HTC 10 now available in the UK: Here’s everything you need to know

HTC’s 2016 flagship hits British store shelves from today, and we’ve got all the details.

Today marks the first day of official availability for the HTC 10. The Taiwanese company’s new flagship phone has been described as a “return to form” for the manufacturer, with a premium metal design, serious audio credentials and a camera to rival the Galaxy S7. If you’re thinking of dropping some cash on an HTC 10 today, we’ve got all the information you need down below.

Where to buy

The HTC 10 goes on sale today (May 6) at Carphone Warehouse, meanwhile carrier partners Three and EE still have the device up for pre-order. (The same applies to Carphone’s online-only arm, BuyMobiles.) Carphone has the phone in silver, gray and gold, with the gold option being exclusive to the retailer.

MORE: Where to buy the HTC 10 in the UK

Our HTC 10 review

The HTC 10 is HTC’s best phone in years, but it launches into a market packed with strong competitors, including Samsung’s Galaxy S7, LG’s G5 and the competitively priced Huawei P9. Nevertheless, HTC’s latest handset ticks a lot of boxes, with a premium metal design, clean, fast software and one of the best cameras on an Android phone.

For the full story, be sure to check out our HTC 10 review

MORE: The HTC 10 Android Central review

Watch our HTC 10 video review

Got a few minutes to spare? You’ll want to check out our extensive HTC 10 video review, where Android Central editor-in-chief Phil Nickinson goes over the broad strokes of this year’s HTC flagship from New York City.

MORE: Watch the HTC 10 video review

Check out our comparisons

The HTC 10’s biggest rival in the Android space is the Samsung Galaxy S7, a phone which has already won high praise from AC, other outlets and fans. And it’s also going up against the likes of the iPhone 6s and LG’s new G5.

• Spec showdown: HTC 10 versus Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Nexus 6P
• HTC 10 versus Galaxy S7
• HTC 10 versus Galaxy S7 edge
• HTC 10 versus iPhone 6s

Hit the HTC 10 forums!

There’s lots of great discussion over on the Android Central HTC 10 forums, as buyers around the world are starting to get their hands on the phone. Whether you’ve already got yours, or you’re simply weighing up your options, the forums are a great place to start.

MORE: Join the discussion!

Updated camera impressions

Unlocked European HTC 10s should already have the latest 1.30 firmware update, which includes several camera-related improvements. We’ve taken the updated HTC 10 camera for a spin, and you’ll find our updated impressions and sample photos linked below.

MORE: HTC 10 camera update and sample photos

Will you be picking up an HTC 10 today? Be sure to hit the comments and let us know!

HTC 10

• HTC 10 review
• HTC 10 specs
• These are the HTC 10 colors
• Our first photo and video samples
• Meet the Ice View case
• Join our HTC 10 forums

HTC
Verizon

Galaxy S7 Active breaks cover with AT&T branding

Samsung’s Level app hinted at a Galaxy S7 Active variant last month, and we’re now getting a first look at the upcoming handset in the form of leaked images. Based on the photos, the phone eschews the metal and glass finish of the Galaxy S7, instead featuring a rugged exterior made up of polycarbonate and rubber.

From Samsung Viet:

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy S7 Active will feature physical home, back, and recent buttons. The frame offers rubber padding around the corners, giving an adder layer of protection from tumbles. It is likely the phone will retain the military-spec MIL-STD-810 rating, making it resistant to extreme weather conditions.

The Galaxy S6 Active was exclusive to AT&T, and based on the branding in the leaked image, it looks like that will be the case this year as well. What’s your take on the phone from the leaked images?

You can now roam across Europe with Vodafone for free

Vodafone has followed in the footsteps of both Three and Tesco Mobile to offer inclusive roaming in select plans. Bundled with the UK mobile network’s Red and Red Value packages, the addition of included roaming allows phone users to text, call and access online services without incurring extra charges. There’s one slight downside to this addition, however, and that’s the limiting of data, which will vary by plan.

As noted by Engadget, should you be rocking a 12GB Red Value plan you’ll be able to use 4GB abroad at no cost while the 8GB Red Value plan will bag you 2GB of data. 4GB appears to be the most you can use abroad too, so there doesn’t look to be any way to overcome this limit. What is exciting about Vodafone’s new roaming across Europe is just how many countries are supported — 40 in total.

EU roaming charges are still set to be scrapped altogether in 2017, so this move by carriers simply makes it more convenient for customers in the meantime.

Supported countries by Vodafone’s European roaming include Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands (Jersey & Guernsey), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France (including Corsica), French Territories, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy (including Vatican City), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal (including Azores & Madeira), Republic of Ireland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

Huawei P9 is now available from Vodafone for just £300

The Huawei P9 is readily available from Vodafone. The UK mobile operator has the smartphone listed on a variety of plans, starting at £28 per month (£10 upfront fee) with 1GB of data. Alternatively, you can purchase the handset outright for £300. Should you be dead set on getting a plan too, you’ll want to look at the more expensive bundles for more data, like the Vodafone Red Value 5GB plan for £38 a month.

