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2014-11-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

Has Black Friday peaked in Canada? Why this year’s deals may spur more hype than revenue for retailers

Hollie Shaw | November 26, 2014 6:40 PM ET
More from Hollie Shaw | @HollieKShaw

Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergTarget has doubled or tripled the inventory of key Black Friday door crasher items compared with last year, John Butcher, senior vice-president of Target Canada, said.

TORONTO – Within just a couple of years, Black Friday has become so ubiquitous in Canada that it’s experiencing the same extended marketing phenomenon that has seen Boxing Day morph into Boxing Week: Call it Black Friday creep.

Walmart Canada, Indigo Books, Hudson’s Bay and Sears Canada have been running pre-sales this week before the Friday event, and Canadian Tire is staging a special ‘Red Thursday’ promotion, promising its “lowest prices of the year” over four days.

But industry forecasts predicting consumer restraint this holiday season may render this year’s ever-lengthening sale bonanza a fairly weightless marketing ploy, one that generates a lot of hype but limited incremental revenue.

In 2013, just 27% of Canadians bought goods on Black Friday, according to DIG360 Consulting, which tracks customer purchasing behaviour after the annual marketing event as opposed to consumers’ intentions before the sale day. That compared with widely circulated predictions of 50% of 60% of Canadians partaking in the event in 2013.

“I don’t think 2014 is going to be a big advance over last year,” said David Gray, principal at the Vancouver-based agency. “Sales moved so fast from almost zero in Canada in 2010, I think we are already starting to see a bit of a peak. The industry and media pundits have created a focal point around this, and it has created heightened expectations among shoppers.”

But the expectations of great deals often exceed the value of the deals themselves, Mr. Gray said, because retailers are not ready to offer too many items at a deep discount this early in the season. “You will see a few key items at a decent discount and some door-crashers, but there will not be much breadth to it.”

The industry and media pundits have created a focal point around this, and it has created heightened expectations among shoppers

While Canadian retailers were ostensibly forced four years ago into mimicking the U.S. shopping event under the threat of cross-border shopping, only 2% of Canadians actually made a trip across the border last year on the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, DIG360 found, a figure consistent with prior years. That is expected to hold firm or decline this year given the lower Canadian dollar.

It comes amid predictions for a tepid holiday sales period this year.

Canadian holiday retail sales are expected to grow 3.3% this year compared to Christmas 2013 season, according to a forecast from Ernst & Young, fairly weak in light of inflation and 2013’s rise of just 2.8%, when Eastern Canada was pounded with a severe ice storm that resulted in several lost shopping days.

Deloitte’s estimate is even more conservative, predicting a rise of 2% to 2.5% for holiday 2014. That raises the competitive stakes among retailers such as Walmart and Target, which is weighing its future Canadian business strategy on its holiday performance.

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, Filehopping for items on sale also makes people feel less guilty about spending in the first place — in essence, a sale gives them permission to shop.

“We know our competitors are going to come out swinging,” John Butcher, senior vice-president of Target Canada, said this month. Target will be far more aggressive on its holiday prices relative to competitors than last year, he said, extending its price match guarantee throughout the period and doubling the print runs of its toy and holiday catalogues this year, to six million from three million. Target has also doubled or tripled the inventory of key Black Friday door crasher items compared with last year, he said.

While some in the industry have debated whether Black Friday may eventually wipe out Boxing Week, research firm NPD Canada predicts Boxing Week 2104 will still be the bigger event of the two this holiday shopping season, with more than two-thirds of consumers planning to shop.

Laurence Ashworth, associate professor of marketing at Queen’s School of Business, said consumers love sales and that an increased number of them may lead to slightly higher shopping overall. Consumers believe that they have achieved a small victory when they purchase a good at a discount. Shopping for items on sale also makes people feel less guilty about spending in the first place — in essence, a sale gives them permission to shop.

“Commentators talk about it as though it is a zero-sum game [between Black Friday and Boxing Day], but there is a possibility that it could increase the size of the pie,” he said.

“Certainly, when you lower prices, you increase demand and there is a larger sales volume.”

2014-11-28T08:49:00.001-08:00

Black Friday 2014’s best Canadian deals: A look at what’s on offer where this year

National Post Staff | November 27, 2014 | Last Updated: Nov 28 8:57 AM ET
More from National Post Staff

AP Photo/PA, David ParryU.K. shoppers jostle for Black Friday deals in London.

Black Friday deals

Black Friday in Canada will never achieve the gun-toting, pepper-spraying, early morning deal-hunting of its U.S. counterpart, but there are some polite, Canadian deals to be had.

Industry forecasts are predicting consumer restraint this holiday season may render, which may undercut the shopping tradition’s impact on companies’ bottom lines.

One of the country’s largest shopping mall operators, Cadillac Fairview, has responded to retailer requests by opening 21 properties early on Friday so it can lure customers who might be tempted to go south for deep discounts. Cadillac Fairview’s Eaton Centre in Toronto — the busiest mall in Canada — opened at 6 a.m. Friday, while other properties across the country welcomed customers through the doors at either 7 a.m. or 8 a.m.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, things are already off to a hectic start. Here is the scene at a U.S. Wal-Mart in North Carolina:

Here are some of the best Canadian deals this year:

Online computer retailerNewegg.ca, is offering a “Black Friday” sale that’s already on and offers different deals every hour. In years past, during the actual Black Friday New Egg offers deals that are above and beyond what they offer during the “Month of Black Fridays” that surround it.

Amazon.ca is, much like years past offering a rotating series of deals (on now and continuing through “Cyber Monday”). Deals rotate approximately every twelve hours and the next set of offers are shown proceeding the the old ones going down.

Best Buy will open its stores at 6 a.m. local time on Friday and 9 a.m. local time on Saturday in addition to offering a raft of offers on “Cyber Monday.” Some of the best deals on Friday include a PS4 “Last of Us” bundle for $449 ($50 off) and a Vizio 50″ 1080p television for $499. Online deals start at bestbuy.ca at 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday night.

Much like Best Buy, Future Shop will open at 6 a.m. local time on Friday and 9 a.m. local time on Saturday and will have online offers starting at 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday night. It’s like they have the same corporate owners or something. Above the fold deals at Future Shop include a $799 LG 4K television ($200 off) at “doorcrasher” quantities and a 13″ Macbook Air for $999 ($200 off).

IKEA has a very limited number of items on sale for the Black Friday weekend, which is still significantly more than the almost no sales the company has at any other time. The IKEA deals are on Friday the POANG armchair is $59 (normally $89), on Saturday NYVOLL queen bedframe is $149 (normally $299) and on Sunday the KALLAX shelving unit is $39.99 (normally $59.99). The deals are store-only.

