HTC One M7 running Android 5.0 Lollipop spotted [video]
The time for HTC to push out the Android 5.0 Lollipop to the masses must be nearing, because images keep appearing online. Today, we have something better than a few pictures, we have a live video of the HTC One M7 running the latest version of Android.
The YouTube user, who’s name is 雷禪 (Ray Chan), posted this video of his device running Sense 6.0 on the top of Android 5.0 Lollipop. HTC is expected to release the latest version of Android to their HTC One devices within 90 days of the official release; we are closing in on that deadline so expect more videos and pictures to emerge. The video can be seen below.
Via: Talk Android
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Video surfaces online showcasing Android 5.0 and Sense 6.0 running on HTC One (M7)
In a couple of weeks time, HTC will begin pushing out the eagerly-awaited Lollipop update to all unlocked variants of the One M7 and M8 located in Asia and Europe. However, a lucky user in China called 雷禪 has already received the upgrade on his device and has taken to YouTube to share it with us.
Hit the break for the full video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Video surfaces online showcasing Android 5.0 and Sense 6.0 running on HTC One (M7)
CES takeaway: smartphones and tablets
If you missed our coverage of CES 2015, that’s okay! As the event is coming to a close, we thought we’d take this time to go through the week’s top stories and roundup the biggest smartphone and tablet announcements we saw at the trade show. There’s a lot to recap here, so let’s jump right in.
Smartphones
LG’s G Flex 2
LG’s early announcement of the G Flex 2 was arguably the biggest announcement of CES 2015. LG’s first G Flex brought a ton of new features to the smartphone world, but it fell short in many critical areas. With the G Flex 2, it seems as though LG stepped up and really made this a device worth buying. It’s 5.5-inch 1080p curved screen, rear-facing 13MP camera and even the super attractive Flamenco Red color make it an overall killer device. What’s more, the G Flex 2 is the first smartphone on the market to tote the Snapdragon 810 processor.
Last year’s G Flex was really difficult to recommend to almost anyone, but this year’s iteration will definitely be one of the most interesting phones of the year, especially for those looking for something a bit more unique when it comes to form factor.
Read more:
- LG G Flex 2 hands-on and first impressions
- LG G Flex 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note Edge quick look
- LG G Flex 2 vs. LG G Flex quick look
The superphone/supercamera hybrid: Panasonic’s Lumix CM1
Panasonic was showing off their Lumix DMC-CM1 smartphone at CES, but it was announced at the tail end of last year. That didn’t seem to bother anyone though, because this camera smartphone can really pull its own weight. The phone itself has a 4.7-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 800 processor backed by 2GB of RAM, and it’s running Android 4.4 KitKat. But the phone isn’t the star of the show here, it’s the camera. Panasonic managed to throw on a huge 1-inch sensor, an f2.8 Leica lens and a 20MP sensor that truly makes for an amazing camera experience. To top it all off, there’s a smartphone attached to it? Sign us up.
When the device was originally announced, Panasonic made it very clear that this device was meant solely for the European market. Turns out it’s coming to the US on AT&T and T-Mobile to the tune of roughly $1,000 unlocked. It’s expensive, but we think it’ll be worth it for any photography lovers out there.
Read more:
- Hands-on with the Panasonic Lumix CM1
- Panasonic’s Lumix CM1 phone/camera hybrid is coming to the United States
The multimedia powerhouse: Saygus V2
The Saygus V2 (V squared) is probably one of the most talked about handsets to hit CES this year. It’s marketed as a true multimedia powerhouse that is perfect for anyone who values tons of storage and great speaker quality. The most notable feature of the phone is definitely that it can house up to 320GB of storage. No, the phone doesn’t have a massive hard drive. There’s 64GB of on-board storage, and two microSD card slots (maximum of 128GB each), equalling 320GB of storage. What’s more, the device features a removable 3100mAh battery, front-facing Harman Kardon speakers, a 5-inch 1080p screen and a Snapdragon 801 processor backed by 3GB of RAM.
This really is the phone for you if you’re into one of the best multimedia experiences you can get on a smartphone. We’ll have more to say about this device in our full review, but for now, we’re really excited about this device. Of course the fact that it is from an unknown handset maker might be a turn off for many folks, and it’s worth mentioning that no exact pricing has been announced just yet, though supposedly it will hit the hands of consumers in the next few months.
