HTC to miss self-imposed HTC One Android 4.4 release - androidandme.com

The HTC One Android 4.4 update is rolling out to unlocked handsets across Europe, but owners of carrier-branded handsets in the U.S. will not be getting the update by the end of January as Previously promised. Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas Announced yesterday afternoon That HTC hopes That carrier certification of the update will be completed soon and that “It Should not be more than one to two weeks to complete each of the carrier version of the HTC One. “

HTC has been very transparent about the Android 4.4 update process for the HTC One and a few other of its handsets in the U.S.. Delayed software updates are not the type of news consumers typically want to hear, but HTC should get some credit for having an open conversation about the status of the One’s Android 4.4 update before its self-imposed deadline expired.

How do you think HTC has been action the Android 4.4 update process for its lineup?

Nick is a tech enthusiast who has a soft spot for HTC and its devices. He started

(the first HTC blog) back in 2007 and later joined the Android and Me family in the summer of of 2010.

Lenovo's Motorola Mobility purchase seals HTC's fate - ZDNet

Summary: There will be two giants in the Android ecosystem: Samsung and Lenovo. That reality means smaller players like HTC are going to struggle even morethan They do today.

Lenovo’s move to buy Motorola Mobility from Google in a deal valued at $ 2.91 billion is likely to spur an Android ecosystem consolidation wave Because smaller players Are not going to have the scale to compete.

Lenovo buys Google’s handset business, U.S. plan for $ 2.91 billion

For Google, it’s still all about the patents

Google’s Motorola Mobility detour: Running the numbers

The first casualty in this consolidation wave is likely to be HTC.

For Google, one advantage of selling Motorola to Lenovo for $ 2.91 billion Is that it Creates two big dogs in the Android ecosystem: Samsung and Lenovo. Lenovo has the scale to compete with Samsung Eventually. Today, Lenovo is working on its supply chain efficiencies as it tackles emerging markets. If Google did not create another Android giant it would rely too much on the Samsung.

Also: HTC’s revenue Slide Continues as Q4 ends with December thud

Without Lenovo, the Android ecosystem would be suffered by Samsung, Which dominates and a bevy of smaller players like ZTE That can make some noise, but not enough to really diversify the hardware landscape.

HTC looked like it was going to be an Android player for a while, but its Recent sales have been abysmal. HTC’s One product portfolio has promise, but does not have the sales.

Assuming HTC isn’ta going to have a miracle turnaround, I only see the Following options:

1. Sell out to another rival, say Lenovo.
2. Keep fighting a war That it’ll ultimately lose, but go for one miracle designed to save the day to put off the inevitable.
3. Go back to its roots as a company That makes smartphones and designs for partners.

In any case, there isn’ta a clear path for HTC. A bulked up Lenovo in smartphones will pressure HTC, Which is alreadycreated squeezed by Samsung and a host of Chinese rivals with inexpensive handsets.

It’s game over for HTC. It’s just a matter of time.

HTC One Android 4.4.2 update now available in Europe - androidandme.com

HTC One owners in Russia, Slovakia, Romania and a few other countries in northern Europe are reporting That the Android 4.4.2 update is now available For their unlocked phones. The 308.24MB, 4.19.401.8 build packs in NFC Tap & Pay, cloud printing and Bluetooth profiles alongwith security enhancements and a few minor bug fixes.

Unfortunately, there is one feature That has been removed from the HTC One with the latest update: Flash support in the HTC browser. The browser has been updated to use the Chromium engine, Which does not come with built-in support for Flash. Those who still have a need for Flash can download the Firefox browser and sideload the Flash APK. HTC has overpriced changed the battery icon to white, something we expect to see more of going forward: a few Android developers say That it’s a Google-mandated UI element that’s Necessary for Android 4.4.2 certification.

The Android 4.4.2 update for the unlocked HTC One will Gradually make its way to more countries across Europe and Asia. Carrier-branded version of the HTC One in the U.S. are documents currently undergoing certification testing, but HTC seems confident That Those handsets will receive the KitKat update before the end of January.

