The HTC One smartphone launched for additional carriers today, but its current microphone will eventually be switched out due to a dispute with Nokia.
Controversy arose when HTC bought HDR microphone parts from STMicroelectronics, a European semiconductor company that had an exclusive contract to sell the parts to only Nokia.
This lead Nokia to file an injunction against STM in the Netherlands, which prohibits STM from selling certain microphones to any company other than Nokia for a limited period.
"HTC is disappointed in the decision," said a spokesperson for the Taiwanese manufacturer.
"We are consulting with STM and will decide whether it is necessary to explore alternative solutions in due course."
No HTC One delay
The good news for HTC is that this decision won't have any immediate impact on its handset sales, according to the spokesperson.
The company noted that the judgment against STM states that "HTC can continue to use microphones already purchased from STM in its products."
"They were purchased in good-faith," claims HTC regarding to the original microphones.
HTC was also quick to point out that it was not the target of the injunction and that "Nokia's attempt to obtain a recall of microphones already sold to HTC failed."
With HTC counting on this Android smartphone to boost its sales, not having another HTC One delay on its hands can only be seen as a good thing for the company.
It's 2011 and the team at webOS has a decision to make: delay the QWERTY-having Pre 3 or an all-touch phone called the WindsorNot?
webOS Nation, which recently spent some time with the WindsorNot in prototype form, narrates the history of the phone that lost and provides a thorough look at the phone that was only seen in a pulled promo video.
Spec-wise the phone is close to the Pre 3, down to the 1.4Ghz Qualcomm processor and 800 x 480 screen, though looking at the WindsorNot almost feels like seeing an ancient artifact for the first time, one that was chucked in the mobile grave yard and forgotten until someone decided to brush the dust off.
Not that the Pre 3 faired much better.
More blips!
A few things that aren't going extinct are our news nugget blips. Check 'em out.
Prospective Samsung Galaxy S4 owners should not care whether the handset has a quad-core or octa-core processor, according to the company's mobile boss J.K. Shin.
Samsung affronted European and US-based smartphone fans when it announced they would only get a 1.9GHz quad-core version of the Galaxy S4 handset, rather than the new Exynos 5 octa-core processor.
Shin informed CNET that the average customer experience would not be affected as Samsung had chosen an alternative chipset which would offer a similar consumer experience.
It's a supply issue
Shin also shed light on why different versions of the devices would be launching with different processing units.
However, Shin says its simply a supply issue: "We use multiple different sources It's a sourcing issue," he told CNET.
Would you be more likely to buy a Samsung Galaxy S4 if it had the octa-core processor on board in your region? Or is Shin right? Let us know in the comments section below.
Lots of people were rightly angry about Apple ditching Google data, but beyond that mis-step there were things to like: a more useful Siri (App launching plus the recognition that a world exists outside of the USA), shared Photo Streams, handy Phone app controls such as 'send to voicemail', and major improvements to Mail, Safari, accessibility and the Camera app.
iOS 7 release date
it looks like the new operating system might be running a little behind schedule. John Gruber believes that iOS 7 is "running behind", with engineers being pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it.
We're expecting a September or October release date for iOS 7 in line with previous releases. We'll almost certainly see a reveal at WWDC in early June. Apple has promised to give devs "an in-depth look at what's next in iOS and OS X".
Find out what our TechRadar experts want to see from iOS 7 in the video below:
iOS 7 design
A greater synergy between hardware and software design is something Apple is looking to achieve as it moves towards iOS 7. That's according to the Wall Street Journal in late March 2013, which also suggests that Jonathan Ive is pushing for a starker and simpler design for iOS 7 - that reminds us a little of what Microsoft has done to the desktop in Windows 8.
But regardless of what Apple achieves, it's never really enough. As soon as you've sat there playing with the latest iOS, ideas pop into your head regarding what you'd like to see next.
However, most changes will be "pretty conservative" according to the paper's sources.
The rest of this article explores a dozen of the features we're clamouring to see in iOS 7. (And by 'clamouring', we of course mean 'asking really nicely'. C'mon, Mr Cook - pretty please?)
1. Hide Apple apps
Pretty much everyone we know with an Apple device has a folder entitled 'Apple'. This isn't filled with must-have apps from the geniuses at Cupertino, but all the junk Apple installs that you can't get rid off. To be fair, what each individual considers junk is different, and these apps—Compass, Stocks, Voice Memos, Passbook, and so on—have their fans; but is it too much to ask for a switch in Settings that will hide those we don't use?
