HTC Bolt launches in the US

The rumours were true and HTC has launched the Bolt Android smartphone in the US as an exclusive on the Sprint network and has some serious specs to go with it. It’s the first HTC smartphone to run Android 7.0 Nougat, with HTC’s Sense 8 UI laid over the top. To help market the new phone, Sprint has drafted in Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt.

• HTC Bolt the first to taste Android Nougat

It’s been built for Sprint’s LTE Plus network, which means it’s capable of download speeds up to 450mbps and upload speeds up to 50mbps thanks to a Snapdragon X10 LTE modem.

The Bolt is fashioned out of a single piece of aluminium and claims to be the first waterproof Android phone to be made from it. It has a waterproof rating of IP57, which means it can handle splashes, rain and being submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes.

On the front you’ll find a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 quad HD display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 2TB.

On the back there’s a 16-megapixel camera with laser focus and optical image stabilisation and support for 4K video recording. The HTC Bolt can handle hi-res audio files too, although to listen to them you’ll need to either connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a pair via the USB-C port, as there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack.

While the HTC Bolt may have initially launched in the US, there’s still a strong rumour to suggest it will make its way to Europe, Asia and Africa.

You can now ask Siri to send money using PayPal

PayPal has now integrated Siri into its app to make it easier to send money to friends and family when you owe them back. Instead of going into the app, typing in the amount and authorising it, you can now say “Hey Siri, send Mike £50 for the gig tickets using PayPal”. The app will then carry out your request and Mike will be happy he’s got his money back so soon.

• What is PayPal and how does it work?

Once you ask Siri to send some money, it will show the card on screen it will send money from. You can then say yes to send or no to cancel. If you don’t mention PayPal and have several payment apps installed then Siri will ask you which one you want to do.

Even though it’s only Siri on the iPhone that supports voice-controlled payments, the recipient doesn’t need to have an iPhone or iOS 10 installed – you will need iOS 10 to send money – but they will need an active PayPal account. If they don’t have one their phone will prompt them to set one up to receive payment.

You’ll need to make sure the recipient’s account details are stored within the PayPal app so Siri knows where to send the money.

The update is available now in 30 countries including the UK, US, France, Germany and Australia.

Make your HTC Vive VR headset wireless with this clever gadget

Of all the virtual reality headsets the HTC Vive (reviewed here) is the most technically impressive. The others are catching up, with Oculus soon to release its Touch motion controllers for Rift, but full body movement has been a feature of Vive since the beginning; there was just one major catch.

The thick wires out of the back of the headset make you look like Luke Skywalker in the Bacta tank at the end of Empire Strikes Back, but worse, they very much restrict movement. That’s not so great for a device where motion and freedom are mainstays.

Accessory company TPCast believes it has the answer, however. Supported by HTC itself, the manufacturer has made a Vive wireless upgrade kit. One part clips onto the back of the Vive headset, the other – a video transmitter – connects to your PC. All video and control commands are sent between the two wire-free, enabling you to jig about at your heart’s content.

• HTC Vive review: An experience that’s out of this world
• HTC Vive tips & tricks: How to set it up and solve any issues
• HTC Vive and HP Envy PC are a match made in virtual reality heaven

There are other solutions, such as the range of backpack PCs being released by some of the bigger computer firms, but nothing quite as liberating as the TPCast kit.

It is on pre-order at present, available through the Chinese HTC Vive website. It’ll ship in the first quarter of 2017, priced at 1,499 Chinese yuan (around £175). Sadly though, there are currently no plans to sell it in the UK, US or beyond. Hopefully that’ll change if it is popular.

Instagram is going to introduce live video

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom has confirmed the photo sharing service will introduce a live video in the future. He hasn’t confirmed when the feature will go live, but the feature has already leaked in Russia, where a user found out about the feature while testing a beta version of the Instagram app. 

