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T-Mobile leak hints at an HTC One launch on April 24th
We've known for a while that April 19th is the big day for AT&T and Sprint versions of the HTC One, yet news of the T-Mobile version's release has been thin. If TmoNews' copy of a staff memo is on target, though, the UnCarrier's subscribers will only have to wait until April 24th to get their turn. The note tells workers that "select stores" will have the One that day -- it doesn't mention which stores those might be, but it's safe to say this could mean a launch later than the one Best Buy claimed days ago. When we already know the $99 regular price, about all that's seemingly left is for T-Mobile to give the final word.
HTC One launch vid disappears, but not before claiming it's 'everything your phone isn't' (video)
We've commented before on how HTC always seems to come in second to Samsung -- not because it has inferior hardware, but because its marketing budget is comparable to what's fallen between the cushions of Sammy's sofa. We might have seen the start of a new strategy from HTC, however, as the company appears to have collaborated with Funny or Die on a comedic promo for the HTC One. It surfaced at the end of last week, but seems to have since been removed from the site. (It's possible HTC deliberately pulled it for some reason, and we've reached out for comment.) In the meantime, copies have found their way onto YouTube, and AdAge reports it'll start showing up on some websites today, and in a bunch of movie theaters from April 26th. A spoof of The Bachelorette, hosted by James Van Der Beek Dawson Leery, the clip depicts the leading lady deciding on her next handset, with the One winning out against feature-lacking peers -- or rather, people dressed in phone costumes. HTC even go as far as coining a bold tagline for the flagship: it's "everything your phone isn't." Whether it's actually funny is up to you, so check out the full skit below.
Visualized: Facebook Home's assortment of abodes
As you may have heard, Facebook Home has finally made its way to a select number of devices from HTC and Samsung. While the initial rollout was a little shaky, we were able to grab the social network's latest mobile triumph on every device that officially supports it. What you see above is the full spread of devices that are listed as candidates for the downloadable APK's launch (the HTC First excepted, which we have unfortunately already shipped away): from left to right, you'll see the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, HTC One X+, One X and the One. For folks who already have access to it, the One isn't officially supported yet, but it's been announced and it should be coming soon. We've already gone into painstaking detail of Facebook Home in our review of the HTC First, so we won't dwell too much on the downloadable version. In short, as we expected, the interface seems quite a bit more quiet than our experience on the First simply because it doesn't offer the same system-level integration; in other words, the devices shown in the above image are only able to display notifications related to Facebook services. You can still access your usual suite of alerts through the status bar at the top of the screen, but just make sure to go into Home settings to enable this functionality. Aside from the difference in notifications, the downloadable APK differs from the First's pre-loaded version in that no Google search bar sits upon the top of Home's app menu. Other than that, you'll be hard-pressed to find any major variances in Cover Feed, chat heads or the app launcher. If you're curious to see exactly what it looks like on a Samsung Galaxy S III, check out our gallery of screenshots below. Note: To ensure that everything works the way it should on your phone, make sure the official Facebook and Messenger apps are installed and completely up-to-date. %Gallery-185472%
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.
Best Buy shipping HTC One for T-Mobile starting April 19th, priced at $250
We knew good and well that HTC's One would be arriving on T-Mobile USA at some point, and for those uninterested in tying themselves to Sprint or AT&T, here's some news that matters: Best Buy has just confirmed to us that it'll begin shipping T-Mobile's flavor of the aforementioned phone on April 19th. The "Glacier Silver" kit will be on sale for as little at $249.99 on a two-year deal, whereas you'll be forced to pay $699.99 for the blessing of having no strings attached. Granted, T-Mob's Simple Choice suggests that no contracts will be involved, but if you take the bait on the subsidized price, you'll either be hanging with the carrier long enough to pay it off, or you'll be forking out the difference on the way to some other operator. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
HTC One for AT&T and Sprint: what's different?
You'd think after publishing a 6,000-word review, two hands-on posts and a camera explainer, we would have said all there is to say about the HTC One. Not quite. Though the phone has been available in Germany for about a month now, it's only just arriving in other markets. The US version in particular will see simultaneous launches on AT&T and Sprint, and T-Mobile soon to follow. The AT&T and Sprint variants will be available on April 19th, though you can pre-order either for $200 with a two-year contract. By the by, while all three US carriers will offer a 32GB version, AT&T is also selling a $300 model with 64 gigs of built-in storage -- a useful spec, given that the phone has no microSD slot. We've just finished taking the AT&T / Sprint models for a spin and, as you'd expect, we like them just as much as the global model. If you're seriously considering getting one, we'd still refer you to our original review for an in-depth take on the design, camera performance and Sense 5 skin. When you're done, though, you might want also to meet us after the break: we've got benchmark scores, network speeds, battery life results and bloatware alerts that apply specifically to those US versions.%Gallery-184935%
HTC pays price for One delays, reports worst quarterly profit so far in Q1 2013
Instead of reaping the rewards of putting out a lovely new flagship, HTC has just reported its lowest ever profit -- a mere $2.8 million in unaudited net income -- during the first three months of this year. That compares to $173 million in the same quarter of last year, representing a pretty catastrophic fall of around 98 percent. Underlying revenue dropped by a third to $1.4 billion. The reason? The top-end smartphone on which the company's fortunes currently rest, the HTC One, mostly missed its scheduled global arrival date in March due to manufacturing delays, so it effectively didn't exist during the period in question. It has only just become available to pre-order in the US and won't start shipping to customers until April 19th. At this rate, the HTC First -- the manufacturer's second big announcement of the year -- might actually deserve its name.
