Feb 19
Live from HTC’s 2013 launch event!
Posted in: Today's Chili 
It’s been less than a month since HTC sent out our invite — but you’re still a little early. The company’s gone for the surprise attack, ahead of Barcelona’s huge phone show, MWC. However, we’re sure HTC will have plenty of interesting tidbits to show us, just one year since the One X set our hearts a-flutter. The event kicks off at 10am ET.
February 19, 2013 10:00 AM EST
And we’re in our seats in NY!
This one’s going to be a bit of a complicated liveblog, as we have teams both in London and in New York City providing you with live updates from the event.
The NY venue is a small place on the west side of New York City. The London event is definitely the big show, which is why we’ll have most of the liveblog updates coming from there when that gets rolling.
As of now we’re about 15 minutes away from the event beginning.
While we’re waiting for the team to get going, do you have any predicts? You can tweet them my way. I’m @Tim_Stevens. I’ll share the most interesting ones here.
@Gez_Morgan says “Great specs but small battery which will hold it back like all HTC phones. :(” — That was indeed the problem with the DNA. Hopefully this new guy is improved!
@Vyga says “amazing camera and speakers on the way!” — I think that’s a safe bet!
In fact, if you didn’t see it earlier, an HTC rep was out taking photos with his One in line. They’re obviously not being coy about the phone’s existence! http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/htc-one-wild/
Whoa there! London’s event has finally started letting us in. At least it wasn’t too cold out there…
@abhishayupasham says “the htc button in the middle will be a camera button for the ultra pixels.” — Indeed, that’s one of the more interesting features we’re hearing about the One.
@smcolbert: “I’m betting they announce the HTC Deuce, Deuce X, and Deuce X+” — Perhaps with a Beach Boys license?
@jailpod: “some like Pureview on the Lumia 920, but with more megapixels.” — These days it’s all about the gigapixels.
@DavidCipollone: “I’m predicting a new series of One phones. At least two. Successors to the One X and One S.” — Two new phones today? Interesting, we’re only expecting one — but always happy for surprises.
@Pjklondon: “I predict it will have retractable wings so I can avoid congestion. Fingers crossed.” — Retro rockets also a must.
@RaySnoke: “The HTC logo at the bottom will turn it into Optimus Prime, who makes you a sandwich.” — Sure, we could see that, but what kind of sandwich?
@ajdomanico: “i’m seriously hoping the rumors of an HTC Ubuntu Tab prove true.” — That’d be quite a surprise for sure, but certainly a welcome one.
@RyanBoysen asks “I wonder if we are in for any surprises besides obvious upgrades.. Infrared Capability? Wireless Charging?” — It’s hard to imagine anything too shocking, but we’re certainly seeing some weirdness when it comes to button placement…
I’m certainly hoping for everything we saw on the US/Asian Droid DNA/Butterfly phones — and more.
We should be getting going shortly. @thatmatsmith will be your guide from the London event, which is the primary one. I’ll continue to drop in some occasional updates from the NYC event.
… and witty rejoinders. Naturally.
And the great @peterrojas is joining us for the liveblog as well! He and I are in NY together.
Any more questions about HTC? Looks like we have a few more minutes to go. Send them to @thatmatsmith!
Yes, that’s Peter and I. What a couple, eh?
From @LmtdSlip: “Any word on One S replacement for those who prefer smaller screen?” Hmm, well the rumors point to a screen not far off the HTC One X that’s 4.7 inches of screen. Maybe HTC will have more to show us later this year.
From @sinosiarvin: “I’m looking at a hands on now and the HTC One looks like an iPhone with Windows like Android OS. God it’s so thin!” — Best of breed, then? Or freakish mutant?
Two gentlemen sitting next to us are using the HTC One. Again, HTC is not being coy about it.
@haveWWW: “Is HTC not so worried about the resemblance of it’s new phones with iphone because they made a deal with Apple?” Heh, interesting one. Where’s our legal beagle Michael Gorman when you need him. From the limited glimpses we’ve seen so far it looks plenty different to the iPhone…
It’s getting pretty crowded on the London side.
The bass is still pumping, and the London event still isn’t *quite* full just yet. There’s people queueing and moving all around us.
And they’re not even doing it to the beat.
As @TheBassmonkey has pointed out, the HTC website is still counting down from 49 minutes… we’re pretty sure we’ll be starting before then.
A voice from above with an update: “We’re slightly delayed waiting for people to come in.”
It’s been a while since I’ve been to an HTC event that’s started on time.
The London stage setup is looking a lot like the NY one. We’ve got @richardlai manning the images.
Tim just convinced one of the guys sitting next to us to “lend” him his One for a few minutes…
Send it to London, Tim?