• Here’s how Facebook just made ‘Live’ video exactly like Periscope, Snapchat
• Instagram just basically ripped off Snapchat Stories – and here’s how

Live videos will appear in the same banner as Instragram Stories at the top of your feed, but will be circled in red and have ‘LIVE’ written across them to help distinguish them from Stories. To start a live video you’ll have to go to the same video screen to record a story, but press a red ‘Go Insta!’ button instead. 

Systrom said in an interview with the Financial Times: “Live is really exciting for us. I think it can enhance what we’re doing,”

“If I’m trying to strengthen relationships with someone I love, them streaming video to me live would be an amazing way to be closer to them”.

Facebook, which owns Instagram, has had a live video feature for some time and it’s proven to be popular, so it’s hardly surprising to see Instagram do the same. Instagram introduced Stories in August 2016 as a direct rival to Snapchat, letting you share photos and videos into one continuous feed. Stories published last 24 hours and can be viewed several times, in a similar way to Snapchat Stories.

What better way to celebrate global madness than a $3K gold Trump iPhone

Donald Trump has just been elected as the 45th President of the United States, a result that has divided the nation and much of the world. That hasn’t stopped Russian company Caviar from making a gold plated iPhone 7 with Trump’s face engraved in it and charging over $3000 for it. It’s a fitting colour for the man who makes everything he touches turn to gold, quite literally, Trump Tower is covered in the stuff.

Caviar is calling the iPhone the Supremo Trump Changeover and it joins an extensive range of gold iPhones dedicated to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a model with an image of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.

The iPhone itself is the very same as one you can pick up in stores, and is available in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options. Caviar says the phone is [translated] “an expression of hope for a rapprochement between Russia and the United States and that of the benevolent words Trump and Russia will follow the actions that will lead to a change in relations between the great powers for the better”.

After the election, hackers target think tanks with phishing attacks

Now that the election is over, the Russian teams of hackers suspected of breaking into the Democratic Party’s systems have reportedly launched a new phishing attack on US political think tanks and non-government organizations. Incident response firm Volexity has compiled information on “The Dukes” (aka APT29 or Cozy Bear) that it believes are behind the attacks. This time around, they worked by posing as a Harvard professor, sending links to Microsoft Office Word or Excel documents that contained a macro used to install a malware downloader on that target’s computer. Once installed, it downloads a PNG file that has a backdoor embedded via steganography.

The emails contained headlines like “The “Shocking Truth About Election Rigging in the United States,” and went out over the last couple of days. Other security firms like CrowdStrike have previously named the attackers and linked them to Russia. Now, Reuters quotes AlienVault’s chief scientist Jaime Blasco saying “Probably now they are trying to rush to gain access to certain targets where they can get a better understanding on what is going on in Washington after the election.”

Source: Volexity

HTC Bolt specs: Snapdragon 810, 3GB RAM, 3200 mAh battery, IP57 resistance

HTC’s latest high-end phone is Sprint exclusive and has an interesting combination of specs.

The Bolt doesn’t necessarily swing for the fences with all of the top-end specs, but rather has a mixture of the latest line items along with some (somewhat puzzling) last-gen components. The biggest head scratcher is the older Snapdragon 810 processor and just 3GB of RAM, which both fall short of the modern standard for late 2016. On the other end you get a great, big, high-resolution display, high-end camera specs and IP57 water resistance, together with BoomSound speakers and extra audio tuning through the USB-C port.

Here’s the complete spec sheet for the HTC Bolt.

Sprint-exclusive HTC Bolt unveiled: 5.5-inch screen, USB-C audio and the fastest LTE speeds

A bigger, lower-specced yet still intriguing version of the HTC 10 is coming exclusively to Sprint.

After a good amount of leaking, Sprint and HTC have unveiled the carrier-exclusive Bolt, a new phone that borrows much from the HTC 10 but ups the ante a bit with a larger screen, new software and deep integration with Sprint’s latest network technologies. Sprint is selling the Bolt based on a headline feature of its network capabilities, where it supports Sprint’s 3x CA (carrier aggregation) LTE for the highest possible speeds of any phone from the carrier.

