You use Twitter. You use YouTube. You use Amazon. You check Reddit. You know what TMZ is. You even been on PostSecret before. But when did you start using all of this stuff? What was your first post? Do you want to know what each of those websites first post was? Yeah you do.
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Talk of a Facebook phone had been making the rounds for some time when the social network pulled the wraps off of a Home-draped Android handset. While it’s not solely dedicated to those shades of blue, the HTC First does put friends in focus and we judge its merits in a fresh issue of our slate magazine. Two of Sony’s latest offerings — the Xperia ZL and the NEX-3N — also hit the review gauntlet in this installment. Eyes-On hits the trail with Pentax shooters, Weekly Stat tallies PS shipments and Visualized seeks Clarity. Those trusty download links lie below for quick access to new issue of your very own.
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Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile
Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store
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.
With a billion users, it’d be an understatement to say Facebook has done a good job conquering the desktop world. Mobile, however, is the social network’s next frontier: although it has a significant presence on every major smartphone and tablet platform, the company has a reputation for bringing its key features to the PC environment long before they arrive on mobile — if at all.
But the April 4th reveal of Facebook Home, a solidly built Android launcher, reflects a change in attitude for Mark Zuckerberg and Co. Instead of simply maintaining a smartphone presence, Facebook is ready to go to battle and is putting mobile on the top of its list of priorities. It’s even adding a proper piece of hardware to its arsenal in the form of the HTC First, a 4.3-inch device on AT&T with LTE, reasonable mid-range specs and a gorgeous display. Is it worth $99 with a two-year commitment to purchase a handset dedicated to the social cause? Should you just wait until Home is available as a free download in the Google Play Store? Or is it best to ignore it altogether? Continue reading to find out.
Gallery: HTC First review
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, AT&T, Facebook
Sure, Facebook had a weird ad with Blink-182 for the HTC Status, but its sneak peek at its newest TV spot for the First and Home is on another level. Posted today on its Facebook profile, the campy piece literally brings one traveler’s feed to life inside the cabin of his flight during boarding. We won’t spoil the goods for you, but it’s interesting to see Facebook’s first thrust at marketing this skin and smartphone combo out to the masses. Catch the full clip after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Software, Mobile, HTC, Facebook
Source: Facebook
Shortly after Facebook’s big reveal this morning, we caught up with HTC President of Global Sales Jason McKenzie and spent a few minutes with him discussing the First. As expected, he was pretty excited about this collaboration between his company, Facebook and AT&T. Jason revealed to us that HTC’s strategy involves ultimately catering the First to hardcore (or at least frequent) users of the social network, whereas a device like the One will be more appealing to those who aren’t interested in staying constantly connected. Interestingly, HTC seems to have put Facebook in the driver’s seat here, as the First will not only come pre-loaded with Facebook Home (and its firmware optimizations), but no sign of Sense anywhere. It’s certainly a departure from HTC’s usual branding efforts, so it’ll be intriguing to see exactly how well the device sells on AT&T. We have our full interview with Jason below, so take a few minutes to get the First scoop.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, AT&T, Facebook
After endless months of speculation, the collaboration between HTC and Facebook has finally been revealed to the world. It’s not a Facebook Phone per se, it’s simply a skinned Android smartphone that just so happens to bestow deep social media integration upon the OS, a move which makes the First — as well as future devices that feature the newly announced Facebook Home interface — an appropriate candidate for the term. The First will be available April 12th for $100 on AT&T, but it can be pre-ordered starting today.
While Facebook Home is taking the spotlight, let’s examine the first piece of hardware it will be featured on. On the spec sheet, the First isn’t going to take anybody’s breath away: it’s a midrange phone with 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, 5MP rear camera and 1.6MP front-facing cam, Android 4.1 and a 4.3-inch 720p display. We’re just getting our hands on the device right now and will continue to offer up our First impressions, along with a full gallery of images.
Gallery: HTC First hands-on
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Facebook
Continuing its obsession with the number one, HTC has officially announced the First, an Android device with a bit more Facebook influence than most other smartphones we’ve used in the past — including other handsets given preferential treatment from the social media network during the last four years. HTC’s Peter Chou and AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega took the stage at the event to announce the phone, which is the world’s first Home-optimized device. What exactly that means remains to be seen, but HTC’s Chou indicated it will be a “unique experience.”
There were no specs announced for the device, other than it having LTE, of course. But, earlier leaks have indicated it will be 4.3-inch, 720p mid-range phone, not threatening the HTC One by any stretch of the imagination. It will be available on April 12th exclusively in the US on AT&T for just $99.99. And, it will be available in four colors: red, turquoise, white and, of course, black. You can pre-order yours today at the More Coverage link below, and there’s a brief video after the break to explain how the new notifications work.
Gallery: HTC First
Gallery: HTC First for AT&T
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Facebook
Gizmodo reader Seth Kinkaid was one of the first people to watch jOBS—the first Steve Jobs’ biopic starring Ashton Kutcher—at Sundance 2013. These are his impressions. More »
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