WSJ: HTC begins outsourcing production
HTC has started calling on other companies to help build some of its products, reports the Wall Street Journal. Alleged, HTC has turned to Compal (Taiwan) and Wingtech (China) to manufacture its Desire family of phones. Designed to help cut costs, the move is likely a result of HTC’s Chairwoman Cher Wang’s more active involvement. HTC will continue producing the One line of smartphones in-house.
WSJ (subscription required)
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[VIDEO] UI Performance test between the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 is the test that we all want to See
The battle between Samsung and HTC flagship smartphones was first ignited between the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the original HTC One. Now, the battle has moved onto the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8, and the competition between the two is no less fierce. While the Galaxy S5 is predictably selling like hotcakes, the real question that Android buffs everywhere want answered is which device is definitively the best? Well, if we’re talking about performance and multitasking, Chris Nacca has put together yet another video as a UI performance test between the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5; check out the video below:
As with Chris’ previous video comparing the Nexus 5 and Galaxy S5, the One M8 and the Galaxy S5 are very evenly matched when opening apps for the first time, however, the real difference becomes very obvious when trying to multitask. The One M8 is far quicker than the Galaxy S5 with the Samsung device even looking laggy when trying to multitask quickly. Probably even more notable for those choosing between the One M8 and Nexus 5 is that the One M8′s multitasking menu looks far more useful based on the demo in this video. The real moral of the story, however, is that while the Samsung Galaxy S5 is on paper a faster device, its UI performance is still inferior to that of the HTC One M8.
Sense 6.0: 1, TouchWiz: 0
What do you think about the UI performance of both these devices? Are you surprised by the findings, or is this pretty much what you expected? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: YouTube
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HTC One (M8) Dot View case hacked to show more notifications
The HTC One (M8) was released with a very unique cover called Dot View which contains a bunch of tiny holes in the front allowing a user to view limited information from their device by simply double tapping on the front.
Traditionally, the information the user could view was limited to weather, missed calls, time, and any incoming messages.
However, Shen Ye has managed to open up the Dot View case to show more notifications when using the case. He posted a picture earlier today showing his HTC One (M8) protected by Dot View with a notification from Twitter.
Whilst he’s yet to share any information about how he managed to achieve this, and if it relies on root access or a hacked APK file, Shen Ye did say “Sense already hooks into social networking APIs, it shouldn’t be hard to get DotView to show those notifications.” It does therefore appear that it’s pretty easy to achieve, and consequently we’ll hopefully see something released into the wild pretty soon.
SOURCE: +Shen Ye
The post HTC One (M8) Dot View case hacked to show more notifications appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC hires marketing exec who led Samsung to smartphone dominance
It’s no secret, HTC has an image problem. Despite consistently creating some of our favorite phones, it’s failed to reach the heights of popularity of manufacturers like Samsung. That could soon change. In what is almost certainly not a coincidence, HTC has hired Samsung’s former Chief Marketing Officer, Paul Golden. The Verge confirmed the rumor, first picked up by Bloomberg, earlier this afternoon. Golden, who “created and launched the highly successful Galaxy brand for Samsung,” according to his LinkedIn profile, was reportedly hired on as a consultant to Chairwoman Cher Wang.
Among other achievements, Golden attributes his work on the Galaxy brand with “a 4X increase in market share (from 4.5% to 21.0%) in the strategically critical smartphone segment.” HTC has repeatedly pointed back to marketing as one of its weakest points. In 2013, CEO Peter Chou pointed to weak marketing as the reason for poor financial performance, and, as Bloomberg point out, Wang reiterated that issue on April 8th, saying, “We just have to communicate well with our customers. I believe if we can communicate better, we will do better.”
With Robert Downey Jr. holding down the cats and Golden’s ability to bolster the next big thing, perhaps it’s finally HTC’s time to shine.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, HTC
Via: Slashgear, Engadget Spanish
Android 4.4.3 for Sprint Nexus 5? Sense 6 Coming to Original HTC One! – Device Updates
It is Monday, so let’s see what devices are getting updated. Seems that there is a nice little update rolling out to the Sprint Nexus 5, which just might be the first Android 4.4.3 rollout, but no one seems to no for sure. Let us know if you see a “3″ in your update settings.
Device Updates
Original HTC One getting Sense 6
Verizon HTC One Max gets Android 4.4.2
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Original HTC One (M7) Will See Sense 6 Update in May
One thing that tends to cross a lot of our minds when a new device is announced and launched, is what will happen to the previous model. In this case we are talking about the original HTC One (M7). While there are plenty out there that don’t really care because they root and run custom ROM’s anyways, there are still plenty who have been happy with their device as is. HTC knows that not everyone will be ready to upgrade, or ready to drop a ton of cash, for the new HTC One M8. With that in mind, President of HTC America, Jason Mackenzie, let loose a tweet that let everyone know that American and Canadian version of the HTC One M7 will see a Sense 6 update by the end of May.
