A newly refined design highlights the company's best products
In an attempt to make some leaps forward in terms of design and user experience, Yahoo! has revamped its Android app today with a new interface and set of features. Version 1.0 of the app changes the look of things, with an endlessly scrolling set of news stories as the main page, which nicely displays the article title and a summary with an opaque background over a headline image. Those summaries condense the article's main premise into a short paragraph, which is very similar to the technology that Yahoo! acquired just recently when buying a company called "Summly".
Other highlights of the app include a revamped search interface that includes images and video in-line, which can be found behind a nice slide-in panel on the left side of the app. Here you can also find settings for customizing your news topics and sources, as well as quick tabs to launch other popular Yahoo! apps on your device such as Mail, Finance and Messenger. The entire design is a big step forward for Yahoo!, and certainly makes a better case for staying installed on your device.
LTE-capable mid-ranger shows up with an affordable PAYG price tag
Sony's XperiaSP looks to be one of the more interestingmid-level Android handsets coming our way over the next few weeks. It's packing a Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, an aluminum trim and a trademark Sony "light bar" down below, not to mention an 8-megapixel camera using the company's Exmor RS stacked image sensor tech.
So the prospect of picking up such a device at a cut-down price point is nothing to be sniffed at. Today T-Mobile UK is the first British network to start selling , even ahead of most SIM-free retailers. What's more, T-Mobile's price is significantly lower than what we'd been expecting, at just 249.99 on Pay As You Go. The phone itself will be SIM-locked, and you'll need to purchase 10 worth of PAYGairtime, but that's still a lot of telephone for your money. In addition, the fact that it's locked to T-Mobile specifically means in theory it should work on sister network EE, which offers4G LTE connectivity.
Alongside EE, O2 and Three will also be launching the Xperia SP in the coming weeks, as will a variety of SIM-freeretailers.
You can also expect a full review of the Sony Xperia SPhere on Android Central in the near future.
And be sure to show us your favorite highlight while you're there
HTC's new video highlights are pretty awesome. Highlights are those 30 second videos created from your pictures and Zoes, and are perfect for sharing on YouTubeor your favorite social network. Currently, there are six themes you can choose from for your highlight, and they run the gamut from subtle black and white to popping fresh flashy cuts. They are all fun to try and play with.
But if you're like us, you find yourself choosing one more often that the others. For me, that would be "Islandia" -- the happy music gets me every time, even if the old Super 8 style scratchy overlay isn't my favorite.
We hope HTC has more themes in the works, or an API third party developers can use to create their own. in the meantime, jump into the forums and let us know your favorites.
[POLL] What's your favorite Video Highlight theme?
A strange endorsement as Sprint contemplates accepting a higher bid from Dish
In a letter to chairman of the FCCJulius Genachowski, CEO of Intel Paul Otellini has expressed that he believes Softbank is a better choice than Dish to buy Sprint. Following a trip to Asia where he met withSoftbank, which an Intel spokesperson refers to as "a business partner", Otellinichose to write to the FCC to encourage the company's bid for Sprint regardless of the fact that Dish is offering a higher amount. Otellini's recommendation is one based on competition, he says:
"Son-sans vision to build a high speed competitive third national network is very compelling. We need thiscompetition in the wireless space as the ATT/Verizon model is not giving that to consumers at this time."
No further explanation is given as to why Softbank would provide a better competitive chance for Sprint than Dish, but CEO of Softbank Masayoshi Son has proven in the past to be a bit of a mover-and-shaker in the industries his company is a part of. That may not be enough for Sprint to consider its offer, however, as the bid from Dish is still over $5 billion higher. Sprint is expecting to vote on its current deal with Softbank on June 12th.
Some phones preordered from Best Buy will be delayed until May 9 through May 20
If you put in a preorder for the Sprint Galaxy S4 through Best Buy, you'll want to check your email. It seems that at least some of the phones aren't going to make their original shipping date.
We're sorry, but the fulfillment of your recent pre-order is taking longerthan expected. We expect it to arrive between May 9 and May 20. To keep youinformed of its delivery, we'll send tracking information once the item hasshipped.
If you prefer, you can cancel this order at any time. To do so, please call us at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289). If possible, please have your order number handy.
If we don't hear from you before the order is shipped, we'll assume you stillwant this item and accept this delay.
Once again, we're sorry for this inconvenience, and well do our best to make things right.
We know that there are some supply issues for the Sprint version, so canceling your preorder may not be something you'll want to do. But the option is there if you'd rather.
Folks have reported success picking them up directly from Sprint over the weekend in the forums, so that's worth checking out as well. Worst case scenario? You'll be waiting until the second week of May for your new shiny from Best Buy.
But what exactly would you do with a Twitter for Glass app?
Although Eric Schmidt seems to think that Google Glass is a year away from being in consumer's hands, the evidence is building that Twitter is working on its own app for the eyewear. A tweet has surfaced of a pretty unassuming picture, but the devil is in the details here -- the picture claims to be sent from a "Twitter for Glass" client, as denoted at the bottom of the tweet next to the timestamp. The tweet and account have also since been deleted, which you would expect if someonehappened to leak something a bit too early. If that wasn't enough for you, consider also that the tweet in question has been found and pointed out by Jonathan Gottfried, who made the first unofficial Twitter client for Glass called "GlassTweet".
The evidence is pretty strong here, and we wouldn't at all be surprised if Twitter was working to have its client ready to go for the launch of Glass. The real question is, what would you actually see or do with a Twitter client on such a limited interface? We wouldn't expect a full scrolling list of your timeline, but what about notifications? Well, those would presumably be handled by your phone's own Twitter notifications already. Will the only function be to send pictures directly from Glass to Twitter? We hope they come up with something more compelling when it is actually available, but for now it's an interesting thought experiment.
