out in small, slow-churned batches like usual. "The 2.2 firmware update (FroYo) will be available from today and will be sent over the air (OTA) direct to your phone over the coming weeks" is the official word, for those of you who prefer direct quotes. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Spot the difference: HTC Desire's SLCD versus AMOLED
(function() { var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = document.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT')[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = 'http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js'; s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); Digg If you'll recall, a little while back HTC waved its white flag amid AMOLED shortages and made the jump to the readily-available SLCD for its Desire and Nexus One handsets. As a quick recap, here's what CEO Peter Chou said about the swap: "The SLCD displays provide consumers with a comparable visual experience to HTC's current 3.7 inch displays with some additional benefits including battery performance." So, just how "comparable" is the SLCD? To find out, we picked up both flavors of the Desire to perform some comparison tests. Let's start off with the picture quality: what caught our attention straight away was how much sharper SLCD is, but alas, AMOLED is still in the lead for vibrancy and brightness. We dug a little deeper and learned that this has to do with the different pixel arrangements on the two types of panels -- unlike traditional TFT LCD panels, AMOLED's PenTile RGBG (red, green, blue, green, etc.) filter matrix utilizes just two subpixels per pixel instead of three in the same amount of space, thus allowing greater transmittance due to the larger red and blue subpixels. But obviously, the downside is that the pictures aren't as sharp as the denser-packed SLCD. Read on for more! %Gallery-101997%
Official: HTC rolling out Android 2.2, 720p video, iTunes sync to unlocked Euro Desires this weekend
We've just heard directly from HTC regarding that hotly anticipated upgrade to Android 2.2: it's happening this weekend for lucky Euroland owners of the Desire. Provided your Sense-laden 3.7-incher is not carrier-locked, you should be receiving your serving of Froyo by the end of the week, together with a new 720p video mode and iTunes sync for your music. HTC is also throwing in its App Share widget that it first introduced with the Wildfire, along with its smart Caller ID feature. Very nice, though it's quite a shame that operator-specific versions of the update are still stuck in testing and are expected "in several weeks' time." Ah well, guess that'll teach us to buy our gear unlocked. Update: Owners of unlocked Desires around Europe (and for that matter, the world) have informed us that OTA Froyo is being dished out in earnest. Enjoy!
HTC beginning Froyo rollout tomorrow? Maybe, maybe not
HTC Europe director Mark Moons caused quite a stir this morning when he tweeted that the company would begin rolling out Android Froyo updates to devices tomorrow, starting with the Desire, but we wouldn't get too excited yet -- HTC tells us that it's possible a rollout will begin tomorrow, but nothing's finalized yet pending some final testing. We've certainly got our fingers crossed -- and we're sure Desire owners the world over will be hitting that System Updates button nonstop for the next few days.
HTC makes Super LCD screens for Desire and Nexus One official
Welcome back to our "worst kept secrets" hour, where HTC has seen fit to release a PR blast informing the world of what it already knew: the Desire and Nexus One are getting Super (duper) LCD displays to fill demand that Samsung's AMOLED division cannot. Interestingly, HTC's statement says nothing of the Droid Incredible, a close sibling to these 3.7-inch devices, but the global Nexus One and Desire are getting hooked up "later this summer." CEO Peter Chou has also helpfully explained that the visual experience on the new SLCD screens is "comparable" to AMOLED, but offers better battery performance. Color us curious to see and hear more.
SLCD-equipped HTC Desire 'coming soon' to Telus
We'd already seen an HTC Desire with North American 3G hit the FCC, and it looks like we now know exactly where it's headed -- Telus has just announced that the phone is "coming soon" to its network. What's more, the carrier has also confirmed that the phone will be equipped with a 3.7-inch Sony Super LCD screen instead of the regular AMOLED display that's in short supply. Otherwise, the phone is the same Android 2.1-powered, Snapdragon-based, Sense-skinned device we've seen all along, which is hardly a bad thing -- unless you're waiting for a Desire HD, that is.
Rumored HTC Desire HD specs surface: 4.3-inch screen, 8-megapixel camera
We didn't have a ton of details on the so-called HTC Ace when it turned up in a leaked roadmap last week, but a fresh set of rumors are now suggesting that the Ace is actually the Desire HD, which will reportedly pack a number of HD-esque upgrades over the standard Desire. That includes a larger 4.3-inch WVGA screen -- no word if it's AMOLED or SLCD -- and an 8-megapixel camera with 720p video recording. Other rumored details include Android 2.2, 4GB of internal storage, the same 1GHz Snapdragon as the current Desire and, perhaps most interestingly, talk of a "unibody aluminum design." Unfortunately, the rumors still don't include any actual images of the device, but there's still plenty of time for those to leak out before the supposed October release.
Android 2.2 ported to HTC Desire, working quite well
No patience to wait until Q3 for an official Froyo build? Fret not, dear Desire owners, as udK_dev has managed to push out a near-perfect Android 2.2 port that's working spectacularly well so far. As you'd expect, HTC's Sense overlay is indeed baked in, and while there are still a few quirks here and there, users seem to be generally pleased with how it's going. Better still, the camera has been upgraded to handle 720p video recording, so there's that. Hit the source link for the how-to, but make sure you set aside a few hours first. Or maybe just one. [Thanks, seaders]