The Microsoft Store (including the newly opened store in Toronto’s Eaton Centre) offer a bevy of deals on Microsoft hardware and software products, though no specific doorcrashers. The best deal seems to be a $50 off and free game offer on one of their many Xbox One bundles. The deals apply online and in-store. Microsoft is also known for offering “surprise” sales on Black Friday offering newish Xbox games for fractions of their official retail prices.

The Real Canadian Superstore offers a few doorcrashers, but there’s a catch. All weekend with a series of incredibly cheap televisions at the door. The trick? The doorcrasher price only applies to the first one sold each day before the price goes up by about a hundred bucks. Superstore has a similar deal on Saturday and Sunday for a $50 Blu-ray player that goes to $89 after the first one is sold.

Toys Я Us is offering a set of deals over the weekend, and select stores are opening up at 7 a.m. local time (find out which ones here). The big hook of the Toys Я Us deals seems to be the wide selection 50% off deals.

Walmart, more than many of the other stores here, seems to actually be offering a large number of for-real discounted items. The top-of-the-line doorcrasher is a $149 720p television and Walmart is offering its $449 PS4 Last of Us bundle with a $75 Walmart giftcard. Similar deals can also be had at Walmart’s website starting at midnight Friday morning.

In the Greater Toronto Area, former mayor Mel Lastman’s Bad Boy Furniture has a huge set of Black Friday deals, including a 10-piece cookware set with the purchase of various fridges, ranges or dishwashers and upwards of $500 off several different major kitchen appliances.

Canadian Tire has extended Black Friday into Thursday with several deals (CT stores open at 7 a.m. on both Thursday and Friday). One offer is for an electronic “Roomba” robot vacuum cleaner for just $170 instead of the regular $279. Canadian Tire’s “Cyber Sale” starts at midnight Saturday morning.

With files from Hollie Shaw, Financial Post

2014-09-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

Sony has been very loud in the digital camera market over the past few years, announcing everything from a full-frame compact in the RX1 to the first pocket shooter with a 1-inch image sensor, the RX100. But the company isn't announcing much at this year's Photokina show—just a lens and some accessories.

On Friday at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, Sony unveiled a full-frame E-mount lens that's optimized for video capture. The FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS features a power zoom design, which is a must for video production environments. It's optically stabilized—good news for handheld documentary work—and its zoom, manual focus, and aperture control rings feature ridges, so it should be possible to use them along with geared control devices.

The PZ 28-135mm maintains its point of focus when adjusting the focal length, so you can keep your subject locked while moving in tight or pulling out wide. Its angle of view is also set throughout the focus range, so there's no change in framing when racking from one focus point to another. The lens is sealed to protect it from dust and moisture, and includes a tripod collar mount. It's going to on sale at the end of December for $2,499.99.

At Photokina proper Sony is launching another full-frame E-mount lens, the Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS. The ultra-wide zoom is sealed against dust and moisture and it includes an optical stabilization system—with a lens this wide, stabilization is more important for recording handheld video than for capturing still images. It's priced at $1,349.99 and will be available in mid-November.

There are also some new accessories coming for Sony cameras that support the multi-interface shoe. The HVL-F32M is a compact strobe with a 32' Guide Number, 24-105mm coverage, and wireless control support. It's also sealed against dust and moisture and will go on sale in December for $299.99.

There's also the XLR-K2M, an updated version of the XLR microphone add-on kit. It adds balanced audio inputs to your Sony camera, and ships with the ECMXM1 shotgun microphone. It's priced at $599.99, a $200 price reduction when compared with the previous model.

Finally, there's the RMT-VP1K, a wireless remote control for the Alpha 7 camera family. It's going to ship in November and sell for $69.99.

If you're in the market for a digital camera, take some time to peruse our product guide, or our list of the 10 Best Digital Cameras.

2014-09-15T10:54:00.002-07:00

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Google Inc launched in India on Monday a $105 smartphone, the first device from its "Android One" initiative which is aimed at boosting sales in key emerging markets through cheaper prices and better quality software.

The Mountain View-Based company tied up with Indian handset makers Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles to launch the 6,399 rupees phone, which is powered by Google's operating system and targets the booming low-cost segment of the world's fastest growing smartphone market.

After launching in India, Google said it plans to expand Android One to Indonesia, Philippines and other South Asian countries by the end of 2014 and in more countries in 2015.

The company is working with partners including Acer Inc , HTC Corp and Panasonic Corp to build more devices under Android One, Sundar Pichai, who heads Google's Android and Chrome units, told reporters at the India launch event in New Delhi.

"When (handset companies) look to make a phone, they will get a menu. They can put together a device in a much quicker fashion, knowing we've already tested the software," he added.

With Android One, Google aims to improve the quality of hardware and software by giving handset makers a frame of reference. Strong sales of Android One smartphones should mean more Internet access, and more usage of Google's suite of products.

Currently, many cheap smartphones in India and other emerging markets run different and somewhat customised versions of the Android operating system. The many variations they produce make the phones prone to glitches, and leave Google with almost no control over its platform.

Pichai said eventual software upgrades on the Android One phones would come directly from Google. This gives the company better control of the operating system and ensures users get a consistent service.

"After China and the United States, India is the third largest smartphone market in the world and Google won't like to leave such a huge market in control of brands looking to use a custom-forked Android OS as is happening in China," said Neil Shah, research director for devices and ecosystems at Hong Kong-based technology research agency Counterpoint Research.

LOW COST AND LOCAL

India is an attractive market for companies that make low-cost smartphones because more people are now able to afford a smartphone, often for the first time.

Just 10 percent of the India's population currently owns a smartphone, brokerage Nomura said in a recent research note, and that figure is likely to double over the next four years.

There are at least 80 smartphone brands in India and analysts say the Android One phones must offer customers more than just affordability if Google wants to compete with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Motorola and China's Xiaomi, which all make similarly priced devices.

"The initial pricing never sticks but it'll be tough for them to compete if they don't come down further," said Counterpoint's Shah.

Customising web content to suit Indian customers is a priority for Google, country head Rajan Anandan told Reuters last month. The new Android One phones can be used in seven Indian languages, including Hindi.

Google is also working on allowing users to watch YouTube videos offline in a country where access to the internet is often pricey and patchy. ($1 = 61.1000 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Tommy Wilkes in NEW DELHI and Nivedita Bhattacharjee in MUMBAI; Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Android this week: Moto E appears and new Nexus devices are hinted

2014-05-10T16:43:00.001-07:00

Motorola is holding an event next week, presumably to debut a new handset. As is often the case, it’s hard to keep a secret on the internet: The Motorola E has leaked online early. Android Central found an image of the budget handset that shows clear similarity to the Moto G and X:

Based on the expected hardware inside, the Moto E should fit most budgets: a 4.3-inch display, 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon chip, and scant 4 GB of internal storage. In fact, the invitation I received for next week’s event suggests a low-cost handset based on the tagline of “Made to last. Priced for all.” Given that the Moto G debuted at $179, the Moto E should certainly be priced less. As low as $99 off-contract? I think that would be ground-breaking for an Android phone if it provides a solid experience.