2. Better app management
Change for change's sake is rarely a good thing. Recognition is key to satisfying experiences with technology. That's why we're not yelling at Apple to change how iOS home screens work. What we would like to see is improvements to app management: more screens; by default saving app data on delete; and an alphabetical list of installed apps, perhaps accessible from Spotlight.
3. Change app defaults
We're pretty certain this request would be met with wide-eyes from Apple CEO Tim Cook, swiftly followed by a full twenty minutes of belly laughing, but we want the ability to use non-default apps for important things like email and calendaring. Apple's own apps would remain the defaults, but you should also be able to pick your own in Settings.
4. Provide a guest account
It's extremely unlikely that Apple's ever going to enable multiple user accounts on iOS devices—they are, after all, designed as extremely personal computers. What is perhaps more realistic is some kind of guest account you could switch to when handing your device over to someone for a short while; something similar already exists on the Mac in OS X.
5. Change Siri's voice
OS X is blessed with dozens of high-quality voices that witter away to you in various dulcet tones. By contrast, Siri is Siri. In the US, you get a slightly robotic woman; in the UK, Siri's that bloke who did The Weakest Link for a decade. It'd be great if you could choose the voice your device uses to speak. (Possible exception: Yoda voice.)
6. Provide App Store demos
Apps and games might be cheap, but that doesn't figure cheapskates into the equation. Too often, people are unwilling to risk 69p on the latest release, forcing devs into irritating freemium models or making them clutter up the App Store with 'lite' versions of their output. Apple should just allow demos: 24 hours from first launch and then you buy or the app won't run. Boom.
7. Power up 'Do Not Disturb'
Fed up of getting woken up in the middle of the night by the marketing efforts of [redacted, but quite possibly a well-known mobile network] or Game Center fanfares? Do Not Disturb is a great feature that enables you to time when your phone will quit bugging you. But you can define only a single schedule, and we want to see alternative options for weekends.
8. Make locking location-aware
Locking is a great thing on iOS devices, making it at least a little harder for some scallywag to get at your data if they pinch your shiny Apple joy. But it could be more intelligent, locking on a location-aware basis, and not when you're, say, happily sitting at home on the sofa.
9. Improve the lock screen
There's something to be said for Apple's minimalism regarding the iOS lock screen, and it's mostly that it's too minimal. We're not sure we want to see Android-style widgets sprayed everywhere, but a little more functionality wouldn't go amiss. For example, artwork from a currently playing song is displayed on the lock screen, but there are no controls for pausing or skipping to the next track, until you double-press Home, which isn't hugely discoverable. And beyond notifications, nothing else shows up there at all.
10 Cut all iTunes ties
In recent years, Apple's made great leaps away from iTunes, and you can technically get away with never using the monstrous jukebox. However, there's still no way to easily get your existing music collection nor your photographs on to your device, and there should be. (Alas, with Apple wanting to push iTunes Match and the iTunes Store, there almost certainly never will be for the first of those.)
11. Make more icons dynamic
We're hesitant at arguing Apple's home screen icons should be more like Windows 8 tiles, but there's something to be said for dynamic updates when such things work well. With iOS, you get update badges and a live calendar. It'd be nice at the least if Apple made its own Clock and Weather icons dynamic.
12. Enable cross-platform installs
On a device, you now often see iOS-style banners on websites that when tapped take you right to the equivalent App Store app. But if you're browsing elsewhere, you have to email yourself a reminder and then install later. How good would it be if you were surfing on your PC, saw a great app and could install it across your devices without going near them, nor even to iTunes?
The HTC One has piled up a super-sized stack of good reviews since its introduction, and an update currently making the rounds in Europe may help squash one of the few downsides noted by critics.
SlashGear reported Tuesday that HTC has started rolling out an update for its flagship One smartphone, adding camera enhancements and improved system performance for international models of the handset.
While Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and HTC Sense remain untouched, the 1.29.401.13 update brings welcome changes to the camera software, which has been cited by many critics as one of the device's otherwise few shortcomings.
Unfortunately, there's no word on if or when this particular over-the-air update will land on AT&T-branded models arriving in the hands of eager U.S. customers this week.
Enhancements aplenty
According to the changelog, the HTC One update improves audio recording when using the handset's impressive Zoe feature, while also reducing noise for videos captured in slow-motion.
Most welcome to HTC One buyers will be the update's promised improvements to color reproduction and dynamic range, which reduces overexposure in non-HDR images under certain conditions.
Finally, the update addresses a bug that caused user-altered ISO settings to now correctly display in embedded EXIF information.
The report notes that the update is rolling out in waves over the next week, so if your international HTC One model hasn't received it yet, sit tight and your patience will soon be rewarded.
