Pulse2 Technology and Social Media News » HTC

HTC Attempting To Get Around Apple Patents By Shipping Custom Android Builds

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:41:17 +0000

The HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE got stuck at the border due to a delay at the U.S. Customs pending an Apple patent investigation. The HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE are now shipping with a custom version of Android to avoid infringing upon an Apple patent. The ITC is investigating whether the two phones are still in violation of Apple’s “data tapping” feature. HTC designed a U.S. only settings screen that is not present on the international version of the HTC One X.

This helps HTC avoid the infringing issues that are found in the default Android messaging app and the Android browser. The U.S. version also has an “app associations” setting screen where users can specify the default apps. It is unknown whether these changes to Android are enough to make the One X and EVO 4G LTE in compliance with the ITC order.

HTC One X Stuck At The Border Because Of Apple Patent Infringement

Amit Chowdhry — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:33:47 +0000

The HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE devices are stuck at the border due to a delay at the U.S. Customs for potentially infringing an Apple patent. The One X is also out of stock at AT&T’s online store and at many AT&T retail stores. Last December, Apple won a wide-range exclusion order that banned the importing of HTC Android devices at the International Trade Commission. The ITC said that Android’s messaging app and browser infringes on Apple patent #5,946,647, which allows e-mail addresses and phone numbers to be converted into links for actions.

The ITC order was handed down before One X was announced at Mobile World Congress, but the patent was stock enough to block the importation of any HTC Android device according to The Verge. Below is a statement from HTC:

The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.

T-Mobile Hosting Event For One S On April 18

Amit Chowdhry — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:42:10 +0000

We now know that T-Mobile is planning to announce the release of the HTC One S on their network on April 18th. Currently April 25th is the launch date rumored for the HTC One S. The One S is a compact smartphone that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs. The HTC One S also has a 4.3? screen with contoured Corning Gorilla Glass and has a 7.9mm design

Why Beats Headphones Will Not Be Integrated In New HTC Phones

Amit Chowdhry — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:59:10 +0000

In the next round of new phones that HTC plans on releasing, they will not come with Beats headphones or earbuds. HTC is putting the idea of using Beats aside for now because they have learned their lesson from the Sensation XL and Rezound from last year. What they have learned is that customers do not choose smartphones based on the headphones that they come with.

“An accessory like the headphone doesn’t factor in when someone is buying a smartphone,” stated HTC product executive Martin Fichter. “If they want a Beats headphone, they’ll buy it directly.”

Integrating Beats Audio into HTC phones were a primary reason for why HTC invested $300 million for 51% equity in Beats Audio. Ficther added that the plan was for HTC to work with the technology behind the headphones, which will still be integrated into handsets. The Evo 4G LTE for Sprint and One X for AT&T will not have Beats headphones. Beats may end up in HTC phones down the line, but not in the near term.

HTC’s Profit Drops 70%

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:52:06 +0000

HTC’s profit has dropped 70%, which is the largest profit drop they have had since listing a decade ago. The cause of the profit drops is because HTC has been facing intense rivalry from Apple and Samsung.

The company’s first quarter net income was NT$4.46 billion ($151 million), which is a 70% drop from the year before. HTC “dropped the ball” on a new product line said HTC Chief Financial Officer Winston Yung this past February.

The company’s revenue dropped 35% to NT$67.8 billion. The company no longer provides shipment numbers and they are scheduled to update their second-quarter guidance later this month.

Arriving May 7, Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G LTE Will Have HD Voice

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:22:41 +0000

The original HTC Evo 4G had a 4.3-inch screen, which would need a kickstand for support. Now the kickstand is coming back for the HTC Evo One 4G LTE on Sprint, which will have a 4.7-inch display. The Evo was the fastest selling device when it was released. The past versions of the Evo brought 3D display capabilities and a 4G connection to Sprint customers before other carries. The HTC Evo One will be available for presale on May 7th for a price of $199.

The Evo One screen has 720p resolution, Android 4.0.3, and the HTC Sense 4.0 interface. It also has a rear 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 lens, front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, and Beats audio. The phone also has HD Voice, which has multiple microphones and software to cut out background noise.

“It’s not just all about the specs,” stated HTC president Jason MacKenzie. “It’s about the experience. We’re doubling down on design to make sure the phones feel great in customers hands.”

The phone will run on Sprint’s upcoming LTE 4G network, which will launch in the middle of the year in 6 markets.

Review Of HTC One X

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:53:32 +0000

The reviews of the HTC One X are in! The One X is the flagship product of the One line of HTC phones with the other devices being the One S and the One V. There are two versions of the One X — one is the GSM with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor and the other is a dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor with an LTE (4G) radio.

