PH Gadgets: HTC

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So we continue our Android Alliance Ph MWC coverage this week. Last night, as we published the latest update at around 8:30 PM, it was around 1:30 PM in Barcelona, Spain. And around that time, the MWC was in full swing, with Keynote #2: The Connected Consumer.

Here are the highlights of the MWC so far. This may look like an HTC-Centric post, because it is. Apparently, for the past 2 days, HTC became the darling of the MWC, despite Nokia and Windows 8's major moves. Pardon us if the spotlight is on HTC, for today.

HTC, as we've hinted at yesterday, is drumming up the buzz for its new One Series. While Techcrunch is on the money that the "One" branding is definitely confusing, the hardware under the brand isn't something to be trifled with.

We already linked to the things that HTC is planning to do for their phones. In case you didn't have the time to click through the links yesterday, here are the innovative boosts that HTC cameras are getting:

ImageSense is what HTC branded the technology that is targeted to rival traditional digital cameras.
ImageSense allows image capture to be much quicker, with autofocus clocking in at 0.2 seconds, and image capture at 0.7 seconds.
The continuous shots function will be given a boost: holding down the shutter button will allow the user to take unlimited shots successively.
The HDR Algorithm will allow an HTC phone camera to still capture awesome photos, even in adverse lighting conditions.
ImageSense will also be able to gauge the distance of the subject and adjust the LED flash's brightness for optimal image quality.

What is more is that the new HTC One phones will boast of:

1.5 GHz Tegra 3 QUAD CORE for One X
1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Dual Core for One S
1GB RAM for both
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for both
HTC Sense 4.0 for both

Just as a guide, HTC's One Series is composed of:

HTC One X: the premium HTC One phone. Premium hardware (this is the Quad Core phone) with a 4.7" screen, in a polycarbonate chassis.
HTC One S: the mid-range HTC One, this one has an aluminum unibody design.
HTC One V: the entry-level HTC One, it comes with a 3.7-inch screen, and is powered by a 1GHz single core processor. Just like the other two HTC One's, it still runs Android and HTC Sense 4.0. As for the camera, it carries an adequate 5.0 MP cam.

With that, there is no doubt that HTC is gearing to edge in on the Samsung-dominated Android device market. Seems like 2012 may bode well for the Taiwanese gadget giant.

Tune in later for more snippets of the MWC!

Btw, in order to give way to the MWC's updates, we're going to publish the post on sustainable/solar-charged smartphones maybe Saturday or next week. See ya in a few!

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Photo Credits: TNW via tch nws

The second month of 2012 is ending and you're probably wondering where the Android is headed. These are exciting times, as Apple is still maintaining its dictatorial stance, while the Android is still moving forward, with fast turnarounds for upgrades in the core OS.

Fast upgrades have been the mark of Linux distributions, namely Ubuntu Linux. Seemingly, Android is adopting that as its own upgrade paradigm. Barely has the Ice Cream Sandwich been implemented, that it is now rumored to release the Android 5.0 OS, Jellybean, reportedly in Q2 2012. That's something to look forward to.

In other news, HTC seems to be moving towards making their Androids the ONE-stop device with the HTC One line of Smartphones.

Rebranding the whole lineup to fall under HTC ONE, HTC is working towards great audio, a great camera, on top of a great OS, the Android.

After partnering with Beats Electronics LLC for the Beats-branded line of HTC phones, HTC is now moving to create phone camera technology which will rival or even supplant a point and shoot camera. A wise, strategic move, given that HTC CEO Peter Chou pointed out that next to making calls, one of the most-used functions for the smartphone is as a digital camera. More than that, HTC is looking to add juicier innovations.

Is HTC veering away from the iPhone copycat bandwagon the whole smartphone market seems to be getting onto, just as the guys at TechCrunch are saying? Or are they really just looking to corner the market by finding a way to make their phones stand out, and stand out really well?

Another big development for the Android industry is the rush towards Quad Core. No longer content with Gigahertz-fast DUAL Cores, now, Androids are going to be shipped with QUAD Cores. What's better than killing dem pigs in Angry Birds at lightning-fast speeds, ey?

More than any of these developments, do you guys realize that it's the MWC?

What's that?

It's the Mobile World Congress, the major gathering of mobile service providers and gadget makers. It is the equivalent of CES or WWDC for GSM/Mobile Telphony.

This year's 2012 MWC is held in Barcelona Spain, and will be held in Barcelona up until 2018.

All this mad rush about Android developments are currently going down at the MWC: From HTC's newest innovations, up to the Quad Core craze, and even for Samsung Galaxy SIII's no-show and Windows 8's unveiling. expect that we're going to give you updates and newsbites from the MWC from today up to March 1.

Enjoy the rest of Monday!

