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ICS-powered HTC Desire C up for pre-order in the UK
By GSMArena, published 17-05-2012
The HTC Desire C, which was officially announced on Tuesday, is now up for pre-order on the UK retailer Clove's website. The Desire C is one of the first entry-level smartphones to feature the latest version of Android 4.0, and has some competitive specs to boot. For £189.99 you'll get a 3.5" HVGA display, 600MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage and a 5MP shooter. The version which...
HTC Desire C benchmarked ahead of release
By GSMArena, published 16-05-2012
Constantly in the limelight these days, the HTC Desire C just won't keep out of the headlines. The smartphone is not even released yet, but curious (and lucky) fellow journalists have already put it through its paces with the usual benchmark routines. The Desire C is no high-end device and it's perhaps as low spec'd as Android Ice Cream Sandwich would allow. Yup, the nifty smartphone runs...
Specs for HTC Ville C leak, a cheaper One S with Sense 4.5
By GSMArena, published 16-05-2012
The rumor mill can no longer gossip about the HTC Desire C after it went official yesterday, but the HTC Ville C has come to fill its place. Ville, if you recall, was the codename for the HTC One S and according to the rumors, the Ville C is a cheaper version of just that phone. According to the leaked specs, the Ville C will have an "ultra slim" body (though it's not clear if it will be as...
HTC Announces Desire C: Pocket-Sized Android Phone
By DigitalVersus, published 16-05-2012
With its 3.5-inch screen, the Desire C is HTC's latest entry-level handset, due to land in May in red, black or white. The Desire C runs on Android Ice Cream...
HTC Announces Desire C: Pocket-Sized Android Phone
By DigitalVersus, published 16-05-2012
With its 3.5-inch screen, the Desire C is HTC's latest entry-level handset, due to land in May in red, black or white. The Desire C runs on Android Ice Cream...
HTC Desire C is a budget ICS droid with Beats Audio
By GSMArena, published 15-05-2012
After a number of leaks, the HTC Desire C (previously known as Golf and Wildfire C) went official today. It bears some resemblance to the HTC Explorer, but it's actually more of a One series smartphone. HTC Desire C is an ICS phone on a budget The Desire C runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 4.0 on top out of the box. It also features Beats Audio technology (no headphones...
HTC Desire C first press shot and specs leak on Vodafone
By GSMArena, published 13-05-2012
The HTC Desire C is not a stranger anymore. We've seen it star in not one, but two blurry photo sessions. However, this is the first time we get to see it in its proper attire - via a leaked press shot. Obviously, Vodafone Portugal jumped the gun on this one and included it in its May catalog even before the thing was announced. Leaked specs and photos are the bread and butter of this job,...
HTC Desire C spotted in the wild once again
By GSMArena, published 05-11-2012
The HTC Desire C, previously known as Wildfire C or Golf, leaks once again in live pictures. This time it was spotted on the Orange Romania Facebook page. Someone there apparently decided to take pictures from the Marketing's team office and post them on Facebook. The HTC Desire C can be found in two of those pictures. Enjoy! HTC Desire C The Desire C is rumored to feature a...
HTC Wildfire C live pictures are here, to be called Desire C
By GSMArena, published 05-09-2012
We first heard about HTC Golf back in March, thanks to a leaked camera sample. Then we saw a believable enough official render and we heard the phone would be called Wildfire C. What we got today is the first live pictures of the device. It looks just like in those rendered images, but packs a different paintjob. Also, the image source claims, the smartphone will be called Desire C instead of...
HTC announces three new Desire phones for the Chinese market
By GSMArena, published 14-04-2012
HTC has announced a trifecta of Android phones for the Chinese market - the VT T328t, VC T328d, and V T328w. Each of these phones will be sold under the Desire brand name and will be on different carriers. All these phones phones have similar hardware and will also come with Android 4.0 and Beats Audio. HTC VT T328t The list of specifications include 4-inch, 800 x 480 S-LCD, 1GHz...
Desire S and Desire HD get unofficial Android 4.0 port
By GSMArena, published 04-10-2012
xda-developers member 'proxuser' has been busy for the past few weeks working on an Android 4.0 port for the Desire S and the Desire HD. The ROM that he has managed to port over is actually an HTC One V ROM that was leaked a few weeks ago. Considering the hardware similarities between the One V and the Desire duo, it makes sense to have the One V ROM ported over to these phones, which is...
HTC releases the list of handsets that will get Android 4.0 update
By GSMArena, published 14-03-2012
After providing vague estimates for some time now, HTC has finally come clean with the full list of handsets that will be receiving the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. The lucky phones that will be getting the update are as follows. DROID Incredible 2 by HTC HTC Amaze 4G HTC Desire S HTC Desire HD HTC EVO 3D HTC EVO Design 4G HTC Incredible S HTC Sensation HTC Sensation...
ITC Bans Select HTC Phones From Import Into The U.S.
By HotHardware, published 19-12-2011
Yikes! On a day already filled with wild mobile news (AT&T and T-Mobile breaking up, anyone?), here comes another bombshell. The International Trade Commission has just ruled in favor of Apple in a patent dispute with HTC. The result? A ban on select HTC phones imported in the U.S. The decision reportedly stated that "HTC violated two...
Video shows HTC Desire running ICS fairly well
By phoneArena, published 17-12-2011
This news may end up annoying some Nexus One fans out there, but there is a new video out showing an HTC Desire running an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM, and running it fairly well...
Hands on: Orange San Francisco 2 review
By TechRadar, published 15-12-2011
We've often wondered how there can be such a disparity in price between the decent high end phones, and the handsets that cost a fraction of the price, but deliver a comparable experience - and the Orange San Francisco 2 looks set to further complicate matters.With it's large WVGA screen, 800MHz processor and around £100 to buy, we're already very impressed with this re-badged ZTE Blade 2 - but how does it fare under use?The first thing you'll notice is the San Fran 2 looks a lot like a Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo - so much so, that if it weren't for the in your face labelling, we'd have trouble telling them apart.The chassis is decked out in black plastic, and looks pretty premium in the hand - well, apart form the slightly cheap San Francisco II labelling at the top, which makes the phone ...
Updated: 50 best free Android apps
By TechRadar, published 15-12-2011
Best free Android apps: 1-25OK, so the Android Market is more akin to Lidl or Asda than the iPhone's enormous, indulgent Selfridges-at-Christmas time approach, but the open source nature of Google's OS means there are plenty of apps for Android to be found.Most of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. So here's our pick of the top free Android apps you should install.And you can find more great apps at Top 150 best Android apps. Also why not check out our video of the top 10 free Android games?brightcove : 9719988620011. SeesmicThere are many Twitter apps on Android - and Twitter itself shook up the scene with the launch of its own-brand app recently - but we're sticking with Seesmic. Offering support for multiple accounts, a home pag...
Updated: Top 10 best iPhone alternatives
By TechRadar, published 14-12-2011
The iPhone 4S has been a massive success, selling tens of millions of units all over the world, but it's not for everyone and there are some great iPhone alternatives.In particular, if you want something larger or smaller, or with a physical keyboard, Apple won't be able to help you. Similarly, if you want something more customisable or with widgets, you'll need to look elsewhere.There are plenty of other manufacturers producing some great devices, however, so you don't have to look far for some worthy iPhone alternatives. So here are our 10 favourites, in no particular order. Of course, these aren't the only phones on offer – keep your eye on our top 20 mobile phones list for more great options. 1. Samsung Galaxy S2 What we think: What can we say? Superfast dual core processor, superla...
HTC Desire HD, Incredible S, ChaCha, Wildfire S get Android 2.3.5 update
By Thinkdigit, published 14-12-2011
HTC is rolling out the Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread update to its smartphones including the Desire HD, Incredible S, ChaCha and Wildfire S. HTC has also announced Sense 3.0 update for its smartphones, excluding the Wildfire S and ChaCha. According to a GSMArena report, HTC UK has confirmed that the Android 2.3.5 update for the aforementioned smartphones. The update is likely to come with varioius bug fixes and optimisations. HTC Turkey had posted a timeline and list of devices that would be gettin [...] Read the entire article
Desire S, Desire HD, Incredible S Get Android 2.3.5 and Sense 3.0
By DigitalVersus, published 13-12-2011
Desire S HTC will be updating its Desire S, Incredible S and Desire HD smartphones with Android 2.3.5 and with version 3.0 of HTC's own Sense graphic user interface.... Read more...
HTC Desire HD, Incredible S and ChaCha getting Android 2.3.5
By GSMArena, published 12-12-2011
We reported a couple of days back that HTC is seeding the 2.3.5 Gingerbread update to the Incredible S with the Desire HD in the waiting list. HTC UK have confirmed that the 2.3.5 update has been released in the UK for the Incredible S and Desire HD, which will get some good Sense 3.0 loving along with all the bug fixes and optimizations in the update. While the update has been...
Review: HTC Explorer
By TechRadar, published 12-01-2011
Overview, design and feelThe HTC Explorer is a dinky little thing. Pebble-shaped and mainly covered in hard-wearing rubber with a metallic embossed panel on the battery cover, it's amusing to see HTC equate 'first smart phone' with 'as potentially unbreakable as possible'. That said, we've been known to drop some pretty nice kit in our time, so maybe it wasn't the worst idea in the world to cushion the HTC Explorer somewhat.Still, it's small - with a 3.2-inch screen - it's chunky - at 12.9mm thick - and it has a nice weight behind it that suggests a solid build...108g of weight, to be exact. With its curved back and rounded edges, the HTC Explorer sits very nicely in little hands, but larger paws might find it a bit too small. Looks-wise it won't win any awards, but it feels durable, which...
Review: Updated: Nokia Lumia 800
By TechRadar, published 18-11-2011
Overview, Design and FeelUPDATED: We've now updated the software on our review device to match that available at release for consumers, so take a look at our updated findings, complete with star rating.The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone handset to spring from the Microsoft / Nokia tie-up announced in February, and we've got our hands on an early sample to check it out.The Nokia Lumia 800 shares its exterior styling with the previously substantially less hyped Nokia N9, a Meego-based smartphone, although the screen size is reduced from 3.9" (854x480 pixels) to 3.7" (800x480 pixels) to conform to the Windows Phone spec list. brightcove : 1276810377001The CPU, however, increases from the 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 to the 1.4GHz MSM8255 Snapdragon/Scorpion which certainly helps add...
Review: Updated: Nokia Lumia 800
By TechRadar, published 18-11-2011
Overview, Design and FeelUPDATED: We've now updated the software on our review device to match that available at release for consumers, so take a look at our updated findings, complete with star rating.The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone handset to spring from the Microsoft / Nokia tie-up announced in February, and we've got our hands on an early sample to check it out.The Nokia Lumia 800 shares its exterior styling with the previously substantially less hyped Nokia N9, a Meego-based smartphone, although the screen size is reduced from 3.9" (854x480 pixels) to 3.7" (800x480 pixels) to conform to the Windows Phone spec list. brightcove : 1276810377001The CPU, however, increases from the 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 to the 1.4GHz MSM8255 Snapdragon/Scorpion which certainly helps add...
Review: Updated: Nokia Lumia 800
By TechRadar, published 18-11-2011
Overview, Design and FeelUPDATED: We've now updated the software on our review device to match that available at release for consumers, so take a look at our updated findings, complete with star rating.The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone handset to spring from the Microsoft / Nokia tie-up announced in February, and we've got our hands on an early sample to check it out.The Nokia Lumia 800 shares its exterior styling with the previously substantially less hyped Nokia N9, a Meego-based smartphone, although the screen size is reduced from 3.9" (854x480 pixels) to 3.7" (800x480 pixels) to conform to the Windows Phone spec list. brightcove : 1276810377001The CPU, however, increases from the 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 to the 1.4GHz MSM8255 Snapdragon/Scorpion which certainly helps add...
Review: Updated: Nokia Lumia 800
By TechRadar, published 18-11-2011
Overview, Design and FeelUPDATED: We've now updated the software on our review device to match that available at release for consumers, so take a look at our updated findings, complete with star rating.The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone handset to spring from the Microsoft / Nokia tie-up announced in February, and we've got our hands on an early sample to check it out.The Nokia Lumia 800 shares its exterior styling with the previously substantially less hyped Nokia N9, a Meego-based smartphone, although the screen size is reduced from 3.9" (854x480 pixels) to 3.7" (800x480 pixels) to conform to the Windows Phone spec list. brightcove : 1276810377001The CPU, however, increases from the 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 to the 1.4GHz MSM8255 Snapdragon/Scorpion which certainly helps add...
Video: BlackBerry Curve 9380
By TechRadar, published 16-11-2011
BlackBerry's Curve 9380 is aimed at a younger market – bringing all of the social networking tools and BBM that its target audience desires and adding in a touchscreen. Billed as the first "all-touch Curve", the 9380 boasts a 3.2 inch high-res display and a 5 megapixel camera. And, as you would expect, it also bring the BlackBerry 7 OS with all the improvements to past versions of RIM's operating system You can check out our BlackBerry Curve 9380 video below: brightcove : 1278776765001
Video: BlackBerry Curve 9380
By TechRadar, published 16-11-2011
BlackBerry's Curve 9380 is aimed at a younger market – bringing all of the social networking tools and BBM that its target audience desires and adding in a touchscreen. Billed as the first "all-touch Curve", the 9380 boasts a 3.2 inch high-res display and a 5 megapixel camera. And, as you would expect, it also bring the BlackBerry 7 OS with all the improvements to past versions of RIM's operating system You can check out our BlackBerry Curve 9380 video below: brightcove : 1278776765001
Review: Nokia Lumia 800
By TechRadar, published 11-07-2011
Overview, Design and FeelThe Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone handset to spring from the Microsoft / Nokia tie-up announced in February, and we've got our hands on an early sample to check it out.We have to point out at the start that this is a pre-production sample from Nokia, and as such further features will be added – it's close enough to completion that we can give you a good idea what the phone is all about, but in line with TechRadar's reviews guarantee, we won't be giving the phone a score until the final software is releasedThe Nokia Lumia 800 shares its exterior styling with the previously substantially less hyped Nokia N9, a Meego-based smartphone, although the screen size is reduced from 3.9" (854x480 pixels) to 3.7" (800x480 pixels) to conform to the Window...
Review: Alcatel One Touch 990
By TechRadar, published 31-10-2011
Overview, design and feelSome phones are all about power; others affordability. Alcatel's One Touch 990 (or OT-990) falls firmly into the latter category, as you'd expect given the company's reputation as a purveyor of budget phones. So the question we're asking here isn't what exciting tech helps this rival Samsung's Galaxy S2, HTC's Sensation, Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc, or any of the other powerhouses in our 20 best mobile phones list.Rather we're concerned with whether it's money well spent. Especially when the world contains the likes of Orange's budget titan, the San Francisco. If you read our review of it, you'll know we lost our heart to that phone because of its amazing competence given its paltry cost. Other rivals worth bearing in mind are the INQ Cloud Touch, which excels at so...
HTC Q3 Earnings Show Big Boosts In Shipments And Profits
By HotHardware, published 31-10-2011
Quarter-end earnings reports have been rolling out profusely over the past week or so, and HTC's keeping the profit wheel turning with their latest results. The Taiwan-based smartphone maker saw net income soar to NT$18.68 billion (around $624 million)in this quarter, which represents a 68% increase over Q3 2010 and a 7% jump over last quarter....
Updated: 20 best mobile phones in the world today
By TechRadar, published 28-10-2011
Best mobile phone: OverviewWhat's the best mobile phone? Our verdict on the best smartphone / best phones - constantly updated We've all got at least one mobile phone each, right? The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best one for you?If you've read our list of the hottest pre-release new mobile phones and are still stumped, well, this is where we make it easy. Because here we have our continually-updated comparison of the top 20 best smartphones you can get in the UK.The last update saw the Samsung Galaxy S2 nabbing the top spot - the combo of Android 2.3 and a beautiful screen in a tightly packaged body saw it head straight to the top of the pile.But now Apple has finally brought out another version of the iPhone (if you want a sneaky peek, you can read our iPhone 4S review) so ...
Review: Nokia 700
By TechRadar, published 25-10-2011
Overview, design and feel?The Nokia 700, touted as the world's smallest smartphone, is dropping as part of a trio of Nokia handsets (the 600, 700 and 701) running the new Symbian Belle interface. And it is indeed small. It's slim. It's quite sleek too, and many other 'S' adjectives as well. The thin frame holds a 3.2-inch AMOLED ClearBlack touchscreen, 5MP and VGA cameras, an external speaker hugging the bottom curve, and all this in only a 92g, 9.7mm-thick phone. It's pretty swish.The smooth battery cover has a brushed steel finish that feels smooth to the touch, encasing the 5MP camera with LED flash and - happily - a tiny clip, meaning no scrabbling around to get the cover off.There's an almost miniscule camera soft key on the right side, plus a lock button and slightly longer volume ro...
Ice Cream Sandwich coming to 'as many HTC devices as possible'
By TechRadar, published 24-10-2011
Having been burnt by Android upgrades in the past, HTC has had a good look at Ice Cream Sandwich, aka Android 4.0, before committing to upgrading as many handsets as it can. The company's latest statement speaks of its caution in promising too much Android 4.0 action too soon. It reads: "Since Google unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich earlier this week, HTC has been looking closely at the new OS's features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans. "We're a recognised industry leader in providing fast and consistent upgrades to our Android devices, and Ice Cream Sandwich will be no different."Upgrade slave"Upgrades require a careful balance of hardware and software to ensure the best possible performance and usability, so please stay tuned as we assess our product portfolio...
Review: HTC Titan
By TechRadar, published 10-12-2011
Overview, design and feelHTC is doing fairly well right now. From the days of making (not so great) Windows Mobile handsets for networks, it's found its identity and is now riding high with a hugely recognisable brand around the world. Android was its saviour (and still is) but Windows hasn't been forgotten. HTC was the first to roll out Windows Phone 7 devices when they launched in the UK last year. And, true to form, it's in the lead with Windows Phone 7.5 devices too. The HTC Titan is one of its two first Mango-powered handsets - the other being the Radar. So, what's in a name? Well, quite a lot actually. The Titans were giant beasts from ancient Greek mythology. So by giving the phone a name like this, HTC's certainly aiming high. And you see that as soon as you take the HTC Titan out ...
Buying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?
By TechRadar, published 10-11-2011
Our constantly updated list of the best HTC phones.So you've decided that HTC is the brand you want to spend the next 24 months of your life with - but that's not the end of the quest.You have a plethora of devices, price points and operating systems to choose from and it can all get a little bewildering. But which is the best HTC phone for you?Thankfully TechRadar is on hand to help you out - check out our run down of all the HTC phones around at the moment:HTC SensationOS: Android 2.3 With the HTC Sensation comes a dual core flagship HTC phone to stand against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the LG Optimus 2X. Coming in at a similar price point to its smartphone rivals, the HTC Sensation is a premium handset: solid, with a 4.3inch screen and weighing in at around 150g. It'll set y...
Hands on: HTC Sensation XL review
By TechRadar, published 10-06-2011
Hands on: HTC Sensation XL review: HardwareAs the Sensation line continues apace, HTC has supersized its popular Android handset with the 4.7-inch screened HTC Sensation XL. It's the first handset to be built with the Beats audio enhancements from day one (unlike the Sensation XE where the hardware was enhanced afterwards), and is HTC's first real chance to prove that its stake in Beats by Dre audio is more than just cash for cred. So can the HTC Sensation XL delight our ear holes as well as functioning as a high-end smartphone? We went hands on to find out….The Sensation XL is a little familiar. Not only has HTC recycled the name, but the body of the phone is pretty much exactly the same as the Windows Phone flavoured HTC Titan. So we're looking at a large 4.7-inch Super LCD screen, whi...
HTC Desire S welcomes Gingerbread 2.3.5 and Sense 3.0 with arms wide open
By Thinkdigit, published 10-04-2011
HTC Desire S initially was launched with an Android version 2.3.3 Gingerbread and the HTC Sense UI 2.1 out of the box. After a long wait and much anticipation, HTC has now introduced an overdue update for it – Android 2.3.5 and Sense 3.0 UI. Over its predecessor the Desire S did get minor hardware upgrades, which majorly included better GPU, larger amount of RAM and ROM, and faster connectivity. The update has been noticed amongst users in the UK, who have been getting notifications as po [...] Read the entire article
HTC Desire S gets Gingerbread 2.3.5 and Sense 3.0
By GSMArena, published 10-02-2011
We first met the HTC Desire S at MWC in Barcelona, back in February earlier this year. As the natural successor to the HTC Desire. We saw performance improvements in terms of a better GPU, bigger amounts of RAM and ROM, and faster connectivity, but that aside, the step up wasn't as dramatic as we'd have liked. Once it launched, the Desire S came running Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 and HTC's...
Galaxy S2 dominates most desired current phone poll
By TechRadar, published 23-09-2011
The Samsung Galaxy S2 appears to have overtaken the iPhone 4 as the most desirable phone on the market, with TechRadar readers voting overwhelmingly for the Android handset. Responding to a question about what phone readers would replace their current mobile with, the S2 and iPhone 4 were clear leaders - picking up 70 per cent of 5,391 votes between them. But it was the Galaxy S2 that topped the poll with a massive 47 per cent of the vote, miles ahead of Apple's handset on 23 per cent. iPhone 5Of course, when the iPhone 5 is formally unveiled in the next couple of weeks, we'd expect the phone weather vane to spin quickly back towards the Apple camp. Third place on 11 per cent was the HTC Sensation, with Sony Ericsson's recent mini-renaissance illustrated by equal fourth place and four per ...
Updated: 40 best free iPhone games on the planet
By TechRadar, published 23-09-2011
Best free iPhone and iPod touch games: 1-20It's safe to say that Apple's given the gaming industry a square kick in the tender regions. Despite their bluster, dismissing Apple in every way possible, Sony and Nintendo are both clearly concerned by the meteoric rise of iPod touch and iPhone as handheld gaming devices. Although great games are the driving force behind the success of Apple gaming, low prices have also helped. Most 'premium' titles cost six quid or less, and many developers end up in a race to 59p, thereby providing games that'd cost 20 quid on a rival platform for the price of a Kit-Kat.But what if you've spent your last penny on your shiny Apple object of desire? Can you get great games for nothing at all, or is the 'free' section of the App Store full of the kind of games th...
Updated: 10 best touchscreen phones for 2011
By TechRadar, published 21-09-2011
10 best touchscreen phones for 2011Our best touchscreen phone article is constantly updated.Quite simply, touch screen technology is the innovation we now expect to see in some shape or form from every new smartphone that launches. Swapping a button-bashing existence for a softer sensing interface we can press, swipe, pinch and zoom, means we can now do a little bit more than simply stare into that pint-sized screen of ours.If the only QWERTY keyboard you want to see on a daily basis is the one nestled next to your office computer, here's our pick of the best touchscreen smartphones available right now in the UK.1. Samsung Galaxy S2The Galaxy brand has restored our faith in Samsung's ability to make great phones, and with Google's Android OS and some impressive touchscreen technology, the ...
Strange and weird Android commercial features dancing phones
By phoneArena, published 09-07-2011
Ever see a dancing phone pinch and zoom itself in the mid-section? If you answered in the negative you must get a glimpse of this strange commercial for Android; some of the dancing phones include the HTC Desire, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and the Samsung Galaxy S...
Review: BlackBerry Torch 9860
By TechRadar, published 09-06-2011
Overview and designIt's taken a ridiculously long time to come, but this is it. This is the one. After the clickable screen of the BlackBerry Storm 2 and the touchscreen-with-slide-out-keyboard shenanigans of the original BlackBerry Torch, RIM has finally released a proper touchscreen smartphone.No ands or buts – the BlackBerry Torch 9860 is a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, and that's it. Granted, the iPhone managed a similar-ish feat in 2007, but RIM's insistence in holding on to the designs that made it big in the first place have held it back from this moment.This 3.7-inch touchscreen the largest RIM has ever made, it's also the highest resolution, with a handy 480 x 800 pixels on display. Which is good, because you want the new BlackBerry OS 7 to look its best, don't you?Powering t...
HTC ChaCha: Singing a soothing tune [Review]
By Thinkdigit, published 09-06-2011
A true middleman, the HTC ChaCha sits right between the Samsung Galaxy Pro on the lower-end and the HTC Desire Z at the top. It’s a QWERTY + touchscreen – a combination that was once rare. However, whether manufacturers are really ensuring equal attention to usability of both touch and keypad-based functions is something we’re skeptical about. Look & Feel Straight off, the looks of the phone will catch your attention. While there is nothing very different, there are these [...] Read the entire article
Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro
By TechRadar, published 09-05-2011
Overview, design and feelSo, just as Sony Ericsson accompanied its X10 Mini with the X10 Mini Pro in 2010, this year's excellent new Xperia Mini is now accompanied by a heavier, sturdier model of the same size, the Xperia Mini Pro. The new smartphone also has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for those of you still stubbornly refusing to go 100% touchscreen. The internal hardware has been updated from last year's X10 Mini Pro, with three fairly big specification upgrades. The Xperia Mini Pro now features a larger 3-inch screen, a 1GHz processor powering the mobile phone, plus the up-to-date Android 2.3 operating system. There's a small price premium for the QWERTY keyboard. While the Xperia Mini is currently selling SIM-free for around the £200 mark, the Xperia Mini Pro is on offer from £240. ...