Updates, patches, and bug fixesare included in versionVS910ZVB
Many of Verizon'srecent OTA updates have included the removal of pre-installed applications, commonly referred to as 'bloatware.' The LG Revolution'slatest update (SW VersionVS910ZVB) includes one of the longest lists of apps being removed from a Verizon Android device:
Mobile IM
Rockband
Bitbop
Verizon Apps
Blockbuster
Rhapsody
VCAST Music
Verizon Video
A few Android security patches are included in the update as well, which is always good see -- especially since it is very possible that the Revolution will not get a newer versionof Android from Verizon. The VZWFamily locator app has been updated and now has working GPS, and Google Maps Services has been updated as well. A bug involving large file sizes on the network also gets a fix.
As always, help a fellow Revolution owner out by posting in the comments when you start seeing this update going live.
New album art options and additional languages also make it into the latest update
Powerampis seeing some pretty significant changes in the widget department for version 2.0.9-b528. Homescreen widgets are now fully customizable: the background, text, icons, and buttons can now be completely configured to the user's liking. For anyone that doesn't want to spend the time tweaking every aspect of a widget, up to 15 premade styles are also available to choose from. Existing widgets don't have to be trashed in favor of a fresh one when something needs to be tweaked; tapping the top right of a widget reopens the configuration screen. Phones can now resize widgets that are 4x4 and 2x2, while tablets running Android 3.1+ can change the size of any widget.
Album art gets a24-bit RGB option, which means higher color resolution (but uses twice the memory). For older Androids, aNotification Album Art option was also added. A new Disable Route Output Button setting and support forArabic and Vietnamese round out this update.
Follow the Play Store link up top to view and download the latest version of Poweramp Music Player.
Samsung designers tell how they brought the Galaxy S4 to life
In the latest installment of its "design story" series, Samsung cracks open the Galaxy S4 design process for all to see, revealing some of the thinking behind the looks and features of its new high-end smartphone. Narrated in sound bites from Samsung designers, the Galaxy S4 is simultaneously described as "not a radical difference, but more of an evolution" and "like nothing you've ever seen before." Samsung's "life companion" branding gets name-dropped more than a few times, too.
Externally, the Galaxy S4 is described as having "natural elements" at its heart, including the new reflective battery cover, said to resemble "precious stone glittering in the dark, or countless stars sparkling in the night sky." So no shortage of flowery language to describe Samsung's latest lump of plastic, glass and silicon.
Check out the video above, and if you've not yet read it, find out what we thought of the Galaxy S4's design in our full review.
Source: SamsungTomorrow on YouTube; More: Samsung Galaxy S4 review
Stability fixes, as well as Zoe, camera, Betas Audio and location service tweaks in first OTA
After a limited roll-out in some European countries this past week, the update to software version 1.29.401.12 is now live for unlockedHTC One users in the UK. The update includes stability improvements and bug fixes, in addition to tweaks to the location service, HTC Zoe, camera "parameter tuning" and Beats Audio.
Upon first inspection we're not noticing any significant differences between this and the previous 1.28 firmware, but we'll take HTC at its word that it's been busy on improvements throughout the firmware. The update weighs in at a substantial 229MB, suggesting an abundance of new stuff has made its way into the code base.
The firmware is still based on Android 4.1.2, so it looks like theHTC One will have to wait some more for its 4.2 update.
To grab the new firmware on your unlocked UK HTC One, simply head to Settings > About > Software updates and hit the button. As always, carrier-branded devices may have to wait a little longer for their update to start rolling out. Be sure to hit the comments if you've spotted any significant changes in the new firmware.
Think Optimus G Pro, only smaller, and only in South Korea for now
LG tonight has announced the Optimus GK, basically taking the better parts of the LG Optimus G Pro and scaling things down into a slightly more manageable 5-inch form factor in line with its recently release national cousin, the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The Optimus GK is a tad taller and thicker than the Galaxy S4 -- and as of this announcement it's only destined for South Korea. But we've been pleasantly surprised by the larger Optimus G Pro, and chances are its little brother will be equally well-designed. It's got a 5-inch IPS display at 1,080 by 1,920 resolution, a 3,100 mAh battery and is running Android 4.1.2 on a Snapdragon 600 platform.
Plus, this one's got the same Photosphere feature -- called VR Panorama here -- as the Optimus G Pro (thanks, LG, but license that thing out already!) as well as the dual video recording that was first made available in an update for the Optimus G Pro and is also a feature on on the Galaxy S4. Yes, the back-and-forth feature battle is alive and well in the southern part of the Korean peninsula.
So if you're looking forward to AT&T's upcoming Optimus G Pro this week (we'll be at Wednesday's launch event in New York City, by the way) but don't want that oversized form factor, this might be the phone for you. Just hang tight and hope we get it here in the states.
Hit the link below for the full translation, and keep on keepin' on for the full specs.
LG Korea
LG Optimus GK specs
AbsSize 139.1 * 69.9 * 9.9 mm
Weight 156g
Color Platinum White (Platinum White) / Black Indigo (Indigo Black)
3G HSPA + network 4G LTE
chipset, 1.7GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 600
display, 5-inch Full HD IPS display (1920x1080), Zerogap Touch
We're not just in New York City working on the (more or less) super secret tm13 -- we're also still hard at work at the all-new Android Central application.
We're edging closer to a public beta. But before we put this guy out in the wild, I want to hear what you folks want to see in it. We like to think we've thought of everything that we want to have in a v1 release, but it's still possible we've missed something completely obvious.