Nick is a tech enthusiast who has a soft spot for HTC and its devices. He started

(the first HTC blog) back in 2007 and later joined the Android and Me family in the summer of of 2010.

Android 4.4 Update Arrives KitKat: HTC One Rollout Begins In Europe, AT & T ... - International Business Times

UPDATE : The AT & T HTC One X has begun updating to Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Original story: The Android 4.4 KitKat update has arrived right on time for Several HTC One models in Europe. Since the Halloween introduction of Android 4.4, HTC has promised it would begin rollouts for the HTC One in late January. The Increasingly Transparent HTC has overpriced been keeping the public updated with its progress with Android 4.4, having recently reported That the firmware is now in the hands of U.S. carriers. U.S. HTC One models have not yet Begun to update to Android 4.4, but it is common for European models of HTC devices to update first.

HTC One users in Latvia, Finland, Norway, Romania, the Czech Republic, Russia and Spain have all reported That Android 4.4 is now hitting Their handsets. The 308MB, 4.19.401.8 build, over-the-air Android 4.4.2 update includes Such improvements as security enhancements, cloud print service and new Bluetooth profiles, According To the on-screen changelog being shared by HTC One users who have received the update. In addition, new features on Android 4.4 include “immersive fashion,” a full emoji keyboard, and the messages / Google handout integration, among many others. HTC has overpriced Implemented its Sense 5.5 UI overlay for this update, while support for Adobe Flash in the stock HTC Web browser has been removed due to Android incompatibility.

With the HTC One Android 4.4 update now available, developers have quickly created an OTA zip file for users to flash the update manually.

Other HTC Updates

Meanwhile, an HTC executive has Announced That the AT & T HTC One X has been Approved for an Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update, Which is expected to roll out on Wednesday. HTC never MENTIONED any plans to update the nearly 2-year-old HTC One X, while it has long Announced approximate system release schedules for the HTC One, HTC One Mini and HTC One Max as well as the Droid DNA and the HTC Desire 601 . But the HTC One X is not the only handset to stealthily receive Android 4.2.2. The HTC One X + overpriced Began updating a little over one week ago and has received Such improvements as Sense 5.0, NFC various fixes and fixes to the AT & T address book. Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean is expected to roll out on only the AT & T models of the HTC One X and HTC One X +. Thus far, no indication of the update rolling out On the HTC One X has surfaced.

The HTC Butterfly is overpriced documents currently updating to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with the Sense fifth UI.

Are you an HTC One owner in Europe? Has your handset updated to Android 4.4 KitKat? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow me on Twitter, FionnaatIBT .

HTC One owners to get KitKat this week - ZDNet

Summary: The three-month wait for HTC to deliver KitKat to its flagship device Should be over this week.

HTC One owners in the U.S. with carrier-tied devices Should see an over the air update That delivers Android 4.4.2 (aka KitKat) this week.

The wait for KitKat is nearly over for HTC One owners. Nearly exactly three months after Google released KitKat, HTC has hit the final stage in its schedule for Distributing KitKat to HTC One.

“HTC One owners, final KitKat software has entered carrier labs for final testing and expect certification next week,” HTC America said via Twitter late last week.

HTC’s KitKat update status page (for U.S. customers only) shows KitKat has hit the “certification” stage for HTC One devices on AT & T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

HTC America’s KitKat schedule. Credit: HTC.

Next in line for KitKat and documents currently at “integration” are the HTC One mini on AT & T, and the HTC One up on Sprint and Verizon. KitKat for HTC’s Droid DNA on Verizon is overpriced at the final “certification” stage of release, while the HTC Desire 601 on Virgin Mobile is at inclusion.

KitKat Should overpriced be rolling out to UK owners of the HTC One this week, in line with HTC’s announcement lastyear That Highest there should get KitKat with HTC’s Sense 5.5 UI from the end of January.

ZDNet is awaiting confirmation from HTC UK That its KitKat rollout is on schedule.

