Flash-happy Droid DNA owners have had access to HTC's latest Android skin for awhile now, but the company is finally delivering Sense 5 to its older phones in an official capacity -- at least in Taiwan. According to Engadget Chinese, users of the Taiwanese Droid DNA variant, the HTC Butterfly, can now download a Sense 5 flavored Android 4.2.2 update, delivered in two packages: one to prep the system, and one to actually upgrade the device. HTC previously said that some of the skin's features would be exclusive to the HTC One, but it should be noted that BlinkFeed isn't one of them, as the content aggregator seems to be alive and kicking on the updated Butterfly. No word yet if this update will make its way to our local Droid DNA, but we wouldn't be surprised: it's pretty much the same phone.
Source: Engadget Chinese
It's not the rumored Jelly Bean 4.3 update for the One, but these latest software tweaks should make current owners happy nonetheless. HTC's begun rolling out an Android 4.2.2 OTA update to unlocked handsets that lops off the legacy menu button in favor of extending the Home button's functionality. Similar to stock builds of Jelly Bean, One users can now choose to access Google Now with a quick swipe up from Home, while relegating a longpress for options. There's also a quick settings panel built into the dropdown notification pane, so toggles for WiFi, airplane mode, Bluetooth, etc are just a few less clicks away. HTC's tossed in other minor tweaks, like a battery level indicator and a file format change for Zoe that streamlines your gallery, plus the requisite bug fixes. It's already hitting handsets across the pond, so if you haven't seen the update prompt yet, hold tight.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, HTC, Google
Source: Gizmodo
Several days ago we received a Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition to play with and shared our first impressions. This week we take a closer look at what's different between this handset and its TouchWiz-equipped cousins by scrutinizing the benchmarks, battery life and camera performance. Samsung pleasantly surprised us at Google I/O when it announced a Galaxy S 4 running stock Android. HTC then joined the party with its own unskinned superphone, the One. This Galaxy S 4, which landed in the Play store on June 26th for $649 contract-free, is identical to T-Mobile's 16GB model and shares the same specs. So, what does stock Android bring to this flagship? How does it compare to the TouchWiz versions? Is anything left behind? Finally, is this Google Play edition worth the extra cash? Hit the break to find out.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google
Last week we got our hands on the HTC One Google Play edition and shared our first impressions. Today we dig a little deeper into how this superphone differs from its Sense 5-equipped siblings, with a focus on benchmarks, battery life and camera performance. As you'll recall, Samsung introduced a Galaxy S 4 running stock Android at Google I/O and HTC quickly followed suit by announcing an unskinned version of its own flagship, the One. The handset, which went on sale in the Play store on June 26th for $599 unsubsidized, is based on AT&T's 32GB model and features identical specs. As such, it also comes with the same limitations. So, what's the HTC One like with stock Android? Is it better than the devices running Sense 5? What do you give up and, most importantly, is it worth spending the premium for this Google Play edition? Find out after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Google
Samsung might have pleasantly surprised us with a Galaxy S 4 running stock Android at Google I/O last month, but it wasn't long before HTC followed suit with its own announcement regarding the One. Officially known as the HTC One Google Play edition, the phone is now available in the Play store for $599 alongside the aforementioned Galaxy S 4. When it comes to specs, the handset is a dead ringer for AT&T's 32GB version and incorporates the same radios (with LTE support). It features Qualcomm's 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 SoC with 2GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch 1080p Super LCD 3 display, an Ultrapixel camera (4MP) with OIS and flash and a sealed 2300mAh Li-polymer battery. We finally played with it yesterday and came away rather smitten. Read on for our first impressions and hands-on video after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Google
Source: Play store
It's probably not a huge stretch to say that Samsung's Galaxy S 4 running stock Android was the biggest surprise to come out of Google I/O last month. The handset -- officially called Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition -- is now on sale in the Play store for $649 alongside a special version of the HTC One. Spec-wise, the phone is identical to AT&T's 16GB model and supports the same bands (including LTE). It's powered by Qualcomm's 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB or RAM and features a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, 13-megapixel camera with flash, removable 2600mAh Li-ion battery and microSD expansion. While we briefly handled the phone at I/O, it wasn't until yesterday that we got to spend some quality time with it. Hit the break for our first impressions and hands-on video.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google
If you've already got an HTC One, news of a Sense-free version will have been interesting for the presence of Android 4.2.2, as much as anything else. While we can't tell you when your handset will get updated, we can tell you that it'll bring with it some useful additions. A popular one will be the percentage battery level indicator that you see above. There's also extended quick settings, a long-press-for-menu on the home button, Android Daydream, and some changes to the app drawer (remove icons from the dock etc.). So that's the what, we're just waiting for the when.
[Thanks @androidcreature]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Source: Android Revolution
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
