We’ll be brief: we never had any issues with the screens on the first two Nexus One devices we received (T-Mobile). Well, both displays behaved the same way, and any shortcomings weren’t due to a manufacturing or color temperature problem, put it like that. When our AT&T unit showed up, everything was fine. We thought. Though when we started to use the device at night out and about the city, the black levels seemed to be really, really sub-par. It’s like the hue is completely purple/red. We’ve confirmed that this is happening to more than just our device, and we’ve reached out to Google and will update this with their response. Hit the gallery for some more comparison shots!

Note: The photos below were shot with both unit’s brightness levels set to the same positions. The T-Mobile unit is on the left, AT&T on the right.

Click on over to our Google Nexus One Screen Comparison gallery!

A reliable source has just let us in on how Verizon Wireless will be rolling out the Android 2.1 update to your Motorola DROID, and it looks like quite a few of us will be waiting for quite a while for our update. Our source details the following:

• At noon EDT on 3/18, 1,000 users will receive notification of the update
• At 11:59 PM EDT on 3/18, 9,000 more users will receive the update notification
• After the first 10,000 users receive the update on 3/18, there will be a 24-hour period when no additional upgrades will be delivered
• On Day 3 (3/20), 200,000 users will receive the update notification at 11:59 PM EDT
• This schedule will continue each day thereafter until the update has been delivered to all users

And here are a few conditions needed for the update to be applied:

• An OTA download requires 40% or more power availability
• If the device is not connected to an external power source or 20% or more power if it is connected to an external source
• If roaming, the customer will not receive the update

For those who are actually going to wait for the OTA version of 2.1, instead of grabbing it off the net and putting it on your media card, you could be waiting a while. Let the updates begin!

HTC Touch Pro2 users on Sprint should stock up on party hats and streamers as the Now Network is gearing up for a Friday release of the long overdue software update to Windows Mobile 6.5. To be available through both the Sprint and HTC websites, the update will finally bring Sprint’s Touch Pro2 up to snuff with that of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon handsets, the last of which received its update back in January. Thanks, Sprint. For a moment there we thought you forgot all about this.

Read

Seattle – March 17, 2010 – HTC Corporation today outlined its disagreement with Apple’s legal actions and reiterated its commitment to creating a portfolio of innovative smartphones that gives consumers a variety of choices. Founded in 1997 with a passion for innovation and a vision for how smartphones would change people’s lives, HTC has continually driven this vision by consistently introducing award-winning smartphones with U.S. mobile operators.

“HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. “From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA

The O2 XDA by HTC was the first 3.5-inch color touch screen smartphone in the world in 2002. and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition The T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition by HTC was the first 3.5-inch color touch screen smartphone in the United States in 2002., our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then.”

The industry has recognized HTC’s contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company’s 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review’s 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the “Best Phone of 2009.” Some of HTC’s technology firsts include:

• First Windows PDA (1998)

• First Windows Phone (June 2002)

• First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)

• First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)

• First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)

• First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)

In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense. HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the center by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience was fundamentally based on listening and observing how people live and communicate.

“HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. “It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world’s most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs.”

For more information on HTC’s history of innovation, please visit: www.htc.com/history.

After rumors about the HTC Supersonic have been swirling around the Internet for a few months, it is now time for the Wall Street Journal to chime in and contribute to the hype surrounding Sprint’s first WiMAX handset. According to people “familiar with the matter,” Sprint is expected to announce the HTC Supersonic next week during a presentation by Dan Hesse at CTIA. The timing for such an announcement fits in nicely with Clearwire’s promised 1H 2010 delivery date for the first WiMAX smartphone and we certainly have seen enough spy shots and hands-on videos to whet our appetite for this Android-powered 4G smartphone.

Read

Yesterday AT&T, today Sprint, tomorrow the world? In a press release this afternoon Sprint announced the pending release of the HTC Nexus One:

Nexus One, the first wireless phone sold through Google’s web store, is planned for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network. Sprint will announce pricing and an exact availability date soon.

As with all the carriers, the Nexus One will be sold exclusively through the google.com/phone web store when it becomes available. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear any rumblings on the exact release date. Another Nexus One release coming unannounced and out of left field. Wow.

Read

The HTC Desire is one sexy handset, but let’s face facts here: the “Urban Brown” shade it comes in isn’t for everyone. Thankfully, HTC isn’t blind to reality like a few other handset manufacturers whose names we won’t mention here, because it looks as if the Taiwanese company also whipped up a silver variant of the latest darling of the Android world. Why does this matter, you may ask? Because this could very well be the color AT&T goes with when it unleashes this sucker on the US market. We think it looks pretty and know that Tony Soprano would approve of it because it truly is “Guinea grey” like Johnny Sack’s Maserati, but we’d like to know which one you fancy most. Hit up the jump to check out another shot.

