Showing posts with label HTC One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HTC One. Show all posts

Feb 22, 2013

Four of the Most Anticipated Android Phones of 2013

Smartphones come and go. Three months ago, you may have bought that expensive thing in your hand right now thinking it's future-proof for at least a year or so, and then suddenly, bam, a new device comes out. And it's a gazillion times better than your current handset. Your heart feels a bit of a pinch and tears start rolling down your cheeks. Your glorious smartphone is now an obsolete object. You are blind to the world. 

I kid.

Anyway, here are some of the most anticipated Android phones of 2013:


HTC One
It's stunning. It's gorgeous. It's brilliant. It's everything else that your current phone isn't. At least that's what it's trying to be. HTC's latest offering is a beauty inspired by many (*wink*wink*), pumped up with killer specs. It offers a 4.7 inch 1080p display (468ppi), 2 front-facing stereo speakers, a 4 megapixel (ultrapixel) camera, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, with Android 4.1.2 on board, flavored by amazing software additions courtesy of Sense 5.0. Plus, it's made of aluminum! The HTC One is one of the most promising handsets of 2013. With the right pricing and in-your-face ala Samsung marketing, this device could be this year's top contender.   Available March 2013.

Sony Xperia Z
Back with a vengeance from last year's terrible flagship device (does anyone even know that their flagship device was the Xperia T?) , Sony's Xperia Z is set to blow everything out of the water. Yes, you read that right. It's literally going to blow everything out of the water. Sony's latest offering is a water and dust resistant device, packed with a 5 inch bravia-engine enhanced 1080p display (441ppi) with Gorilla Glass covering all-over, a 13MP camera, Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 pro quad-core processor, with Sony's Xperia UX on top of Android 4.1.2 Jellybean. The handset won 12 CES awards so it's bound to be good.   Available now.

Galaxy S4 (Unofficial, fan-made render)

Samsung has sold 30 million Galaxy S3s in 2012, making it the top-selling handset of 2012. With all the buzz on Samsung's current flagship, their next one is set to make records; that is if the hype on the device justifies the specs. The device is rumoured, like most 2013 flagships, to be sporting a 4.99" fHD 1080p display (441ppi). Aside from that, the device could ship with a 13MP camera, Samsung's Exynos 5 octa-core processor, and Android 4.2 Jellybean with a Touchwiz UI overlay. The only thing I'm not expecting the device to have is a frame not made out of plastic.  Probably available around mid- April or May. Announcement is rumoured to be on March 14.

Motorola/ Google X Phone (Unofficial, fan made render)
Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility last year has yet to yield any quantitative, real-life results. Set to become a game-changer, Motorola and Google's first phone, dubbed as the X Phone, is bound to be the greatest breakthrough device this year. The phone is rumoured to have an almost bezel-less, edge to edge, 5" 1080p display, encased by the usual Motorola Kevlar coating. It is bound to be weather-proof, smash-proof, and absolutely future-proof. Aside from the extreme hardware variations, the X Phone is said to be the first phone to be shipped with Android 5.0 (Key Lime Pie) on board, plus killer software additions not seen on any device. Oh, and haven't I mentioned the kick-ass battery life measured in days instead of hours? The rumours are to be take with a grain of salt though, no one wants to be disappointed if doesn't ends up transforming into a car when you really need a ride. Probably available on last week of May or early June. That is if it's even real. Let's all wait for an announcement at the Google I/O on May 15-17.


There is only one thing left to say: 2013 is going to be the year of super-sized fHD droids. 



Photos belong to their respective sources. The author does not claim ownership of the images used in this article.

Feb 20, 2013

HTC One: Let's All Hope It's The One

The HTC One. 



Aluminum uni-body design engineered to perfection

Dual stereo speakers, with Beats Audio Integration-- for the superb sound experience

Full HD display, with the highest pixel density ever seen on a mobile device-- for the pure unadulterated viewing experience

Wonderful camera experience through HTC's ultrapixel technology. Never miss a moment.

Redesigned HTC Sense--for a better, more intuitive user experience.

The HTC One.           
The One you've been waiting for. 