So what are you looking for in the all-new Android Central application? Let us know in the comments. And I'll maybe even drop a few hints of what's ready to go, what's in the works and what's a great idea for a future feature.
Preorder a 32GB version in white by May 24 to qualify for a free cradle
Sony has officially started taking preorders for its newest 10.1-inch Jelly Bean tablet, theXperiaTablet Z. This incredibly thin,IR-sporting device was announced in late January, and shown off during the Mobile World Congress. It comes with a 'Full HD Reality Display' (1920x1200p WUXGA),1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB RAM, a 2MP camera up front, and an 8MP camera in the rear.
To help up-sellthose considering the $499.99 16GB black model, Sony is throwing in a free cradle accessory to customers that preorder a $599.9932GBmodel in white. The 32GB version comes in black as well, but for whatever reason the free accessory offer only applies to the white version. Preorders must be in by May 24 to be eligible for a free cradle.
Head over to the Sony Tablet preorder page to reserve yours. If you're still on the fence, check out our initial hands-on, as well as the subsequent hands-on of this gorgeous tablet.
A tower defense sequel that is a worthy successor to the original
Tower defense is one of those genres that really translates well to a touch-only device, and one game that has made that extremely apparent is Fieldrunners. For coming up on two years now, it has been a staple in the Tower Defense category on Android and iOS alike. If you've been playing it from the start, there's no doubt you've been waiting for the sequel -- even more so as we saw it launch on iOS first.
The wait is now over, and whether you're an old pro or new to the entire genre, we think you're going to be impressed. Stick around with us after the break and see what Fieldrunners 2 is all about.
The first thing you can say when opening up Fieldrunners 2 and entering the first level is "wow". It's clear that a whole lot of development time has gone into the smoothness of animations, the clarity of graphics and the overall tidiness of how everything comes together. From the subtle animations and sounds in the menus down to the way the levels are drawn, this feels like a game made to impress on all fronts. While this probably isn't the most resource-heavy game available today, we still have to give credit where credit is due that the game ran absolutely flawless for us.
If you haven't tried out Fieldrunners (or another tower defense game) before don't worry, as it is extremely easy to pick up and start playing. Veterans of the original will feel right at home as well -- a tough balance to achieve. When playing the game for the first time, you're quickly taken into the first level on an easy mode to get acquainted with all of the new features. Tutorials and tips pop up as you place your towers, making sure you understand the way everything works. Tower defense is pretty simple though -- just stop the incoming enemies by placing different towers in a strategic pattern. You'll quickly pass the level, and get onto the real fun. After the first level you'll be able to get a look at the whole world of levels available going forward. Double tap or pinch to zoom in on your next one, and if you're up to it select one of the two harder difficulties.
Beyond a complete visual overhaul, Fieldrunners 2 adds a whole host of new upgrades, towers and gameplay mechanics to keep things fresh. As the game progresses, you'll have the option to unlock and equip up to 6 different towers at a time, with over 20 to choose from in total. Beyond the normal towers, you also have about a dozen different special "items" as limited use tools to help you get through tough rounds of enemies. Items for example can rewind game progress or kill enemies with hidden mines -- things that will be basically required when on "heroic" difficulty.
New towers and items are unlocked by passing levels on harder difficulties, and purchased with in-game coins that you also receive for passing through levels with higher marks. You can buy additional coins as in-app purchases ranging from $1.99 to $99.99, but if you want the biggest challenge, you'll just grind it out yourself. The developer, Subatomic Studios, says there is well over 20 hours of gameplay to be had in Fieldrunners 2, so don't worry about finishing this game too quickly.
If you're even remotely interested in trying out a tower defense game, Fieldrunners 2 is well worth the $2.99 price of admission. You may never make it through over 20 levels on heroic difficulty (although they say itispossible), but for some good casual fun when you need it, this game hits the spot. It's no understatement to say that this game is a joy to play.
As devices start to make their way into more hands, the forums are jumping with discussion
There's been more news about the Samsung Galaxy S4 than you can shake a stick at as of late, and that means two things. Firstly, it's time for them to start trickling in from preorders and more people have them. The second is that people want to talk about it. That's where oru forums come into play. You can talk as much Galaxy S4as you want with people just like you and me, who can't get enough and are excited. Take a look at a few.
Look at what showed up on my doorstep this morning!
Going from iPhone 5 to S4..
Verizon Pre-Orders Available Now @ $199 (16GB) after $50 mail-in rebate
Galaxy S4 Design
AT&T will offer 32gb Saturday April 27
So have look at our review, then head into the forums and see what all the fuss is about!
I'd say this behind-the-scenes picture just about sums up our week in New York City. Take a bunch of characters from Mobile Nations, toss them into a room with John P and Cali Lewis of GeekBeat.TV, and good things will happen. OK, a lot of craziness will happen, too. But also good things.
While we haven't explicitly said what we were up to at tm13 -- and don't worry, we'll take care of that fairly soon -- it also shouldn't be all that hard to figure out. It's been a few years since the last Smartphone Experts Round Robin (in fact, that was my first week on the job here in late 2009 after fleeing the newspaper business), and a follow-up was long overdue.
But a lot has changed since I first met the likes of Dieter Bohn, Kevin Michaluk, Rene Ritchie, Casey Chan, Matt Miller and Mickey Papillon and others for a week of smartphone nerdery in Orlando. (Lord, we looked so young.) Some of us have moved on to do other things. (I'm still proud to call each one of them a friend, though.) There's more parity among the platforms. Palm and webOS are no more. Nokia has ceded and switched (nearly exclusively) to Windows Phone. Microsoft's mobile OS has grown from awkward and clunky to attractive and graceful, if still underappreciated. Same could be same for Android, maybe. And BlackBerry is just beginning its second life.
