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Pebble watch passes $8 million from backers, gains first Android app partner
May 2nd
The Pebble smartwatch is on fire, even though the first units don’t ship out to customers for another five months. Application developers have taken notice of the buzz and today RunKeeper announced they would become the first Pebble app partner.
A company blog post shared the RunKeeper team’s excitement about the news. “When Pebble approached us about integrating with RunKeeper, we loved the idea. We know that many of you are always looking for ways to make your fitness tracking easier, and with Pebble integration, you won’t ever have to pull the phone out of your pocket or armband – you can just see and do everything you need right from your watch.”
Last time we mentioned the Pebble watch, it had already raised $3 million from backers on Kickstarter. Now a couple weeks later it has already received over $8 million in pledges and become the most funded project ever.
If you still want to pick up a Pebble watch when they ship, you can get one for a pledge of $115. The first units are expected to arrive sometime in September. For those that already placed their order, now might be a good time to check out RunKeeper and see if you like the app.
Select Google Play users can now buy apps, music, movies, and books by carrier billing
May 2nd
Google has allowed carrier billing as a payment option for Android apps since 2009, but this week they expanded this service to include all types of digital content on the Google Play Store. Select customers can now purchase apps, music, movies, and books, by charging them directly to their monthly carrier bill.
T-Mobile appears to be the first US carrier to fully support all types of digital content, but we should expect to see similar options on Sprint (and hopefully AT&T). Google also specifically mentions that DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank customers can now purchase all types of content.
Google Play currently provides direct carrier billing options in the countries listed below:
- Germany: T-Mobile International, Vodafone
- Italy: Vodafone
- Japan: DoCoMo, KDDI, Softbank
- Korea: KT, SKT, LGU+
- Spain: Vodafone
- UK: T-Mobile International, Vodafone
- US: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile
It’s nice to see more payment options available, but we are still waiting on Google to support gift cards. I buy apps and other types of content all the time, and I’d spend a lot more if I could buy digital goods and share them with my friends and family.
Verizon’s public beta test of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus could be coming to an end soon
May 2nd
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is an amazing phone, but customers who purchased the Verizon version have not been too happy with the device because of a number of bugs. After nearly 5 months of waiting, it appears that Verizon could be close to releasing a software update that resolves many of the known issues that users have been complaining about.
Verizon customers with the Galaxy Nexus are still running Android 4.0.2 (unless they hacked their device), while most other Galaxy Nexus models have already moved on to Android 4.0.4. The latest update included over 100 changes and fixed many of the annoying bugs that people were complaining about.
This week several lucky Verizon subscribers started reporting that their device received an upgrade to Android 4.0.4 over the air. This latest software package included a build number, IMM76K, that was newer than the Android 4.0.4 build that Verizon was testing back in February.
Several persistent hackers were able to discover the download URL for the update package, but Google quickly pulled it down after it leaked out. There are instructions floating around all over the web if you want to try and manually flash it, but keep in mind this might not be the final version that goes out to all Verizon customers. I have decided not to hack my Galaxy Nexus because I want to share the voice of the average Verizon subscriber who has no clue what flashing is.
We recently reached out to Verizon to see if they could provide us a statement on the software upgrade for the Galaxy Nexus and we finally received something we could share.
All updates are a result of work with our hardware and software partners and have to be tested on our network just like our phones. When they are ready we push them to handsets but we don’t do that until we are absolutely certain they won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.Company RepresentativeVerizon
Based on that statement it appears that Verizon might be testing a new update with a small group of devices. We don’t know when the broad rollout will begin, but Verizon has a good track record of letting the online media know when new software updates are available.
As we reported last week, a Google employee said they were “very glad that Google is back in the business of selling phones directly without any middlemen to interfere.”
It’s unfortunate that Verizon customers had to put up with a device that randomly reboots daily, has multitouch issues, drops call, and suffers from poor battery life, but at least help is on the way.
Going forward, Verizon and Sprint customers should get used to the fact that their Galaxy Nexus devices will likely lag behind the GSM version by at least a month when it comes to new updates.
It might not be that big of an issue after this Android 4.0.4 update is out and fixes most of the known bugs, but it could be annoying when your friends on AT&T and T-Mobile are enjoying Android 5.0, and you are stuck waiting on your carrier to approve the update.
Look for an update as soon as we hear the official update is going live.
HTC teases Sprint EVO 4G LTE with new camera samples
May 2nd
After yesterday’s review of the AT&T HTC One X, many Sprint fans are even more excited to get their hands on the EVO 4G LTE. Sprint’s version of the device will feature all the same awesomeness, with the addition of a microSD card slot, slightly larger 2,000 mAh battery (vs 1,800 mAh), and a kickstand.
