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HTC M7 purportedly spied brandishing Sense 5.0
It's that special time again -- that time when Mobile World Congress looms, and HTC fans wonder what design philosophy they'll live with for the next year. We might have just been given a peek at their future. Android Police claims to have a photo and screenshots for the M7, a prototype HTC smartphone that previously only existed in a slightly sketchy 3D render. The design appears to take a handful of cues from the Droid DNA, although there's touches front and back (such as different front camera and rear flash positions) that suggest it's not a carbon copy. What may matter most is the software: the M7 appears to be running Sense 5.0, which could bring a stripped-back look while adding new widgets for at-a-glance news and tips. Before we declare this a preview of what we'll see in Barcelona, though, we'd do well to point out some of the more glaring uncertainties beyond just the lack of internal hardware details. The capacitive buttons sit unusually high on the front, for one; and they are in an unusual order -- the home button isn't in the middle. There's also none of the usual regulatory markings on the back -- even if authentic, this may be a prototype that doesn't reflect the final result. Whether it's the real thing or just wishful thinking, we may find out in a little over a month's time. Update: It is worth pointing out that the time, weather and the length of the black bar over the location name in the widget suggest this device was spied in Taipei, the home of HTC. Unless, of course, this was a carefully calculated hoax.
HTC One SV goes on sale at Cricket with a slight price drop
Cricket gave us a pleasant surprise when it committed to carrying the cheap-yet-cheerful HTC One SV this month, and it's making good on that promise today. The Android 4.0-touting smartphone is on sale now for a lower than expected $330 contract-free, albeit only for those shopping online. It's not the most powerful device on the network, but it also strikes a balance between bargain pricing and speed: buyers get LTE, rapid-fire photography and a modern dual-core processor without having to splurge on a flagship like the Galaxy S III. Hit the source link if the middle road sounds like the best road.
HTC One VX review: AT&T's latest mid-range smartphone is worth a closer look
A basic grade school education teaches us that two is better than one, but it doesn't always work the same way when you add letters to phone names. In the case of HTC, the mid-range One VX is more of an average: it seems to take various aspects of the One X, One S and One V and jumbles them together into a $50 AT&T device (on contract). But does that mean this 4.5-inch qHD smartphone and its middle-of-the-road components offer an average experience? Not necessarily. Stay tuned below as we learn if the whole phone is greater than the sum of its parts.
HTC Desire X review: one last hurrah for a former flagship?
Before we go into more detail on HTC's Desire X, cast your memory back to a time before the outfit announced the "One" line of Android phones. You may remember names such as Wildfire, Sensation, Rhyme and, of course, Desire. Likewise, you may also remember a certain amount of company talk about its plans to simplify its Android offerings, and turn out phones at a slower, more considered pace. So, it was a little confusing when we first heard about the Desire X. HTC already had an affordable phone, the One V, but seemingly deemed it not affordable enough -- and the Desire C already fills the most entry-level position. With a 1GHz dual-core processor, a WVGA (800 x 480) display and a 5-megapixel camera, the specs are from the same era as the OG Desire, but with a slightly more current price: €299 in Europe. So, stripped of any "One" branding, but bearing a name that many will remember fondly, is the Desire X a good phone that's been reinvented, or just a throwback from HTC of old? We spent some time in its company to find out for ourselves.%Gallery-170927%
HTC's 5-inch behemoth phone spied in press render, may be called One X 5 (update: some caution)
Something big has been brewing at HTC, most often referred to as the DLX or by its less-than-flattering 6435LVW name. While there have been unconfirmed photos of prototypes floating around, a Sina Weibo user has posted what we have reason to believe is an authentic press image of the finished result: meet the One X 5. As the name and image suggest, the phablet-class device should be dominated by a 5-inch (and possibly 1080p) screen that makes even a regular One X look dainty. Internal details haven't been nailed down alongside the looks, although previous benchmarks have had it using a Snapdragon S4 that might ultimately be a quad-core S4 Pro. There's no immediate signs of a stylus or other tricks besides that sea of glass. We may not have long to wait before we find out, however. HTC just happens to have a New York City event planned for this Wednesday, and previously detected links between the 6435LVW and Verizon could see the One X 5 quickly reach the US if it's meant to show at that gathering -- although it might get another name change to fit into the Droid family. Update: We've been given a heads-up that this is a device posted as a "concept" by Danny Tu on Flickr, which raises doubt that we'll see exactly what's on show here (or see that name). However, it still lines up with earlier photos and what we've heard. We'll keep you posted as to whether or not it reflects reality in the end.
