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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:

HTC One Accessories (Engadget)

HTC One Hand-on (The Verge)

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

HTC's New York Event Live Blog Links

In just a few moments, HTC's New York Event is set to begin. If you're as enthusiastic as I am, head on to the following links to get live updates:

The Verge Live Blog
Engadget Live Blog
Technobuffalo Live Blog

I personally prefer The Verge's and Endgadget's because of the inline photo accompaniments, but Technobuffalo's broadcast features interaction with the readers which is also great.

High Res Photo of the HTC One Leaked!

HTC One  Alleged Press Photos

Just hours before the unveiling of HTC's make or break device, high resolution press photos of the HTC One were leaked online. The image above shows the device's basic design and features. The back design looks really sleek and attractive. It closely resembles a one-eyed Android or one of those minions from Despicable Me, if you ask me. Whether this is a fake or not we'll find out in a few hours.Stay tuned for more information on the device.

Further Reading:

HTC One Rumour Rundown 
Source

HTC M7/ One Rumour Rundown

HTC's  product reveal event is only a few hours away, and as to increase anticipation, conflicting leaks began dripping from various sources months before the event. Relying on the leaks alone, we already have a clear view of what HTC's new device might look like.

Design/ General Aesthetics 

The device design saw two possibilities. Initially it could have ended up looking strikingly similar to the OEM's 8X Window's phone, of course running a different operating system, sporting a bigger full HD screen, and battling odd decisions with its unconventional capacitive button positions. Other than that the 8X and the M7/One bear very minor physical differences. Rumours regarding this were dismissed as it turned out it was the pre-production version of the device.

 The HTC M7/ One could eventually look like, as some people would describe, the back of an iPhone 5 slapped with a screen. Personally, I choose to overlook the resemblance, but those rounded square corners do scream Apple's trademarked shape. Really, really iPhone-esque. Or Blackberry Z10-esque. Whatever suits your need. Just like the previous leak, this version battles the odd capacitive button positioning. Only this time, it's even more different. They chose to omit the multitasking button and then slapped their logo on it. It doesn't look like it'd would serve a double purpose though as it doesn't give the same "glow" as the two other buttons, so I'm guessing we'd all have to long press our way to multitasking possibilities. Let's just hope HTC's got this trick up in their sleeve. The HTC M7/ One does appear to have come up with the right decision by placing the speakers in front. No more cupping the back-facing speakers! This version of the device appears to be the more accurate render/ depiction of the device as it closely resembles HTC's press  release photos.

Device Name

Initially, and for a long time, the device was called the HTC M7. It was the internal code for the device, and for a long time it seemed like it was going the be the marketed name of the device. This idea was even more intensified when the word "M7" was simultaneously chanted in HTC's company party, where the company's CEO, Jay Chou, was seen testing out the M7's camera, or probably a prototype of what the device ends up being. A few weeks after though, as if to follow its previous line up's naming scheme, the device was brandished with a different moniker--the HTC One. Personally, I see it as an odd decision. Well, all of HTC's decisions are odd. Reports of the HTC One device name became more prominent with leaks from various resources, as well as an ad for the device seen in a football match prior to the release of the device. The US HTC site countdown also shows some enthusiasm every time the counter hits the number one in the second counter, turning green, and then showing ten second teasers of the device. If that's not proof enough for you, hold on a a bit longer. 

Device Specs

Display: 4.7 inch Full HD 1080p display (468ppi)

Processor: 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro

Storage: 32GB/ 64GB; non expandable storage

Ram: 2GB

Camera: 13MP ZOE Camera

Camera (front facing): 2MP

Battery: 2,300 mAh

OS: Android 4.1.2 with HTC Sense 5.0 UI

Unlike most upcoming Android flagship's the HTC One will be donning a 4.7" fHD 1080p screen, bumping the pixels per inch to 468, a tad bit higher than the current fHD 5-incher phones.(440ppi). The phone will be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, which despite being an older generation chip, (as S60 versions of the processor, which are said to be 40% more efficient than the previous, are being shipped already ) still packs quite a punch. Allegedly better than Tegra-3 and Tegra-4 processors. Memory on the device is standard. There will be two versions, either with 32GB or 64 GB on-board flash memory. Both will be supported by 2GB of RAM. 

In an infographic, HTC teases a new sound and camera experience on their upcoming flagship device. This would probably be the front-facing beats-audio speakers and their "gigapixel"camera. The camera, which is currently referred to as the ZOE camera, is said to boast three 4.3 megapixel camera censors layered on top of each other to produce sharper and more realistic images. Nothing aside these are known. Hopefully it's something amazing that it triumphs over Nokia's pureview camera technology.

