HTC One rumored to launch on March 22 with AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile

If you are an HTC enthusiast, or even Android enthusiast, then chances are you are pretty excited for HTC’s upcoming event.  It is all but guaranteed that HTC will use the event as a chance to announce its latest flagship Android device.  HTC is adopting a page from Samsung’s playbook by launching its flagship device on more than one carrier on the same day.

According to a rumored report, the HTC One (M7) will see light of day in America through three carriers: AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.  Notably missing from the party is Verizon Wireless, which makes sense once you consider the fact that the DROID DNA was launched only a few months ago.  Pricing for the 32GB model is expected to be $199 on contract with the 64GB model commanding a $299 price tag.  At this point, I would like to remind our readers that this report is still a rumor and, therefore, subject to change.

We’re less than four days away from the anticipated event, hopefully HTC has something great planned for us!

[HTC Source]

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HTC Droid DNA update now live, start mashing that button

We just got word that the Droid DNA update we talked about a few days ago is now rolling out over the air, ready to sneak into your phone and fix some bugs. The 104MB update brings the DNA to software version 2.04.605.2 710RD, and has quite the change log:

• User can load videos on HuluPlus
• Improvements to Hotspot connectivity have been made
• Improvements to Audio Quality for wired headsets and earpieces have been made
• Bluetooth connectivity and volume level for specific models have been improved
• Enhanced reliability and stability of the Contacts List have been made
• Wi-Fi Connectivity has been improved
• Improvements to default browser for zooming capability have been made
• Incoming messages display with the correct timestamp
• Enhanced Recent Apps functionality has been improved

It's worth mentioning that rooted users will want to hold off and suss it all out before they click the OK button. If you've received the update, holler in the comments to let everyone know how it's working out for you.

Via: XDA; Thanks Tamara!

Motorola makes Platinum Droid RAZR M officially official

We saw a new color of the Motorola Droid RAZR M pop up for sale on best Buy's website last week, and now Motorola is confirming its existence. The device is the same internally as the original colors of the RAZR M, but externally it's got a shiny new coat of platinum (c'mon, it's silver) paint. The front is still black, but the sides and buttons have been changed.

You can pick up the new color of the Droid RAZR M for $49.99 with a 2-year Verizon contract, and it seems to be a Best Buy exclusive at least for now. Motorola says that "quantities are limited," so check the source links if you're interested in picking one of these up.

Source: Motorola; Best Buy

Verizon rolls out Ice Cream Sandwich for the HTC ThunderBolt

Verizon Wireless is truly taking the meaning of “better late than never” to the extreme by rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich for the HTC ThunderBolt today.  The ThunderBolt has been available through Verizon Wireless for nearly two years now and has been taken off the shelf for about a year now.

What was once announced as a promising 4G LTE device experienced battery issues and software upgrade troubles.  Most owners of the ThunderBolt have probably upgraded to a different Android smartphone or iOS device by now, however, for those who are still rocking the TBolt, ICS is headed your way.

According to an announcement from Verizon, the update is rolling out in phases, but most owners should have it within a week or so.  The update includes features found commonly in Ice Cream Sandwich such as Face Unlock and a customizable launch bar.  In addition, it offers more tools to manage your data consumption.

[Verizon Wireless]

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Droid RAZR M appears in ‘Platinum’ on Best Buy website

Seemingly out of nowhere, a new color of the Motorola Droid RAZR M has just appeared for sale on the Best Buy website. The new model, dubbed "Platinum" is a shiny silver color with blue accented power and volume buttons. The top and bottom bezels around the screen are still black, but everything else is shiny and new. Unfortunately the back of the device isn't pictured on the website, and Verizon's site doesn't seem to list the phone anywhere either.

The rest of the device and specs seem to be the same as the original, and Best Buy is offering the new variety at $49.99 with a two-year contract — same as the other colors online — on Verizon. Head to the source link if you want to check out a few more pictures for yourself.

Source: Best Buy; Via: Droid-Life

HTC revenue and profits down again ahead of new product launches

Despite the launch of major new devices like the Droid DNA, One X+ and Windows Phone 8X, HTC's revenues and profits fell once again in the final quarter of 2012. Today the company reported fourth-quarter revenues of NT$60 billion, or $2.03 billion U.S. (down from NT$70.2 billion in Q3), with gross margin of 23% and operating margin of 1% (down from 25% and 7% respectively).  Net profit and EPS (earnings per share) also fell, the former from NT$3.9 billion to NT$1 billion, and the latter from NT$4.7 to NT$1.21.