Speaking of Android experiences, expect more of them coming from Google itself.Code surfaced this week suggesting a pair of new Nexus devices are in the workswith at least one being built by HTC. A reference to “Flounder” is likely the Nexus 6 as prior Nexus devices had code-names of fish. HTC hasn’t had a Nexus phone since the original Nexus One in 2010, so if this works out it would be a nice shot of adrenaline for HTC, which has been struggling of late.

The other device noted in code mentions Google as the maker, although the company will likely contract out the production. It’s not likely a phone, however. A line item specifically makes a change from HiFi to SET_TOP_BOX. Google already has its Chromecast, so a new set-top box would be surprising.

Meet the One, OnePlus' $299 Nexus killer

2014-04-25T21:34:00.001-07:00

Rarely do we see a tech startup spending five months actively hyping up an unborn product; and when we do, most of them end up being vaporware. Luckily, that's not the case with OnePlus. Today, the Shenzhen-based company has finally unveiled its firstsmartphone, the One (not to be confused with the HTC One). While the device's impressive specs have already been listed in detail beforehand, OnePlus had remained tight-lipped about the actual prices (unsubsidized) until today: $299/£229/€269 for the 16GB model, and $349/£269/€299 for the 64GB flavor; both due mid to late May. This aggressive pricing is obviously going right after the Nexus 5 ($349 for 16GB, $399 for 32GB), but is this too good to be true?

OnePlus One press shots

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10 Photos

OnePlus One hands-on

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27 Photos

Let's take a look at the specs again. As promised, the One packs Qualcomm's latest SoC, the Snapdragon 801 with a quad-core 2.5GHz CPU, Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM. The display uses JDI's 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD panel, and it's protected by a layer of CorningGorilla Glass 3. You'll also find a built-in 3,100mAh battery, a speedy 13-megapixel f/2.0 camera (Sony Exmor IMX214 sensor with a 6-lens module and dual LED; 4K video; 720p slow-motion at 120 fps), a 5-megapixel wide-angle selfie cam, loud stereo speakers (tuned by JBL) and tri-microphone with noise cancellation. These are all flagship-level features, though we would've liked to see microSD expansion, USB 3.0 and Quick Charge 2.0 here.

On top of the usual NFC, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1 plus GPS radios, the One's international version also supports LTE bands 1/3/4/7/17/38/40, as well as WCDMA bands 1/2/4/5/8. Yep, that's pretty much the whole world covered.

The external design of the phone is just as nice. In fact, the One is built by CEO Pete Lau's former company, Oppo, so you'll spot some similarities in terms of build quality, appearance (the back reminds us of the Find 5) and ergonomics. We totally dig the subtle curves on the back that contribute to a comfortable grip, plus these shave the phone's 8.9mm thickness down to just 4.6mm on the tapered edges, making the phone appear slimmer.

What's more, OnePlus took one step further and applied corresponding textures onto the back of the "silk white" and "sandstone black" versions. The white one is our favorite, as its special coating -- apparently made out of powdered cashew nuts -- gives a "baby skin" feel, which is most noticeable when you gently stroke it with your cheek. If you do get bored of the default covers, you'll be able to swap them out. You do so by first pin-ejecting the micro-SIM tray, followed by somehow prying open the back cover -- which we found to be quite tricky with our early production unit. As you can see, there will be a few nice genuine wooden covers, along with a denim version and a Kevlar version not shown here; though the company has yet to announce their availability.

On the software side, the One's international version is powered by CyanogenMod 11S -- the "S" indicating customization for the One -- based on Android 4.4; whereas its Chinese counterpart runs on a customized Color OS from Oppo, with the main difference being the icons and some settings. For those who aren't familiar, CyanogenMod is essentially a plain, slick Android ROM with some nice enhancements and handy customization options. While the Oppo N1 had a CyanogenMod limited edition, the OnePlus One is truly the first phone that is shipped with this popular ROM and its branding on the back.

CyanogenMod alone comes with goodies like SMS encryption, themes, app privacy guard, audio equalizer, file manager, enhanced camera app and more. With CM11S for the OnePlus One, you also get screen-off gesture controls (circle for camera, "V" for flashlight and gestures for music playback; as featured on the Oppo N1), option to toggle between capacitive Android buttons and on-screen buttons, voice wakeup (activates Google Now by default) and a card-style lock screen. These all sound pretty nice, but we'll have to see how well they fare in the final firmware.

For the record, Lau said OnePlus is open to working with other ROM makers in China, including MIUI (by Xiaomi) and Smartisan OS, in order to offer more options for his users. The international version, however, will only receive official support for CyanogenMod initially.

With the likes of Xiaomi, Meizu, Huawei, Nubia and IUNI all participating in the fierce price war in China, it may seem like there's barely any space left for a newcomer. But OnePlus' Lau disagrees, claiming that while the competitors offer attractive prices, they aren't serious enough about their products in terms of design, battery life, build quality, software and camera performance.

Having seen how successful Oppo did in the overseas market via the e-commerce channels, Lau decided to give it a shot both locally and internationally by forming OnePlus, which is totally separate from his former company (with the exception of the current OEM relationship and a few common investors up top). His company's mantra is "never settle," in the sense that consumers shouldn't have to settle with lesser quality and limited options for the sake of cheaper prices.

"We want to be the MUJI of the tech industry."

"We want to be the MUJI of the tech industry, this is our direction," Lau said, while praising the Japanese lifestyle brand's simple yet well-made products. He added that in China, MUJI is a bit expensive for the local young consumers, so he aims to deliver MUJI quality at a lower price. While Xiaomi and similar Chinese e-commerce brands are targeting the same market, the OnePlus CEO said he's doing it with style, as consumers are now longing for higher standards.

Lau is well known in the industry for his attention to detail. The exec confessed that his team spent almost four months just to fine tune the USB cable for the One -- he wanted to perfect its texture, plug design and other small details. The same goes for the anodized bezel that surrounds and protects the screen -- the former is carefully recessed by a fraction of a millimeter, which apparently took the team a few goes to get it just right. Even the camera is carefully optimized on the One: when Lau spotted this author's HTC One (M8), he quickly grabbed it to compare camera focus and capture speeds, which turned out to be just as fast or even slightly faster on his phone -- the spec sheet claims it has a 0.3-second autofocus. We'll save the image analysis for our review later.

On the software side, Lau realized two personal requests: one is hardware-accelerated scrolling in WeChat, which is apparently missing in most other phones; and the other is a pop-out window feature in AutoNavi's navigation app, which offers you basic navigation instructions while you switch to other apps during slow traffic. Of course, the exec didn't forget to pimp the ability to toggle between capacitive buttons and on-screen buttons, which will no doubt please both camps. He mentioned several other sensible software tweaks, but you'll have to stay tuned for those.