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Photo Credits: Android At MWC

Before the Blackberry, the "CandyBar" phone had dominated the market, thanks to Nokia's 3210, 3310 to 8210/8250 innovations. Prior to the 3210, the 3310 and their ilk, mobile phones had an antenna as part of its standard design. Eventually, CandyBar phones became the norm.

Enter the Blackberry. With its QWERTY keyboard eliciting nothing but hours of pure addiction to typing out SMS', emails and anything text-related on its yummy keyboard, it was no surprise that it was termed the "Crackberry." Like crack, addiction to emails, WORK emails included, happened like wildfire across Blackberry users in the US. Eventually, the rest of the world caught on.

That's why I personally am hesitant to use a touch screen device. In fact, getting the Cherry Mobile Nova was an urgent necessity for me. Managing this Web Magazine without an Android of my own was a bit senseless. BUT that doesn't mean that I authored that idea and wanted a touch screen device in the first place.

And while I am happy-happy-happy with my Cherry Mobile Nova now, and I am loving the fact that it's a touch screen device, it has never replaced my Blackberry. And the rest of my QWERTY phones (which I use as phones) for that matter.

Gee, I have an addiction to phones, especially QWERTY's. I didn't notice. :p

That is why the HTC Chacha is a definite must-have in my Android wishlist. It has the beauty of the Android OS, with the relief of the physical keyboard.

Check out this comparison chart from GSM Arena:

CLICK HERE for full size

This is a "shootout" between the HTC Chacha and the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos.

While technically, it's the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro which should be compared with it, the Galaxy Y Pro Duos puts up a better fight.

I first got to take a look and play with the HTC Chacha in PLDT Jump Experience Center. My first impressions were that I hated the drab dashboard background. But then later, I realized that a user may be able to change that, using the customizations that every Android has.

Other than the drab background, the HTC Chacha has these pros:

Awesome Gorilla Glass touch screen. Very sturdy and firm to the touch.
Comfortable keypad.
The fact that it's touch-and-type.

One major plus for touch-and-type devices is that users won't need to change their mobile device habits between devices. For me, one major adjustment in my early days with the Cherry Mobile Nova was that when I would go back to my non-touch-screen Blackberry Sprint World Edition 8830, I'd find myself absentmindedly touching the screen, in an attempt to use the phone's controls. A split-second later, I realize that I'm no longer on my Cherry Mobile Nova. Thus, it was then that I figured that a touch-and-type device may be an awesome idea.

For a great, thorough review of the HTC Chacha, here is Pocket-Lint.

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Photo Credits: GSM Arena

It's New Year's Eve: the perfect time to look back, and also the perfect time to build new dreams.

When it comes to dreams, we're told to "dream big." And even if it doesn't seem reachable or budget-friendly at the moment, those big dreams have their purpose: they keep a person "hungry": willing to dream, willing to work, willing to reach out until they get what they want.

Thus, let's change the tone of our budget-conscious discussions on Android gadgets, and for today, DREAM BIG.

When it comes to Android phones, there's no other way to dream big than to think and consider the Android Superphones. Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy SII setting the trend of creating a smartphone to beat the iPhone, Android phone and tablet makers like Motorola, HTC and even LG are working hard to follow in the rubber marks that Samsung had left in the Android innovation pavement. Thus, expect that Androids will become more and more powerful as the days go by.

I'm actually a very practical girl. I prefer "doable" and "reachable" than the ostentatious. I do not see the point in owning a Php 20,000 phone, and I once swore that I would never spend more than Php 3,000 on a phone, because I got traumatized when my then-de rigueur 3310 got picked from my knapsack's back pocket. In front of a church, at that. But since then, innovation could no longer be contained, and now, I'm absolutely all for spending a reasonable amount on a good Android phone.

I still have my spending "set point," the maximum that I'd go for any phone. I still feel like it's too much to spend Php 25,000 and above on a phone, no matter how amazing it is, at the moment. So my strategy will be to wait until the prices drop as the companies release new models.

But price points notwithstanding, here are my personal picks for high-end SuperDroids:

Motorola Droid 3 -- One of the reasons why I'm not interested in a Samsung Galaxy SII is that I want to hold out for 4G/LTE. The technology is currently being implemented by Smart Communications, and I want to take advantage of that when it's fully rolled out in the country. If I choose the Samsung Galaxy SII as my "ultimate" Dream Droid, I may limit myself to 3G connectivity at around the same price. So as I was thinking about looking for the "Ultimate Androids" that I may want to purchase within 2 years' time, I decided on finding a 4G Android and putting it on a sort-of bucket list to think about and, well, pray for. I found this! And the next phone.

But before I go on to the next Dream Droid, I want to say one more main reason why I put this on the top of my list:

I chose this phone because of the Slide-Out Keyboard. As I just mentioned in my recent comprehensive review of the Cherry Mobile Nova, I am re-realizing that I hate texting for long periods on a touchscreen phone. I seriously need a physical keyboard, and by Seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY. So when I came across the Moto Droid 3, I was happy to have found a better, 4G model similar to my first slide-out keyboard "crush," the HTC Desire Z.