Reminder that Sense 6 will push to current HTC One users by end of May. #htcadvantage
— Jason Mackenzie (@JasonMacHTC) April 14, 2014
The tweet doesn’t give up a link to a detailed page of what features of Sense 6 will be making its way to the older device, but we are sure there will be a happy medium.
HTC has done a pretty good job lately getting older devices caught up and sticking to timelines. Let’s hope this one holds true and the carriers are on board to push it quickly and not hold it back.
How many of you still run stock and plan to keep holding on to your One M7 through May at least?
Source: Jason Mckenzie Twiiter
Via: Androidandme
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New Moto X Name Leaked?! Robert Downey Jr. Returns! – ManDroid Quickie
Ready for Android news quick status? Well sadly, this video is a little longer than I would hope, but at least you get your Android news. The Moto X successor might be upon us soon, which I am actually looking forward to seeing. Robert Downey Jr. returns promoting HTC products, which was a pleasant sight to see. Enjoy the show!
News Topics
Possible successor name leaked out
Android TV UI screenshots
Robert Downey returns
Google I/O registration pushed back
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Robert Downey Jr. Gets Serious in New HTC One (M8) Video
Remember when HTC announced that Robert Downey Jr. was going to show up in HTC commercials? Iron Man promoting the all metal phone seemed like it couldn’t go wrong. Sadly, it didn’t exactly go right, and many of us wondered how much longer Downey was going to continue his campaigns. Gary Oldman starred in the very first New HTC One commercial, and it took a more serious, yet funny approach. Today, HTC released a new video for the New One, and look at that: Robert Downey Jr.
There are no trolls washing cars in this video. No, Downey gets a little serious with you, because he wants you to get yourself the All New HTC One. So check it out, and let us know what you think about it.
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HTC M8 ‘Ace’ outed in photo leak
With the HTC One M8 hitting retail stores and carriers later this week, we’ve already started focusing our gaze on what’s next. Well, not entirely, but you get the point. Much like we had in the HTC One of 2013, we are expecting variations of the flagship device of this year. As such, rumors have started circulating lately for the so-called HTC One M8 Mini. Today sees another model joining the fray.
Called, for now, the HTC One M8 Ace, our first word of the device comes from ever-present evleaks. There’s no indication as to what is different about this model; it comes in red, though! Looking at the blurred photo we wouldn’t be surprised if this was more akin to a Max version.
We wonder what Samsung thinks of that “Ace” part of the name.
HTC M8 Ace pic.twitter.com/1KqrLA74Kp
— @evleaks (@evleaks) April 8, 2014
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Feedback Loop: Best Android phone, cameras in tablets, finding good deals and more!
Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There’s so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week.
Happy Saturday! Did you survive April Fools’ Day? We did and are here to bring you another edition of Feedback Loop. This week, we debated the merits of the Samsung Galaxy S5 versus the new HTC One, asked if cameras in tablets are a good idea, talked about how to find the best gadget deals online, sought advice on the best everyday cameras and wondered what’s up with these crazy luxury feature phones. Head on past the break and join the conversation in the Engadget forums.
S5 or M8?
Jaredhc is looking for a new Android phone. Two of the best Android phones out right now (or coming very soon) are the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the new HTC One. There are pros and cons to each one. Which would you choose?
Are cameras in tablets a good idea?
We’ve all seen people take photos with an iPad. Sure, it looks ridiculous, but it’s often practical, right? That’s what GF wants to know. Tell him how you feel about cameras on tablets in the Engadget Forums!
Best time to buy items online?
Brucedude is looking for some good deals and wants to know your tips and tricks for finding the best deals. There are the more well-known tools like camelcamelcamel. Are there other things that come to mind? Head over to the forums and help him out!
Favorite everyday camera?
Engadget Associate Editor Emily Price has her eye on the Fujifilm X100S. Do you have experience with the X100S? Can she throw it in a bag and carry it around all day or are there better options? Tell her your preferred camera for everyday use!
What’s up with luxury feature phones?
John Colucci takes a look at some recently announced luxury feature phones. Starting at $2,000 and offering fairly subpar specs, these devices leave a bit to be desired for your average smartphone user. Worst of all, you can’t even install the Engadget App on them! So, who would buy these devices? If you happen to be a Russian oligarch who reads Engadget (hey, that’s awesome), let us know what appeals to you about these phones.
That’s all this week! Do you want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
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