Tutorial: How to root and hack your Android phone
By TechRadar, published 09-04-2011
How to root and hack your Android phoneWhen Google unveiled Android, it hoped it would make good quality, touchscreen smartphones accessible to everyone. To achieve this, it took the unprecedented step of making its new mobile OS open source, encouraging anyone to contribute - users and manufacturers alike. This aspect means not all Androids are equal, and the same handset can behave differently depending which network you got it from. A typical side effect of network customisation is a noticeable drop in performance. Some networks don't let you access the Android Market, instead limiting you to their ecosystem. Other operators stuff their phones so full of extras that their handsets slow to a crawl. Why hack? There are alternatives to just putting up with what your operator has shovelled ...
Review: Updated: HTC Evo 3D
By TechRadar, published 24-08-2011
UPDATE: We've now re-reviewed this phone for the UK market, so check out our findings below.It seems like there are a bazillion Android phones on the market, which means any phone with a brand new feature seems like a colossal improvement. The latest of these big steps forward was the 'glasses-free' 3D screen on the LG Optimus 3D. Now splashing down is HTC's Evo 3D, with 3D features intended to be less alarming those on the Optimus 3D.We've got a cheeky little video of the HTC Evo 3D if you want to see the phone in action ahead of our full and in-depth review:In fact, at first glance, you might mistake the Evo 3D for any other slightly chunkier Android phone with a bright screen and HTC's Sense user interface. The problem is that the Android line-up has recently moved on to greener pasture...
Updated: Top 160 best Android apps 2011
By TechRadar, published 19-08-2011
While Android doesn't feature the same volume of apps in its Marketplace as iPhone users are used to, there are still loads of great Android apps to download.Whether you're after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we've rounded up the top Android apps for 2011 in the articles below.40 best free Android appsMost of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. These 40 free Android apps should be any Android owner's Day One installs...Read 40 best free Android apps40 best free Android gamesWe've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.Read 40 best free Android games10 best Android apps worth paying for Don't panic because we're mentioning money here - the average ...
Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini
By TechRadar, published 18-08-2011
Before the arrival of Sony's Ericsson's new Xperia Mini, the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro were an odd little couple, launching in mid-2010 with Android 1.6 and a bespoke and heavily-customised user interface on top.They weren't amazingly powerful phones and their 2.55" screens were shockingly small - but Sony Ericsson did a good job of maximising the available space with its corner-based interface. The same system has returned in 2011's updates, albeit improved thanks to Sony Ericsson's developers having another year to fiddle with the interface and add more new layers of social integration. We've got some real-life footage of ACTUAL people using the phone - check it out if these grouped-together letters are too much:The new Xperia Mini is available SIM-free for just over the £200 mark, with...
Opinion: Did LG save Android before it began?
By TechRadar, published 18-08-2011
The name LG could have been as synonymous with Google's OS as HTC, according to an article on Android founder Andy Rubin.The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has published a look at the rise of the operating system - and the most interesting fact claimed is that LG backed out of a deal to be the primary partner for Android in 2007.HTC brought the first three Android phones to market and now enjoys a status as one of the world's largest smartphone makers, whereas LG is struggling to make waves in the same industry.It's an interesting point of conjecture - did LG lose out, or did Google and Android really win big by not having the Korean firm as a primary partner? I'd have to go with the latter - we've seen LG's propensity to make sub-par phones when it comes to user interfaces (S...
The U.S. Patent System Is Killing Innovation
By MaximumPC, published 17-08-2011
HTC sued Apple over mobile patents today. Again. Pretty soon Apple will likely sue them back. Again. Shrug. Throw it on the pile. And while the patent Cold War continues to heat up, weep for the real casualty: innovation. I'm not a lawyer. Hell, the last time I watched Law & Order, Jerry Orbach was still flashing badges. But I am someone who's watched the tech industry eat away at itself for years now, playing the world's most expensive tower defense game with bought and sold ideas. Patents are hoarded like gold and brandished like swords. Which would be fine and good, if they were protecting old products and not destroying the new ones. As we've said before, the problem today isn't really good ol' fashioned patent trolls. They're shakedown artists, sure, and that's despicable, but at...
HTC Desire S: Truly Desirable? Maybe not [Review]
By Thinkdigit, published 16-08-2011
With the Desire S, HTC has taken a longtime favourite from its stable and upped it a few notches with next generation components. The phone packs in some of the most advanced hardware innards available in the Android landscape (when it comes to single-core options). The next generation Qualcomm MSM8255 SoC offers the 1 GHz snapdragon at its heart making it zipper than before and the 768 MB RAM ensures enough memory for tackle multi-tasking with ease. So where does it falter in a typical pre-buyi [...] Read the entire article
Review: Vodafone 555 Blue
By TechRadar, published 08-12-2011
With social network-'addicted' teens and a global Facebook population greater than that of the United States, bringing out an affordable PAYG Facebook-integrated feature phone should be a sure bet, in theory. But then we also know that there are lies, damned lies and statistics. So, is the Vodafone 555 Blue as sure a bet after all?Well, for a basic feature phone, the Vodafone 555 Blue is a pretty enough handset. With its silver-and-white matt plastic casing, it has only just enough weight behind it. It sits comfortably in the hand with its curved corners, and with a QWERTY keyboard it's very, very reminiscent of that other Facebook phone, the HTC ChaCha – without, it seems, any of the ChaCha's features. At only 12mm thick and rather light, the Vodafone 555 Blue will fit easily into teena...
Nokia outlines exciting phone name strategy
By TechRadar, published 08-01-2011
Nokia has decided to take the unusual step of changing the way it names its phones AGAIN in a bid to make it easier to understand the difference between each model.Essentially, the days of letter preceding a number to denote a certain type of handset are gone, a move Nokia says shows it's going to 'stop telling users what to do with their phones' - so we have no idea what do with the new Nokia 500, which seemingly couldn't be more middle of the road."Perhaps you use your Eseries business smartphone mainly for games or IM-ing friends? Maybe you're crunching numbers on a spreadsheet using an entertainment-focused Nokia X7? "That's up to you – the classifications were indicators, but often, they didn't match-up to what people were actually doing with their phones."Think of a number, multipl...
Updated: iPhone 5 rumours: what you need to know
By TechRadar, published 08-01-2011
iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 4S, as some are calling it) rumours are flying thick and fast already. Let's raid the iPhone 5 rumour fridge to find the tomatoes of truth amid the stinky stilton of baseless speculation.Check out what TechRadar is hoping makes it into the next iPhone, in our video wish list.iPhone 5 release dateThis year's WWDC was about software, not hardware, with Apple focussing on iOS and Mac OSOn 20 April 2011, it emerged that the iPhone 5 release date may be September 2011. This date was cited by three sources who spoke to Reuters. On 6 May it was reported that Apple manufacturer Pegatron has reportedly been given a massive order by Jobs and co to produce 15 million handsets ready for the phone's autumn launch.On 19 July Apple seemingly confirmed the presence of a new iPhone ...
HTC admits no 'regular' Desire Gingerbread update coming
By TechRadar, published 08-01-2011
HTC has seemingly confirmed that the Gingerbread update to the HTC Desire will not be coming as an over the air upgrade.This means the only way to receive the latest software is to connect up to a PC and completely re-flash the handset, deleting all messages, contacts and media saved to the internal memory.Mark Moons, HTC's Benelux president, stated on Twitter that HTC will not be offering the update over the air, as most consumers will be used to, meaning there will be no 'safe' version of the software, which currently comes with the caveat that SMS and MMS functionality may be impeded:"This is THE Gingerbread upgrade Desire. There will no longer get OTA. Through a good, old-fashioned cable..."Users - know your limits"If you do not know what the benefits of the Desire RUU upgrade, I recom...
iPhone 5 release date outed by network holiday ban?
By TechRadar, published 08-01-2011
US phone network AT&T has banned holiday requests for the last two weeks in September, which many are speculating is down to the launch of the Apple iPhone 5. An anonymous AT&T employee claims the announcement is due to an "event blackout". "Historically the only time they've done this was for an iPhone release," the tipster adds. Wait a minute… However, 'sources with knowledge of Apple's plans' claim that the AT&T employee is misinformed; "I don't know why AT&T's calling for all hands on deck those weeks, but it's not for an iPhone launch," it told All Things D. Rather, the second anonymous source says the iPhone 5 will land in October, although he declined to give any indication of when exactly we'll see it. So all we can tell you for sure is that there will be a new iPhone but when it...
HTC Desire gets updated to Gingerbread, but not really
By phoneArena, published 08-01-2011
If you are among the bunch of people still holding on to their trusty HTC Desire, you might not like the news that we have to share with you. It looks like the smartphone will not be treated to a...
HTC Desire Android 2.3 update released for 'expert users'
By TechRadar, published 08-01-2011
HTC has released an Android 2.3 update for the HTC Desire, but it might not be the Android 2.3 update for the HTC Desire that you're looking for.In the note announcing the update on the HTC UK Facebook page, the company notes that "this update is only recommended for expert users who want to experience Android 2.3." That's because only the ROM upgrade utility for connecting the phone to a computer (RUU) is being made available rather than a traditional software update over the air (you know, the one where the phone tells you there's an update available).The upshot of this is anyone updating their software will need a spot of technological know-how and will lose any message, emails, customisations and contacts stored on their phone. More to come?HTC's announcement goes on to add that "This ...
HTC Desire Gingerbread update released
By GSMArena, published 08-01-2011
Last time we heard about the HTC Desire Gingerbread update story we found out that HTC was planning on releasing the update by the end of July. We expected some sort of announcement when the update finally starts rolling out but it seems HTC is keen on doing this silently. An XDA forum member discovered through a chat with the HTC Support team that the update has already started rolling...
Gingerbread for HTC Desire released (for experts only, warns HTC)
By SlashGear, published 08-01-2011
HTC’s promised Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the original Desire has been released, though it’s not the simple OTA upgrade we’re now used to. Heavily modified so as to fit the memory confines of the Desire – which had originally prompted HTC to cancel the update, only changing its mind after owner outcry - the Gingerbread ROM has [...]
HTC 'open to discussions' with Apple over patent dispute
By TechRadar, published 26-07-2011
HTC has expressed a desire to sit down with Apple and discuss the ongoing patent dispute between the two companies. HTC shares took a tumble after a US court ruled that it has infringed two Apple patents earlier this month, which is quite possibly what has prompted this sudden urge to meet with Apple. It's good to talkWinston Yung, HTC's chief financial officer, told Bloomberg, "We have to sit down and figure it out. "We're open to having discussions. We are open to all sorts of solutions, as long as the solution and the terms are fair and reasonable. "On and off we've had discussions with Apple, even before the initial determination came out." No doubt HTC is keen to avoid paying out too many patent royalties to Apple – it already pays Microsoft a per handset fee due to its use of paten...
TechRadar Phone Awards: Phone Awards 2011: winners announced
By TechRadar, published 21-07-2011
The TechRadar Phone Awards 2011 have come to an end and now we can finally announce the winners.This year the awards comprised both readers' votes and categories judged by some of the biggest names in the technology world.To say that we were pleased with our reader response to the awards would be an understatement. Garnering over 130,000 votes, the awards have been a runaway success, so we can only say thank you to you all for being such an opinionated bunch!The Phone Awards have been TechRadar's most popular awards so far and it just goes to prove that the mobile phone market is positively burgeoning, full of technological innovations, warring factions and fanboys who live to see what the next OS update will bring.So, without further ado here is the list of the biggest and best phone tech...
HTC Desire Z Gingerbread update starts rolling out
By GSMArena, published 15-07-2011
Amidst all the excitement surrounding the original HTC Desire getting the Android Gingerbread update, the Desire Z owners are probably feeling left out. But you have no reason to feel that way anymore as...
U.S. Cellular's Q3 and Q4 lineup includes Motorola Electrify, LG Optimus Black and HTC Desire II
By phoneArena, published 14-07-2011
Regional carrier U.S. Cellular is planning on launching a number of Android models during Q3, including it own version of the Motorola PHOTON called the Motorola Electrify; besides Android handsets, the carrier is also expected to offer the HTC Flyer tablet to its customers...
Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire Z is in the last stages of testing & will be out soon
By phoneArena, published 13-07-2011
From the sound of it all, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire Z is almost complete and appears to become ready for roll out in the coming weeks, which will be done in the form of an over-the-air process...
HTC challenges Apple to fight it out in the shops, not the courts
By TechRadar, published 07-12-2011
HTC has responded to Apple's latest legal action against it, denying that the patent infringement claims hold any water. As we reported yesterday, Apple has filed a new complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC), seeking to block the sales of certain HTC devices, claiming that they infringe on Apple's copyrights. The HTC devices that stand accused in the UK include the HTC Wildfire, HTC Desire, HTC Hero, and the HTC Flyer, the company's first Android tablet effort. Nah, mateHTC "vehemently denies" Apples claims, in a statement that accuses Apple of trying to compete in the courts rather than taking it to the shop floor. Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel, said, "HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the market place."HTC continues to ve...
HTC Desire Z Gingerbread update coming up this month
By GSMArena, published 07-12-2011
This might not be the best example of punctuality in the world, but the Gingerbread update for the Desire Z QWERTY smartphone is finally getting closer release. Various HTC branches confirmed...
HTC Desire Android 2.3 update to land in July
By TechRadar, published 07-12-2011
HTC has announced that its long-awaited Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire will be rolled out by the end of July. The company once again took to its Facebook page to announce that testing on the update has gone well and reveal the new deadline. "We have more news about our build of Gingerbread for Desire. Our testing has gone well so we will begin rolling out the update by the end of July," the update reads. A chequered pastThe tale of the Gingerbread update for the original HTC Desire has been fraught with twists and turns.In February of this year, there was dancing in the streets as HTC announced that the aging HTC Desire would get the Android 2.3 upgrade, along with the Desire HD, Desire Z and Incredible S, saying that the update would roll out in Q2 (April-June).Three go...
Google Nexus Prime confirmed by Samsung?
By TechRadar, published 07-12-2011
Samsung has inadvertently confirmed that it will be the creator of the next Google Nexus device.A (translated) Tweet sent from the Samsung Mobile Romania account said the company is planning to get the phone on the market for 'late 2011':"The production will be started now, most likely [to arrive] in late 2011. It [Nexus 3] will bring Android 4.0 on the market."Real or no real?Of course, given this is a translation it shouldn't be taken as totally factually accurate, which could mean that it's more of a commentary on the situation, something the the Samsung Mobile Romania account is now saying in response to user queries:"Hello! It's about a discussion around the rumor of releasing the new Nexus. We haven't got any official info!"The original Tweet has (unsurprisingly) been deleted - but l...
HTC Desire Gingerbread update coming this month
By GSMArena, published 07-09-2011
The thrilling story of the Gingerbread update on the HTC Desire will come to an end this month. After announcing the update, then denying it and then announcing it will be made available and then finally...
HTC claims Desire will get Gingerbread by the end of July
By phoneArena, published 07-08-2011
HTC has said that testing is done and the Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire should be pushed out by the end of July...
HTC EVO 3D now available for pre-order SIM-free
By GSMArena, published 07-03-2011
When the HTC EVO 3D became official in Europe a few days ago, the information on its pricing was rather scarce. Today, we know how much you will be set back, should you decide to order the highly desired...
Samsung Galaxy Z pics sneak online
By TechRadar, published 30-06-2011
A new smartphone from Samsung has been announced by Three in Sweden, the Samsung Galaxy Z.As Samsung hasn't revealed the handset itself we are not sure if this was a slip by Three, with the handset looking like a slightly less powerful variation of the Samsung Galaxy S2.Specs-wise, the Samsung Galaxy Z is dual-core, packing two 1GHz Cortex-A9 cores, it's powered by Tegra 2 and has a 5MP camera and can shoot 720p video.Considering the Samsung Galaxy S2 has a dual 1.2GHz processor, it is definitely the more powerful handset but the Galaxy Z is still an impressive piece of kit.The 4.2-inch display isn't SuperAMOLED but it is SC-LCD with a WXGA resolution. When it comes to memory, there's 8GB space built-in to the handset.The Z factorThe Samsung Galaxy Z comes with Android 2.3 and measures 25....
iPhone app for Google+ social network 'coming soon'
By TechRadar, published 30-06-2011
An iPhone app for the Google+ social network is on its way, with the search giant confirming that a native application is coming soon. With people still scrabbling for an invite to the Google+ social network, it is still early days for a new social network, although hopes are apparently high within Google that this will not go the same way as the disappointing Google Buzz. One of the key factors in success is a useful phone application and, although an Android (2.1 and up) version is, as you would expect, available at launch, no other mobile OS has its own app. Coming soonHowever, the company has confirmed on its page that it is working on an iPhone app, labelling the phone with 'coming soon'. People with an iPhone and access to Google+ can use the browser to access the service for now, al...
HTC Desire Gingerbread nears release, already in testing
By GSMArena, published 30-06-2011
A few hours ago HTC announced it is already testing the Gingerbread for the original Desire and will start the QA procedures this week. Obviously the update is nearing release and the wait will be over soon...
HTC Desire Android 2.3 update enters testing phase
By TechRadar, published 30-06-2011
HTC has announced that its long-awaited Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire has entered internal testing. The update will provide the HTC Desire with a slightly stripped-down version of the software, with some apps having to be abandoned to free up memory required by the Gingerbread update. It's been a rollercoaster ride for Desire owners; HTC had originally promised the update, then decided it couldn't deliver it and then changed its mind again a day later, saying that it would be bringing the update out after all. Gingerbone of contentionThe latest update from the company reads: "Hi all - We're excited to share that we are testing our build of Gingerbread for HTC Desire and will start doing quality assurance for it this week. "When we have an update on availability we'll post another a...
Geeks find a way to get Netflix app on HTC Evo 3D
By SlashGear, published 30-06-2011
Netflix is one of the best ways to get your streaming video and TV fill online today. There are hoards of people that use the streaming service on computers, phones, and other devices to watch wherever they are. Netflix was one of the most desired apps for Android users. When the app finally landed, there [...]
Skype for Android gets video calling update
By TechRadar, published 30-06-2011
Skype has updated its Android app bringing video calling to the smartphone party. The new version, Skype for Android 2.0, allows HTC Desire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, Xperia Pro (good luck with that, it's not actually out yet) and Google Nexus S owners to make free video calls over both Wi-Fi and 3G. As well as calling other Skype-toting Android phones, you'll be able to video-chat with Skype users on iPhone, Apple Macs, Windows PCS and web-cam-enabled Smart TVs. Android VHSAlong with the video functionality, the app interface has had a bit of a spruce up, with a new main menu for easy navigation and a thrilling new 'mood message box' where you can update your current mood status. If you're lucky enough to own one of the launch handsets, you can download the updated app from the Android ...
Three UK's HTC Desire HD finally receives its dose of Android 2.3 Gingerbread
By phoneArena, published 29-06-2011
Being pushed out as an over-the-air update, owners of the Three UK HTC Desire HD should begin seeing that highly anticipated notification popping up on their handsets – indicating that they’re all set for download...
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo Review
By SlashGear, published 27-06-2011
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo arrives with something of a personality problem. Where the XPERIA Play was resolute in its gaming ambitions, and the XPERIA Arc promised to put Sony’s living room prowess into a pocket-friendly package, the Neo takes on the competitive mid-tier mainstream segment, Android for the every-man. With luminaries like HTC’s Desire [...]
HTC Glamor image leaks, eye candy for the ladies
By phoneArena, published 24-06-2011
The HTC Glamor styling reminds of the HTC Wildfire S, Desire S and Z, all fused together, and given pastel coloring, which is actually a nice segway from HTC's usual black or gray soft-touch plastic with aluminum elements armor...
Review: HTC Salsa
By TechRadar, published 20-06-2011
There's a slight lack of high-quality action in the mid-sized Android phone section. The big manufacturers are focusing their attentions on creating monstrous, high-end "super-phones" with entire LCD monitors stuffed in their cases, while the smaller phone makers concentrate on offering budget handsets with smaller screens and lower specs.Thankfully the HTC Salsa has appeared to fill that touchscreen gap, and comes as a throwback to 2010's lovely little 3.2-inch HTC Legend, trying to be the perfect compromise between performance, price and screen size - with added Facebook integration and a larger 3,4-inch HVGA screen.With pricing expected to be around the £20 - £25 month on monthly contracts, could this be an affordable mass-market winner for HTC? Physically, you get a tough, matte, met...
Vodafone exclusive red Desire S gets hands-on treatment
By GSMArena, published 18-06-2011
HTC is launching a special variant of the Desire S exclusively for Vodafone and Pocket-lint has got some hands-on pictures of it. Now the phone is supposed to be red to match Vodafone's logo but HTC seems...
Week in Tech: A week of ups and downs for Android
By TechRadar, published 17-06-2011
Last week the tech world thrilled to news of new Apple things, but this week it's Android's turn in the spotlight - for good reasons and for bad. There's some tasty new kit on the horizon, but existing HTC Desire owners have been diddled around. And we don't mean that in a good way.Tasty tech first. Specs have emerged of the forthcoming Nexus 3, the Google-branded smartphone that acts as a flagship for the Android platform. Designed to run Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest and most stupidly named version of Android yet, the Google Nexus 3 promises a "monster-sized" screen, a dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 or Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1080p HD video capture via a 5MP camera and no buttons. Sources say the handset's navigation will be entirely software-based, just like a certain p...
Yahoo App discovery tools for Android and iOS launched
By TechRadar, published 16-06-2011
Yahoo has revealed two new search tools to help you find your way round the Android Market and Apple App Store.Called AppSearch and App Spot the search services help you find apps both on a PC and through your smartphone.AppSearch is the PC version. Load this up and it will, according to Yahoo, "zero-in on any app by showing matching app titles with a full comprehensive description, price, overall star rating from users, and screenshots in one spot to help you with your decision: to download or not to download."Enhanced mobile experienceFor those who prefer to do their app searching through their phones, then AppSpot is an application that will allow you to do just that."For an enhanced mobile experience, Yahoo! AppSpot delivers daily, completely personalised recommendations of the iPhone ...
HP Pre 3 UK release date announced
By TechRadar, published 16-06-2011
Details of the HP Pre 3, the first Palm-less Pre to be released, have been thin on the ground of late but the handset has finally been given a UK release date, thanks to a posting on Play.com.Announced back in February, the HP Pre 3 has a Qualcomm CPU running at 1.4GHz, the biggest QWERTY keyboard ever seen on a Pre, a 3.6-inch 480x800 WVGA screen, 5MP camera with LED Flash, forward facing camera, video calling and it is also packing HP's WebOS.Palmed offPlay.com has put the HP Pre 3 up for pre-order and it will be available for £349.99 unlocked. As for the all-important date, the HP Palm Pre UK release date is 8 July. Which gives you less than a month to figure out if this is the smartphone for you.When TechRadar got a hands on with the HP Pre 3 back in February, we were pretty impressed...
HTC: Desire Will Get a Gingerbread Update
By DigitalVersus, published 16-06-2011
It's been a long story of will they, won't they, but it seems that the HTC Desire now finally will be upgraded to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread—but nobody knows...
HTC will have to cut apps for Desire 2.3 update
By TechRadar, published 16-06-2011
HTC has published further details on the Desire Android 2.3 update that it's promised, and it looks like a more streamlined platform is coming.According to its Facebook page, the phone manufacturer has stated that it will be looking to strip out some of the apps to free up space for the install:"To resolve Desire's memory issue and enable the upgrade to Gingerbread, we will cut select apps from the release. "Look for status updates starting next week. We apologize for any confusion."Next week or later?You could interpret this status update as confirmation the new software will begin seeding next week - or it could simply be that will be when HTC will issue more information about Gingerbread for HTC Desire.If we take a look at some of the applications up for the chop, it's likely the first ...
Vodafone, O2, Orange and T-Mobile team up for NFC
By TechRadar, published 16-06-2011
The UK's biggest networks have announced a new joint venture to bring Near Field Communication technology in phones to the masses.The new initiative, comprising of Vodafone, O2 and Everything Everywhere, is designed to make an open platform for other businesses to implement NFC payment systems.In essence, it means NFC-enabled mobile phones will become widespread, and everything from tickets to food to transport can be linked into a user's phone.Credit, debit and loyalty cards will all be accessible with one beep, or customers can use the same linked account to pay for things online.The new joint venture will also likely see an explosion in location-based offers, with users sharing their position sent coupons and offers of nearby relevant shops if they opt-in to such schemes.The next stepTo...
HTC: We’ll drop apps to make Desire Gingerbread fit
By SlashGear, published 16-06-2011
HTC has confirmed that it will be dropping apps from the HTC Desire’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread build, so as to fit the upgraded OS into the ROM the smartphone has available. The company frustrated and then bemused Desire owners earlier this week by first announcing that the Gingerbread update had been cancelled and then, in [...]
Some apps will be left out of the HTC Desire Gingerbread update, you'll be able to download them later
By phoneArena, published 16-06-2011
HTC posted on its Facebook page that some apps will not be included in the upcoming HTC Desire Android 2.3 Gingerbread update. Since the Desire has only 512MB of ROM for installing apps, they will be available as a separate download from Android Market...
HTC takes its words back, Gingerbread for the Desire is a go
By GSMArena, published 15-06-2011
Now that's a bit of unexpected news. HTC all of a sudden has decided that Gingebread will eventually come to the Desire. Yesterday the company announced that due to lack of memory the company's...
