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HTC doesn't see a future in 'mini' smartphones (update: it might)
We hope you weren't pinning your hopes on a downsized version of HTC's One M9 smartphone, as you probably won't get it... or anything like it in the future, for that matter. HTC's Jack Tong says that the company is ditching the One mini phone range because the "industry is moving" to phones with 5-inch and larger screens. Why build a cut-down version of a handset when most of your customers want something big? The move makes sense given that the One mini doesn't really drive sales like its full-size sibling. Still, this is bad news if you like smaller smartphones -- while there are certainly alternatives on the market, it's good to have more options. Update: HTC tells us that this was a misquote. As it explains to Phone Scoop, Tong did say that 5-inch and larger phones were the future, but he didn't say the mini line was finished. This isn't to say that you'll see a One M9 mini -- just that phones like it are still a possibility at some point.
Swedish carrier hints at an HTC One M8 Mini, we feign surprise
HTC has just released a new One smartphone, so it stands to reason that the company would give the One Mini a similar upgrade, wouldn't it? Sure enough, there's now a hint that such an update might be in the cards. Swedroid has spotted an "M8 mini" lurking in Swedish carrier Telia's list of HD Voice-capable phones. While the entry has vanished (as have other HTC models), the provider explains that it changed the list to reflect the phones it has "right now" -- not a confirmation of the tiny M8, but not exactly a denial, either. The listing didn't include any details of the phone, and there's no guarantee that it will launch soon, if it launches at all. However, HTC recently told us that its existing "product family strategy" has been working well; it would be shocking if the firm didn't have something like a One M8 Mini in development.
HTC One Mini to get Android 4.4 KitKat update starting today
Now that the brand new HTC One is out, it's high time the rest of HTC's siblings get updated to Android's latest, especially if they want to remain relevant. The previous HTC One got the KitKat bump back in February, so now it's the little brother's turn at the firmware upgrade. Yep, if you have a HTC One Mini, you'll likely get your Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 5.5 update starting today if this post by carrier AT&T is to be believed. The update will bring a number of improvements, like an enhanced dialer app, new navigation bars, a full-screen immersive mode and a new BlinkFeed app. So go on, head into Settings and download the latest System Update to keep up with the cool kids. That is, if you're not tempted to get a new phone altogether.
HTC offering free screen replacements within the first six months, but only in the US
HTC clearly doesn't think that promising two years of Android updates is enough to win over American smartphone buyers. It's launching HTC Advantage, an upgrade to its US support policy that goes beyond the usual warranty limits. In addition to delivering on earlier promises of OS upgrades and extra cloud storage, the Advantage program replaces one cracked screen for free within the first six months of ownership. You're only covered if you buy a One series phone from today onward, but the initiative could be just the reassurance you need if you're worried about dropping a shiny new handset.
UK court relaxes ban on HTC One mini despite Nokia patent win
Nokia's recent legal victory over HTC, which imposed a sales ban on the latter's One mini in the UK, has ended up being quite short-lived. We've just learned from HTC that the Court of Appeals has suspended the injunction against the stunted smartphone, which also allows the firm to resume imports of the rest of the One family. The case is far from being closed, however, as HTC intends to "aggressively appeal the [patent] validity decision" that led to the One mini ban, and could yet impact its bigger brethren. Furthermore, to avoid future courtroom dates, HTC says it'll be engaging with its "chip suppliers on alternative solutions." It's almost certainly not the last we'll hear from this ongoing skirmish, but however many haymakers Nokia throws, HTC just keeps bouncing back. Full statement from HTC after the break.
These £999 stereo speaker horns will go nicely with your gold HTC One
We've come across all kinds of electronics-free acoustic amplifiers in the iPhone accessories market, but stereo horns for a non-Apple device? That's a double-first for us. For the debut act of HTC's "Here's To Creativity" campaign to support young artists in the UK, the phone maker commissioned designer Justin Wolter to come up with an HTC One edition of his mono Gramohorn, which was originally made for -- you guessed it -- the iPhone. The result is the Gramohorn II, a large 3D-printed stereo speaker dock that loudens the One's BoomSound front speakers by 50 percent, as well as adding some bass to the music. Oh, and it can be hand-painted in any color you desire. The damage? A hefty £999 (about $1,610) which is also, by the way, just £580 shy of the price of a 24-carat gold HTC One. But if you're feeling generous and aren't fond of the plaster resin build, there's also a milled stainless steel limited edition going for £4999 or about $8,030. Here's to crazy! Update: We've just been told that the cradle is interchangeable, so you can also fit a One Mini or a One Max.
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!
HTC reportedly suffering One mini shortage due to casing problems
HTC just can't catch a break, it seems: Reuters claims that the company now faces a One mini shortage due to both "design difficulties" with the casing as well as other, unnamed factors. The site's sources didn't explain the shortfall in detail, although we likely can't chalk it up to popularity. Analysts weren't expecting HTC to ship more than 200,000 One minis per month, which suggests that any supply problems would hurt the firm's bottom line. We've reached out to HTC for comment, and we'll let you know if it can confirm or deny its manufacturing woes. In the meantime, we'd suggest buying the full-sized One if you can't find its tiny counterpart in stores.