HTC expects things to get worse in the first quarter of 2013, predicting Q1 revenue in the NT$50-60 billion range, with a gross profit margin between 21 and 23% and operating margins between 0.5 and 1.0%.

Despite the grim outlook, HTC CEO Peter Chou is optimistic about the company's prospects in 2013 –

“We continue to focus on the most important element of our business: innovation,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “Our teams are delivering beautifully designed phones, containing the newest technological advancements. Outstanding products, paired with improvements in our marketing execution and overall readiness give us reason to feel optimistic about the progress we will make in 2013.”

That progress, if it comes, will start with the launch of the company's first major Android phones of the year, rumored to be a 4.7-inch, 1080p device codenamed "M7," and a 4.3-inch 720p phone known as "M4." HTC has scheduled press conferences in London and New York City for Feb. 19, just ahead of Mobile World Congress, and we'll learn more at those events.

Source: HTC

Motorola job listing seemingly confirms existence of X-Phone

Motorola is rumored to be working on a powerful flagship Android device with Google known as the X-Phone.  Similarly, the manufacturer is said to be working on the X-Tablet as well.  About a month ago, the Wall Street Journal initially published a report announcing this rumor, but evidence since then has been scant.

Fortunately, a recent Motorola job posting on LinkedIn mentions the X-Phone by name.  In addition, the job description is looking for a Senior Director Product Manager for the X-Phone, which is a next generation smartphone.  Unfortunately, the listing does not reveal any key technologies employed in the device, nor when we can expect it to launch.  It is, however, encouraging to see Motorola proactively search for a product manager for the X-Phone.  Hopefully, we can see the device launch sometime in the summer.

Any thoughts on the potential X-Phone?  Feel free to chime in below.

[Phandroid]

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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – Verizon Remix Version [Hardware Review]

We have written a review for the Galaxy Note 2 previously, but phones on Verizon are always a little different.  Whether it’s an almost completely rolled out LTE or non-removable apps that pervade your homescreen, Verizon plays by its own rules.  I’m going to be focusing more on the software side of things since you already have a good idea of what this phone brings to the Android world.  I’m going in-depth on the camera, Touchwiz, battery, and I’ll get into the consumer’s head to really understand the Galaxy Note 2 and why it’s the phone you need.

Software

While the Note 2 doesn’t have the eye-popping screen the Droid DNA did, Samsung does make sure the size of the phone grabs you, then the S-Pen, the multi-window function, and the S-Voice keep you sucked into the Samsung software ecosystem. It’s a very good ecosystem to get sucked into too.  The S-Voice is a nice gimmick, but I don’t think it really compares to Google Now as Samsung simply doesn’t have as much information about you as Google does.  However, the S-Pen is accurate, quick to withdraw, and I actually found myself using it quite a bit.  Samsung made a nice app to make notes, lists, and diary entries as well as draw and sketch to your heart’s content.  I would liked to have seen Evernote integration or support, but Samsung’s app is nice, if not very intuitive. It has been pointed out that Samsung is distancing itself from Google by providing its own Google Now competitor, its own Media Hub, and Kies.

This would be an unfortunate development as the multi-window feature is pure brilliance and works great on the Note 2 (aside from the Verizon Note 2 only being able to take advantage of a few apps), but the Media Hub and S-Voice simply cannot compete with Google Now and the Play Store. The battery is fantastic; I could only drain it to zero if I was using it constantly for the whole day (think YouTube streaming in HD on LTE for 4 hours). This is  my new number one feature – a battery that lasts all day.  I will not buy a phone that doesn’t have a 3,000+ mAh battery.  Of course, a Verizon OTA update was available for the Note 2 so I downloaded it, and, as many forums and websites have reported, it has caused a noticeable battery drain when compared to my first week without the update.  The battery still lasts a full day, but now it doesn’t seem to go into deep sleep as well as it used to. LTE has a strong signal, and where my Galaxy Nexus would have trouble finding a single or drop from LTE to 3G, the Galaxy Note would hold the LTE signal. Speed tests showed the Galaxy Note 2 averaging about 15mb/s at peak times, outpacing my Galaxy Nexus at ~7mb/s, and hitting a high of 29mb/s late at night.

