Tuesday 13 November 2012

HTC DROID DNA with 1080p screen, quad-core Krait debuts


Just as expected the HTC event in New York was all about the DROID DNA for Verizon. The long-rumored beast of a smartphone finally went official.
The DROID DNA offers a specs sheet similar to its Japanese sibling – the HTC J Butterfly. It features the first of its kind 5-inch 1080p S-LCD3 display and is powered by the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with a 1.5GHz quad-core Krait processor, Adreno 320 graphics and 2GB of RAM.


The rest of the specs include an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 1080p video recording, a 2MP front snapper, LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Beats Audio and 16GB non-expandable internal memory. The DROID DNA is capable of wireless charging, while the battery capacity is 2020 mAh.
The DROID DNA runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean accompanied by the HTC Sense 4+ UI - a combo we already met with the One X+. It will hit the Verizon’s stores on November 21 for $200, with pre-orders starting today.
There is nothing official on the international model yet, but we guess it should get announced at the upcoming CES or MWC at the latest.

HTC details Jelly Bean update, 512MB RAM phones not invited


HTC finally shed some light on the Jelly Bean update roll-out and compatibility. Unfortunately there are several devices that won’t get the Android 4.1 treatment and will be stuck on Ice Cream Sandwich forever.
According to HTC devices with 512MB RAM or less are incompatible with Jelly Bean and won’t be updated. Just like Sony said a while ago, HTC believes the Ice Cream Sandwich provides better user experience than Jelly Bean. This means the One V and Desire C are out of the loop already.
They won't be the only ones either. HTC is prioritizing the Jelly Bean development on devices released within 2012. When it's done with them, the company will consider releasing Jelly Bean for some of its 2011 phones. Not to be but it is highly unlikely.
There is still no info on when the first global Jelly Bean updates will come, but the roll out for the One X and One S has already started, so we guess the others shouldn't be that far either.

Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 go on sale, immediately run out of stock


It looks like people know a deal when they see one, as the new Google flagship smartphone, the Nexus 4, has sold out in less than an hour after appearing on the Play Store in the UK and Australia. The same applies to the 10 inch Nexus tablet - both 32 and 16 GB variants.
We're still waiting for the imminent launch of the devices on Google Play for the US, where we expect to see a similar picture. The Google Nexus 4 is expected to drastically impact the smartphone market with its impressive specs sheet and super aggressive pricing.
Update: Sure enough, the Nexus 4 stock in the US was depleted 24 minutes after it went on sale. We are yet to get some actually numbers from Google and see if it was a matter of low stock or simply unprecedented demand.
The Nexus 4 features a 4.7 inch True HD IPS Plus display of 768 x 1280 pixels resolution, a quad-core 1.5 Ghz Krait processor, 8/16 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM, an 8MP shooter capable of 1080p video, powered by a 2100 mAh battery – all of this priced at $299/$349 without contract.


You might find yourself doing some frantic refreshes of the Play Store in the coming weeks to see when it will be up for sale (again) in your area, and frankly, we don't blame you.

Android 4.2 update now rolling out for the GSM Galaxy Nexus


Right on the day of the Nexus 4 launch, Google has started rolling out the Android 4.2 update for the Galaxy Nexus.
Currently, only a few users have reported receiving the update, and none of them are using the Sprint or Verizon versions. If you have the GSM variant, preferably the "takju" variant you are most likely to receive the update.
Post update you will be treated to all the new 4.2 features, including Photo Sphere mode, Gesture Typing, multi-user mode, notification settings, Daydream, Miracast sharing, improved Google now and other performance and stability updates.
Eventually we believe the update will be rolled out to all the users but if you're impatient, you can download the update by following this link to Android Police. Just make sure you read the instructions carefully.

HTC One X+ and One VX will hit AT&T on November 16


Right after it spilled the beans on the Samsung Galaxy Camera, AT&T announced pricing and retail availability of the HTC One X+ and One VX. The duo of LTE smartphones will be available on November 16, priced at $199.99 for the HTC One X+, and $49.99 for its entry-level sibling.


The HTC One X+ surely has its work cut out – the device will enter the most competitive segment in the US smartphone market. With quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3, 64GB of built-in memory, and Sense-d Android 4.1 Jelly Bean though, the One X+ makes for an attractive smartphone proposition.
The HTC One VX on the other hand, looks like a solid offering as an entry-level device – it features a 4.5” display and dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset, tucked into a solidly built body.
In a typical AT&T fashion, the pricing and availability announcement came accompanied by a promo video. See it below.

Samsung Galaxy Camera gets priced in the United States


AT&T announced pricing and availability of the Samsung Galaxy Camera. The point-and-shoot snapper with Android smartphone underpinnings will be available for purchase on November 16 for $499.99. The price tag will remain the same with or without an AT&T data plan.
Five hundred bucks will get you a super-bright 16MP backside illuminated CMOS sensor and quad-core CPU. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 4.8 Super LCD display with HD resolution will help you in viewing, editing, and sharing you photographic efforts.
For a limited time, AT&T customers will receive up to $100 off should they choose to pick up a second Samsung device. This includes the Galaxy Camera itself when a Samsung Smartphone is purchased.