Mobile Technology News

HTC Chief Product Officer and other execs leave company as its difficulties continue

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:42 +0000

Things haven't exactly been going swimmingly for HTC as of late, with the company reporting some less-than-stellar financial numbers and running into delays with the launch of its One due to component shortages. Now the Taiwanese firm's woes are continuing thanks to the departure of several high-level executives. HTC has confirmed to AllThingsD that Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera has left the company, explaining that he has departed HTC in order to "pursue other interests." Kodera's exit is just the latest in a string of executive departures at HTC that also includes Jason Gordon, VP of global communications; Rebecca Rowland, manager of retail marketing; John Starkweather, director of digital marketing; and Eric Lin, product strategy manager. HTC doesn't appear to be gaining any good word of mouth, either, with Lin recently urging his friends at HTC to "just quit," adding that they'll be "so much happier" when they do. A source also told The Verge that anyone in Seattle, where HTC's North American arm is based, doesn't want to work for the company. Meanwhile, HTC's Facebook-centric First phone doesn't seem to be helping matters. Rumors have suggested that sales of the device at AT&T are low, and one Verge tipster described the First as "a disaster." Interestingly, it's said that Facebook originally planned to delay its launch of the Facebook Home app for Android, which could have helped the First to produce better sales numbers. That ended up not happening, though, as Facebook rolled Home out to the Google Play Store around the same time as the First's launch. The one bright spot at HTC right now appears to be the company's new flagship One smartphone. While it ran into component supply issues that caused slight launch delays early on, HTC recently revealed that it plans to step up production to help meet "strong demand" for the device. The sources of today's report corroborated the HTC One's recent popularity, saying that while the handset started out slowly, it's been picking up speed lately. It's always disappointing to see a company running into troubles, and that's especially the case with HTC, which has been in the mobile world for quite a while and has gotten praise for its hardware as of late. The One sounds like it's starting to do pretty well for HTC, though, and it could help to serve as a bandage to stop the bleeding that the firm has been experiencing. A turnaround certainly won't be easy for HTC, especially thanks to Samsung and its 10 million Galaxy S 4 shipments, but it'll be interesting to watch HTC over the next year or so to see if the company can put a stop to its woes and gain some momentum from the One. What do you think is in HTC's future? Will its struggles continue or will it be able to turn things around? Via AllThingsD, The Verge

AT&T 4G LTE network now available in more cities, including Anderson, S.C., and Ventura, Calif.

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:40 +0000

Ready for some more 4G LTE love, AT&T customers? That's precisely what your carrier has got for you today, as AT&T has announced that its LTE network is now available in several new markets across the U.S. The full rundown of cities that've recently joined AT&T's Club LTE is as follows: New markets Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif. Ventura-Oxnard, Calif. Elizabethtown, Ky. Outer Banks, N.C., includes Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Manteo (Roanoke Island), Nags Head, Rodanthe, Southern Shores and Wanchese. Anderson, S.C. Laramie, Wyo. Expanded markets Jersey Shore, now includes Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Bradley Beach, Brick, Hazlet, Highlands, Keyport, Little Silver, Long Beach Island (including Ship Bottom, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light), Manahawkin, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Neptune, Redbank, Sea Girt and Tuckerton. AT&T has steadily been growing its LTE network footprint, rolling out some new coverage every couple of weeks or so. This latest batch of newly-lit LTE markets looks to be peppered throughout the country, meaning that AT&T customers in several different parts of the U.S. are getting their first taste of their carrier's LTE connectivity. Any AT&T customers that are still without LTE access shouldn't fret, as the big blue operator has named many other markets that'll be gaining LTE service this summer. Stay tuned and I'll give you a shout once the next batch of cities go live. Via AT&T (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)

Do you set a monthly allowance for app purchases?