BlackBerry is finally ready to unleash the QWERTY-packing half of its BlackBerry 10 duo on the British market. The Q10 smartphone will go on sale in the UK in two days time as an Selfridge exclusive.
If you prefer not to buy the smartphone from Selfridges, you'd need to wait a few more days as the wide availability will only come on April 30. The BlackBerry Q10 can be had for a lower price though (starting at just under £540) if you are not in a hurry.
The launch of the BlackBerry Q10 will coincide with the release of the 10.1 update for the BlackBerry OS. It's unclear, though, if the Q10 will launch with 10.1 out of box in the UK or if you'll need to update it after you get your hands on it.
The slew of Android devices continues with the unveiling of the Acer Liquid E2, which is heading to Europe this May.
The Liquid E2 is similar to the E1 in specs, but has been given a design overhaul, improved camera and hefty new quad-core processor. It also has optional dual-SIM functionality if you fancy that.
The E2 tots a 4.5-inch 430x960 qHD display with dual front stereo speakers that will pump out the sounds from the Liquid's Moodagent - a feature that will create playlists based on your mood.
Liquid lunch
The rear 8MP camera, meanwhile, can shoot 1080p video at 30 fps, while a 2MP snapper can be found on the front.
Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio and a microSD card slot are also wrapped up in the package. The handset will go on sale in Europe in mid-May, and will be priced at €229 (about £195).
We contacted Acer to ask when a release of the handset in the US or elsewhere might happen, but they told us they were unable to provide such information at this time.
Acer Liquid E2 is now official. The smartphone is intended for the European market and offers dual-SIM capabilities and top-notch performance thanks to the quad-core processor inside.
The Liquid E2 packs a 4.5-inch qHD (sigh) IPS display and is powered by the MediaTek MT6589 platform with a quad-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A7 processor, PowerVR SGX544MP graphics and 1GB of RAM. There is 4 gigs internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot too.
Acer Liquid E2
Acer Liquid E2 offers an 8MP rear camera with 1080p@30fps video recording plus a 2MP front-facing snapper for video chats. The connectivity department covers the basics - HSPA+ support (up to 42Mbps HSDPA), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS with A-GPS and FM radio.
Acer has equipped the Liquid E2 with stereo speakers and DTS sound enhancement for the audiophiles.
Acer will release the Liquid E2 in mid-May in Belgium, Netherlands, Ukraine, France, followed by Spain, UK, Italy, Germany and Russia with a suggested retail price of just €229. It will launch in black and white versions. There is no info whether the device will become available in other countries later.
Key Lime Pie may not make its debut at Google IO next month as 'inside sources' tip that Google wants to give phone makers time to catch up.
The word comes from Gadgetronica, not a site we've ever dealt with before, citing 'trusty internal sources' that we obviously have no way of verifying.
But if it is legit, we like the reasoning. Software moves at a much faster rate of knots than hardware, and the majority of Android phones still on Gingerbread (39.8 per cent) with Ice Cream Sandwich (29.3 per cent) and Jelly Bean (25 per cent) slowly catching up.
Although we're always hungry for the next big thing, there's no point in Google teasing us with software when we don't have the hardware to handle it.
Timing
If it hangs fire for four months Android 5.0 could land in September, pitting it in a straight fight against iOS 7 which we're expecting Apple to unveil at WWDC in June and launch in September with the iPhone 5S.
Or it could all be nonsense made up for web hits and Google will reveal Key Lime Pie at IO in May, as expected. We shall see.
The LG mobile division was able to ship some 10.3 million smartphones in Q1 of this year, resulting in a sales growth of some 30% compared to Q1 of 2012. This is especially impressive considering that this includes an almost a 15% sales increase over the previous holiday quarter.
Phone unit profitability more than doubled in this time period as well, which was reflected by an increase in operating margin from 2% to 4.1%, and profits rose from $50 million to $119 million, thanks to sales of the Optimus G and the L-series handsets.
The Koreans are also optimistic in regards to growth for Q2, with the Optimus G Pro tablet and L-series II handsets poised to boost the sales further.
Although it's still some way off backyard rival Samsung, LG's sound launch strategy is part of what helped it get back on the map: just when interest in the latest Samsung product starts to wane, it comes out with a more robust competitor. This was the case with the Optimus G and the Galaxy S III, and the Optimus G Pro, which tackled the Note II.
Now, the expected LG Optimus G2 is expected to give the Galaxy S4 a run for its money come Christmas time, but we'll have to see what, if anything, Samsung has in store for that period.
Get your diaries out: Apple has confirmed that WWDC 2013 will take place June 10-14 in San Francisco.
The annual Worldwide Developers Conference is aimed at developers but is often used to showcase new tech and, particularly, software.