Even before his mobile days, Lau was already famous for one incident back at Oppo's AV division, where he smashed a Blu-ray player's logic board to, well, express his disappointment in a seemingly minor issue. This was pretty surprising to us, given how humble the man actually is.

"The circuitry wasn't laid out neatly, and I didn't feel good about it no matter how I looked at it," Lau explained to this author. "We compared ours with Denon's -- theirs was laid out beautifully, but ours wasn't. When I had a word with my team, they gave me a bunch of excuses: this would affect the performance, that would be difficult to lay out. Eventually, I went to the head of R&D and smashed the logic board on the floor, stamped on it twice.

"They then tweaked the design right away," the exec chuckled.

As for the smartphone spec war, Lau is concerned that many competitors only care about numbers and are neglecting other important factors -- most notably, software smoothness. The exec added that right now the One has the fastest processor (2.5GHz) in the market, but if his next product doesn't, he will still ensure that it will at least have the slickest user experience, which is what users ultimately want in a smartphone. He likened this to a saying in the marketing world: if you're selling electric drills, you should know that the consumers are actually "buying" nicely-drilled holes instead of buying just the drill.

"You can use all sorts of marketing tactics, but when you're back to making a product, you must take users' actual needs into consideration," Lau said. "They are the ones who will actually use it, so they know best. You can exaggerate when you're selling a product, but when the buyers use it and are left disappointed, they'll still complain, right?

"Therefore products should go back to basics: the users must feel good when using our products. If the users want something, we'll do it."

Use Andy to emulate Android on your desktop This free utility brings Jelly Bean to Windows and Mac so you can run apps, play games, and more.

2014-04-25T21:30:00.002-07:00

There are lots of great reasons to use an Android emulator. Perhaps you're thinking of ditching your iPhone in favor of, say, a Google Nexus, but want to test-drive Android first. Or maybe there's an app that would be convenient to run on your PC, like Messaging or WhatsApp. Heck, maybe you just want to enjoy Clash of Clans on a larger screen.

Whatever your plans, Andy should be able to accommodate them. Unlike BlueStacks, which merely runs Android apps, this free utility gives you a fully operable Android experience on a Windows or Macsystem, and can even sync with your existing Android device. Here's how to get started:

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step one: Download, install, and start Andy. (I tested it on a system running Windows 8.) You'll need to approve a Windows firewall request the first time you run it.

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step two: After about a minute of "booting," you should see an Android Welcome screen, same as if you'd just booted a new tablet. (Andy currently runs Android 4.2, aka Jelly Bean.) Use your mouse to click Start (unless your system has a touchscreen, in which case you can tap!).

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step three: Sign into your Google account (if you have one), then complete the rest of the setup screens -- again, same as you would on a tablet. You'll also be asked to supply your Google account info for 1ClickSync, the app that lets you sync between Andy and your Android device.

Andy is easily toggled between landscape and portrait views.Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step four: Now you should be looking at an Android home screen. You can rotate between portrait and landscape orientations by clicking the corresponding buttons at the bottom of the Andy window. Likewise, there's a Fullscreen button that acts as a toggle between fullscreen and window modes. You'll also see Back, Home, and Menu buttons, which can be helpful if you encounter an app that somehow obscures those buttons within Android proper.

And that's it! Now you can knock around Android, visit the Play Store, install and run apps, and so on. However, Andy offers a few other features you might want to try.

Andy can be controlled remotely via your phone or tablet.Photo by Rick Broida/CNET

First up, there's an Andy app you can run on your smartphone or tablet that lets you control the emulator from that device. This might come in handy if you want to play accelerometer-controlled games, or leverage touch capabilities on a desktop that lacks a touchscreen.

At press time, this remote-control app wasn't listed on the Andy website, but a company rep made itavailable for download via Dropbox. (Note that it's an APK file, so you'll need to download it directly to your Android device, and you may need to update your settings to allow apps from unknown sources.) Once installed, just run the app. As long as your PC and smartphone/tablet are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the latter should immediately detect the former.

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Second, if you launch the 1ClickSync app within the Andy emulator (it's on the main Apps page), you can sync any and all apps you've already installed (to your mobile device) from the Play Store. After launching 1ClickSync, click Google Play Store, then choose the app(s) you want to sync.

4 Things You'll Love About HTC's One (M8) - and 4 You Won't

2014-04-23T20:18:00.001-07:00

These days, it seems like every new smartphone is packed with "must-see" new features, often with clever names, meant to set it apart from all the other devices on the market. Those features frequently prove to be less than useful over time. The brand new HTC One (M8) is no different.

HTC One (M8) Smartphone

That's not to say the device isn't a great smartphone. It is. But some of the features HTC is vaunting really aren't what make the HTC One (M8) a top-notch Android smartphone -- and some are downright useless.

Here's a list of some notable HTC One (M8) features you'll actually appreciate, along with some more that you just might hate.

What You'll Love About the HTC One M8

1) Design and Quality

The best thing about the HTC One (M8) is its sleek, modern design and impressive build quality. HTC makes nice hardware, and the HTC One (M8) is a perfect example.

The device's all-metal "unibody" is slim at just 9.35mm thick, and its 5-inch display is big enough, but not too big, like some other popular smartphones. (I'm looking at you, Samsung.) The display does not extend all the way to the device's four corners; two plastic panels on its front sit atop and at the bottom of the display, and they help cushion the screen from impact when dropped.

HTC's design is not only sleek, it's simple. You'll find only two buttons on the device -- one for volume controls and another to power on or shut down the HTC One (M8) -- and there are only two ports, a micro USB port and a standard headset jack. Two "Boomsound" stereo speaker sit at the top and bottom of the display, and they "combine with dedicated amplifiers to deliver clear, balanced, powerful sound," according to HTC.

The rear panel of the device is metal, and small raised ridges around the camera lenses protect them from scratches when the handset is placed face up on a desk or other surface.

It's difficult to test durability without using a device for an extended period of time -- or purposely trying to damage it -- but the HTC One (M8) feels sturdy and built to last.

HTC also packed a large 2600mAh Li-polymer battery into the device's small body. This should provide impressive battery life of up to 20 hours talk time on 3G, according to the company.

2) The HTC Advantage

The HTC Advantage program is basically a free, six-month display protection plan, combined with a live-chat help desk service and a guarantee that HTC will deliver Android software updates for at least two years after a handset's release, to keep the device as current as possible.

As noted above, the HTC One (M8)'s display does not extend all the way to the device's edges, which helps reduce the chance of a shattered screen when dropped. Even if you do crack your display, HTC will fix it free of charge, within the first six months of your purchase.

A significant challenge for Android device makers is testing, approving and finally rolling out Google's software updates across their various device lineups. As part of the HTC Advantage, the company acknowledges the issue and tells its customers it will do its best to get the latest version of Android to the HTC One (M8) as quickly as it can for two years after a new device is released.