Editor's Letter: The social smartphone
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. There's a good chance 2011's HTC Status, with its portrait QWERTY layout and dedicated Facebook button, never found its way into your social network. That last attempt at the mythical Facebook phone failed to garner much praise, but if social networks gave up so easily, well, we'd all still be using MySpace. HTC and Facebook are at it again, this week launching the $99 First, exclusively on AT&T in the US. Yes, it's a name every commenter could love (or hate). Yes, it's a name every commenter could love (or hate), a title cheekily reminiscent of the HTC One. This, though, is a rather different device, aiming more toward the mid-range and relying on some serious social integration to make it stand out. It's the first phone running the Facebook Home interface, which will be available on many devices starting on April 12th. It delivers a far more comprehensive Facebook experience than the previous apps have managed, and intriguingly Zuckerberg himself said that Home is "the next version of Facebook." The end of the web? Stay tuned.
HTC One $649 64GB Developer Edition pre-orders start at 10AM ET, ship later this month
Last month HTC announced the SIM and bootloader unlocked Developer Edition of its new One would be available at the same time as regular carrier versions, and it's held to that promise. Tonight it tweeted pre-orders will begin the morning of April 5th at 7AM PT / 10AM ET, a day after AT&T's list opened and the same day as Sprint. While there was no mention of ship or regular sale date, Android and Me reports being told by company reps at today's Facebook event that sales will begin April 19th, which it confirmed to us in a subsequent tweet. We're sure you'll cherish the hours / days left to decide if parting with $649 is worth having that 64GB metal-backed wonder (no, it is not transparent, this is just a rendering) to yourself without the phone company's interference.
PSA: HTC One pre-orders start at AT&T today, Sprint tomorrow
You've been eying the HTC One's zero-gap body for well over a month, and now it's your chance to do something about it. AT&T is launching its promised pre-order campaign for the One today: soon, if not as you read this, upgraders and new subscribers can plunk down as little as $200 for a 32GB model or $300 for the network-exclusive 64GB edition. While these buyers likely won't get their phones until closer to the April 19th store date, that free Media Link HD offer remains on the table to encourage an early commitment. And those who prefer service from the House of Hesse don't have long to wait, either -- Sprint's pre-orders for the One begin tomorrow, with a similar $200 outlay involved for the 32GB variant. All that's left is for T-Mobile's edition to follow suit.
HTC One 802w for China spotted with removable cover, dual SIM slots and microSD slot
Much like how three (or four) of the major US carriers will be getting the HTC One, China's three carriers will also be receiving the same treatment, according to the country's official device approval database. The three flavors are known as 802w, 802t and 802d, each heading to China Unicom (WCDMA), China Mobile (TD-SCDMA) and China Telecom (CDMA), respectively. For the record, the European version we have is 801n, so perhaps the third digit represents the number of SIM slots featured on the device. This is certainly the case for the 802w. Earlier today, a Sina Weibo user posted the above photo of said phone with its back cover -- between the two plastic lines -- removed, thus exposing not only its two SIM card slots but also a microSD slot just below the camera. It's worth noting that the European version of the One doesn't come with a removable back cover, let alone a secondary SIM slot or a microSD slot; but at least it has LTE, right? Since Sina Weibo requires you to login before letting you see the post, we've got the full picture for you after the break.
Sprint to begin selling HTC One on April 19th for $200, pre-orders begin April 5th
Quickly following AT&T's lead, Sprint is now ready to spill the details on its launch of the HTC One. Pre-orders begin on April 5th, while you'll be able to go online or into a store and pick one up starting April 19th. Since the 64GB is an AT&T exclusive, Sprint customers will only be able to grab it in 32GB for $200. Hit the press release for more details.