HTC loading month disappointed owners of the HTC One’s 2012 predecessor – the HTC One X and One X + – with newsthat Android 4.2.2 would be the end of the road For those devices.

Google’s distribution figures for Android Show That 1.4 percent of devices That hit Google’s Play Store in the week to January 8 were KitKat – up from 1.1 percent in the first week of December During its first month of availability. Jellybean (4.1 to 4.3) is still the most widely-deployed version, accounting for around 59 percent of all Android devices.

More on KitKat

Moto G Becomes first non-Nexus to get KitKat in the UK

More stable KitKat-based CyanogenMod arrives for 65 devices

KitKat powering 1.4 percent of Android devices

No. KitKat for HTC One X and X +

HTC M8 release date: leaked wallpaper; new device could have 1080p display ... - Christian Today

(@ evleaks)

Tech leaker @ evleaks has posted a wallpaper That is supposedly part of the new set of wallpapers for the upcoming HTC One device, codenamed M8.

The original image tweeted by @ evleaks was hosted on Google Docs and of Greater interest than the wallpaper itself is the fact That it points to a 1080p display.

This echoes the predictions of the HTC One followers so far who are expecting the M8 to come with a 1080 x 1920 display.

PhoneArena Explains the significance of the leaked wallpaper succinctly: “There’s nothing too exciting about the wallpaper itself, but the original image – hosted on Google Docs – has 2160 x 1920 pixels.

“As you May know, this is exactly the pixel resolution of scrollable wallpapers made for 1080p Android smartphones. Ergo, the M8 Should be a 1080p device.”

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The launch date of the follow up to the HTC One has not yet been Announced by the company, nor has the name even been confirmed. It’s doing the rumor rounds as the M8 but could be called the HTC One + or simply the HTC One second Who knows.

If HTC follows the timetable for the HTC One’s release, the next flagship smartphone for the Taiwanese company could be debuting around March time. It could be overpriced February though, so our eyes are peeled.

It’s likely the M8 will run on Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0 UI, powered by a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

The image of a case leaked by Sonny Dickson (Sonny Dickson)

The device is predicted to have a 5-inch touchscreen panel and a dual-sensor Ultra Pixel camera to the rear.

There is some speculation That HTC May even be preparing two models for release this year after the HTC M8X was Approved by the Indonesian Piece That certifies telecommunication and radio gear, Postel. It’s not clear Whether That is the same device or a variant of the M8.

Last week, Sonny Dickson posted some pictures Claiming to Show a case for the HTC M8, featuring a larger cut out presumably for the camera, as well as to holes close to the top of the device, Which May be for the speaker or a small fingerprint scanner.

Sonny Dickson was behind a series of leaks around last year’s iPhone releases and tends to pretty accurate, as does @ evleaks. We are waiting with baited breath!

Android 4.4 KitKat Update: HTC One Rollout Coming Soon? HTC Say's firmware ... - International Business Times

The Android 4.4 KitKat update for HTC One carrier models Appears to be right on schedule as HTC has Announced That the update has now been passed on to mobile networks for certification.

The Increasingly Transparent HTC reported plans to rollout Android 4.4 to the HTC One carrier models around late-January. Now that the end of January is approaching the Taiwanese manufacturer says network lab testing Should be complete by next week. In addition to a Twitter announcement, HTC has overpriced revised its software update page, Indicating That the AT & T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon HTC One models are now in the certification phase of the Android update schedule.

In December, HTC released its ‘anatomy of an Android update’ info-graphic detailing the evaluation, development, integration, testing / certification, and push-to-customer phases of devices receiving a new Android system version. At That Time, HTC One carrier models were at the integration phase, meaning HTC was Adding its own branded software (such as the HTC Sense UI) to the stock Android firmware received from Google. Now, During The test / certification phase software builds are tested for bugs and fixes are Implemented into new builds.