This year's no exception, with Apple promising to give devs "an in-depth look at what's next in iOS and OS X" - we're hoping this means our first official glimpse at iOS 7.
A hard day's night
Whether we'll see any hardware at the conference keynote is another story; with the iPad 4 and iPad mini unveiled last October alongside the iPhone 5, we're not really expecting any mobile devices until later this year.
Mac refreshes are a possibility though, and we're hoping to see the successor to Mountain Lion shown off too.
Hopes are high for iOS 7 as Apple's mobile software has long started to feel a little dated.
Can we glean anything from the company's small but perfectly formed new WWCD logo? Formed of wavy app-esque tabs in an array of eight bright colours, we can't tell much beyond the fact that it will take place in MMXIII (that's Roman for 2013, fact fans).
But wasn't there a rumour about the so-called budget iPhone coming in up to five colours? Okay, it's a stretch - but with Apple you just never know…
Tickets for the show go on sale to iOS and Mac developer programme members on April 25 at 10am PDT at $1599 (around £1050 or AU$1550) a pop.
Sony is finally ready with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates for Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia E dual smartphones. The rollout will start later this week.
The update process is gradual, as usual, and should be completed by the end of May.
The Jelly Bean updates, in addition to bringing the power of Project Butter and Google Now, include STAMINA mode for the battery, a new application tray, additional homescreen panes, and updated Walkman, Album and Movies multimedia apps.
As for the long overdue Jelly Bean updates for the Xperia S, as well as the Xperia SL, Xperia ion - Sony promises to start the rollout by the end of May. Let's hope so!
One of the things the Sony Xperia Z lords over the Samsung Galaxy S4 is its IP57 certification, which grants it dust and water resistance. That advantage might not last long though, as a rugged version of the Samsung flagship might be unveiled in the coming weeks.
During a Q&A session, Young Soo Kim (President of Samsung Gulf) was asked about the company’s water-resistant devices (of which it has several mid-rangers) and he let it slip that a water-resistant Samsung Galaxy S4 is in the works.
That’s the first time such a device has been mentioned, there are no sources to corroborate this, so take it with a pinch of salt. Still, how cool would it be if it turns out true?
Tim Cook's Apple is still breaking records. DOOOOM!
When I got up this morning, one of my dogs had crapped on the kitchen floor, my mobile was showing No Service and the coffee machine spat out hot water instead of coffee.
"This can only mean one thing," I said to myself. "Apple is DOOOOOOMED!"
Well, it's about as scientific as any other "Apple is DOOOOOOMED!" analysis.
Instead of facts and figures, Apple could have released nothing but a picture of a small dog during yesterday's earnings call and we'd have endless reports explaining that the dog was smaller than Wall Street expected, and that the diminutive dog doodle proves that Apple is DOOOOOMED!
Is it?
Here's the short version: No.
Here's the long version: Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnno.
Paging Doctor DOOOOOOOOOM!
Revenues are up. iPhone sales are up. iPad sales are up. iTunes sales are up. Yes, Mac sales are down very slightly, but they're still doing pretty well compared to the wider PC industry: Horace Dediu estimates that Apple's raking in 45% of the profit in the PC market.
What's causing the doom-mongers to break out their widows' weeds isn't that Apple is losing money, or that people aren't buying its products. It's that Apple's profit margins have fallen.
Previously Apple's profit margins were WTF*. Now, they're just OMG**.
The profit margins are down because Apple's doing exactly what analysts clamoured for: it's making more affordable products such as iPad minis, and it's keeping older iPhones on sale at lower prices. Apple said it was doing that, and it told analysts earlier this year to expect profit margins of between 37.5% and 38.5%. So of course when Apple announced profit margins of 37.5%, analysts went crazy. "Apple is rubbish, and also DOOOOOMED!" they cried.
Like stopped clocks the analysts will be right eventually - all empires fall - but predicting Apple's demise based on a single set of financial results is ridiculous, and claiming that Apple doesn't have anything in the pipeline is even more ridiculous. There were six years between the iPod and iPhone. We're supposed to write off Apple because it's been a whole six months since the iPad mini?
Then again, we're talking about the same kind of level-headed long-term thinkers who, er, freak out over a single fake tweet.
What we're seeing here is the tail end of a wave. The last few years have largely been about the iPhone, its astonishing sales and its incredible profit margins, and now that growth is slowing - just as the iPod's growth slowed before it, and just like the iPad's growth will also slow.
When you're the only game in town you only get so long before the competition catches up and the market matures. What's surprising isn't that the iPhone is being squeezed. It's that Apple has been able to maintain such extraordinary profit margins for so long.
