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HTC Wildfire S review
Following the commercial success (and technical disappointment) of the original Wildfire -- which featured a miserly 528MHz CPU and QVGA display -- HTC has returned with the Wildfire S ($290). Like the Desire S and Incredible S, the company is sticking to its formula of providing incremental updates to stay competitive for 2011. Not only is this little one sporting improved hardware, but this time it's strutting around with Gingerbread. Will this be HTC's budget-line breakthrough, or will it fall face first into the land of mobile misfits? For the answer, check out the full review after the break.
HTC Wildfire S earns top marks with FCC, supports AT&T compatible 3G
HTC's newly announced Wildfire S -- or model number PG76110 -- just finished pinballing its way through the FCC's labs, coming out the other side with 1900 / 850MHz dual-band HSPA. As a quick refresher, this phone was launched at MWC this year and features a 3.2-inch display, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, Bluetooth 3.0, and runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). Considering how many handsets are still shipping with Froyo, we expect this combination of Google's newest OS, HTC's Sense UI V3.0, plus an affordable price point to make the Wildfire S a popular device when it finally hits these shores. Of course, before you get all giddy, we'd like to remind you that while the Wildfire S does support the right 3G bands for AT&T, there's no guarantee it'll end up there.
HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S video hands-on
Okay, by now you've likely seen most if not all of HTC's monstrous MWC 2011 launch (HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S), but we'd be remiss in our duties if we didn't complete the video tours. Sadly the HTC Salsa and ChaCha weren't ready to play just yet -- the software isn't quite ready for primetime -- so they had to remain behind a safe layer of glass. We did, however, get a quick overview of each of the S devices mentioned above and have some pretty galleries of them, too. So enjoy the show. %Gallery-116704% %Gallery-116698% %Gallery-116703%
New HTC with Android spotted in promotional video, possibly Wildfire 2?
Look, it happens -- sometimes your video production team isn't perfectly synced with the marketing team, which isn't perfectly synced with the PR team, and so on and so forth until a leak eventually happens. No sweat, HTC! This video posted today on HTC's official YouTube stream starts off with a gentleman handling a water-washed rock on a beach... which magically transforms just moments later into a device we don't think we've seen before. Our tipster wisely suggests it could be the Wildfire 2, which seems believable considering its general similarity to the original model -- minus the optical pad, of course. Whatever it is, odds are good we'll get full disclosure in a few days at MWC. Follow the break for the full video. [Thanks, Andrew]
HTC Wildfire gets official Froyo update
Happy holidays, Wildfire owners -- here's your gift! Seems HTC has started pushing over-the-air Android 2.2 updates to its low-end Wildfire on networks around the globe in the past few days, giving you a final build number of 2.22.405.1 by the time everything is said and done. All the usual Froyo features apply, presumably -- but as far as we know, the software won't magically upgrade your display from QVGA to HVGA. Now, wouldn't that be a Christmas miracle? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Gingerbread ROMs start cooking for HTC EVO 4G et al; keyboard ported for rooted Androids
You can have your doubts about when your phone maker will finally get around to delivering an Android 2.3 update (March if you're with HTC, June if Samsung, 2017 if you're unfortunate enough to own a Sony Ericsson), but the smartphone dev community doesn't work that slowly. The guys who build custom ROMs just for the sheer pride of it have already begun work on delivering Gingerbread to owners of HTC's EVO 4G, Droid Eris, and Wildfire. It's all in the very nascent stages and warnings abound that you should only install these ROMs if you intend to contribute to the development process, but it does give us hope for a consumable new OS in the not so distant future. One thing that does look ready to be gobbled up, however, is Gingerbread's new software keyboard -- you'll find the download and installation instructions at the Droid-Life link below, just remember to bring your rooted Android phone along. [Thanks, Jacob]
HTC Wildfire reviewed in CDMA-packing, Alltel-branded guise
HTC didn't bother to announce this when it said the Wildfire would be coming to some regional American carriers in the fourth quarter, but it turns out Alltel -- the tiny bits left of it in the wake of the Verizon acquisition, that is -- is one of those carriers, and Android Central put aside a little time to check it out. Build quality is said to be reasonable (as you'd expect from an HTC device) albeit a bit on the plasticky side, the camera's decent, and the load of Android 2.1 is refreshingly close to stock -- but the deal-breaker is that ridiculously low-res QVGA display, something we took issue with in our look at the GSM Wildfire earlier this year as well (this CDMA version is the phone rumored as the Bee, by the way). All told, not bad for $30... but when you consider that the HVGA LG Optimus T is hitting T-Mobile for the same price, HTC might have to do better than this in the low-end war. [Thanks, Delon H.]
