Plans to launch the HTC First "Facebook phone" in the UK have been axed, with Facebook now focusing on finessing Home instead. A poor reception to the Android handset in the US, where carrier AT&T unexpectedly slashed the cost from $99.99 to $0.99 on contract after just a few weeks of sales, has been blamed for the decision, which is said to have come from Facebook rather than either HTC or the network. Update: EE has confirmed the First won't be launching in the UK; more details after the cut.
Read The Full Story
- Solar Impulse: interviewing a man on an 18-hour solar-powered flight
- Chrome 27 brings desktop features to Android, we go hands-on
- Verizon invites Jennifer Lopez on stage for Viva Movil team-up
- Google Glass team talks hardware principles: Lightness, Simplicity, Scalability
- Google Glass creators talk “staring” and the social implications of wearables
- Xbox One vs Xbox 360: What’s Changed?
- Xbox One: Everything you need to know
Must Read in Android
‘Android’ Stories
HTC First “Facebook phone” UK launch plans axed [Confirmed!]
5m HTC One sales tips exec with demand still exceeding supply
HTC has sold approximately five million of its HTC One flagship smartphones, an executive at the company has confirmed, with demand for the phone still apparently outstripping supply. The sales statistics - which HTC is yet to officially endorse - come amid concerns that the company is losing key executives and struggling to raise the profile of the One against the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Despite the fears, an unnamed HTC executive tells the WSJ, sales have in fact been strong.
Read The Full Story
HTC Desire 600 official: Dual-SIM Android with BoomSound and BlinkFeed
HTC has revealed its latest Android smartphone, the HTC Desire 600, a midrange dual-SIM handset with a quadcore processor set to go on sale in June. Packing Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 quadcore with 1GB of RAM, the Desire 600 has a 4.5-inch Super LCD2 qHD display and runs BlinkFeed – launched on the HTC One – on top of Android and HTC Sense. That means custom news stories, interspersed with Facebook and Twitter updates, right on the homescreen.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD and HD 8.9 spreads: over 170 countries [Update: Appstore in nearly 200]
Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HD 8.9 ereader-tablets are set to spread, with preorders lighting up in over 170 countries from today. The 7- and 8.9-inch tablets - which run Amazon's heavily customized Android platform - have been available in the US, select countries in Europe, and Japan for some time now, but will make their worldwide play from June 13 when they both begin shipping more broadly. Update: Amazon also has news about Appstore availability; more details after the cut.
Read The Full Story
Chrome 27 brings desktop features to Android, we go hands-on
Today the Android version of the Chrome web browser has been updated to “Chrome 27″, this bringing with it the first wave of desktop abilities promised at Google I/O 2013. This update will be a free update for users – as always – and is optimized for both smartphone and tablet-sized devices. As it is in Chrome on one platform, so too shall it be on the other.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 appears in video run-down
As the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 continues to appear as the company's newest device in the mid-sized tablet category, a video has appeared this week showing off the newest Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 - the non-stylus tablet segment for the company. This device will be part of the fourth wave for the tablet line in Samsung's arsenal, the first being the original Samsung Galaxy Tab, released with a 7-inch display and Android 2.3 Gingerbread back in the year 2010. This newest Galaxy Tab features an aesthetic and abilities similar to that of the newest Galaxy Note series.
Read The Full Story
Apple claims Google Now infringes on Siri patents in GALAXY S 4
A series of patent infringement claims have been filed by Apple this month surrounding both the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and the Android-centric Google Now system. Two "Siri" patents have been pulled up by Apple surrounding unified search, each of them originally attached to a suit that filed against the Android Quick Search Box in devices running Android 4.0 and lower. Apple has also claimed in a similar document this week that claims against past Samsung Galaxy devices continue to hold true with the Samsung GALAXY S 4, the company asking that this device be included in a suit they've already got on the books.
Read The Full Story
Google Glass team talks hardware principles: Lightness, Simplicity, Scalability
As a sort of a “Part 2″ or even “Part 3″ of the Glass chat series SlashGear has appearing this week and last, today’s words with Google Glass’ lead industrial designer Isabelle Olsson lend some insight on the device’s road to final hardware. Speaking on how the original Glass prototypes eventually became the device you see today, Ollson shared three principles that allowed the team to solidify their process.
Verizon HTC One tipped for today’s press event [UPDATE: Nope]
This morning it's been suggested to SlashGear by a trusted source (the anonymous kind) that the HTC One will be appearing at the Verizon press event taking place at 11AM PST in Las Vegas today during CTIA. This event has been teased as one with a "Special Announcement", which could mean anything, but given the atmosphere and the suggestion, we have no reason to doubt that the HTC One will be part of the show.
Read The Full Story
Kyocera Hydro EDGE and Hydro XTRM hands-on
Today Kyocera revealed two new smartphones will be coming to the US market soon, and just like their recent devices will be able to handle the elements quite well. With a successor to the original Hydro these new phones do a few things that Kyocera does best. That's be budget friendly and waterproof at the same time. Read on for details on both of these new phones.
Read The Full Story
Coolpad Quattro II 4G and 8920 smartphone hands-on
When you hear the name Coolpad it might not ring a bell but the company has big plans for their phones in the US, and are here in Las Vegas for CTIA showing off their latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean smartphones. The popular Chinese manufacturer wants to deliver quality 4G LTE smartphones for those on a budget, and in a way have stolen the show here at Pepcom. We got a look at their new Quattro II 4G, as well as the impressive 8920 that recently launched in China.
Read The Full Story
Google Glass creators talk “staring” and the social implications of wearables
As Google Glass continues to be a unique sort of hardware / software platform in the industry, so too do the creators of the wearable computer stay hot commodities for question and answer sessions. In the feature you’re about to see, two members of the main Glass creation and development team discuss the social etiquette involved in the creation of the platform. Steve Lee, Product Director for Glass, and Charles Mendis, Engineer on Glass, spoke up during a fireside chat at Google I/O 2013.
REVIEWS
![JH Audio JH16 Pro with Freqphase Custom In-Ear Monitor Review [2013]](http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/P2111170-sg-320x80.jpg)
- POPULAR STORIES THIS WEEK
- Xbox One release date "later this year"
- Big Xbox Dashboard update tipped to pave Xbox 720 transition
- Xbox 720 prototype secrets leak: TV, DVR, streaming, AR and more
- Verizon HTC One tipped for today's press event [UPDATE: Nope]
- Hisense Sero 7 Pro Tablet leaks to take on the Nexus 7
- Verizon HTC One speculation returns as DROID DNA offer arrives
- Xbox 720: what's to be expected at tomorrow's announcement
- Xbox One vs Xbox 360: What's Changed?
- RECENT COMMENTS