Google Nexus 3 specs detailed
By TechRadar, published 15-06-2011
Specs for what could be the Google Nexus 3 have surfaced, revealing a dual-core behemoth running Ice Cream Sandwich, with a "monster-sized" screen. The leak comes by way of BGR, whose source revealed that the handset, dubbed the Google Nexus 4G for the Yanks, will come with a dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz OMAP 4460 or Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.That "monster-sized" display will be a 720p HD affair, along with 1080p HD video capture through the 5MP rear-mounted camera with superior low-light capabilities.Bye bye buttonsIt's goodbye to buttons on the next Nexus superphone though, as the sources revealed that navigation on the handset will be purely software-based. There will be a 4G version of the handset, although we're unlikely to see that here in the UK where we're still at least a year a...
HTC Sensation to land on O2 and Orange on 8 July
By TechRadar, published 15-06-2011
Vodafone may have enjoyed a couple of months' exclusivity on the HTC Sensation, but it's finally making its way to other networks on 8 July. Although no networks have independently thrown their hats into the ring, Phones 4U has revealed that it will start selling the Sensation on O2 and Orange contracts. Deals through the retailer will start at £30 a month which nabs you a free handset, 500 minutes, 3,000 texts and 500MB of data on a 24-month Orange contract. Making senseBut that is £5 more a month than Vodafone's £25/month two-year contract, which also gets you the Sensation for free. You can pre-order the Orange and O2 HTC Sensations from Phones 4U today for delivery on 8 July. Vodafone will continue to sell the sensational handset as well, with all the dual-core 4.5-star Android good...
Opinion: HTC Gingerbread farce is undermining Android
By TechRadar, published 15-06-2011
Apparently, HTC's engineers were schooled at Hogwarts - the phone manufacturer has managed to create a secret stash of memory on every HTC Desire in the world in less than 24 hours.That's the only explanation I can come to after watching the Android 2.3 car crash on HTC's Facebook page. Yesterday's news that the HTC Desire, one of its most popular phones and the handset that propelled it (and Android) to the forefront of the smartphone game, wouldn't be getting Android 2.3 was devastating to many that were waiting for all the goodies the new version would bring.But I was willing to accept the explanation: HTC discovered there wasn't enough memory on board, and it would be the stupidest move conceivable to tout an update that it knew couldn't ever be delivered, so it made sense to own up so...
HTC: Actually, we WILL bring Android 2.3 to Desire
By TechRadar, published 15-06-2011
HTC has changed its mind again and confirmed that it will be bringing the Android 2.3 update to the HTC Desire.Just 24 hours after delivering the grim news that it wouldn't be able to upgrade the popular Desire to Gingerbread, the Taiwanese manufacturer has posted this on its Facebook page:"Contrary to what we said earlier, we are going to bring Gingerbread to HTC Desire."ConfusionThis has obviously brought relief to the many, many users of the top-selling HTC phone who thought the promise of 18 months support for Android upgrades wasn't going to be upheld, but has understandably caused confusion for customers.TechRadar has contacted HTC for further information on how the phone, which yesterday was deemed to have 'too little memory' for Android 2.3, has suddenly got the necessary specs to ...
HTC changes its mind, Gingerbread will after all come to HTC Desire
By phoneArena, published 15-06-2011
The HTC Desire was released nearly a year ago, but it's still one of the most popular Android handsets out there. The future cooperation of the handset with the latest of Android Gingerbread...
HTC flip-flops on Desire Gingerbread update: Back on the roadmap
By SlashGear, published 15-06-2011
HTC has reversed its position on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire, with the company now saying it will indeed be offering the new software for the smartphone. Emotions ran high yesterday when HTC announced that, contrary to original promises, Gingerbread was a no-go with the amount of memory that the Desire [...]
Nokia to close UK online shop
By TechRadar, published 15-06-2011
Nokia is closing its British online store by the end of June 2011, following similar closures in other European countries. The Nokia affiliate team broke the news in an email to its affiliate network, stating that no payments will be made to partners after 30 June. "This message is to inform you that Nokia is closing their affiliate programme… in keeping with a strategic business decision to close down the Nokia UK online shop," the email reads. Nok nok noking on heaven's door (some more)Nokia UK told TechRadar: "We are planning to close the current UK online store to simplify our channel structure and focus our resources on our key trade customers."But Nokia Spain told it like it was when its online store closed last month: "Prices are too subsidised by the carriers and sales were low, ...
HTC Desire is forced to live out its life with Froyo; Gingerbread is not coming
By phoneArena, published 14-06-2011
Taking a gander over at HTC UK’s Facebook page, the company says that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is not coming to the handset – even though it was mentioned as being one of many handsets positioned to get the update...
Updated: Nokia E6 finally goes on sale in UK
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
UPDATE: Looks like a snafu on the part of the Nokia server, with the E6 apparently not available for sale yet. Nokia got in contact with TechRadar and gave us the following statement:"The Nokia E6 showing as available from the Nokia Online Shop is due to a technical matter which we are working to correct immediately. We will provide more information about the availability of this smartphone soon."According to the UK Nokia website, the Nokia E6 is available for £349, and is listed as being 'in stock' - but it looks like you should disregard this now.The Nokia X7 is still unavailable on our fair shores, with the handset being listed as costing £399 but not being available until the end of June.Odd coloursNokia has decided to spoil potential customers by offering a choice of three colours f...
HTC Desire will not be updated to Gingerbread
By GSMArena, published 14-06-2011
Bad news HTC Desire owners, HTC has just announced it won't update the original Desire with Android 2.3 Gingerbread due to insufficient memory. You are now stuck with Froyo forever. Ok, this forever thing...
Exclusive: Three responds to canned HTC Desire Android 2.3 update
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
Three has responded to the news that the HTC Desire Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update has been ditched. The network sent TechRadar a statement that reads: "We only just found out and are sorry for the inconvenience this causes to our customers. "As you know, at Three we always try to bring the latest software updates to our customers as soon as possible, and we'll continue to work closely with all our partners to continue doing so going forward."A brave faceThe network has been a strong advocate for the update, promising its customers that they would be getting Gingerbread as soon as humanly possible.Although there was some confusion (and possibly some crossed wires) over exactly when the network would be able to offer the update, it continued to be very clear that the update was en route. ...
No Android 2.3 update for HTC Desire
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
HTC has confirmed that it will not be able to offer a Gingerbread (Android 2.3) update for the HTC Desire. The manufacturer had hoped to offer the update to the Desire, promising a release by the end of June, but HTC now says that it can't be done.A post on HTC's UK Facebook page explains that there isn't enough memory for both HTC Sense and Gingerbread to co-exist:"Our engineering teams have been working hard for the past few months to find a way to bring Gingerbread to the HTC Desire without compromising the HTC Sense experience you've come to expect from our phones. Stuck with Froyo"However, we're sorry to announce that we've been forced to accept there isn't enough memory to allow us both to bring Gingerbread and keep the HTC Sense experience on the HTC Desire."We're sincerely sorry fo...
HTC Desire Android 2.3 Gingerbread update cancelled
By SlashGear, published 14-06-2011
HTC has confirmed that it is scrapping plans to offer an Android 2.3 Gingerbread update to the HTC Desire, despite originally promising that the upgrade was a lock-in. According to the company’s Facebook page, the software engineers couldn’t get Gingerbread as well as “the HTC Sense experience you’ve come to expect” to play nicely in [...]
HP looks to get in on the NFC action
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
HP, the new owner of Palm, is said to be considering building Near Field Communications (NFC)-toting mobile handsets that could be on the market by the end of the year. Bloomberg reports that two people "familiar with the company's plans" have said that HP is interested in developing phones and tablets that can make contactless payments using NFC.It comes as no huge surprise that a phone manufacturer is looking to get in on the next big thing in mobile technology.Neatly Folded CatsNFC in phones has been around for several years, but didn't really take off in the smartphone sphere until Google announced that its flagship Android handset, the Google Nexus S, incorporates an NFC chip.Since then, phone makers have been scrabbling to add the functionality to new handsets; with the marketing mig...
Google Maps takes UK's 'most used connected app' crown
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
Google Maps is the most used app in the UK, according to latest figures, with 6.4 million people using the application.It's no surprise that Google Maps is used by millions, being that it is the go-to app for those who need to find out where to go but it seems it does not have any real rivals in the connected app market.While Yahoo sits in second place (it supplies info to the iPhone's weather widget), it is only used by 3.6 million users – nearly half the amount that loaded up Google Maps in April.Facebook is a close third, with its app used by 3.5 million people. Google V SkyThese stats come from a relatively new partnership between ComScore and GSMA, which measures mobile data use in the UK.If you were to count in the amount of people that have accessed Facebook through its mobile sit...
LG Optimus 3D UK release date delayed to July
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
The long-awaited LG Optimus 3D smartphone seems to have been delayed until mid-July according to expected release dates on a number of retailer websites. Despite Amazon and Expansys both previously listing the 3D handset as arriving on 25 April, and Clove suggesting 6 June, all have now published release dates as late as 13 July. Those of you dying to get on with your mobile 3D movie watching and making will no doubt be getting jittery at the thought of yet another month's wait for the first 3D phone to land. Pick a date, any dateAmazon has now listed the LG Optimus 3D release date as 13 July (having yesterday posted it as 20 June), while Play.com reckons 12 July and Clove suggests 11 July. Expansys has taken the wise route of simply removing the release date altogether, suggesting that th...
Updated: Android 2.3 release date: when will you get it?
By TechRadar, published 14-06-2011
Android 2.3 has been announced by Google, and now owners of smartphones such as the Nexus One and the HTC Desire are eagerly awaiting the update.Tthe first phone to go on sale with Android 2.3 is the successor to the Nexus One, the Google Nexus S.Google Nexus One Android 2.3 updateThe Nexus One has already been confirmed as getting the Android 2.3 update in early Q1 2011.The following announcement over on the official Google Nexus Twitter page confirmed the upgrade: "The Gingerbread OTA for Nexus One will happen in the coming weeks. Just hang tight!"UPDATE: As of 23 February 2011, the Google Nexus One Android 2.3.3 update is rolling out.Google Nexus S Android 2.3.3 updateUPDATE: The Nexus S is also getting its update to Android 2.3.3 as of 23 February 2011.HTC Desire Android 2.3 update - n...
HTC Desire II and Wildfire S are bound for US Cellular soon?
By phoneArena, published 13-06-2011
As you can tell from the leaked screenshot of their internal inventory system, we see that both the HTC Desire II and the Wildfire S appear to be in bound with the carrier some time in the near future – albeit, there’s no...
In Depth: What's inside your iPad? Tablet tech explained
By TechRadar, published 13-06-2011
What makes one tablet a winner and another a bucket of bolts? Let's start with a story. Once upon a time, there was a little English company called Acorn Computers. Through the early 1980s, it had quite a bit of success with an 8-bit home computer named the BBC Micro. You may remember it. For a replacement, Acorn decided that none of the then-available processors - such as the Motorola 68000 and Intel 80286 - were suitable. So it decided to make its own, as you do. The year was 1985 and Acorn developed a 25,000 transistor RISC processor called the ARM v1. It used it to power the now defunct Archimedes computer, and that same ARM core - with a few enhancements - is what now powers more than 75 per cent of all embedded 32-bit devices made in the 21st century, 90 per cent of all mobiles in th...
Updated: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro UK release date pushed to July
By TechRadar, published 13-06-2011
Sony Ericsson has opened pre-order on its physical-QWERTY-toting Android handset, the Xperia Pro, revealing its UK price as £349.99. Perhaps you're having trouble picturing the Xperia Pro, in which case simply cast your mind back to February; it's Mobile World Congress, Sony Ericsson is officially unveiling its PlayStation Phone after months of leaks but look beyond, just there – behind the Xperia Play and to the left of the Xperia Neo – yep, that handset there. That's the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro. It may have been months since its official unveiling, but the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro is on its way at last - but it's still a bit of a wait, with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro release date now having been pushed to "late July".Time goes by so slowly and time can do so muchThe UK price of ...
Updated: 10 best touchscreen phones for 2011
By TechRadar, published 06-10-2011
Our best touchscreen phone article is constantly updated.Quite simply, touch screen technology is the innovation we now expect to see in some shape or form from every new smartphone that launches. Swapping a button-bashing existence for a softer sensing interface we can press, swipe, pinch and zoom, means we can now do a little bit more than simply stare into that pint-sized screen of ours.If the only QWERTY keyboard you want to see on a daily basis is the one nestled next to your office computer, here's our pick of the best touchscreen smartphones available right now in the UK.1. Samsung Galaxy S2The Galaxy brand has restored our faith in Samsung's ability to make great phones, and with Google's Android OS and some impressive touchscreen technology, the S2 continues that trend.Housed with...
Review: HTC ChaCha
By TechRadar, published 06-10-2011
Let's get one thing straight: the HTC ChaCha is not the Facebook phone. It's not manufactured by Facebook. But let's get another thing straight, too: the HTC ChaCha is the Facebook experience. And it's even endorsed to a certain extent by the King of the network, Mark Zuckerberg, who gave a sermon about it at the phone's launch.HTC has taken its already winning Sense interface and remoulded it with a big blue 'F' at the centre - something the notoriously quiet Facebook founder went on record as saying he's "very happy" with and, in a nod to the future, how they "look forward to a lot more to come".Rocking the latest Android iteration, Gingerbread 2.3.3 and fully capable of a dance-off with some other 3G-capable Android devices, it's due to hit stores any day now, with a sim-free price tag ...
Samsung embracing hacker community for Galaxy S2
By TechRadar, published 06-07-2011
Samsung appears to have decided that the way it's going to encourage the most innovation on its smartphones is to get the hacking community involved.Unlike the likes of Apple and Microsoft, which favour a walled-garden approach to phone development, Samsung has sent a free Galaxy S2 to the CyanogenMod team.For those who don't know, CyanogenMod is a different version of the Android OS developed for specific phones such as the Google Nexus S and HTC Desire, and is pretty popular among phone modifiers.Upping the stakesSamsung has realised this and seems keen to help, rather than hinder, the hacking community develop its products. We hope this speeds up the attempts to bring CyanogenMod to the Samsung Galaxy S, which has been in development for aeons, it seems.It's an odd move for Samsung on p...
WWDC 2011: iPhone 5 release date set for autumn 2011?
By TechRadar, published 06-06-2011
Steve Jobs just wrapped up his WWDC 2011 keynote speech, with nary a mention of any hardware. The fact that Apple didn't announce an iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S today makes a September release date seem ever-more likely. iOS 5, which was revealed today, was also given the vague release date of 'this fall' (autumn) – we've put two and two together and come out with September; so will iOS 5 launch with the iPhone 5?SighIt's not that we were exactly expecting a new iPhone given the multitude of leaks and rumours suggesting that we wouldn't see such a thing this WWDC, but we're still a little bit disappointed. Still, the iOS 5 features will make the iPhone 4 (and iPhone 3GS, would you believe) feel like a new phone, however, bringing iMessage, new notifications, integrated Twitter support and an i...
WWDC 2011: iTunes Match brings your whole music collection to the cloud
By TechRadar, published 06-06-2011
Apple has announced a new deal to bring your entire music library to the cloud and make it available on any iOS device you have synced.The new service will scan your music library and 'tag' any songs you own on the Apple server - the huge base we saw being built last year in North Carolina.The music will then be offered in 256Kbps AAC files - which is a real bonus if you've got 32Kbps versions of songs kicking around from the late '90s as these will get an iMakeover.But is it better than Spotify?The songs Apple has confirmed you own will be available to download on any device running iOS 5 that you've signed into your personal account, meaning huge swathes of music available from anywhere you have a decent connection.Any music Apple cannot match (basically the downloaded stuff with no ID3 ...
WWDC 2011: Apple iOS 5 coming to iPhone 3GS and older iPads
By TechRadar, published 06-06-2011
Apple has confirmed that the new version of its software, iOS 5, will run across the iPhone 3GS, iPod touch third and fourth gen and both the iPad 2 and the original.The SDK actually leaked out to the developer community before the official WWDC announcement, giving some users a surprise peak at what was to come.And the good news is that the 3GS will still be keeping up with the iPhoneses as Apple confirmed that the new software will be available to download for the legacy device.Getting in on the good stuffThe iPad 2 and iPad are both getting the upgrade to the new software, as well as the recent iPod touch models.This means features like the split screen keyboards for iPads, over the air software updates and tabbed Safari browsing are all coming to the legacy models for free.However, you...
Exclusive: Samsung looking at Sky Player for Android smartphones
By TechRadar, published 06-06-2011
Samsung is looking to increase the presence of on-demand video on its smartphones, with an embedded Sky Player likely for future Android Galaxy devices.Simon Stanford, the UK and Ireland MD for Samsung's mobile division, told TechRadar that BBC iPlayer was just the first step in bringing more on-demand video to its smartphones:"[BBC iPlayer] has been a big push for us, and we're looking at Sky Player too, which is something that's going to be coming along too.If you look at evolution of where these kinds of apps are going to go, I think we're [eventually] looking at an extension of a Sky box onto your phone."Convergence is here"The interesting thing is the idea of a converged device is something people have been talking about forever, but it's here now," added Stanford."We can stream whate...
Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
By TechRadar, published 06-04-2011
This week we've reviewed the fabulous new Android handset from HTC - the HTC Sensation.Featuring the first dual-core Snapdragon ARM-based processor, it comes with Android 2.3 and a new version of HTC's own software.We've also reviewed the latest Canon PowerShot SX230 HS compact as well as the Panasonic TX-P42GT30B 3D plasma among scores of other reviews. Read on for the full list. HTC Sensation reviewEver since the first wave of Android phones washed up on these shores, HTC has been at the forefront of the fight against Apple and its iPhone. The first major assault came in the shape of the HTC Hero. Then came the HTC Desire. And here we now have the HTC Sensation. Sporting the latest version of Android and a revised version of HTC's own Sense UI overlay, it's a cutting edge phone with cutt...
HTC Sensation vs Samsung Galaxy S2
By TechRadar, published 06-03-2011
We've been treated to a cornucopia of high quality mobile phones recently, but it's a certain two that have got the tongues wagging: the dual-core majesty of the HTC Sensation and the Samsung Galaxy S2.We've reviewed them both already, but so often we're asked the question of 'which should I buy?'So here's TechRadar's detailed and in-depth look at the differences between the two handsets - and if you still can't decide after reading through our guide, then we can only suggest you toss a coin in your local phone retailer.Build qualityThere's a marked difference between the HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S2 when it comes to the design of the devices – which basically comes down to thickness and weight.The Sensation has a plastic and aluminium chassis combined with a relatively heavy glas...
This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
By MaximumPC, published 06-03-2011
This week we've reviewed the fabulous new Android handset from HTC - the HTC Sensation. Featuring the first dual-core Snapdragon ARM-based processor, it comes with Android 2.3 and a new version of HTC's own software. We've also reviewed the latest Canon PowerShot SX230 HS compact as well as the Panasonic TX-P42GT30B 3D plasma among scores of other reviews. Read on for the full list. HTC Sensation review Ever since the first wave of Android phones washed up on these shores, HTC has been at the forefront of the fight against Apple and its iPhone. The first major assault came in the shape of the HTC Hero. Then came the HTC Desire. And here we now have the HTC Sensation. Sporting the latest version of Android and a revised version of HTC's own Sense UI overlay, it's a cutting edge phone with ...
Updated: Best Android phone - which should you buy?
By TechRadar, published 06-02-2011
Our verdict on the best Android phones - constantly updatedThere's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS. Samsung makes loads of them. Sony Ericsson makes a few. Then you've got Android-powered phones from Acer, LG, Huawei and many others, while HTC releases more in a month than all the rest added together manage in a year.The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough.Do you physically and emotionally need a QWERTY keyboard? Are you the sort of oddball who prefers the rough pressing needed to make resistive touchscreens work? Do you actually like Orange widgets?To help fin...
Acer W4 Windows Phone handset spec emerges
By TechRadar, published 31-05-2011
Acer has shown off a prototype of its first Windows Phone 7 handset, known as the Acer W4. Along with giving the W4 its first photo opportunity, Acer revealed a few juicy spec-related titbits for its Mango-running handset. It will offer a 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with 480x800 screen resolution, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 processor and 8GB of storage. RacerFor connectivity, you're looking at Wi-Fi, quad-band 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1. It doesn't look as though Acer's stuck a front-facing camera on there, but the rear-mounted snapper is a 5MP affair, complete with autofocus. Given that it is set to launch with Windows Phone 7 Mango, we don't anticipate the Acer W4 UK release date coming in any time before the end of summer. Related StoriesLG Optimus 2X problems continue, no fix f...
HTC Desire Android 2.3 update delayed again
By TechRadar, published 31-05-2011
The HTC Desire Android 2.3 update will not meet its end of May deadline, according to 3 Mobile. A tweet from the numerical network apologises for the ongoing delays to the Desire Gingerbread update. It reads, "Re HTC [Desire] 2.3: V[ery] sorry to say that HTC hasn't been able to meet the late May timings that were set. We're awaiting extra info, more news soon."Delicious gingerbreadAt first Three didn't know when the update would arrive, and then it reckoned late April, then early May, then the end of May and now… well, it probably should have stuck with its first answer. It's not clear exactly what's to blame for the prolonged delay, but Three is obviously quite keen to pass the buck on to HTC, which is yet to comment. Unofficial accounts suggest that HTC is now working to a deadline of...
iPhone 5 to come with 8MP camera, no SIM
By TechRadar, published 31-05-2011
New sources have claimed that the iPhone 5 will launch at WWDC next week, complete with an 8MP camera, multiple internal antenna and, potentially, a Qualcomm chipset. We've lost track of the number of rumours about the next generation of iPhone, with myriad analysts and anonymous sources suggesting that we wouldn't see hide nor hair of it until September 2011. But, with WWDC just a week away, the rumour mill has shifted back to anticipating that it will launch in June, as is usual for Apple's iPhone refreshes. It's all getting a bit boring nowWe're not expecting big things from the iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 4S, its suggested moniker), with the design remaining largely the same as the iPhone 4, but incorporating a new processor, a better camera and three or four antennas to make it a 'world p...
HTC Wildfire S Android smartphone launched at Rs. 14,700
By Thinkdigit, published 30-05-2011
First announced at February's Mobile World Congress, HTC has finally rolled out the successor to its Wildfire Android smartphone in India. The new HTC Wildfire S sports a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display and is the lowest-end Android phone for consumers, priced below the HTC Desire S and Incredible S phones. The HTC Wildfire S runs on the latest build of Android's Gingerbread OS (2.3.3), has a 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM. The HTC Wildfire S' 3.2-inch c [...] Read the entire article
Review: HTC Sensation
By TechRadar, published 28-05-2011
HTC has gone from being an unknown manufacturer for bigger brands to one spewing out leading Android smartphones. The Desire was a landmark phone in the fight against the iPhone, but now tech has moved up a level - can the HTC Sensation stay at the sharp end?With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Motorola Atrix and (to a degree) the LG Optimus 2X, dual-core phones have become the darling of the tech enthusiast.Our colleagues at T3.com grabbed some HTC Sensation video footage, so check out the phone in all its digital moving picture glory:And HTC has recognised that in bringing out a phone that ticks all the boxes for the most sought-after tech, bringing an 8MP camera, 1080p video recording, a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm chipset and a qHD resolution 4.3-inch screen.The design of the HT...
Updated: HTC phones mysteriously running 10 mins fast?
By TechRadar, published 27-05-2011
UPDATE: We've had a response already from HTC, and it has acknowledged the problem: "It has come to our attention that certain HTC handsets appear to be showing the wrong time, we'd like to reassure you that we are currently working to rectify this and will have an update for you shortly."We apologise for any inconvenience this may be causing."Here's an odd one for Friday - it seems HTC phones on Android have started running 10 minutes fast over the last 24 hours.We first noticed it on our device while we were writing our HTC Sensation review, but now it appears scores of users are reporting the same thing.The problem appears if users are running network-based time in the settings, but the odd thing is users across ALL the UK networks are reporting the same thing.Time is irrelevantWe're ev...
Review: LG Optimus Black
By TechRadar, published 27-05-2011
Sitting alongside the LG Optimus 2X, the LG Optimus Black is a top-end smartphone, slipping in at just over £400, attempting to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S2 and Apple iPhone 4 for the smartphone crown, but with considerably fewer features and less processing power than its LG stablemate.First things first – the LG Optimus Black is light. Weighing a featherweight 109g, it even reaches a skinny 6mm side edge curvature, and 9.2mm thickness at its deepest point, besting the Apple iPhone 4 by a millimetre. Some may feel the lightness cheapens the feel of this handset somewhat, but our jeans pockets were thankful and it was nice to tote around something that didn't weigh us down.The slightly metallic back cover is smooth, and the phone's few soft keys are well-blended into the chassis, ...
Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
By TechRadar, published 21-05-2011
This week's reviews include HTC's tablet as well as the new 2011 iMac lineup.The HTC Flyer was announced at Mobile World Congress when it impressed, but how does it stand up to the iPad 2 and plethora of Android 3.0 devices?The new 21.5 and 27-inch iMacs offer awesome power, but do they give you more power than you need? We've also looked at an epic 50-inch plasma TV from Panasonic and much more. Read on to find out more. HTC Flyer reviewNow that Android is a major tablet OS, with Android 3.0 appearing on the likes of the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1V, HTC is still staying separate from the crowd. The most notable change from the norm is the 7-inch screen and the touchscreen stylus, known officially as the Magic Pen. It connects wirelessly to the Flyer, and enables you to anno...