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:39 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I’m more than willing to buy an application if it suits my needs, and it does so well. Whatever that need may be at the time, if the application does what it’s supposed to do and I like the way it looks (because I do have to use it every day, right?), I’ll gladly give the developer what they believe is fair for their app. Of course, that can sometimes mean I pay quite a bit of money for an app, and sometimes it means that I pay a bit more than I probably should have in a particular month. But, if it’s worth it, it’s worth it, right? A long, long time ago I asked all of you if you believe there’d ever be a time that we’d see a purchased app go cross-platform with us, if we were jumping ship from one mobile OS to another. While there are plenty of people out there who are so invested into one ecosystem that they just outright refuse to leave, others aren’t like that. They may switch platforms simply just to try it, or may hang around a bit while they wait for that first OS to announce something new. Whatever the case, some people switch platforms, which means they lose access to applications they’ve bought previously. Which is why a software license for a game, or an app, would be great, but it’s only a pipedream. A very distant one at that. I’d love it if Rovio could make Angry Birds like that, though. I . . . I’ve bought that game a lot. I don’t really play it all that much anymore, or any of its “sequels,” but it’s definitely a game that I’ve bought more than once. All because I switched platforms, and I needed something to play. I’ve got a friend that refuses to pay for applications. I mean it. He just doesn’t spend his money on apps. Any of them. No games, either. He has actually gone as far as to make sure that his credit card/debit card isn’t even applied to the Google Play Store. No matter how many times I’ve told him about a cool app, or game, he simply just nods, and goes about his business. For someone who loves smartphones as much as he does, it honestly shocks me a little bit that he’s just refused to jump onto the application bandwagon. I’ve asked him why in the past, and he told me simply that he has “other things to buy,” and he can’t waste his money on apps. I thought I was being rational when I pointed out that the app I was showing him at the time was only ninety-nine cents, but again he just shook his head and said, “No.” Simple as that. I went along with my business, because I have jumped onto the application bandwagon. I’ll admit it. I love ‘em. Not all of them, mind you, but a good amount. And, like I said above, I’m more than willing to pay up to help the developer keep making cool things. But I need to create some kind of battle plan, here. Because there are some months that I, like my friend, do want to buy other things, and they’ve been out of reach because three weeks before I bought a few apps instead. Or more than a few, in some cases. Having a monthly allowance for apps doesn’t seem like a bad idea. After all, I’ve made allowances for other things every month, like video games for instance. Why would it be any different for apps? I think that boils down to the fact that apps are, in most instances, easier to buy. After all, it’s right there on your device of choice, and it’s downloaded in a handful of seconds more often than not. You get immediate satisfaction. Plus, there are multiple ways to pay for an application these days. Now it doesn’t have to come right off your credit or debit card. You’ve got PayPal as an option, or even charging it to your wireless bill. Ease of use and options make buying apps quick and easy, and if you’re anything like me then you’ve taken advantage of that ease more than a few times. Have you created a monthly allowance for your application installs? Is it something you’ve ever considered? How many apps do you buy a month, do you think? Let me know where you stand when it comes to buying apps.

Cricket’s Samsung Galaxy S 4 launching on June 7 for $599.99

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:37 +0000

Samsung announced last month that its new Galaxy S 4 would be available on seven different carriers in the U.S., and today another member of that group has stepped forward to announce its launch plans for the flagship smartphone. Cricket today revealed that it will launch the 16GB Galaxy S 4 in stores and online on June 7 for $599.99. Customers that are interested in the Galaxy S 4 but aren't able to plunk down $600 for a unit will be able to make a down payment of $54.99 and then pay the rest of the unit off in monthly installments. Cricket's Galaxy S 4 will be compatible with its 4G LTE Android Muve Music Double Data plans, which include unlimited talk and text as well as varying allotments of high-speed data. The $50 plan will net customers 2GB of full-speed data each month, while stepping up to the $60 or $70 offerings will give 5GB or 10GB of full-speed data, respectively. The Galaxy S 4 can also be used with Cricket's 3G smartphone plans, which offer unlimited talk and text as well as 1.5GB of full-speed data for $50, 2.5GB of full-speed data for $60 or 5GB of full-speed data for $70. The latter two plans also include mobile hotspot functionality. Cricket also notes in today's announcement that its LTE now covers around 21 million people. The service is currently available in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Laredo, Corpus Christi and Brownsville-McAllen-Harlingen, Texas. The Galaxy S 4 is the second Samsung Galaxy S model to be offered by Cricket, following the launch of the Galaxy S III late in 2012. It's great to see Cricket offering high-end smartphones like the Galaxy S line to its customers, and the fact that Cricket is allowing customers to pay for the Galaxy S 4 in installments means that more folks will be able to snag one rather than settling for a lower-end product that they may not really want. Cricket's full Galaxy S 4 availability announcement can be found at the link below to help you pass the time until June 7 rolls around. Via Cricket Wireless

