htcone
Latest
Verizon's HTC One sign-up page is live, still no confirmed ship date
Back in June, Verizon gave us fair warning that it would start selling the HTC One "later this summer." Well, we're just about halfway through August, and while you can't buy a VZW One just yet, you can at least let Verizon know you're interested. The carrier has added a sign-up page to its website, where eager beavers can put in their e-mail addresses so that they'll be the first to receive more information as it becomes available. Unfortunately, that splash page says nothing about when the device might ship or what it will cost with the usual two-year agreement. So for now, then, this page is really just for the most impatient of HTC fans.
LG G2 vs. the competition: flagship Android smartphones square off
Now that the LG G2 is official, the battle between mid-2013 Android flagships is fully underway. But which wins the war? We've pitted the new smartphone against its biggest competitors in the US -- Samsung's Galaxy S 4, the HTC One and the Motorola Moto X -- to understand which device most deserves a place in your pocket. Based purely on the spec sheet, the G2 is the frontrunner. Its larger 5.2-inch screen, quicker 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 and image-stabilized 13-megapixel rear camera will please those who want a media powerhouse. Its extra-large battery and 24-bit / 192KHz audio are also unique in a category where longevity and sound quality tend to play second fiddle. If all you want is the most technically capable device, look no further. Yet each of the G2's competitors has an advantage that's harder to quantify. The GS4 has a full set of hardware nav keys (for those who prefer them), air gestures and a slightly tougher plastic build. The One claims superior low-light photography and dual speakers. And the Moto X partly makes up for its lackluster speed through design customization and helpful tricks like Touchless Control. To us, that puts LG in an awkward middle. While the G2's performance is almost beyond compare, many of its software features aren't all that unique -- those who aren't sold on its performance could easily be lured away.
HTC One gets shown off in blue, could land later this year
The HTC One has seen a few different colors in its days -- silver, black and "glamour red" come to mind -- but we haven't actually seen one of the company's flagships in blue until now. It appears that this rumored blue variant is about to get official, though: that press render up there comes courtesy of leakster @evleaks, who claims the phone should be showing up sometime this year. We're not seeing any carrier branding, which indicates that it would likely be released in other parts of the world besides the US, such as Europe, but we certainly don't want to rule out a possible appearance on this side of the Atlantic either. Update: PhoneArena is reporting that the blue-colored One has been seen in Verizon's internal systems, so it's possible we will indeed see this particular color option here in the states. [Thanks all!]
Refresh Roundup: week of July 29th, 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 One Max reportedly surfaces in photos with 5.9-inch display
Word of the HTC One Max surfaced in a leaked document from UK carrier O2 (although we've lovingly referred to it as the T6 for some time now) but now the phone finally seems to be making an appearance in the flesh. Taiwanese site ePrice has gotten its collective mitts on two photos of what's claimed to be the retooled flagship, which boasts a 5.9-inch 1080p display. Differences in the hardware don't exactly jump out at first blush, but the relative distance between the lower speaker grill and its buttons hint at a larger screen. While the One Mini's grate doesn't extend as far as the full-sized smartphone's, the grill on this jumbo device stretches past that of both handsets.Though this model also sports traditional China-specific tweaks such as dual SIM slots, the most notable changes include an upgrade to a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and a 3,200mAh battery. ePrice says an official One Max appearance is rumored for next month at IFA, but we'll keep our eyes peeled for invitations to special unveiling events.
Google Play Edition smartphones start receiving Android 4.3 (updated)
If you were wondering just how long it would take the Google Play Editions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 to get Android 4.3, we can now tell you: not long at all. Owners of both devices report that they're receiving over-the-air updates to the new OS. There isn't yet word of any GPE-specific additions, but we'll let you know if there are surprises in store. Update: AnandTech has noticed a few GPE-specific changes. Most home screen icons appear larger, infrared now works on the HTC One, and Bluetooth-based internet tethering is now an option for the Galaxy S 4.