Network speeds aren’t the only thing people consider when making a phone purchase, though — actually, that’s probably nowhere near the top of the must-have list. Thankfully the Bolt has other redeeming qualities. It starts with a full-metal build that’s perfectly sculpted just like the HTC 10, though slightly tweaked with a flat back and overall larger footprint. That hides a 3200 mAh battery, and includes a Super LCD 3 screen at 2560×1440 resolution with Gorilla Glass 5 covering it.

There are also two firsts here for HTC. The body is IP57 dust and water resistant meaning it can withstand 30 minutes in up to three feet of water, just like much of the competition. The Bolt is also shipping with Android 7.0 Nougat, along with some well-known HTC Sense customizations.

More: Complete HTC Bolt specs

There are just a couple of curious spec choices here.

The interesting and puzzling part of the HTC Bolt is its odd combination of specs. Though it has a nice display on front, the aforementioned metal body, waterproofing and the latest software, it’s using a decidedly last-generation Snapdragon 810 processor and just 3GB of RAM. It also has a standard camera setup without the extra UltraPixel features, and lacks a traditional 3.5 mm headphone jack in exchange for USB-C audio.

Sprint is offering the HTC Bolt for $599, though the big advertising push will be that it’ll set you back just $25 per month for two years. That’s definitely on the higher end of what most will be looking to pay for a phone that doesn’t have all of the latest specs inside, but it is a small step down from the likes of the Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 edge and even the HTC 10, which will remain on sale from Sprint. The Bolt is available right away at Sprint stores and online.

Press release:

Blazing Speed Meets Stunning Design With the New HTC Bolt™

Built for the Sprint LTE Plus Network, HTC Bolt is Sprint’s Fastest Smartphone Ever

SEATTLE – Nov. 11, 2016 – A blaze of lightning across the sky. A world-class sprinter dashing across the finish line. Stunning speed is thrilling, exhilarating and empowering – and like a lightning bolt or sprinter, speed was the inspiration for HTC, a leading innovator in mobile and virtual reality technology, to create HTC Bolt: the fastest Sprint smartphone. Built for the extraordinary Sprint LTE Plus network – with support for 3×20 MHz Carrier Aggregation1 thanks to the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X10 LTE modem – and available to purchase beginning today, HTC Bolt blazes with data speeds that leave the competition in the dust.

With HTC Bolt web browsing, file downloading, streaming video and music is smooth and vivid. Sharing photos and videos with friends seems to be almost instantaneous and online gaming races like never before.

Forged from glass and metal, HTC Bolt is a dramatic evolution of HTC’s “sculpted by light” design. It features a 5.5-inch Quad HD (2K) display and it is the first water-resistant aluminum unibody Android phone2, along with more precise contours and a flatter back for sharper contrast that catches light beautifully. Bold, chamfered edges are carved out of Gunmetal or Glacier Silver3 metal to make the 3.7mm side cut look and feel slimmer than ever in your hand. HTC Bolt also introduces HTC BoomSound® Adaptive Audio earphones that tailor sound to your ears’ unique structure for a truly personal audio experience.

“The HTC 10 released earlier this year was the most advanced smartphone we’ve ever built, so we knew we had to raise the bar even higher for Sprint’s most advanced ever network,” said André Lönne, president of HTC America. “For HTC Bolt, we took everything that was so great about the HTC 10 and made it even better. We took the award-winning design and made it water-resistant. We took the awesome audio and made it more personal. And, of course, we took the wireless speed and supercharged it with Sprint, turning HTC Bolt into a smartphone unlike any you’ve ever experienced.”

