Tag: HTC

HTC Butterfly gets Android 4.2.2 upgrade

The HTC Butterfly is ready to get the Android 4.2.2 update according to the company. The phone was released in late January in India, is now getting the firmware update along with the updated HTC Sense 5.0 UI.

The sense 5.0 will bring the BlinkFeed homescreen, first seen on the HTC One. The company confirmed the news on Twitter, saying, “Upgrade to the BlinkFeed on your HTC Butterfly! Android 4.2.2 is out now. Announcements for other handsets to come soon.” Which further hints that other devices can get update soon.

The Android 4.2.2 and HTC Sense 5.0 UI update will also add some other features, like a new gallery layout, new camera apps, automatic video highlights and improved battery endurance.

September 20, 2013
Rumour : HTC One Max Will Rival iPhone 5S With Fingerprint Sensor

The HTC One Max is coming — this is known — but whether it will have a few features to differentiate it from the growing line of jumbo Android devices remains to be seen.

In a recently-leaked photo, the HTC One Max appears to have a fingerprint reader around back, underneath the UltraPixel camera sensor. It’s unclear whether it will perform similarly to that of the iPhone 5s, or even the Motorola Atrix, which debuted in 2011, but that it is becoming a trend is clear.

In the midst of Apple unveiling it’s iPhone 5S, which features a fingerprint scanner, the stakes are suddenly higher for several competitor manufactures for whom fingerprint scanner rumors have circulated for months. Notably, many other rumored fingerprint scanners appear to be in different locations on their devices. The fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5S can be found superimposed into the power button on the device, while the supposed fingerprint scanner on the HTC One is located on the back panel.

Based on rumors, HTC One Max will feature a 5.9-inch full HD display sporting a resolution of 1080 x 1920, quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset with a clock speed of 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage with a microSD card slot, a massive 3,300 mAh battery and an UltraPixel camera on the back. On the software side, the purported HTC One Max will run Android 4.3 out of the box.

[Via]

September 17, 2013
HTC Corp. (US) Confirms Job Cuts

HTC Corp. has terminated more than two dozen jobs at its U.S. offices on Friday. The company said in a statement that the cuts were a decisive action by HTC Corp (US) to streamline and optimize our organization and improve efficiencies after several years of aggressive growth.

The specific number is not given, but as per source familiar with the situation said that about 30 positions were eliminated. It seems that the company is doing everything that is required to boost up the growth, as the company’s ‘Here’s The Change’ promotional campaign is also to its peak.

The official statement given by the company:

Today’s reduction in force is a decisive action by HTC Corp (US) to streamline and optimize our organization and improve efficiencies after several years of aggressive growth. Realigning its human resources against key strategic initiatives will help HTC more effectively advance into a new stage of growth and innovation. This is a hard decision that has direct impact on people who have contributed to the growth HTC has experienced the past several years. However, to achieve our long-term goals as a business and return maximum value to our shareholders, this is a necessary step to drive ongoing innovation, ensure our ability to create strong products like the HTC One, and forge strong customer relationships that solidify our future. HTC is proud of its employees and has a track record of hiring the best and brightest; we continue to hire in strategic areas and encourage impacted employees to apply for open positions that are a fit for their skills.

September 16, 2013
HTC One Makes an Appearance in Gold

We recently witnessed Apple unveil the new iPhone 5s in a new Gold color variant, earlier this week. It now appears that another flagship smartphone is all set to join the Gold league that was kicked off by Apple.

HTC’s flagship, the Full HD screen phone has been spotted in a Gold colour. The leaked images have been posted by the Chinese forum Weibo. The leaked images show the front and rear chassis of the HTC One Gold model. However, the parts from the rear panel are missing in the images. The site does not reveal any additional details related to the alleged HTC One Gold variant.

Originally the HTC One was launched in two colour variants, Black and Silver. Soon, the company showcased a ‘Glamour Red’ version of the device. The Glamour Red variant of HTC One was offered initially in the UK.

Recently, HTC announced a new colour option for the HTC One, dubbed as Vivid Blue which joined the three existing colour options – Black, Silver and Red. Recently, it was announced that the HTC One will get Android 4.3 by the end of September.

[via]

September 13, 2013
HTC BoomBass : A Bluetooth Subwoofer With NFC

With its dual front-facing speakers, the HTC One smartphone already provides some of the best noise you’ll get from a phone. If that’s not quite enough for you then check out the BoomBass.

The HTC BoomBass is a little device that measures 64mm³ but can supercharge the sound coming from your aluminium-shod phone.