I can't spill the beans on everything we did in New York just yet. But it's safe to say that just as the mobile space has evolved a great deal in the past several years, so has our outlook of it as a whole. It's as much about getting the platforms to work together as it is any one of them "winning." I think that's what we all took into tm13. And that's certainly what we got out of it.
We'll have an official announcement in the coming weeks, and you'll (hopefully) enjoy the fruits of our labor for a number of months the rest of the year. Those of us in this picture are just the front end. So many people have worked countless hours behind the scenes, and there's still a lot of work to be done. David Lundblad and Marcus Adolfsson and Rob Kao and the film crew and production folks. Our tech folks, whose work you see every day with little fanfare. And our husbands and wives and girlfriends and anyone else who support this ridiculously crazy and fun business and help us do what we do.
And to you folks reading this, too, for putting up with all the teasing. We really are excited about this. You'll be as much a part of it -- more, really -- than anyone else.
So thanks, everybody. Stay tuned. This is going to be fun.
No rest for the wicked ...
May is going to be a ridiculously busy month, too. We've got the Google I/O developer conference May 15-17 in San Francisco, and the spring CTIA event (the last one in this part of the year, actually) is the week after that.
One more round of applause ...
By the way, hats off to Alex Dobie for spearheading our Galaxy S4 review coverage. When we realized we'd have to review, write and edit all that the same week I'd be in New York for tm13, there was only one real option -- have our man in the UK hang out for a week in NYC. (And a nice assist from Anndrew Vacca on seeing which phone a few New Yorkers preferred.)
I think I even caught Alex enjoying himself once or twice.
And same goes for the guys back home, keeping up with the news while the rest of us were away.
Other odds and ends
We've always been pretty lax in our moderating of comments on the blog. Probably too lax. Not that it was ever acceptable before, but we're not going to allow comments like this to stand anymore. If we see them, they're gone. And the commenter likely will be, too. We're working on a new commenting system, and once that's up and rolling we'll have some more formal policies in place. But I'll make it easy: If your comment disappears and your account is suddenly inactive, ask yourself this simple question: "Was I a dick?"
I've been back on LTE full-time for the first time in what feels like forever. Battery life has come so far from when we first used LTEin early 2010.
Super LCD outdoors pretty much trumps everything.
There's so much awesome interaction going on in our forums right now. If every there's been a time to join in the discussion, it's now.
We're in the process of revamping our YouTube channel. If you've yet to subscribe, I'd recommend doing so.
Samsung Galaxy S4given a reparability score of 8 out of 10
The fellows over at iFixitgot their Samsung Galaxy S4, and that means it's time to tear shit apart. Unlike most folks who try to take good care of their expensive electronic toys, these people live to break them open and see what the innards look like. This go around, they found most things pretty easy to get to and replace, the front glass and panel being the exception. Here's their highlights:
Samsung Galaxy S4 Reparability Score: 8 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)
The battery can be replaced in seconds, without any tools.
Very easy to open and access internal components.
There are only 11 screws in the entire device, all standard Phillips 0 (no proprietary or security sizes).
Most of the smaller components are modular and can be replaced individually, but several of them are adhered in place, increasing replacement difficulty.
The glass is fused to both the display and the display frame, increasing repair costs.
You'll have to go through the entire phone in order to replace the front panel, since everything is built into the back of it.
The good news is that it looks easy enough to fix things if you ever need to. The bad news is that the part most likely to break, the glass, is the hardest part to replace. The sensible part is that most people will never do anything like this anyway.
It's still reassuring that someone, somewhere can fix your phone should you do somethingstupid or just have a string of bad luck. Unlike the HTC One, which was found pretty damn difficult to repair, the Galaxy S4 is one of the easy ones. Be sure to click the link below to see all the steps.
Long-awaited Black HTCOne makes an appearance, complete with a button to buy today
If you've been waiting for the HTC One in black, it looks like Sprint just put it up for sale about an hour ago. Of course it's the same One as the silver version, but it's black. A few people are concerned that these aren't shipping right away, but we see nothing to suggest that on Sprint's website -- for all intents and purposes it looks like they are ready to roll out the door.
Now who is going to be the guinea pig and order the first one and see when it ships? Hash it all out in the forums.
A factory restore image is your way back to stock when you need it the most, so be sure to grab it and keep it handy
HTC has posted the 1.29.1540.3factory restore images for the unlocked Developer Edition HTC One on the HTCdev site. Available in two flavors -- a zip file and a Windows RUU executable -- these files will allow anyone to restore their phone back to an out-of-the-box condition as long as there is access to the bootloader. That means no matter how bad you've screwed the system firmware up from monkeying around with it, you have an easy path back to stock settings. Then you can do it all over again.
Posting two different versions is pretty nice, too. The Windows only RUU is simple to use for folks running Windows (just plug in the phone and run the program), but not everyone uses Windows. For those folks who use a Mac or Linux computer, the zip file and fastboot makes it easy to go back without building a VM with Windows to do so.
Be aware that these images are only for the unlocked Developer Edition, so don't try to just flash them to your carrier model. Your favorite ROM developer will have something for you instead. It's recommended that everyone with one of the Developer Editionmodels have these files in a safe place "just in case", so grab the 980MB file at the link below.
France the first European country to have the device; South and Central America to follow
The LGOptimus F5, which is the first of the new F Series devices to be unveiled, is ready for a global debut following its unveiling at MWC in Barcelona. The device, which is targeted at a mid-range price point but still packing some high-end design and LTE, is set to be available in France starting April 29th with a whole host of countries in Central and South America as well as Asia to follow. The F5runs a Qualcomm 1.2GHz dual-core processor, has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, a 540x960 (qHD) 4.3-inch display, 5MP/1.3MP cameras and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. LG is also working hard to bring some of the interesting elements of the Optimus G down to these lower devices, with similar hardware design languages and UX improvements like QSlide and QTranslator.