Once this phase is complete, carriers will begin to rollout its respectively over-the-air updates, whichcould take days, weeks or even months Depending on the mobile network’s discretion. But models Should receive Their updates around the expected time. Notably When HTC One carrier models Began receiving the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update, the Sprint model updated in early October, while the AT & T and T-Mobile models updated in mid-October and the Verizon model updated in mid-December. HTC is sure to alert the public of any postponements of the Android 4.4 update.

Several other HTC devices are overpriced on schedule to receive the Android 4.4 update. Currently the HTC One Mini, HTC One Max and HTC Desire 601 are in the integration phase of the update, while the Droid DNA is in the certification phase, meaning it’s update is overpriced imminent.

Are you glad that the Android 4.4 update for KitKat HTC One carrier models is near? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow me on Twitter, FionnaatIBT .

HTC Desire 700 dual-SIM hands-on - GSMArena.com (blog)

If you’re a fan of HTC’s flagship One but can not afford the hefty price tag, then we’ve got something special for you. The HTC Desire 700 dual-SIM takes after its flagship counterpart’s, and as the name suggests, even has dual-SIM capabilities thrown into.

The Desire 700 dual-SIM sports a design that was Clearly inspired by the HTC One, only instead of a premium aluminum body the Desire 700 opts for plastic. The latters is unfortunately quite smudge-prone due to its glossiness, and the specs overpriced cases short of HTC’s flagship, but the device is more than just a follower in the footsteps of greatness.

The front camera is the same wide-angle 2.1 MP shooter and at the back there’s a 8 MP camera with regular-sized (read. note Ultra) pixels. There’s overpriced a single LED flash.

As usual we’ve come up with a video rundown of the device for your viewing pleasure.

The front of the Desire 700 Retains the dual speaker layout and we’re happy to say That both speakers sound deep and great – more on actual sound in the review, though. The screen has moved up from 4.7 “to 5″ but has moved down from FullHD to qHD (540 x 960) resolution. The processor is overpriced inferior to the One’s quad-core Snapdragon 600 – in this case there are four 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 cores, 1GB of RAM and a Mali-400 GPU for graphics.

The Desire 700 is noticeably bigger than the HTC One thanks to having a Wider screen diagonal but Retaining the big bezels around it – especially over and above the display due to the front-mounted speakers. The back panel ice removable and gives access to the 2100 mAh battery and the two SIM slots – there’s overpriced expandable storage by way of a microSD card slot, Which the One sadly lacked. The internal storage of the Desire 700 is overpriced considerably lower at 8 GB.

HTC Desire 700 dual

Software-wise the Desire 700 runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and Corresponding Sense 5 overlay instead of the One’s Android 4.3 and Sense 5.5. What you’re missing Compared to the flagship’s software are quick toggles in the notification area and some under the hood work optimizations, Which the Desire 700 Should at somepoint catch up to.

It’s a money conscious move – the Desire 700 ice Aimed somewhere at the midrange segment, while the One is Clearly the top dog. This does not make the Desire 700 all bad either – it’s a reasonable device, Which Runs very smooth and not only looks like its better-equipped sibling but acts like it too.

Test: HTC Desire 500 - Mobile

There are very few things that reveal that the HTC Desire 500 is a budget phone you can get for under 2 000. When you compare the phone with others, it is of course easy to look at the flagship HTC One and certainly there are similarities. More interesting, however, may be to look at other phones in the same price range and where stands the HTC Desire 500 out primarily through the design and details, but also by the software customizations that both HTC One of Desire 500 may receive.

Wink Feed called what is perhaps one of the flagship of HTC’s software customizations. When I see the function of others’ phones I find it difficult to see the benefits of it. There is a flow of news and other, primarily from social media, but when you activate the service itself, well that’s when you see greatness. You choose the settings which tasks you want to show up and there are besides calendar and a variety of news sources, including social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. Once you put in your account information is then updated home screen automatically with relevant images, videos and other postings that suits you.

