HTC’s Under Armour-connected Grip fitness band is experiencing delays
Remember that fitness watch HTC unveiled alongside its HTC One M9 flagship back in March? Let me refresh your memory.
At Mobile World Congress, HTC unveiled a fitness watch with a partnership with Under Armour called “HTC Grip.” The HTC Grip had a design similar to the Nike FuelBand and was to be targeted towards athletes or just anyone who remains active. The device wasn’t going to have a dedicated heart rate sensor, but it did promise built-in GPS.
We haven’t heard much about the watch until today. Apparently, the Grip is experiencing delays and won’t be released until the end of the year. So if you were in a hurry to get your hands on one, it looks like you’ll have to wait a little longer.
The following is HTC’s statement regarding the delay:
Through our partnership with Under Armour, we have continued to refine our vision and approach to the health and fitness category. Our goal is to offer best-in-class products for our customers and partners. After extensive wear testing and user feedback, we have decided to align GRIP with the entire product portfolio for health and fitness launching later this year. This will be a state-of-the-art comprehensive portfolio of products for this category powered by UA RECORD. We are excited to launch this new comprehensive product suite and will share further details as we get closer to launch.
Come comment on this article: HTC’s Under Armour-connected Grip fitness band is experiencing delays
These are the wireless controllers you’ll use with the HTC Vive
HTC’s virtual reality headset, the Vive, blew us away when we first tried it at MWC 2015. Back then, however, the company was using wired, 3D-printed controllers, which made the experience slightly cumbersome — considering that you’re expected to move around a dark room “blindfolded.” Thankfully, HTC has already put together a wireless pair for developers; each one features motion-tracking sensors, a trigger button, digital touchpad and a design that’s very reminiscent of the Wii’s nunchuks. Now, these controllers are still in their prototype stage, but they should give you an idea of what’s coming when the HTC Vive consumer edition launches.
Question for you: In terms of ergonomics, do you prefer this set or the Oculus Touch?
Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, HTC
HTC’s Grip activity tracker gets postponed, though its fitness goals aren’t all lost
Back at Mobile World Congress, HTC announced a wearable fitness tracker called the Grip in conjunction with Under Armour that was originally slated to hit shelves in the spring. Now that it’s summertime, many folks have been wondering why the fitness band has yet to launch. The company has finally shed some light on the situation, telling Engadget that it has no plans to ship the wearable we saw at MWC.
If you’ve been planning on picking up one of the devices, all hope isn’t lost, though. A spokesperson for the company said HTC has “decided to align Grip with the entire product portfolio for health and fitness launching later this year”. So, we might not see the HTC Grip launch in its current form, but in a newer, shinier variant alongside some other fitness-related products later this year.
HTC released this statement earlier today:
Through our partnership with Under Armour, we have continued to refine our vision and approach to the health and fitness category. Our goal is to offer best-in-class products for our customers and partners. After extensive wear testing and user feedback, we have decided to align GRIP with the entire product portfolio for health and fitness launching later this year. This will be a state-of-the-art comprehensive portfolio of products for this category powered by UA RECORD. We are excited to launch this new comprehensive product suite and will share further details as we get closer to launch.
Don’t miss: HTC’s product strategy – time to change?
We went hands-on with the HTC Grip in February, and from what we could tell, it didn’t really bring anything new to the table. Although it was incredibly well-built, just like most other HTC products, it failed to stand out from other fitness trackers that have already made their way to market.
As of now, we have no idea what HTC plans to do with the Grip line in the future. Could we see an improved second generation Grip, or will it be a completely revamped fitness tracker? Only time will tell, but for now, folks who were looking forward to the HTC-made wearable will have to wait.
HTC won’t ship the Grip after all, but its fitness ambition lives on
Hey, remember that time HTC built a fitness tracker (with a little help from Under Armor) and showed it off in Barcelona? The one that was originally slated for a Spring launch? Well, we’re knee-deep in Summer already, and the company just confirmed to us that it no longer plans to ship the Grip we’ve already seen. As a spokesperson put it, the company “decided to align Grip with the entire product portfolio for health and fitness launching later this year” after “extensive wear testing and user feedback.” In other words, the exact Grip we saw in Spain won’t hit the market, but something better will.