It’s a rubberised unit, with the bottom layer a natty orange/red colour, sitting underneath a grey section. The lower area actually slides out to provide a dock for your HTC One, finally giving a proper area to watch your visualisations and sing along with the lyrics if you’re that way inclined.

It does as its name suggests and only delivers the low bass frequencies to help give a better overall sound when used in conjunction with the aforementioned dual speakers.

It has a built-in battery, so won’t drain your phone’s, and has been designed to slide out so that the phone can be popped on top, making it a sort of mini dock.

Pairing is simple enough, achieved via NFC, and the low frequencies are sent from your phone to the BoomBass using Bluetooth 3.0.

Supplying a discrete subwoofer and nothing more is a bit interesting, since HTC already has the Beats Pill accessory which works well. Pricing and availability are yet to be revealed.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Boosting the bass for HTC One
In the HTC One, HTC redefined the smartphone sound experience with HTC BoomSound and has now raised the bar again with the introduction of a new accessory for the HTC One family. HTC BoomBass, a compact, Bluetooth-enabled subwoofer with a dedicated amplifier, provides clearer, more powerful bass when combined with the HTC Onefamily’s BoomSound. The subwoofer enables HTC BoomSound’s speakers to produce enhanced quality of lower range frequencies so, no matter what music you’re playing or video you’re watching, you are guaranteed immense and exceptional sound that can travel with you.[/toggle]

Featured image via TheNextWeb.

September 3, 2013
HTC Fetch : A Tiny Device To Help You Locate Your HTC One

HTC has unveiled a small Bluetooth 4.0 LE-powered accessory, aptly named HTC Fetch, that helps users find their lost phones or prevents them from leaving it behind.

It works via Bluetooth 4.0?s Low Energy protocol, which allows devices to stay paired for months at a time with no battery drain. The HTC Fetch itself can attach to a keychain or be slipped in a bag, and has only one button, which sounds an alarm on your phone if it is within 15 metres. It has a six month battery life, with a small user-replaceable battery compartment.

The whole thing sounds like a less network-connected Tile, which we wrote about earlier this year and has since raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fetch does have the advantage of pairing with your HTC phone via NFC, so no fumbling in the Bluetooth settings, but is otherwise a strange product that may not gain much traction.

HTC Fetch also sounds an alarm if you leave an area that your phone is located, and if the device does get lost or stolen, HTC Fetch updates the phone’s last location, which can be pinpointed through HTC’s website.

The keychain accessory is expected to retail for around $35, though no word on whether it is coming to India.

August 30, 2013
HTC Building Its Own Mobile OS

Rumours of HTC creating their own operating system has been floating around for a couple years. Back in September of 2011, HTC Co-founder and chairman Cher Wang, stated “We can use any OS we want. We are able to make things different from our rivals on the second or third layer of a platform. Our strength lies in understanding an OS, but it does not mean that we have to produce an OS.”

HTC currently relies heavily on the Android OS, plus puts its unique spin with its Sense UI, but this dependance an US-based Google is rumoured to slow. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, HTC, with the assistance from the Chinese government, will forge ahead and produce their own mobile operating system that’s ‘specifically for Chinese consumers.’ Apparently this initiative is part of a bigger play by the government “to encourage the development of a unique local software ecosystem to reduce reliance on Western companies.”

The WSJ report says it isn’t clear whether the mobile OS will be entirely proprietary or built on top of Android — as just like Acer, HTC is part of Google’s Open Handset Alliance, and that means it needs to abide by certain rules laid down by Google.

Acer last year built a phone for China’s Alibaba but it was squelched at the last minute due Google’s intervention. Google even suggested that Acer wouldn’t be allowed to build future Android phones if it moved forward with the Alibaba phone launch. Given that HTC’s smartphone focus is built on Android — it only makes a few Windows Phone devices — the company isn’t in a position to anger Google.

The ambitious reported move by HTC comes as it has been struggling financially. CEO Peter Chou said in the company’s recent second-quarter earnings call that HTC is expecting Q3 revenue to decline as much as 29.3 percent from the amount of revenue it posted in Q2.

[Via]

August 28, 2013
Blue HTC One Spotted, Early Android 4.3 Build For The Device Leaks

A blue version of the HTC One is coming, and what was previously only a render is now a fully-fledged leaked device.

A version of the device in a sea-coloured hue was spotted on a subway train in China, and was uploaded to Mobile01, a smartphone-related forum. This confirms the previous leak by evleaks and a leaked casing of the handset in the same colour.

