Android users around the globe rejoiced when Google announced that an additional array of smartphones would be benefiting from the KitKat update in the "coming weeks". Google took their usual stance of not going into any great detail regarding when specific hardware would be able to get the upgrade but it seems that weeks will actually be more like months for HTC One owners. Not exactly the longest wait that Android owners have had to endure, but still not exactly ideal for those itching to experience Android at its finest.
You'd have thought, given that Samsung has recently garnered negative press for its benchmark faking tactics, that the Korean giant would be keeping its nose clean, but after an investigation by Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the company has to pay a fine of hundreds of thousands of dollars for negative comments made about competitors. As with the benchmark scandal, the issue dates back some time, and with Samsung having also been caught out paying for positive reviews, the investigation will now see Samsung pay the penalty.
It looks like HTC has beaten Samsung to the punch by launching its own smartphone with a fingerprint sensor before the Galaxy brand makers could get around to copying Apple's iPhone 5s. Announcing the One Max today, HTC becomes the second major smartphone maker to announce a new handset with a fingerprint sensing security solution in the same number of months, leaving Samsung as the only one of the 'big three' to join the fray.
The newly-released iPhone 5s comes in three distinct colors - a first for the Cupertino company - one of which has been dubbed as the “Gold” iPhone. The champagne colored device does closely resemble a shade of the precious metal, but calling it “Gold” seems to have ticked off some people in Taiwan. Hence, HTC has come up with their own version of a gold HTC One - not just in color, but actually 18-carat gold used for coating the device.
Video of iPhone 5s vs Galaxy S4 vs HTC One head-to-head hardware comparison between these flagships from Apple, Samsung and HTC respectively.
Smartphones are fast becoming the new must-have fashion accessory. And fortunately, mobile devices are actually no stranger to color and customization options, but it looks like HTC is in the mood of following the trend set by Apple with the announcement of the iPhone 5s by offering yet another color option to users - this time with a gold tinted HTC One.
One of the major annoyances of many an Android user is the fact that when a new software update comes around, it can often take weeks or even months to reach even some of the newer devices to market. Google's release of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean in July has only, thus far, been primed and distributed to a handful of devices, and many, such as HTC's flagship One, are still waiting in the cold. However HTC's Jason Mackenzie has revealed on Twitter that the company is looking to have Android 4.3 ready for its prized smartphone by the end of next month.
If you've interacted with an HTC device of any description over the past year or two, you'll be more than familiar with the Beats By Dr. Dre logo branded on every top-spec handset. As a part of the Taiwanese company's buy-in to the audio company of the hip-hop mogul, HTC has been readily implementing the Beats technology into its roster. But in a dramatic twist, Beats is now looking to buy HTC out of the company, apparently in the market for an investor to bring some funding for further growth and development.
Remember the good old days when a company could build a new mobile device, launch into the market and still manage to catch consumers and technology fans unaware? Ah yes, memories. Those days are long gone as it seems that hype and speculation is generated almost months before any official launch, which is definitely true when talking about the HTC One Max device, slated for a release this year. After first making a textual appearance in a leaked network document in the United Kingdom, we can now reportedly put a face to the name due to a Taiwanese site posting images of the purported device.
There are many advantages to owning a smartphone running stock Android, one of which is that, when a new version of Google's software arrives, you don't have to wait forever for the OTA to hit your device. Such is the case with the Google Play Edition Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, which will both begin to see the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update as of today.