The HTC One is voted #1 for another week

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:35 +0000

In week 63 of PhoneDog Media's Official Smartphone Rankings™, the HTC One kept its first place positions on the People’s Choice and Expert’s Choice charts, establishing a solid lead against the Samsung Galaxy S 4. With a metal housing, 1080p HD display, and availability on multiple U.S. carriers, it’s a popular Android smartphone amongst enthusiasts and mainstream consumers alike. Can HTC turn the buzz surrounding the One into tangible sales, considering Samsung has sold almost 10 million Galaxy S 4’s to date? MT PLEASANT, SC – May 21, 2013 – For 63 weeks and counting, PhoneDog Media's Official Smartphone Rankings™ (OSR) has become the gold standard for ranking the best smartphones on the market by placing votes from readers and experts alike in respective charts each week. For a third week, the HTC One retained the first place positions on the People’s Choice and Expert’s Choice charts, receiving a total of 588 votes and 53 expert points. Available on AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, the HTC One offers a metal build and unique features such as HTC BlinkFeed and HTC Zoe. The people kept the Samsung Galaxy S 4 in the second place position with 266 votes, while the Samsung Galaxy Note II retained the third place spot with 96 votes. Manufactured by LG, the Google Nexus 4 remained in fourth place with 68 votes, followed by the Nokia Lumia 920 in fifth place with 60 votes. On the Expert’s Choice Chart, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 held the second place position with 48 points, while the Apple iPhone 5 secured the third place position with 30 points. In fourth place, the Samsung Galaxy Note II with 16 points, while the fifth place position was awarded to the Google Nexus 4 with 13 points. “Months after launch, the HTC One continues to command an impressive lead over the Samsung Galaxy S 4, though that’s only half of the equation,” said Aaron Baker, Editor-in-Chief of PhoneDog. “With Samsung’s flagship smartphone nearing 10 million units sold, I’m curious to see whether the buzz has translated into a sales success for HTC.” About PhoneDog Media’s Official Smartphone Rankings™ PhoneDog Media's Official Smartphone Rankings™ consists of two weekly charts voted on by users and a panel of mobile technology experts. The OSR can be accessed from PhoneDog.com or directly at /rankings and voting can be completed using login credentials from Facebook, Twitter, or the PhoneDog website.

Nokia Lumia 521 Unboxing

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:34 +0000

Aaron unboxes the Nokia Lumia 521 at CTIA 2013 in Las Vegas. Available at T-Mobile retail stores today (May 22) for $150 with NO contract, the Lumia 521 is a really attractive option for those on a tight budget. Featuring a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, the Lumia 521 sports a 4-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, and HSPA+ connectivity. Unlike Android, the great thing about Windows Phone 8 is the software runs well on what many would consider mid-range specs, so the overall experience on a Lumia 521 (for example) is quite similar to the high-end Lumia devices. What's more, Nokia appears to be committed to making sure their mid-range handsets get some of the goodies that the high-end devices get, as evident with the upcoming Amber update.View video here

Apple claims that Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Google Now infringe its patents in new court filing

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:32 +0000

A week after Apple revealed that it would like to add the Galaxy S 4 to one of its patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung, the Cupertino firm has officially filed a motion for its request. In its filing, which has been shared by FOSS Patents, Apple says that it obtained an AT&T-branded Galaxy S 4 on April 27 and began examining the device for any possible infringement. The company says that its analysis found that the Galaxy S 4 infringes upon five of its patents, adding that its examinations of the Sprint and T-Mobile Galaxy S 4 variants showed the same instances of infringement. Apple also plans to analyze the Verizon Galaxy S 4 when it launches on May 23. As I mentioned before, Apple and Samsung have been going back and forth in adding one another's flagship devices to their lawsuits as the hardware is released, and so it's no surprise to see Apple requesting that the Galaxy S 4 be added to this case. Apple claims that the Galaxy S 4 infringes its patents in much the same way that the other products it's targeting in this suit do. Speaking of other products, Apple has said that it plans to remove one Samsung product from its list of 22 in the suit in order to add the Galaxy S 4, but it's not known which device Apple will strike. In addition to the Galaxy S 4, Apple also says that it'd like to update its infringement claims to include Google Now. The firm originally targeted Android's Quick Search Box with two patents, but it explains that Google has since introduced its Google Now app that Apple feels infringes upon the same two patents as the Quick Search Box. Apple's motion to amend its complaint against Samsung is available at the Scribd link below. Via FOSS Patents, Scribd

Verizon teams up with Jennifer Lopez to announce Viva Móvil, a Latino-focused premium retailer