HTC One and One Mini 'vivid blue' hands-on (updated)
HTC's designers may soon be more famous for their expense accounts than their designs, but that shouldn't detract from their latest color-picking masterpiece. We've been playing with the vivid blue HTC One and One Mini and have to admit, it's a tough choice deciding between this and the glamour red version we saw in July. While we were there, we also asked if the company would be introducing a Mini version of the One in red, but that's not yet confirmed. HTC is looking to hawk this as a carrier or retailer exclusive in various territories, with the official line being that it'll land in "select markets" from Q4 -- but we're reasonably sure that Sprint's got this one locked up for September. Keen-eyed readers will notice in the gallery below that the highlight colors are darker on the One than on the Mini, but that's the only difference between this and the original vintage. Update: While there's nothing official to emerge from the US just yet, we do have official confirmation that both the HTC One and One Mini in "vivid blue" will be sold through the Carphone Warehouse in the UK. The flagship can be had on plans starting at £33, while the smaller model is available from £26 a month.
HTC One mini coming to AT&T August 23rd for $100 on contract
If you've been hoping to snag an HTC One mini since we first laid our eyes (and hands) upon the 4.3-inch device, now's your chance to do it... provided you're an AT&T customer or have no qualms with making the switch. You'll be able to grab the One mini starting next week, and at $100, it's set at a decidedly mid-tier price. To recap, the device offers a 720p display, 4MP UltraPixel camera, Android 4.2, 1,800mAh battery and 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 SoC with 1GB RAM. Press release and video can be found below the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 12th, 2013
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 week brought leaks of a smartphone that tips the scales with a 6-inch screen, an alternate ego to the oft-leaked Sony 'Honami' and the return of unlimited data to a certain AT&T MVNO. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 12th, 2013.
Daily Roundup: Obama's response to NSA scandal, Distro Issue 102, NVIDIA's second generation Surface, and more!
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 mini passes through the FCC with AT&T-capable LTE
There have been rumors of the HTC One mini coming to AT&T, including a reported press shot from Android Police, but we've seen little in the way of hard evidence. Thankfully, the FCC just gave us Exhibit A: the One Mini has once again shown up at the US agency, this time with support for AT&T-friendly HSPA+ and LTE frequencies. Although there are few surprises in store, the new variant doesn't offer HSPA+ for T-Mobile; HTC isn't likely to repeat the multi-carrier strategy that brought the full-size One to the US. That may disappoint customers on other networks, although if it's any comfort, the FCC appearance hints that the device could reach Americans relatively soon.
The Daily Roundup for 07.30.2013
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 mini review
Just weeks after we put the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini through its paces, we're looking at the HTC One mini, another attempt to shrink a flagship down into a smaller (and cheaper) package. As you'd expect, the 4.3-inch mini looks much like the full-sized version, and that goes for both the hardware and software. In addition to its similar-looking aluminum-and-plastic frame you'll find both a 4-megapixel Ultrapixel camera sensor and HTC's Sense 5 UI, meaning automatic video highlights, Zoe and BlinkFeed all make an appearance here as well. There are, however, a few hardware drawbacks compared to the original, with the IR blaster, optical image stabilization on the camera and NFC stripped out for space- and cost-saving reasons. Can HTC launch a mid-range phone that won't get lost between similarly priced offerings and last year's discounted flagships? We'll try to reason that out after the break.%Gallery-194731%
HTC One mini launching on almost all UK carriers around August 9th
We've reached out to all of the usual suspects, and only one of them hasn't stuck a thumb up and winked when we've asked if it'll be carrying HTC's "diminutive" new smartphone. O2, EE, Vodafone, Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse have all confirmed that they'll carry the One mini, while ThreeUK has yet to get back to us. There's no solid information on how much the device will cost on a monthly or one-off basis, but Carphone Warehouse is already accepting sim-free pre-orders for a very plausible £380. That same retailer is also saying that the phone is due to arrive on August 9th, but we'll take that assertion with a pinch of environmentally-friendly salt.
The Daily Roundup for 07.18.2013
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 mini announced: Flagship looks, UltraPixel camera and 4.3-inch 720p display (hands-on)
Currently, the wireless industry's mantra is that good things come in large packages. But let's not just forget about the massive demographic of users that don't care about having the biggest phone on the planet. Samsung has already addressed this with the Galaxy S4 mini (albeit, with significantly lesser specs than the flagship GS4), and now it's HTC's turn with the aptly named One mini. The whispers were true: this little guy is a 4.3-inch device with 720p resolution and a nearly identical look to that of its older brother. According to the spec sheet (listed below), it isn't an HTC One in every sense of the name -- there's been a few drawbacks. However, you might be willing to forgo a lower-resolution, smaller display and other changes for a handier smartphone and what promises to be a lower price tag. So what are our first impressions? Read on beyond the gallery and video, and we'll fill you in. %Gallery-193986%
HTC teases a 'little' phone launch tomorrow, odds are it's a One Mini
HTC isn't being very subtle, is it? Just a couple of days after the company offered an infographic extolling the virtues of small things, it has posted a teaser picture for a small device with promises of a "'little' bit of news" on Thursday. Given the gadget's One-like appearance, it's not hard to deduce what's coming -- this is an early official glance at the One Mini. HTC doesn't have more details at this stage, although it's clear that we'll get the full scoop within a matter of hours.
HTC One Mini shows up as 601e in Chinese certification database
Why hello again, One Mini! While HTC has yet to make this metallic 4.3-inch phone official, the closest thing we have right now is this certification in China's TENAA database. What's new is the "601e" model name, which positions it in a similar tier as the other slightly bigger 600 series devices destined for China, namely the Desire 606w (aka Desire 600 Dual SIM globally), Desire 608t and Desire 609d. But unlike these models nor the Chinese variants of the larger One, it appears that this 601e with WCDMA radio is just a single-SIM device. With the appearance of this filing, it shouldn't be long before the One Mini finally hits the shelves around the world.