Pricing and availability will of course vary depending on the market, but LG has high hopes for its new device lineups which cover several different price points and feature offerings. Between the G Series, LII Series and F Series, LG is hoping to cover more ground in every different kind of market. That being said, we still wouldn't expect these to hit the U.S. in their current form.
LG F5 MAKES ITS GLOBAL DEBUT
LGs Newest Smartphone Delivers Fast 4G LTE Performance with Advanced User Experience
SEOUL, April 28, 2013 Following its successful unveiling at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, the Optimus F5 the first device from LGs newest Optimus F Series will make its world debut starting in Europe on April 29. Launching initially in France, LG will roll out the Optimus F5 in South and Central America, Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) over the next several weeks.
The Optimus F Series is a new family of Android smartphones for consumers who are ready to experience the blazing speeds of 4G LTE without the high costs that normally go with such a device. As a key component of LGs strategy to make 4G smartphones as ubiquitous as they are fast, the Optimus F5 features LGs advanced LTE technology and enhanced user experience (UX) features.
As display size and battery life become increasingly important among smartphone consumers, the 1.2GHz Qualcomm Dual-Core Optimus F5 addresses user demands by featuring a 4.3-inch IPS display and a largest-in-class 2,150mAh battery. LG engineers designed the Optimus F5 to deliver longer battery life without creating a larger battery. And the 4.3-inch IPS display offers clear, lifelike images for a superior viewing experience.
The Optimus F5 includes the latest Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 operating system and the best of LGs innovative and exclusive UX features:
QSlide allows users to open multiple apps at the same time in full screen mode with the ability to change the size, position and transparency of the windows. Live Zooming lets users zoom in on videos so they can get a closer, detailed look at any specific area. Video Wiz lets users play movie director by giving them the power to edit videos and enhance them with sound and music right on the phone itself. QTranslator function instantly translates not only words, but also entire sentences and phrases by simply using the camera to scan the text. QTranslator accepts 44 different languages and can translate them into any one of 64 languages.
LG has consistently set the standard in the mobile industry with technology that com-plements, not complicates, users lives, said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. The Optimus F5 is a natural exten-sion of LGs lineup of strong LTE devices, offering the lightning-speed of 4G LTE and UX features of a premium phone. With the Optimus F5, were confident we can capture an untapped market of new and upgrading smartphone users who crave a feature-rich, LTE device.
Key Specifications: OS: Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 Processor: Qualcomm 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Display: 4.3-inch IPS (256 ppi) Battery: 2,150mAh Size: 126.04 x 64.46 x 9.30mm Memory: 8 GB / 1 GB RAM / microSD (up to 32GB) Camera: 5.0 MP AF Front / 1.3 MP Rear
One of the hottest phones of the year comes to two of the big four carriers in the states
We've all heard plenty about the Galaxy S4, and it seems like many of you have already made up your minds that the latest Galaxy device is indeed going to be your next smart phone purchase. Well today's the day if you're an AT&T or Sprint customer (or aspiring customer) to make it yours. Both carriers have the phone available in either "white frost" or "black mist", with 16GB of internal storage regardless of your color preference. Pricing is a touch different for each carrier, however.
If you are to order online, AT&T will be charging $199 on-contract for the S4, or $639 without a commitment. Sprint is looking like $149 on-contract if you're a new customer bringing your own number, or $249 for existing customers. Off-contract at Sprint is pegged at $599. As many are aware, there are often subtle pricing differences depending on the store you visit and the standing of your account, so it may be worth it to walk into a store today and find out. Pulled the trigger on one of these today? Many already have. Be sure to join the discussion in the forums.
Comment and win a Lloyd t-shirt. It couldn't be easier!
It's been a busy week around here. Galaxy S4 stuff coming down like rain, Phil abandoning us being in New York for tm13 ninja secret shenanigans, and I'm out of coffee. That means it's time to relax a bit -- and give away t-shirts!
There are comments below. Or there will be. Your job is to talk about whatever you want to talk about (without getting out of line -- you know better). Discuss Android if you want to, or talk about the Red Sox if that's your thing. Just let if flow.
Tonight at midnight Eastern time, I'll close the comments and pick 5 of them at random. If I pick your comment, I'll shoot you an email asking where I should send a free Lloyd t-shirt. Make sure the email you used to register for the site is legit, and go.
Your weekly look at the apps we're using from day to day
You probably know it by this point, but every week we take just a little time for each of the Android Central writers to show off one of the apps they've been using on their own device in the previous week. They may not be the most popular or well-known, but they work for us, and we think that merits letting the readers know about them as well.
Another great random assortment of apps awaits you after the break, so stick around and see how we did with our picks this week.
Sean Brunett - Scam School
Im a big fan of Brian Brushwoods podcast on Revision 3, Scam School. Its basically Brian teaching people different tricks each episode, which are possible to learn just by watching the videos. The app is done very well and makes the experience of browsing and watching the Scam School videos very nice. The apps home screen displays the most recent episode and allows you to watch it Small, Large or in HD (be aware if youre on a strict data plan). You will also see a summary of the episode and any comments by fellow Scam School addicts. In addition to accessing the latest episode, you can browse through the back catalog. The app has a great UI and is a pleasure to navigate. Highly recommended for fans of Scam School, trickery Brian Brushwood.