HTC BoomSound® Adaptive Audio tuned to you

HTC Bolt features HTC BoomSound Adaptive Audio, which scans your ears and the ambient noise around you to adjust audio output to suit your personal hearing capabilities. Just plug in the USB Type C headphones (included) and, almost instantly, you’ll experience music and movies with thundering bass and pitch-perfect treble that sound clearer than you believed possible. In addition, Hi-Res audio delivers 24-bit sounds as you would hear it in the movie theater, nightclub or concert hall.

Sharper shots in a snap

Whether you’re in town or out hiking, incredible moments can happen when you least expect them, so HTC Bolt’s 16MP camera, supported by the Snapdragon processor, has OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) to reduce camera shake and capture sharp photographs and 4K video even in low light. With a quick camera launch time and an ultra-fast autofocus of 0.3s with Phase Detection Auto Focus, you’ll be sure to capture the perfect shot every time.

Selfies are great, too, with HTC Bolt. An 8MP front camera with Auto HDR means vivid details will bring out your smile and the environment behind you. Super-wide panorama mode lets you capture your whole family and an expansive background, and an integrated screen flash ensures shots look great in low light.

Power, convenience and customization

Running the latest Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, HTC Bolt offers all the powerful features you would expect from the latest flagship smartphone, including split-screen view, quicker multitasking, free unlimited photo storage with Google Photos™, and Google Duo™ video calling preloaded.

HTC Bolt’s built-in fingerprint sensor lets you unlock your phone at the touch of your finger – in as little as 0.2 seconds and lets you lock and unlock apps using Boost+. Even better, Boost+ also keeps your phone in top condition by cleaning up junk files and dynamically allocating resources like phone memory as required, ensuring your phone runs smoothly and efficiently.

HTC Freestyle Layout frees you from an on-screen grid and lets you customize your home screen. Drag icons, stickers and widgets anywhere, layer them, overlap them, group them and more. You can even link stickers to apps, or just get rid of on-screen icons entirely.

Power users can rejoice that all these features are supported by a powerful 3,200mAh battery, enough for up to a day or more use on a single charge. If you need to recharge quickly, HTC Bolt features Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 2.0 technology for fast charging4. Load up on photos, videos, movies and games with the HTC Bolt’s 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space5, expandable with optional SD cards for up to 2TB of space so your storage needs are covered now and far into the future.

HTC Bolt hands-on preview: A solid phone that struggles to move the needle

The Bolt is a fine phone, but it isn’t going to move the needle for HTC or Sprint.

HTC has had a rough couple of years in terms of smartphone releases. Though it has put out a few compelling products, its high-end phones seem to come up just short while its mid-range phones are often too expensive for what they offer. Now with a partnership that tapped it to build the Pixel phones for Google, HTC is leaning back toward its roots as an ODM making phones in tight concert with other companies.

Just like the good old days, HTC has struck an exclusive deal with Sprint to make the Bolt — a one-off phone that has ties to the HTC 10, while differing in a few was and integrating tightly with Sprint’s network technology and software. Even though Sprint carries both the HTC 10 and One A9, the Bolt is the new top-end device for the carrier to be pushed through the holidays and hopefully give a little bump to the HTC brand. After a couple days with the phone, here’s an early look at what you can expect from the HTC Bolt.

Talking hardware

HTC continues to just nail the hardware on its phones, and even though the Bolt is definitely a derivative work of the HTC 10 it’s still impressive. The solid metal build is perfect, the buttons are clicky and the vibration for haptics and notifications is strong. The Bolt is big and a bit on the bulky side, particuarly in how wide it is for a 5.5-inch phone, but it looks handsome and feels great. In typical HTC fashion, I’m not worried about this phone being fragile. That continues onto the front where Gorilla Glass 5 covers the display.

HTC always nails the hardware and design.

The display itself is a 5.5-inch Super LCD 3 at 2560×1440 resolution. The screen is bright and super crisp with great viewing angles, though I have to note that it isn’t quite as saturated and striking as the AMOLED panels we’ve started to grow accustomed to. That could be a good thing for you, though, and if you like the more accurate colors the Bolt has you covered. Below the display you get a great one-touch fingerprint sensor that can wake the phone from sleep without turning the screen on first — and it’s flanked by capacitive navigation buttons, which always seems to be a divisive design decision.