HTC Sensation unboxing & first-impressions [Video]
By SlashGear, published 20-05-2011
We had high expectations for HTC’s first dual-core smartphone, and the company delivered with the HTC Sensation. A mixture of evolution and revolution, the family resemblance is clear: a 4.3-inch display like the Desire HD, only now running at qHD 960 x 540 resolution; a Snapdragon processor like the Desire S, only now Qualcomm’s new 1.2GHz [...]
Updated: Top 150 best Android apps 2011
By TechRadar, published 17-05-2011
While Android doesn't feature the same volume of apps in its Marketplace as iPhone users are used to, there are still loads of great Android apps to download.Whether you're after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we've rounded up the top Android apps for 2011 in the articles below.40 best free Android appsMost of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. These 40 free Android apps should be any Android owner's Day One installs...Read 40 best free Android apps40 best free Android gamesWe've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.Read 40 best free Android games10 best Android apps worth paying for Don't panic because we're mentioning money here - the average ...
Review: HTC Flyer
By TechRadar, published 16-05-2011
HTC has always stood out among the raft of Android phone manufacturers. The company's been partnering with Google since the start, but still forges its own style, which has won it a lot of fans.Now that Android is a major tablet OS, with Android 3.0 appearing on the likes of the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1V, HTC is still staying separate from the crowd.The most notable change from the norm is the 7-inch screen and the touchscreen stylus, known officially as the Magic Pen. It connects wirelessly to the Flyer, and enables you to annotate, highlight and erase in supported apps. It offers a measure of pressure sensitivity (unlike most styluses on capacitive screens), so may pique the interest of artists.Instead of Android 3.0, the Flyer uses Android 2.3.3, skinned with HTC's fami...
Updated: Android 2.3 release date: when will you get it?
By TechRadar, published 16-05-2011
Android 2.3 has been announced by Google, and now owners of smartphones such as the Nexus One and the HTC Desire are eagerly awaiting the update.Tthe first phone to go on sale with Android 2.3 is the successor to the Nexus One, the Google Nexus S.Google Nexus One Android 2.3 updateThe Nexus One has already been confirmed as getting the Android 2.3 update in early Q1 2011.The following announcement over on the official Google Nexus Twitter page confirmed the upgrade: "The Gingerbread OTA for Nexus One will happen in the coming weeks. Just hang tight!"UPDATE: As of 23 February 2011, the Google Nexus One Android 2.3.3 update is rolling out.Google Nexus S Android 2.3.3 updateUPDATE: The Nexus S is also getting its update to Android 2.3.3 as of 23 February 2011.HTC Desire Android 2.3 updateWe'v...
Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
By TechRadar, published 14-05-2011
This week's top reviews include the Asus Eee Pad Transformer - one of the best tablets we've seen so far, running Android 3.0 Honeycomb. We've also reviewed the new HTC Wildfire S - a new breed Android handset that's available on budget tariffs. And then there's the simplicity of passive 3D with the LG 42LW550T. Below we've the details on all these top reviews as well as a full listing of all this week's reviews published across these pages. Asus Eee Pad Transformer review Finally, the Android tablet we've all been waiting for has arrived. While Android 3.0 has been knocking around for months now, viable, available-to-buy tablets have been rarer than a rare thing in a place that doesn't exist. The Transformer is an excellent touchscreen tablet that comes with its own battery-packing keyboa...
HTC Desire HD and Incredible S get Gingerbread on 16 May
By GSMArena, published 13-05-2011
It may be Friday the 13th, but HTC brought up great news for all unbranded SIM-free HTC Desire HD and Incredible S owners out there. HTC is going to start pushing the eagerly awaited Android 2.3...
Updated: HTC Sensation vs iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S II
By TechRadar, published 05-12-2011
Would we care about Android if it weren't for HTC? Perhaps not. The HTC Desire was an early poster boy for Android, a genuinely great design that squared up to Apple's all-conquering iPhone and suggested it step outside. The HTC Desire remains at the top of our Best Mobile Phones in the World Today list despite younger, prettier competition, and it still represents exceptional value for money. So what happens when HTC takes the Desire and makes it even better?There are two answers to that. The first is the HTC Desire HD, which suffers from a few niggling issues, and the second is the brand spanking new HTC Sensation. Our colleagues at T3.com grabbed some HTC Sensation video footage which you can watch below.HTC says it sets "a new multimedia high for smartphones", and it's certainly an imp...
Best Buy Canada's Free Phones Friday: Motorola ATRIX 4G, Nexus S, HTC Desire HD and more
By phoneArena, published 05-11-2011
Best Buy is upping the ante for this week's Free Phone Friday, going from last week's BlackBerry Torch to a group of 6 Android devices including the Motorola ATRIX 4G...
Review: HTC Wildfire S
By TechRadar, published 05-11-2011
The HTC Wildfire arrived in mid-2010, when the world was still reeling from the impact of the sensational HTC Desire. And the Wildfire was almost as popular, coupling HTC's fantastic Sense user interface with a smaller, solid and capable little body – it was a lot of people's first, affordable smartphone.But things are a little different in 2011. The dual-core "superphones" have arrived, which means something with a lowly 600MHz processor is going to have to win fans via features and price rather than power. The HTC Wildfire S isn't exactly a cheap phone, either. Currently on sale for around £220 through the SIM-free retailers, there are now plenty of extremely capable Android-powered phones out there for less money – such as the Samsung Galaxy Ace or LG Optimus One. It's going to be ...
At IO 2011 Google Paints the Android Vision
By SlashGear, published 05-11-2011
Day one of Google IO has come to a close. After sifting through my notes and processing much of what I saw and heard, it’s clear the theme of day one was Android’s potential. All though Google did highlight some key features and made Ice Cream Sandwich official, they were vague about many of the specifics about future Android releases. What they did do however was tell a broader story about where Android can go. Google’s emphasis from the very beginning with Android was to provide a framework for the OS and the devices then let the market dictate where it goes. The problem with that strategy was that the market needed more direction than Google originally expected. This led them to get more involved in processes and spec decisions than they had originally desired. T...
Buying Guide: Best dual-core phone: which should you choose?
By TechRadar, published 05-10-2011
The pace of development in mobile phones has been incredible in the last few years. More recently, 1GHz has been the norm for processor speed, but in single-core processors. Now, the next generation of smartphone is arriving, but instead of just boosting clockspeeds further, dual-core CPUs are the order of the day.The advantage of going dual-core in these phones is that it offers more capability for multitasking and video, two features of mobile phones that have become more prominent. With smartphones able to replicate much of a PC's functionality, juggling all of that at once needs a good amount of parallel processing power.1080p video recording used to be a specialist capability, but it's arrived on many phones along with the power of dual-core CPUs. It's not just about having more power...
Updated: Top 140 best Android apps 2011
By TechRadar, published 05-09-2011
While Android doesn't feature the same volume of apps in its Marketplace as iPhone users are used to, there are still loads of great Android apps to download.Whether you're after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we've rounded up our favourites in the articles below.40 best free Android appsMost of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. These 40 free Android apps should be any Android owner's Day One installs...Read 40 best free Android apps40 best free Android gamesWe've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.Read 40 best free Android games10 best Android apps worth paying for Don't panic because we're mentioning money here - the average cost of this li...
HTC Desire Z will get Gingerbread by the end of June
By GSMArena, published 05-06-2011
At last, it's confirmed - the HTC Desire Z is going to receive some Gingerbread love, too. The premium Android slider with QWERTY keyboard was released in late 2010, but HTC show they haven't forgotten about it...
TechRadar Phone Awards: Vote for the mobile phone WTF of the year
By TechRadar, published 05-06-2011
The mobile phone industry may be the most technologically innovative at the moment, but every year it throws up a few clangers. Here we look at the companies that tried but failed, the events that left us with our jaws dropped and the launches that went off not with a bang… well, sometimes they never actually launched at all.So check out our 10 WTFs of the year, and then head over to the Phone Awards 2011 site to cast your vote on which you think is the craziest mobile phone moment of the year…Apple launching the microSIM Showing yet again that it doesn't adhere to the norm, Apple released the iPhone in June last year and, with it, the microSIM. The SIM is 52 per cent smaller than your average SIM and 1,000 per cent more annoying. This is mainly because anyone who wanted to switch to a...
Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini review
By TechRadar, published 05-06-2011
Sony Ericsson didn't have the best of years in 2010, but one of the few bright spots was the launch of the Xperia X10 Mini and its keyboarded sidekick, the Mini Pro.So it makes perfect sense that Sony Ericsson would choose to reboot the mini marvels this year, and it's done so to great effect.The Xperia Mini is essentially packed into the same size chassis as its predecessor, but with a three inch screen rather than the 2.55-inch version. The pixel count has been boosted to HVGA (320x480) which means it can now run a much higher percentage of applications from the Android Market.The increase in resolution really shows too - while we were big fans of the previous phone, the screen's sharpness was a little on the dull side. The Xperia Mini looked bright and crisp, further boosted in media te...
Samsung Galaxy S2 used to send world's highest tweet
By TechRadar, published 05-06-2011
Samsung has announced the 'world's highest tweet' has been sent from the summit of Mount Everest on a Samsung Galaxy S2. Using the summit's first ever 3G connection, Brit Kenton Cool posted a tweet just after 2AM GMT after reaching the peak for the ninth time, as well as, apparently, posting up a picture and updating his Facebook status. There's no news as to whether he checked out TechRadar, but we're assuming he did, possibly to check out the five star Samsung Galaxy S2 review.Up in Cloud 9?"Everest summit no 9! 1st tweet from the top of the world thanks to a weak 3G signal & the awesome Samsung Galaxy S2 handset!," tweeted Cool. Cool was handed the Galaxy S2 to unbox at basecamp, after Samsung picked up the sponsorship of his latest journey up the world's highest mountain. "I've climbed...
Exclusive: Sony Ericsson planning further Facebook integration
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
Sony Ericsson has told TechRadar that it is planning to update its latest crop of smartphones to include much deeper Facebook integration.The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Mini Pro both come with new Facebook features, including the ability to like songs and photos directly from the phone, as well as seeing galleries from the handset without opening the application.However, a Sony Ericsson spokesperson told us that in 'a couple of quarters' the Facebook functionality would be improved again, offering a deeper experience than ever before.Social API?While the spokesperson wouldn't elaborate on details, the likelihood is that this will include further use of the Social Graph API, which allows phone manufacturers to only show you information from the friends you interact with most - similar to...
Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro revealed
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
Sony Ericsson has announced the arrival of two new smartphones which should satiate the budget crowd – the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro.Both smartphones seemingly have Facebook engrained into their UI, with the phones offering "intuitive, faster and easier sharing, liking and commenting" and the "instant ability to share the songs you 'like' with friends".Both the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro come brandishing Android Gingerbread 2.3, with the Xperia Mini having the boast of being the "world's smallest Android smartphone with HD video recording".The Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro have three-inch capacitive touchscreens (the Mini Pro also has a Reality Display), are powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and have the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine inside.When it comes to looks, the Mini ...
Vodafone begins rolling out HTC Desire HD Android 2.3 update
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
Vodafone has taken merely a day to get its HTC Desire HD Android 2.3 update to its customers, with the new update available now.Users should be getting an automatic notification that the new software version, which boosts the handset to the latest (ish) version of Android Gingerbread, is available to download.And even better news: the new update (version2.36.161.12 if you're into the numbers) is available over the air, so you don't need to connect up to a pesky PC to overhaul your handset.Vodafone is touting the upgrade as a pretty big deal, promising a number of 'fixes and improvements':Enhancements to the user interface (simpler and slicker)New Android Keyboard, with easy copy/paste featureImproved Power ManagementInternet Calling supportMultiple Camera Management (front and back)The mai...
Android 2.3.4 rolling out across the UK
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
The latest version of Gingerbread, Android 2.3.4, is now landing on handsets across the UK, bringing with it video chatting features as standard.Our Google Nexus S has finally pinged and informed us that the new 2.3.4 version of the software is ready for download - although we're still waiting to hear if the Vodafone version is getting the same treatment.The new Android 2.3.4 version offers mostly bug fixes - which could go some way to sorting the random freezing some users are reporting with their new Nexus S handsets.The other big improvement is video calling - Google has now integrated Google Talk into the phone's contacts and calling system in a similar way to Android 3.0 on tablets.Better than Apple?You'll be able to make the calls over 3G or Wi-Fi (in your FaceTime, Apple) and can co...
iOS 4.3.3 rolled out, location data logging changed
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
Apple has rolled out the iOS 4.3.3, with the latest update looking to address some of the controversy around the way in which your location information is used. The update not only limits the time period of the cache of location information to a week but also now stops the cache being backed up to your computer. Last but not least, the cache is now deleted when location services are turned off in settings on the device. ResponseThe three changes are in response to the huge controversy that sprang up when it came to light that Apple's key devices were logging location to a file which was backed up to the user's computer. Although the company defended the practise, the furore around information being gathered was enough to prompt changes and the update has been rolled out quickly. Indeed, it...
Best phone screen: display tech explained
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
Mobile phones have progressed dramatically since the days their displays needed only to show you the number of the person calling. Once we added text messaging and even email, we need a bit more space to see what we'd written.We added colour to give them a bit more interest. When we started adding cameras to the phones, we wanted the screens to be sharper, so we could see the terrible, pixelated VGA photos we'd taken.Once the ability to store video arrived, we needed them to be smooth, with good refresh rates.In the era of touchscreen smartphones, we expect them to be as good as computer screens, offering crisp text, vibrant images, blur-free video and enough brightness to see outdoors, all under a responsive touch layer.Predictably, several different options have arisen, especially when i...
Best mobile screen: display tech explained
By TechRadar, published 05-05-2011
Mobile phones have progressed dramatically since the days their displays needed only to show you the number of the person calling. Once we added text messaging and even email, we need a bit more space to see what we'd written.We added colour to give them a bit more interest. When we started adding cameras to the phones, we wanted the screens to be sharper, so we could see the terrible, pixelated VGA photos we'd taken.Once the ability to store video arrived, we needed them to be smooth, with good refresh rates.In the era of touchscreen smartphones, we expect them to be as good as computer screens, offering crisp text, vibrant images, blur-free video and enough brightness to see outdoors, all under a responsive touch layer.Predictably, several different options have arisen, especially when i...
Microsoft: Unofficially updated Windows Phones won’t get our software
By SlashGear, published 05-05-2011
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Phone 7 handsets unofficially upgraded to NoDo (aka update 7390) using the ChevronWP7 tool will not be able to upgrade to the new 7392 version being pushed out now, at least by official means. According to the Windows Team Blog, the unofficial modifications leave the Windows Phone handsets looking to the Zune PC software as incompletely upgraded: because of that you get error code 80180048 and can’t go any further. Build 7392 isn’t expected to bring any especially interesting changes, but the issue could lead to headaches down the road when Microsoft releases more significant updates like Mango to the platform. More worrying, Microsoft’s Brandon Watson says that, since the development team is focussing on getting Mango out on time,...
Gingerbread is making its way to the HTC Desire HD & Incredible S starting today
By phoneArena, published 05-04-2011
Two of HTC’s top shelf Android smartphones are getting their Android 2.3 Gingerbread makeover, seeing that the update for the latest version of the mobile platform is starting to roll out to the HTC Desire HD and Incredible S...
HTC Desire HD and Incredible S Android 2.3 updates roll out
By TechRadar, published 05-04-2011
HTC has begun the process of bestowing the latest version of Android on its more recent phones, starting with the HTC Desire HD 2.3 update.The HTC Incredible S is also getting its own version of Gingerbread (boosting the handset to Android 2.3.3) via an over the air update, according to the HTC update site.The new-and-improved software will add a smattering of improved functionality to the handsets, including improved copy and paste and (hopefully) a much improved battery life, especially in the case of the Desire HD.Odd kidThe Incredible S has seemed like the odd one out at the HTC shindig for a while, as the only phone from 2011 not launching with Android 2.3, rather going for the more market-ready Froyo.However, before you pull out the party poppers (and don't do that anyway, you weirdo...
7digital Android app revamp adds MP3 downloading
By TechRadar, published 05-04-2011
7digital has announced a massive revamp of its Android app, which allows MP3 downloading straight from the application.The news comes on the same day that Spotify announced that it would be allowing iPod integration into the service and the ability to wirelessly sync your MP3 playlists in Spotify from your computer to your phone.Major update7digital has been working on its new app for some time. Earlier in the month, TechRadar exclusively spoke to Ben Drury CEO of 7digital, who said about the then upcoming update: "It is similar to what you get on the PlayBook and the Galaxy Tab but it is not tied to any product. It offers a nice purchase experience. "It is an integrated store, offering access to your music library in the cloud. The original app doesn't have any of this so it is a major, m...
HTC Desire HD and Incredible S get sweet Gingerbread treatment
By GSMArena, published 05-04-2011
Good news, HTC users! The Desire HD and Incredible S Android 2.3 Gingerbread updates arrive right on time. They are available as 100MB OTA downloads, so charge your phones, back up your data and go...
Gingerbread for HTC Incredible S and Desire HD goes OTA today
By SlashGear, published 05-04-2011
HTC has begun updating two of its more recent Android handsets to 2.3 Gingerbread, confirming that the OTA update for the HTC Desire HD and the HTC Incredible S is now live. Confirmed on HTC’s support page, Mobile Bulgaria spotted, the update will be flagged up by the two smartphones in the Android notification bar, and then delivered via WiFi or 3G. HTC advises backing up your Incredible S or Desire HD before you proceed with the upgrade, though it’s unclear at this stage whether updating to Android 2.3 Gingerbread will indeed wipe your phone in the process. We’ve just powered up a Desire HD now, however, and were told that there was no newer software available after a manual check for updates. Still, we’re guessing that will change as the day goes on. If you fin...
Vodafone sets HTC Sensation UK release date for 19 May
By TechRadar, published 05-04-2011
Vodafone has put the HTC Sensation up for pre-order ahead of its launch later this month.The new 1.2GHz dual-core phone will be available from £25 per month (although you'll need to fork out £199 for the handset) and free if you're willing to part with £35 smackeroos every pay day.However, the latter will net you 900 minutes of chatting time and unlimited texts, although 'only' 750MB of data - we know that it's more than enough for most people, but we'd love to see a GB of data tickled in there instead.HTC Sensation UK release dateVodafone has set the HTC Sensation UK release date for 19 May so if you order now it's unlikely you'll be waiting too long - and we're dying to pitch the new dual-core player against the might of the Samsung Galaxy S2.HTC has overhauled its Sense UI once more ...
HTC boast near 200% rise in profits thanks to Android
By TechRadar, published 05-03-2011
It's smiles all round in the HTC camp today, as the company's first quarter results make for more than happy reading.According to the handset maker, HTC managed to make a profit of 14.83 billion Taiwan dollars (£315 million) in the first quarter of 2011, which equates to a year on year rise of 196.8 per cent.A lot of this chunk of change was put down to how well the company has embraced the Android market, with hyperbole-infused handsets like the Desire S and Incredible S "met with strong customer demand and numerous accolades," according to the company.Phenomenal quarter"Thanks to the hard work of our employees and support from consumers worldwide, we had a phenomenal quarter with record sales and profits," said Peter Chou, HTC's CEO. "Our innovation and leadership in technology has take...
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc ? Redefining sleekness but what else? [Review]
By Thinkdigit, published 05-02-2011
To call the Xperia Arc sleek and slim would be an understatement. One look and exclamations about its classic profile burst forth. An impossibly slim, tapering waistline and the winning combination of curves and angles that make devices like the HTC Desire HD (reviewed here) and the original Xperia X10i look like failed attempts. Sony Ericsson has evidently pulled all stops to give us something we've been waiting for - a truly sensous looking device, although this comes at the cost of their desi [...] Read the entire article
HTC Wildfire S Review
By SlashGear, published 29-04-2011
Expectations around the HTC Wildfire S are, a little surprisingly, high. The third of HTC’s new Android devices from MWC 2011 in February, the entry-level smartphone replaces the Wildfire, a device which managed to carve itself quite the niche among pre-pay users and the budget or bulk conscious. Now the S-variant comes to further refine the lineage: we’re a long way from the Tattoo, but has HTC done enough to keep the Wildfire S relevant today? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Hardware As HTC found with the Tattoo, making a budget device is arguably far harder than making a new flagship. While the company could throw the latest kit at the HTC Sensation’s spec sheet and then attach a price to match, the Wildfire S has to be cheap enough to lure those c...
Samsung Galaxy S2 earns best mobile phone title
By TechRadar, published 28-04-2011
The Samsung Galaxy S2 has been dubbed the ultimate handset after it nabbed the top spot in TechRadar's 20 best mobile phones in the world today.We were won over by the combination of 1.2GHz dual core processors, 1GB of RAM and stunning screen - but more importantly how all of these worked together flawlessly and delivered a cracking package.The Samsung Galaxy S2 is the first phone since the HTC Desire to earn full marks in our in-depth reviews, and our reviewer was impressed by its ability to cram it all into such a slim chassis.Desire to Arc to GalaxyThe HTC Desire held on to the top spot since its launch last year, but spare a thought for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc: it held the throne for only a week before the Galaxy S2 seized it in a mobile phone coup.It's going to take something pre...
Buying Guide: 20 best mobile phones in the world today
By TechRadar, published 28-04-2011
Our verdict on the best mobile phones / best smartphones - constantly updated We've all got at least one mobile phone each, right? The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best mobile phone for you when you realise it's time to phone the network and trouble them for an upgrade?If you've read our list of the latest mobile phones, seen the hottest pre-release new mobile phones and are still stumped, well, this is where we make it easy. Because here we have our constantly-updated list of the top 20 best mobile phones you can get in the UK.And now, after a glut of top-end mobile phones steaming out from Mobile World Congress 2011, we've just brought you our biggest update ever to this definitive chart.The big surprise was the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc nabbing top spot - the combo of Andro...
Updated: 40 best free Android games
By TechRadar, published 28-04-2011
As Android phones have increased in popularity the number of apps available for the platform has rocketed.And that means more free Android games. There's a lot of junk out there, but fortunately, there are gems within the junk.We've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.If we've missed your favourite free Android game, let us know in the comments.1. Angry BirdsThe amazingly popular iOS game moved to Android recently, earning over two million downloads during its first weekend of availability.The Android version is free, unlike the Apple release, with maker Rovio opting to stick a few adverts on it rather than charge an upfront fee. The result is a massive and very challenging physics puzzler that's incredibly polished and ...
HTC Doubleshot spotted online, a dual-core Gingerbread QWERTY slider with a 3D camera
By Thinkdigit, published 27-04-2011
An online benchmark tool has revealed the existence (image below) of an Android Gingerbread QWERTY slider from HTC, called the HTC Doubleshot. Similar to the HTC Desire Z, not much is known about the device right now, except for a few specifications. [RELATED_ARTICLE]The HTC Doubleshot looks like it will have a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and a large screen with a 480x800 resolution, probably a 4-inch display. Other specs include 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, as well as Bluetooth 3.0. 3G connectiv [...] Read the entire article
Samsung Galaxy S II Review
By SlashGear, published 26-04-2011
Samsung has a lot riding on the Galaxy S II. When your displays, chips and memory are found in the flagship devices of OEMs around the world, you have to expect consumers will demand more from the hardware that bears your brand. The Galaxy S II (aka Galaxy S 2 or GSII) has even more to live up to: the original Galaxy S spawned several carrier variants that helped it become the best-selling Android smartphone in the US last year, and positioned Samsung as one of the key names to beat in the segment. So, with dual-core – and freshly overclocked – processor at the ready and a huge, Super AMOLED Plus display providing some eye-catching glitz, the Galaxy S II wades into the crowded smartphone market. New Android king or pretender to the throne? Check out the full SlashGear review af...
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc Review
By SlashGear, published 25-04-2011
Sony Ericsson’s 2010 Android range may have started promisingly, but software headaches undermined solid hardware and left many early-adopters with a low opinion of the company. 2011 is something of a relaunch for Sony Ericsson, then, with the XPERIA Play doing its level best to deliver the mobile PlayStation platform we’ve been expecting for years, and now the XPERIA Arc hoping to bring some of Sony’s living room expertise to your pocket. Is the Arc the best Sony Ericsson handset to-date, and if so is it good enough to overshadow the competition? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Hardware Making the “world’s thinnest phone” is a common ambition among current smartphone manufacturers, but no matter whether the XPERIA Arc manages to gra...
HTC Desire HD - Almost desirable...again [Review]
By Thinkdigit, published 25-04-2011
The HTC Desire HD is a device that needs no introduction. Think of it as the larger, full monty (if you will) version of the older HTC Desire (reviewed here) and the latest Desire Z, which we have reviewed here. A 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen means a larger phone, and the Desire HD has the innards to go with its large(r) persona. Think of it as HTC's flagship Android smartphone till the Sensation gets here, and yet as a device it has a few minor, yet aggravating flaws that when added up play [...] Read the entire article
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc crowned best mobile phone
By TechRadar, published 21-04-2011
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has shown itself to be the phone that finally knocks the HTC Desire off the perch of best mobile phone in the world.TechRadar's ranking of the 20 best handsets is our definitive list, helping you work out which phone to pick up, and has had millions of views since its launch last year.The HTC Desire has sat proudly atop that list since its launch last year, but now there's a new smartphone cowboy on the scene in the shape of the Xperia Arc.It was an nigh-on impossible task to choose a winner, with all of the top 20 proving to be quality smartphones - and the HTC Desire S and Desire staging the mobile version of a Greek tragedy at numbers two and three below the Xperia Arc.Still all about HTCHTC was the best represented on the list, nabbing six of the 20 slots, ...