This works really smoothly and is also well integrated with the apps themselves. A click on one of the posts of Facebook takes you to examples directly to the post in Facebookappen so that you can like or comment if you like it. This feature is thus the same as in HTC’s flagship product HTC One, but with a price of less than half as must of course HTC save on something when doing Desire 500th Particularly clearly seen, it is not. The material of the phone is plastic instead of metal, but detail the feeling is still good. The small holes for the speakers contribute to the feeling that HTC cares about even the smallest detail and the durability is reassuring. The phone stands up very well when you look and compare with the phones in the same price range and it feels as though Desire 500 simply gives much phone for the money. That feeling has been even when using the phone, for noticing, for example, that it would be cumbersome or slow to react. On the contrary, everything’s on very well.

addition to the flow in the initial screen does HTC Sense interface that is above the ordinary Android phone has several unique features. In the photo gallery you can for instance browse even among images stored on Facebook almost as easily as you scroll around the images available on the phone.

HTC One will get KitKat certification in the U.S. next week - Engadget

Eighty-four days. That’s how long it’s been since HTC Announced its intent to bring Android 4.4 KitKat to all North American versions of the One within 90 days. With just six days left to go on the countdown, HTC just tweeted on its U.S. account That the final software has finally entered the hallowed carrier labs for testing and will be certified (and, we hope, rolled out) sometime next week. Of course, the process is now Essentially under the control of individual mobile operators, so let’s hope That They do not make liars out of HTC – we’ve had Friday circled on our calendars Sense for quite sometime now.

Comments

Android 4.4 KitKat for HTC One hits U.S. carriers, documents currently awaiting ... - Phandroid.com

Huzzah! HTC One owners in the U.S. are being treated to a bit of good news today. According To HTC’s Twitter page, the manufacturer has alreadycreated handed off their Sensified version of Android KitKat for the HTC One to Verizon, AT & T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, where it is currently undergoing inspection. If all goes well, expect certification by as early as next week . Eegad

Oh, and you’ll notice the HTC DROID DNA is overpriced in line to receive KitKat and documents currently undergoing certification (check towards the bottom of HTC’s list).

[HTC | via Twitter]

Continue reading on the HTC One forums, see the specs, or find news and reviews.

3G patent disputed by Apple, HTC and Nokia upheld by European Patent Office - Macworld UK

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• 3G patent disputed by Apple, HTC and Nokia upheld by European Patent Office

The European Patent Office (EPO) has upheld a narrowed version of a patent on 3G technology at the heart of Several legal disputes in Germany, an EPO spokesman said Thursday.

village Loek Essers , IDG News Service 8 hours ago

The European Patent Office (EPO) has upheld a narrowed version of a patent on 3G technology at the heart of Several legal disputes in Germany, an EPO spokesman said Thursday.

By upholding the patent, Which its owner IPCom has’ declared essential to 3G standards, the EPO rejected claims from Nokia, HTC, Apple, Ericsson and Vodafone, Which opposed the patent, the spokesman said.

The EPO had Previously denied a Broader version of the patent, but on Wednesday upheld IPCom’s narrower redrafting of it, According To the EPO spokesman. The decision can be appealed, but it is not yet clear Whether thatwill happen, he said.

The Patent Describes the allocation of network access via the so-called Random Access Channel (RACH), allo wing handsets access to the networks of the various mobile telecommunications providers, IPCom said, in a news release. “As such, it is standard-essential within the UMTS and LTE standards, and its use is mandatory,” it said.

standard essential patents (SEPs) are patents That the owner deems essential to the implementation of Industry Standards. Companies That declare Their patents as standards-essential, are USUALLY required to license them on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Would-be licensees, however, thwart disagree about what constitutes a reasonable licensing fee.

The technology described in the IPCom patents, originally developed by Bosch, ice Particularly important for the emergency services and police, since it can give them priority access to networks in emergencies, even if the networks are overloaded, According To IPCom.

IPCom said smartphones made by Nokia, HTC and others documents currently deviate from the UMTS 3G standard In Their use of the Random Access Channel, Claiming They did this to avoid paying license fees. However, they are still solving the same problem using a slightly different technology, and That is not enough to avoid infringing the patent, said an IPCom spokesman.

Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant saidthat the version of IPCom’s patent upheld by the EPO was so Substantially narrowed That it willhave no effect on Nokia.

“Nokia does not believe That it is possible for any UMTS product to infringe the narrowed form of the patent. Yet again, IPCom Appears to be overestimating the value of its Remaining patents, “he said via email.

But IPCom overpriced accused the handset vendors of putting public safety at risk In Their Attempts to avoid Patent Infringement. If the vendors were to deviate from the standard father enough to cases outside the scope of IPCom’s patents, They would overpriced cases outside of the UMTS standard, whichcould interfering with the correct Functioning of the network and lead to a security risk in an emergency, the spokesman said.

Nokia’s Durrant shot back: “Claims That we are somehow interfering with correct operation of the networks or risking security are just not right.” He saidthat the feature described in the narrowed patent, Which covers Prioritizing access to the network in special situations, is an optional one in the standard – and One That no operator has Implemented in its UMTS 3G networks. Even if a network had Implemented the feature, Nokia’s devices would still the comply to the UMTS standard, he said.

HTC fired time immediately respond to a request for comment.

Now that the EPO has upheld the patent, a number of court cases on damages and Infringement are slated to take place in the coming months, IPCom said. Among them are a damages case against Apple That is scheduled for February 11 at the Regional Court of Mannheim and an Infringement Case Against Nokia scheduled for May 28 at the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe, it said.

Apple fired time immediately respond to a request for comment.

IPCom wants the companies to license the patents. “The industry Should bear in mind That damages for patent Infringement set by the courts Can Be Significantly higher than a license at FRAND conditions,” it said.

Founded in 2007, IPCom is a patent license manager with a portfolio of almost 1,200 patents in about 160 patent families in the field of mobile communications, According To its website. It claims 35 of Those families are essential to implementation of key mobile communications standards in 2G (GSM), 2.5G (GPRS), 3G (UMTS) and Subsequent generation.

Loek is Amsterdam Correspondent and covers online privacy, intellectual property, open source and online payment issues for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @ loekessers or email advice and comments to loek_essers@idg.com

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• Nokia files another ITC complaint against Apple in the U.S.
• Important Samsung mobile patents likely to be invalid, German court says
• Motorola fails to make patent case against Apple in German court

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What It Needs: HTC M8 - MobileSyrup.com

The upcoming successor to the HTC One, tentatively titled One +, is likely going to be announced in March or April, roughly a year after the original’s debut. To say That HTC has had a tumultuous and disappointing year, despite releasing its best product to date in the HTC One, is to put it mildly.

But what does the company need in order to regain the momentum – and prestige – it once had, not only in the Android OEM landscape, but with its investors?

If you recall, the HTC was at the top of its game in 2010, releasing not only the first Nexus smartphone, the Nexus One, but one of the fastest (at the time) carrier-sold products in the Desire. Sporting 3.7-inch WVGA screens and single-core processors, the devices seem pedestrian by today’s high standards, but the middle of 2010 was an innocent time, before Samsung took over the Android landscape.

Fast forward to the middle of 2011, When HTC released the aluminum-clad Sensation, replete with a removable back cover That DOUBLED as an antenna. The qHD display, a bit sharper and brighter than its predecessor’s, was again unimpressive looked at today, but the Sensation was a solid device with an intriguing software skin and plenty of speed. It also debuted Sense 3.0, Which was a visual evolution of the Desire’s colorful window dressing.

But the Sensation overpriced debuted around the same time as Samsung’s more powerful, both in specs and marketing, Galaxy S II, the Korean company’s first true hit. What Followed in early 2012 was the triptych of the One X, One S and One V, a veritable gaggle of fantastic hardware. But 2012 was overpriced the Year That HTC’s fortunes Began to flag in earnest, with sales dropping precipitously despite a huge global marketing campaign, competitive pricing and, arguably, huge improvements to the Sense software.