AT&T to sell the HTC One on April 19th for $200, pre-orders start April 4th
Earlier we reported that AT&T's version of the HTC One would be going on pre-sale sometime this week, and the GSM carrier has finally revealed its official plans: the flagship HTC device will be ready for pre-order online starting April 4th. Both the 32GB and 64GB models, which will be $200 and $300 respectively, will hit retail store shelves on April 19th. The carrier will also offer a free Media Link HD to sweeten the deal, though it appears that it's only a part of the pre-sale and won't be available to customers who wait until the 19th to grab it. AT&T's keeping all of the standard features found on the global One, but it's also adding its own carrier-branded services -- we expect the full suite of bloatware, but the only ones specifically mentioned are the network's Ready2Go service and DriveMode to prevent texting and driving. Skip down to the press release for more details.th
AT&T to begin HTC One pre-sales this week, starting with 32GB for $250 (update)
True to form, carriers won't stop being so coy about the HTC One. We still haven't received any official information regarding the flagship's pricing or specific availability, but thanks to one of our eagle-eyed tipsters, we at least have a solid idea of AT&T's particular plans for the device. The operator is set to begin pre-orders of the One this week, with the 32GB flavor being offered in both silver and black hues for $249.99. The exclusive 64GB model likely won't be ready in time for early adopters, but it'll go for $299.99 once it does show up on store shelves. Our tipster tells us pre-sales will begin in the retail channel on April 5th, while pending marketing materials indicate the One can be pre-ordered online the day before. If this is the case, we expect it won't be long before AT&T delivers the official news, and hopefully T-Mobile and Sprint will do the same; we'll keep you posted as soon as it happens. [Thanks, anonymous] Update: and AT&T has now gone official -- it appears that our source nailed the 64GB pricing ($300), but the 32GB will actually be $200, which will give HTC a bit of a competitive advantage over the Samsung GS 4. Pre-orders begin April 4th and units will be available in stores and online on April 19th.
HTC One 64GB will arrive as AT&T exclusive (video)
Planning to snag that maxed out HTC One in the US? AT&T is where you'll have to go, then. The 64GB variant of the device is an AT&T exclusive, as revealed by a recently uploaded video to the service provider's YouTube channel. The 32GB One will also be on offer, though there's no word on exactly how much either will be priced at or an exact arrival date -- April is the most specific we've heard from HTC. Verizon is also expected to carry the device, of course, but AT&T will certainly be "the one" for folks needing that doubled storage space on a two-year agreement. Check out the video for yourself after the break.
iFixit breaks open an HTC One, literally
Considering its sleek, primarily aluminum construction we never thought the HTC One was going be easy to crack open. But, it seems not even iFixit was completely prepared for the challenge of picking one apart. Since there are no screws used in the construction of the body, the fearless hackers needed to turn to a heat gun, a suction cup and a metal spudger to gain access to the internals. Underneath the swaths of aluminum and glass it turns out most of the components are covered in foil-like copper shielding that is quite difficult to deal with. There are a few screws inside, however, like the pair of fasteners that connect the 2,300mAh battery's cable to the motherboard. In the end, iFixit handed the One its namesake on the repairability scale -- meaning this sucker is practically impossible to pull apart and reassemble. To see the complete and careful destruction of HTC's latest flagship hit up the source.
T-Mobile LTE speed tests on Note II, HTC One and iPhone 5
Wondering whether T-Mobile's LTE network has the chops to live up to the "smokin'" adjectives we had thrown our way throughout the event? We certainly were, so we headed right to the suite of devices and got our hands-on all the phones we could. Speeds are quite good in general -- but interestingly things did start slowing down as more and more folks fired up Ookla's SpeedTest app, doing all they could to test T-Mo's nascent network. Join us after the break for our findings.
HTC One officially hits Germany, UK and Taiwan next week, other regions before the end of April
There's been an uncertainty hovering over just when the HTC One would make its formal debut, between delays in many areas and a trickle of availability in others. At least in theory, those doubts have been resolved: HTC now says that Germany, the UK and Taiwan will have an official One launch next week. Europe, North America and large swaths of Asia-Pacific will get their own units before the end of April. The company hasn't been more specific about carrier deployments, but we're sure that HTC is happy just to beat a key competitor to store shelves. Read the company's full statement after the break.
The Daily Roundup for 03.19.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
HTC flagship becomes the One to wait for, component shortages blamed for delays
Fresh on the heels of last week's editorial comes confirmation that HTC's superior hardware isn't being overlooked by consumers alone. According to a statement in the Wall Street Journal, an HTC executive has acknowledged that a reduced shipment forecast prompted certain suppliers to downgrade the company's status, saying "HTC has had difficulty in securing adequate camera components as it is no longer a tier-one customer." That component, along with metal casings, is being blamed for the HTC One's shipment delays -- the device may still reach pre-order customers this month, but many markets won't see the flagship smartphone until April. The company has a lot riding on this very well-received device, but with Samsung's unrivaled marketing spend and these latest supply issues, glowing reviews alone won't carry the One to success.
