Hasta La Gadget!

HTC has confirmed that the Android 4.3 update for EVO 4G LTE will be launched in the U.S. by the end of this year. The confirmation comes from HTC America’s president Jason Mackenzie, who tweeted that the device will receive the Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.0 update by the end of this year. However, Mackenzie has not provided a concrete release date, he has only provided a timeframe for us to work with. There’s the possibility that the update might take longer to release, given that the carrier would first want to run its own tests before rolling it out to its customers.

The company is already under the process of rolling out Android 4.3 update for HTC One in the U.S. Sprint is one of the first carriers to roll out the update to its subscribers. Mackenzie has already said that other carriers will be launching the update soon too, though it might take slightly longer than originally anticipated. It can be speculated that the reason behind the delay could be carriers running various tests. Mackenzie has used Twitter frequently to keep HTC customers up to date with the company’s firmware update release schedules, its a good practice, certainly eliminates having to wonder if a particular update is going to be rolled out for a device at all.

EVO 4G LTE Android 4.3 Update Launches Before Year’s End original content from Ubergizmo.

Hmmm, it did not take too long for the viperboy to take a look at the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update that was released for the HTC EVO 4G LTE before tinkering with it, and as a result of his modifications and programming wizardry, he has managed to roll out two flashable stock, rooted Jelly Bean ROMs in bot odex and deodex flavors. Needless to say, there are changes made to it compared to the stock Jelly Bean ROM, including the installation of SuperSU that enables the system to be mounted R/W, while introducing init.d support alongside BusyBox. Apart from that, most of the other stuff remained the same.

Folks who have already rooted your HTC EVO 4G LTE would do well to know that this is the fastest method to obtain and experience stock Jelly Bean. As with any other ROM releases by enthusiasts, there would be some bugs or glitches to look out for, and so far the known bugs specific to the viperboy distro include a wiper application force closing, while some folks have reported that the proximity sensor no longer works properly in the process of a call. Anyone willing to give it a go?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia Lumia 505 Launched, Does Huawei have an 8.5″ smartphone in the works?,

Looking for the perfect smartphone is exciting because you know that the device well brighten you day-to-day life, but it can also be a dizzying experience. With a constant flow of smartphones coming to the market and dozens that are news-worthy at any given time, it’s not always easy to make sense of which smartphone you really need. And that’s why we’re here: we do the leg work, so you don’t have to. Many people ask “what’s the absolute best smartphone”? Such a thing does not exist, but you can certainly find the best smartphone “for you”. In this guide, we are going to give you a “lay of the land”, and reduce the scope of your research. Sometime, less is more. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iPhone 5 benchmark: narrowly beats Galaxy S3 [geekbench], Samsung blows iPhone 5 away in newspaper ad,

It appears that the industry supply chain behind the HTC smartphone lineup has been vocal about the disappointment felt by the company at slow sales of the HTC One series. According to trusted sources speaking with MyDrivers, its not long now before the entire HTC line of smartphones will be discounted right from the source. This price cut will come not only for their Android set of HTC One devices, but for their new Windows Phone 8 smartphones as well, coming out later this year.

The HTC One series will continue to work with Beats technology, but Beats will no longer be integrated in future models, and Beats earbuds will no longer be included with any future models of any kind. The HTC One series has appeared on AT&T and T-Mobile with the HTC One X and the HTC One S this year, and the HTC One V has just popped up on one of its several carriers in the United States just this week with Cricket Wireless. HTC has recently reported that they’ve had a slightly less than impressive set of quarters in the earnings universe, and their competition has certainly ramped up in the last few years as far as Android goes.

The HTC One V is now appearing on several budget-minded carriers across the United States, the HTC One X is only on one carrier, and the HTC One V is only on one carrier. There’s an EVO 4G LTE device out there living inside this One generation without the brand name, and Verizon has a new HTC device in the Droid Incredible space. It’s a disconnected space, that’s for certain.

Have a peek at our timeline of HTC’s recent earnings reports to track how they’ve done over the past year. With the HTC One series appearing to be a master-stroke of genius earlier this year, it’s hard to see the manufacturer struggle here in late summer. As it stands, HTC’s only choice might be to keep up the vertical integration game that they started with HTC One – it’s the trend, and it certainly seems to work – ask Samsung!

[via Unwired View]

HTC plans price slash at One series disappointment is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Despite the sweltering heat waves, our spirits are high at Engadget, and for good reason: it’s time for our summer edition of the smartphone buyer’s guide. Here, you’ll find our top recommendations for the best smartphones across several US carriers, along with the best QWERTY and budget alternatives. In many ways, it’s now easier than ever to find a world-class smartphone, but unless you’ve developed a strong brand preference, choosing one is likely more difficult than ever before. It’s no secret that the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have firmly cemented themselves as the premier smartphones of the day, but if you’re torn between the two, we’ll reveal our preference in this latest installment.

Summertime also brought a bit of a shock, as Microsoft revealed that Windows Phone 8 apps won’t be compatible with the current generation of Windows Phone hardware. For this reason, we’ve excluded all Windows Phone handsets from consideration in the latest buyer’s guide. While the future of Microsoft’s mobile platform looks incredibly bright, a purchase now would guarantee obsolescence in the short-term. Instead, all prospective Windows Phone purchasers must wait for the next generation of handsets to become available — you’ll regret it otherwise.

Naturally, there is no shortage of rumors surrounding the next Apple iPhone, and given the handset’s current lack of LTE connectivity, the iPhone 4S is certainly showing its age. While cautious purchasers may choose to bide their time, the iPhone remains top-notch in many other respects, and its arrival at a number of prepaid carriers brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise stagnant environment.

If you’re curious to see how it all unfolded — and we know you are — join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.

Continue reading Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: summer 2012 edition

Filed under: Cellphones

Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: summer 2012 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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