There’s a rich tapestry of British innuendo jokes we could mention with HTC’s new phone. We’ll try to avoid them.
Lots of tiles on the wall. Hmm…
The music dimmed for a second…
Ah, it’s back. False alarm.
We’re spotting the British contingent from the likes of Wired and SlashGear, plus a whole load of people talking German, French and Spanish.
Oh wait, that’s just our Engadget Espanol colleague Elena Henriquez sat right next to us. It’s a real international team here.
The London event hasn’t begun yet, curiously enough.
What’s that? Our US guys have started. Back to NY for now!
We’re rolling here in NYC, though, getting the briefing on the phone itself.
Jason McKenzie is telling us about the new version of Sense, which is built on a “feed model.”
It’s called BlinkFeed. “Instead of apps and widgets, Blink Feed will transform your home screen into the information that’s important to you.”
1,400 content providers will be pushing content right to the home screen. “BlinkFeed delivers with the coolest and biggest brands around the world.”
Brands like… Engadget! We’ll be featured!
ESPN is also one of the partners.
Ed Erhart from ESPN is up on stage now talking about the partnership.
“We try to serve sports fans wherever they watch, consume, listen, read or swipe sport content.”
“The relationship we’ve developed with HTC speaks to that in many ways.”
“The world of media, which we live in, technology tends to be a disruptor… We love that sports fans can use technology to make their experience better.”
Breaking: HTC CEO Peter Chou has arrived on the London stage!
“Last year, we saw us give people beautiful phones.”
And we’re shown the One X, the 8X and the HTC Butterfly.
From NY, ESPN is stepping off the stage. “We look forward to seeing The Brand and HTC work together in the future.” Jason from HTC is back up on stage.
“People are snacking on a constant stream of information.”
HTC is seeing a huge opportunity in new smartphone behaviour like this.
“A new approach.”
“…reinvigorating the whole smartphone experience.”
He’s working up to something…
In NY, we’re getting more information on Blink Feed now, showing off all the different types of content. We see Flickr, AP, tumblr, CBS News, the AFP… Once you pick your favorites, it pulls in content you like. It sounds an awful lot like Flipboard, but baked into the OS.
And here’s the HTC One. (again!)
A lot of focus on the build materials, the camera lens and a brand new newsfeed.
Form NY: We’re hearing about “Boom Sound” — dual front-facing speakers with true stereo sound, amplified with Beats audio.
Mr. Chou’s now got the phone out on the stage. Man, the screen’s so bright you can see it from here — the back row.
HTC CEO: “It will change the way you think about photos forever.”
He reckons the main point is understanding people’s behavior. And that means a new HTC Sense UI.
Of course!
A new clean, redesign. “Modern.”
“…with big immersive images.”
From NY: There are also dual microphones with “HDR sound” to produce “clear, undistorted audio.” We’ve been invited to take the phone to a concert, where we’re told we’ll get great audio — and maybe get kicked out of the show when we get caught recording.
And the basis is us — the users. “They live on a constant flow of content.”
More than a trillion pieces of content shared in the last year, apparently.
And there’s Engadget. It’s our fault. Sorry.
And we’re on to Blinkfeed now. Peter Chou’s touring us through a Blinkfeed-esque stream of images.
From NY: We’re also hearing about the integrated IR control, called Sense TV. You can control your TV. You can even search for TV shows, tap the graphic of the show and the phone will tune your TV right there.
It includes social network content, photos, news, and more. There appears to be a playable video contained within Blinkfeed.
CBS, ESPN and us are part of thousands of content providers that will be plugged into the feed.
AOL CEO Tim Armstrong in the house!
Our boss.
Tim Armstrong is talking about the phone fulfilling the consumers’ need for content.
He’s detailing HuffPo content (and even video wares) in the future. And namechecked us and our colleagues at TechCrunch.
“We will continue to innovate with HTC in the future. HTC has made one of the best phones on the planet.”
From NY: We’re learning about the camera now, which has larger pixels than your typical camera sensor. This results in better low-light performance, we’re told, and we’re seeing some sample photos that show that off.
Peter’s back again. And we’re taking a closer look at Sense, with HTC’s VP of Design, Scott Croyle.
“Blinkfeed is based on that snacking mentality in mind.”
“In the elevator, on the bus.”
From NY: We’re now hearing about HTC Zoe, which captures photos and video at the same time. “Simply focus on the moment, and your HTC One does the rest…. Zoe brings your gallery to life.”
“Blink pulls down the latest updates when it’s onscreen.”
Moving between items can be done by swiping from left to right. No need to back out to the feed.
“But Blink is just the start.”
From NY: We’re watching a video of Zoe. Very interesting. It has a combination Instagram / Vine feel to it, almost. Short videos called “highlight movies” with automatic music added.