Download: Scam School (Free)
Casey Rendon - Sixaxis Controller (root)
Playing games on an Android tablet is one of the best ways to kill time (which Ive found especially true during my long flights recently). Using on screen controls can make intense games frustrating, and they limit the number of players to just one. Those with rooted devices can use up to 4 PlayStation controllers at the same time with the Sixaxis Controller app. Setup requires a one-time USB connection to a computer to manually pair each controller, but after that only a Bluetooth connection is needed. For devices on Android 3.1 and up, pairing can be done directly with Android via USB. Nothing beats the feel and accuracy of a honest-to-goodness controller, making this app more than worth the small price of admission. While some devices support USB OTG and can use a PS3 controller through a wired connection, I prefer this method as it allows for multiplayer as well as marathon gaming sessions since I can charge my tablet and use a controller simultaneously. Make sure to test your device using the Sixaxis Compatibility Checker before buying.
Download: Sixaxis Controller ($2.53)
Simon Sage - House of the Dead Overkill
A classic, rowdy shoot-em-up made the leap to mobile this week. House of the Dead Overkill was originally an over-the-top first-person shooting game for the Wii which featured ridiculous dialog, big guns, and lots of zombies to kill (again). As you rack up the in-game currency, you can upgrade your weapons and snag power-ups to make the most of your shooting spree. There's a three-part story mode to enjoy, or you can have a go at the non-stop survival mode. Accelerometer and virtual pad controls are both supported, with a tap-enabled mode unlockable through gameplay. If you're looking for an unabashed splatterfest with B-movie film grain and a swaggery 70s soundtrack, try out House of the Dead Overkill.
Download: House of the Dead Overkill ($4.99)
Jerry Hildenbrand - Power Toggles
If you're using a phone without quick toggles in the notification area, this one's for you. There's nothing fancy going on, just a row (or two rows if you like) of toggles for your notification shade, and they're fully customizable. Pick from quick settings like Wifi, rotation or Bluetooth, system shortcuts or a shortcut to any application installed on your phone. You can also set the background and the color of all three button states or replace the buttons with your own images. It works on any phone running Gingerbread or higher, and it's completely free.
Download: Power Toggles (Free)
Andrew Martonik - Paper Toss 2.0
Considering it has been around in some form since mid 2009, there are few people out there who haven't heard of Paper Toss before. If you haven't, the concept is about as simple as it gets -- toss the paper into the trash can as efficiently as possible to rack up a high score. The new version of the game, "Paper Toss 2.0", takes the original and steps up the animations considerably, along with adding new items to throw and new levels to keep things interesting. It's one of those games that is pure mindless entertainment, and never really gets old.
I probably don't want to admit how many hours have been spent on the original version of this game, and I'll probably feel the same way about 2.0 if you ask me in a couple of months. But that just shows how much fun a simple game like Paper Toss 2.0 can be.
Download: Paper Toss 2.0 (Free)
Happen to miss previous editions of our weekly app picks? You can check them out right here. Our continuing weekly app coverage can also be seen right here as well.
Is it just reference hardware for Facebook Home, or a true candidate for your next smartphone purchase?
There are few things in the mobile industry that have been constant over the last few years, but one that has is the rumor of a mythical "Facebook Phone." The idea of a phone that could only interact with people and services around Facebook didn't make a whole lot of sense to most people -- and apparently it didn't make much sense to Facebook itself either. Because rather than a proper Facebook Phone, at a press conference on April 4th we were given this, the HTC First.
In many ways the First itself isn't supposed to be the big story. You wouldn't be alone for thinking it is simply a hardware platform to show off what seems to be Facebook's true end-game -- the Facebook Home software. There are far more users in the world that own one of the recent flagships from HTCor Samsung that will install Home from the Play Store than there are who will buy (or even be aware of) the First. This realization certainly calls into question why Facebook even bothered to have its own phone made in the first place.
So does Facebook actually care about the success of the First, or did it ask HTC to throw together a cheap device from the parts bin to show off Home at the press conference? After spending some time with the device, we think it may be a bit more substantial than that. There are a whole lot of intriguing aspects of the First that may just have you considering it as your next device.
You just can't beat the quality of HTC's recent screens, especially at such a high pixel density. The First is a refreshing step down to a form factor you can actually operate in one hand, and the understated industrial design looks great toour eyes. Even with less than bleeding edge specs, the First performs extremely well in daily use. If you don't like Facebook Home, a relatively clean version of Android 4.1 awaits you underneath.
Facebook Home just isn't going to work long-term for a vast majority of users, and it's a relief that it can be turned off. The speaker and vibration motor quality remind you that some corners were cut to save costs on the hardware. We can live with capacitive keys, but there is no reason in 2013 to have a hardware Menu key on your Android device. Camera quality is better than average, but isn't going to blow your socks off.
Considering that Facebook Home can be completely disabled, the HTC First may be the decently -spec'd 4.3-inch device that many users have been clamoring for. But ifthe improved ergonomics of a smaller device aren't a driving factor in your smart phone buying decision, there are likely better ways to spend your $100 on-contract at AT&T. If you're indifferent on screen size and simply want a well-designed andsolid performing phone, the First may be just what you're looking for.
Inside this review
More info
Hardware
Software
Cameras
Bottom line
HTC First Forum
HTC First hardware
Under that smooth and uniform exterior, there's some pretty respectable specs to make note of. Powering the First is a Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.4GHz, which is of course lower on the totem pole than the 600 and 800 but shouldn't be written off so easily. It is accompanied by 1GB of RAM, a non-removable 2000 mAh battery and 16GB of internal storage. We're looking at a 720x1280 SuperLCD 3 display at 4.3-inches, and for cameras we have a 5MP shooter out back and 1.6MP looking forward. We'll break down those last two specs a bit later.
Build Quality
The industrial design of the First absolutelyscreams HTC.