Read more:
- Hands-on with the feature-filled Saygus V2
- The powerful Saygus V2 supports up to 256GB of external storage
Asus Zenfone 2: The first smartphone with 4GB of RAM
Moving along, Asus also had a pretty big keynote at CES with their announcement of two high-end devices, one of which being the Zenfone 2. This device is such a hit thanks to its premium build quality, customizable software and unbeatable price point. There are three different variations of the Zenfone 2, all of which are at different price points. The “middle” device (the one featured in the above video) features a 5.5-inch 1080p screen and 2GB of RAM. The lesser of the three versions has the same screen size, but with a resolution of 720p and with 2GB of RAM. This device will cost less than the other two. The most powerful of the bunch, while no pricing information is announced yet, features a 1080p display and a whopping 4GB of RAM.
The three devices will be available beginning in March starting at $199 unlocked. There are a lot more specifications to cover with these three iterations, so follow the links below for more information.
Read more:
- Asus Zenfone 2 hands-on and first impressions
- Asus launches 5.5-inch Zenfone 2 and Zenfone Zoom, featuring 3X optical zoom
Asus Zenfone Zoom
Asus also unveiled the Zenfone Zoom alongside the Zenfone 2. As the name suggests, the Zoom is a camera-centric smartphone with a 13MP camera and 3X optical zoom, optical image stabilization and a laser auto focus system. While the device is quite bulky, it’s not as bad as other camera-focused smartphones out there. Overall, the 5.5-inch 1080p display and the sturdy build quality should suffice for anyone looking for a great camera experience on their mobile phone.
The Zenfone Zoom will be available in Q2 of this year starting at $399.
Read more:
HTC’s budget-friendly Desire 826
The Desire 826 is HTC’s next iteration in the Desire 820 line. Sure, the HTC One M8 and M7 were terrific smartphones, but HTC has really put a ton of effort into their mid-rangers lately. Many Desire phones are even considered to be towards the high end of the mid-tier, and the 826 is no exception. Much like the rest of the Desire series, the 826 is either glossy or matte plastic (depending on the color combination), and two SIM slots, a vibrant 5.5-inch 1080p display, and a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 processor. The big story here is HTC’s decision to move the cameras around a bit. On the 826, there’s a 13MP rear-facing camera and a 4MP UltraPixel shooter, instead of the other way around like we see on a few other Desire devices. This seems to be a really nice phone so far, and we’re looking forward to putting it through its paces in our full review.
The Desire 826 will be available later this year for China and other Asian markets, with the potential to roll out to other markets.
Read more:
- HTC Desire 826 hands-on and first impressions
- HTC Desire 826 vs. HTC Desire EYE quick look
- HTC launches Desire 826 with UltraPixel selfie camera
ZTE Nubia Z7
Last but not least, we have the ZTE Nubia Z7. Shown off alongside the Grand X Max+ and the Star 2 at CES, this is the most high-end device out of the three. It has a 5.5-inch QHD screen, a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 3000mAh battery and 32GB of on-board storage. To be honest, there are very few compromises when it comes to this device. Unfortunately, it’s set right now as a China-only release, and there’s no word yet of the Z7 making its way out of Asia.
Read more:
The devices listed above aren’t the only smartphones unveiled at CES this year. If you’d like our full coverage on other recently-announced phones, check out the list below.
- Lenovo announces 64-bit P90 and VIBE X2 Pro at CES
- ZTE Grand Max+ hands-on and first impressions
- Interview with Yota Devices at CES 2015
- Samsung’s Galaxy E5 and E7 debut in India today
- ZTE Star 2 hands-on and first impressions
- BLU has just announced seven low-cost Android handsets
- Kodak IM5 officially announced
- HTC desire 320 headed to the UK and Germany
- Acer announces 4G-capable Liquid Z410 smartphone
- Archos unveils budget-friendly 50 Diamond smartphone
- Alcatel Onetouch announces Pixi 3 series smartphones
Tablets
Fuhu’s television-sized kids “tablets”
Fuhu has released big tablets in the past, but none even close to this size. But at CES 2015, Fuhu announced some products to really expand their tablet lineup – 32, 43, 55 and 65-inch variants of their Big Tabs.