Today HTC shared a new gallery of photos taken by the EVO 4G LTE to show off their ImageSense technology. For this round of shots, HTC hired Meeno Peluce, American photographer and former child actor. Head over to the source link to check out the entire album.
Sprint opens up pre-orders for the EVO 4G LTE on May 7th, and you can head over to their holding page to sign up for reminders. We are still waiting on the official release date, but the latest rumors suggest it could be as early as May 18th.
The elephant in the room remains Samsung’s next Galaxy phone, but they unpack that tomorrow so we will know how the two device stack up soon enough.
If you are on Sprint, let us know which way you are leaning. What would Samsung have to do in order for you to pass on the EVO 4G LTE?
T-Mobile wants to pay you $100 to ‘buy’ the HTC Sensation 4G
May 2nd
While most of us are concerned with getting the best phone money can buy, there are some who are always on the lookout for the best deals from places like Amazon Wireless and the big four service providers. There are always offers for free phones, but it’s not often that you get paid $100 to “buy” a dual-core powered Android phone.
If you’re a T-Mobile customer (or have been waiting for a good excuse to switch to T-Mobile), you can now purchase the HTC Sensation 4G for free when signing up for a new two year contract. On top of that, you can take advantage of T-Mobile’s latest Magenta Deal Days offer and get an extra $100 back when you trade-in a qualifying smartphone.
The HTC Sensation 4G may not be as good as the HTC One S, but it is still a great device and will be updated to Android 4.0 sometime soon. The Magenta Deal Days offer lasts until May 7, but the free web-only HTC Sensation 4G deal ends on May 3.
Are any of you willing to get paid $100 to “buy” the HTC Sensation 4G?
Android Gaming Weekly: Max Payne, N.O.V.A. 3, Pocket Academy, Zombie Bowling
May 2nd
Welcome back to our regular column Android Gaming Weekly, where we recap all the new releases and highlights every Wednesday. We post small bits throughout the week related to Android games, but readers have requested a condensed summary that makes it easier to keep up with all the latest news. Read on for this week’s best in Android gaming.
New Games This Week
Make your dream school in Pocket Academy
Kairosoft is king when it comes to simulation games. They have a hardcore following that throws money at the screen with every new release, and Pocket Academy is the latest title in the series. This time around you manage your own school as you build classrooms, make clubs, and even decide the hot couple of the week. Early reviewers have given the game a near perfect score of 4.9.
Contract Killer: Zombies upgraded to version 3.0
Glu Mobile released Contract Killer: Zombies last year, but they recently upgraded the game to version 3.0 and tossed in a bunch of helicopter missions. This game is another mindless shooter, but it’s free and it has exploding zombie brains so grab it from the download link below if you need to kill some time.
Knockdown the standing arms at the end of the lane with the zombie head
Sticking with the undead theme, we have Zombie Bowling by G-Gee. This game looks absolutely ridiculous, but the developer actually has several other successful bowling titles, so maybe they know what they are doing.
Ginger man’s grand escape adventure, Oven Break
Com2uS has been one of the top Android devs for awhile now and this week they ported over the popular iOS title Oven Break. You play the role of Ginger man who awakes in the witch’s magic oven and tries to escape. Gameplay consists of basic two button controls that let you jump and slide to avoid obstacles. This one might not be for everyone, but Com2uS normally produces great Android games.
An epic RPG adventure awaits you in Rule the Kingdom
Developer Game Insight International has become one of the leaders of freemium entertainment with several titles always appearing in the top grossing section of the Google Play Store. Their latest game Rule the Kingdom is a mix of RPG action, city-building, farming and storytelling. The graphics don’t look that good, but the game is still free and it has an average review score of 4.5. If RPG games are your thing, then you might want to check this out.
Asobimo releases two english MMORPGs
Japan’s number one RPG maker, Asobimo, released two of their more popular games in English this week. Celes Arca and Iruna Online are two massive-multiplayer-online RPGs that feature full 3D graphics. Celes Arca is the more popular of the two, which promises “10 trillion dressing patterns” for your character. Several users have reported trouble with getting the games to start, but those who got it working have given it high praise.
Android Games Coming Soon
N.O.V.A. 3 coming this month
Just last week we saw the first teaser video for Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3, and this week we get new previews of single player and multiplayer modes. The big addition to mutiplayer this year is drivable vehicles including two-person jeeps and mechs. Gameloft says we should expect a May release, so look for this game in the coming weeks.
Max Payne Mobile landing tomorrow?
We have been waiting on Rockstar Games to release Max Payne since last year and tomorrow could finally be the big day. The game was scheduled to release last Thursday, but some last minute changes pushed the release date back. Keep an eye on @RockstarGames for updates on the release.