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:31 +0000

The spring CTIA has been somewhat quiet this year, but one event that many have been looking forward to is Verizon's "special announcement" on May 22. Just in case you aren't aware, that's today, and Verizon has finally revealed exactly what its big gathering is for. The carrier just announced that it's partnering with Jennifer Lopez on Viva Móvil, a new premium retailer that will focus on serving the Latino community. Verizon will serve as the wireless provider for Viva Móvil, but the carrier doesn't actually own a stake in the company. Also included in the partnership will be wireless distributor Brightstar and Moorehead Communications, another Verizon premium retailer. Viva Móvil will open its first store at an unnamed "busy intersection" in New York City on June 15, with plans to open up additional stores in markets like Los Angeles and Miami later this year. The stores will sell Verizon products and services, will employ bilingual staff and will also have special play areas for kids. As the Chief Creative Officer, Jennifer Lopez says that she played a part in designing the stores as well as the accessories that will be sold there. While there won't be any special Verizon products or service plans offered by Viva Móvil, the fact that the company and its stores are Latino-focused could help drive Latino consumers to its retail spaces. It will be interesting to see exactly what these stores look like and if they're successful their mission to appeal to Latino customers. If you'd like to learn more about Viva Móvil, you can find Verizon's announcement of today's news as well as Viva Móvil's website at the links below. Via Verizon Wireless, Viva Móvil

Chrome for Android updated with fullscreen mode, iOS version gaining voice search soon

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:29 +0000

There's some good news for fans of Google Chrome today, as Google has announced that it's updating both the Android and iOS versions of its browser with some nifty new features. First up, Chrome for Android is gaining a new fullscreen browsing mode on smartphones. As a user scrolls through a page, the Chrome toolbar will disappear to show more of the content. Scrolling up will bring the toolbar back. The Android flavor of Chrome will also show search queries in its omnibox rather than a lengthy URL, making it easier to refine a search. Rounding out the list of new Chrome for Android features is a tab history for tablets that can be accessed by holding the browser's back button, as well as some stability improvements. Meanwhile, Chrome users on iOS will soon be gaining voice search capabilities. The next Chrome for iOS update will bring with it the ability to speak a search query simply by tapping a Google button that'll be located above the keyboard. Additionally, the new Chrome will be able to reload web pages more quickly thanks to its new, more efficient caching method for use when the network is slow. The final tweak being implemented by Google is the ability for other iOS apps to open links in Chrome, then return to the original app just a single tap. So when can you Chrome-domes get these new features? Android users can snag the update from Google Play right now and start getting their full screen browsing on. The iOS crowd will need to wait a bit to try out their new features, as Google says that its Chrome for iOS update will be hitting the App Store "soon." Here's to hoping that, since Google announced the Chrome for iOS update and its new features today, the update itself isn't too far off. Download links to both apps can be found below. Via Chrome blog, Google Play: Google Chrome, App Store: Google Chrome

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Challenge, Day 27: Work travel

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:28 +0000

It's day 27 with the Samsung Galaxy S 4. This is a quick update because I'm on the road for work and getting ready to fly home, but overall, I'm very impressed with the performance of the Galaxy S 4 during my travels. I've been pleased with battery life, even while traveling for work. Yesterday was a busy day for conference calls, and my phone made it through the day with some juice to spare. Separately, AT&T's 4G LTE network is decent in Las Vegas and far better than CES (when an influx of power-hungry people are using it), but that's not an issue with the phone itself.The challenge is winding down. What do you want to see in the final videos? Let me know on Twitter @PhoneDog_Aaron!View video here