We’re not exactly sure what else will flesh out HTC’s new fitness gadget line-up, but the timing of all this is a little curious. An HTC fitness band just got its Bluetooth certification a few days ago, and while many assumed it was the original Grip, it just might be a second-generation wearable intended to pick up where the Grip left off. Either way, let’s take a brief moment to pour one out for the forerunner. It takes a certain amount of guts (or insanity) for a smartphone maker to take a stab at something so far-removed from its wheelhouse, and the Grip — with its curvy P-OLED screen and teensy internal GPS — seemed like a pretty solid first attempt. Still, “solid” can only take a company so far, and the competition in the glorified pedometer market these days is absolutely brutal. Maybe putting aside a freshman product so that a follow-up could shine even brighter was the right move after all.
Filed under: Mobile
Sprint details pricing and avaialbility information for the Desire 626s
It was only yesterday that HTC announced its latest mid-range smartphone, the Desire 626s, as part of a trio of new devices that are en route to the U.S., and now Sprint has revealed that it will launch the handset on its Prepaid tariff in just three days time, Sunday, July 19.
The Desire 626s will be available to purchase for $129 providing a customer takes out a fixed price plan. For $35, $45 or $55 per month users will receive unlimited talk and text together with 1GB, 3GB or 6GB of data, respectively.
In terms of performance, the handset packs a 5-inch 720p display, a 1.1GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 chipset, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable memory, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter and a 2,000mAh battery.
Straight out of the box, the device will run the latest build of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with HTC’s Sense 7 custom user interface plastered over the top.
If you’d like to find out more about picking up the Desire 626s on Sprint — hit the source link below.
Source: Sprint
Come comment on this article: Sprint details pricing and avaialbility information for the Desire 626s
The HTC One M9+ with 5.2-inch 2K display launches in Europe soon
When HTC first launched the One M9+ at an event in Beijing back in April, there were some that were disappointed that it wasn’t being made available worldwide. It would seem that it’s time to turn that frown upside down though, with HTC announcing today that it will be launching the One M9+ in Europe soon.
There aren’t any details on exactly when the One M9+ will be released in Europe as yet nor on pricing. It’s expected that the carriers and HTC will be making those details known in the coming weeks. The HTC One M9+ will be available in grey, gold, and the silver-on-gold combination.
Specifications:
- Android Lollipop with HTC Sense 7
- 5.2-Inch LCD with 2K resolution (2560 x 1440) 565ppi
- MediaTek MT6795T (Helio) Octa-core processor @ 2.2GHz
- 3GB RAM
- Front-facing camera: 4MP UltraPixel
- Rear-facing camera: 20MP Duo Camera
- 32GB Internal Storage
- Fingerprint sensor
- HTC BoomSound with Dolby Audio
- LTE
- 2,840mAh battery
- Dimensions: 150.9 x 71.9 x 9.6mm
As you can see, the One M9+ reverts back to using a Duo camera, with the main rear camera using the same 20MP sensor as the One M9. If you live in Europe, are you excited by the news that the One M9+ will soon be available?
Come comment on this article: The HTC One M9+ with 5.2-inch 2K display launches in Europe soon
HTC One M9+ launches across Europe
The HTC One M9+ has been going around the world for some time. It was first launched in Asia last April, and we even saw it come to the USA via major retailers, but our friends from Europe have been missing out on the action. Today HTC Europe blesses its fans with great news, letting them now the HTC One M9+ is finally being launched across the continent.