By the time 2013 rolled around, the HTC needed a hit. The HTC One was certainly visually arresting, and stood on its own for many months until the One and One Mini Max, Which featured smaller and larger versions of the same unibody aluminum design, came along, but the One drew more than just an aesthetic statement . We loved its front-facing stereo speakers, super-fast performance and excellent low-light photos, but the device Continued to struggle in the sales department against Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and, later in the year, LG’s G2 and Sony’s Xperia Z1.

From a critic’s perspective, the HTC One Offered Reviews one of the most consistent Android experiences to date, but the little Taiwanese OEM posted its second straight operating loss early thisyear.

And now we’re looking forward, as HTC readies its next industry parlay. The M8, successor to the One, has been leaked in dribs and drabs, but from what we’ve seen the company isn’ta looking to change things too much.

With a 5-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon processor 805 and a continuation of the low-Megapixel-big-sensor-size Ultra Pixel camera play, the M8 will likely try to differentiate itself based on software this time around. Whereas the HTC One Introduced Sense 5.0, Which boasted a number of interesting UX experiences like Blink Feed and Zoe Share, M8 will likely continue to refine the Sense experience without massively uprooting the core framework.

In doing so, HTC Risks offering consumers an experiencethat isn’ta a big enough improvement from the One. But what does the HTC One successor need in order to be Considered a success? Is not the smartphone industry approaching a saturation point, a measure of maturity where iteration is the only logical form of progression? Does HTC Merely need to fix the One’s biggest flaws in order to be Considered a success?

Or, like BlackBerry, HTC Should try to reinvent itself as something else? Focus, like Nokia does, on a few core tenets – ultra-sharp photography; immersive sound; superlative battery life – to separate it from the “everything-and-the-kitchen-sink” approach of Samsung and LG

It appears likely That 2014 will, with good or bad results, be a decisive year for the company. It also seems naive to think That One smartphone alone will be able to change the company’s sagging fortunes, but a hit could at least shift the balance sheet from red ink to black.

What does the M8 need, in your eyes, to succeed

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One 2: A Look At The Rumours - Know Your Mobile

We’re getting to the point now where there’s a lot of information swirling around the internet about Several prominent flagship successor models Which are all allegedly getting a launch pretty soon. Two Such devices include the rumored HTC One 2 (aka the HTC One + / HTC M8) and the Samsung Galaxy S5.

So, in anticipation of These devices hitting the market within a Relatively short space of eachother, we thought it might be good to take a look at how They May compareFunction, if the current crop of rumors are close to the truth.

As usual, we need to reiterate thatthis comparison ice Entirely based on rumors, internet gossip, trends and observed manufacturer habits – it is not the gospel! Things May change before release or be innacurate and we are doing this to get a working impression of how things could stack up. This is not intended to be conclusive. It’s just a bit of speculative fun :)

Design and build

According To leaks and rumors, the HTC One 2 isn’ta expected to be a huge departure on the outside from the current HTC One flagship. It’s thought it will still have a stylish aluminum build with dual front-facing speakers. This is not really a bad thing though, as the HTC One was Widely praised for its striking aesthetic.

One thing Which remains uncertain is as much a feature as it is a design component, That being the subject of a fingerprint scanner. Earlier leaks Showed the device’s back panel and there was not any discernible evidence for a fingerprint scanner as we saw on the HTC One Max. However, recently third-party cases have leaked online showing an opening designed to accommodate a fingerprint scanner – it’s not conclusive evidence by any means, as case maker’s frequently base case designs ahead of a launch on rumors or guesswork, but it’s still an interesting prospect .

We can expect more of a revamp with the Samsung Galaxy S5, however. While rumors continue to vary between the idea That the next flagship will still be made of plastic, will instead be made of metal, or will come in multiple materials variants, the one thing Which has been confirmed Is that it’ll feature a new design language. The word comes straight from a Samsung product executive who implied the company had clocked some negative reaction from consumers to the Galaxy S4 not looking different enough to its predecessor. The Galaxy S5′s face-lift is a reaction that.