Take a breather, HTC

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:26 +0000

Not every manufacturer can be in the limelight all at the same time. Each one has the potential to be at the top if they want, but even when a company is considered top dog it only has so long before its empire starts to fall. We’ve seen it happen with BlackBerry, Motorola, and most notably at this point and time we can shift our gaze to HTC. HTC has an intriguing history with smartphones. For a while they made some of the most beautifully designed devices in the market, at least in my opinion they did. When the HTC Touch Diamond came out I drooled over it for months. HTC had more success by releasing other well-designed devices like the HTC Touch Pro 2, the HD2, and eventually led themselves into manufacturing decent Android devices like the MyTouch series for T-Mobile and the Nexus One. Where I think HTC really took off for itself was about three years ago, about this time of year. On June 4, 2010, HTC released the HTC EVO 4G for Sprint. The EVO 4G was the first 4G phone released on the market in the US; naturally this was a huge thing for HTC at the time. The hype of the EVO 4G actually lasted for a decent amount of time for a single phone. Even when I began working for Sprint in September of 2011 there were still customers coming in regularly to find an EVO. However, advancements in technology and HTC’s inability to release a successful follow-up (the EVO 3D was often seen as gimmicky rather than futuristic; after owning the device myself, I have to agree) seemed like it played a huge part in what hindered sales for the company. The next big release after the EVO 3D was the HTC EVO 4G LTE and the HTC One X (they came out about the same time for Sprint and AT&T, respectively) and both generated a bit of buzz for HTC, but again, the hype was short-lived as more Galaxy devices and iPhones overshadowed them on the market. Now we have the HTC One, which shows that a phone can be remarkably beautiful in design both inside and out. But has it generated enough attention to turn HTC around? Probably not. Along with the release of the HTC One, we also got the release of the HTC First, which seems to be all but ‘first’ on people’s list of phones they want to own. By knocking the price down to practically free on a two-year contract after a mere month of appearing on the shelves, the HTC First seems to be on a first-class one-way ticket to Doomsville. So we have one fantastic release and one not-so-fantastic release done simultaneously. How did Samsung get to be on top? How did Apple get to reign for so long? They consecutively released devices that were either A.) Already good, or B.) Only getting better. HTC is just kind of all over the place, and it doesn’t help that their employees are leaving by the truckloads. Not just regular run-of-the mill employees either – important ones. Kouji Kodera, chief product officer, is said to have left HTC some time last week. Just before that was Jason Gordon, vice president of global communications. Other notable exits include global retail marketing manager Rebecca Rowland; director of digital marketing Jon Starkweather; and product strategy manager Eric Lin. I won’t speculate exactly what I think this means for HTC, but I do think that HTC needs to sit back and take a breather to get itself together. It’s still considered anyone’s game and if you need to take a water break and come up with a new play-by-play now is the time to do it. It kind of looks like the company is falling apart at the seams, so in my humble opinion I feel like the company could benefit from a small vacation from trying to come up with the biggest, baddest phone. Make a few mid-range Androids and Windows Phone 8 devices and call it a year, and pick the game back up when everything doesn’t look so… abysmal.

ZTE says U.S. launch of Grand S delayed until 2014, but Grand Memo coming this year

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:25 +0000

Shortly after ZTE took the wraps off of its 6.9mm-thick Grand S at CES earlier this year, the company confirmed that it would be bringing its new smartphone to the U.S. later in 2013. Now it looks like anyone interested in a Grand S device will have to wait a tad longer, though, as a ZTE executive has told CNET that it won't be bringing that hardware stateside until 2014. Lixin Cheng, president of ZTE's North American arm, has revealed that the Grand S's U.S. debut has been delayed due to the extra time that ZTE needs to take to fulfill the requests of its carrier partners. Of course, by the time 2014 rolls around, the Grand S won't exactly be a fresh handset anymore. Cheng acknowledged this, saying that ZTE won't be selling a year-old device. Instead, the product that ZTE launches will likely be a member of the "Grand S family." Cheng didn't offer up any other details about the forthcoming hardware, but he did offer a bit of a teaser, saying that "the Grand S series will evolve." Cheng went on to say that ZTE does plan to expand the number of products that it sells in the U.S. in 2013. One of those devices will be the Grand Memo, which debuted earlier this year with a 5.7-inch 720p display. ZTE also plans to increase its efforts to promote its brand in the U.S. this year and to gain more name recognition among U.S. wireless customers. ZTE says that it's currently the third-largest U.S. prepaid phone vendor, growing 85.7 percent from Q1 2012 to Q1 2013. Still, the manufacturer isn't exactly a household name in the U.S., likely because the few ZTE-made smartphones that have hit the national carriers are mostly low-end or mid-range units. However, it sounds like ZTE is working to change that. The launch details of the Grand Memo and Grand S-style device are up in the air for now, but once they do arrive, it'll be interesting to see which carriers they end up on and how consumers respond to hardware from a relatively unknown (to them) name. Until we hear more, you can check out our hands-on with the Grand Memo to get a taste of what we'll be getting later in 2013. {Widget type="youtube" id="VkYHKUXn3hQ"} Via CNET

Weekly Bone: Google’s streaming music service, LG versus Samsung, and more!

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:24 +0000

Marco's back in this installment of The Weekly Bone! This time around, he's talking about the stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the LG Optimus G Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Note II dogfight, and Google's new streaming music service. There's a lot going on in the mobile space, and The Weekly Bone is the best place to get a quick, lighthearted recap of the week's news. What do you want to see in next week's update? Let us know @PhoneDog on Twitter!View video here

Even if you don’t use Android, do you still rely on Google?