The entire device is a solid piece of standard polycarbonate, very reminiscent of other HTC devices from 2012. We were lucky enough to have our hands on a snappy red model (there are also white, blue and black options), which adds a bit of flair to the otherwise basic design. The entire phone is the same thickness, with an evenly rounded edge around the entire perimeter. As you would expect, the fit-and-finish of the materials is top-notch.
The solid piece of polycarbonate is only broken in a few places -- starting on the left side with a rather clicky volume rocker. The right side houses a microUSBport next to a micro SIM card slot. Up top you'll find a secondary microphone, along with the equally clickypower button and 3.5mm headphone jack. The bottom has another HTC staple of design, the precision-drilled speaker grille. All of the buttons fall in just the right places, although we can't say we're the biggest fans of side-positioned USB ports. Considering the smaller size of the First, a top-mounted power button is completely acceptable as well.
The entire back of the device is a perfectly flat surface, broken only by the 5MP camera and accompanying flash in the top left corner. A few logos for HTC, Facebook and AT&T are stenciled on the bottom in a deeper shade of red, and can easily be missed if you're not looking for them. Much like the overall size of the First, the back plate design is a refreshing exercise in minimalism. There's no weird texture, pattern, camera pod or design features to get in your way here.
Click images to view larger versions
Flipping over to the front of the First reveals a 1.6MP front-facing camera to the top left of the screen, along with a hidden set of sensors and LED notification light on the top right. There's an extremely small speaker grille at the top of the phone where the polycarbonate meets the screen glass. Down at the bottom you'll find capacitive Back, Home and Menu keys. While this isn't the smallest bezel in the world, we think it's an appropriate size because the phone is so small overall. The only two shortcomings we could find in terms of hardware on the First are the speaker and vibration motor. While the speaker was loud, it seemed to be tinny and distort quickly at higher volumes. The vibration motor also didn't give a solid "full phone" feedback that we like, and just sounds cheap when it spins.
We have to say that the First is an oddly appealing device -- both in the hand and on the table. We're not sure if its the build materials or nostalgia for a time when phones could actually be used in one hand, but from a hardware standpoint the First is just downright nice to use. We seem to say it time and time again, but you feel like HTC is just miles ahead of every other manufacturer when it comes to build quality.
Display
What else is there to say? This screen is gorgeous.
HTC has been knocking it out of the park with its displays for the last couple of years now, and theSuperLCD3 panel on the First is no exception. As we've come to expect with displays from HTC, color reproduction is nearly spot-on. Viewing angles are also great, with very little distortion of colors or clarity even at the most extreme angles. The720x1280 resolution at 4.3-inches creates an acceptably high 341 ppi, and translates into images and text that are crisp and don't have any noticeable grain or jagged edges. If you're seeing individual pixels on a display this dense, you're probably using a microscope.
You won't be disappointed by any aspect of this screen.
Radios
The HTC First has all of the radios and sensors you would expect. Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, accelerometer, NFC and several more are all on-board. The First runs on AT&T's LTE network, with a fall-back to the slower but plenty acceptable HSPA network when you're outside of LTE coverage.
Battery life
Battery life is extremely subjective depending on your usage, but in our own time with the device we came away more than impressed with how it performed. The 2000mAhnon-removable battery held up well to my daily usage, in which I usually spend about 90-percent of my time in a strong Wifisignal, in the middle of the city with a strong cellular signal as well. So while this isn't exactly torture testing, I had no issues going an entire day (and thensome) on the First.
Keeping that SuperLCD 3 screen cranked up in brightness (like at maximum when outdoors) will certainly hurt battery a bit, but we don't think you'll have to be worried about battery life on this device otherwise.As you can see in the picture above, if you let the device idle on your desk with little "screen on" time, it will literally last for days.
HTC First software
Much digital ink has been spilled talking about Facebook Home over the past few weeks since its announcement. Instead of re-hashing everything that's been said, we're happy to point you towards our greatly in-depth coverage that has spilled across Android Central as of late:
How to install Facebook Home on your current Android smartphone
Which Android smartphones can get Facebook Home?
Your guide to Facebook Home
How to uninstall Facebook Home from your current phone
Launcher and interface
The Facebook Home experience on the First is nearly identical to that of the experience when you install it from the Play Store on any other supported device. If you've spent any considerable amount of time with Home then you may have come to the same conclusion as we have -- this just isn't a long-term viable launcher option for most people. While the interface and overall design are snappy and well done, usability of basic functions on your phone are seriously hindered when Home is your default launcher.
Cover Feed is beautiful and a nice way to make your phone feel more "alive", but what you'll quickly find is that the thing its best at is keeping you from getting to your apps and services. Instead of being able to unlock your phone and jump into apps, you're now at least one or more steps away from getting to your browser, email, music, calendar and maps. The apps that you use most are now harder to access, and something about that just rubs us the wrong way after a while.
Home on the First luckily does a nice job of integrating your notifications on top of Cover Feed, which is a great feature if you choose to keep the status bar turned off (which it is by default). In typical Jelly Bean fashion you can swipe them away, or tap to enter the apps. They aren't expandable or actionable, however. And if youdochoose to have the status bar displayed, the notifications appear in both places.
But again, when you get back to a daily routine -- which for most people involves using a handful of apps regularly -- Facebook Home just feels like it is getting in the way. The First unfortunately lacks a multitasking navigation button, which just adds to the frustration. The only way to switch between apps in this current version of Home is to hit the home button, swipe up to go back to your app drawer, then select your next app. It feels slow once you've gotten used to a one-touch (or even long-press) multitasking key on another device.