The company also posted an information page on its website detailing the Android software update approval process, which provides some insight into why it can take so long for device makers and carriers to roll out new software.

Five Excellent Android Camera Apps You May Have Missed

2014-04-23T20:16:00.001-07:00

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Five Excellent Android Camera Apps You May Have Missed

Daniel BeanEditorial AssistantApr 22, 2014

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Disclaimer: Yahoo Tech and Flickr are both owned by Yahoo, so we won’t be including Flickr’s fine Android camera app in this list.

Google recently launched its Camera app in the Play store. The app, previously exclusive to Nexus and Google Play smartphones and tablets, finally brings the unadulterated Google take on camera software to Samsung, HTC, and LG owners.

But there’s one problem with this slick new app: Google Camera in the Play store is compatible only with Android 4.4 devices. According to Google’s own figures, this leaves about 95 percent of Android owners out in the cold.

Fortunately, Google Camera isn’t the only high-quality camera app there is. If you are itching to switch things up from the camera app that shipped with your phone, but aren’t yet on Android KitKat (4.4), there are many alternatives worth trying. And most are free.

Here are five good Android camera apps:

1. Camera for Android
This free app looks like the Android camera that Google’s new release is replacing, but with advertisements, and without the HDR and Photo Sphere features. Camera for Android is quick to use and does give you a Panorama option, but it doesn’t have the simple “preview every pixel you’re shooting” viewfinder that Google Camera does, meaning that some of the final image gets cropped out while you’re framing up.

2. Snap Camera HDR
When it comes to style, Snap Camera HDR is among the most elegantly conservative camera apps in the Play store. The only controls on the full-screen app are a blue camera button, a red camcorder button, and a hollow settings button. Even still, it packs many of the same features that other popular Android camera apps do: Panorama, Burst mode, a timer, and HDR. The full version of Snap Camera HDR will cost you $2, but the trial version is free to take for a spin.

3. Camera360 Ultimate
Moving away from simplicity, we find Camera360 Ultimate. That’s not to say we feel it’s is a difficult camera app to use, especially considering the greater number of features it carries — and all for free, by the way. For example: With Camera360 Ultimate, you can apply Instagram-like filters to your subjects while framing up, instead of after the fact. Shooting in Easy mode will also hide most of these extras if that’s more your speed.

4. Camera Awesome
Camera Awesome has a slick, intuitive design with some nice feature bumps over the other apps on our list — notably face detection, a selection of composition frames, a level, and a permanent flash function. The after-effects offered are also nice, and probably what you’re really paying the $3 for. In addition, there are no ads, and all the different camera modes and settings are super easy to find.

5. Best HDR Camera
Much like Google’s new Camera app, Best HDR Camera’s default viewfinder looks to give you a true 4:3 preview, so there shouldn’t be any surprises when you go to view your final full-resolution shot. Beyond that, this is a simple-to-use, and free, HDR camera that lets you easily switch among image resolutions and also widen the lens to take 19:6 shots at a lower pixel density.

Bonus: Focal (beta)
Focal is probably the most ambitious camera app in the Play store, bringing Photo Sphere support and the ability to tweak just about every feature, all packed into a super-basic design. But since it’s a beta version (and we actually had trouble getting some of the features to work), we wouldn’t feel right formally including it in our real list. For the adventurous, though, by all means give it a shot. It is free, after all.

(Credits go to yahoo)

Moto 360 Android Wear Smartwatch Leaked: Specs and Features Revealed

2014-03-22T10:38:00.002-07:00

Hours after Google officially introduced Android Wear, the folks at Motorola revealed their Moto 360 smartwatch based on the lightweight Android platform. Anyway, the company that was recently acquired by Lenovo for $2.9 billion didn’t reveal to much information about their smartwatch, even though they held a Meet Moto 360 Hangout.

During the Meet Moto 360 Hangout the way the new Android Wear smartwatch is charged came into question. As you may may have noticed, the device doesn’t have any obvious place for charging. Motorola refused to give a proper answer, but a new leak seems to address that. According to a post on Weibo, the Moto 360 will have “magnetic induction wireless charging.”

The same source also revealed that the Moto 360 will boast about an OLED display panel with sapphire glass on top of it. As you’ve already guessed, the sapphire glass layer is meant to offerprotection against scratches. As for the OLED panel, it’s not a surprise seeing Motorola using it, especially that they were able to take the most out of it ability to turn off pixels with the Moto X and Active Display. Maybe Motorola is planning to bring some of the Moto X technology into the Moto 360.

You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that the Moto 360 will arrive with always-on voice commands, or use the OLED panel to bring better battery life. Anyway, the OLED screen might perform poorly under direct sunlight, as this is the biggest issue of this technology.

However, all these rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt, as nothing is official until Motorola says so.

Motorola’s Android Wear-powered Moto 360 is expected to make its market debut sometimes this summer, but we are also expecting other OEMs to reveal their new smartwatches. Google already announced that, besides LG and Motorola which already unveiled their Android Wear watches, they have partnered with the likes of HTC, ASUS, or Samsung.

Motorola Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update plans for Droid Razr series, Photon Q, Atrix HD and XOOM tablets announced

2012-12-08T11:20:00.004-08:00

Motorola Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update plans for Droid Razr series, Photon Q, Atrix HD and XOOM tablets announced

If you are the one looking for the devices having the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, you better check the customer support page modified byMotorola recently.

Motorola has updated the list with all its Androiddevices upgraded or to be upgraded with the latestAndroid 4.1 Jelly Bean update.

The two first few Motorola devices mentioned on the support page are Droid Razr M, Droid Razr Maxx HD and Motorola Droid Razr HD who got the update in November and December.

Next Motorola device to receive the Jelly Bean update according to the support page is Atrix HD. It is expected to get the Jelly Bean update somewhere around end of this month.

Next devices to get the update are Electrify M and Xoom Tablet. They may get the Jelly Bean update by 2013. Moving ahead in the list are Electrify 2, Droid 4, Razr Maxx, Droid Bionic, Razr and Photon Q to get the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update.

The support page incorporates the entire range of Motorola Smartphones and tablets to get the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update this year and next year, though Motorola claims that the list is subjected to change with the software upgrades in the market.

The list also includes some of the Motorola Smartphones currently running on Ice Cream Sandwich. The only thing which is not yet clear in the Motorola support page is the expected day and date when the devices will get the update Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.

None of the Motorola devices is yet expected to get Android 4.2 but Jelly Bean update will surely bring some good deals for the Moto fans next year.

Samsung resumes rolling out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for Galaxy S III

2012-11-23T11:56:00.002-08:00

We recently reported that Samsung will begin the roll out of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S III in Canada starting in early December. Rogers has said that they will be rolling out the update, which is available using the Samsung Kies software or OTA.