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:22 +0000

I’m just going to make one thing very clear right now: I love and hate Google. I can’t really explain it in its entirety, but Google in its current state is like, the overlord of the tech world. You can’t escape it. You want to search for something? Google is there for you. Need a new e-mail? Why not Gmail? You say you’re in the market for a new phone? Try one of our Google Android devices, we’ll back you up. Google has eyes and ears everywhere – along with convenient services that are mostly unified and easy-to-use. Honestly, without Google apps on my iPhone I probably would have ditched the thing a long time ago. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the iPhone for more than just its selection of Google Apps, because I do. I appreciate the simplicity of iOS, and they actually do have nice stock applications, and had I not discovered Google first I probably would have used things like Safari and Mail. But ever since I switched from Yahoo! Search to Google Search, my Internet habits practically snowballed to revolve around Google. First it was just my searching habits. I used Yahoo! Because that’s what my parents told me to use, but at some point when I was in my early teens somebody told me that Google was much more efficient at completing search requests. I tried it and had pretty good luck finding whatever I needed. Google was my new “go-to” guy to quench my thirst for knowledge on the Internet. Then came Gmail. I didn’t start using Gmail until maybe two years after it was released, at the request of my older brother who was furious with my virus-spamming Hotmail ways (which probably had nothing to do with Hotmail itself so much as my not being able to tell what e-mails I should and shouldn’t click). Regardless, I tried it and once again, it worked for me and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Then came Android, then Chrome, and a slew of other Google products that just keep on piling up. It’s become common practice for me to use something Google-related for at least 70% of my time spent on the web – smartphone or PC. That’s a lot of Googlin’. One of the things I really admire about Google is that they don’t keep their services to just their own platform. Google didn’t have to let iOS use Gmail, Chrome, YouTube, Maps, or any other Google service – but they do. As a dedicated Google Apps user, I appreciate that I’m not confined to just using Android. I mean, I like Android and all, but I like to explore my options too. I’m not really big on mutually exclusive platform relationships. I do wish Google Apps were a little more stable on Windows Phone, given that Microsoft and Google have been having spats over YouTube recently, and Maps before that. Not only is Windows Phone affected, but BlackBerry hardly has any Google app integration. The fact that these two platforms are either on the rocks or without Google makes me wary of wanting to purchase a device running on these platforms (especially BlackBerry 10) makes me realize that despite being a part of the iOS family at the moment, I still heavily rely on Google to get the most out of my smartphone experience. And I’m almost totally okay with this. I find nothing wrong with enjoying parts of Android’s ecosystem within another platform. Honestly, I feel like it helps boost productivity from my smartphone without having to constantly bounce back and forth between smartphone and PC. But there is that tiny little aspect that despite loving Google, I also hate it due to my dependency on the apps. It’s hindering that adventurous side of me that wants to explore other platforms like BlackBerry 10, and even has me wondering the solidity of the apps staying on Windows Phone. Is it about that time where we can construct our own smartphones yet? Readers, do you have a special attachment to Google Apps? Is there a special must-have app that is a requirement for you to have in a smartphone? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S 4 crosses 10 million units shipped mark, new colors rolling out soon [UPDATED]

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:20 +0000

Just as Samsung CEO J.K. Shin predicted, the Galaxy S 4 has now crossed the 10 million units shipped milestone. Samsung announced the news this evening, touting the fact that its new flagship has amassed global channel sales (aka shipments) of 10 million units since its South Korean launch on April 27, which works out to a rate of approximately four units shipped every second. This feat makes the Galaxy S 4 the fastest selling member of the Galaxy S family; the Galaxy S III took 50 days to ship 10 million units, while the Galaxy S II and Galaxy S took 5 months and 7 months, respectively. Samsung also re-affirmed its plans to release its Galaxy S 4 flagship in several new colors. Starting this summer, Samsung will roll out Blue Arctic and Red Aurora versions of the Galaxy S 4, followed by Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn variants. Considering the success of Samsung's previous Galaxy S models and the hype leading up to the Galaxy S 4's unveiling earlier this year, it's no surprise to learn that the Galaxy S 4 has handily beaten its predecessors in the race to ship 10 million units. It also helps that the Galaxy S 4 has been released in 110 countries to date. Looking forward, the Galaxy S 4 train shows no signs of slowing down, with launches on Verizon in the U.S. and on carriers in 45 other countries still to come. Have you picked up a Galaxy S 4 yet? If so, which model did you snag? UPDATE: Samsung has posted some images showing what the Blue Arctic and Red Aurora versions of the Galaxy S 4 will look like. Check 'em out below. Via Samsung (Korea Newswire), Samsung Tomorrow