HTC One M9+ specs
- 5.2-inch Super LCD 3 2560x1440p display
- 2.2 GHz octa-core MediaTek X 10 Helio processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 32 GB of internal storage
- Duo camera (20 MP + 2.1 MP
- 4 MP UltraPixel front-facing camera
- 2840 mAh battery
- 151 x 72 x 9.6 mm, 168 grams
The HTC One M9+ may look similar to the flagship HTC One M9, but inside they are actually quite different. For starters, the processors are worlds apart. The One M9 uses a Snapdragon 810, while this phone carries a MediaTek X10 Helio. MediaTek is not exactly known for making the best chips, but they went above our expectations when we reviewed this handset. This is, after all, one of MediaTek’s best SoCs.
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It worked perfectly with regular usage, though we did notice a dip in performance when gaming. Quite a bummer, but I like to think this is more than about a single phone. MediaTek has been doing wonders, and are starting to grow by entering the high-end market. HTC taking a leap of faith on the company is a victory, and it says much about MediaTek, a processor manufacturer I personally believe we will be seeing a lot from in the future… even in the USA.
Another major difference is the choice of cameras. The One M9+ comes with that dual-camera set up we saw on the One M8. This technology proved to be unsuccessful attracting the masses, but we know some of you still loved the effects this set-up made possible, such as blurring out the background in your images. I must say I impressed a friend or two with it.
We can’t forget about the display! This is likely one of the things you will be most excited about. This handset sports a 5.2-inch QHD (2560x1440p) display, which is a huge upgrade in terms of resolution, when compared to the M9’s 1080p panel. Oh, and if you are a fan of fingerprint readers, the One M9+ has one of those too.
Aside from these changes, the HTC One M9+ is pretty much the same as the HTC One M9, which is definitely a good thing. This new smartphone benefits from the stunning metal design and unbeatable build quality HTC users have grown to love so much.
Pricing and availability
Sadly, we can’t tell you much about the HTC One M9+’s price and release dates in Europe, as this will be based on a market-by-market basis. The phone currently costs about $700 in the USA, though. We can’t imagine pricing will differ too much on your side of the world.
How many of our European readers are signing up for an HTC One M9+? Make sure to read our full review on the phone to get all the details before you fork out all that cash!
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HTC reaches past China, brings the tweaked One M9+ to Europe
Remember when HTC released a shiny new flagship, and then kinda-sorta outdid itself by releasing a much cooler version just a month later? At the time, CEO Cher Wang said the company had no plans to bring that very updated device — the One M9+ — to European or North American shores, but that’s officially no longer the case. HTC representatives just confirmed that the flagship will hit Europe, though at time of writing, we haven’t heard exactly which markets will get their metaphorical hands on the thing. Expect that to change really shortly.
In case your working memory isn’t what it used to be, the M9+ is different from its run-of-the-mill cousin in a few crucial ways. It packs a 5.2-inch Super LCD3 screen running at 2,560 x 1,440 instead of the original 5-inch 1080p panel, for one, and the 20-megapixel rear camera is joined by a smaller secondary shooter that enables those classic Duo camera shenanigans. The biggest change, though, is one you might not pick up on at first glance — HTC swapped out Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 for one of MediaTek’s 64-bit octa-core Helio chipsets with 3GB of RAM. Throw in a fingerprint sensor that bisects of the phone’s BoomSound speaker grilles and you’ve arguably got the phone the original M9 should’ve been in the first place. Now, what do we have to do to get these things in the States?
Filed under: Mobile
T-Mobile set to launch the HTC Desire 626s, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, and Core Prime on July 22
When it comes to affordable, low-to-mid range phones, many OEMs tend to skip the more developed markets like North America, and instead focus on key Asian territories. Indeed countries like India and China have become the new battleground of sorts, with everyone trying to expand their sphere of influence. Still, devices such as the Moto E have proven that keen shopping need-not apply exclusively to any one region or territory: everyone appreciates a good deal, especially when it entails solid offerings from respected manufacturers. T-Mobile is aware of this, and has plans to introduce three new phones on July 22nd:
The Galaxy Grand Prime
The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, originally released in October of last year and currently available on Sprint, features a 5-inch qHD (540X960) screen, a Snapdragon 410 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel wide-angle front camera set-up. The device is currently running Android 4.4.4 however it is expected to receive Lollipop eventually, at least with respect to international models. The Grand Prime will retail for just $189.