HTC must be planning its HTC One follow-up already, as the device was announced in February and released in April. Rumours of a One Max persist, with an announcement slated for early next month.

At present, the HTC One has been released with 3 colour variants, Silver, Black and Red.

An early build of Android 4.3 has leaked to XDA, and one developer, LlabTooFeR, has already released a custom ROM with the build as a base. Build 3.09.401.1 still uses Sense 5.0, but has a number of minor improvements, including Bluetooth LE support, improved animations throughout the OS, the ability to use your own music for video highlights and, unfortunately, a task manager added to the app drawer.

[Via]

August 27, 2013
HTC’s new Branding Campaign heats up
What does HTC stands for? Your answer might be High Tech Computer Cooperation, apparently HTC stands for ‘Happy Touching Cruise-liner’ or may be ‘Habanero Telephone Champion’, it might also stand for ‘Hysterical Turning Coconut’ or may be ‘Happy Tantalizing Catapult’.

HTC has launched a word generator. Simply click the “Here’s to change button,” and the HTC Generator give’s you a three word phrase with the initials H, T, and C. HTC is letting you think of new ideas. Try your hands on it – here.

Few combinations we think they missed on are
Did we miss any?

Once you use the generator many times, a longer version of the video that we saw before appears and features Robert Downey Jr. The video also features a Bollywood song, have a look at it below:

[youtube id=”OVE1OcfB1E4″ width=”100%” height=”300px”]
August 26, 2013
HTC Zara Specs Leak, Budget Device With 4.5″ Display And Sense 5.5

HTC is bringing the design language from the One series down to entry level devices, according to an image by notorious leaker evleaks.

The HTC Zara has been rumoured before, but its specs never really jumped out at us. With a 4.5-inch qHD screen (960×540 pixels), a dual-core 1.2Ghz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB internal storage, an UltraPixel camera, a 2100mAh battery and, perhaps most interestingly, Android 4.3 with Sense 5.5.

As handsets go, the HTC Zara (a codename and not final shipping designation) looks to be a mix of the lower-end Desire line and the HTC One. You can see two front-facing speakers along with the company’s unique button placement. The main differences are the more rounded corners and that distinctly Desire-like camera ring on the back.

HTC Zara is the second phone we hear of that’s going to launch with the updated Sense 5.5 user interface running on top of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The HTC One Max is going to debut with the company’s updated UI. Sense is HTC’s differentiator in the Android game, though recently it has been focusing more on hardware improvements than software gimmicks. Whether Sense 5.5 will retain the familiar BlinkFeed home screen remains to be seen, but we don’t think HTC will mess with a good thing.

[Via]

August 20, 2013
Beats Reportedly Looking To End HTC Partnership

The known headphone maker Beats is reportedly attempting to buy back HTC’s 25 percent stake in the company. As per the Wall Street Journal’s report, Beats is looking to bring in a new investor to provide “fresh funds for growth,” and plans on buying back HTC’s stake at the same time. Although HTC bought a $300 million, 50.1 percent stake in Beats back in 2011, the headphone maker paid $150 million to take half of that stake back last year.

HTC’s quarterly sales have dropped below the US$4 billion mark since the fourth quarter of 2011, as it got squeezed in both the high and low end of the pricing spectrum globally. The Taiwanese company flagged earlier that it may post its first-ever operating loss in the current quarter.

The two companies had different fortunes over the past few years. Beats’ revenue was reportedly “roughly $1 billion” last year, up five times from 2010, and in June statisticians at NPD claimed Beats had 59 percent of the US market for premium headphones. In contrast, HTC has crashed to quarter upon quarter of dwindling profits, although the company believes it will return to form towards the end of this financial year. All of HTC’s high-end handsets are branded with the Beats logo and claim to have enhanced sound thanks to Beats integration. It’s not clear what would happen to the two companies’ branding partnership should Beats be successful in severing its financial ties with HTC, we will have to wait and see.

[via]

August 19, 2013
HTC One Dual Sim Now Available For Purchase

The dual-SIM version of the HTC One is still listed as “Coming Soon” on the HTC India website, But the phone has made its way to an online store. The dual-SIM HTC One is available on Flipkart.com for Rs 46,495. Flipkart says, the dual-SIM HTC One, which is available in silver colour, will be delivered in 9-10 business days.

The HTC One dual sim:

SIM1:- Up to HSPA (900/2100 MHz) and up to EVDO REV. B (800 MHz)

SIM2:- Up to EDGE (900/1800/1900 MHz)

As per the website It supports both GSM and CDMA, has a 32 GB of inbuilt memory and is expandable till 64 GB. The phone has a 4.7-inch full HD display. The phone is powered by a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor coupled with 2GB RAM. It is packed with a 2300 mAh battery.