Eden to Greeeen arriving in Q2
Eden to Greeeen is a turn-based strategy game we first saw back at Mobile World Congress, and now we have a tentative release date. According to an update on NVIDIA’s TegraZone, we should see the game sometime in Q2. The game will be free to play, and allow players to level up their characters via in-app purchase. I had a lot of fun with an early demo, so I’m looking forward to checking out the final release.
Games I’m currently playing
Zombie Smash: I purchased this game last week when it came out and I haven’t put it down since. The gameplay is very simple and lets you pick up little zombies with your fingers and then fling them to their death. As you progress through the game you get to unlock more weapons and special FX that makes killing the zombies even more fun. The game runs $0.99, but it’s definitely worth the asking price.
Dark Meadow: We previewed Dark Meadow last week and it remains one of my favorite Android games. The graphics are the best we have ever seen and the twisted story line keeps me coming back. The game is free to play, but it looks like I have finally progressed far enough that I need to pay to level up my stats and weapons to make it to the 3rd level. I want to finish this game and see the ending, so I keep coming back.
What Android games are you playing?
Find any great new Android games this week? Share your favorites in the comments below so we can check them out.
Nokia sues HTC, RIM, and Viewsonic for patent infringement
May 2nd
The number of patent infringement cases has grown again this morning. In an official press release, Nokia has announced that it is suing RIM, Viewsonic, and HTC for violating as many as 45 Nokia patents. The Finnish handset maker has filed a complaint to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) against HTC, filed US patent infringement suits against HTC and Viewsonic in Delaware, and suits against all three companies in Germany.
Nokia currently licenses its affected patents to over 40 companies, indicating that HTC, RIM, and Viewsonic are not among those companies. Nokia wants the companies to either join their licensees, or compete using their own technologies, but felt a patent infringement suit at this time was necessary in order to enforce its intellectual property.
Of course, with Nokia so deeply in the hole with no short-term end in sight, it’s clear Nokia is doing all it can to bolster its bottom line, and easy-win lawsuits are obviously at the top of their list. Should the companies be found to be in violation of Nokia’s patents, there would be cash exchanged by means of a settlement, and the companies would be forced to either license Nokia’s technology or build it in-house.
The cases should come to court over the next few months, though we may see an ITC ruling on the matter before then. We will, of course, bring you the updates as it pertains to the cases against Android fan favorite HTC as the cases develop. Stay tuned.
Nokia takes new steps to protect its innovations and intellectual property
Espoo, Finland – Nokia has filed claims in the United States and Germany alleging that products from HTC, RIM and Viewsonic infringe a number of Nokia patents.
“Nokia is a leader in many technologies needed for great mobile products,” said Louise Pentland, chief legal officer at Nokia. “We have already licensed our standards essential patents to more than 40 companies. Though we’d prefer to avoid litigation, Nokia had to file these actions to end the unauthorized use of our proprietary innovations and technologies, which have not been widely licensed.”
Nokia’s actions include a complaint to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) against HTC, suits against HTC and Viewsonic in the Federal District Court of Delaware, US, against HTC and RIM in the Regional Court in Dusseldorf, Germany and against all three companies in the Regional Courts in Mannheim and Munich, Germany. In total, 45 Nokia patents are in suit in one or more of the actions.
Nokia proprietary innovations protected by these patents are being used by the companies to enable hardware capabilities such as dual function antennas, power management and multimode radios, as well as to enhance software features including application stores, multitasking, navigation, conversational message display, dynamic menus, data encryption and retrieval of email attachments on a mobile device.
“Many of these inventions are fundamental to Nokia products,” Pentland concluded. “We’d rather that other companies respect our intellectual property and compete using their own innovations, but as these actions show, we will not tolerate the unauthorized use of our inventions.”
Android 4 now on 5% of Android devices, Gingerbread still dominant
May 2nd
No longer the platform of the 1%, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is now found on nearly 5% (4.9%) of Android devices, according to the latest Android Platform Versions Chart. Android 2.3 Gingerbread is still found on the most devices by far, with 64.4% of Android devices running the previous version of Android. These charts are based on the number of devices that have accessed the Google Play Store over the past 14 days, giving a fairly good estimate of the breakdown of devices in the general population.
Still, with Ice Cream Sandwich now six months old, and Jelly Bean set to be unveiled later this year, we’re a bit disappointed that Android 4 is not available on more devices. The update to Android 4 is the greatest improvement yet in the Android OS, meaning it has taken OEMs significantly longer to push out updates to their devices.
With an update for the best selling Android device, the Galaxy S II, hitting the airwaves around the world recently (coming soon to the U.S.), we should see this number creep up and break the 10% mark shortly. Are you one of the lucky 5% to be on the latest and greatest version of Android? One of the 0.3% still on Cupcake?!