Thanks, Pat!

Read

We’re not going to go as far as the Silicone Alley Insider and declare the Nexus One “a flop” but the sub-par sales numbers do tell us something… launching with the 3G bands of the #4 U.S. carrier and selling exclusively through a web portal may not be a wise go-to-market strategy. Mobile research firm Flurry estimates that only 135,000 Nexus Ones have been sold after 74 days on the market. As a comparison, the Motorola DROID sold 1.05 million units and the iPhone sold around 1 million units in the same time period. The DROID had a rumored $100M marketing push, and the iPhone was a full $599 out of pocket at time of launch, which make these Nexy’s sales figures even less impressive. We’re sure the N1’s sales numbers will improve as it launches on Verizon Wireless and Vodafone in the coming months, however… we just thought the insane AdWords push from Google would have yielded better results.

Read

T-Mobile already has a very diverse lineup of smartphones, but the tail end of March will see “Magenta” (as some people lamely call it) release a trio of smartphones that appeal to the low, mid and high end markets. We’ve been saying it for the longest time and now it’s as official as can be without a full-blown press release: the HTC HD2 will be available from T-Mobile on Wednesday, March 24th. Going for $199.99 on a 2-year or $449.99 outright, the HD2 will easily be the best handset ever offered by T-Mobile in terms of sheer brawn. Of course now that we’re 100% certain it won’t be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series, we have to wonder if a bit of the luster has prematurely worn off, but it’s not like those put off don’t have more than half a year to save pennies for the next greatest Windows Phone. On the same day, Nokia will also have a handset debut on T-Mobile. This is of course the Nuron and it will go for $69.99 / $179.99, a price that is quite mind blowing when you consider the fact it’s running S60 5th Edition. Last but not least in today’s T-Mobile update is the CLIQ XT. We’ve known for quite some time it is going to be available in time to drown in a pitcher of green beer, but now we’re hearing it will be $99.99 on contract as opposed to $129.99 (no contract pricing is presumed to still be set at $329.99).

Good job, T-Mobile.

Read [CLIQ XT] Read [HD2] Read [Nuron]

DigiTimes has dug up an article featured in the Chinese newspaper Economic Daily News claiming that HTC has starting shipping the Nexus One to Verizon Wireless. The article goes on to say the N1 CDMA-variant will begin being marketed by Big Red this month with a release likely in April. Our take? What we’ve said and heard all along: the Google Nexus One will be sold exclusively through Google’s online phone store, while HTC Sense variants will make their way into carrier’s stores and marketing plans. That means, to be very clear, Google will sell the exact same version (specs and all) of the existing Nexus One with Verizon Wireless CDMA support, in the exact same way they currently sell the T-Mobile GSM variant. If HTC is shipping anything to Verizon, it’s most likely the HTC-branded Incredible (with HTC Sense UI); the Verizon-compatible Nexus One is, in all likelihood, being shipped to Google’s distribution partner Brightpoint.

Read

[Via wmpoweruser]

Read

Images and details on the HTC Incredible have emerged from the depths of Android Forums today. Most notable is the loss of the bright orange backing which has been replaced with a matte black covering emblazoned with a Verizon Wireless logo. Internally, the Incredible is rumored to have 500 MB of RAM (320 available), an 8 megapixel camera, measurements of 117.5 x 58.5 x 11.9mm, and a blinding red interior with a matching red battery. Though it packs a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, the Incredible, just like the Acer Liquid A1, has been underclocked to 768 MHz, a battery savings measure which hopefully can be reversed once the handset has been rooted. Thankfully, the slowed down processor seems to have little effect on perceived performance as the Android 2.1 handset is reportedly “blazing fast”. If all these circulating rumors pan out, look for this handset to touchdown as soon as April or as late as May with Verizon Wireless. Hit the jump for a few more spy shots.

[Via Engadget]

Read

One of our T-Mobile connects just blessed us with some HTC HD2 unboxing shots. With a looming release date, it should help cut down on some of your healthcare costs. You know, for those of you that have been hyperventilating since the official announcement. Hit the jump for the shots!