Possible leaked image for the HTC One dual sim

The other major difference between HTC One and HTC One dual sim is the expandable memory the new phone has a memory card slot that can take upto 64 GB of extra memory which seems like a great input from HTC. The HTC One is a great phone(check our review) and the company launching the dual sim variant can be helpful for few. What is your thought ?

[via][via]

August 12, 2013
HTC One X+ Receives Android 4.2.2 Update With Sense 5.0 And BlinkFeed

HTC One X+ users can look forward to pretty significant feature and performance improvements in the next few weeks as the Taiwanese OEM rolls out an update to Android 4.2.2 that brings Sense 5 and BlinkFeed.

The update adds to the HTC One X+ many of the features first experienced on the this year’s HTC One, including the homescreen news aggregation widget BlinkFeed, automatic video highlights, a new and improved lockscreen, a new music app, autofocus lock in the camera app and more.

All this is part of HTC Sense 5, the company’s relatively new and vastly improved user interface that has gained so much praise since the launch of the HTC One.

Battery endurance on the HTC One X+ is reportedly also improved thanks to a new sleep mode switch. Users can track the status of the battery easily by turning on the percentage battery meter in the status bar. Since this is Android 4.2.2, the Quick settings panel is also presents and can be accessed by a two-finger swipe down.

HTC is yet to reveal any more information regarding the HTC One S, which it previously said would be updated to Android 4.2 but has since cancelled its plans for the handset. The news that the HTC One S would not be updated was met with dissatisfaction by device owners and a petition is still underway to pressure HTC into changing its mind.

August 9, 2013
HTC Mini Companion Device Coming To The UK With Added Functionality

With its tiny, low-resolution and non-touch-enabled screen with monochromatic icons, the HTC Mini could pass off as a feature phone. But HTC is not taking off in a new direction because the Mini is actually a phone add-on for your smartphone(accessory).

Introduced as an accessory for the HTC Butterfly earlier this year in China, It was assumed that the HTC Mini is meant to be able to do simple tasks like to make calls and check text messages, all without any need to take your smartphone out of your pocket. HTC calls it an “enhanced Bluetooth accessory” that can be used as a remote control while your smartphone is being charged or connected to a TV.

As per cnet asia the device is made of plastic with a brushed metal-like finish, the Mini is lightweight and just as sleek-looking. However, its plastic build doesn’t reflect the same premium and industrial feel of the One, but is more reminiscent of the Butterfly’s back cover.

HTC says this device can be connected to HTC devices with Bluetooth and NFC, the HTC Mini has remote capabilities, letting you take control of your smartphone from a distance of around 10m. For example, fire up the camera app on your HTC One and the Mini has the ability to capture photos remotely. This will be useful in reducing camera shake, in case you want to do a timed shot or timelapse video.

To view your photos and videos in the gallery, you can use presentation mode to move forward or backward. This presentation mode also works with Powerpoint slides in the pre-installed Office app

One would also be able to control the music with this device,Reject or Answer calls and if you have Sense TV set up on your One, you get basic volume and channel controls for your TV set.

In Singapore, the HTC Mini comes bundled with the One when you sign up for a two-year contract at some telecoms. It’s not sold separately as an accessory.

Now, if you think to use the Mini with non-HTC phones, you’re out of luck. While you would be able to pair it via Bluetooth, usage is limited to the headset function, so you will only be able to receive or reject calls. And since the HTC Mini doesn’t have a SIM card slot, it can’t work on its own.

[via]

August 9, 2013
Blue HTC One Emerges In Leaked Press Shot

After being released initially in silver and subsequently in black and red in the UK, HTC is poised to add a blue variant to its One flagship.

According to evleaks, the HTC One will be made available in blue sometime in the future, though it’s uncertain for which market it is intended. With the launch of the Moto X and Nokia’s proliferating colour choice through its product lineup, OEMs are taking to less obvious colour schemes as a way to differentiate themselves.

It’s unlikely that India will see this variant, but we can always hope.

The HTC One was launched with a 4.7-inch screen, a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, 4MP UltraPixel camera on the back, and front camera for making video calls.

HTC is busy promoting its next device, which is expected to be the One Max, on Twitter. The company posted a teaser video on Tuesday, suggesting something big is arriving.

The new video was tagged as ‘Big Things Ahead’ and showed a person with an HTC device (which we believe is the HTC One Max) that featured the same design as that of the HTC One.

[Via]

August 7, 2013