16
Apr
incredible-2-launch1-600x450

There's little that we didn't already know about HTC's upcoming DROID Incredible 2, but if there was any lingering doubt on your mind, you'll be happy to hear that Droid Life has acquired the official spec sheet for the device:

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Indeed, the Incredible 2 will feature a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 4-inch SLCD display, SRS WOW HD surround sound, a 16GB microSD card, an 8MP camera, and Android 2.2 out of the box. But you probably already knew that.

What you might not have realized is that the phone will sport a global radio, meaning that, just as with the DROID Pro and DROID 2 Global, you'll be able to connect to a GSM network (likely Vodafone's) while abroad.

15
Apr
HTC-Desire-HD
Last Updated: April 18th, 2011

Let's go back in time for a moment, shall we? Think with me, if you will, back to when we first told you about the Sensation ROM leak. Do you remember? Ah, the nostalgia. It seems like it was only yesterday that we were trying to get the download mirror set up so all the devs could get to work on porting this ROM to other devices and... Oh, yes. It was just yesterday.

It didn't take long for the first port of this smokin' new ROM to show up, and thanks to XDA member capychimp, the lucky winner of said ROM is the Desire HD.

14
Apr
andy_gbread

It's been a few weeks since the deluge of Gingerbread builds leaked on March 27 (Droid X, Droid 2, Galaxy S i9000), but now another big dog is looking to join the party: a test Android 2.3 ROM for the HTC EVO has leaked and been posted to the XDA forums. A ton of people have taken the bait, with the thread already checking in at over 73 pages long - and it's only been up for about 6 hours.

I haven't had time to go through the whole thread, obviously, but user quocamole was kind enough to post a quick good/bad list:

some quick initial impressions:

good:
-2.3.3!

14
Apr
HTC-logo-500x375

I know that everyone loves leaks, so here is a good one for all of the devs out there, especially ones that are looking to port Sense 3.0 to devices that HTC says won't get it (at least not all of it anyway). A test ROM for the HTC Sensation (yes, the one we just told you about on earlier this week, also known as the Pyramid) has publically leaked with all goodies, including Sense 3.0, intact.

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So there you go Thunderbolt, Inspire, Desire, and all other HTC handset owners - hopefully the full blown Sense 3.0 interface will end up coming your way shortly.

14
Apr
HTC-logo-500x375

We first showed you HTC's 3.0 version of Sense UI earlier this week, and the next logical question from a lot of people was "when am I getting this?" Well, one man went straight to HTC via Twitter with that same question in mind and the response he got back was not exactly what anyone had hoped to hear: never.

Tweet

Before you get too upset, a little clarification is in order. Initially, it was thought that only the devices mentioned in the above Tweet would end up with the new UI, leaving behind the newly released Thunderbolt, Inspire, and the yet-to-arrive Incredible 2.

12
Apr
htc_thunderbolt

There's no doubt that the HTC Thunderbolt is a hot commodity if you're on Verizon Wireless, and if you've been considering picking up this blazing fast 4G LTE device, now might be the best time hop on it. Wirefly is offering up a special deal on the TBolt if you use coupon code THUNDER0418 at checkout, which gives you $50 off (bringing the total down to $150), free shipping, and a month of free mobile hotspot (expires on May 15th).

ad

I'm sure that most of you are very familiar with the Thunderbolt and how awesome it is, but just in case, here are the specs:

  • 1GHz Snapdragon processor
  • 768MB RAM
  • 8GB Storage
  • 4.3 Inch screen
  • 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera
  • 4G LTE

If you plan on taking advantage of this deal, you better move quick because it ends on Monday, April 18th.

12
Apr
htc-sensation-buy-the-htc-sensation-on-vodafone-wm

HTC just announced via Twitter that the Sensation is a go - posting pictures on its Facebook page of the device at various seductive angles, as well as this video:

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Did we mention it's coming to T-Mobile? And it'll be sporting an HSPA+ radio to take advantage of T-Mobile's 4G network. Unfortunately, it won't be available until this summer.

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Earlier, Mobile Bulgaria (which, as of this writing, is down) stumbled upon a Vodafone product page for HTC's upcoming dual-core Android handset, the Sensation (aka the Pyramid). Availability for Europe and Asia will be throughout Q2 - no exact dates have been announced.

08
Apr
incredible-2-charge-play-launch-600x520

Last we heard, Samsung's DROID Charge was scheduled to be released on April 7th - yesterday. Well needless to say, that date has come and gone without so much as a mention of Samsung's LTE handset; however, thanks to Sears, we now have a new timeline: April 14.

The leak also brings news that's bound to make HTC fans smile - the Incredible 2's release date has been rescheduled from April 28th to the 21st, a decidedly welcome change.

Finally, Sony Ericsson's Xperia PLAY is, apparently, still pegged for a 4/28 release, despite reported supply shortages.

Of course, all this info comes with a disclaimer - in the words of the leaked pamphlet itself, "[these] launch dates [are] subject to change." Still, it's refreshing to at least have a general idea of when these three smartphone behemoths will be available for purchase - that way, you can start preparing yourself and your camping materials for a long night outside your local Verizon store.

07
Apr
verizon-incredible-2-angle

Like all good things Verizon, the HTC Incredible 2 didn't remain hidden from the public's eye for long; following the release of a leaked RUU and a Big Red roadmap confirming the device's impending launch, PocketNow got its paws on the following triad of press shots:

verizon-incredible-2 verizon-incredible-2-angle verizon-incredible-2-hero

From the looks of it, the Incredible 2 will be virtually identical to HTC's popular Incredible S, with the exception of a Verizon logo and the inclusion of a CDMA radio. In fact, Android Central reports that it'll sport the same 8MP camera, Android 2.2.1 firmware, and HTC Sense keyboard.

Also noteworthy is that, as shown by the eerie red robot eye, the Incredible 2 will most likely belong to Verizon's DROID family.

07
Apr
fud2

Android In Recent News

Fragmentation has been one of the biggest criticisms of the Android platform. Essentially, Google allows anybody to take the Android code and tweak it suit their own needs. This is how manufacturers like Motorola, HTC, and Samsung are able to create custom layers (MotoBlur, Sense UI, and TouchWiz, respectively) over the vanilla Android interface and how some carriers load up new phones with crapware. Although this is a price to pay for openness and customizability, a recent study indicates that 86% of developers are unhappy with the state of Android fragmentation (24% of them describing it as a "huge problem").