Apple’s patent lawsuit against HTC may be much more far reaching than initially thought. According to a report at CNN’s Fortune website, Apple’s lawsuit has Android handset manufacturers shaking in their boots with many hiring legal teams, revising their OS strategies, sending hardware back to engineering, and changing development roadmaps behind closed doors. It all started in early 2009 when Apple COO Tim Cook launched the first attack during an earning conference call by stating “we will not stand for having our IP ripped off and we’ll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal. I don’t know that I can be more clear than that.”  Apple publicly remained passive during much of 2009, sitting idle while Palm launched the Pre and other manufacturers pushed out non-multi-touch smartphones that posed no threat to its iPhone market share. Enter the HTC DROID ERIS, the Nexus One, and the Motorola DROID which recently took the smartphone world by storm with their sleek good looks and potential multi-touch capability. Apple is now on the proverbial warpath with HTC as its first target and other manufacturers fearful that they will be next as Apple reportedly held conversations with “Tier 1″ device manufacturers to inform them of Apple’s intentions. The winner in this fearful frenzy, ironically, may be Microsoft which is reportedly swooping in with its extensive patent library in hand, and promising Windows Phone 7 Series as a safe harbor to companies that are fearful of Apple’s wrath. It all sounds like a daytime soap opera conjured up for the geek world but it is unfortunately and incredibly true.

Read

In a mere few months, the HTC Supersonic has gone from being a name on a list to the star of its own home video. Spotted on YouTube is a short, sweet, and dark video that shows the HTC Supersonic in action. The video is small on new details but its presence serves to remind us that Sprint’s first Android WiMAX handset may be worth a close look when it finally launches sometime in the first half of 2010. Anyone passing on the current crop of handsets to wait for the Supersonic and its rumored 4G speed?

[Via androidmobileos]

Read

Last night was easily the best night of the year for the celebrity-crazed paparazzi. It also turned out to be a pretty darn good night for the smartphone paparazzi as well for two upcoming T-Mobile handsets were given the star treatment on their very own red carpet. First up was the HTC HD2, the infinitely lovable Windows Phone with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and gargantuan 4.3″ WVGA display, which looked as stylish as ever in Sense UI by HTC. Never one to miss an opportunity to show support for those in need, the HD2 took a moment to show off its Blockbuster app which will allow proud owners to download movies on demand. Immediately following the HD2 was the Nokia Nuron. Although the general consensus was that it was dressed more for the Kids Choice Awards than the Academy Awards, the Nuron made a bit of a stir when it shrieked at the top of its lungs how it had seen the light, converted to Buddhism and was now on a mission to convince everyone that less is more and that all other smartphones cannot possibly be as happy as it is living with S60, an OS that is on its way out. When will us ordinary folk get a chance to meet these stars? The Nuron is still a mystery, but we’re still very confident on a March 24th debut for the HD2.

Read [HD2] Read [Nuron]

One of our ninjas just dropped some tantalizing and blurry details for us to feast on. We’ve been informed that T-Mobile will be releasing the Motorola CLIQ XT on March 10th, the HTC HD2 (listed as “Dark Handset” on the screen capture) is confirmed on March 24th, and a Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook, complete with T-Mobile broadband access, on the 24th as well. Our connect also mentions the launch of Even More 1.5, but no details were given. Looks like it is going to be a pretty busy month for the number four carrier in the U.S. Hit the break for one more shot!

Thanks, Taliban!

TmoNews has acquired what looks to be some legit pricing information about the yet-to-be-released HTC HD2, Motorola CLIQ XT, and Nokia Nuron… and the pricing looks pretty good.  The HD2 will reportedly retail for $199 with 2-year contract and $449 contract free. The $199 price point on the HD2 will also presumably be mail-in-rebate-less if you sign up for a data plan at time of purchase. Moving on, the Motorola CLIQ XT will retail for $129 with 2-year contract and $329 contract free. Again, the $129 is the price you will pay at the register if you sign up for a data plan when you purchase your shiny new CLIQ XT. TmoNews adds: “the Nokia Nuron which was cut off from the image…[will be] $69.99 after rebate. No contract? No problem. That’ll be $179.99.” How about it? Do any of these offerings excite you T-Mobile customers?

Read

“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it. We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”

If you said Steve Jobs, you’d be correct. Full press release after the break.

CUPERTINO, Calif. March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today filed a lawsuit against HTC for infringing on 20 Apple patents related to the iPhone’s user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”

Apple reinvented the mobile phone in 2007 with its revolutionary iPhone®, and did it again in 2008 with its pioneering App Store, which now offers more than 150,000 mobile applications in over 90 countries. Over 40 million iPhones have been sold worldwide.