The pluses of the quad-core version is that the camera is sharp, the processor is fast, and the Sense 4 user interface works well with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Beats Audio makes the speakers on the phone sound great. The phone also comes with 25GB of Dropbox space free and the battery life is long as well.

Here are the problems with the device. The battery is non-removable and it lacks a microSD card. The 4.7-inch screen makes the device pretty large for your pocket to contain. The camera lens also sticks out causing it to be easily scratched.

If I was in the market for an Android smartphone, I would pick this one up.

HTC One X, One S, and One V To Be Available Next Week

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:25:24 +0000

HTC has announced that the HTC One-series of Android smartphones will be available next monday in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The HTC One series include the HTC One V, HTC One S, and HTC One X. The HTC One series has Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Sense 4 UI experience, and HTC ImageSense.

The One X has a polycarbonate unibody that is rugged and is lightweight. The unibody has a high gloss “piano” finish and is matte black. The HTC One has an NVIDIAR Tegra 3 mobile processor for clear graphics, long battery life, and faster applications. It also has a 1.5GHz Super 4-PLUS-1 quad-core CPU with an integrated fifth Battery Saver Core and high-performance 12-Core NVIDIAR GPU. The HTC One has a 4.7″, 720p HD screen with contoured Corning Gorilla Glass. The HTC One X will be available in 4G LTE markets with an LTE-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs.

The HTC One S is a compact smartphone that is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs. It also has a 4.3″ screen with contoured Corning Gorilla Glass and has a 7.9mm design. The HTC One V has the same class design as the HTC Legend. The One V has a top-end design with a simple aluminum unibody.

Below is an excerpt from HTC’s press release:

With ImageSense, HTC One rivals traditional digital cameras with improvements to every part of the camera, including the lens, the sensor, the software, and even integrating a new custom HTC ImageChip. These enhancements combine to deliver our fastest image capture, best image quality under adverse conditions and easiest interface that enables quick access to capturing stills and videos with side-by-side photo and video capture buttons.

Superfast Capture – HTC One dramatically reduces the time it takes to capture those key moments. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot, and with a new superfast 0.2-seconds autofocus, continue to take nearly unlimited continuous shots simply by holding the shutter button
Good photos in adverse conditions – HTC One delivers dramatic enhancements in image capture quality even in adverse conditions such as low light, no light or with bright backlighting. The f/2.0 lens on the HTC One X and HTC One S offers best-in-class performance, capturing 40 percent more light than the f/2.4 lenses available on other high-end phones. HTC One also includes HDR, a market-leading technology, for taking great photos even when there are varying levels of brightness
Video Pic (Concurrent Video/Still Capture) – With Video Pic you capture a photo and shoot video at the same time. Now, while you’re shooting HD video, all you have to do is tap the shutter button and it snaps a high-resolution still photo while the video continues to shoot. You are also able to capture a photo frame from a previously recorded video
Dropbox integrated with HTC Sense – HTC One gives you an easy way to save and share your photos and videos. HTC has integrated Dropbox into HTC Sense 4 enabling HTC One customers to get 25 gigabytes of free Dropbox space for two years. That’s enough to keep more than 10,000 high-quality photos. Dropbox is also integrated throughout HTC Sense 4, so it’s easy to edit, save and share your documents and other kinds of files.
Sharing your photos and more – HTC One gives you a new way to share your photos and videos. When you plug in HTC’s wireless Media Link HD accessory into your TV’s HDMI port, you can easily share your photos, videos, or anything else on your phone with your friends, family or colleagues regardless of the television’s brand as long as it has HDMI.

HTC Partners With Intertrust and Buys 20% Of SyncTV

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:21:53 +0000

HTC has partnered with Intertrust. Through the partnership, HTC has purchased 20% of Intertrust subsidiary SyncTV. HTC has also licensed patents from Intertrust that primarily deal with DRM. “HTC’s growth in the smartphone market is admirable, their innovative devices have come to define a category and have been broadly emulated by others,” stated Intertrust CEO Talal Shamoon. “We are honored that HTC has license Intertrust technology and we look forward to working together in areas of mutual interest.” [Engadget]

Beats Electronics Acquires MOG

Amit Chowdhry — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:21:23 +0000

Beats Electronics, the speaker and headphones company, has acquired music subscription service MOG. HTC is the majority owner of Beats Electronics, which invested $300 million into the company. MOG currently has 500,000 active users.
[AllThingsD]