HTC Amaze -- While everyone else is obsessed by the HTC Sensation XE because it is among the Beats-branded Androids of HTC, I'm yawning. I'm not impressed because of one major thing: it's just not powerful enough. While the HTC Sensation XE has 1.5GHz CPU speed/768MB RAM/4GB ROM size/1GB user-available Internal Storage, the HTC Amaze has, to pun around, more amazing specs at 1.5GHz CPU speed/1GB RAM/16GB ROM size. Imagine the difference. Plus, it has an HSDPA speed of up to 42MBPS. Can you say "whoa" with me? Here's a side-by-side GSMArena Comparison chart so you can see why I'm amazed.

Samsung Galaxy Note -- While I'm not into the Samsung Galaxy SII, I'm really going goo-goo eyes over the Samsung Galaxy Note. For one, it is marketed as a tablet/phone hybrid with a stylus and some functions for note-taking and journaling. I'm more attracted to the S-Pen than anything else on this unit. But I'm also happy at the fact that: It is LTE, it is wide enough for handy browsing, reading and note-taking, and, it's not as chunky as the Samsung Galaxy Tab(lets). The real draw for me is really on the fact that it has handwriting support. It doesn't hurt that it's on Gorilla Glass, either.

Will I be able to buy all three Androids within the next three years? I'm not sure. I'd settle for either the Moto Droid 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Note, actually. Either way, I'm not in a hurry. My Android journey is only beginning, after all. :-)

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Photo Credits: Xylker.com

Any audiophile will say that one of the most important factors in the audio experience is the device's sound quality. There's no point in using high-quality audio encoding/compression for one's music files if one is going to use sub-par audio players. And whether one wants to admit it or not, there are just certain gadgets that can deliver high-quality sounds.

Take for one, the iPod line of mobile audio machines. Prior to the iPod, I had used a TwinMos mp3 player. When I got an iPod Nano, however, I realized the vast quality gap between an iPod and a run-of-the-mill audio gadget. An iPod has superior sound quality over any other generic mp3 player.

Which brings us to another point: even if you may not be listening to your tunes through an iPod, if you have good quality speakers or earphones, you'll be a happy camper.

That's the concept behind companies creating lines of high-quality earphones and speakers. Pre-Skullcandy, there was Shure. Shure was a brand of in-ear earphones, which are designed to shut out all ambient/environmental sounds. Noise-canceling, in short. Shure was the choice of audiophiles who want better sound for their iPods, even though the earbuds that came with the iPod were already great enough.

Then Skullcandy came. Fashion met ear candy. And as of 2011 Beats Electronics LLC has overtaken the audio accessory industry. With exclusive lines developed for Dr. Dre, Lady Gaga, P. Diddy, Justin Bieber and even LeBron James, Beats eclipsed the entire earphone industry with the branding and marketing hype. It's so famous, China copied it, too.

Beats Audio has catapulted itself into the quintessence of audio sexy that HTC just had to ink a partnership with Beats. And now, we have an entire line of HTC phone models coming with Beats earphones:

No doubt, HTC will be shipping more of its models with Beats audio in the coming phone release cycles. Two models already in the rumor mill are touted to be carrying Beats earphones:

HTC Zeta
HTC Ville

Tech pundits say it's not really about the audio quality -- most don't notice, anyway; it's really all about teh sexy.

If Steve Jobs was able to jack up the mp3 player and turn it into THE must-have iPod, would Beats jack up HTC's sexy and make it THE music phone to have?

Only time will tell. Meanwhile, I'll have to say that even run-of-the mill Androids like the Cherry Mobile Nova do make music sound delicious. I was even surprised that its stock earphones were good enough, that I couldn't even detect much of a difference in sound quality between this and my old iPod Nano. Imagine how much more delicious music would sound through an HTC Sensation XE with Beats.

We're sure you'd be making a last-minute run to an HTC store for the HTC Sensation XE just before Christmas.

Next up, a long-overdue review of the Cherry Mobile Nova.

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Photo Credits: Wired Gadget Lab

My daily routine takes me to Ortigas and back to Quezon City, often passing by SM Megamall. One afternoon, I was in a hurry for a chore when I spotted an HTC booth on the entrance hallway of Megamall B. The booth said "savings," and a bell started ringing in my head, as I knew then and there that I hit another Android jackpot. Not minding delaying my chore, I decided to check the booth out.