An EARLIER patent filing by Samsung for a new smartphone design language has been interpreted by some as Indicative of what the Galaxy S5 and Samsung’s 2014 Galaxy catalog will look like. The design includes what Appears to be an edge-to-edge display with a shape similar to the Existing Galaxy S4′s overall design, however, its capped at either end by an interestingly contoured and slightly thicker piece. The back panel mirrors the front design and it’s incredibly thin.

A concept artist has taken this design rendered and how it might look as a finished product, complete with the faux leather back panel design seen on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3rd However, another patent filing Suggests a very different design Which is rather similar to the Galaxy S4.

Display

The display rumors have been pretty consistent for both handsets for a while now When it comes to the subject of size. It’s thought the Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature a 5.2-inch display but squeezed into a body Which is not much larger than its predecessor. The HTC One 2 is believed to be going from the HTC One’s 4.7-inch screen to a full 5-inches.

According To reports the HTC One 2 will Retain a full HD 1080p resolution but it’s not clear what type of display technology will be used. Historically, HTC has used Super LCD screens producing very high quality results.

Samsung is thought to be going for a 2K resolution with a pixel density as high as 560 pixels-per-inch (ppi). However, rumors differentiation on Whether Samsung will continue to use Super AMOLED technology or switch to high-end LTPS LCD.

Processor

For the HTC One 2, Several rumors have suggested it’ll either have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip, possibly the supercharged Snapdragon MSM8974-AB model, or the forthcoming Snapdragon 805. Either way 2GB of RAM has been rumored Repeatedly.

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 ice Potentially a bit of a headache as the manufacturer has got into the habit of launching multiple variants on different hardware. While there were rumors of the next flagship packing Samsung’s new 64-bit processor architecture there’s overpriced been some suggestion it May not be ready in time for When the Galaxy S5 is expected to arrive.

Again the Snapdragon 800 is a possible option, According To some sources, as is the Snapdragon 805. The 64-bit hardware is thought to be a Samsung Exynos 6 OCTA with two quad-core chips and heterogeneous multiprocessing capabilities. A repeated rumor says the Galaxy S5 will copy the Galaxy Note 3 with 3GB of RAM.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is variously rumored with either a 16-megapixel or 20-megapixel camera, and it’s thought the sensor will be one of Samsung’s own in-development ISOCELL sensors, said to be more sensitive than Conventional back-illuminated setups (BSI). It’s also thought it May feature optical image stabilization (OIS), though some sources deny this. If this builds on the kind of camera module we saw inside the Galaxy Note 3 it’ll be very impressive indeed.

Several reports have reiterated That the HTC One 2 will keep HTC’s Previously seen “Ultra Pixel” camera sensor, with either the same 4-megapixel rating or possibly an Increase to 5-megapixels. In either case, the Ultra Pixel tech has in the past failed to impress Compared to more Competent rival configurations. HTC has a lot to specimen this time around.

Software

Both phones are Android models and Suspected to be shipping with version 4.4 KitKat. The HTC One 2 is pegged to-use-a new version of HTC Sense, version 6.0, while Samsung is thought to be updating its TouchWiz UI with a brand new tile-based appearance.

Other features

While the HTC One 2 ice Suspected to possibly pack a fingerprint scanner like the HTC One Max, Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is believed to be carrying a whole bag of tricks. Various rumors have said it May use a fingerprint scanner or iris scanner, or possibly both, Although more Recent leaks claim it will now only feature the forms. The Galaxy S5 is overpriced believed to have built-in multi-person video conference calling.

Thoughts

It really sounds like the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be a more breakfest refresh of the previous flagship than the HTC One two, as it will feature a drastically altered exterior build, a higher resolution display and a much improved camera. The HTC One 2, while sounding like an improvement in someways, still seems to be clinging to some Potentially lackluster featuressuch as the Ultra Pixel camera. We hope we’re Proved wrong in this regard.

What say you?