Buying Guide: 20 best mobile phones in the world today
By TechRadar, published 21-04-2011
Our verdict on the best mobile phones / best smartphones - constantly updated We've all got at least one mobile phone each, right? The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best mobile phone for you when you realise it's time to phone the network and trouble them for an upgrade?If you've read our list of the latest mobile phones, seen the hottest pre-release new mobile phones and are still stumped, well, this is where we make it easy. Because here we have our constantly-updated list of the top 20 best mobile phones you can get.And now, thanks to a glut of top-end mobile phones steaming out from Mobile World Congress 2011, we're bringing you our biggest update ever to our definitive chart.So what's changed? We've lost seven of the 20 from the previous ranking, the top ten has seen a hu...
Smartphone Review: HTC Desire S a Worthy Successor to the Orginal?
By DigitalVersus, published 21-04-2011
The HTC Desire is (yet another) new smartphone running Android Gingerbread, version 2.3.2. A look at its spec makes us think it's clearly aiming to be your mobile multimedia device of...
This Week's Reviews & Last Week's Top Fives: HTC Desire S
By DigitalVersus, published 19-04-2011
This week, we've finally got our hands on the HTC Desire S, the new smartphone first announced back in February. How does it compare with other recent mobile developments? We'll find out on...
HTC Desire S review: Droid cravings
By GSMArena, published 18-04-2011
Powerful hardware, large high-res screen and the latest Android version in a single piece of solid metal - the recipe did wonders for the original Desire so no wonder HTC are in no mood to experiment with the sequel. Take the best and make it better pretty much sums up the game plan...
20 best mobile phones ranking set for massive update
By TechRadar, published 18-04-2011
Here at TechRadar we're all about helping you pick the best technology for your pocket and our constantly updated 20 best mobile phones in the world today ranking is our easy way to impart that handset-centric knowledge to you.Mobile World Congress showered the world with a plethora of new handsets, and we've been painstakingly picking through them, fiddling with all the features, snapping them from every angle and bringing you our in-depth reviews on everything from the vacuum-packed HTC Incredible S to the budget Samsung Galaxy Ace.We've already reviewed 15 handsets to have emerged from the Barcelona event, with plenty more to come in the next few weeks - and now we have to fit them into our definitive guide to the best mobile phones.Changing of the guard?The quality of handsets has been...
HTC Windows Phone with 16-megapixel camera tipped [Video]
By SlashGear, published 18-04-2011
HTC hasn’t been short on new smartphone launches this year – the HTC Sensation most recently, the HTC EVO 3D last month, and then five new phones back at MWC 2011 – but Windows Phone has been conspicuous by its absence. According to a new, leaked promo caught by Pocketnow, however, HTC is readying a beastly photo-focused Windows Phone handset with a whopping 16-megapixel camera. Video after the cut Full specifications of the smartphone are unknown, beyond the high-resolution camera and a dual-LED flash. The smartphone pictured looks just like the Android-powered HTC Desire S only with Windows Phone buttons; that could be a placeholder, or it might be that HTC is looking to borrow the Desire S’ slick styling for its new device. Such a route has been seen before,...
Samsung Galaxy S gets Gingerbread as promised
By GSMArena, published 17-04-2011
It looks like April is the month for the big names in the Android world to be rolling out their latest updates. Samsung is getting ready to release the updates to the Galaxy S. The HTC Desire family is looking to...
HTC Sense 3.0 ported to Desire HD
By phoneArena, published 15-04-2011
Of course, it's unofficial. Folks at XDA Developers, your usual place for custom ROMs, didn't waste much time and got the HTC Sense 3.0 working on an HTC Desire HD…
HTC backtracks on Sense 3.0 Desire S pledge
By TechRadar, published 15-04-2011
After the news from a tweet yesterday that HTC wouldn't be able to port Sense 3.0 to older devices, the brand has moved to clarify the situation.HTC initially said that "Due to Sense's hardware requirements, only our newest devices (Flyer, Evo 3D, Sensation) will be able to support it."That story was at odds with the statement TechRadar was given at a briefing, where HTC said that it was 'assessing' whether some elements could be ported across to the likes of the HTC Desire S and Incredible S.Making Sense of it allAnd now another Twitter post from the Taiwanese firm has given hope to those that just bought the latest phones:"Clarification: There are aspects of the latest HTC Sense that won't work on some of our previous devices. We are working to incorporate other aspects that will. Stay t...
HTC backtracks on Sense 3.0 Desire S pledge
By TechRadar, published 15-04-2011
After the news from a tweet yesterday that HTC wouldn't be able to port Sense 3.0 to older devices, the brand has moved to clarify the situation.HTC initially said that "Due to Sense's hardware requirements, only our newest devices (Flyer, Evo 3D, Sensation) will be able to support it."That story was at odds with the statement TechRadar was given at a briefing, where HTC said that it was 'assessing' whether some elements could be ported across to the likes of the HTC Desire S and Incredible S.Making Sense of it allAnd now another Twitter post from the Taiwanese firm has given hope to those that just bought the latest phones:"Clarification: There are aspects of the latest HTC Sense that won't work on some of our previous devices. We are working to incorporate other aspects that will. Stay t...
HTC backtracks on Sense 3.0 Desire S pledge
By TechRadar, published 15-04-2011
After the news from a tweet yesterday that HTC wouldn't be able to port Sense 3.0 to older devices, the brand has moved to clarify the situation.HTC initially said that "Due to Sense's hardware requirements, only our newest devices (Flyer, Evo 3D, Sensation) will be able to support it."That story was at odds with the statement TechRadar was given at a briefing, where HTC said that it was 'assessing' whether some elements could be ported across to the likes of the HTC Desire S and Incredible S.Making Sense of it allAnd now another Twitter post from the Taiwanese firm has given hope to those that just bought the latest phones:"Clarification: There are aspects of the latest HTC Sense that won't work on some of our previous devices. We are working to incorporate other aspects that will. Stay t...
HTC Sense 3.0 UI Only For New Devices, Not Completely True
By SlashGear, published 14-04-2011
The recent announcement of the HTC Sensation brought with it an enhanced 3.0 version of their slick HTC Sense user interface built on top of Android. Unfortunately, the company let it slip last night via Twitter to a curious customer that the HTC Sense 3.0 will only be available to its newest devices—the Flyer, EVO 3D, and Sensation. The news may be disappointing for folks who recently picked up a Desire S or Incredible S and find themselves not able to upgrade to the new and improved interface. According to the HTC spokesperson in the tweet, the reason for the restriction lies in the hardware requirements of HTC Sense 3.0. The new interface will support many new 3D effects including 3D widgets along with smart shortcuts on its new set of multi-functional lock screens, and 360-de...
Confirmed: No HTC Sense 3.0 for older handsets
By TechRadar, published 14-04-2011
HTC has confirmed that Sense 3.0, the updated version of the Sense UI found on all HTC Android phones, won't be available on older HTC devices. It comes as no surprise, as the company didn't seem overly positive about the port being possible when we spoke to them at the HTC Sensation launch earlier this week. It hurts that the senseless confirmation was imparted by way of a tweet from the official HTC account, though.SensitiveIn answer to a customer's query, the tweet reads, "Due to Sense's hardware requirements, only our newest devices (Flyer, Evo 3D, Sensation) will be able to support it."So if you've just picked up an HTC Desire S or HTC Incredible S, we're sorry to tell you that it's already out of date.Still, there's a chance that these handsets will get some elements of Sense 3.0, al...
Confirmed: No HTC Sense 3.0 for older handsets
By TechRadar, published 14-04-2011
HTC has confirmed that Sense 3.0, the updated version of the Sense UI found on all HTC Android phones, won't be available on older HTC devices. It comes as no surprise, as the company didn't seem overly positive about the port being possible when we spoke to them at the HTC Sensation launch earlier this week. It hurts that the senseless confirmation was imparted by way of a tweet from the official HTC account, though.SensitiveIn answer to a customer's query, the tweet reads, "Due to Sense's hardware requirements, only our newest devices (Flyer, Evo 3D, Sensation) will be able to support it."So if you've just picked up an HTC Desire S or HTC Incredible S, we're sorry to tell you that it's already out of date.Still, there's a chance that these handsets will get some elements of Sense 3.0, al...
New HTC Sense launches apps straight from the lock screen
By phoneArena, published 04-12-2011
HTC is slowly realizing its vision of a joint hardware-software-cloud experience that it reiterated way back in September last year, when it lifted the veil from the HTC Desire HD. At today's event in London the flourishing cell phone manufacturer got one huge step closer to that goal, announcing HTC Sense 3.0. Running on the powerful dual-core HTC Sensation, and its T-Mobile version HTC Sensation 4G, the new Sense UI is designed with speed of interaction in mind...
Hands on: HTC Sensation review
By TechRadar, published 04-12-2011
In the three short years it's taken HTC to rise from an unknown manufacturer to market-leading company, we've seen a number of high-end handsets from the brand - and now the HTC Sensation adds dual-core functionality in a sleek package.What's impressive about the phone when you first pick it up is the size - it's a 4.3-inch screen but the footprint of the phone isn't much bigger than the HTC Incredible S.The screen is technically the same size as the Desire HD, in that it measures 4.3-inches diagonally, but in reality it's a little smaller thanks to packing in qHD (540x960) resolution, which basically means 16:9 movies will play without any black bars above and below.The unibody sculpting of the device is in keeping with a number of other handsets in the HTC range - it's most reminiscent o...
Hands on: HTC Sensation review
By TechRadar, published 04-12-2011
In the three short years it's taken HTC to rise from an unknown manufacturer to market-leading company, we've seen a number of high-end handsets from the brand - and now the HTC Sensation adds dual-core functionality in a sleek package.What's impressive about the phone when you first pick it up is the size - it's a 4.3-inch screen but the footprint of the phone isn't much bigger than the HTC Incredible S.The screen is technically the same size as the Desire HD, in that it measures 4.3-inches diagonally, but in reality it's a little smaller thanks to packing in qHD (540x960) resolution, which basically means 16:9 movies will play without any black bars above and below.The unibody sculpting of the device is in keeping with a number of other handsets in the HTC range - it's most reminiscent o...
Hands on: HTC Sensation review
By TechRadar, published 04-12-2011
In the three short years it's taken HTC to rise from an unknown manufacturer to market-leading company, we've seen a number of high-end handsets from the brand - and now the HTC Sensation adds dual-core functionality in a sleek package.What's impressive about the phone when you first pick it up is the size - it's a 4.3-inch screen but the footprint of the phone isn't much bigger than the HTC Incredible S.The screen is technically the same size as the Desire HD, in that it measures 4.3-inches diagonally, but in reality it's a little smaller thanks to packing in qHD (540x960) resolution, which basically means 16:9 movies will play without any black bars above and below.The unibody sculpting of the device is in keeping with a number of other handsets in the HTC range - it's most reminiscent o...
HTC Sensation hands-on [Video]
By SlashGear, published 04-12-2011
The HTC Sensation is official, and it’s a beast of a smartphone. Freshly announced at HTC’s London event today, the Sensation slots in at the top of the company’s range complete with a high-resolution qHD display and speedy 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Check out our hands-on report after the cut. Updated with video after the cut There’s a lot to like about the HTC Sensation. While it has the same screen size as the HTC Desire HD, it’s narrower and thinner and, thanks to more distinctly curved edges, feels far more slender in the hand. The bright, clear S-LCD screen also packs in more pixels: 540 x 960 rather than the by-now traditional 480 x 800 of WVGA. It adds up to crisper graphics and smoother text, and makes a significant difference to webpages in full-s...
HTC Sensation: qHD 1.2GHz dual-core flagship
By SlashGear, published 04-12-2011
The HTC Sensation has been officially launched – aka the HTC Pyramid – the company’s new Android flagship. Running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread on a dual-core Qualcomm MSM 8260 1.2GHz processor, the Sensation has a Desire HD-matching 4.3-inch S-LCD touchscreen running at qHD 540 x 960 resolution, HSPA/WCDMA connectivity, and an 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p Full HD video recording with stereo sound. There’s also 1GB of ROM and 768MB of RAM, a microSD slot (with an 8GB card pre-loaded), and VGA-resolution front-facing camera. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port with MHL support for HDMI output (with the appropriate dongle). The HTC Sensation measures in at 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm and weighs 148g with the ...
HTC Sensation unveiled with 1.2GHz dual-core power
By TechRadar, published 04-12-2011
HTC has announced its new flagship handset: the HTC Sensation, with super-powerful 1.2GHz innards.The new phone comes with a whopping 4.3-inch 540 x 960 qHD screen, but still manages to fit it into the same footprint as the smaller HTC Incredible S.Powered by dual Qualcomm 8260 1.2GHz CPUs (which support multi-threading for greater efficiency), the Sensation packs Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with 1080p video recording, a front-facing VGA camera, an 8MP camera with touch-autofocus and a dual LED flash, and an HDMI output through the micro-USB port.Sensible changeHTC Sense has been given a big overhaul on the Sensation. Sense 3.0 comes with a new 3D overlay when spinning through the home screens, a new lock display that allows you to drag applications to the bottom to open them instantly and...
HTC Sensation unveiled with 1.2GHz dual-core power
By TechRadar, published 04-12-2011
HTC has announced its new flagship handset: the HTC Sensation, with super-powerful 1.2GHz innards.The new phone comes with a whopping 4.3-inch 540 x 960 qHD screen, but still manages to fit it into the same footprint as the smaller HTC Incredible S.Powered by dual Qualcomm 8260 1.2GHz CPUs (which support multi-threading for greater efficiency), the Sensation packs Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with 1080p video recording, a front-facing VGA camera, an 8MP camera with touch-autofocus and a dual LED flash, and an HDMI output through the micro-USB port.Sensible changeHTC Sense has been given a big overhaul on the Sensation. Sense 3.0 comes with a new 3D overlay when spinning through the home screens, a new lock display that allows you to drag applications to the bottom to open them instantly and...
HTC Sensation unveiled with 1.2GHz dual-core power
By TechRadar, published 04-12-2011
HTC has announced its new flagship handset: the HTC Sensation, with super-powerful 1.2GHz innards.The new phone comes with a whopping 4.3-inch 540 x 960 qHD screen, but still manages to fit it into the same footprint as the smaller HTC Incredible S.Powered by dual Qualcomm 8260 1.2GHz CPUs (which support multi-threading for greater efficiency), the Sensation packs Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with 1080p video recording, a front-facing VGA camera, an 8MP camera with touch-autofocus and a dual LED flash, and an HDMI output through the micro-USB port.Sensible changeHTC Sense has been given a big overhaul on the Sensation. Sense 3.0 comes with a new 3D overlay when spinning through the home screens, a new lock display that allows you to drag applications to the bottom to open them instantly and...
O2 UK prices the HTC Desire S for only £329.99 on a pay-as-you-go plan
By phoneArena, published 04-11-2011
Although a variety of wireless carriers now lay claim to the high-end Android powered smartphone, O2 UK is going one step further by aggressively pricing the device’s no term commitment option. Currently available, O2 UK customers...
Daily Roundup: 2011-04-10
By Bjorn3D, published 04-10-2011
Cases, PSUs, Coolers Cubitek XL-Tank Case at Rbmods Peripherals Dynex 32" Class 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV at TestFreaks Nokia C7: Beautiful = Forgivable at InsideHW HandStand for iPad at TestFreaks HTC Desire S Smartphone Review at t-break Misc Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed at Computing on
T-Mobile Nokia C7 Astound Review
By SlashGear, published 04-06-2011
Before we go any further, I’d like to let you know that we’ve got not [one], but [two] hands-on experiences with this device. Check there for all the specs and tiny details your heart could desire. Below you’ll find a broad approach at a review since this phone is becoming somewhat of a rarity here in the USA – one that’s not a feature phone, yet not Android or iOS – such a diamond in a bucket full of diamonds, rubies, pearls, and other precious rocks! First Impressions You’ve very possibly already seen my first impression of this piece of hardware in either the unboxing post or the post where I got to hold the phone at CTIA 2011. All that information said, I can nutshell the experience up in one sentence: Using the T-Mobile Nokia C7 Astound is l...
Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
By TechRadar, published 04-04-2011
Sony Ericsson's original Xperia X10 was a brave first go at an Android phone, offering a large screen, a collection of social media enhancements and a stylised version of Google's rapidly growing mobile operating system.However, the X10 was hindered by delays, held back by glitchy software and arrived running the already ageing Android 1.6 - and only received an update to 2.1 recently. It was, to put it mildly, a bit of a mess.The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc obliterates all of those awkward memories in a flash. It's running the very latest Android 2.3.2 version of the OS. It's arrived on time. It's fast, and it's very, very stylish indeed. And it's not that expensive for a single-core Android phone in 2011 at £430 SIM free or £30 per month on contract - can Sony Ericsson's Reality Display, ...
SlashGear Week in Review – Week 14 2011
By SlashGear, published 04-03-2011
Welcome to another edition of the SlashGear Week in Review! Let’s get right into it. Early in the week Amazon rolled out its Appstore test drive feature. The feature allows you to test out some of the apps available on the store on a virtual Android device for 30 minutes. A Montana Radio Shack store is offering a wild deal for people that sign up to have new service installed. The store will give a gift certificate for a 380 handgun or a shotgun to those that purchase service. Sony Ericsson announced that it was going to offer up a new Android bootloader unlock tool. The catch is that the tool will only be offered for certain handsets in its 2011 lineup. We went hands on with the Nokia C7 Astound for the T-Mobile network early in the week. The phone is small and for now all you get...
Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
By TechRadar, published 04-02-2011
This week's reviews include one of the hottest phones from this year's Mobile World Congress, the HTC Desire S. It's the follow-up to the best-selling HTC Desire, but can it top the highs of the handset it replaces? We've also fully reviewed Android 3.0, the tablet OS that hopes to conquer the supremacy of iOS as well as the incredibly quick six-core Intel Core i7 990X Extreme Edition. Top five reviews on TechRadarHTC Desire S review The Desire S is a great phone, but it feels like it doesn't live up to its grand name. We loved the original Desire so much. It was offering an experience comparable to the iPhone 4 three months before Apple's device was even announced.Android 3.0 reviewAndroid 3.0 is powerful and fast. It looks closer to what you'd expect in the modern computing age and not a...
Google’s Android anti-fragmentation push is vital
By SlashGear, published 04-01-2011
Reports earlier this week painted an ominous future for Google’s open-source strategy with Android, the company’s mobile device platform. Gone, insiders at OEMs and carriers suggested, was the eager-to-please ambition and flexibility of the early days, back when Google was desperate for market penetration and manufacturer support. Instead, they claimed, Android head Andy Rubin had become a harsh gatekeeper, doling out early access to new iterations of the OS only to those who’ll toe the Google line, attempting to trip handsets that used rival services, and doing it all under the banner of “non-fragmentation.” Open-source lovers wrung their hands; iOS addicts basked in a righteous glow. Android, so the arguments went, was supposed to be our open-source salvat...
Review: Nokia E7
By TechRadar, published 04-01-2011
If beauty were only screen deep, the Nokia E7 series would stand a good chance in a Miss Handset competition, even up against the likes of the iPhone 4, HTC Desire S and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. This QWERTY keyboard phone boasts a four-inch capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED ClearBlack display and sleek brushed aluminium casing that feels great in the hand. It's just under 14mm thick, but fairly lightweight for its size and depth. A strong double-thumbed push to the tilt and slide mechanism will reveal the well-spaced, rubber-buttoned QWERTY pad. The hinge is a little stiff, but the solidity is appreciated. The weight is nicely balanced held portrait, landscape or with the keypad out, and the touchscreen isn't overpowered by unwieldy additional keys. The soft keys it does have are spare and n...
Review: Nokia E7
By TechRadar, published 04-01-2011
If beauty were only screen deep, the Nokia E7 series would stand a good chance in a Miss Handset competition, even up against the likes of the iPhone 4, HTC Desire S and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. This QWERTY keyboard phone boasts a four-inch capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED ClearBlack display and sleek brushed aluminium casing that feels great in the hand. It's just under 14mm thick, but fairly lightweight for its size and depth. A strong double-thumbed push to the tilt and slide mechanism will reveal the well-spaced, rubber-buttoned QWERTY pad. The hinge is a little stiff, but the solidity is appreciated. The weight is nicely balanced held portrait, landscape or with the keypad out, and the touchscreen isn't overpowered by unwieldy additional keys. The soft keys it does have are spare and n...
Review: Nokia E7
By TechRadar, published 04-01-2011
If beauty were only screen deep, the Nokia E7 series would stand a good chance in a Miss Handset competition, even up against the likes of the iPhone 4, HTC Desire S and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. This QWERTY keyboard phone boasts a four-inch capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED ClearBlack display and sleek brushed aluminium casing that feels great in the hand. It's just under 14mm thick, but fairly lightweight for its size and depth. A strong double-thumbed push to the tilt and slide mechanism will reveal the well-spaced, rubber-buttoned QWERTY pad. The hinge is a little stiff, but the solidity is appreciated. The weight is nicely balanced held portrait, landscape or with the keypad out, and the touchscreen isn't overpowered by unwieldy additional keys. The soft keys it does have are spare and n...
2011 Android App Guide launches
By TechRadar, published 04-01-2011
The 2011 Android App Guide has finally arrived, bringing a huge range of expert reviews of the latest and greatest applications for your Android handset. With the news shelves dominated by iPhone and iPad app mags, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Android isn't the most popular mobile OS around, but the 2011 Android App Guide – from the brains behind the TechRadar Buying Guides – is hoping to right that wrong with reviews of the best apps around. So if you're toting the new HTC Desire S, Samsung Galaxy S or any of the fantastic handsets around then you can pick up the magazine from newsstands or from the My Favourite Magazines site right now. Massive choice"Android's open-source nature enables anyone with the know-how to produce their own apps," explained editor Jake Day-Williams. "...
2011 Android App Guide launches
By TechRadar, published 04-01-2011
The 2011 Android App Guide has finally arrived, bringing a huge range of expert reviews of the latest and greatest applications for your Android handset. With the news shelves dominated by iPhone and iPad app mags, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Android isn't the most popular mobile OS around, but the 2011 Android App Guide – from the brains behind the TechRadar Buying Guides – is hoping to right that wrong with reviews of the best apps around. So if you're toting the new HTC Desire S, Samsung Galaxy S or any of the fantastic handsets around then you can pick up the magazine from newsstands or from the My Favourite Magazines site right now. Massive choice"Android's open-source nature enables anyone with the know-how to produce their own apps," explained editor Jake Day-Williams. "...
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play launches in UK
By TechRadar, published 04-01-2011
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, the first phone with PlayStation Certification, has managed to make its way to general release today.There were suggestions that Sony Ericsson would have to delay the handset due to freight issues, but The Carphone Warehouse, Phones4u and Orange all have managed to nab some stock to start selling it today.However, it's not going to be cheap - the average cost per month of the Xperia Play is over £35 per month, with the likes of Orange offering it for a whopping £40 per month deal.All about the evilThe handset will come with five games pre-installed with a further one available to download - although there are only six titles available directly from Sony: Crash Bandicoot, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, Jumping Jack Evil, MediEvil and Syphon Filter.The r...
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play Review
By SlashGear, published 31-03-2011
Frankly, it’s a surprise it’s taken them this long. The idea of a PlayStation phone hasn’t been so much a persistent rumor as it has a cellular cloud hanging over both Sony and Sony Ericsson. It overshadowed the launch of the PSP Go and has been responsible for untold speculation about terse relations between the divisions. Throw in more pre-announce leaks than average, and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play has quite the reputation to live up to. Can the first gaming-centric Android smartphone deliver both the polished day-to-day experience we now expect, and live up to the PlayStation branding? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Hardware The family similarity between the PSP Go and the XPERIA Play is obvious. Both have a slide-out gaming keypad and a chubby...
HTC Desire S SIM-free now available in the UK, costs 410 quid
By GSMArena, published 31-03-2011
The HTC Desire S is currently available for purchase from the well-known UK retailer Expansys. The price has been altered from the phone's pre-order period from 500 euros down to 466 euros. Not only...
Gingerbread ROM for HTC Desire Z leaks, you can try it now
By GSMArena, published 31-03-2011
For those of you, impatient owners of HTC Desire Z out there, waiting for a Gingerbread update, we have some good news. There is an HTC test ROM available for download, but only for the brave enough to install ...
HTC Pyramid Photos Leaked from HTC Confidential Source
By SlashGear, published 30-03-2011
It appears that the folks at XDA, that vast community of developers and hackers, have gotten their hands on some super secret photos of the HTC Pyramid, a fashionable phone coming down the pipeline toward the public in a 4.3-inch display fashion. According to these most recent photos, this phone will be coming out with a 1.2Ghz processor with no name, 768MB or RAM, and a QHD resolution display. The more we see the more we like! You already know about the lovely swoop along the back, but now we know for sure that this is a single back battery cover covering a very familiar set of insides. With the details we’re seeing here, we’re feeling like this is set to be a VERY close relative to the HTC EVO 3D, a phone we go to check out very close at CTIA 2011. This phone has, instead o...