HTC is one of the hottest smartphone brands in the market. A quick check in the corporate background tells us that HTC came from the land of Acer and Asus: Taiwan. I first came across HTC when I spotted a billboard advertisement by Smart beside the MRT Ortigas Station. If Smart Communications is marketing HTC itself, then it goes to say that HTC is a quality brand with a touch of class. Friends had a good review of this phone before and have been contented users ever since. These same friends are also iPhone or Blackberry users, and quipped that HTC Android phones are comparable to these Big Two smartphone pillars. Some may even say that the HTC is more user-friendly than the other smartphone counterparts.

The phone that caught my attention first is the HTC Desire S. Since there was an existing promo, this PhP25,000+ phone now runs between PhP19,000 to PhP20,000. Even at that price, it costs PhP5,000 less than the most popular smartphone brands in the market (i.e. the iPhone, the top-of-the-line Blackberry Bold Touch/9900, the Samsung Galaxy S-II, etc.).

HTC Desire S runs on Android Gingerbread 2.3. The display available was a weight-filled model casing, but I was given a chance to see an actual working phone. With the dimensions of 115 x 59.8 x 11.63mm, this is one sleek phone. The screen resolution is good enough for my eyes and fares well to touch, especially that I love playing games using my phone. Definitely a big advantage over the Cherry Mobile Candy I also reviewed previously. Equipped with a 5 megapixel camera and various sensors, this competes well with other popular smartphone brands with less the price. Like any other Android-operated phone, there is still a problem with touch screen drag of a split second but less than the lag that I noted with Candy.

HTC Desire S fares well for those who want a cheaper, sleeker yet comparably classly alternative to the usual expensive smartphone brands like iPhone and Blackberry. Will this finally be my Android phone? Not yet; but with the good impression and initial review, this will fare high in my options.

With the smartphone wars escalating, no self-respecting tech company should allow their product to be left standing in the wake of another company’s progress. Thus, we see the smartphone wars getting bitter by the day.

Today’s update is about two things:

The iPhone 5 will be released on October 4. Thus, the rabid Apple fanatics will be camping out on the Apple Stores by midnight of October 4, US Time. That means around noon our time for the East Coast residents, or around late afternoon for us, if we’re talking about the West Coast. Either way, the Apple universe is already waiting with bated breath.

That being said, we came across a piece of news putting the iPhone/iOS in a good light, while disparaging the Android’s flaws.

In a nutshell, the post is saying that the Android’s stats are bloated, and the numbers are not really significant; they don’t necessarily mean that the Android is ahead of the iOS. They are saying that the 550,000 activations a day for the Android do not necessarily mean more market share, as other activations could also mean that users have either upgraded or rooted their OS, among other things.

Here’s what we can say about this note: We’re betting that less than 2% of that 550,000 are actually power users and would dare to root their Androids. At that generous rate, it means only 11,000 people dare to root their devices in a day. And we are being generous at that. Most likely, only 1% of that 550,000 are actually daring – or knowledgeable enough to root or upgrade their devices. And no sane user would update his device every day for the whole week. A user may update or upgrade once after buying the device. With the speed (or slowness) of the release of the next versions of the Android, it’s highly unlikely that a user will be upgrading his device every month. Every 6 months, if his hardware can handle it, probably. But every month? Every week? Every day?! Not impossible, but very improbable.

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There’s another sad news for Android users, especially for the HTC owners: HTC recently pushed out a system app that collected data fromtheir Android users’ handsets. The purpose of the app is not clear to the users, but it gathers data, ostensibly for HTC’s benefit. What makes the security breach worse is that it exposes this data to basically any other app that needs to collect data. This means almost ALL the free apps available on the Android Market. Free apps need to collect some user data because of the ads they will be pushing on the user. However, these apps are generally secure if the HTC app is not in the system, because their access is limited only to what they need and what are declared safe and allowable by the Android Market’s standards. With the HTC app in place, however, they will gain access to data they previously have no access to.

So what is a security-conscious user to do? First is to check your system for “HtcLoggers.apk” via the Settings/Applications/Manage Applications/Running menu. If you do, uninstall all free apps, especially those with permissions to collect data. (We’re sad to see your free games go.) Then either use the premium, no-ads applications for now, or put up with a Spartan (sort of bare) Android for now.

And to keep abreast with the updates, call HTC support and ask them about when they plan to remove the app and if it’s possible to downgrade to the HTC Android version without the HTC app that contains the HtcLoggers.apk package.

Alternatively, you can sell your HTC and get a Samsung or a Cherry Mobile instead.

These are two of the hottest news for the Android today. Come back for more tomorrow!

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Photo Credits: INeedBob

MWC Update: HTC One Is The Darling Of MWC So Far

State Of The Android, Q1 2012

Touch-And-Type HTC Chacha: A Good Idea?

New Year's Eve: Time to Dream Big [Three BIG-spec'd Androids I'm Personally Attracted To]

Introducing The HTC Beats Line Of Phones

The Android Searcher: HTC Desire S

Hot Android News For The First Monday Of October!

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