Fuhu is really pushing the “Internet of Things” movement, and would like their new Big Tab XL models to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment. There’s no mention of which version of Android these tablets are running, but the press release does say that they run “the latest Android software” and Fuhu’s groundbreaking Blue Morpho OS. All four of the new “tablets” will also double as televisions, which justifies the purchase a bit more. The two smallest models sport 1080p screens, 2GB of RAM and run on a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. The two biggest models both have 4K resolutions, 4GB of RAM and use NVIDIA’s new Tegra X1 chip. The tablets will go on sale sometime this year and will range in price from $699.99-$3,999.99.
Read more:
Arbor’s rugged Gladius 10 tablet
Arbor isn’t usually the name we think of when talking about Android devices, but the company has just announced the Gladius 10 rugged tablet. It’s meant specifically for warehousing, transportation, medical, and mobile point of sale applications.
The Gladius 10 features a 10.1-inch TFT LCD display with 1280×800 resolution with a Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coating. It also brings a MediaTek MTK8392 Octa-core Cortex A7 CPU, a Quad-core ARM Mali 3D GPU, 2GB of RAM, optional barcode scanner, a 13MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera and a dual-SIM card slot. On top of these already decent specifications, the tablet is also rated with IP65 protection, and meets the U.S. Military’s 810G standard for drops and other hazards. There’s no mention of the battery capacity in the release, but Arbor is quoting the tablet to have up to 10 hours of battery life.
The Gladius 10 seems like a decent tablet so far, until we get to the price. The tablet will go on sale in May of 2015 for $1,030, and can be customized to the user’s preferences.
Read more:
Archos 80b Helium tablet
Archos recently announced their new 80b Helium tablet, a 4G LTE-capable budget tablet for less than $150. Details are pretty scarce when it comes to this one, but we’ll definitely keep an eye out for more details. So far, though, a 4G-capable tablet for under $150 is bound to be a big seller.
Read more:
As much as people might want to disagree, I thought this year’s CES offered up a decent amount when it came to smartphones. We haven’t seen anything truly groundbreaking with smartphones in the past few days, but that surely doesn’t mean it was a bad CES. There are a few devices that are getting me excited, though.
First of all, I really like what LG is doing with the G Flex 2. It’s smaller, prettier and has specs that might give some other flagships a run for its money. LG hasn’t really had the reputation to skimp on their devices’ internals, and this year is no exception. It’s great to see them focusing hard on a smartphone that isn’t their “flagship,” and I really think more companies need to adopt that trend.
Other than the G Flex 2, of course I’m going to love the Lumix CM1… and I think you’d be crazy not to. It’s a relatively high-end device on it’s own, only with a super powerful camera on its back. Speaking of devices with cameras strapped to the back, the Zenfone Zoom isn’t half bad either. Remember when the Galaxy S4 Zoom launched? It seems like Samsung didn’t even try to make the phone compact in the slightest. We’ve absolutely come a long way since then… the Lumix CM1 and Zenfone Zoom are actually viable options for folks who want to take photography a little bit more seriously.
One device that stuck out in particular was the 65-inch Fuhu Big Tab. It’s an interesting concept, and makes me feel a little bit more like I’m living in the future.
CES 2015 wasn’t a year that pushed any boundaries with smartphones or tablets, but it was a trade show that needed to happen.
A tablet that doubles as a television… with a 4K display… and NVIDIA’s new Tegra X1 processor? Awesome. What’s not as awesome is the price, though. When the devices launch, prices will likely hover around the $700-$4,000 range. Prices aside though, while there likely isn’t a huge market for devices like this, the concept is still very intriguing.
CES 2015 wasn’t a year that pushed any boundaries with smartphones or tablets, but it was a trade show that needed to happen. A few companies bumped up the specs of their devices, sure, but we all knew these progressions would come in time. While 4GB of RAM, 320GB of storage, or even QHD displays on more affordable handsets are great, we all knew these were going to happen eventually. So, I’m not too upset or excited about this year’s CES, it has just made me more excited for what’s to come in 2015.
What were your most favorite/least favorite smartphones and tablets from the trade show this year? Did you think this was a particularly good or bad year for mobile devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
“RE” Camera app updated with live YouTube streaming
The strange periscope shaped “RE” camera from HTC now has an update to its android app counterpart that adds a significant new feature, live YouTube streaming. The update was released today after it’s recent announcement at CES 2015.