MoDaCo.Switch enters public beta, gives indecisive HTC One owners both worlds
Can't decide between HTC One's native spin on Android and the Google Edition's vanilla build? Now you don't have to: MoDaCo.Switch is now officially available for public beta testing. True to its name, this custom firmware allows users to reboot the phone and switch into a different version of Android, making it easy to enjoy both Sense 5 and Google's stock AOSP Android build independently. It's more than a simple dual-boot, however, MoDaCo.Switch shares apps and data between both builds, which makes using them together a less jarring experience. The Beta still has some limitations of course; MMS and call log data isn't shared between ROMS and there seem to be some issues with fast boot. Still, if you're willing give it a spin, hop over to the adjacent source link to get started.
MoDaCo.Switch for HTC One nearly ready for prime time, beta tester applications now open
It wouldn't surprise us to hear MoDaCo's newly minted HTC One ROM triggered some reactions that could've easily been turned into animated GIFs. And if you were one of the many folks excited at the thought of seamlessly Switching between vanilla Android and Sense 5, then you'll be happy to know creator Paul O'Brien has begun taking applicants looking to put the ROM through its paces. MoDaCo.Switch is said to be "nearly ready for beta testing," and thus we'd recommend filling out the form at the source link below pretty soon -- O'Brien says he'll "be picking a number of people of varying abilities and devices."
The Daily Roundup for 07.16.2013
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 One 'glamour red' hands-on
A lot of the smartphone color options we see announced are no big deal, but there was a certain something about HTC's metallic red One that demanded closer attention. We've just handled the burgundy bombshell, which has the same hardware credentials seen on the silver and black options (4.7-inch 1080p display, UltraPixel camera, Snapdragon 600 processor), but coated in a metallic "glamour red" finish just in time for summer. The color extends across the rear of the smartphone, the two speaker panels on the front and the chamfered edge that connects the two. The effect is slightly textured to the touch (more than the initial monochrome models, at least), making it a bit easier to grip, while bouncing around any ambient light that manages to hit it. That's pretty much all there is to say, but you can scrutinize the new choice of color in our gallery below -- and check our full review, because the phone's fortunately otherwise unchanged. %Gallery-193981%
HTC all but confirms One Mini smartphone with cutesy infographic
"Can you think of anything else that packs a big punch into a small package?" That's an inquiry posed by HTC on a fresh company blog post, lathered with hyperbole and dominated by an infographic that can be seen in part after the break. It's tough to tell when the company plans to officially unveil the more bantam edition of its glorious One, but here's something that's bankable: it won't be long.
Keepin' it real fake: HTC One gets a convincing plastic clone (video)
We hate to say this, but the KIRF market is often a good indicator of how popular certain devices are, hence the plentiful fake iPhones and Galaxy phones in China. (Meanwhile, MediaTek is shamelessly cashing in as it ships its SoCs to those cloning factories.) Now, we're not saying the HTC One doesn't have any clones, but most of those we've seen weren't very convincing -- they were either of different sizes or had very poor build quality. But we eventually stumbled upon a pretty good fake in Huaqiangbei. The offending device is pictured above on the left. Externally, it bears a disgustingly strong resemblance to the real deal thanks to the same 4.7-inch screen size, the same curved back, the same micro-SIM tray, the same dual-soft-key layout and even the same metallic chamfer on the front. But if you look closer or touch it even, the tell-tale signs start to show up. See for yourself in the gallery below -- the fake One is to the left or on top of the real thing.
MoDaCo.Switch to let HTC One jump between Sense and stock Android (video)
Not sure if you want the regular HTC One or its Google Play Edition? MoDaCo's newly detailed MoDaCo.Switch ROM should let you have both. The custom firmware lets the indecisive run either the Sense interface or stock Android (AOSP) using only one set of data. It's not an ideal experience, even considering the usual risks of unofficial code: users have to reboot to change interfaces, and two ROMs in one will chew up additional storage. However, Switch could still give One fans the best of both worlds when it launches. MoDaCo tells us that a public beta could arrive early next week.