HTC Accord may become the mid-range 8X, make a little more Sense
HTC's plans for Windows Phone 8 may be filling out fast. We saw XDA-Developer member Football4PDA post a schematic of the Accord less than a week ago, and today he's posting what could be more concrete information. Supposedly, HTC's inaugural device might be named the 8X -- not quite as charming, but definitely simple. More importantly, the software in the claimed leak suggests the company will bring a trace of Sense UI style to the home screen, rather than having to relegate it to the HTC Hub: a live tile would bring the oversized clock and weather that One owners know so well. Just don't anticipate a flagship device here. If the specifications are real, the 8X would bear more in common with the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, sharing its 1.2GHz dual-core chip, 8-megapixel rear camera, Beats Audio and NFC while picking up a slightly larger 4.3-inch screen and 16GB of storage. Our main question centers around the unveiling. While HTC has an event lined up for later this month, there's no guarantee that the 8X will show up at that gathering or even launch side-by-side with Windows Phone 8 itself.
HTC EVO 4G LTE update brings Android 4.0.4 and Sense 4.1, dash of improved data for good measure
Give your HTC EVO 4G LTE a quick update scan if you haven't lately. Sprint has started pushing out an upgrade that brings its flagship phone both to Android 4.0.4 and to Sense 4.1, putting the EVO's software on a par with the just-unveiled Desire X. Patching up doesn't bring a revolution in features -- you'll mostly notice the known option to change the multitasking button's functionality and hide the on-screen menu key. However, there's a lot of Sprint-specific fixes that make the update worthwhile, such as an LTE "scanning improvement" that some owners suggest is improving their overall cellular data quality. If you already have the update, let fellow readers know how well it's working for you in the comments. [Thanks, Jason]
HTC Sense 4.1 reportedly leaked with custom ROM, One X owners taste the future
It feels like just yesterday that we were getting acquainted with the back-to-basics ways of HTC's Sense 4.0. Well-known HTC phone modder Football doesn't want us to get comfy: he claims to have both obtained a leaked version of Sense 4.1's ROM Upgrade Utility (RUU) and folded it into the 2.2 update to his Maximus firmware for the international One X. While it's no Jelly Bean, the Maximus-tuned version of HTC's Android 4.0 flavor appears to give Sense a shot in the arm, taking care of lag in the launcher and live wallpapers in addition to delivering a healthy overall speed boost. That 0.1 numbering gives a good indication of just how light the visible feature set might be, though -- other than an existing update to substitute the virtual menu button for a long-press of the home key, the interface changes are mostly limited to dedicated buttons for switching browser tabs and between different cameras. It's no surprise that HTC hasn't said a word about its own plans; rumors of new One devices, however, can't help but fuel suspicions that Sense 4.1 is just around the bend.
HTC One X might drop to $100 on contract at AT&T, tempt our wallets (update: confirmed)
HTC might have turned green having seen the Galaxy S III steal the Android spotlight at AT&T, but it could be poised to use a classic trick to get the One X front and center once again: a price drop. An AT&T staff leak at XDA-Developers suggests the carrier is cutting the One X contract price in half to $100 on July 29th, putting it well under its Samsung rival and giving the similarly-priced Atrix HD no small amount of heat. Nothing's confirmed unless AT&T pulls the trigger, of course. If it does, we could see at least some shoppers deciding that HTC just makes more Sense (4.0) in the end. Update: We've confirmed directly with AT&T that the price cut is official and part of the company's back-to-school promos.
HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X muscle to tablets
HTC has been stoking the fires of anticipation for its return to tablets, and that small flame is quickly turning into a full conflagration. A slab nicknamed the Vertex has surfaced in benchmarks with a 1.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 and a 1,280 x 752 usable resolution that's noticeably wider than the similarly Tegra 3-equipped One X's 720p display. Other than Android 4.0 (and a probably Sense 4.0), however, there's scant else to go on. The last murmurs of a Vertex from the fall had it carrying a rear 2-megapixel camera and a front 1.3-megapixel shooter, but it's been long enough now that we wouldn't count on that still being true -- or that the new benchmarks necessarily reflect what we might get. Let's just hope that the resulting device is more competitive than the pricey Jetstream.