The Galaxy Core Prime
Another Samsung product soon-to-be-released, the Galaxy Core Prime, was originally released last November and currently sold in the USA from both Verizon Wireless and Sprint, features a 4.5 inch (480X800) display, Snapdragon 410 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and 2-megapixel front-facing module. The international model has been updated to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop however it is currently unknown as to if -or when- it will be updated beyond its Android 4.4.4 build in the USA, or if T-Mobile itself will ship it with Lollipop. The device will retail for $139.
The Desire 626s
T-Mobile will also launch the HTC Desire 626s, which has just been announced globally. It features a 5-inch HD (720p) display, 1.1 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 210 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The 626s will also include HTC’s BoomSound speaker design, a 2,000 mAh battery, and ship with Android Lollipop 5.1. It will retail for $169.
As specified earlier, all three devices will launch on the 22nd of this month, and coincide nicely T-Mobile’s new Family Plan deal that offers 4 lines of service, each with 10GB of LTE data, for the price of $120. Given the cost-efficient nature of this trio of offerings, they would make great choices for small children or even parents or grandparents that aren’t interested in the spec-wars. Will you be purchasing one (or all) of these devices? Let us known which and for whom in the comments below!
HTC Desire 626s coming to Sprint Prepaid on July 19th
HTC announced a new Desire line-up headed to the USA. These affordable handsets will be great for casual users across the country, offering a set of modest specs in a body that is worthy of admiration. The only caveat is we had no idea when these new smartphones would be released, or exactly how affordably they would be priced.
We have good news for you! The Taiwanese manufacturer didn’t take too long to spill the beans, nor are they delaying the actual launch of at least one of these phones. The HTC Desire 626s is set to hit Sprint Prepaid this Sunday, July 19th. Priced at only $129, it is in direct competition with handsets like the Moto E, Samsung Galaxy Core Prime and even one of its predecessors, the HTC Desire 510.
For those who need a reminder, the HTC Desire 626s is not a bad deal at this price point. It sports a Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage and a 5-inch 720p display. There’s also 8MP and 2 MP cameras in the front and back, as well as a 2000 mAh battery packed inside, which should offer plenty of battery life considering the specs the phone touts.
What makes this phone really stand out from the competition is the design and build quality, though. The phone offers a smooth soft-touch material that is pleasing to the eye. Like any other HTC handset, the Desire 626s happens to be built with some of the highest standards in mind. The phone is solid and doesn’t feel like it’s really made of cheap material, even if it has no metal surrounding it.
By the way, signing up for Sprint Prepaid won’t be expensive. The plans are pretty straight forward. They all offer unlimited talk and text, with the only differentiation being the amount of data the customer gets. You can pay $35 for 1 GB, $45 for 3 GB or $55 for 6 GB. Easy as pie!
So there you have it – the HTC Desire 626s is only a few days away for those on Sprint Prepaid. More news on these phones are sure to come relatively soon, so keep it tuned to Android Authority to see when new versions of the Desire series are hitting other carriers. Are any of you buying the HTC Desire 626s now that you know the price and release date?
The HTC Desire 626s from Sprint Prepaid priced at $129.99 (plus tax) will be available July 19 in Marshmallow White.
HTC Desire 626s features include:
•Android 5.1 Lollipop OS
•5.0-inch HD touchscreen display
•8MP rear-facing camera and 2MP front-facing camera
•3G/4G LTE/Enhanced LTE
•8GB ROM/1.5GB RAM
•200GB microSDHC card compatible
•2,000mAH battery
•1.1GHz quad-core processor
Visit www.sprint.com/prepaid <http://www.sprint.com/prepaid> and http://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-desire-626 <http://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-desire-626> for more information.
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