HTC Wildfire coming to some regional US carriers this year
We didn't really see this coming, but HTC has teamed up with "multiple regional North American carriers" to deliver its Wildfire stateside, a low-end Android device that might appeal to folks who aren't looking for Desire HD-class performance but still appreciate HTC's design sensibility (of course, the Desire HD isn't an option in America period, but we digress). The company hasn't named partners, but it'll launch with Android 2.1 beginning this quarter -- hopefully with a Froyo update in the pipeline, though there's no commitment in the press release, which you can find after the break. Our respect and admiration if you can correctly guess all the carriers that'll be getting it, by the way.
White HTC Desire and silver Wildfire make a special appearance in London
Man, just look at these puppies -- a silver Wildfire nestling against a snow-white Desire. If this cute image is making you smile, you can thank our friends over at Android Community for stumbling upon these special edition HTC phones, which are headed to The Carphone Warehouse's exclusive club in good old Blighty (sorry, US readers). There's no date confirmed just yet, but given that these Android phones will be slapped with the regular price tags, you'd best be ready to dash to your nearest store before it's too late. Head over to the source link for more eye candy while you camp out.
HTC Wildfire gets 'soft rooted,' good enough to install root apps
It's not quite as awesome as a full root, but HTC's low-end Wildfire has now fallen to a halfway measure that's good enough to let you install apps that require root. For some users who aren't looking to obliterate their stock ROM, that should be good enough, since you'll still be able to do rooty things like move any app to microSD -- and needless to say, we're sure this is just a stepping stone to a full root anyhow. We're still waiting for a software hack that gets us an HVGA display on this thing, but as far as we know, even the craftiest hackers have a bit of work left on that one.
HTC Sync 3.0 for Wildfire hands-on: iTunes sync tested (video)
Good news for Wildfire owners: fresh from HTC's oven is its 3.0 desktop sync suite that -- like the one baked for the Desire over the weekend -- enables iTunes sync for the company's latest budget device. Since we had a Wildfire on hand, we decided to go through the trouble to check out this new feature. And boy, it sure was a bumpy start. We had no problems with obtaining the software, but in order to get the "HTC Sync" option to appear in the USB connection menu, we had to switch on USB debugging mode (Settings -> Applications -> Development) before establishing our first link. As fiddly as it sounds, this was actually the only tricky part of the preparation, and you can leave debugging mode switched off afterwards. So, how does the iTunes sync work? Well, it's certainly nowhere as thrilling as Palm's cheeky hack -- it appears to simply access iTunes' database and playlists for the file locations, rather than fooling iTunes into thinking your Wildfire's an iDevice. You'll also be limited to syncing either everything or just selected playlists (smart playlists supported), so in other words, you can't sync by artists or genres, and you'll have to set up a dedicated playlist for syncing podcasts. Apart from this minor flaw, we'd say this is still a pretty neat solution for an age-old problem, and hopefully HTC will offer a similar app for Mac users. Hands-on video after the break.
HTC will ship all Android phones in China with Froyo on board, fuels fire for immediate update closer to home
A wordy headline, to be sure, but a pleasing one nonetheless. We came across HTC's Chinese web portal listing the Desire as coming with Android 2.2 (with Sense!) and simply had to ping the official source for confirmation. It turns out the info up there is no mistake: all HTC Android handsets shipping to China -- which includes the Wildfire and Tianyi -- will do so with Froyo preloaded, cutting down on your upgrade angst at least until the Gingerbread man comes a'knocking. HTC has also reiterated that a 2.2 update for its phones already on the market will be delivered "very soon," so if all goes well, we should be looking at a Froyo-dominated August in the land of High Tech Computers. [Thanks, Christian]
HTC starts selling phones in China under its own name
It's long been the case that if you wanted a HTC handset over in the world's most populous nation, you'd have had to look for its rebadged variant under the Dopod brand. But, as of today, that is no more. The prolific Taiwanese phone maker has decided that its name is now recognizable and valuable enough in China to be put on its own hardware and is kicking off a campaign with four own-branded phones. The Wildfire and Desire we're all familiar with already, while the Tianxi looks like a mildly tweaked HD2 and the Tianyi is a mix-and-match of design elements from the rest of HTC's portfolio. The company's also announcing a partnership with China Mobile to bring these puppies to market, so it's looking like smooth sailing ahead. Full PR after the break.
