HTC One

HTC has followed its disappointing Q2 results by issuing revenue and profit warnings for Q3 suggesting the company may make its first ever loss in its 16-year history.

• 3Q revenue is expected to be in the range of NT$50bn to NT$60bn ($1.7 to $2M)
• Gross profit margin is expected to be in the range of 18% to 21%
• Operating margin is expected to be in the range of 0% to -8%

The forecast revenue is below the average of 22 analysts polled by Reuters, and its projected operating margin of between 0 and -8 percent falls below most of the more pessimistic forecasts. Operating margin is essentially net profit margin before taxes, interest payments and dividends. Its operating margin for Q2 was just 1.5 percent.

It’s an ironic position for the company to find itself in not long after launching what we consider to be the best Android handset on the market … 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vOZFIGcIJ5s

Now that there are two variants of the HTC One floating around, one with Sense 5 and one with near-stock Android, customers have a decision to make. Do you want the unsubsidized, $650 Google Play Edition model or the subsidized model variant with Sense 5? A new app from the longtime Android developer Paul O’Brien aims to get rid of that problem by making it easy to switch between the two software builds on either variant.

The video above demonstrates the Switch app that does just that – lets you switch between Sense 5 and stock Android. It’s incredibly simple. All you have to do is launch the Switch app and choose which experience to boot into. Because the apps and data are stored in a central environment, all your data is accessible in both ROMs.
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Even though other carriers have been offering the HTC One for months now, Verizon has yet to announce availability for the flagship device, simply stringing customers along as far as possible. According to a new document obtained by PhoneArena, however, we’re still a little less than a month away from a launch.

The leaked roadmap claims that we will see the HTC One on Verizon’s LTE network August 1st. This falls in line with what Verizon announced earlier last month when it promised a launch this summer. The document also claims that Verizon will release the highly anticipated Moto X Phone on August 23. We’re thinking that may be a pre-order date, however, as Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside said himself at the AllThingsD conference that the device is coming this October.

We all know that Verizon is almost always the last carrier to launch a phone when it’s released universally on carriers, such was the case with the Galaxy S4, but the carrier does have a good relationship with Motorola. The two have had a strong relationship because of the DROID line of devices, which could mean that they have advanced knowledge of one another’s plans and that Verizon could launch the X Phone ahead of other carriers.

Keep in mind that this is a rumor and something like this could be faked pretty easily, but we’ll definitely keep you updated on further developments regarding these two devices.

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Google has officially listed both the Nexus Experience HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 for sale on the Play Store. The HTC One will run you $599, while the Galaxy S4 is slightly more at $649. Both of the devices will ship by July 9th running the latest 4.2.2 version of Android.

The HTC One will still feature the Beats Audio sound quality, while the Galaxy S4 still offers the ability to use a Samsung Flip Cover. So both of these devices still have some enhancements outside of normal Nexus devices.

For those unfamiliar, Google announced the Galaxy S4 running stock Android at I/O this year, and soon after, HTC confirmed that it too would be releasing a Google Edition HTC One. 
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It’s no secret that HTC does not have the marketing budget of a company like Apple or Samsung, but according to a report, it has inked a deal that will greatly increase its commercial marketing presence. HTC is prepping a substantial two-year marketing campaign with Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr, according to two sources speaking with Bloomberg.  The deal is reportedly worth $12 million and will include television spots, as well as print and billboard advertisements. Downey will have a say in all decisions and maintain a level of creative control.

The campaign will feature Downey as himself, not any of the characters he has portrayed in films.

Downey will feature in the campaign as himself, not the characters he plays in movies including Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, and will have final say over creative elements, the people said, declining to be named because the talks aren’t public. The maker of the slim, metal HTC One handset will likely feature Downey in television, print and billboard ads, they said.

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HTC this morning announced the Butterfly S, the successor the the Butterfly flagship that launched in the fall of 2012. The device carries many of the same traits as the HTC One, however. It is packing the same 4MP UltraPixel sensor as the One, but has a slightly larger Super LCD 3 5-inch display with a 1080p resolution. It’s using the same front-facing Boom Sound speakers as the One that were praised so highly. The device is powered by a 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a microSD card, and a rather large 3200mAh battery.

The Butterfly S was announced at a localized event in Taiwan (via Engadget), so U.S. availability still remains up in the air. In the local market, the device will sell for NT $22,900, which is about $765 USD, and be available sometime in July. Assuming Verizon at some point releases its One variant, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Butterfly S come to Big Red as a successor to the DROID DNA. 
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From 9to5Toys.com:

Today only, Amazon is offering the lowest price ever for what many consider the best Android smartphone you can buy.  New AT&T and Sprint customers can get a HTC One for just $80, old customers renewing a previous contract can get one for just $100.  This is the first major, advertised sale we have seen on the AT&T version of this popular smart phone.

The HTC One is hailed for its gorgeous all aluminum design which is carved out from a solid block.  A process that apparently takes more than 3 hours.  The display is big and beautiful at 4.7 inches and a resolution of  1080p.  Further specs include a 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and storage options of 32GB or 64GB.  We weren’t shy in our recommendation of the HTC One:

should you buy it?