The message received while performing the OTA update

However, the update is available through the Kies software, and its file size is 310MB. It appears as if one would have to wait for a while to update the handset through the over-the-air update. To update the firmware, all that the users of the S III need to do is head over to the phone’s settings and check if it is available.

Those who have managed to update their handsets have stated that it is bug free. Do let us know if the update is available, and if it is bug free. Also, let us also know in your comments if you are noticing any changes such as improvements or delineation of the battery life.

Android 4.1 builds on top of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This operating system is designed to make everything smoother, faster, and more fluid. Notifications are now more dynamic, allowing you to access and interact with the alert from the drop down menu itself without ever having to open the app. Another interesting feature is that voice typing is now faster, working even when one does not have a data connection. Google had also stated that it has re-designed search from the ground up in Jelly Bean with a new user interface and faster, more natural Voice Search. It went on to state that one can type one's query or simply ask Google a question. The voice search feature can speak back, delivering a precise answer powered by the Knowledge Graph, if it knows one, in addition to a list of search results.

Here are some of the key features that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean brings to the table:

With Jelly Bean, blind users can use 'Gesture Mode' to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output.
TalkBack, a screen reader for Android, now supports gestures to trigger actions, navigate applications, and traverse text.
Browser has improved performance, CPU and memory efficiency. With better performance for animations and HTML5 canvases and an updated JavaScript Engine (V8), pages load faster and feel smoother.
Browser now has better HTML5 video support, and has a new user experience. Just touch the video to play and pause, and smoothly transition into and out of fullscreen mode.
Calendar is more buttery. Content fades in, animations are sprinkled throughout, and swiping/paging between days is smoother.
You can now swipe from the camera viewfinder to quickly review photos you've taken without having to leave the camera app. You can swipe back to the camera viewfinder to start snapping photos again.
When taking a photo, a new animation sweeps your photo off the screen. There is now a new paging animation when swiping between photos.
You can now enter text in one of 18 new input languages, including Persian, Hindi and Thai. Additional Indic languages Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam are now supported by the platform.
You can use custom keyboard input styles for more than 20 languages, with keymaps for Qwerty, Qwertz, Azerty, Dvorak, Colemak, and PC styles.
Notifications from the same application are grouped together, and the first item is automatically expanded. You can also pinch notifications to expand or collapse them.

Android 4.2 better then 4.1

2012-11-08T12:51:00.001-08:00

Google's Android 4.2 update may not be the rumored full-blown Key Lime Pie update we've been expecting, but it does add some much needed features and improvements to the Android operating system. This new version of Android keeps the Jelly Bean moniker, and doesn't look all that different from the first version of Jelly Bean launched over the summer. Android 4.2 officially lands on November 13, along with the Nexus 4 phone, Nexus 10 tablet, and revamped Nexus 7 tablets. Other devices—especially Nexus models—may get the upgrade, but neither Google nor hardware makers have said anything about their rollout plans.

On both phone and tablet, Android 4.2 looks and feels more polished than the previous version, and it cleans up some niggling issues we've seen. It also provides an all-new interface for the camera, introduces an additional way to type using the native keyboard, and helps to better unify the Android experience across phones and tablets. Here are just a few of its new features.

An improved camera

The new radial menu in the camera app.

The native Android camera app receives a complete interface overhaul in version 4.2. The clean interface is heavily streamlined; it hides most of the camera's options and menus from the main screen. This approach makes it easier to focus on capturing photos or videos, but adds a little complexity for some important features you might need to access on the fly. For example, I wasn't a fan of having to perform extra taps in order to toggle on/off basic settings like the camera flash.

A sample photo sphere photo.

Aside from the new look, the biggest addition to the camera app is the Photo Sphere shooting mode. Photo Sphere lets you take photos of your surroundings, much like Microsoft's Photosynth; the app will then stitch together the images into a 360 degree panoramic photo. In her Nexus 10 review, Senior Editor Melissa J. Perenson mentions that she had some trouble getting the app to accurately stitch her photos together. When I tried out Photo Sphere on the Nexus 4 I didn't encounter any problems, though I did notice errors in my panoramas whenever I moved the phone around too quickly. It's a neat feature, but your results will vary.

A new way to type

Google has added gesture typing to the stock keyboard in Android 4.2. Gesture typing is not new; this is the core of Swype's app. Now, instead of poking at the screen in order to eke out words, you can simply glide your finger over letters and the keyboard will offer predictions of what it thinks you're trying to write. As someone who isn't a huge fan of gesture-based keyboards (Swype's in particular seems to hate me), I was pleased with Google's implementation. The keyboard accurately predicted 90 percent of the words I was trying to spell, but it did have some problems recognizing when I wanted to spell words such as "success" or "buttress."

Gesture typing on the Nexus 10.

The gesture typing also works on tablet versions of Android 4.2, and I took special joy in sliding my fingers all over the Nexus 10's 10.1-inch screen. The extra real estate made it easier to accurately slide from letter to letter, resulting in fewer misspelled words. I'm still not entirely sold on gesture keyboards, but Google's offering goes a long way in convincing me that they can be useful.

Google Now learns even more tricks

Google Now may not be exclusive to Android 4.2, but the service's new functions are enough to make iOS and Windows Phone 8 users green with envy. Google Now presents you with "cards"—pieces of information it thinks are relevant to you based on the time of day, your location, and your search history. The service now lets you track things like packages, flights, hotel and restaurant reservations, as well as events in your general area. Google Now has also added alerts for breaking news events, letting you know if a news story has been written about a particular topic you care about.

The service has matured considerably since its initial introduction, but I still feel like there's more Google could be doing with the service. Most of the Google Now cards have only one or two basic options, and Google would benefit from integration with third-party apps. Google Now is still extremely useful—on phones more so than on tablets, perhaps—but the service still has a way to go before it stops feeling like it's in beta.

Consistent user experience

Android 4.2 on the Nexus 10.

One of iOS's biggest strengths is its consistent user experience: What you get on an iPhone or iPod touch is, for the most part, what you'd get on an iPad or iPad mini. On Android, this was never the case. Putting aside the countless modifications made by carriers and manufacturers, Android on phones is a different world compared to Android on tablets.

Android 4.2 changes all of that. Android phones and tablets now share a similar user interface that—in many ways—looks like the phone version of Android blown up to fit a larger screen. The virtual navigation buttons on tablets have been moved to the bottom center of the display, making them more difficult to reach on larger tablets, especially if you are holding the device with two hands. And a dock now runs near the bottom of the screen where you can pin apps that you frequently use.

The new settings panel.

On large tablets like the Nexus 10, notifications and the settings panel are split up and placed in drop-down shaders on the top left and right corners of the screen, respectively. The notification bar on phones and smaller tablets (like the Nexus 7) is largely the same as it was before, though now you can use a two- finger gesture to gain quick access to toggles for the device's data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and brightness, among other settings. This gesture shortcut is perhaps the most welcome interface tweak brought by Android 4.2, since it saves you from having to dig through multiple menus in order to do simple tasks like adjust screen brightness.