Forking out nearly £40 per month will also enable 6 months access to Sky Sports Mobile TV, Spotify Premium or a NOW TV Entertainment Pass. Vodafone holds exclusivity over the Quartz Grey variant until the end of June, which can be pre-ordered online or over the phone. This particular version of the Huawei P9 will be available on Vodafone on May 23.

See at Vodafone

Huawei P9 and P9 Plus

• Huawei unveils the P9!
• Huawei P9 and P9 Plus hands-on
• Huawei P9 specs
• Huawei P9 unboxing
• Join the discussion in the forums

O2
Vodafone
EE

Samsung Galaxy S7 Active tough phone is real, shown off in pictures

A rugged alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S7 has appeared online in photos following leaks that said it might be incoming. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active offers a tough rubberised alternative to the flagship smartphone.

Photos of the S7 Active leaked out of Vietnam showing the handset in a camouflaged finish with rubber bumper protection and physical buttons. This is thought to be the result of the AT&T partnership, which started with the Galaxy S4 Active back in 2013. That should mean this handset is aimed at the US market and will feature the necessary chipset to support local networks.

The Galaxy S7 Active reportedly can handle drop, dust and water damage to an IP68 rating, meaning very little need to worry or own a case since that’s about as tough as they come. This is thanks to a rubbersied bumped and polycarbonate build.

The S7 Active will feature decent specs when it hits American shores, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU backed by 4G of LPDDR4 RAM. Other specs are not forthcoming right now but expect more to be revealed as the tough top-end handset arrives in its intended market of the west.

Pricing and release date were not mentioned in the leak.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 review: The unsung hero?

Your Vodafone mobile now works in 40 countries for free

Vodafone has announced that it will be joining Three and Tesco Mobile in offering free roaming to its customers. That means you’ll be able to use your smartphone abroad without paying extra charges.

Roaming charges are due to be scrapped completely in the EU and, if we stay in, that should mean free roaming for all soon. Until then phone companies are cashing in early to look good. Three has been offering its free roaming for the longest and now Voda has joined the party.

Vodafone customers will be able to have unlimited calls, texts, picture messages and their monthly data allowance up to 4GB, all for free when roaming. This applies to Vodafone pay monthly 12 and 24 month Red and Red Value bundle subscribers.

The complete list of countries that this applies to are, deep breath:

Czech Republic, Denmark (inc. Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France (inc. Corsica), French Territories, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy (inc. Vatican City), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal (inc. Azores & Madeira), Republic of Ireland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (inc. Balearic Islands), Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

Prices that include roaming start from £18 per month for a 12 month SIM only deal.

READ: Best roaming plans: Which is the cheapest network?

5 fun Raspberry Pi projects you can do with your kids

Like the BBC Micro in its day, the Raspberry Pi mini-computer is an accessible way to get children and families into the world of computer hardware and coding/programming.

It costs around £30 and is about the size of a credit card. It can be plugged in to a standard monitor, keyboard and mouse, and fitted with an SD or microSD card on the latest Raspberry Pi 3. It enables families to take on all sorts of computing projects from the staggeringly simple to the complex.

There are a range of expansion modules (like the camera expansion) that can be added to the basic setup as well as different operating systems and languages that can be installed.

Raspberry Pi

These can sound complex, but if you know where to start, you and your family can not only enjoy yourselves learning the basics of computing together, you can actually end up with some incredibly useful creations.

Knowing which projects to take on is part of the initial battle, so here are some of our favourite ideas for getting the most out of your Raspberry Pi with the family.

Most, if not all, of the projects use software that comes with the generic operating system Raspberrian, so you shouldn’t need to add much more.

Raspberry Pi projects: Mod Minecraft

While Minecraft is frequently updated on consoles and tablet devices, the YouTube videos children like best often use custom modifications (mods). These add unique extra elements to the game, such as new graphics or gameplay.

Raspberry Pi

It’s not possible to do this on the console or tablet versions but the Minecraft Raspberry Pi Edition has it’s own programming language to let players experiment with their own modifications.

Using the Minecraft Application Programming Interface (API) you can write short programs that change how the game behaves. For example, you can alter how much gravity there is in the game world or how fast players can move.

There are a lot of forums and advice online to get you started.

This Getting Started guide is a good place to begin.

Raspberry Pi projects: Construct a computer

By its nature the Raspberry Pi is a computer you build yourself. By plugging in a set of USB peripherals and installing software called a Linux distribution (which includes Raspian and Pidora) the device becomes more than a novel play-thing.