HTC One sales reach ‘around 5 million’ since its launch last month

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:19 +0000

Nearly a week after an HTC executive said that his company is increasing production of its flagship One in order to meet "strong demand" for the device, we've now gotten an idea of just how strong that demand has been so far. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, an unnamed HTC exec says that the sales of the One are currently sitting at "around five million" since its launch one month ago. "Orders are pretty good so far and are still more than what we can supply," the exec explained, going on to say that the One's component shortage is to blame for demand outpacing supply. "When the issue is resolved next month, we will have a better idea if it's doing really well or not." This news of the HTC One's sales comes hot on the heels of Samsung's own announcement that its Galaxy S 4 has shipped 10 million units in slightly less than a month. Still, sales of five million Ones is nothing to sneeze at, and it provides HTC with some much-needed positive news following One component shortages and executive departures. In other HTC news, the company today took the wraps off of its latest handset, dubbed the Desire 600. The newest member of the Desire family features dual SIM support and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor. It's also got a 4.5-inch qHD (960x540) display, 8GB storage, 1GB RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.6-megapixel front-facing shooter. There are some special HTC goodies packed in as well, including BlinkFeed and BoomSound. HTC says that the Desire 600 will begin rolling out "in a number of markets" starting in June 2013. Via The Wall Street Journal, HTC

Smartphones should be waterproof

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:17 +0000

Smartphones are inching towards perfection on many levels this year. From the build and design of the HTC One, to the sheer freshness of Jolla's smartphone running Sailfish OS, the choices feel endless. But it's clear that when these devices come to market is when they're destined to bask in popularity, or melt in entropy. The arguments for and against devices feel like age-old prophecies with each camp reciting features as Word of Law. We have quite literally turned our investments into parts of ourselves. But there's one feature I believe each OEM should consider adding to their portfolio of marketing buzzwords: durability. Durable smartphones are trending this year. LG, Samsung, Sony, and most recently, Kyocera, have added dust and waterproofing to their feature set. But it's going to take a heavy marketing push to put these devices into the spotlight seeing that each complements other flagship devices in each manufacturer's portfolio of tech. But considering that we do not yet know the prices of the LG Optimus GJ or Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active, the two most high-end of waterproof devices coming down the spout, it only makes sense to speculate how their most prized feature will fare in the wild. At this moment, I feel it's long overdue. Even if these devices tip the register above the competition, at least you'll have a feature which is undeniable. I'd gladly pay for a device that was guaranteed to work after a light splash of water...or complete submersion. It's one less thing to worry about when you're walking in the rain, or out at the bar. Waterproof devices may have the "it factor" that manufacturers have decided to marry with quality, and I'm honestly wondering why it took so long for such a simple idea to make it to the feature menu. Essentially, this trend of durable devices means manufacturers are taking ownership of how their products actually perform in the real world, instead of hiding behind an insurance policy or warranty. Sure, both factors will be included in the fine print of each advertisement we witness if more devices come to market with durable features, but this is still a cause of joy for the mobile pool. There's nothing worse than being shunned upon returning a device which you have damaged by accident, or by a series of unfortunate events, only to find out that the humid, warm shower you took yesterday morning caused your water damage indicator to read positive. In the end, water damage is a highly sought after defense of warranties. The thought process behind it being that you obviously need to make sure your device doesn't come into contact with any moisture since it doesn't bode well with electronics. It's standard for electronic devices. I'm pretty impressed by how far smartphones have come. To think you now have the ability to submerge the Kyocera Hydro Edge and Sony Xperia ZR underwater for 30 minutes makes me giddy with jealousy. Just yesterday I splashed water on my HTC One and frantically aired out each crevice in the device (which wasn't too difficult due to the zero-gap construction). After my systolic and diastolic pressures resumed normality, I had a moment where I wished they made a Lifeproof case to protect my daily driver. But then I thought about it again and reached this conclusion: I'd like all my smartphnoes to be waterproof, or at the very least, water resistant, for this very reason. Daily life is full of splashes and spills when you're least expecting it. Your smartphone need only be in the wrong place at the wrong time and it could suffer dire consequences at the expense of a valuable warranty or expensive insurance policy. Many manufacturers (if not all) add a water damage indicator in each device to clearly show if the the device has come in contact with a certain amount of moisture. In this case, the carrier or manufacturer (depending whose warranty is in question) determines if any malfunctions were caused by the moisture. Yet smartphones which are waterproof to begin with epitomize what many OEMs are struggling to convince mainstream buyers of in the first place: this device is more durable and built better than that competitor's product. When I first started here at PhoneDog earlier this year, I wrote about Sony's push for durability. I asked you if it was their "saving grace" of sorts in mobile for 2013. It's clear they've started a trend up until this point as evidenced by dust and waterproof devices pouring from the competition. It's just another way we are witnessing the playing field get leveled, and many manufacturers ought to take note that there are ways to actually prove one device is more durable than another like Sony has been doing for so very long. Of course, most devices which can withstand your everyday dust storm, or jacuzzi mishap tend to be of unibody construction meaning there is likely no option of expandable storage and removable batteries. But in my experience, the Apple iPhone 5, HTC One, and Nexus 4 already lack these features, which is another reason to move your data to the cloud. Do these trade-offs add up to a better user experience? Arguably, yes. Then there's the option of waterproofing a smartphone through a third-party retailer like Liquipel or HZO, but in order to do so, you need to send your smartphone to them for the nanotech application. If this technology was incorporated to each device upon construction, it would make so much sense to me. I understand dust and shock proofing smartphones isn't everyone's idea of a necessary standard feature, but moisture is most tech's Achille's Heel. Isn't it time something was done about it? I'm convinced that smartphones should be waterproof. It's just one less thing to worry about in my eyes. What do you think? Does making a device waterproof give it an edge over the competition, or should it be a standard feature? Images via Digital Trends and Androidspin.