Microsoft to add NFC to Windows Phone smartphones
By TechRadar, published 30-03-2011
Microsoft has teased that it is to add NFC compatibility to a future version of its Windows Phone software.Google has already added NFC to Android 2.3 and it looks like Microsoft is following a similar route with its smartphone portfolio.According to Bloomberg, Microsoft will be looking to put the technology – which allows you to make payments with your phone – into the chassis specification for its upcoming Windows Phone handsets.Nokia has already announced that NFC will be in its Symbian handsets this year and Motorola exclusively told TechRadar that it is looking to add the tech to its handsets, even though there is a premium that goes with the implementation of NFC.Samsung has followed suit with the Galaxy S2 and the Wave 578, and has already offered NFC support for its Bada smartp...
Microsoft to add NFC to Windows Phone smartphones
By TechRadar, published 30-03-2011
Microsoft has teased that it is to add NFC compatibility to a future version of its Windows Phone software.Google has already added NFC to Android 2.3 and it looks like Microsoft is following a similar route with its smartphone portfolio.According to Bloomberg, Microsoft will be looking to put the technology – which allows you to make payments with your phone – into the chassis specification for its upcoming Windows Phone handsets.Nokia has already announced that NFC will be in its Symbian handsets this year and Motorola exclusively told TechRadar that it is looking to add the tech to its handsets, even though there is a premium that goes with the implementation of NFC.Samsung has followed suit with the Galaxy S2 and the Wave 578, and has already offered NFC support for its Bada smartp...
Vodafone opens up HTC Desire S pre-orders
By TechRadar, published 30-03-2011
Vodafone has announced that it is offering the HTC Desire S for pre-order, ahead of the hotly-anticpated phone arriving on its UK release date of 8 April. The HTC Desire S will be available for no additional cost on the company's £30, two-year plan which includes 600 minutes, unlimited texts and half a gig of mobile data. According to TechRadar's HTC Desire S review, the phone is worthy of consideration, picking up four stars and earning praise for its slick UI and great call quality. But...However, the review did suggest alternatives, adding: "we can't help but have our gaze drawn to the HTC Incredible S and the Samsung Galaxy S2."Vodafone has also announced that it will be offering the Samsung-built Google Nexus S in either its original black chassis or an exclusive white version. That ...
Vodafone opens up HTC Desire S pre-orders
By TechRadar, published 30-03-2011
Vodafone has announced that it is offering the HTC Desire S for pre-order, ahead of the hotly-anticpated phone arriving on its UK release date of 8 April. The HTC Desire S will be available for no additional cost on the company's £30, two-year plan which includes 600 minutes, unlimited texts and half a gig of mobile data. According to TechRadar's HTC Desire S review, the phone is worthy of consideration, picking up four stars and earning praise for its slick UI and great call quality. But...However, the review did suggest alternatives, adding: "we can't help but have our gaze drawn to the HTC Incredible S and the Samsung Galaxy S2."Vodafone has also announced that it will be offering the Samsung-built Google Nexus S in either its original black chassis or an exclusive white version. That ...
HTC Desire HD to get Gingerbread Motorola DEFY will enjoy Froyo
By GSMArena, published 29-03-2011
The French carrier SFR announced a schedule for the Android updates for the HTC Desire HD and the Motorola DEFY. The Desire HD will get a Gingerbread update in the first half of April, while the Motorola DEFY will...
HTC Desire S Review
By SlashGear, published 28-03-2011
The original HTC Desire became one of the most popular Android smartphones of 2010, a compelling balance of screen-size, functionality and pricing that convinced us in our review and continued to convince buyers throughout the year. Now, HTC is back with the follow-up, the HTC Desire S. Question is, with dual-core Android phones already on the market, does the “S” stand for “sequel” or just “surpassed”? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Hardware The original Desire was HTC’s own-brand version of the Nexus One, the first Google Phone; since then, Google has partnered with Samsung on the Nexus S, leaving HTC to follow its own path with the Desire S. Smaller than the Desire, at 115 x 59.8 x 11.63 mm, and 5g lighter at 130g, the Desi...
In Depth: Can you trust Android apps?
By TechRadar, published 28-03-2011
Our phones contain all kinds of important data, from our address books to our current location - and we expect that information to be used by our apps on a need-to-know basis.So why does the Android version of the WinAmp music player want access to pretty much everything?Every Android app has a manifest, which lists the data permissions it needs. WinAmp's one is a doozy: it wants to access the cellular network database to access your approximate device location, to access the GPS system to get your precise location and to view log files that can reveal how you use your phone. It's not the only one, either: another player, MixZing, wants to access the approximate location of your phone as well as access the phone features, which could potentially reveal your phone number and serial number, ...
In Depth: New mobile phones 2011: the full rundown
By TechRadar, published 28-03-2011
The world of new mobile phones changes so fast that even we at TechRadar have a hard time keeping up, and we're the internet. Since we don't want anyone to miss the news about the newest mobile phone that might be ideal for them, we've put together this round up of our hands-on reviews. These aren't our full reviews, so won't have the same authoritative depth, but they're our early impressions of all these new mobiles after we've been able to spend some limited time with them.This page will be updated regularly as new mobile phones are announced, so you know it's always the best place to come for the all the upcoming mobile phone news you'll need.Samsung Wave 578NFC (near-field communications) is an area that the networks seem to be pushing more and more in new mobile phones, but we've mos...
In Depth: New mobile phones 2011: the full rundown
By TechRadar, published 28-03-2011
The world of new mobile phones changes so fast that even we at TechRadar have a hard time keeping up, and we're the internet. Since we don't want anyone to miss the news about the newest mobile phone that might be ideal for them, we've put together this round up of our hands-on reviews. These aren't our full reviews, so won't have the same authoritative depth, but they're our early impressions of all these new mobiles after we've been able to spend some limited time with them.This page will be updated regularly as new mobile phones are announced, so you know it's always the best place to come for the all the upcoming mobile phone news you'll need.Samsung Wave 578NFC (near-field communications) is an area that the networks seem to be pushing more and more in new mobile phones, but we've mos...
Nokia still in the dark over Symbian shutdown
By TechRadar, published 28-03-2011
Nokia has issued a letter to developers outlining the future for Symbian and Windows Phone 7 - and it seems the Finnish firm is a long way from being settled on a strategy.The Symbian platform will keep getting the same handsets planned for 2011 and 2012, which is what Nokia is calling 'its transition period'.That transition is defined later on in the letter as the point where Nokia is looking to get as many customers onto Windows Phone 7 as possible:"Our intention is that when users come to the end of the natural lifecycle of their Symbian device they will make the change to a Nokia Windows Phone device and so it would not be in our interests to undermine their Nokia smartphone experience."Support"Operators have also been very supportive in their commitment to help us continue to sell and...
Updated: Top 110 best Android apps 2011
By TechRadar, published 28-03-2011
While Android doesn't feature the same volume of apps in its Marketplace as iPhone users are used to, there are still loads of great apps to download.Whether you're after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we've compiled our favourites below.40 best free Android appsMost of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. These 40 free Android apps should be any Android owner's Day One installs...Read 40 best free Android apps30 best free Android gamesWe've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.Read 30 best free Android games10 best Android apps worth paying for don't panic because we're mentioning money here - the average cost of this little lot is around two dol...
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Latest mobile phones 2011: hottest handsets reviewed
By TechRadar, published 25-03-2011
In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phone trends. That's why we've put together this hub for our new mobile phone reviews: to give you the ideal jumping-on point for understanding the most current handsets around. We cover a plethora of brands, including Apple, HTC, Nokia, Palm and Blackberry, and operating systems, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7, so you should find something that piques your interest here. In short, if you're seeking a new mobile phone, this is a great place to start.Nokia C2-01With the ink now dry on the contract between Nokia and Microsoft, the C2-01 is among the last of a dying breed: a Symbian OS-toting Nokia mobile. Oh, and it's sans touchscreen, too. Yes, for a new mobile phone, it's decidedly old-school. ...
Latest mobile phones 2011: hottest handsets reviewed
By TechRadar, published 25-03-2011
In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phone trends. That's why we've put together this hub for our new mobile phone reviews: to give you the ideal jumping-on point for understanding the most current handsets around. We cover a plethora of brands, including Apple, HTC, Nokia, Palm and Blackberry, and operating systems, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7, so you should find something that piques your interest here. In short, if you're seeking a new mobile phone, this is a great place to start.Nokia C2-01With the ink now dry on the contract between Nokia and Microsoft, the C2-01 is among the last of a dying breed: a Symbian OS-toting Nokia mobile. Oh, and it's sans touchscreen, too. Yes, for a new mobile phone, it's decidedly old-school. ...
Latest mobile phones 2011: hottest handsets reviewed
By TechRadar, published 25-03-2011
In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phone trends. That's why we've put together this hub for our new mobile phone reviews: to give you the ideal jumping-on point for understanding the most current handsets around. We cover a plethora of brands, including Apple, HTC, Nokia, Palm and Blackberry, and operating systems, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7, so you should find something that piques your interest here. In short, if you're seeking a new mobile phone, this is a great place to start.Nokia C2-01With the ink now dry on the contract between Nokia and Microsoft, the C2-01 is among the last of a dying breed: a Symbian OS-toting Nokia mobile. Oh, and it's sans touchscreen, too. Yes, for a new mobile phone, it's decidedly old-school. ...
HTC Desire S sales in Europe start today
By phoneArena, published 25-03-2011
The HTC Desire S was unveiled in all of its refined desirable Android beauty during MWC and it's launch is getting ever so close. Even more now as we know its exact European launch date, which would be March 28th in Germany…
HTC Incredible S Review
By SlashGear, published 24-03-2011
The first of HTC’s new range from Mobile World Congress last month, and tracing a direct line back to a handset almost 12 months old, the HTC Incredible S should on paper leave us cold. Packing neither the huge screen of the Touch HD, nor running the latest OS like the imminent Desire S, it’s a single-core phone in what’s fast shaping up to be a dual-core world. Thing is, underdog devices have a habit of surprising you, and the Incredible S is no different. Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Hardware It’s tough for an all-black smartphone to stand out of the crowd, but by a combination of distinct design and a little razzle-dazzle the Incredible S does at least make an attempt at differentiation. The 120 x 64 x 11.7 mm chassis – which tips th...
Smartphone Review: The HTC Incredible S is Almost Perfect
By DigitalVersus, published 24-03-2011
After the Desire and the Desire HD, HTC's latest Android flagship is the new Incredible S—although it's running Froyo until an update to Gingerbread at the end of March. ...
Samsung Galaxy S II Mini outed by leaked slides
By TechRadar, published 21-03-2011
Not content with simply revealing potential release dates for the BlackBerry PlayBook and HTC Flyer, Three's leaked slides also out the Samsung Galaxy S II Mini. The 'mini' version of the Samsung Galaxy S II comes with a 3.7-inch screen – not exactly what you'd call small given that it's the same size as the HTC Desire S's display. The processor isn't exactly tiny either, rocking 1.4Ghz as it does, plus there's Android Gingerbread and front- and rear-facing cameras to play with too. The latter comes in at 5MP with autofocus and an LED flash as standard. Prequel not sequelThree's slide lists the Samsung Galaxy S II Mini release date as April, which could see it putting in an appearance before its erstwhile brother, the Samsung Galaxy S II which some retailers have pushed back to May. Also...
Samsung Galaxy S II Mini outed by leaked slides
By TechRadar, published 21-03-2011
Not content with simply revealing potential release dates for the BlackBerry PlayBook and HTC Flyer, Three's leaked slides also out the Samsung Galaxy S II Mini. The 'mini' version of the Samsung Galaxy S II comes with a 3.7-inch screen – not exactly what you'd call small given that it's the same size as the HTC Desire S's display. The processor isn't exactly tiny either, rocking 1.4Ghz as it does, plus there's Android Gingerbread and front- and rear-facing cameras to play with too. The latter comes in at 5MP with autofocus and an LED flash as standard. Prequel not sequelThree's slide lists the Samsung Galaxy S II Mini release date as April, which could see it putting in an appearance before its erstwhile brother, the Samsung Galaxy S II which some retailers have pushed back to May. Also...
Exclusive: HTC Pyramid frontal shot confirms qHD resolution
By GSMArena, published 21-03-2011
We just got an exclusive new shot of the HTC Pyramid. The image again shows the Pyramid posing next to the Desire HD, but this time we have the front of the phones. Best of all, it seems to confirm the rumor...
HTC ThunderBolt Review
By SlashGear, published 18-03-2011
The HTC ThunderBolt is a first but not a first: the only 4G smartphone on Verizon’s LTE network, but certainly not the first 4G smartphone we’ve seen and following a hardware pattern that dates back nine months or so to the HTC EVO 4G on Sprint and takes in AT&T’s Inspire 4G on the way. With various different interpretations of what exactly 4G is, however, there’s more to this than labels and branding. Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Hardware If you’ve used an HTC smartphone recently then the ThunderBolt’s design won’t surprise. Like the EVO 4G and Inspire 4G before it, there’s a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen display in a mostly metal chassis. At 4.75 x 2.44 x 0.56 inches, Verizon’s phone is narrower and shorter than...
HTC Merge world phone is now available for pre-order in India for Rs. 35,000
By Thinkdigit, published 16-03-2011
A rather mysterious device that has been making waves since August 2010 as the Verizon or HTC World Phone, the HTC Merge is another QWERTY slider like the Desire Z, but, instead of being a solely-GSM device, is being called a CDMA world phone. If you're wondering what being a 'world phone' means for the HTC Merge, earlier rumours of the device implied it would be a CDMA/GSM hybrid that is capable of operating on both types of providers, across the world. But now with it being called a 'CDMA w [...] Read the entire article
HTC launches Desire Z in India, priced at Rs. 25,590
By Thinkdigit, published 16-03-2011
HTC has launched the QWERTY-bearing Desire Z in India, priced at Rs. 25,590 (MOP). Launched suspiciously close to the Nokia E7, HTC is extolling the same ‘best of both worlds’ virtue of the Android 2.2 Froyo-based Desire Z, offering users the benefits of both a 3.7-inch touchscreen (no Super LCD for India) and full four-line hardware QWERTY keypad. The aluminium unibody-encased HTC Desire Z slides open to reveal its keyboard using an innovative ‘pop hinge’ design, resp [...] Read the entire article
HTC Prime Windows Phone 7 With Slideout Keyboard Revealed
By SlashGear, published 15-03-2011
Another of the leaked renderings today from Chinese website xda.cn purported to be upcoming HTC devices, is one called the HTC Prime. Very similar in appearance to the HTC Ignite, this handset will also be running the Windows Phone 7 OS, but will feature a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The HTC Prime is said to feature a 480×800 resolution 3.7-inch touch screen, 512MB RAM, a 5MP camera with auto focus and LED flash. The device will support WiFi and Bluetooth. It seems like the specs and overall appearance are almost identical to that of the HTC Ignite, the other rumored phone, except for the additional slide-out keyboard. HTC has yet to make any official announcements about these devices. At the recent MWC, HTC’s focus was on the HTC Incredible S, HTC Wildfire S, HTC Desire...
HTC Pyramid Revealed as Android 3.0 Honeycomb Phone
By SlashGear, published 15-03-2011
Take a peek at a phone that’s basically blowing the doors off of the Android world with it’s unconventional release of itself stocked with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. This version of Google’s mobile OS is only supposed to be for tablets, it being released recently with the Motorola XOOM. This phone, on the other hand, is giant, but it’s not quite tablet sized. This phone instead is much closer to the upcoming HTC ThunderBolt or the recently released HTC Inspire 4G – it’s like they’re all made by the same manufacturer! Inside this lovely phone, you’ll find a 1.2GHz processor that’s yet unnamed, a big huge 8-megapixel camera on the back, and a tiny camera on the front for video chat sized to the tune of 1.3-megapixels. The back also features...
PAYG prices may change due to Ofcom price cap
By TechRadar, published 15-03-2011
Everything Everywhere, the Orange and T-Mobile partnership, has revealed that Ofcom's decision to introduce a new lower cap on the rate networks can charge landline operators and rival mobile phone companies to connect calls to mobile phones may have an effect on pay-as-you-go customers.Ofcom's new ruling means that over the next four years, and starting 1 April, there will be a significant reduction in mobile termination rates – something that will affect the big four mobile operators: 3UK, O2, Everything Everywhere and Vodafone.Vulnerable customersEverything Everywhere contacted TechRadar about the new ruling and said: "We are disappointed with Ofcom's decision. Our concerns focus on the impact of the decision to our vulnerable pay-as-you-go customers. "By applying pure LRIC methodolog...
PAYG prices may change due to Ofcom price cap
By TechRadar, published 15-03-2011
Everything Everywhere, the Orange and T-Mobile partnership, has revealed that Ofcom's decision to introduce a new lower cap on the rate networks can charge landline operators and rival mobile phone companies to connect calls to mobile phones may have an effect on pay-as-you-go customers.Ofcom's new ruling means that over the next four years, and starting 1 April, there will be a significant reduction in mobile termination rates – something that will affect the big four mobile operators: 3UK, O2, Everything Everywhere and Vodafone.Vulnerable customersEverything Everywhere contacted TechRadar about the new ruling and said: "We are disappointed with Ofcom's decision. Our concerns focus on the impact of the decision to our vulnerable pay-as-you-go customers. "By applying pure LRIC methodolog...
PAYG prices may change due to Ofcom price cap
By TechRadar, published 15-03-2011
Everything Everywhere, the Orange and T-Mobile partnership, has revealed that Ofcom's decision to introduce a new lower cap on the rate networks can charge landline operators and rival mobile phone companies to connect calls to mobile phones may have an effect on pay-as-you-go customers.Ofcom's new ruling means that over the next four years, and starting 1 April, there will be a significant reduction in mobile termination rates – something that will affect the big four mobile operators: 3UK, O2, Everything Everywhere and Vodafone.Vulnerable customersEverything Everywhere contacted TechRadar about the new ruling and said: "We are disappointed with Ofcom's decision. Our concerns focus on the impact of the decision to our vulnerable pay-as-you-go customers. "By applying pure LRIC methodolog...
Updated: iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot: which networks make you pay?
By TechRadar, published 15-03-2011
The launch of the iPad 2 might have been the headline of Apple's recent announcement, but the news that the new iOS 4.3 update would finally bring iPhone personal hotspots to the iPhone 4 was big news too.Now users can actually share the data in their contracts to a laptop or tablet - something their Android counterparts have been able to do for nearly a year.However, like the furore over tethering your iPhone to use it as a data modem, users might have to pay once again to use the data they've paid for on their contract.After some anecdotal evidence that some users have been able to activate the functionality TechRadar has been in contact with the UK networks to find out if they will be charging for the service, and what options users have should they feel the need to use the new iPhone i...
Updated: iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot: which networks make you pay?
By TechRadar, published 15-03-2011
The launch of the iPad 2 might have been the headline of Apple's recent announcement, but the news that the new iOS 4.3 update would finally bring iPhone personal hotspots to the iPhone 4 was big news too.Now users can actually share the data in their contracts to a laptop or tablet - something their Android counterparts have been able to do for nearly a year.However, like the furore over tethering your iPhone to use it as a data modem, users might have to pay once again to use the data they've paid for on their contract.After some anecdotal evidence that some users have been able to activate the functionality TechRadar has been in contact with the UK networks to find out if they will be charging for the service, and what options users have should they feel the need to use the new iPhone i...
Updated: iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot: which networks make you pay?
By TechRadar, published 15-03-2011
The launch of the iPad 2 might have been the headline of Apple's recent announcement, but the news that the new iOS 4.3 update would finally bring iPhone personal hotspots to the iPhone 4 was big news too.Now users can actually share the data in their contracts to a laptop or tablet - something their Android counterparts have been able to do for nearly a year.However, like the furore over tethering your iPhone to use it as a data modem, users might have to pay once again to use the data they've paid for on their contract.After some anecdotal evidence that some users have been able to activate the functionality TechRadar has been in contact with the UK networks to find out if they will be charging for the service, and what options users have should they feel the need to use the new iPhone i...
Sponsored: Check out our great HTC Desire deal
By TechRadar, published 14-03-2011
We've teamed up with 3 to offer our readers a great deal on the HTC Desire HD (Black) - 2,000 minutes, unlimited texts and internet for 24 months, for only £35/month. Click to find out moreRelated StoriesBuying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?Buying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?Updated: 10 best touchscreen phones for 2011Buying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?Buying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?
Buying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?
By TechRadar, published 03-12-2011
Our constantly updated list of the best HTC phones.So you've decided that HTC is the brand you want to spend the next 24 months of your life with - but that's not the end of the quest.You have a plethora of devices, price points and operating systems to choose from and it can all get a little bewildering. But which is the best HTC phone for you?Thankfully TechRadar is on hand to help you out - check out our run down of all the HTC phones around at the moment:HTC Incredible SOS: Android 2.2The HTC Incredible S is rather nice piece of kit, but has a very odd rear - the innards are vacuum packed to the case, giving the impression of a much thinner phone than it actually is.The OS is still only Android 2.2, and we'd have hoped for a spot of Gingerbread on a cutting edge handset like this - but...
Buying Guide: Which is the best HTC phone?
By TechRadar, published 03-12-2011
Our constantly updated list of the best HTC phones.So you've decided that HTC is the brand you want to spend the next 24 months of your life with - but that's not the end of the quest.You have a plethora of devices, price points and operating systems to choose from and it can all get a little bewildering. But which is the best HTC phone for you?Thankfully TechRadar is on hand to help you out - check out our run down of all the HTC phones around at the moment:HTC Incredible SOS: Android 2.2The HTC Incredible S is rather nice piece of kit, but has a very odd rear - the innards are vacuum packed to the case, giving the impression of a much thinner phone than it actually is.The OS is still only Android 2.2, and we'd have hoped for a spot of Gingerbread on a cutting edge handset like this - but...
Catch up: this week's most popular posts
By TechRadar, published 03-12-2011
While most eyes are on the iPad 2 at the moment one analyst at least reckons that Android tablets are set to take the market lead.And in the OMG PANIC department, news came out that over-reliance on sat navs could cause death. Hopefully some of us will be left alive, though, as the UK government is pressing on with a £50m broadband plan to bring high-speed internet to rural areas.So if you live in the country, get rid of your sat nav or your dreams of finally getting to watch cats playing the piano on YouTube without the constant buffering may never be realised.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesAndroid tablet sales to 'dominate' over the iPad by 2014The spotlights might be magnetically drawn to the iPad 2 at the moment, but it seems those bac...
Catch up: this week's most popular posts
By TechRadar, published 03-12-2011
While most eyes are on the iPad 2 at the moment one analyst at least reckons that Android tablets are set to take the market lead.And in the OMG PANIC department, news came out that over-reliance on sat navs could cause death. Hopefully some of us will be left alive, though, as the UK government is pressing on with a £50m broadband plan to bring high-speed internet to rural areas.So if you live in the country, get rid of your sat nav or your dreams of finally getting to watch cats playing the piano on YouTube without the constant buffering may never be realised.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesAndroid tablet sales to 'dominate' over the iPad by 2014The spotlights might be magnetically drawn to the iPad 2 at the moment, but it seems those bac...
Catch up: this week's most popular posts
By TechRadar, published 03-12-2011
While most eyes are on the iPad 2 at the moment one analyst at least reckons that Android tablets are set to take the market lead.And in the OMG PANIC department, news came out that over-reliance on sat navs could cause death. Hopefully some of us will be left alive, though, as the UK government is pressing on with a £50m broadband plan to bring high-speed internet to rural areas.So if you live in the country, get rid of your sat nav or your dreams of finally getting to watch cats playing the piano on YouTube without the constant buffering may never be realised.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesAndroid tablet sales to 'dominate' over the iPad by 2014The spotlights might be magnetically drawn to the iPad 2 at the moment, but it seems those bac...
Updated: 10 best touchscreen phones for 2011
By TechRadar, published 03-11-2011
Our best touchscreen phone article is constantly updated.Quite simply, touch screen technology is the innovation we now expect to see in some shape or form from every new smartphone that launches. Swapping a button-bashing existence for a softer sensing interface we can press, swipe, pinch and zoom, means we can now do a little bit more than simply stare into that pint-sized screen of ours.If the only QWERTY keyboard you want to see on a daily basis is the one nestled next to your office computer, here's our pick of the best touchscreen smartphones available right now in the UK.1. HTC Desire HDSporting a massive 4.3-inch Super LCD touch screen display, the HD has plenty of room for slick manoeuvre around HTC's overhauled Sense UI. Incorporating the same 480X800 WVGA resolution as the origi...
Apple's Tim Cook hints at second lower-priced iPhone
By TechRadar, published 03-01-2011
Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook has dropped the biggest hint yet that the company is considering releasing a second tier iPhone that would appeal to the pre-pay market.The COO met with industry analyst Toni Sacconaghi last week, who claims that to have been told by Cook that he doesn't want Apple goods to be "just for the rich.According to Sacconaghi, who met with a host of Apple big wigs last week, Cook says the company is planning something "very clever" in order to get its claws in the pay-as-you-go market.He says that the meeting "appeared to reaffirm the notion that Apple is likely to develop lower priced offerings" after Cook asserted that Apple is "not ceding any market."Summer launch?There have been online rumours of an iPhone nano style device for years, but the concensus h...