Once set-up you can install simple word processors, spreadsheets and calculators. The Raspberry Pi is relatively limited in terms of power but is more than capable of completing basic tasks.

There are also some pre-packaged kits that provide not only the Raspberry Pi but the other necessary peripherals and even smart moulded cases. The Kano sets are a good example.

Having children complete assignments on a computer they’ve built themselves adds excitement to the project and offers additional incentives for school work.

Raspberry Pi projects: Build a weather station

One of the benefits of the Raspberry Pi being modular and running a range of different coding languages is that it can take advantage of wider computing projects.

A great project for families is monitoring the weather with your Raspberry Pi. By setting up your device with the Python operating system you can access modules to interact with USB weather stations (like Maplin’s touchscreen product) and collate data of the week’s weather.

This offers learning on a number of levels for children at home or in school. There are also a number of ways to extend the experience. For instance if you add a WiFi module to an older Raspberry Pi or use the one built into the Raspberry Pi 3 you could then send the information to other users to access online.

Raspberry Pi projects: Learn to program games

Children love playing games, but can assume that they are too complicated to make for themselves. However, the combination of setting up a Raspberry Pi device with visual programming languages, such as Scratch (which comes pre-installed as part of the Raspberrian OS), can open the door to children creating as well as playing videogames.

Scratch is a language available on a variety of platforms. You create the logic of your game by dragging and dropping simple elements together. This starts in basic terms but can scale to create complex experiences.

netduinoplusfun

Doing this on the Raspberry Pi enables you to expand the game beyond the screen to control a range of connected lights, motors and speakers via its General-Purpose Input-Output pins.

The combination of creating your own mini-computer and then using it to program games grants children ownership of both the hardware and software. This offers not only a lot of educational benefit but is a lot of fun.

Raspberry Pi projects: Create your own cloud storage

Taking things a step further, the Raspberry Pi can be used to introduce children to the idea of files and where they are stored. A key component of a modern computer, it’s important to consider whether data is on the local device or accessed online.

First you need to add some storage capacity to your Raspberry Pi device, either a high capacity SD or microSD card or USB drive. Once you have formatted the devices ready to store files (ensuring you don’t overwrite any important data), you can remotely access the drives via an SSH command using the Linux operating system on the device. Finally, using the Samba network sharing protocol (which is a free addition) you can setup access and users for the cloud storage.

The icing on the cake can be to then use Nagios server monitoring software to then monitor access to the home network. This teaches the importance of security and how other people can access data if it’s not protected online.

This project requires some careful reading and experimentation beforehand, to gain the sufficient knowledge of the different elements. Handled correctly though, it can introduce children to some advance computing techniques in a simple environment.

Conclusion

Getting the most out of any technology needs a little planning and a lot of parental involvement. The Raspberry Pi offers a great opportunity for a wide range of learning. As we’ve seen here this ranges from hardware to programming or even file protocols. By combining the technology with these fun real world projects families can get more from their investment in these devices.

You can find out more on how to create projects using Raspberry Pi, including in-depth instructions on several of the ideas above, at raspberrypi.org.

At internetmatters.org parents can find all the advice they will need to keep their children safe online. Designed specifically for parents, the site offers a wealth of up-to-date, unbiased information and advice about how to deal with online safety. Parents can learn about the latest issues and technologies, get great tips on how to talk about online safety with their children and get the best advice on dealing with issues and taking action. Created with experts, Internet Matters provides detailed information, but also signposts to best-in-class resources from individual expert organisations. Our goal is to ensure parents can always access the information that they need, in a format that is clear and concise.

Apple iPhone 7 in pictures: Renders and leaked photos gallery

Following the first reported drop in Apple revenues since 2003, this year, Apple is under pressure to perform. The iPhone 7 could finally see a drastic jump forward as the company tries to impress and pull back sales lost to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5.

Graphic designers are keen to future gaze into what the next iPhone might look like. So, a number of enterprising men and women keen to show off their design and graphics skills have started drawing what they envisage the iPhone 7 to look like.

Some of the designs are based on the ultimate wish list, while some take their cues from rumours. Others take inspiration from previous products created by Apple, such as the Apple Watch or the iPhone 6S.

Regardless of whether these come to fruition or not, it is impressive to see the work that goes into creating the iPhone 7 concepts. It is ultimately a way for these artists to showcase their work to a wider audience, and wow are some of them good.

Plus who knows, maybe Jony Ive and his team at Apple take this all in and use some of the tweaks and ideas to make a better iPhone in the future.

With renders and leaks coming steadily from the rumour mill we’ll keep you constantly updated right here on what the future iPhone 7 could look like.

Sadly, for us, we suspect that we’ll have to wait until September 2016 to find out whether these iPhone 7 concepts are anywhere near to the real iPhone 7 when it’s eventually announced, but it is still fun to imagine.

Click here to see our gallery of iPhone 7 renders and leaks