The RE doesn’t actually have any connection to the internet itself, so you’ll have to depend on your smartphone paired with the RE camera app to stream any content. With a 16 megapixel sensor, the RE should be able to get some decent video, though, the process of a video stream going through the RE, then through a smartphone and finally to YouTube can’t be good for quality or latency.
If you own the RE and want to start live-streaming, head over to the play store for the free update.
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HTC and Under Armor announces partnership
Yesterday, HTC on their news channel announced a partnership with Under Armour, the leading provider of fitness footwear, apparels and equipments. The deal was not foreseeable as HTC hinted no plans to dive in this niche anytime soon. HTC, with this move, plans to release a whole new lineup of fitness gadgets that are probably aimed at the existing markets of fitness freaks and obviously Under Armour consumers.
HTC will be making devices that will be working in close cooperation with the UA Record, the newest addition to the Under Armour Connected Fitness for which UA released both the app and website at the #CES2015. Both the companies have very close resemblance in their work commitments and values namely a strong sense of design and polish in their products.
Peter Chou, CEO, HTC commented, “Mobile innovation has completely changed people’s lives in recent years, making us more connected to our world than ever before. Now we want to help people be better connected with themselves, helping them to achieve their goals and gain deeper insight into their own lives to become the best they can be. By joining forces with Under Armour, one of today’s most exciting and ambitious leaders in empowering athletes, we are taking the first step on this journey and will provide consumers with a range of connected health and fitness products and services that no other brand can match.”
HTC have not commented on any tentative time period as to when we can expect the new products but it does say “soon”.
Robin Thurston, SVP, Connected Fitness, Under Armour also had some opinion regarding this deal, “HTC is renowned for its fearless commitment to innovation, coupled with an attention to detail and premium design that makes it the ideal partner for Under Armour and UA RECORD. By applying these shared values to our collaboration, we will allow athletes everywhere to take their performance to the next level in a more connected and intuitive way than ever before.”
I guess I will leave it there. You can sign up for the HTC newsletter if you want to keep yourself updated.
Source: HTC via PhoneArena
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Moving beyond ‘just mobile’: Where’s HTC headed in 2015?
At CES 2015 HTC unveiled the Desire 826, a decent mid-range device but not anything as impressive or exciting as the LG G Flex 2, which was easily the biggest Android-related announcement of CES. Like so many other players in the mobile industry, HTC is holding back its biggest announcements until later in the year, likely at MWC 2015. That said, HTC did talk a bit about its future plans, plans that go beyond mobile.
While HTC didn’t get into too many specifics, they did reveal that the HTC Re was just the beginning of a bigger push into connected devices that further improve our modern lifestyles. The first hints at this future can be seen in the recent announcement that HTC and Under Armour are partnering up, and they have even been working together already in secret for about six months. It’s unclear exactly what kind of fitness products this partnership will see, but it’s the beginning of a big change in direction for HTC.
The RE was HTC’s first attempt at thinking outside of the mobile box.
it’s the beginning of a big change in direction for HTC.
Of course, everyone seems to be doing fitness and so we aren’t surprised to see HTC get involved there. In addition to pushing forward into the fitness space, they also plan to move into connected home and connected entertainment segments. To further this endeavor, HTC is putting together an 100-person global business unit for connected devices and has brought on quite a bit of new talent in the process. As you’d expect, HTC is giving us few specifics on what kind of devices or connected “stuff” they are aiming to create in 2015, but we do know that these products will likely integrated into existing and future HTC products like the Re, as well as Android smartphones.
Thankfully we don’t have to wait too long for more clarification, as HTC promises it will reveal at least some of what all this means sometime in the first quarter of this year. Bottom-line, HTC believes that the company needs to evolve beyond its current approach if they want to continue down the path to fiscal recovery. But what about smartphones? Don’t worry, HTC is very committed to whatever comes next (though they didn’t divulge anything, to no surprise) and the rumor mill suggests good things for the HTC Hima, aka One M9. While on the subject, we hope to put together a rumor roundup for the HTC One M9 sometime next week — so stay tuned for that.
Based on the little bit we know, what do you think of HTC’s plans to expand into more connected products? Is this the best path for continued recovery, or is HTC better off focusing on phones only?