Review: HTC 7 Pro
By TechRadar, published 28-02-2011
Windows Phone 7 has been with us since last October, where the first flurry of handsets came quickly with a trio from HTC, the HD7, HTC 7 Mozart and HTC 7 Trophy being joined by the Samsung Omnia 7 and LG Optimus 7.Since then, things have been a little quiet on the hardware front, with the Dell Venue Pro only just surfacing. However, we anticipate the arrival of an update to the Windows Phone software very soon, and of course Nokia's recent announcement that it is joining forces with Microsoft on the smartphone front has turned heads. Now we've a new piece of hardware to gawk at too, the HTC 7 Pro. This is the first Windows Phone 7 smartphone to have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and, as such, it is an obvious candidate for the businessperson. But if it's well designed and sleek enough, it m...
Vodafone explains network outage
By TechRadar, published 28-02-2011
Vodafone has detailed some of the reasons behind its network outage today, which led to the loss of signal to many of its customers.The provider says this break in (which happened in Basingstoke) was the first of its kind on a site, and that it has already managed to restore a significant portion of customers' signal:"We had a break in last night at one of our technical facilities which resulted in damage to some of our equipment," said Vodafone."[The break in] happened between 1.00am and 2.00am this morning. Our network control centre was immediately alerted as were the police, and some specialist network equipment and IT hardware was stolen."Loss of service is mainly confined to parts of the M4 corridor and some areas either side."'Only' hundreds of thousandsThe network refuted claims th...
Vodafone explains network outage
By TechRadar, published 28-02-2011
Vodafone has detailed some of the reasons behind its network outage today, which led to the loss of signal to many of its customers.The provider says this break in (which happened in Basingstoke) was the first of its kind on a site, and that it has already managed to restore a significant portion of customers' signal:"We had a break in last night at one of our technical facilities which resulted in damage to some of our equipment," said Vodafone."[The break in] happened between 1.00am and 2.00am this morning. Our network control centre was immediately alerted as were the police, and some specialist network equipment and IT hardware was stolen."Loss of service is mainly confined to parts of the M4 corridor and some areas either side."'Only' hundreds of thousandsThe network refuted claims th...
HTC Desire update: Gingerbread coming Q2
By TechRadar, published 28-02-2011
HTC has confirmed that a number of its legacy devices will be getting the latest version of Android.The HTC Desire, Desire HD, Desire Z and Incredible S will all have the update shoved over before June, bringing a raft of improvements."We are excited to announce that the Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire and Incredible S will receive the Gingerbread update in Q2," HTC said in a statement.Battery boost?T-Mobile has also confirmed to TechRadar that it is working on bringing the update to its customers but, like Three, cannot give a timeframe for the update to deploy:"HTC have confirmed that all handsets in the Desire range will be updated this year but no dates as yet for the branded release."Android 2.3 (or Gingerbread) will bring a number of HTC Desire updates for the whole family - including im...
HTC promises Gingerbread update for Desire family and Incredible S
By Thinkdigit, published 28-02-2011
Owners of various top-end HTC phones will be happy to know that HTC is releasing an Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for them. Scheduled to arrive some time in the second quarter of 2011, the update will bring the latest Google Android operating system onto the Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire and Incredible S. [RELATED_ARTICLE]While the just-launched Incredible S shipped with Froyo and was already due to receive a Gingerbread update soon, the other phones, especially the aging HTC Desire, are unexp [...] Read the entire article
Gingerbread coming to 4 HTC devices next quarter
By phoneArena, published 27-02-2011
A quartet of HTC handsets will be getting upgraded to Android 2.3 next quarter according to the Taiwan based manufacturer; The HTC Desire Z, Desire HD, Desire and the Incredible S are all scheduled to receive the Gingerbread upgrade sometime in the second quarter...
Android 2.3 hits the HTC Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire, Incredible S
By GSMArena, published 27-02-2011
Don't worry HTC owners, you are not forgotten. According to spokesman Android 2.3 Gingerbread is definitely in the works for the HTC Desire HD, HTC Desire Z, the original Desire and the Incredible S...
Android 2.3 to hit the HTC Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire, Incredible S
By GSMArena, published 27-02-2011
Don't worry HTC owners, you are not forgotten. According to spokesman Android 2.3 Gingerbread is definitely in the works for the HTC Desire HD, HTC Desire Z, the original Desire and the Incredible S...
Is AT&T Disabling 4G Uploads on the HTC Inspire 4G?
By MaximumPC, published 21-02-2011
When the HTC Inspire 4G launched on AT&T recently, users began noticing some issues with upload speeds. Specifically, this "4G" phone had very slow 3G-like uplink speeds. AT&T responded saying the Inspire 4G did not support HSUPA (the upload component of HSPA+). Case closed? Hardly. Engadget has been hearing from sources that AT&T has actually disabled HSUPA on the Inspire 4G. It is, in fact, certain that HSUPA is supported in the hardware. The Inspire 4G uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 at 1GHz. This SoC contains not just the application processor and GPU, but as is the case with all Snapdragons, it has the cellular radio as well. This package is identical to what is used in the Desire HD, Xperia Play, and MyTouch 4G. It most definitely has HSUPA. So why is does AT&T h...
Updated: HTC Flyer: what you need to know
By TechRadar, published 21-02-2011
At Mobile World Congress HTC announced the HTC Flyer tablet. But the specs didn't blow us away - it's a 7-inch single-core device running an older version of Android instead of one of the dual-core larger options running Android 3.0.So what do we know about the new device? The HTC Flyer doesn't have Android 3.0HTC plumped for the earlier Gingerbread version of Android (2.3/2.4) rather than the Android 3.0 version a lot of the other tablets are using. It seems Honeycomb will arrive on the tablet imminently though. The HTC Flyer processor is 1.5GHzThe HTC Flyer packs a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor - surprising amidst the slew of dual core tablets being released at the moment. However, it is clocked high at 1.5GHz. There's also 1GB of RAM.The HTC Flyer has a 7-inch screenLike the Blac...
Updated: HTC Flyer: what you need to know
By TechRadar, published 21-02-2011
At Mobile World Congress HTC announced the HTC Flyer tablet. But the specs didn't blow us away - it's a 7-inch single-core device running an older version of Android instead of one of the dual-core larger options running Android 3.0.So what do we know about the new device? The HTC Flyer doesn't have Android 3.0HTC plumped for the earlier Gingerbread version of Android (2.3/2.4) rather than the Android 3.0 version a lot of the other tablets are using. It seems Honeycomb will arrive on the tablet imminently though. The HTC Flyer processor is 1.5GHzThe HTC Flyer packs a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor - surprising amidst the slew of dual core tablets being released at the moment. However, it is clocked high at 1.5GHz. There's also 1GB of RAM.The HTC Flyer has a 7-inch screenLike the Blac...
Nokia to rush out cheap Windows Phone handsets?
By TechRadar, published 21-02-2011
Nokia has said it will be manufacturing low-cost Windows Phone 7 handsets to allow the OS to reach a very low price point, very quickly. Speaking to a group of Finnish business journalists, Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop said that the ability to quickly bring a cheap handset to market was a key topic in its discussions with Microsoft. Windows Phone £7After convincing the software giant that it could reach "a very low price point", Elop reiterated the need for speed: "We have become convinced that we can [reach the low price point] very quickly."During its press conference at Mobile World Congress, Nokia said it hoped to have its first Windows Phone device on sale by the end of 2011 – but this latest revelation suggests an earlier release could be on the cards. Given Microsoft's stringent mini...
Huawei to bring mobile signal to the tube
By TechRadar, published 21-02-2011
The London Underground is set to get mobile phone signal from Huawei as the Chinese firm bids to install transmitters on the tube. It's all thanks to the Olympics, which sees London getting quite the lick of paint ready for the influx of international visitors for the games in 2012. The Sunday Times reported that the Chinese firm is offering to put in the phone network for free – free! – as a sign of solidarity from one Olympic nation to another. That's quite a gift, given that the network is estimated to cost £50m. HELLO? I'm on the undergroundThe paper also said that Vodafone and O2 have agreed to pay for installation work, with Huawei making its money from maintenance fees. Transport for London is sticking to its original statement, saying that talks are ongoing and that the implem...
Honeycomb ported over to HTC EVO, HTC Droid Incredible and HTC Desire HD
By phoneArena, published 21-02-2011
The Honeycomb SDK preview has been ported over to three HTC handsets, and while the OS is not functional on the trio, it does give us a good idea of what to expect from Honeycomb...
SlashGear Week in Review – Week 8 2011
By SlashGear, published 20-02-2011
Welcome to the latest edition of the SlashGear Week in Review. This week was MWC 2011 in Barcelona, Spain so there are hoards of phone announcements from the show. The Smasung Galaxy S II went official last Sunday packing in a 4.27-inch screen with WVGA resolution and a 1GHz processor. On Monday we landed some hands on time with the Galaxy S II and put that time on video for you to check out. We think that the smartphone is hugely impressive. Pandora is looking to do more than music in preparation for its IPO. Pandora is said to be looking at expansion into talk and sports programming. The LG Optimus 3D smartphone got official Monday. The phone packs in a 1GHz dual-core processor, 5MP dual lens camera for 3D video and a 4.3-inch screen. RIM announced a pair of new PlayBook 4G tablet mode...
MWC 2011 Wrap-Up
By SlashGear, published 19-02-2011
Another year, another Mobile World Congress, and the unstoppable juggernaut that is the smartphone industry continues apace. SlashGear took its biggest team to MWC 2011 to-date, and still found more than enough to keep us busy in Barcelona. After the cut, the stand-out products, the key mobile themes of 2011, and how tablets are muscling in on smart mobility. Phones When you’ve got “Mobile” in your name you’re obviously going to have more than a few cellphones on show, and MWC 2011 didn’t disappoint. Perhaps more so than any year previous, we’d already seen at least some of the key device details in the run up to Barcelona, either via leaks – like the XPERIA Play – or through pre-launch teasers – like the Optimus 3D. Absent as ever is...
Catch up: this week's most popular posts
By TechRadar, published 19-02-2011
It's been mobile phone mayhem this week with a host of new smartphones being shown off at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.And even though Apple wasn't there to show off a new iPhone, that hasn't stopped more iPhone 5 rumours cropping up.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesRumour: iPhone nano being developed by AppleApple could be developing a budget iPhone in order to ward off competition from Google Android handsets.A prototype version of a smaller, cheaper Apple handset than the iPhone 4 is said to exist, although this is no guarantee such an iPhone will ever make it to market.The mysterious little iPhone is apparently a third smaller than the iPhone 4, with no home button on the front of the handset, which certainly sits well wi...
Update: Twitter suspends UberTwitter and twidroyd
By TechRadar, published 18-02-2011
Twitter has cut-off popular third-party portals UberTwitter and twidroyd, citing a host of policy violations and trademark infringements.The apps in question are, according to a statement on Friday, guilty of changing users tweets in order to make money and allowing direct messages of over 140 characters..Twitter decided to get public with the suspension after many users complained about being unable to log-in to their favourite clients.The statement reads: "Today we suspended several applications, including UberTwitter, twidroyd and UberCurrent, which have violated Twitter policies and trademarks in a variety of ways. "These violations include, but aren't limited to, a privacy issue with private Direct Messages longer than 140 characters, trademark infringement, and changing the content o...
Update: Twitter suspends UberTwitter and twidroyd
By TechRadar, published 18-02-2011
Twitter has cut-off popular third-party portals UberTwitter and twidroyd, citing a host of policy violations and trademark infringements.The apps in question are, according to a statement on Friday, guilty of changing users tweets in order to make money and allowing direct messages of over 140 characters..Twitter decided to get public with the suspension after many users complained about being unable to log-in to their favourite clients.The statement reads: "Today we suspended several applications, including UberTwitter, twidroyd and UberCurrent, which have violated Twitter policies and trademarks in a variety of ways. "These violations include, but aren't limited to, a privacy issue with private Direct Messages longer than 140 characters, trademark infringement, and changing the content o...
LG Optimus 3D UK pricing revealed
By TechRadar, published 18-02-2011
The LG Optimus 3D UK pricing has been set at around £515 by online retailer Expansys. The handset, which can shoot and show 3D content, also has a UK release date of 25 April on the retailer's website. Although Expansys has been known to publish inaccurate info in the past, the April release date ties in with whispers we've heard from networks, although nothing concrete has been officially announced. Premium 3DThe price tag of £515 isn't outrageously expensive for a dual-core smartphone, although the 3D ability of the handset is its main USP; is it good enough to warrant so much of your hard-earned cash? Not only can the handset play 3D video content, but you can record it using the dual-camera set up on the back of the handset, and out-put 3D movies to a 3D-ready TV using the HMDI out p...
All first gen HTC Desires to receive Gingerbread in Q2 or Q3 of this year
By phoneArena, published 18-02-2011
There is a good and a bad news for the loyal HTC Desire, Desire HD and Desire Z owners. The good one...
Across the pond: This week on TechRadar
By MaximumPC, published 18-02-2011
It's been mobile phone mayhem this week on TechRadar with a host of new smartphones being shown off at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And even though Apple wasn't there to show off a new iPhone, that hasn't stopped more iPhone 5 rumours cropping up. Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar… Top five news stories Rumour: iPhone nano being developed by Apple Apple could be developing a budget iPhone in order to ward off competition from Google Android handsets. A prototype version of a smaller, cheaper Apple handset than the iPhone 4 is said to exist, although this is no guarantee such an iPhone will ever make it to market. The mysterious little iPhone is apparently a third smaller than the iPhone 4, with no home button on the front of the handset, which ...
HTC Desire S UK pre-order opens
By TechRadar, published 18-02-2011
Amazon UK has opened its pre-order for the HTC Desire S, setting its SIM-free UK pricing at £419.99.The HTC Desire S UK release date is also set at 18 April on the retailer's website, with HTC itself listed as the seller.Several networks have already thrown their hats into the HTC Desire S ring, including Orange, Three and Vodafone, which should mean we'll see some competitive subsidised pricing for the handset on tariff deals. Not much of an upgradeWhile it shares a lot of specs with its predecessor, the HTC Desire S does come with a new 1GHz Qualcomm processor and a slightly upgraded battery.Along with the redesigned aluminium unibody, the big news is that the HTC Desire S is running Gingerbread, just like the rest of the new HTC range.This means we should see Android 2.4 released by mi...
HTC Desire S due in April for 500 euro, Incredible S priced 520 euro
By GSMArena, published 18-02-2011
The brand new HTC Desire S and Incredible S are available on pre-order online. The Desire S is set for an April launch date (in the UK at least), while the Incredible S launch still doesn't have a fixed date...
iPhone 5 won't be smaller but could be cheaper, insider claims
By TechRadar, published 18-02-2011
Insiders claim that the iPhone 5 will be smaller in price but not in stature than the iPhone 4. Many rumours have suggested that we'll see a slimmed-down, budget version of the Apple handset, a so-called iPhone Nano.But the New York Times cites an anonymous source who says there will be no smaller iPhone from the company. No-no to Nano?Having supposedly worked on several versions of the iPhone 5, the source told them, "Although the innards of the phone, including memory size or camera quality, could change to offer a less expensive model, the size of the device would not vary." Another source agrees, saying that a smaller device would probably be more expensive to manufacture, more difficult to use and would force developers to rewrite applications to fit the new form. Flash! Ahhh-aaaaaahO...
HTC introduces five new phones including Facebook duo, and its first tablet
By Thinkdigit, published 18-02-2011
HTC was not only the winner of the Device Manufacturer of the Year Global Mobile Award, but also introduced five new phones and its first tablet (HTC Flyer) at MWC 2011. While the Chinese manufacturer did release product refreshes in the form of the HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S, the two new Facebook-integrated phones (HTC Salsa & ChaCha) were the highlights in the mobile department. HTC Facebook Phones The two phones feature a dedicated Facebook button, which brings up a Fac [...] Read the entire article
HTC Desire S priced and dated by Amazon
By SlashGear, published 17-02-2011
The HTC Desire S launched at MWC 2011 earlier this week has been priced and dated by retailer Amazon UK. According to the listing, the Gingerbread smartphone will arrive on April 18 2011, priced at £419.99 ($679); that’s SIM-free and unlocked, of course, and we’d expect carrier-subsidized versions to be considerably cheaper, if not free with a new, two-year agreement. The Desire S taked the basics of its predecessor, the HTC Desire, and adds in an updated OS and front-facing camera for video calls, along with a change to HTC’s unibody styling. More details – and video – in our hands-on HTC Desire S report. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGearHTC Desire Z dropping sooner & cheaper says Amazon; new HTC Desire HD listing tips £540 price...
Amazon UK has the HTC Desire S priced at £419.99 with an April 18th release date
By phoneArena, published 17-02-2011
nterestingly enough, Amazon UK has a page up and live showing off HTC’s upcoming Android smartphone – with a definitive release date and pricing out there. From the looks of it, the unlocked version of the HTC...
Vodafone UK to offer HTC Desire S, Wildfire S and ChaCha
By GSMArena, published 17-02-2011
HTC announced a handful of phones at the MWC 2011 this week and Vodafone UK already confirms some of them for launch on its network with an unannounced availability schedule, though...
HTC Intros Desire S, Wildfire S And Incredible S Android Smartphones
By HotHardware, published 17-02-2011
With Mobile World Congress going on in Barcelona this week, tons and tons of new cellphones were hitting the airwaves. Of course, HTC was on hand to make a splash of their own, and while the Flyer tablet was arguably the biggest news from the company, three new Sense-enabled phones were also revealed. The Desire S, Wildfire S and Incredible...
Carphone Warehouse & Best Buy nabs an exclusive on the HTC Incredible S
By phoneArena, published 16-02-2011
Carphone Warehouse will be the exclusive retailer in the UK selling the HTC Incredible S when it’s launched some time in the next month. In fact, the handset is looking to bump off the HTC Desire HD as the flagship...
MWC 2011: Clever Bluetooth sticker brings NFC to any smartphone for £20
By TechRadar, published 16-02-2011
A French company has developed a near field communications sticker that gives any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone NFC capabilities, including contactless payments. That means you could feasibly enjoy Nexus S-style NFC without having to shell out for a new smartphone.There aren't many NFC-enabled smartphones around at the moment – the Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S2 are the notable ones – although many are rumoured to be en route to shop floors, including Apple's iPhone 5. Bargain-field communicationsBut if you don't fancy a £500 upgrade or a £35 contract hanging over you for the rest of your life, the simple £21 Twinlinx MyMax NFC sticker could be all you need.Using the handset's Bluetooth connection, the sticker can either be used with external readers (like Oyster gates and cont...
Recap Of New HTC Smartphones, Tablet, and Announcements From MWC 2011
By SlashGear, published 15-02-2011
We had quite a rush of HTC news live from MWC 2011 this morning, so here’s a recap in case you didn’t catch everything. Our very own Chris Davies got plenty of hands-on time with the new product line up from HTC including the Incredible S, Wildfire S, Desire S, Chacha, and Salsa smartphones, as well as the Flyer tablet. Other HTC announcements included an updated version of their HTC Sense, a new video chat app, new support for OnLive cloud gaming service, and their partnership with Qualcomm to develop multi-core devices. The HTC Incredible S, is perhaps their least appealing device with an” inside-out” industrial style. Performance and features are similar to the previous Incredible , but notable differences include an added front-facing webcam that supports HTC’s new video c...
8 New Smartphones at MWC 2011
By MaximumPC, published 15-02-2011
Two months into 2011 and we’ve already seen the world’s first dual-core phone, the world’s first 3D phone and the world’s first ‘Facebook phone’. From the Samsung Galaxy S2 to the HTC ChaCha, these are the best new phones on show at MWC 2011… Samsung Galaxy S II We were big fans of the original Galaxy S, despite the fact that it was missing an LED flash. It was easily one of the classiest Android phones around when it launched in 2010. The new Samsung Galaxy S II is a worthy successor with a set of specs that set a high benchmark for any new smartphone to come. Note the 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, toughened up with Gorilla Glass. Utter a silent ‘ooh’ at the speed of the dual-core Exynos processor. And go ‘ahh’ at the 8MP camera, HSPA+ connectivity, 16GB/32GB...
MWC 2011: HTC Desire S, HTC Wildfire S and HTC ChaCha coming to T-Mobile
By TechRadar, published 15-02-2011
HTC's new Desire S (HTC Desire 2), HTC ChaCha and HTC Wildfire S have all been shown off at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, with network after announcing they will be stocking the devices.Now T-Mobile has announced that the three new HTC handsets will soon be available on its network in the UK.Smartphones for all budgetsAll of HTC's new handsets are also to be made available via Three in the UK, Orange and Vodafone.The new HTC Desire S features a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor first seen in the HTC Desire HD, along with a WVGA (800×480) LCD panel, a front facing camera (VGA) for video chatting and a 5MP camera all based around Android's Gingerbread OS.The HTC ChaCha is one of two Facebook-related phones released by HTC and the HTC Incredible is a handset that boasts an indu...
Exclusive: RIM: Nokia is wrong to underestimate us
By TechRadar, published 15-02-2011
Nokia has pulled no punches over the past few days when talking ecosystems. CEO Stephen Elop has repeatedly talked about the 'three ecosystems' and how the Nokia/Microsoft deal has created a 'three horse race'. He's talking about Android, iOS and Windows Phone as the three horses in said contest; but what about RIM? Elop was dismissive of the BlackBerry maker when answering questions at the company's Mobile World Congress press conference on Friday."We believe the work we've done with Symbian and the C3, combined with the business capabilities of Microsoft, gives us a very strong competitive position relative to everyone in the environment. The obvious and visible ecosystems are us, Android and Apple," Elop told journalists. Zing!Ouch, right? RIM is understandably unimpressed at being dism...
MWC 2011: Hands on: HTC Wildfire S review
By TechRadar, published 15-02-2011
The HTC Wildfire is one of the few well-respected low-cost Android handsets and HTC has seen fit to give it a lick of paint at Mobile World Congress 2011 in the form of the HTC Wildfire S.We've had a play with the handset and generally give it the thumbs up – although the HTC Wildfire S UK pricing hasn't yet been revealed, it's likely to follow in the Wildfire's mid-range pricing footsteps, which will mean you get quite a bang for your buck.Here follows our hands on HTC Wildfire S review, but remember; we'll be bringing you the full review of a shop-ready handset in the coming weeks.The Wildfire S is very similar to its predecessor in design terms. The shape is practically identical, but HTC has done away with the circular optical trackpad on the new model, preferring to rely instead on ...
HTC Desire S hands-on
By phoneArena, published 15-02-2011
We spent some quality time with the HTC Desire S - all in all, it seems as a nice rehash over the original Desire, both externally, and from the chipset side of things, but we will reserve the performance judgment for the final unit...
MWC 2011: HTC Salsa: first impressions
By TechRadar, published 15-02-2011
Like its dance-themed brother, the HTC ChaCha, we were only allowed a brief glimpse of the HTC Salsa through a glass box at Mobile World Congress. We don't let little things like that put us off though, so we shot through the glass with as few reflections as possible to bring you our first impressions of the Facebook phone. The Salsa is a pure touchscreen handset, unlike the ChaCha which has a big spacious QWERTY to play with. The only physical buttons appear to be the Facebook button, volume slider, lock screen and what we think (hope) is a camera shutter button on the side.The 3.4-inch touchscreen looks fairly good, although we were viewing it through glass. There's also the now-obligatory front-facing camera on the handset and a rear-mounted camera, too. It's not as slim as the ChaCha a...
HTC S-Class Phones Announced: Incredible S, Desire S, Wildfire S
By DigitalVersus, published 15-02-2011
Having sold no less than 25 million mobile phones in 2010, HTC today announced a new range of new models for 2011, including the Flyer tablet and three new 'S-class' smartphones:...
MWC 2011: HTC overview
By GSMArena, published 15-02-2011
HTC announced five new Android phones today along with a 7-inch tablet. Three of the phones Incredible S, Desire S and Wildfire S are updates on old material. The HTC Salsa and ChaCha have dedicated Facebook buttons, while tablet curiously does...
Here go Incredible S, Desire S and Wildfire S by HTC
By GSMArena, published 15-02-2011
That early leak was mostly confirmed - HTC just announced the Incredible S, Desire S and the Wildfire S. The letter S tacked on the back of their model names do little to justify the new release. The three phones are not...
HTC Desire S waltzes in with aluminum unibody chassis and refreshed internals
By phoneArena, published 15-02-2011
Its new reincarnation is the HTC Desire S with a 3.7" LCD screen with 480 x 800 pixels of resolution, which receives better internal parts - second generation Snapdragon chipset MSM8255, backed up by 768MB of RAM...
Mobile World Congress 2011: What You Need to Know
By MaximumPC, published 14-02-2011
Top stories from Mobile World Congres 2011: Shootout: Samsung's Galaxy S2 vs. LG Optimus 3d First details on Windows Phone 7 Update Windows Phone 7 + Kinect = ?? Hands On: LG's Optimus 3D phone Hands On: LG's Optimus Pad The Samsung Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 10.1, LG Optimus 3D and Sony Ericsson Xperia Play grabbed the big headlines at Mobile World Congress 2011. If you thought CES was fun, the annual Barcelona event will have had early adopters reaching for their wallets and breathlessly hunting for preorder opportunities. CES and MWC set the trend for the year ahead in mobile technology. So we should expect thinner, dual-core smartphones a-plenty, more vibrant displays, bigger displays, 1080p video, 3D video, LTE, HSPA+ and Near Field Communications (NFC). Tablets will be similarly ...
