Hasta La Gadget!

This week on the TechCrunch Gadgets Podcast we talk about the Blackberry Q10, The HTC One, and the Fitbit Flex. This time we’re joined by Matt Burns, Darrell Etherington, Chris Velazco, and a tiny thinger that won’t fit into the bracelet. Enjoy!

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Intro Music by Rick Barr.

When we first reported on the leaked image of China Unicom’s HTC One with its back cover off, some questioned its authenticity since the phone touts its unibody design in other parts of the world. Well, as we found out at HTC’s Beijing launch event on Wednesday, the Chinese variants (802w, 802t and 802d; ¥4,888 or about $790 for 32GB) do indeed have a removable cover for access to their dual SIM slots and microSD slot. But the question is: how does that piece of metal come off? It’s simple: the usual micro-SIM tray at the top left side of the phone is replaced by a latch release (close-up shot after the break), and pushing it up would pop the cover open, as pictured above.

While this may technically not qualify for the “unibody” moniker, HTC’s Vice President of China Lin Zurong told us that the removable cover and its accompanying parts at the top and bottom are cut out from the same piece of aluminum; so if you mix and match covers across two Ones of the same color, the fit or texture may not feel “right.” Other than that, the Chinese One feels and looks very much the same as its foreign counterpart.

And finally, we asked whether the much anticipated red HTC One will be sold in China, to which a representative replied this was originally designed with other regions — namely Japan — in mind, so there’s no confirmation as to whether China will get it just yet. Come to think of it, wouldn’t the red HTC One be a nice fit for Verizon?

Filed under: Mobile, HTC

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Source: Engadget China, HTC China

As the saying goes, there are two sides to a story, or that a coin has two faces. While we have heard on how Nokia managed to win a preliminary injunction against HTC in the Netherlands only to have that decision rescinded afterwards, how about getting a word or two in from the folks over at HTC themselves? That is the very least that they deserve, don’t you think so? Hence, it is good to know that HTC has come up with a formal statement concerning the litigation brought against one of its suppliers, STMicroelectronics, by Nokia.

HTC claims that this particular lawsuit was filed solely against STMicroelectronics, and it had nothing to do with HTC at all. Apart from that, HTC claims that Nokia has not managed to obtain an injunction against HTC in the Netherlands, and neither has the Finnish smartphone company done so in any other country, too. The judgment which was written against STMicroelectronics stated that HTC is able to use the microphones in question as they were purchased from STMicroelectronics in good faith. HTC, however, will have to find another microphone manufacturer once their supply of STMicroelectronics microphones run dry.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia Lumia 521 From T-Mobile Arriving At HSN This April 27th, T-Mobile’s HTC One S Gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update At Last,

HTC has released an official statement regarding a recent press release stating that Nokia was granted a preliminary injunction against the HTC One. HTC stated that Nokia did not obtain an injunction against the HTC One, but instead obtained an injunction only against STMicroelectronics. STMicroelectronics is being sued for breaching an exclusivity agreement with Nokia by supplying HTC with the high amplitude mics that were exclusively designed for Nokia’s Lumia line-up.

The microphone in question is the TD V1.4 high amplitude microphone that was supposed to be an exclusive to Nokia, but somehow found its way into HTC’s inventory in the Netherlands. While the mic is exclusive to Nokia, the Dutch court ruled, however, that HTC can continue to use the microphones it purchased for its products because “they were purchased in good-faith”. The court also ruled that STMicroelectronics is restricted from providing certain microphones to other companies other than Nokia for a 10-month period.

Nokia attempted to recall the microphones already sold to HTC, however, it was unable to do so. Nonetheless, HTC has stated that once it has used up its supply of the microphones, it will “transition to improved microphone designs”. This new official statement from HTC does clear up the previous press release from Nokia, which stated that,

“The Amsterdam District Court has today granted Nokia’s request for a preliminary injunction against the supply to HTC of microphone components invented by and manufactured exclusively for Nokia.”

Many of us assumed the injunction was against the HTC One because nowhere in the press release was “STMicroelectronics” mentioned. Nokia also ended the press release with,

“Once again, Nokia calls on HTC to compete using its own innovations and to stop copying from Nokia.”

Nonetheless, HTC is in the clear now, as the court ruled that it’s “blameless” because it couldn’t have known that those microphones were exclusive to Nokia. However, HTC still has to deal with the other injunction Nokia filed against it in Germany. HTC plans on appealing the injunction and also plans on proving that the patents that it allegedly infringed on are all invalid. You’ll all be happy to know that the HTC One will not be delayed and will remain available worldwide. Be sure to check out our review of the HTC One here.

HTC: Nokia did not obtain an injunction against the HTC One is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In an email to press, HTC took the opportunity to make a few clarifications about the injunction filed by Nokia this week regarding the dual-membrane microphone in the One. The preliminary injunction claims that the high-amplitude mic, which HTC uses in its flagship device, was supposed to be manufactured exclusively for the Finnish company (and currently used in the Lumia 720). If you’ve been wondering how this particular action would affect sales of the high-end HTC handset, spokespeople assure us that it’s business as usual for the company. According to its official statement, the One is not the actual target of any injunction in The Netherlands — in actuality, the legalities of the matter are apparently only between Nokia and STMicroelectronics, the supplier of the component in question.

HTC tells us that Nokia’s attempts to institute a recall of the One failed; since the products were purchased in good faith, the ruling states that HTC can continue to use microphones that are in its inventory. Despite having a history rich in manufacturing delays, we’re told that this legal ruling will have no effect on the One’s availability. The Taiwanese phone maker plans a transition to “improved microphone designs” as soon as its current stock of STM supplies has been exhausted, a move which HTC claims will be transparent to consumers. Head below to see the full statement.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Nokia

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