Camera

Samsung generally makes some decent cameras, probably third behind Sony and HTC, and I think that’s about adequate.  The camera app isn’t as good as the Droid DNA was, but the Note 2 has a nice “Best Photo” mode to take quick pictures and select the best available, and it has all the usual filters and other normal camera stuff you need.  The camera lens is too high up for my liking.  I always seemed to get my finger caught in the way when I was trying to take quick shots.  This would have been an easy problem to solve since the Note 2 has so much room on the back.  The camera was noticeably dim at night compared to the DNA, and snapping pictures wasn’t nearly as quick as it is for my Galaxy Nexus or anything else I’ve tried running ICS or Jelly Bean. The more I look at the pictures, the less impressed I became, but most of them were with low light or at night.

Touchwiz

Touchwiz is as pervasive as HTC’s Sense UI, but Samsung has done a fairly good job of keeping it current with the Android updates.  Samsung took a lot of things from the stock ICS launcher, colorized it with a palette from the 80s, and added a few enhancements like the screen staying on if you are looking at it and moving items on your homescreen by tilting the phone.  It’s these small enhancements that make Touchwiz much more user-friendly and much more acceptable than HTC’s ten-clicks-deep menus.  We can all remember the days when Touchwiz had Bing, Blockbuster, and generally left the phone feeling more cumbersome than polished.  Not anymore.  Touchwiz actually adds value to the device, especially for novice Android users.  There are different homescreen modes, Simple and Standard, different saturation levels you can change, tons of lock screen options (news, weather, Facebook feeds), and battery-saving options (not that you will need them).  Touchwiz has certainly come a long way from my Fascinate days, and it isn’t an excuse to not buy a Samsung device anymore.

Final Thoughts

I love this phone.  The Galaxy Note 2 is the best phone I have ever used. Anyone that gasps about the size is correct, it’s a really big phone that isn’t seen very often.  But, you’re hand(s) become accustomed to it, and eventually a smaller phone just doesn’t cut it for pictures, movies, and Redditing. Looking at my Galaxy Nexus, it is almost a disappointment now, even though I’m on the latest version of Android with stock UI. A battery that lasts the whole day using LTE is a serious game changer and keeps your mind at ease. Samsung and their Touchwiz UI have made the buttons ever-so-slightly bigger to be reached easier, and the multi-window feature (especially if you figure out how to get any app to use it) is a serious advancement in smartphones. A  quad-core processor and 2GB RAM make this beast of a phone fly, even while having a YouTube video playing on one half of the screen and tweeting from the other half. Samsung has outdone themselves, and Verizon should be happy because the S-Pen, multi-window feature, and size can sell to business customers. That being said, why is there a Verizon logo on the front? A great phone aesthetically marred by stupidity/ingenious marketing. That is my one fault with the phone. That being said, the Galaxy Note 2 is a must-buy, even if the price tag gives you hesitation.

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Verizon aims to discontinue Samsung Galaxy S III 32GB, Droid 4, and more

One of the sad parts of the Android product life cycle is seeing it vanish from store shelves.  Today, we learned that Verizon is no longer purchasing stock for several successful products.  Instead, the carrier will let the remaining stock and inventory run dry in anticipation of replacing it with something better.

The products in particular include the 32GB model of the Samsung Galaxy S III, Motorola’s Droid 4 and Droid RAZR, and the Rezound is effectively gone.  On February 15, Verizon plans to end sales of the LG Lucid 4G LTE.  Overall, these products have been on the shelves for quite some time, with the Galaxy S III being the most recent model to launch.  However, the 16GB model will remain in stock and is likely the much more popular Galaxy S III variant.

It will be interesting to see if Motorola opts to produce another version of the Droid series with the iconic slider QWERTY keyboard, but it is anyone’s guess at this point.

[AndroidPolice]

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Verizon aims to discontinue Samsung Galaxy S III 32GB, Droid 4, and more

One of the sad parts of the Android product life cycle is seeing it vanish from store shelves.  Today, we learned that Verizon is no longer purchasing stock for several successful products.  Instead, the carrier will let the remaining stock and inventory run dry in anticipation of replacing it with something better.

The products in particular include the 32GB model of the Samsung Galaxy S III, Motorola’s Droid 4 and Droid RAZR, and the Rezound is effectively gone.  On February 15, Verizon plans to end sales of the LG Lucid 4G LTE.  Overall, these products have been on the shelves for quite some time, with the Galaxy S III being the most recent model to launch.  However, the 16GB model will remain in stock and is likely the much more popular Galaxy S III variant.

It will be interesting to see if Motorola opts to produce another version of the Droid series with the iconic slider QWERTY keyboard, but it is anyone’s guess at this point.

[AndroidPolice]

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