Though it doesn’t have any advanced features or “UltraPixel” branding, the Bolt does have a pretty capable set of camera specs. The 16MP sensor pairs with an f/2.0 lens, OIS, phase-detect autofocus and dual-LED flash. It has an auto HDR mode, and shoots 4K and 120fps slow-mo video.

The Bolt is HTC’s first water resistant phone as well, with an IP57 rating. That may seem like it’s well behind the IP68 rating of other phones, but it really isn’t — IP57 means the Bolt is resistant to dust ingress, and can also survive 30 minutes in up to three feet of water. Nobody would ever purposefully leave their phone in liquid that long, and the Bolt will handle every splash and dunk you’re likely to put it through.

A couple decisions put dark marks on an otherwise interesting phone.

Though HTC wouldn’t draw a direct correlation between the two features, you’ll also have to note that the Bolt doens’t have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Audio is handled by the USB-C port, and HTC includes a really nice pair of USB-C headphones in the box — but doesn’t go so far as to include a USB-C to headphone jack adapter. Because the headphones have a digital connection it lets the Bolt recognize them and offer automatic software tuning for better sound, including analyzing ambient noise to tweak levels. (Interestingly enough, though, the included headphones didn’t work on either my Pixel or LG V20.)

Everything up to this point sounds good, right? Now, let’s talk about the … odd decisions made in the HTC Bolt. HTC and Sprint decided to saddle this otherwise high-end phone with an old Snapdragon 810 processor and pair it up with just 3GB of RAM, falling well behind the current-level 821 or even the 820 found in the HTC 10 from April. The processor (mostly undeservedly) gets a bad rap for overheating and having other issues, but no matter your feelings on the chip itself, you’ll feel a bit hard done by spending $600 on a phone that doesn’t have anything near the latest processor inside and skimps a bit on the RAM.

And then software

So with that older chip inside, how is performance? Well, thanks to HTC’s great software tuning it’s actually pretty good. This is the first phone from the company running Android 7.0 Nougat, and HTC’s generally light Sense customizations feel just fine when incorporated with the latest Android software. Scrolling and opening apps is expectedly fast and smooth, but slightly more advanced things like launching Multi Window and switching between apps or using the camera heavily points out shortcomings in the hardware.

Sense works in concert with Nougat, and then Sprint gets involved.

Android 7.0 Nougat works here much like you’d find on other phones with the software, but with the addition of familiar HTC interface paradigms in the lock screen, launcher and keyboard. Outside of those areas the only changes are subtle ones to icons. HTC does a great job of sparing you from duplicate apps between its own offerings and Google’s, leaving you with a single app for each function. I appreciate that.

Because this is a Sprint-exclusive phone you’re going to be faced with some deeper-than-usual Sprint software customizations as well. The Bolt is pre-loaded with a Sprint-themed icon pack, a Sprint wallpaper and about 20 or so pre-installed apps. Thankfully the visual changes are all just part of the deep HTC Themes app and can be tweaked to your liking. Sprint continues to be pretty liberal when it comes to letting you uninstall about half of its pre-installed apps, but many — like the seven (7!) Amazon apps — can’t be removed.

More to come

The HTC Bolt is coming to Sprint for $599 — or, as will be heavily advertised, $25 per month. That slots it $50 under the HTC 10, and much further under the Galaxy S7 edge and Pixel XL. But the Bolt is very clearly a lesser phone in many ways as well. It gets so much right in the hardware and many of the specs and features, but misses the mark with a couple of odd internal spec decisions that don’t necessarily hurt the experience but will be considered before someone can drop $600 on a phone today.

Stay tuned to Android Central for a full review of the Bolt soon.