Moto X and HTC One get August street dates on Verizon in leaked roadmap
Verizon's flagship Moto X will release on August 23rd, according to a leaked road map obtained by PhoneArena. The site also notes that Motorola's first handset built in the US gives users who order online the choice of separate colors for the back cover and trim and can also be engraved a la iPods and Zune HDs of yore; brick and mortar retail models will be standard black. The document also lists an August 1st release date for the HTC One, a phone we still have a soft spot for. We've reached out to the Big Red carrier for confirmation and will update this post accordingly should we hear back.
gdgt's best deals for July 10: Logitech UE Air Speaker, 24-inch ASUS LED Monitor
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include an AirPlay-enabled iOS device speaker at its lowest price yet, as well as a hot deal on a 24-inch ASUS LED gaming monitor. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
HTC One is highly repairable with special secret tool, says lead designer
Many folks who've torn down an HTC One agree that it's practically impossible to do so without damaging the body, hence iFixit's low repairability score of 1/10. That said, as we found out from HTC's Frequencies Asia event earlier today, there's apparently an elegant solution to this problem. This little surprise came from none other than Justin Huang, the man who personally sketched the phone's conceptual designs. "During the development [of the One], there was another team inside HTC who looked at the repair process," said Huang, who's also the Senior Manager of the One's design team. "So every phone sent to HTC, they have a special tool to disassemble the back cover, to let us have the ability to access all the components inside." Huang added that his folks can even put everything back together neatly, as you'd expect. But the problem is that only HTC has this tool, and our man wasn't keen on revealing the magic behind it. This is bad news for those who want to do a bit of DIY repair or modification -- especially with different colors. "Don't try it," teased Huang with a smile. Fine, we'll just have to keep an eye out for this oh-so-precious kit in the Huaqiangbei markets. Or we can just tickle Peter Chou when we next see him.
HTC One for Verizon caught stopping by FCC
Sure, it might've taken a while for Verizon to admit that it would carry the HTC One, but now the phone is just about ready to light up its network. Uncle Sam's just played host to a variant of the device with model number PN07310, which lines up with its cousin on Sprint, and it packs Big Red-friendly radios for LTE (band 13), GSM (850/1900) and CDMA (850/1900). Naturally, the FCC's documents also indicate support for WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC. Now that Peter Chou's wunderkind has passed the required government hurdle, it's ready to arrive "later this summer," just as Verizon promised.
Google Now just a swipe away on HTC One with Android 4.2.2 update
It's not the rumored Jelly Bean 4.3 update for the One, but these latest software tweaks should make current owners happy nonetheless. HTC's begun rolling out an Android 4.2.2 OTA update to unlocked handsets that lops off the legacy menu button in favor of extending the Home button's functionality. Similar to stock builds of Jelly Bean, One users can now choose to access Google Now with a quick swipe up from Home, while relegating a longpress for options. There's also a quick settings panel built into the dropdown notification pane, so toggles for WiFi, airplane mode, Bluetooth, etc are just a few less clicks away. HTC's tossed in other minor tweaks, like a battery level indicator and a file format change for Zoe that streamlines your gallery, plus the requisite bug fixes. It's already hitting handsets across the pond, so if you haven't seen the update prompt yet, hold tight.
HTC One drops by Bluetooth SIG with Android 4.3
Android 4.3 keeps popping up left, right and center and it's most recently been spotted running on an HTC One in the Bluetooth SIG. It's no secret that the new version of Jelly Bean will finally support Bluetooth 4.0 out of the box and enable Android phones and tablets to connect with a whole new category of devices like the Kevo lock we played with at CTIA. The handset is named "PN071xx_Android 4.3_G" in the July 5th listing -- which matches the HTC One's model number (with "G" likely denoting the Google Play edition) -- and shows compatibility with Bluetooth 4.0 LE. With this much evidence building up, we're pretty sure the official launch of Android 4.3 is just around the corner. Are you ready for it?
Refresh Roundup: week of July 1st, 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!