We think that even for the most diehard Facebook users out there, the limitations of Home when it comes to getting anything except browsing Cover Feed done are going to outweigh the simplified user interface. In its initial release, Home feels best suited as a lock screenreplacement, not as your default launcher.
Turning off Facebook Home
We're reluctant to let issues with Facebook Home get in the way of our general liking of the First itself, however. Because with just a few taps through the Home settings you can actually turn it completely off, revealing a standardAndroid 4.1.2 launcher and interface. Now we're not going to call this "stock Android" or a "Nexus", because well... it isn't. There are still things when you step into the settings menu and start messing around that have certainly seen changes from AT&T.
But it's darn close, and we tend to think that the standard Android interface provides a great user experience, no matter what hardware it's on. On top of the interface working better from a usability standpoint, it actually performs well also. Everything is just as fast and fluid as you would expect on a modern device with little manufacturer or carrier customization. The software doesn't bug you to turn Home back on, or re-enable it on a reboot -- you have complete control over it just like any other launcher. If you choose to turn off Facebook Home, this is basically a whole new device.
Using the First with Facebook Home turned off is actually a real joy, and we think it deserves more than just a couple of paragraphs within the review. Keep an eye on the site in the coming days for a more in-depth look at using the First without Facebook Home.
Bundled apps
For an AT&T phone, Facebook has kept things extremely clean. It pre-loads the Facebook and Instagram apps, naturally, along with just a couple of AT&T apps for managing your account and viewing visual voicemail. AT&T has also pre-loaded its WIfi hotspot software, which seemed to continually bug us about joining Wifi hotspots, even when we had turned it off through the advanced Wifi settings menu.
Performance and usability
It's certainly not giving enough credit to the internals of the First to call it "mid-range". With a Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM, you're not going to see any slowdown using this phone even in the most demanding of apps and games. While benchmarks may tell a different story (different doesn't mean accurate), don't be worried about the performance on the First just because it has a Snapdragon 400 instead of a 600 or 800 on board. In daily use of switching between apps, keeping up on texts, calls and email while listening to podcastsand browsing the web, the First performed fantastically.
HTC First cameras
The First has HTC'sstaple middle-tier camera sensor. We're looking at its usual 5MPshooter with BSI (Backside Illumination), an f/2.0 aperture, auto focus and ability to record 1080p video.
Daytime pictures
Much has been made about how the First has a less than stellar camera, but we can't say that it's been the case in our time with the device. Considering that you're using a standard 5MP camera with no additional software support (just a stock Android 4.1 camera interface), photos are actually quite good. In the daytime, where most cameras perform just fine, the First does above average in terms of clarity and color reproduction. The dynamic range isn't as high as you'd hope, and while some macro shots looked a bit washed out, we never had issues getting the shot we wanted out of the First.
One thing that will improve your shots dramatically is using tap-to-focus, which will help the camera meter properly and set the exposure for where you've tapped. Because there's no HDR option on the First, you may have to use tap-to-focus and manual exposure options more often than on other devices.
Click images to open full res in new window
Low-light pictures
At night, the First again performed better than most of the rumblings would lead you to believe. Pictures certainly weren't stellar, but take any modern smart phone off the shelf and you'll experience the same issues as we found here when shooting at night. We found the white balance to look a bit warmer than we'd like, but it's not out of the range of what we'd consider "normal" for night shots. For the 99% of pictures from the First that will end up on Instagram or Facebook, the camera performed just fine at night. Keep a steady hand and choose your shots wisely and you won't be disappointed.
Click images to open full res in new window
Video
As we noted above, the First records 1080p video, although it is set to 720p by default to save on storage. Because we're dealing with the stock Jelly Bean camera app, you get the usual set of effects and simple tweaks for your video. Video quality seems plenty good at 1080p, but we wouldn't be surprised if people just kept it set to720p to save on data when uploading to their social networks.
Front camera
The front-facing camera on the First is a 1.6MP sensor with 720p video capability, and looks pretty good for your quick still shots and video calls. The rear camera is clearly going to do your mug better justice, though. With the camera being so far off to the left side of the phone, it really reminds us that we would prefer if more manufacturers considered center-mounted front-facing cameras. Considering that on the First the front speaker grille is so small and that the camera assembly on the back is pushed off to one side, we have to think there would have been some possibility to center-mount the front-facer. It's little things like this that can win over consumers when they first play with a device.
The bottom line
The HTC First certainly has a lot more going for it than is apparent at first glance. The internal specs pack more of a punch than you would assume given its price category, and the shell wrapped around those components feels great in the hand. The screen size of 4.3-inches is a refreshing sight, and one that is extremely crisp thanks to HTC's great screen technology.Because Facebook Home can be completely disabled, revealing a clean version of Android 4.1, it's hard to recommend against the First on any single point.
Those looking for the absolute latest, greatest, biggest and fastest device (while it may be a fool's errand in today's smart phone market) will have to look elsewhere, but don't do so before picking up the First and using it for a few minutes.If instead you have been longing for a powerful, affordable and one-hand usable device, the First may have just ticked all of the boxes for you.
happened to leak something a bit too early. If that wasn't enough for you, consider also that the tweet in question has been found and pointed out by Jonathan Gottfried, who made the first unofficial Twitter client for Glass called "GlassTweet".
The front-facing camera on the First is a 1.6MP sensor with 720p video capability, and looks pretty good for your quick still shots and video calls. The rear camera is clearly going to do your mug better justice, though. With the camera being so far off to the left side of the phone, it really reminds us that we would prefer if more manufacturers considered center-mounted front-facing cameras. Considering that on the First the front speaker grille is so small and that the camera assembly on the back is pushed off to one side, we have to think there would have been some possibility to center-mount the front-facer. It's little things like this that can win over consumers when they first play with a device.