PSA: HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE lands in Verizon stores, gets us tongue-tied
If you're willing to embrace its mouthful of a name, the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE has at last reached shops. The sequel to one of Verizon's most enduring brands will, as promised, set you back $150 on contract once you've taken advantage of that $50 rebate. Its name already reinforces what's new in data speeds, but if the heat of summer has left your memory hazy about everything else, just remember that it's the closest the carrier will get in the near future to having a One series phone. The most incredible of Droids has a Snapdragon S4, 960 x 540 screen, 8-megapixel camera and Sense 4.0 like the One S over at T-Mobile. What's lost in the lower 1.2GHz clock speed and dropping the speedy ImageSense chip is gained through a more pleasing Super LCD, a removable battery and a micro-SD slot. Sound off on any initial impressions of your own purchases in the comments, and hit the store link below to buy one if the upcoming Verizon Galaxy S III just leaves you feeling cold.
HTC One V quietly pops up at Virgin Mobile USA for $200, iPhone tags along for online orders
HTC had broadcast its intentions to bring the One V to the US this summer, and that's exactly what it's doing, even if it's keeping the formalities to a minimum. Virgin Mobile has started selling the entry Android 4.0 phone without fanfare at a very tempting $200 contract-free -- certainly the lowest American price we've seen so far for joining the Sense 4.0 party. The hardware still won't floor anyone, but Virgin Mobile Live is tossed in to perk up the experience. Should Google's platform just not be your bag, you'll also be glad to know that Virgin has recently started taking online orders for its prepaid iPhones, which officially hit the shops on Friday. With their $550 and $650 no-contract prices, though, some may question just how Retina their displays really need to be. [Thanks, Marcus]
HTC teases voice control and/or dog translator for Sense
HTC might be over selling it a bit with the top secret stamp, and the foot note sort of indicates that your next One device wont be interpreting Fido's barks. So, really, that only leaves one logical conclusion -- HTC is working on a voice control app. It shouldn't come as any surprise if you've been paying any attention to the mobile landscape these past few years. Google kicked off the party with Voice Actions and Apple gave the speech recognition tech some personality with Siri. Now Samsung has S-Voice and LG has Quick Voice... what's a Taiwanese manufacturer to do? Presumably make your own speech-driven virtual assistant. When will it debut, what will it be called? Who knows, but judging from the image above it seems safe to assume that HTC's new tool will be delivered as software update to at least some existing handsets. [Thanks, Naman] Update: HTC tells us that it never intended to hint at a new voice service -- the image was just the punchline to a week of pet-related smartphone tips it featured on Facebook.
HTC confirms One S with 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 being sold 'in select markets'
Confirming the news that HTC's One S had arrived in the mother land of Taiwan toting a higher-clocked (but older) Snapdragon processor, the company has added where this rejigged device is headed -- at least broadly. While the US, UK, Japan, Korean, France and Germany have been enjoying the high-performance thrills of a dual-core Snapdragon S4, according to The Verge, the S3 variant will launch across Asia-Pacific regions and some (as-yet unspecified) European markets. HTC will, however, be marking out which sort of processing hardware's inside the two models -- if it's got a dual-core 1.7GHz processor, you've got the Snapdragon S3, if it's 1.5GHz then you have the newer S4. The company is also working to claim more of Qualcomm's latest mobile processor for the One S roll-out, but we'd advise checking the spec sheet before you take the plunge in the aforementioned regions.
HTC EVO 4G LTE hitting Sprint stores on June 2nd
With the phones no longer locked up in customs, the HTC EVO 4G LTE has already shipped out to pre-orderers last week, but it still hasn't been made available in your local Sprint store or third-party affiliate. That will all change this Saturday, June 2nd, as the Now Network has announced that the device will launch "in most retail channels." If you're hoping to grab one, just make sure you get to sleep early on Friday night so you can enjoy your new toy well-rested.
HTC One XL coming to Germany, drags LTE with it
In the US, Asia and Australia they've already had their fill of the HTC One XL. But, in Europe, they've had to make do with the lame ol' HSPA+ One X. That is, until now. German carrier Vodafone has announced that it'll be the first to bring the XL home, complete with triband LTE in tow. Just like the American "One X," the new Euro XL ditches the quad-core Tegra 3 for a 1.5GHz dual-core S4, primarily because the NVIDIA solution doesn't support LTE. Though, as an added bonus, we're sure it helps extend the life of that 1,800 mAh cell inside. Vodafone will get the handset first in early June in a nice matte black, while Deutsche Telekom and O2 Germany will score the device later -- potentially in white. If you want yours contract free, it'll cost you €699 from Vodafone or €659 from HTC.