Yes. This handset definitely stands out among all the Android devices on the market. The One is beautifully crafted, and it offers a stunning screen with snappy horsepower, although its camera and battery life might not be the best in the world. It’s a perfect device for iOS lovers looking to test the Android waters.

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Verizon has officially confirmed that the HTC One will finally be available to customers on its 4G LTE network starting later this summer. The initial announcement comes from Verizon’s Twitter account and didn’t provide any other information on pricing or exact availability. We’re thinking Verizon will be releasing a full press release shortly and we’ll update with details when it does.

https://twitter.com/VZWnews/status/341592724161560578
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Live from his D11 interview today (live blog here), Google’s head of Android Sundar Pichai just confirmed the rumors of a stock Android HTC One. The device will officially be launching on Google Play on June 26th, alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S4, for $599. HTC also announced the device on its blog today:

Response to the HTC One has been phenomenal with reviewers praising the gorgeous design and innovative features. We’ve paired the stunning all-metal unibody with innovative HTC Sense features and the result is something truly remarkable. Now, we’re excited to offer HTC fans and admirers alike a new experience on what we think is the best hardware available today.

The stock Android HTC One will come with 32GB, an unlockable bootloader, and will be SIM-unlocked for GSM networks like T-Mobile and AT&T when it goes on sale at the end of next month– the same day as the recently announced stock Galaxy S4. The new stock ‘Nexus experience’ HTC One will initially only be available to users in the US.

You can see how the new Nexus experience HTC One stacks up against the Developer Edition and SIM unlocked version direct from HTC in the comparison chart below:
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[protected-iframe id=”c1495e2064c0efed73811e0d72a9b37e-22427743-39900168″ info=”http://www.funnyordie.com/embed/d332bf23d3″ width=”704″ height=”451″ frameborder=”0″]

Funny bit from the makers of the Steve Jobs biopic.

YouTube version below
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiqbNxRurFA

Earlier today we told you that Facebook had updated its Messenger app for Android with the new “Chat Heads” feature from its Facebook Home platform. Today also marks the official launch of Facebook Home for the initial list of supported devices and now the app is finally live on Google Play and available to download.

Facebook Home is the mobile experience that puts your friends at the heart of your phone. From the moment you turn it on, you see a steady stream of friends’ posts and photos on your home screen. Upfront notifications and quick access to your essentials mean you’ll never miss a moment. And when you download Facebook Messenger, you can keep chatting with friends when you’re using other apps.

In addition to the new HTC First, Facebook Home is currently supported on the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and eventually the HTC One and the Galaxy S4.

You can learn more about Facebook Home from our coverage of the launch event here and check out a gallery of screenshots below:
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When Facebook unveiled its new Facebook Home Android experience set to roll out on number of devices today via Google Play, one of the most talked about features was “Chat heads”. The feature allows users to quickly access Facebook messages and SMS through circular profile pictures that users can access from anywhere in the OS and organize freely on the screen.  Today, seemingly as part of its official roll out of Home, Facebook has updated its Messenger app for Android bringing a small piece of Home functionality to all Android users.

The updated version of Facebook Messenger implements the new Chat Heads feature, allowing you to see a small round icon with the face of the person you’re talking to hovering on the display even when you exit the app. When engaged in a conversation in Messenger, exiting the app will automatically create a chat head floating on top no matter where you navigate, allowing you to quickly jump back into the conversation. The chat heads can be arranged freely and dismissed at any time by dragging them off the bottom of the screen.

On top of rolling out the first device to come with Facebook Home stock– the HTC First– Facebook Home will also initially be supporting the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and eventually the HTC One and the Galaxy S4.
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Possibly in an effort to better compete with the new pricing-strategy from T-Mobile, Sprint announced today they’ll be offering the HTC One for $99 if you’re a new customer and sign a 2-year contract. If you’re interested on getting in the deal, click here to go straight to Sprint’s pre-order page.

I’ve been really excited to get my hands on the HTC One.

The world is chock-full of low-end — and high-end —  Android phones that are plastic and hard to distinguish from one another. So, as an iPhone user primarily, I liked the One’s obvious iPhone 5-like accents—which is seemingly A-O.K. by Apple, at least as evidenced by the global settlement and 10-year licensing deal reached with HTC last year—and entirely aluminum construction.

HTC’s flagship phone in 2012, the One X, earned critical acclaim from reviewers across the blogosphere, but the Samsung Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S overshadowed its launch. Now, one year later, HTC is up to bat again with the HTC One, but this time around, it faces nearly the same challenges in the Galaxy S 4 and iPhone 5.

Check out the full review below to see how the HTC One measures up.

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The HTC One is a gorgeous phone — even without the Lumia-esque colors, it’s still one one of the most attractive handsets on the market. It should really be no surprise, then, that HTC plans to expand the current color palette of, um, two, to encompass a brighter range of hues. This is the red version of that device — you may remember HTC accidentally posted a similar render when the One was first announced.

We would expect a slew of differently-colored Ones to hit the market as a way to keep the phone fresh; check out this post for some possible color schemes, although a two-tone design seems unlikely. For the best looking One, you’ll still need to shell out for some Colorware action.