AT&T Avail 2 image leaks out ahead of GoPhone launch

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:16 +0000

After teaming up on to release the Avail in late 2011, it appears that AT&T and ZTE are getting together for a second go-around. Prolific leaker @evleaks has posted an image of what is said to be the AT&T Avail 2, a device with a trio of capacitive navigation keys and an AT&T globe logo beneath its earpiece. Like the original Avail, this new model is said to be bound for AT&T's prepaid GoPhone brand. As far as specs go, there's a "3G" indicator in the Avail 2's status bar, suggesting that this will be a 3G-only device. That's not really a surprise, though, considering that AT&T's GoPhone brand doesn't support LTE connectivity. We can also tell by the dock icons and the status bar that the Avail 2 will be running at least Android 4.0 at launch. There's no word yet on exactly when the Avail 2 might be making its way into AT&T's GoPhone lineup or how much it'll cost once it does. Looking at the Avail 2 and the other phones currently in the GoPhone roster, I wouldn't expect the Avail 2 to put too much of a strain on buyers' wallets. Stay tuned and I'll bring you the launch details for the Avail 2 as soon as AT&T makes 'em available. Via @evleaks

BlackBerry 10.2 update to include emojis, multiple alarms and more

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:13 +0000

BlackBerry 10.1 may still be piping hot after its recent removal from BlackBerry's ovens, but that doesn't mean that the company isn't hard at work on BlackBerry 10.2. CrackBerry notes that Michael Clewley, product manager at BlackBerry, recently took to his shiny new BBM Channel to tease some of the new features that are coming with the BlackBerry 10.2 update. According to Clewley, the 10.2 update will bring it it the ability to set a time for a Remember item, support for standard unicode emojis, multiple alarms and level 1 notifications. If Clewley's teasing has got you pounding on the "Check for Updates" button on your BlackBerry 10 device, well, hold your horses. The first beta for the BlackBerry 10.2 SDK isn't expected to arrive until next month, but the good news is that Clewley has said that the actual BB10.2 update is expected to begin rolling out later this year. Meanwhile, existing BlackBerry 10 users that haven't yet updated to BB10.1 still have that to look forward to, with the update expected to begin rolling out soon from U.S. carriers. How many of you are currently using a BlackBerry 10 device as your daily driver? Via CrackBerry

Red Aurora Samsung Galaxy S 4 launching at AT&T on June 14, pre-orders begin May 24

NMT — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:12:12 +0000

AT&T was the only carrier in the U.S. to offer the Garnet Red version of the Samsung Galaxy S III last year, and it looks like the operator has gotten itself a similar deal for the Galaxy S 4. AT&T just announced that it plans to launch an exclusive Red Aurora version of the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S 4 on June 16, with pricing set at $199.99 with a two-year contract. Interested customers will be able to pre-order the red Galaxy S 4 from AT&T starting on May 24. Samsung revealed last night that it will release the Galaxy S 4 in Blue Arctic, Red Aurora, Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn. So far, NTT DoCoMo and AT&T have announced plans to offer the blue and red models, but it's not clear which carriers might offer the purple and brown variants. We saw Sprint and Verizon sell purple and brown versions of the Galaxy S III, so those two carriers could end up offering the Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn Galaxy S 4 units, but we'll just have to wait to find out for sure. Do you plan on waiting for one of these new Galaxy S 4 colors to be released before you buy Samsung's new flagship? Or will you be snagging the currently-available Black Mist or White Frost version? Via AT&T Consumer Blog