It’s time at last for the Android 4.4 KitKat software update to work with both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in their Google Play editions. These versions of the devices work with the “Nexus” version of the Android operating system from Google. This version of Android works with bits and pieces of […]
The Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play editions are both scoring an Android 4.4 KitKat update today.
     |
As the leaves turn to gold and flutter from the trees, the Engadget team digs out their scarves and mittens to get ready for the mad rush of phone launches that take place ahead of the holiday season. We’ve seen big devices (both large and high-profile ones) enter the world over the last few months, including new heavyweights from Apple and Google. Then there’s Samsung, Nokia and HTC, which are all following the philosophy that bigger is better.
But it’s not just on the hardware side that things are getting exciting. T-Mobile’s eliminated roaming charges and Verizon is doubling its LTE speeds to a whopping 80 Mbps. AT&T is offering customers a $5 daily pass for internet and is making mobile share plans the standard rather than the exception. Of course, if you’d prefer unlimited data, Sprint is promising that its Spark LTE will beat the field — but it’s currently only available in NYC, LA, Chicago, Tampa and Miami. Whether you’re looking for a smartphone right now, or if you’re contract is about to expire, this is your guide to the best ones on the market.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Google, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, LG, Blackberry, T-Mobile
The HTC One using the Google Camera App
We hear just last week the HTC One Google Play Edition might be receiving Android 4.4 KitKat “soon.” It looks like “soon” came a little sooner than we had anticipated as it’s being reported Android 4.4 KitKat is now rolling out to HTC One Google Edition handsets.
News of the rollout comes from an XDA Developers user who claims they have received the official over-the-air update for the HTC One Google Edition, which means you should start checking your phone as much as possible as you could very well be receiving the update some time soon as well. (more…)
HTC One Google Play Edition Android 4.4 KitKat Update Rolling Out original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
HTC has just announced a gold-colored version of the One. This one won’t set you back $4,400
| |
We’ve seen the HTC One being offered up in real gold before; in both 18ct and 24ct options, but what if you wanted a HTC One in gold, but didn’t want to pay the outrageous price for it? Well you’re in luck because it seems that HTC has announced the HTC One in a gold finish. However unlike its other gold plated siblings, this is merely a gold color finish and does not come plated with gold whatsoever, so while it might look like gold, it does not carry the same value, unfortunately. Apart from that the specs are expected to remain exactly the same, which means we can look forward to a 4.7” Full HD display, a quad-core processor, and stereo front-facing cameras with an Ultrapixel camera to top things off.
Gold seems to be a pretty popular finish this days, especially when it was reported that iPhone 5s in gold was the most popular color option, with the gold finish selling faster than the rest. In fact the gold iPhone 5s was selling like hotcakes over in countries such as China and Singapore where gold is considered to be a color that symbolizes fortune and wealth. According to Philip Blair, President of HTC EMEA, “Building on the all metal design of the HTC One, and the recent success of the HTC 18 carat gold MOBO phone, we are excited to have developed our own gold device, offering yet more choice to consumers.” No word on pricing and availability just yet, but given that this is just a gold finish of the regular HTC One, we expect it should be priced similar to normal HTC One handsets.
HTC Announces Gold Colored HTC One original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
It seems a limited edition 18 carat gold One just isn’t enough for HTC. Today, the Taiwanese smartphone maker unveiled another golden variant of its Android flagship, swapping the soft and expensive exterior of its MOBO-themed One for a familiar aluminum chassis. We first saw the front half of HTC’s latest variant in September, suggesting the company would make a fifth color available alongside its silver, black, blue and red designs. As for specs, there’s no change internally, which means it’s still powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 processor and features the same 4-megapixel UltraPixel sensor. The latest variant does come late to the game, with Apple’s gold iPhone 5s enjoying huge demand and Samsung launching the Galaxy S 4 gold edition, albeit in limited markets. HTC says the device will be available across Europe with a number of partners — when we hear more, we’ll let you know.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
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.
Remember the allegation that Samsung cheats at benchmarks? Despite the manufacturer’s semi-denials, there’s growing evidence to suggest that not only Samsung, but also a number of other Android phone makers engage in some level of chicanery. Usually, it involves programming a device to temporarily ramp up its performance if it detects the launch of a benchmark test, regardless of the consequences for battery life or processor temperature. This results in a higher score on the artificial test, but one that is unrepresentative of what the device could actually achieve if it had to pace itself for a real-world task that lasted for a longer period of time — such as a 20-minute bout of gaming.
So far, so bad. However, a startup called GameBench reckons there’s another way. Its founders, who previously worked at chip companies like ARM and MediaTek, claim to have developed an “uncheatable” performance test that can be used to corroborate (or refute) the scores from traditional benchmarking apps, and which can help to rank Android phones and devices according to their true gaming capabilities. Although GameBench’s app is still in beta and likely won’t be released until the first quarter of next year, it has already collected scores for two devices, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Ironically, as you’re about to see, Samsung may actually have less to fear from this cheat-free test than some of its rivals.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, HTC
While the world is left in shock by the fact that the Verizon version of the Motorola-made Moto X saw the Android 4.4 KitKat update before the rest of the Nexus family, HTC has assured that the HTC One will be next. They’ve made this re-assurance in the form of a mini-tweet and subsequent push […]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