Scott’s mentioned Beats Audio (it’s here) and he’s talking about poor audio recording.
The HTC One has BoomSound. Two front-facing speakers for stereo.
So why put them at the front? “It just makes sense.” Was that a pun?
We’re now looking at the music player app, with scrolling lyrics and visualizer. Those words will move in time with the music.
From NY: “The one thing we haven’t talked about yet is the actual design of the phone… When it comes to design, HTC has always been bold… The new One is simply the most beautiful phone ever made.”
Possible karaoke phone?
The HTC One has dual mics, with dual membranes, capable of recording a broader spectrum of sound, and with less distortion.
From NY: The antenna is integrated into the chassis, using something called “Zero-gap construction” to create a device with no internal gaps — or fewer than usual, anyway. We’re watching a video now talking about the engineering.
“Noise cancellation isn’t enough.”
HTC’s new phone will monitor the ambient noise and adjust the earpiece’s output during calls.
“An unprecedented audio experience.”
NY: We’re getting footage of the machining of the device, even showing off the chamfering around the edge — which will sound a little familiar if you tuned in for the iPhone 5 launch.
The One also includes an IR blaster that can connect to your TV. You’ll have the ability to switch channels and make other adjustments from there.
NY: “The new HTC One is the definitive smartphone for 2013.” Again, more strong words!
NY: HTC America president Mike Woodward is up on stage now.
NY: “The new HTC One isn’t just the latest and greatest Android smartphone. This is the best smartphone ever made.”
We’re on cameras. With a wide-angle front-facing camera on the front and a new interface to switch between that and the rear-facer with just a swipe.
NY: The phone is launching in 80 countries on 185 mobile retailers and operators. “This is our largest rollout ever.”
So what’s the main shooter like?
NY: It ships in “late march” — a bit later than folks here wanted, by the sounds. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Best Buy will be distributing the phone. Rogers, Bell and Telus in Canada — no Verizon!
HTC’s VP of design talks about avoiding a focus on megapixels.
NY: Two colors will be available: silver and black with either 32 or 64GB of memory.
Not pixel count, but pixel size. And we’re back into a quick explanatory video.
NY: If you trade in a current phone via an online pre-registration, you can get up to $100 off the phone when it ships next month.
And we’re done here in NY! We’ll leave you in Mat’s capable hands for the rest of the London event!
“The megapixel race… it just became a sales metric.”
And the HTC One was the product that will bring in this new imaging idea.
It’s called the UltraPixel camera.
300 percent more light capture. HDR and HDR video capture,
We’ve got a comparison with some un-named competitors. The HTC One wins by this test. Less noise, more light areas.
Scott’s getting deep: “Memory is fleeting.”
And that’s where a new feature, HTC Zoe, comes in.
You have to respect HTC’s aspirations here, they are focused 100% on creating a great phone and the result is something that looks very impressive. It’ll be interesting to see whether they can deliver on those aspirations — and whether consumers will respond.
Zoe captures a video (and stills) and you can pluck what you like at your leisure.
He calls it: “a living gallery.”
Galleries are created automatically.
And we’re getting a look at some highlight reels — with the ability to add soundtracks and effects. It’s looking pretty cool on stage. We’ll have to test that one out!
Sharable to Facebook, YouTube or through email.
And they’ve made a Zoe clip of the last two hours! That’s us in the queue!
Some nice Instagram effects on show and a gentle guitar soundtrack.
If you thought HTC’s image chip was new — welcome to the UltraPixel.
HTC’s Design chief is describing the phone — which is looking a beauty.
“Just pure clean lines and surfaces.”
“Phones must have areas of non-metal for signal. We’ve now integrated the antenna into the material.”
The shell has a ‘zero-gap’ structure. And there’s a video to explain that.
An electro-chemical etching process is used to craft the aluminum shell, with more machine process adding the fine detail.
A diamond cutter adds that reflective edge around the HTC One.
Scott’s back.
The phone tapers to a mere 4mm thickness.
And yes, that’s a matte aluminum finish.
“The HTC One defines a new approach for our industry, based on how people use their phones.”
He’s going over the points we’ve seen so far.
We’re covering launch details now, but you’ve probably heard it already. Available from over 180 operators and retailers, globally.
A special surprise for London people: they can see the phone starting today in Phones 4U. Get down there!
And we’re watching a queue of excitable punters waiting to get into the shop.
But We’ve already had a play with the phone…
Our hands-on of the phone:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/htc-one-hands-on-design-and-hardware/
And a close up on the software additions: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/htc-one-software-hands-on-sense-5-blinkfeed-sense-tv-and-new/
And that’s a wrap. Thanks for watching! We’re off to play!
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
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