MWC 2011: Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review
By TechRadar, published 14-02-2011
As the serious, slide-out QWERTY member of the latest Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets, the Xperia Pro might not be the most exciting of the bunch, but it's still got a lot going for it. After all, it's essentially a bulked-up Neo with many identical specs, from Android 2.3 to the 1GHz Snapdragon processor. But it's the physical QWERTY that will make all the difference to some users, so here's our hands on Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review, based on a non-final version handset; we'll bring you our full review just as soon as the finished handsets are available.Because of that built-in keyboard, there's quite a bit of bulk to the handset – although it's certainly not as heavy in the hand as the LG Optimus 3D is. The now-familiar Android buttons are all present and correct, excepting the search...
Catch up: this week's most popular posts
By TechRadar, published 02-12-2011
This week, the numbering and naming of future versions of Android got a little confusing as Viewsonic revealed Google's plans for Android 2.4, which involve keeping the Gingerbread name and effectively replacing Android 2.3.And on a more retro tip,we discovered that Sinclair's ZX Spectrum is set to be relaunched to celebrate the classic computer's 30th anniversary.With Mobile World Congress kicking off tomorrow evening, the HTC Desire 2 looks to be one of the handsets that'll be making an appearance.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesAndroid 2.4 to replace 2.3, retain Gingerbread flavour?Viewsonic has revealed Google's plans for Android 2.4, which involve keeping the Gingerbread name and effectively replacing Android 2.3.The American company ha...
The Daily Slash: February 11, 2011
By SlashGear, published 02-12-2011
Nokia ruled the day today, their Microsoft partnership announcement reverberating through the whole day from Google offering sacked Nokia engineers a lifeline to Nokia Workers walking out of their Finnish jobs. Want to read more on the original event? We’ve got you so covered you’ll be unable to breath clean air – Nokia Microsoft partnership video, see Steve Ballmer say “Nokia will do unique things on top of Windows Phone 7?, and grant yourself a full guide with Chris Davies’ Nokia Windows Phone: Everything you need to know. Finally, don’t let yourself sleep at night without checking out Ben Bajarin’s On Time Analysis entitled Nokia’s Huge Bet On Windows Phone 7 is All or Nothing. And of course, it’s not ALL Nokia today, it’s all this and...
Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Desire HD 2, Desire 2, Wildfire 2 specs leak
By TechRadar, published 02-11-2011
Online retailer Expansys has posted full spec sheets supposedly for the HTC Desire HD2, HTC Desire 2, HTC Wildfire 2 and Samsung Galaxy S2 ahead of Mobile World Congress. Quite a spec haul there, but we wouldn't necessarily put money on these being the real deal. For starters, we're fairly convinced that the HTC Wildfire and HTC Desire refreshes will be named the HTC Wildfire S and HTC Desire S, yet the retailer has them down with 2 as the suffix. Core suspicions Still, some sound about right; the Samsung Galaxy S2, for example, is certainly set to be a dual-core behemoth – but we're incredibly sceptical about the possibility of a dual-core HTC Desire HD2 being revealed any time soon. So, basically, peruse these specifications at your leisure but don't be surprised if they turn out to be...
Rumour: Apple developing budget iPhone 5
By TechRadar, published 02-11-2011
Apple could be developing a budget iPhone in order to ward off competition from Google Android handsets.A prototype version of a smaller, cheaper Apple handset than the iPhone 4 is said to exist, although this is no guarantee such an iPhone will ever make it to market. The mysterious little iPhone is apparently a third smaller than the iPhone 4, with no home button on the front of the handset, which certainly sits well with rumours that Apple is aiming to do away with the button on all iOS devices.iPhone nanoThe person who claims to have seen the prototype device says that Apple has considered selling it at around $200 (about £130); you can currently get an iPhone 4 for around that price, but you'll be locked in to an expensive two-year contract for your trouble. Another price cutting mea...
Leaked slides show HTC Desire HD2, Desire 2 and Wildfire 2
By GSMArena, published 02-11-2011
Leaked slides detail the specs on three new HTC phones, all three of them sequels. The HTC Desire HD2, Desire 2 and the HTC Wildfire 2 were exposed with some juicy and some confusing specs...
Updated: Mobile World Congress 2011: what to expect
By TechRadar, published 02-10-2011
After the sheer madness and reams of shiny gadgets of CES 2011, we barely have time to pause for breath before the annual mobile phone-a-thon of Mobile World Congress 2011 is upon us.While CES saw a near-record number of top end mobile phones released from the Las Vegas jamboree, MWC 2011 still promises to be the place to see all manner of new handsets and tablets.So we've trekked across the digital rumour-space and looked for all the info on what to expect from the Barcelona event - keep coming back as we'll be constantly updating it whenever some new morsel of info or spy shot comes into view.MicrosoftLast year we saw Microsoft unleash Windows Phone 7 officially onto the world in a Barcelona hotel, with Steve Ballmer calling the announcement a 'mile post' in the launch of the company's n...
Hands on: BBC iPlayer for Android review
By TechRadar, published 02-10-2011
You've probably already noticed that the new BBC iPlayer for iPad app impressed us quite a bit when we tested it earlier today. Can the Beeb's Android app deliver the same slick experience?The issues with comparing iOS apps to their Android equivalent are obvious. The main problem is that while iPhone and iPad apps can be optimised for Apple's very precise hardware configurations, Android apps have to cater for a massive variety of devices with different specs.The upshot of that is that most iPad apps are slick and smooth, while Android apps can sometimes be a bit hit and miss. And it doesn't help when publishers shoot themselves in the foot by missing out crucial features. The BBC's iPlayer apps tell the whole story.You can guess where we're going with this – while the iPad app glides a...
HTC invests $40 million in OnLive
By GameSpot, published 02-09-2011
Handset maker buys up chunk of fledgling on-demand games service with a view to offering "directly playable console-class video game performance" on mobiles. The promise of PS One games playable on Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play marked something of a shift away from the more casual options available to those wanting to play video games on their mobile phones. That trend looks set to continue into the even wider market, as Taiwanese handset maker HTC has now announced a significant investment in cloud-based gaming service OnLive. OnLive's controller and microconsole. The handset maker has bought up just shy of $40 million worth of stock in OnLive. This investment is to allow HTC to provide "console-class video game performance" on its handsets, the firm said. ...
HTC Flyer to come with Android 2.3?
By TechRadar, published 02-09-2011
It's all gone a bit quiet on the HTC tablet front, but the latest rumour circulating says that the Taiwanese company has had to put a bit of a rush on production in order to get it out the door.According to the rumours in the Economic Daily News report, HTC is determined to meet a Q1 release date and, we hope, a Mobile World Congress reveal.Rather than holding out for Android 3.0, the HTC Flyer is said to be coming with Gingerbread (Android 2.3) complete with a new version of HTC Sense (Sensation, perhaps?). Not the kind of flier they hand out for freeThe 7-inch Flyer will then see two follow-up tablets released later in the year, probably with the tablet-centric Honeycomb OS on board. Specs relating to the tablet were leaked last month and told us to expect a 7-inch slate with Qualcomm Sn...
HTC Wildfire Version 2 Smartphone Caught On Video?
By SlashGear, published 02-09-2011
HTC posted a video today on their YouTube channel meant to promote the company’s recent innovations, but may have inadvertently included some footage of what could possibly be a new version of the HTC Wildfire. The 30-second video featured several HTC models including the T-Mobile G2, HTC Evo, and the Droid Incredible. However, in the first 5 seconds of the video, a device is shown that we have not seen before. Speculation is brewing that the device may be a new version of the HTC Wildfire because it looks awfully similar except minus the optical trackpad. This speculation is further driven by the fact that the Mobile World Congress is coming up and HTC has promised an exciting new announcement. [Via Pocket-lint] Relevant Entries on SlashGearHTC Wildfire gets video unboxingHTC Wildfi...
Android 2.2 Froyo update for the US Cellular HTC Desire is now available
By phoneArena, published 02-08-2011
That’s exactly what US Cellular customers sporting the HTC Desire are treated to starting today as the long awaited Android 2.2 Froyo update is now available for download. No longer must they be taunted by other...
HTC Wildfire S and LG Optimus Speed coming at MWC 2011?
By TechRadar, published 02-08-2011
We all love a little bit of inventory nonsense – but then again, sometimes it comes up with some prime forward-looking goods.That may be the case with the same inventory that brought us the HTC Pyramid name over at a German network, as hidden further down the list is not only the LG Optimus Speed – which presumably is actually another name for a dual core handset - but the HTC Wildfire S too.Above it is the HTC Desire 2 – but we're having problems believing that name, as it would get confusing as the Desire HD and Desire Z are already pseudo-sequels.RumblingsWe've heard whispering before that it could be called the HTC Desire S, and it seems that SlashGear has heard the same, noting the handset could be coming alongside the nailed-on HTC Scribe.The HTC Wildfire S would be a quick ref...
HTC investing in smartphone gaming, details coming next week
By TechRadar, published 02-08-2011
HTC has announced plans to invest $40m (£25m) in OnLive, a company that specialises in cloud-based gaming. The move could see HTC dipping its toe firmly into the gaming waters, with handsets like the Sony Eriscson Xperia Play hoping to explode the mobile gaming market this year. Excitement aboundsHTC told us that it's very excited about the investment, and that "more news will follow next week." Could we be in line for an exciting gaming announcement from the company at Mobile World Congress?According to HTC spokesperson Maggie Cheng, the company's investment will "strengthen its gaming capabilities and help HTC tap into increasing demand for games on smartphones."Good planWe've already seen HTC move in the direction of the cloud with its HTCSense.com Mobile-Me-alike service. Given the co...
HTC top-dog leaks again - could this be the Desire 2?
By GSMArena, published 02-07-2011
New information has just leaked, suggesting the successor of the HTC Desire will be aptly called Desire 2. An inventory list from Vodafone with the name "Desire2" nicely coincided with the series of photo leaks...
HTC Desire 2 is snapped in the wild & found in Vodafone Germany's inventory system
By phoneArena, published 02-06-2011
Now, an actual photo of the Android powered handset was snapped recently and quickly resembles the one found with the rendered shot. Meanwhile, we’re beginning to hear the subtle rumblings about its high...
HTC Flyer, Pyramid, Desire 2, Wildfire S and LG Star Tab name-checked in purported inventory leak
By SlashGear, published 02-05-2011
Inventory leaks can be tricky things; it’s all too easy to slap a few codenamed products in a database, snap a shot or two and then call it confirmation. That said, FoneArena seems pretty confident in their unnamed inventory source which has supplied a few images apparently confirming the incoming HTC Pyramid, HTC Desire 2 and HTC Wildfire S, along with the HTC Flyer tablet and the LG Star Tab. Check out how the rumors stack up with what we’ve been hearing from the mobile grapevine after the cut. The HTC Flyer is already believed to be a lock-in for MWC 2011 in a little over a week’s time, one of what SlashGear is hearing will be two HTC slates for the Barcelona show (the other doesn’t get a mention in this particular inventory). As for the Desire 2 – which ...
The Daily Slash: February 4, 2011
By SlashGear, published 02-05-2011
First, see for yourself the release dates for both the Motorola XOOM and HTC ThunderBolt. Then, grab yourself a wish from Android Community for a Happy Chinese Android New Year! See the winner of our big fat SlashGear’s Final Football Matchup Toshiba TV Giveaway! Grab a glimpse of Angry Birds newest expansion “Hogs and Kisses!” Decide for yourself if the “backdoor” into Google’s new browser-based Android Marketplace is really something to be frightened of. Finally, and definitely not least of all, we’re looking for new workers over on Android Community! If you think you’ve got what it takes, check out the Android Community Wants Workers post! All this and MORE on The Daily Slash! R3 Media Network Editor’s Choice Android Community Wants Workers! H...
HTC Desire 2 ready for MWC reveal, heading to Vodafone?
By TechRadar, published 02-04-2011
The HTC Desire 2 should be en route to Mobile World Congress 2011 after showing up in Vodafone Germany's internal inventory. We've already seen the handset make an appearance on the Taiwanese subway (where else?) so it comes as no great surprise that a single line of text pertaining to the Desire 2 has shown up in a computer system somewhere. But as this is Vodafone Germany's computer system, we could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps this means Vodafone might release the HTC Desire HD in the UK as well. That's basically all the newsThe spy shots of the handset revealed a few tidbits of information, including the fact that it will have a front-mounted camera but no trackpad. It also looks quite nice, although it's not exactly a revolution in handset design. With MWC just days away, it ...
Nokia N8 gets minor Symbian^3 software update and free games
By TechRadar, published 02-04-2011
Nokia has released software update 1.1 for the Nokia N8, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01.The Finnish company says that there are numerous tweaks and fixes to the Symbian^3 OS, but not many of these will be "directly visible to end users." Email has had a bit of update love, with map integration for viewing locations of addresses mentioned in the body text, and the option to accept meeting requests directly from email invitations. What exciting times these are for Symbian email fans. Such major newsThe Nokia N8 will have some additional benefits that the other handsets won't see.There's a new edition of Quick Office for new "editing possibilities" and also the ability to zoom in and out of Word documents. The N8 will also come with three new games; Need for Speed Shift, Real Golf and Galaxy on Fir...
O2 to launch NFC mobile wallets this year
By TechRadar, published 02-04-2011
O2 has revealed its plans to launch a mobile wallet service using NFC technology in the second half of 2011.The network operator has trailed NFC payment services using a Nokia handset, but no doubt hopes to take advantage of the NFC capabilities of the latest Android smartphones like the Google Nexus S, as well as its rumoured inclusion of a chip in the iPhone 5. London 2012O2 has said that it will apply for an e-money operating licence from the FSA, which will allow the network to offer money transfers between customers, as well as contactless payments at 60,000 venues around the UK. The e-money operating licence will allow uses to 'bank' money with the network, which can then be spent or transferred using the NFC chip. The network operator is keen to get the mobile payments service up an...
Android Ice Cream to get Honeycomb flavouring?
By TechRadar, published 02-04-2011
The confusion over what will happen with the next iteration of Android continues with news that Ice Cream Sandwich, to give the OS its full name, will come with some Honeycomb features embedded.Which means it's looking more and more likely that Honeycomb will be ported on to tablets only and not come to smartphones.Everything about the OS seems to be built around tablet architecture, but this doesn't necessarily mean that none of the features will be coming to mobile phones.The word on the Google street is that Ice Cream Sandwich will be the next flavoursome OS for smartphones after Gingerbread, but will have bits of Honeycomb within it.Honey monsterAccording to Phandroid there's a new code being built called GRI17 which will implement some parts of Honeycomb but it's not known which bits ...
Review: Nokia C6-01
By TechRadar, published 02-03-2011
Overview and designThe Nokia C6-01 is the cheapest Symbian^3 handset to date - it's a definite update to the likes of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, and also comes with a relatively large amount of technology under the surface too considering its smaller dimensions.Considering that the Nokia C6-01 is the cheapest of the Symbian^3 offerings from Nokia at £279 direct from Nokia or free on contract, the build quality appears and feels more akin to that of some of it's E-Series predecessors, while its price tag is nearer that of the old Nokia 5800.The power button has been moved from the top of the device, as is usual on Nokia phones, to being combined with the Call End button. This could be initially confusing, but it improves the phones aesthetics.The first thing you note visually is the metal...
HTC Desire HD rumoured to launch in India soon
By Thinkdigit, published 02-02-2011
While the HTC Desire HD has been listed as available for pre-order for quite a while on Indian e-tailer sites, it seems it has finally made its way in-stock, ahead of the official launch. As the HTC Mozart and HTC HD7 appeared in India in much the same way, and were available online before officially being brought into the country by HTC, we are inclined to think that this might just become a trend for the future, at least for HTC mobile phones! [RELATED_ARTICLE]The monstrous 4.3-inch screen [...] Read the entire article
Updated: Android 2.2 release date: when will you get it?
By TechRadar, published 02-02-2011
If you're waiting impatiently for the Android 2.2 update to arrive on your mobile, then bookmark this page, because we'll be keeping it up to date with all the latest Android 2.2 release dates. The latest news is that Vodafone has announced the availability of Android 2.2 on the HTC Wildfire. T-Mobile has also followed suit.Nexus OneFirst off, the Nexus One Android 2.2 update has finally landed. "This update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users will receive the notification by the end of the week," Google said on 29 June. However, Vodafone UK Nexus One users were upset they weren't able to get the update at the same time – but that's now been rectified according to the network, with the new update coming over the next week or so for all those on contract.HTC Desire -...
In Depth: The hidden places where Linux dominates
By TechRadar, published 29-01-2011
While the fight for desktop dominance is still raging somewhere in the distance, Linux has quietly succeeded in the places no one thinks to look. It's being used in mobile phones, set-top boxes, media streamers and routers. It's being used to fuel the London Stock Exchange and to provide in-flight entertainment for thousands of travellers. And it does this without ceremony and, mostly, without anyone noticing.Mobile LinuxThe average user of an HTC Desire or a Samsung Galaxy S is likely to know that their phone is running Android, but they're unlikely to know, or even care, that Android is sitting on top of Linux. Thanks to Google, Linux is a massive success on mobile phones, and is putting open source software into more hands than the desktop revolution ever has. The big feature updates th...
Catch up: this week's most popular posts
By TechRadar, published 29-01-2011
Good news for iPhone and iPad owners – an official BBC iPlayer app is (probably) on its way.And the treat for Android fans is that the HTC Desire 2 has leaked ahead of Mobile World Congress 2011.This was also the week where the successor to the PSP2 – codenamed the Sony NGP – was announced. Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesHas Nintendo really blown its Wii 2 strategy?While Nintendo has recently announced its plans for the 3DS release across Europe, there are still questions to be answered about its – still to be revealed - strategy for 'Wii 2', with some observers questioning whether a 'two console strategy' could work in the future.One analyst in particular that seems to be gunning for Nintendo is Wedbush Securities analyst Micheal P...
The Daily Slash: January 29 2011
By SlashGear, published 29-01-2011
Welcome to the future of the smartdevice – no, it’s not Android 3.0 Honeycomb, we’re getting to that later – it’s Horizontal Symmetry. Grab a review or two from Chris Davies: the ZyXEL MWR211 Mobile Router and the AT&T MiFi 2372. A hacked NOOKcolor receives Android 3.0 Honeycomb on the same day we recieve official invites from Google to attend an Android Honeycomb Event – things are getting pretty sweet around Android Community. Take a peek at our LG Optimus 2X Full Walkthrough and Hands On. Discover the ease in downloading the hardware update released today for the Samsung Continuum on Verizon. See the first Motorola released Atrix 4G commercial – very lovely music and everything. All this and MORE on The Daily Slash! R3 Media Network Edito...
SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 28 2011
By SlashGear, published 28-01-2011
What’s the difference between a Windows 7 tablet and a steel hammer? Ask Fujitsu – they’ve got the answer. What’s better than listening to Aphex Twin? Listening to Aphex Twin on mushrooms. What’s a bigger reason for shuffling Google CEOs – their competitors, or China? Finally, what’s the biggest overnight news for Notion Ink’s Adam tablet? Is it a Honeycomb update, an FCC teardown, a root that allows Android Marketplace access, or their customer service possibly stalling past their 7 day return period? This question can only be answered by YOU. And what’s this – a review of a AT&T MiFi 2372 by none other than Chris Davies?! All this and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up! R3 Media Network Editor’s Choice Small Update I...
Apple loses to ZTE in Global phone rankings for Q4 2010
By SlashGear, published 28-01-2011
Apple has been pushed from its number four spot in the top worldwide mobile phone market, with ZTE entering the top five ranking and pushing the iPhone maker down to fifth place. That’s according to IDC‘s Q4 2010 mobile phone market research, which pegs Nokia as maintaining the top spot despite a 2.4-percent slip in share. It’s worth noting, of course, that this particular research covers mobile phones overall, rather than simply smartphones. Overall, IDC reckons the global mobile phone market grew 17.9-percent in the last quarter of 2010, exceeding 401m units of shipped devices. Altogether that makes 1.39bn shipments in 2010 as a whole, an 18.5-percent increase over 2009. ZTE’s success – the first time in IDC’s rankings that the company has broken int...
Follow up to the Verizon HTC Droid Incredible caught on camera?
By phoneArena, published 27-01-2011
It seems that HTC is having a hard time keeping its phones under wraps. Earlier today some pictures of a HTC smartphone leaked that is similar to the Desire, and now there are some new ones, but this time with distinctive Verizon branding on the front. This new smartphone is said to be running Android and is expected to be a follow-up model to the popular HTC Droid Incredible.
Live pictures of two high-end HTC droids leak
By GSMArena, published 27-01-2011
We have some blurry photos of two unannounced HTC droids for you. The first one is a GSM device looking just like the original Desire but for the touch-sensitive keys, while the other one is Verizon-branded...
HTC HD7 - Sleek and stylish, but far from perfect [Review]
By Thinkdigit, published 27-01-2011
HTC is a brand that needs no introduction. The Taiwanese giant, known for building handsets for the likes of O2, iMate and so on, has entered the retail market and met with reasonable success. Touchscreen phones are the latest fad, and HTC has been steadily churning out a stream of such phones. They've made their mark in our market too, with some excellent capacitive-touch phones, and some of their phones like the Touch HD2 and Desire. Those interested can read our HTC Desire review here. The H [...] Read the entire article
Updated: 15 best Android tablets in the world
By TechRadar, published 26-01-2011
Our list of the best Android tablets in the world - regularly updatedIf you're looking for a tablet and don't fancy an iPad, then Android is the way to go: while Windows tablets are on the horizon, Android ones are here, they work and they've usually been tweaked to include finger-friendly interfaces too. We've gone from zero Android tablets to stacks of the things in a very short space of time, and inevitably some are better than others.Some have ten-inch screens, others seven and some just five, and there are big differences in battery life, processing power and on-board RAM. So which tablets are the most tempting? Let's find out.Samsung Galaxy Tab - £359 (Wi-Fi) / £499 (3G)On sale: NowSamsung's tablet becomes much more attractive thanks to heavy discounting: the first price above is f...
HTC Flyer tablet specs leaked
By TechRadar, published 26-01-2011
Specifications of the upcoming HTC Flyer tablet have been leaked to a Norwegian mobile site - at this rate, there are going to be no surprises at Mobile World Congress 2011.Although there's been some consternation over the name of HTC's first Android tablet (HTC Scribe is also in the mix), it looks like the HTC Flyer could be the real deal.No one is quite sure what version of Android the tablet will ship with. Some reports suggest Android 2.3, but if that's the case then we're sure an update to the tablet-focussed Android 3.0 will be imminent.Skype hypeThe new specs tell us to expect a 7-inch 1024x600 resolution screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (on a par with that of the Desire HD – no dual-core goodness here) and HDMI with DLNA enabled for wirelessly streaming videos and music. It'...
Updated: Mobile World Congress 2011: what to expect
By TechRadar, published 25-01-2011
After the sheer madness and reams of shiny gadgets of CES 2011, we barely have time to pause for breath before the annual mobile phone-a-thon of Mobile World Congress 2011 is upon us.While CES saw a near-record number of top end mobile phones released from the Las Vegas jamboree, MWC 2011 still promises to be the place to see all manner of new handsets and tablets.So we've trekked across the digital rumour-space and looked for all the info on what to expect from the Barcelona event - keep coming back as we'll be constantly updating it whenever some new morsel of info or spy shot comes into view.MicrosoftLast year we saw Microsoft unleash Windows Phone 7 officially onto the world in a Barcelona hotel, with Steve Ballmer calling the announcement a 'mile post' in the launch of the company's n...
Leaked rendered image could be the HTC Desire 2?
By phoneArena, published 20-01-2011
Just when we thought that the HTC Desire HD was going to be a fitting continuation for the Desire line, it looks like we might be in store for a possible true successor to the original HTC Desire....
Updated: HTC Tablet rumours: what you need to know
By TechRadar, published 20-01-2011
Once upon a time, Apple made a phone. Rivals tried to copy it, but the iPhone was too good and their efforts too bad. And then HTC appeared. "Look!" it said. "A smartphone!" And the HTC phones were good, and lots of people bought them. Now, though, Apple has seen similar success with its iPad – so does HTC have a tablet of its own to take on the iPad? If anyone can make a real iPad rival it's HTC, and while the HTC Tablet and specs haven't been acknowledged by HTC, the rumour mill says it's real.On 17 December we reported on an interview with HTC CEO Peter Chou, which some news outlets took to be confirmation of an incoming HTC Tablet.Here's what we know and what we'd like to see in the HTC Tablet.HTC Tablet: Chrome OS no more?We expected the first Chrome-powered tablet to come from HTC ...
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HTC Desire : (9/10)
12 expert reviews
0 user reviews
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HTC Desire HD : (9/10)
6 expert reviews
0 user reviews
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HP TouchPad : (6.7/10)
12 expert reviews
0 user reviews
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Google Nexus One : (8.7/10)
8 expert reviews
0 user reviews