The HTC One is going with a non-removable 2,300 mAh battery. If we're lucky, it could end up being enough to power the device throughout the day. Let's hope HTC's battery optimization features paves its way to a better experience.

The device is rumored to being shipped with Android 4.1.2 on board. It's not the latest iteration of the operating system, as 4.2.2 has already been released, but it should be enough to observe the buttery smooth experience. The OS would also be skinned with a fully redesigned HTC Sense 5.0 UI. Hopefully, it's lighter than the previous versions and ends up being an advantage, rather than a handicap.

Wrap-Up

HTC's new device is an exciting new addition to the Android flagship family. If HTC is lucky, this could turn their stagnant sales around. Hopefully, it delivers to our expectations.

Poweramp App Review

Known as the best music player for android.There are alot of Options.The App is trial only but its worth the $3 to buy the app!!
Developed by MaxMp

Key Features:
- plays mp3, mp4/m4a (including alac), ogg, wma*, flac, wav, ape, wv, tta, mpc, aiff (* some wma pro files may require NEON support)
- 10 band optimized graphical equalizer for all supported formats, presets, custom presets
- separate powerful Bass and Treble adjustment
- stereo eXpansion, mono mixing, balance
- crossfade
- gapless
- replay gain
- plays songs from folders and from own library
- dynamic queue
- lyrics support, including lyrics search via musiXmatch plugin
- embed and standalone .cue files support
- support for m3u, m3u8, pls, wpl playlists
- OpenGL based cover art animation
- downloads missing album art
- 4 configurable widget types
- configurable lock screen with optional Direct Unlock
- headset support, automatic Resume on headset and/or BT connection (can be disabled in settings)
- scrobbling
- tag editor
- visual themes, including support for external/3rd party skins
- fast library scan
- high level of customization via settings
-supports JB expandable notifications

ScreenShots

Download link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maxmpz.audioplayer Theme used: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ikorolkov.poweramp.skins.ics&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5pa29yb2xrb3YucG93ZXJhbXAuc2tpbnMuaWNzIl0.

Nexus 4 Review

The Nexus 4 Has been out for awhile now and I've decided to do a review.Pictures soon 

Hardware

The Nexus 4 Internals are very powerful

-1.5 Ghz Snapdragon S4 Processor Quad

-2GB Ram

-Adreno 320

-4.7inch. IPS Display by LG

-NFC

-8.1MP Sony BSI Camera , with LED Flash

-9.1mm

-139g ( feels lighter than the S3 tho!)

- 8GB or 16GB

....

Software

Android 4.2 Onboard with Google's Latest Offerings.

- Project Butter

- New Camera UI

- New Clock UI

- It's smoother.

- Quick Toggles.

etc.

Camera

The Camera takes excellent shots and is effective at producing good quality images. It's not really on par with the cameras such as Galaxy S3 but it's more - less the same to the human eye. The camera can capture 360 panorma and even lets you share it to add to google maps!.I have several shots for you to decide. Night Shots , Day Shots , Cloudy Shots.

Samples:

Performance

- Games work well such as Temple Run 1 , 2 , Fruit Ninja , Angry Birds... Epic Citadel Gives me 59.5 fps on highest settings. Theres no slow down in system thanks to 2gb of ram. Multitasking is great as the apps i open don't close.

Disadvantage

- The main disadvantage for me would be the memory space , Installing games already took half of my memory.

- The speaker on the phone can be blocked easily , if it isnt blocked , it produces a loud sound.

Advantages

- The Nexus 4 is a pure google device so you get the latest android releases from google much like i devices.

- The hardware build has a premium feel.

- The Flashlight on this phone is crazy! it can light up a whole room! It even lights brighter than a torch!

- Its a Nexus so the developer community is great , you have so many roms and kernels for the phone. Ubuntu OS may also be possible in the near future!

Final Verdict

The Nexus 4 is a great device for people . Its cheap , 299 , 350 in Play Store, but other places can be 450 or 499 , which is still cheaper than the S3 in some places for the hardware you get!

The Nexus 4 is a great device that can appeal to people who is a power user but may not appeal to average customers as the Nexus brand isnt well known around the world.

Alternatives?

The Optimus G is a good alternative as its more or less the same device.

The Galaxy S3 , Even though its ageing now , it's still a powerhouse

Xperia TX / Z / T / ZL , These devices are from sony has excellent cameras and has good performance. But to pay for sony is premium!

Thanks for reading my review.