© 2010 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh and iPhone are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners

Natasha Kwan, Microsoft’s General Manager for Mobile Communications Business in the Asia-Pacific market, has spoken, and Windows Mobile 6 owners are not going to like what they hear. When asked about the possiblity of a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade path, Kwan dropped this bomshell to tech blog APC: “Because we have very specific requirements for Windows Phone 7 Series the current phones we have right now will not be upgradable.” And that includes the HTC HD2.  While the HD2 meets the extensive list of hardware component requirements, it fails to fulfill one superficial prerequisite: it has more than 3 dedicated buttons. Perhaps this is one of the first, albeit painful, steps in a better Windows mobile platform experience for all. However, we now know this for certain: if you want to run Windows Phone 7, you’re going to need some new hardware. Though we’re sure the crew at XDA will change that if you’re a daring individual. Read

Good news for UK wireless customers as the Daily Telegraph is reporting that the Google Nexus One is slated for an April launch on Vodafone UK. Originally announced back in January, the Nexus One was expected to launch with Vodafone in the Spring of 2010 with Vodafone reportedly hoping to get the handset out the door in March. Inside sources have reportedly told the Daily Telegraph that the March date is most likely off the table and April is a much more realistic time frame for launch. Such a date is not surprising as April is a pivotal month in the Spring season and fits perfectly with Google’s original projection. Let’s hope similar inside sources inside the US will be as loose lipped as their UK counterparts and will soon share the launch date for either the Verizon Wireless or the AT&T Nexus One. You know where to go if you are feeling rather talkative.

[Via Android Community and Engadget]

Read

Not a heck of a lot to report on this one, but a picture is worth a thousand words, no? The Mozilla team has posted a couple teasers pictures, on their Facebook page, of the Fennec mobile browser running on the HTC Nexus One and Motorola DROID. No word on a release time line or when a public build of the mobile Mozilla offering will be available to the masses. We’ve got the DROID picture queued up for you after the break.

Read

Verizon Wireless customers may have a welcome but difficult decision soon as two hot new Android handsets prepare to launch on the wireless carrier. Earlier this week, the HTC Incredible made its appearance in Verizon Wireless’ inventory system and today, another HTC handset, most likely the CDMA variant of the Nexus One, was spotted on its way out of the FCC. The EV-DO Rev. A device sported a HTC designated model number of PB99300, which is close to the PB99100 assigned to the Google Nexus One and the PB99110 assigned to the rumored AT&T 3G-capable Nexus One. This approval comes hot on the heels of another mystery CDMA device (PB31200) from HTC that received FCC approval earlier this month and is thought to be the HTC Incredible. The timing for FCC approval is about perfect for both handsets and, until additional details surface, we will assume that this one is the Verizon Wireless Nexus One, slated to be sold through Google, and the previous one is the HTC Incredible, slated to be sold through Verizon Wireless. The only lingering question is: which one do we buy?

[Via Unwired View]

Read

We’ve just been hit up by a source close to HTC, and let’s just say the Android invasion (of high quality Android devices, at least) has only just started. One of our connects let us know that while Google will be looking to sell an AT&T 3G-compatible Nexus One directly through their web store (just like we previously reported), the actual AT&T unit will be the HTC Desire. It will also apparently go to market on AT&T shelves as the HTC Desire as well. This will give AT&T users HTC’s Sense UI, but we’ve been told the physical attributes of the unit might change from the HTC Desire that we’ve all seen. Nothing major, just possibly some material/finish/color changes to the casing. We have been told to expect the HTC Desire to land on AT&T in the May to June timeframe.

Now, on to our boys and girls at Sprint. We have been told Sprint will be continuing their HTC Android tradition with the HTC Hero2. That device, will indeed be the HTC Legend, except it will apparently be slightly modified. Just like Sprint’s original HTC Hero was. Our contact hasn’t seen the device first hand so we can’t be sure what kind of changes are in store, though if history is any indicator, we don’t think a little more rounded and less edgy look would be outside the realm of possibility. We have no release timetable for the Sprint HTC Hero2 at this time.

Remember, this isn’t confirmed — the pieces fit together perfectly — but we felt it was worthy enough to warrant a post.

We just received a heads up that the above document is being circulated within AT&T locations, and in short, it seems as if the HTC Pure isn’t selling so well. We have been told that the reallocation of stock from corporate store locations to the Device Management group definitely means something is up, though without any quality-related issues with the return, we can only assume it’s due to the unit’s less-than-stellar sales performance. One of our other AT&T connects confirmed this has to do with the device not selling very well, and that AT&T would rather not have the product just sitting in the stores when they could replace it with other products that are apparently worth the shelf space. Our source went on to say that they have been instructed to “keep one or two units and send the rest to the warehouse.”