Yesterday, HTC unveiled its 2013 flagship device--the HTC One. All eyes were on them as they announced the device that could either keep the company afloat or completely sack them altogether. On the surface, the HTC One looks absolutely gorgeous. Unlike other Android OEMs, HTC chose to forego the use of plastic or polycarbonate in their device and completely constructed the One with solid blocks of aluminum, giving it a fuller, sturdier build without compromising functionality and portability. It looks absolutely stunning in its unibody build, and full HD display. It certainly looks like what a high-end premium device should be--engineered to perfection.While the chamfered corners do resemble the iPhone, the HTC One delivers what Apple couldn't. Which, I believe is pretty much everything else that the HTC One embodies. On paper, the HTC One is superior in most aspects to phones currently available in the market. (HTC actually makes the most ground-breaking debuts in the mobile world. They made the first Android device, first dual core phones, first phone to break the 4" screen size border, first phone with 1080p screen res, etc.)

HTC aims to deliver a new sound and camera experience. And it clearly shows with its innovations on the HTC One sporting dual front-facing stereo speakers, with Beats Audio integration & HTC BoomSound techology, and of course, the Ultrapixel camera & proprietary Zoe feature.

With the new phone comes a new version of sense. The 5th iteration of the Android skin (which they chose to call New Sense, ala New iPad), brings an enhanced user experience. The New Sense featured  a complete design overhaul, changing the textured icons from previous versions into a flatter, cartoonish designs. The primary new feature, which is called BlinkFeed, aims to become a stream of  information and media--think Flipboard but with deeper integration on the OS, and then placed smack right into your homescreen. It's a bold and promising feature that could probably be annoying in the long-haul. Thankfully, users can always opt to be greeted by the traditional HTC flipclock instead.

With the HTC One, HTC aims to deliver a completely redefined premium experience. The device specs look absolutely stunning, surely the best in its class right now. Hopefully, HTC learned from its past marketing mishaps and learn to spend some dough to push their products into more people. I believe this is not the end for HTC. With the right strategies, they are surely going to gain back the rightful piece of the market share that the true Android King deserves.


Specs Rundown:

PLATFORM
  • Android 4.1.2 with HTC Sense 5
  • Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600, quad-core, 1.7GHz
  • Total storage: 32GB/64GBi, available capacity varies 
  • RAM: 2GB DDR2
  • Battery: 2300 mAh embedded rechargeable Li-polymer battery
CAMERA
  • BSI sensor, Pixel size 2.0 μm, Sensor size 1/3'
  • Dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2
  • F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
  • Smart Flash: Five levels of flash automatically set by distance to subject
  • Front Camera: 88 wide angle lens with HDR capability
  • 1080p Full HD video recording for both front and back cameras
  • HDR Video
  • Continuous shooting and VideoPic
  • Slow motion video recording with variable speed playback
  • HTC Zoe™ with highlights and HTC Zoe™ Share
  • Retouch with Object Removal, Always Smile, and Sequence Shot
CONNECTIVITY
  • 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
  • NFC capable
  • Compliant with Bluetooth 4.0
  • Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX™ enabled
  • Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n
  • DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a compatible TV or computer
  • Support consumer infrared remote control
  • micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection (Special cable required for HDMI connection.)
HTC BOOMSOUND™
  • Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
  • Studio-quality sound with Beats Audio™
  • HDR Microphone
  • Sense Voice
NETWORK
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
  • WCDMA (1900/2100 (B2/B1) MHz)
  • CDMA (800/1900 BC0/BC1/BC10, Sprint)
  • LTE (1900 (B25, SPCS)
  • Frequencies will vary by region/operator
SENSORS
  • Gyro sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
LOCATION
  • Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS
  • Digital compass
AC ADAPTER
  • Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
  • DC output: 5 V and 1 A
  • SIZE: 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm/4mm (max/min) 
  • WEIGHT: 143 grams with battery 
  • DISPLAY: 4.7 inch, Full HD 1080p, 468 PPI 


For  gallery images of the HTC One:

All photos in this article belong to The Verge, unless otherwise stated.