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Android 5.0 Lollipop for the HTC One M8 said to be “1-2 weeks” away
The last two major software releases have seen HTC boldly proclaim that they will bring the latest software to their flagship devices 90 days from the update’s release. Still well within the 90 days since November 30th, it has been rumoured that Android 5.0 Lollipop for the HTC One M8 is just “1-2 weeks” away. This […]
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HTC looking to expand in connected devices and entertainment in 2015
HTC is promising a stellar 2015 for consumers and with renewed growth from its mid-range devices and expansion in 2014, the company is looking to expand even further by diving into other areas of technology. At CES this week, HTC announced that it will be expanding into entertainment and connected devices (smart appliances, etc) while renewing its commitments in both wearables and digital imaging.
While HTC didn’t show anything off at CES, (be sure to check out all our CES coverage here) the first products of this new expansion should start rolling out to consumers sometime this year. As for as specifics were concerned, HTC was pretty vague.
Even with the expansion, the company faces tough competition from competitors like Xiaomi, Apple, and Samsung, and HTC will still continue to focus on smartphones. Even as it gradually moves into a more personal tech company versus that of a smartphone company. There’s concern about HTC expanding in light of this competition. However, as HTC’s VP of Creative Laps group told Re/code there really isn’t another option.
“That’s a fair question, but I think the reality is that we have to do these things,” he said. “Not because we’re going to run out of money at any moment but because no matter how well we do on the phones, we recognize that in the medium to long term, it’s important for HTC to be in these other categories.”
However, Bamford was aware of the risks and accepted them.
“It’s going to be very difficult, I think, for HTC to make great phones and great emerging devices and great software and services, but it’s just a challenge we have to take on,” he said. “And HTC has never shied away from risks and challenge, so we’re diving into it head first and we’re having a lot with fun it.”
HTC’s promising consumers that there will be surprises in 2015, this expansion could very well be a part of it. What are you hoping to see from HTC in 2015?
source: Re/code
Come comment on this article: HTC looking to expand in connected devices and entertainment in 2015
Android 5.0 update for the One M8 will start rolling out in 1-2 weeks
According to LlabTooFeR, who is well in the loop about HTC related information, the One M8 will start receiving its Android 5.0 update within the next two weeks. He mentions that EU and WWE (Worldwide English) regions will be the first to get the update, but there’s still no word on when the American carrier variants of the handset will receive the coveted update.
This is pretty much everything he mentions in his tweet with no word on whether there will be any new additions to the Lollipop ROM. But earlier leaks have given us a good idea of what to expect from the Android 5.0 ROM for HTC flagships, so there are barely any surprises left. While we expect there to be some Material Design elements with the ROM, HTC will maintain its stock theme and make some improvements to the look and feel of the home screen.
We expect to get more word on this new ROM over the coming weeks.
Source: @LlabTooFeR – Twitter
Come comment on this article: Android 5.0 update for the One M8 will start rolling out in 1-2 weeks
Monster sues Beats, Dr. Dre and HTC for fraud over famous headphones
Audio engineering company Monster has sued Beats, Dr. Dre and HTC over alleged “fraud and deceit” in the way that Beats acquired the rights to the popular “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones.
In 2008 Monster entered into a relationship with Dr. Dre and Beats to design and manufacture the now famous “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones. The headphones have been credited with single-handedly creating the $300-plus headphone market. Since 2008 the high-end headphone market has grown to over $1 billion and has led to other celebrity endorsed headphone products.
Had the partnership expired on its own terms, there would have been no transfer of Monster’s years of work on Beats By Dr. Dre.
Monster’s problem is that it was cut out of the partnership due to what it is calling a “sham” transaction with HTC. In 2011 HTC bought a 51 percent stake in Beats for $309 million. But according to the complaint Beats then quickly bought back half of HTC’s interest. It is alleged that Beats intentionally bought back the stock from HTC so that it was able to cut out Monster altogether via an ownership clause.
The result, according to the suit, is that Beats then continued to make millions of dollars from work done by Monster and its founder Noel Lee. According to Monster’s lawyers, “Had the partnership expired on its own terms, there would have been no transfer of Monster’s years of work on Beats By Dr. Dre.”
To complicate matters Apple bought Beats last year for $3 billion. Monster is claiming that Beats made misleading claims during 2013 when it said that there was no pending “liquidity event” (i.e. a major transaction). If Monster had retained its original stake in Beats then it would have received over $100 million from the Beats-Apple deal.
AIVAnet 