HTC confirms One X multitasking tweaks in Sense 4
There's been quite a bit of brouhaha over at xda-developers lately about changes HTC's made to the way multitasking behaves on the One X compared to stock Ice Cream Sandwich. We're not just talking about obvious UI tweaks here -- Sense 4's horizontal, card-like arrangement vs. Android 4.0's default vertical list -- but actual differences in memory and task management. While we're not running into any problems with our One X review unit, some users have noticed that background app are getting terminated too aggressively, so we reached out to HTC for comment. Here's what the company said: HTC is aware of some questions in the enthusiast community about how the HTC One X handles multitasking and memory management for background apps. We value the community's input and are always looking for ways to enhance customers' experience with our devices. That said, multitasking is operating normally according to our custom memory management specifications which balance core ICS features with a consistent HTC Sense experience. There you have it. HTC's definitely implemented some multitasking tweaks on handsets running Sense 4. Perhaps this is why battery life is so impressive on AT&T's One X? While we don't believe this is going to be an issue for most people, there's always the option of installing custom ROMs now that the phone's been rooted.
T-Mobile gives HTC Sensation 4G users an Ice Cream Sandwich treat on May 16, Amaze 4G within weeks
T-Mobile subscribers waiting on pins and needles for the day their HTC Sensation 4G or Amaze 4G will get its Android 4.0 update don't have to sit so uncomfortably for much longer: the carrier has just narrowed down the timetables considerably. The first wave of owners will get its Ice Cream Sandwich just desserts on May 16th, when Sensation 4G owners can push Android 4.0.3 to their dual-core 2011 flagships. Amaze 4G users have a looser timeframe of the "coming weeks" to dig in. Either circumstance will see HTC slap on Sense 3.6 like it has with other pre-2012 device updates, so don't expect a full One S-like Sense 4.0 experience. Do, however, expect to pay an extra $15 per month for hotspot support on the Sensation 4G if you've been sharing your service on the cheap before -- it'll be required for sharing data with Android 4.0 and up.
AT&T's One X discovered to have 'restricted' bootloader, HTC responds
Since last year, HTC itself has been happy to let you unlock the bootloaders on its Android devices, but that doesn't mean you'll always be able to. If you'll recall, the international version of the One X was rooted just a few weeks ago, but such access apparently isn't in the cards for the AT&T-branded variant. The inconsistency was discovered by the likes of the XDA-Developers forums and MoDaCo, and after we pinged HTC for comment it responded with the following: HTC is committed to listening to users and delivering customer satisfaction. Since announcing our commitment to unlockable bootloaders, HTC has worked to enable our customers to unlock the bootloader on more than 45 devices over the past six months. In some cases, however, restrictions prevent certain devices from participating in our bootloader unlocking program. Rest assured, HTC is committed to assisting developers in unlocking bootloaders for HTC devices and we'll continue to unlock additional devices in the future." While HTC clearly isn't spilling the beans on what "restrictions" are blocking this variant of the Android superphone from entering the land of custom ROMs, it's become a general suspicion that AT&T might be the source. Naturally, we can't know for sure at this point, but we've reached out to the carrier in hopes of potentially getting more details on the situation. We'll be sure to keep you posted if we hear anything, but in the meantime, hit up the more coverage links below for further info. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC One X for AT&T review
... More Info HTC One X review HTC One X exclusive to AT&T in the US, brings LTE, Beats, ICS and Sense 4 to Ma Bell AT&T HTC One X hands-on After last year's scattered lineup of products, HTC's been going through a bit of a renaissance lately thanks to the One X, One S and One V -- a beautifully focused trio of phones that run the company's new, lightweight Sense 4 skin on top of Ice Cream Sandwich. Hot on the heels of T-Mobile's One S comes AT&T's One X, which is launching May 6 for $199 on contract. The reworked device gains LTE and drops NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chip for a dual-core Snapdragon S4. So, does this brain transplant make it a better or worse proposition than the global One X? Hit the break to find out.