Owners of a Nexus One not afraid of flashing a ROM can shake things up by installing a leaked HTC Desire ROM with Sense UI that has been carefully prepared and packaged for your Google handset. The ROM is an Alpha release that may be a bit unstable for everyday use but it gives those  users who need to be on the forefront of technology a sneak peek at what is coming for Android in the upcoming months. One surprise included in the ROM is the presence of Adobe Flash 10.1, an inclusion that suggests the deployment of Flash for Android may be right around the corner. Interested parties can head on over to Modaco to get all the details on downloading and installing this custom ROM for the Nexus One. If you are just stopping by, you may have to wait a few hours though, as the download has been pulled while an improved version is being prepared. If you prefer to live vicariously through someone else, hit the jump for a quick video demoing HTC Sense on the Nexus One.

[Via Redmond Pie]

Read

In an interview with Forbes Magazine, Sprint revealed that its first WiMAX enabled handset will launch in the first half of 2010, a few months ahead of its projected 2H 2010 launch. Paget Alves, Sprint’s president of Business Markets, confirmed that the handset and its 4G connectivity will target  businesses and government agencies as well as consumers. He declined to  provide additional details on the phone but previous rumors suggest that this handset is the HTC A9292 WiMAX bar that was spotted on a Sprint inventory list at the beginning of 2010. This mysterious candybar is thought to be the HTC Supersonic, an Android-powered, Snapdragon-packing handset that was spotted and photographed back in January. Anyone with a need for speed ready to jump on board with WiMAX and pick up this blazing fast handset when it launches?

[via Engadget]

Read

Yesterday we reported Verizon was going to kick off an Android and webOS  BOGO sale today, but we missed a pretty big point — the BOGO sale also includes all BlackBerry and Windows Mobile smartphones as well as Verizon’s entire line-up of 3G multimedia phones and 3G internet devices. Yessir, this is one darn big sale. The question is, do you really need that new phone?

Read

HTC had a very busy day at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, as it announced three new handsets: the Desire, HD mini and Legend (above left to right). Although they’re all quite different, they do have a few things in common including GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, G-sensors, 3.5mm headphone jacks and dual-band (900/2100MHz) 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity. Having said that, there are some huge differences as well, so let’s run through each device.

By far the most impressive of the bunch is the Desire. Best thought of as the Nexus One with Sense UI (albeit with a single mic), it has a 3.7″ WVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB ROM / 576MB RAM, optical joystick, fully supports Microsoft Exchange, runs Android 2.1 with Sense UI, is Flash enabled and 10.1 ready. It will be available in both Europe and Asia starting in Q2.

Next up is the Legend. A handset that that oozes sex appeal thanks in part to its chassis machined from a single piece of aluminum. The Legend features a 3.2″ HVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera, 600MHz MSM7227 processor, 512 MB ROM / 384MB RAM, optical joystick and Android 2.1 with Sense UI.  Anyone living in Asia will have to wait until Q2 to get a Legend, but Europeans will begin to have access to it next month.

Last but not least is the HD mini. A scaled and powered down version of the HD2, the HD mini has a 3.2″ HVGA multi-touch capacitive display, 5 megapixel camera, 600MHz MSM7227 processor and 512MB ROM / 384MB RAM. It does indeed run Windows Mobile 6.5, although we were told it will not receive an update to Windows Phone 7 Series. That might sound a bit off-putting, but let’s be honest; you’re going to want the latest and greatest hardware when that OS is released. Look for it in Europe and Asia as of Q2.

We’ve mentioned that each of the new devices has Sense UI, and HTC was quite pleased to announced it has updated the skin. Some of the new features include general enhancements to the UI, a social media aggregate app called Friend Stream, a newsreader widget and Leap, which is basically card view. We haven’t heard anything US-specific, but European and Asian Hero owners will be getting the update in the near future.

Read

One of our connects hit us up with information on a new Verizon Wireless Buy One, Get One Free promotion. The BOGO this time around sweetens the deal by including all of Big Red’s Android and Palm webOS handsets. That means if you buy a Motorola DROID, a HTC DROID Eris, a Palm Pre Plus or a Pixi Plus you are eligible for a second handset of equal or lesser value for free. You can mix and match the above handsets with each other or step outside your comfort zone and pick up a Windows Mobile phone or a feature phone for free. The promotion starts tomorrow on the 16th, so if you are looking to score the latest Android or webOS handset from Verizon you may want to wait a day and find a friend who wants to go in with you on this offer. Like all BOGO offers, two year agreements are required.