Still in development

Unfortunately the version of Android 4.2 on our Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 review units is not the final build. Other features will be added in an update still to come November 13, which is when Google's latest devices go on sale. That's when 4.2 will get already announced features such as the ability to pin apps to the lock screen and to add multiple user accounts on tablets. We'll update this review at that time and make note of any additional improvements we discover once the update goes live.

Bottom line

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean brings with it some interesting features, but ultimately doesn't feel all that different from Android 4.1 on phones. The improvements to the camera interface, keyboard, and Google Now are certainly welcome, but Google seems to have overlooked several aspects of the operating system that are in dire need of an upgrade. Navigation through the OS is still inconsistent from one menu to another, some system apps (like the News and Weather app) haven't been updated since Android 2.2, and many of Android's settings are overly cryptic or redundant.

In many ways, this update is more important for Android tablets than it is for Android phones. By tweaking the Android interface so that it looks similar across both tablets and phones, Google takes much-needed steps toward unifying the Android experience across devices. Whether that translates to developers making more tablet-optimized apps remains to be seen, but in the end this approach can only be better for users going from one device to the other. Android still needs more polish, but with this update, Android 4.2 clearly has what it takes to compete head on with the likes of iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8.

2012-04-19T08:40:00.001-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO: The Android smartphone operating system is a very important asset for Google Inc, but it is not critical, the company's chief executive officer said in courtroom testimony.

Google CEO Larry Page took the stand for a second day on Wednesday in a high-stakes legal dispute with Oracle Corp over smartphone technology.

Oracle sued Google in August 2010, saying Google's Android mobile operating system infringes on its intellectual property rights to theJava programming language. Google says it does not violate Oracle's patents and that Oracle cannot copyright certain parts of Java, an "open-source," or publicly available, software language.

Under questioning from Oracle's lawyer, Page said Android was very important, but disputed the notion that it was critical. He then said that he would not be surprised if Google's board was told that Android is critical to the company.

The Google co-founder, dressed in a gray suit and wearing a tie, said that the Internet search giant moved to create its own smartphone software seven years ago because the technology at the time made it difficult for consumers to use its online services on mobile phones.

"We'd been really frustrated in getting our technology out to people," Page said.

He said that Google would have preferred to have entered into a business partnership with Sun Microsystems, which developed Java and which Oracle acquired in 2010.

Such a partnership would have saved Google time in its efforts to bring its software to market, Page said, but the companies could not come to terms on an agreement. Instead, Google opted to use what he referred to as the "free part" of Java.

Asked if he could cite an example of a company besides Google that uses Java's application programming interface technologies but had not taken a license from Sun or Oracle, Page said he "was not an expert" on the matter.

The trial before US District Judge William Alsup is expected to last at least eight weeks, and will include appearances by high-profile tech executives. Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison took the witness stand on Tuesday.

Ellison, 67, is a Silicon Valley veteran, while Page, 39, cuts a younger and more unpolished figure.

Early in the case, estimates of potential damages against Google ran as high as $6.1 billion. But the company has narrowed Oracle's claims to only two patents from seven originally, reducing the possible award. Oracle is seeking roughly $1 billion in copyright damages.

Google's Android software, which the company lets handset makers use for free, has become the world's No. 1 smartphone operating system, ahead of the iOS software used on Apple Inc's popular iPhone. Google makes money when consumers access its ad-supported online services, such as web search and email, on Android phones.

Page also said he was not aware of Google's policies on the copying of the intellectual property of other companies. However, he said Google did nothing wrong.

"We were very careful about what information we used and what we did not use," Page said.

In his testimony on Tuesday, Oracle CEO Ellison said his company had explored building its own smartphone before deciding against the idea.

Shares of Google were down 0.3 per cent at $607.87 in afternoon trading, while Oracle fell 0.4 per cent to $29.16.

The case in US District Court, Northern District of California, is Oracle America, Inc v. Google Inc, 10-3561.

2012-03-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

According to the latest data released by Google, merely 1.6 percent of Android devices have the 4.0 version (Ice Cream Sandwich) of the operating system installed in them, despite the fact that it has been available for more than five months.

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(Photo: REUTERS)
Android 5.0 Jelly Bean to Launch in Q3 of 2012, Says Report; What Are the Top Expected Features?

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At a time when many Android smartphone owners are waiting for the official announcement from the handset manufacturers about the ICS update, a report by DigiTimes Thursday said that Google might introduce the next major release of Android, the version 5.0 (Jelly Bean) during the third quarter of this year.

The existing Android 4.0 offers a number of key updates including features like widget resizing, facial recognition and a new voice input engine. However, in case of adoption and gaining pace in the industry, ICS has not been up to the mark.

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The DigiTimes report also said that more smartphones running on ICS will be available starting the second quarter of this year, "with mid-range to high-end models coming from brand vendors including HTC,Samsung Electronics, and SonyMobile Communications."

Taiwanese smartphone manufacturerHTC recently announced that its HTC One X, One S and One V will be the first three Android 4.0 handsets offered by it. On the other hand, Sonyis said to be releasing two smartphones shortly, which will initially run Android Gingerbread but will get "almost immediate" ICS updates, Redmond Pie reported.

However, all these devices "could almost immediately be running an out of date version of Android," if the ongoing rumors of Jelly Bean's Q3 release turns true, the report added.

How Will Android 5.0 Jelly Bean Taste?

How will the next version of Android operating system add to the taste of Google's dessert? What features will Jelly Bean offer to keep the momentum up against rivals like iOS and Windows operating system? Well, several features have been rumored so far.

Let's take a look at the highly anticipated ones:

Enhanced Integrated Browser: A much improved integrated browser or a mobile version of Google's own Chrome with constant onscreen tabs and a complete bookmarks bar is expected to be included in the next Android version. Given that iOS and Windows have already done so with their own browsers like Safari and IE, full Chrome Browser support in Jelly Bean could prove to be a real match-winner for Google.

An In-Built File Manager App: The next version of Android is expected to come with a custom-built file manager. Users prefer an in-built file manager app in critical moments, rather than hunting for a third-party app from the Android market. It will help organizing the files and ease the task of searching the favorite ones scattered on an SD card.

Toggle Options: If Google adds toggle switches in the new version of the Android, it would be very helpful in saving the device's battery life as it will allow users to switch on or turn off. Thanks to HTC Sense UI, the company's smartphones already feature several toggle switches to turn on/off GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Screen Lock Widgets: Google is expected to introduce several lock screen widgets to the Jelly Bean that will help view notifications when the screen is locked. However, this may not be possible if a passcode or pattern lock is enabled for security reasons. But other small widgets like music player update, weather or custom clocks could be added. These are currently available in the HTC Sense 3.0 and 3.5.