After dropping a few subtle hints earlier this week, Nokia has unveiled its budget Asha 210 handset, complete with full Qwerty keyboard and dedicated WhatsApp button sat on the front.
The 210 comes selling itself as "the most social Asha yet," placing its social networking features, including Facebook and Twitter, at the heart of the handset. Owners will also get free lifetime services from WhatsApp - saving you $1 (about 66p) a year.
Meanwhile, the phone's 2-megapixel camera isn't anything to get excited about - not unexpected for a budget handset of this calibre.
Wassup
By putting WhatsApp front and centre, the new Asha is clearly looking to go down the route of the Facebook Phone, taking on the lower-end Blackberries and bridging the gap between feature phone and smartphone.
Posting the new details on its website, Nokia says the phone will offer 46 days of battery life on the single-SIM version and 24 days on the dual-SIM.
Expect to see the Asha 210 on sale by June 2013, landing with a $72 (around £50/AUS$70) price tag.
The BBC has launched its iPlayer Radio app for Android devices and the broadcaster's executive producer for mobile insists that it is better than the iOS version.
Android users have long been frustrated that apps often launch first for Apple products, but in this case there may be a benefit with the BBC's James Simcock explaining that iPlayer Radio for Android is superior.
"This app has all the features of the iOS app as well as some improvements that, as an Android user myself, I think make it even better," he said.
Alarming news
The iPlayer Radio will not only give access to the BBC's radio stations but also to set the alarm to wake up with your favourite programme, swipe to access on demand content and videos and set programme reminders.
Last, and definitely least, you can discover what tracks are playing and share/inflict them with/on your friends.
So, Android users, you had to wait a bit longer but at least the extra time brought extra functionality. But exactly WHAT new functionality?
According to the BBC's blog, all of the usage date gathered from iOS has been used to streamline the design of the App for Android, a notification panel has been included and the alarm clock works even when the app isn't active.
Today Nokia unveiled the latest addition to its Asha lineup. The QWERTY-packing Nokia Asha 210 featurephone comes in both single SIM and dual-SIM flavors and brings entry level functionality at an extremely attractive price point.
Combining a 2.4" LCD screen of QVGA resolution (320 x 240 pixels) with a four-row full QWERTY keyboard, the Nokia Asha 210 is targeted at younger users that do lots of texting and have a limited budget.
Press release:
A fast and responsive QWERTY phone with the world's first WhatsApp button
Espoo, Finland - Nokia today unveiled the latest device in its Asha family, designed to offer consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in Single- or Easy Swap Dual-SIM variants, features a distinctly Nokia design and smart imaging that sets it apart from the crowd. It supports Wi-Fi to help people enjoy more of the Internet for less and is the world's first phone to have a dedicated WhatsApp button.
Your social life at your fingertips
The Nokia Asha 210 has a QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated WhatsApp button for fast access to instant messaging. To celebrate the Nokia and WhatsApp partnership, WhatsApp is offering their service for free on all Nokia Asha 210 devices with the WhatsApp button for their lifespan. Combined with Facebook, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 210 is designed to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their friends and family.
Capture and share great images every time
The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options, including: - Self-portrait - for perfectly centred self portraits, even without a front-facing camera. The built-in voice guides the user to ensure they are in the frame, before taking the shot. - Fast editing of images directly from the camera app and easy sharing of images to social networks.
People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia's innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.
"The Nokia Asha 210 really stands out giving super-social consumers new ways to express their personalities through design, colour and innovations like the world's first WhatsApp button," explains Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "It has been designed to allow people to easily update their social networks, stay in touch with friends and share user created content."
"We are focused on delivering the best WhatsApp experience to as many people as possible," said Brian Acton, Co-Founder of WhatsApp Inc. "We are very excited about our partnership with Nokia Asha complementing our strategy of giving people around the world an easy experience when keeping in touch with their friends."
The new device also takes full advantage of the Nokia Xpress Browser which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90 percent, helping people enjoy more affordable Internet access. The Nokia Asha 210 also features Nokia Nearby, a web app that lets people discover points of interest such as restaurants, shopping and ATM machines close to their location.
Other key features for Nokia Asha 210 include: - Social phonebook integration with the ability to launch WhatsApp direct from contact cards in the Phonebook - Preloaded YouTube launcher for direct video streaming - Chat screen notifications that keep users up-to-date on new conversations - Single-SIM and Dual-SIM models featuring Nokia's exclusive EasySwap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device - WiFi On/Off control button - Nokia's renowned long battery life: up to 46 days with Single-SIM and up to 24 days with Dual-SIM
The Nokia Asha 210 is available in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 210 is around 72 USD and it is expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2013.