HTC: expect Desire, Legend and Wildfire to get Froyo 'beginning in Q3'
It's summer. It's hot. Naturally, everyone wants to lick some frozen dessert in one form or another. Shortly after the Nexus One got its absolutely official Android 2.2 update, HTC has once again leaped out to tell us of its own Froyo offering. The Taiwanese mobile giant has informed Recombu that it's expecting "several of our 2010 models including Desire, Legend and Wildfire" to join Google's latest green bot party "beginning in Q3." We went to the trouble of confirming this with HTC ourselves, and while this isn't really much of an update from the company's previous statement in terms of time frame, here's hoping that at least some of its customers will get the delivery before the summer fiesta ends.
HTC Wildfire priced by T-Mobile, coming to UK on June 14
The biggest outstanding question about the Wildfire has now been answered by at least one carrier -- T-Mobile will be delivering HTC's student-friendly handset at the £20 ($29) per month price point on two-year contracts. Frankly, that's a bigger financial commitment than we'd expected to have to make, but it will presumably include unlimited (which in T-Mobile lingo means a 3GB fair use policy) data use and a healthy allowance of calls and texts. If that doesn't rub you up the right way, look out for Virgin Mobile to reveal its pricing in the near term, having announced it'll be carrying the phone via a tweet.
HTC Wildfire hands-on (update: video!)
Some eager beavers went ahead and busted through the embargo dam this morning, so you should already be up to speed on the Wildfire's specs and vital statistics. For the latecomers, this is an Android 2.1 device with the same processor as HTC's fabled Hero, a 3.2-inch capacitive QVGA display, and an ambition to sate the market for an affordable, socially connected Android smartphone. It's slated for a release in Europe and Asia early in the third quarter of this year, and you can see all four of its tasteful color options in the exhaustive gallery of intimate photography below. Skip past the break for the full spec sheet and our early hands-on impressions of the Wildfire.%Gallery-93137%
HTC Wildfire escapes from Yellow Mountain riding Android 2.1 (update: official)
Whoops, a press conference in Germany seems to have inadvertently set HTC's unannounced Wildfire handset loose. The new candybar brings quadband GSM and 900/2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA radios to the Android 2.1 party powered by the ol' Qualcomm MSM7225 processor running at 528MHz. Spec-wise we're looking at HTC's Sense UI running atop a 3.2-inch QVGA touchscreen, a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS/AGPS, Blueooth 2.1+EDR, 512MB Flash and 384MB of RAM, and microSD expansion. Hey HTC, anything you want to make official here? Update: And it's official. Press release touting a Q3 release for Europe and Asia after the break. Update 2: Our hands-on is up. [Thanks, Frank]%Gallery-93138%
Sonic and the Secret Rings details
In absolute defiance of the game's title, the Sonic Team has come forward to reveal some details about these so-called "rings". It seems as though Sonic is the one and only playable character, speeding through an Arabian setting in at least 70 separate missions. Despite the plethora of levels, however, the game is estimated to take only around ten hours for the average gamer to complete. Medals and unlockables will extend the playtime for those perfectionists out there, however, and no less than 30 minigames are planned to be included as well. Also discussed is the evolution of the game. Originally, the Sonic team wanted to make the gameplay far more active than it currently is, in the traditional 3-D style utilizing the nunchuk attachment. However, the team noted that the gameplay was too "strenuous", which most likely signifies that the controls were tiring players out before long. So, the decision was made to switch to the current, on-rails version. Sonic and the Secret Rings is currently scheduled for a March 2007 release.
Wildfire no more
The Sonic Team has come forward and announced that their flagship Wii title, Sonic Wildfire, has officially undergone a name change. The result? A slightly more dubious Sonic and the Secret Rings.We happen to think that Wildfire is a far more attractive name, but hey, it's their game. While the title does seem to imply vague references to drug circles, we can only hope our spiky-haired hero can resist temptation and continue to fight the good fight. What do you guys think about the change?[Thanks, UNCCShannon!]
Screenshot roundup: Sonic Wildfire
While some of us were more fortunate than others, undoubtedly laughing themselves all the way to the bank as they watched us cry, deep in the back of a long line. That's OK, we can forgive and wait until the game is released. We'll just have to scour the internet, looking for new screenshots to sustain us, much in the way someone who might devour a world would seek out new planets teeming with life. We'll bide our time...for now.Oh, hey, CVG posted some new screens! We'd best get to the devouring.[Via Joystiq]