Upgrade Procedure: The procedure of updating or upgrading Android devices generally takes a lot of time. Although the newly announced Ice Cream Sandwich promises to bring in the updates faster, only a few devices have got the update so far. Considering this, it is highly expected that Jelly Bean will finally pave way for faster upgrades.

Battery Efficiency: Most of the times, users look for hidden custom options to save battery life on their devices. Particular third-party apps are also looked for in order to the same. Hence, a battery management tool would add much value to the next version of Android.

A Standard Keyboard: Though "Swype" and "Swiftkey" are providing as much assistance as they possibly can, it may be better for Google to not solely depend on these and actually work on a standard keyboard for the next Android iteration.

Brighter Theme: Though versions like Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich look quite good, that may not be the case with everyone. Many people don't like an all black theme for their devices. That said, it is time for Google to bring brighter and colorful theme options along with its new OS.

HTC Announces the One X, Its First Quad-Core Smartphone

2012-02-26T13:20:00.004-08:00

HTC Announces the One X, Its First Quad-Core Smartphone

The company made the announcements at a press event on the eve of the opening of the giant trade show. The star of the HTC line, the One X, is the company’s first quad-core phone. Prior to CES in January, rumors had suggested that HTC would be one of the first manufacturers to ship a phone with Nvidia’s new Tegra 3 processor. The HTC One X seems like it will be worth the wait.

HTC One X Specs

The One X has a large, 4.7-inch 1280-by-720-pixel Super LCD 2 display. According to HTC, Super LCD 2 boasts less glare and better viewing angles than the Super LCD technology the company used in the HTC Rezound. The One X also has an 8-megapixel camera. In addition to the free Dropbox storage you get with all of the One phones (more on that below), the One X has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.

Overall, HTC One is a new design strategy that the company will launch this year. All HTC One phones will have three things in common: HTC ImageSense with the HTC ImageChip, Beats audio software, and a premium hardware design. All three phones will ship with the Ice Cream Sandwich OS (Android 4.0), and will run HTC’s Sense UI 4.0.

Owners of a One will have access to 25GB of Dropbox storage, which is free for two years (the length of the carrier contract). Dropbox is integrated throughout the phone’s user interface in apps such as the photo gallery; for instance, you can snap a photo and then upload it directly to Dropbox.

Other Phones in the One Line

HTC One S smartphoneThe One S is HTC’s mid-tier offering, with a Qualcomm S3 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, and 16GB of internal memory. The One S has a durable yet eye-catching design, with aluminum finishing on the battery cover. The One S will be available from T-Mobile, but currently no details on the price or the launch date are available.

The HTC One V is the least-expensive smartphone of the group, but it still offers Beats audio, an aluminum unibody design, and HTC's imaging software for the camera. The One V carries a Qualcomm S2 single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal memory. The 3.7-inch WVGA display is an LCD panel, and the phone has a 5-megapixel camera. Unlike the other two phones, however, the One V does not have a front-facing camera.

Accessories for the One Phones

HTC also announced two new accessories, HTC MediaLink and HTC Car Experience. The MediaLink lets you mirror content from your phone to your HDTV wirelessly, while the Car Experience is a dock that turns your phone into a navigation device.

HTC Announces the One X, Its First Quad-Core Smartphone

2012-02-26T13:18:00.002-08:00

HTC kick-started Mobile World Congress 2012, the world’s largest mobile-devices trade show, on Sunday by showing three of its new Android smartphones: the HTC One X, the HTC One S, and the HTC One V. HTC has not yet announced pricing or launch dates for the phones. The company made the announcements at a press event on the eve of the opening of the giant trade show. The star of the HTC line, the One X, is the company’s first quad-core phone. Prior to CES in January, rumors had suggested that HTC would be one of the first manufacturers to ship a phone with Nvidia’s new Tegra 3 processor. The HTC One X seems like it will be worth the wait. [Read: Hands-On With HTC's One X and Its Siblings] HTC One X Specs HTC One X quad-core smartphoneThe One X has a large, 4.7-inch 1280-by-720-pixel Super LCD 2 display. According to HTC, Super LCD 2 boasts less glare and better viewing angles than the Super LCD technology the company used in the HTC Rezound. The One X also has an 8-megapixel camera. In addition to the free Dropbox storage you get with all of the One phones (more on that below), the One X has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. Overall, HTC One is a new design strategy that the company will launch this year. All HTC One phones will have three things in common: HTC ImageSense with the HTC ImageChip, Beats audio software, and a premium hardware design. All three phones will ship with the Ice Cream Sandwich OS (Android 4.0), and will run HTC’s Sense UI 4.0. Owners of a One will have access to 25GB of Dropbox storage, which is free for two years (the length of the carrier contract). Dropbox is integrated throughout the phone’s user interface in apps such as the photo gallery; for instance, you can snap a photo and then upload it directly to Dropbox. Other Phones in the One Line HTC One S smartphoneThe One S is HTC’s mid-tier offering, with a Qualcomm S3 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, and 16GB of internal memory. The One S has a durable yet eye-catching design, with aluminum finishing on the battery cover. The One S will be available from T-Mobile, but currently no details on the price or the launch date are available. The HTC One V is the least-expensive smartphone of the group, but it still offers Beats audio, an aluminum unibody design, and HTC's imaging software for the camera. The One V carries a Qualcomm S2 single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal memory. The 3.7-inch WVGA display is an LCD panel, and the phone has a 5-megapixel camera. Unlike the other two phones, however, the One V does not have a front-facing camera. Accessories for the One Phones HTC also announced two new accessories, HTC MediaLink and HTC Car Experience. The MediaLink lets you mirror content from your phone to your HDTV wirelessly, while the Car Experience is a dock that turns your phone into a navigation device.

HTC Phones to Get PlayStation Certification in 2012 [REPORT]

2012-02-14T12:44:00.000-08:00

HTC smartphones might be one of the first to get PlayStation certification, Pocket-lint reports, citing unnamed sources. The official announcement might come as soon as the end of February at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, sources claim. If true, the certification will let users play PlayStation One games on HTC devices. [More from Mashable: Sony’s Annual Loss to Hit $2.9 Billion] Sony President Kaz Hirai announced the certification program back in 2011, but no mobile companies have yet confirmed they've joined it. HTC declined to officially confirm this, but if Pocket-lint's sources are correct, we should see PlayStation-certified smartphones from HTC in the second half of 2012. [More from Mashable: Today’s Top Stories: Facebook IPO, Kazuo Hirai New Sony CEO, MegaRetrieval] In August 2011 HTC announced it is buying a 51% stake in Beats Electronics for $309 million, which enabled it to launch devices integrated with Beats sound technology. Add a PlayStation certification on top of that, and you've got a nice foundation to market your devices as gaming and/or music-focused. This story originally published on Mashable here.

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