HTC One X: Snapdragon S4 vs Tegra 3 in performance, GPU, battery life, and web browsing
May 1st
Does the processor found inside your mobile device really matter? The average consumer doesn’t care what CPU is featured inside their smartphone, but it’s always a popular topic among the hardcore crowd. Today’s hottest mobile chips are NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4, so we put them through a round of benchmarks and experiences to see which came out on top. The results might surprise you, so read on for the full details.
Devices
Finally, we have both the Snapdragon S4 and Tegra 3 version of the HTC One X. We wanted to keep things simple, so we only used three devices. I decided to go with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus as the third device since it is currently Google’s flagship Android device.
Note: Our international HTC One X just received the 1.29 firmware update as we were working on this post, so we will update the benchmarks scores with new results if we find anything differs.
Benchmarks Used
For this round of testing, we used most of the popular Android benchmarks that are freely available in the Google Play Store. We decided to exclude Vellamo Mobile Web Benchmark since it is developed by Qualcomm. Linpack was also excluded because it’s a benchmark intended for use on supercomputers and it doesn’t produce consistent results on Android. Finally, for all browser benchmarks we used the latest Chrome Beta, since each device has a different default browser.
- Antutu Benchmark 2.7.3
- CFBench 1.2
- Smartbench 2012 1.0.0
- Quadrant Standard 2.0
- GLBenchmark 2.1.4
- MX Player 1.6d
- Chrome Beta 0.18.4409.2396
- Browsermark
- Moonbat JavaScript Benchmark
- Sunspider 0.9.1
Processing Benchmarks
Winner – Tegra 3: Not many apps are optimized for quad-core, but several benchmarks are. Tegra 3 manages to score a healthy lead in Antutu, CFBench, and Smartbench. In Quadrant we see Snapdragon S4 eke out a close victory, but the results are within the margin of error.
Graphics Benchmarks
Winner – Tegra 3: Both GPUs appear to be pretty evenly matched, but we give the slight advantage to Tegra 3. In Antutu and GLBenchmark Pro Offscreen, we see Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 are neck-and-neck. Antutu does not appear to be a very intensive graphics benchmark and the Pro test is the less demanding test on GLBenchmark. On the most demanding graphics test, GLBenchmark Egypt Offscreen, Tegra 3 holds a 10fps advantage over Snapdragon S4.
Browsing Benchmarks
Winner – Tegra 3: On browsing benchmarks, Tegra 3 wins every round. It’s interesting to note that the aging Galaxy Nexus wins both the Sunspider and Moonbat tests which are single-threaded. This could be from code optimizations that are targeted at the Galaxy Nexus. We can see the four CPU cores in Tegra 3 really shine in the Moonbat test with web workers set to 4 threads. This should indicate that Tegra 3 should perform faster on Chrome when multiple tabs are open.
Battery Life Benchmarks
Winner – Too close to call: Battery benchmarks are a tricky thing. There are not many standard tests out there (that we could get to complete on both devices), so we used MX Player and put a video (recorded by a One X) on an endless loop. Both devices lasted just over 6 hours, with the Tegra 3 version lasting an additional 9 minutes.
I found it interesting that the Tegra 3 version saw the battery warnings at 14 percent and 9 percent just a minute earlier than Snapdragon S4. However, when it came to the last 3 percent warning, Snapdragon appeared first and then died first. It looks like Tegra 3 has some extra battery management tricks that turn down the 5th low-power core when the battery is on its final charge.
Both of these devices were just released, so I expect HTC will work with NVIDIA and Qualcomm to continue to tweak power management settings and extend battery life.
Update: NVIDIA informs us that MX Player does not use their companion core very effectively, and ends up waking up the main cores periodically during playback. Battery life for video playback should be extended using the native gallery app.
Update 2: Head over to Anandtech for more extensive battery life testing. Brian Klug found that the Snapdragon S4 has longer battery life when it comes to 3G browsing and WiFi browsing, while Tegra 3 wins at WiFi hotspot and cellular talk time. Again, it looks like the results will vary with different use cases and are too close to call.
Marketing Benchmarks
Winner – Tegra 3: This one is pretty simple. When it comes to marketing speak, four is better than two.
Gaming Experience
Winner – Tegra 3: On most games, you can’t tell the different between Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4. However, NVIDIA has their TegraZone program which has resulted in several exclusive titles for Tegra 3. Thanks to these extra games, we think Tegra 3 provides the better gaming experience right now. Qualcomm also has their Snapdragon Gamecommand, but it doesn’t feature any exclusive games for Snapdragon S4 yet.
Keep in mind this could change in the future if Qualcomm starts writing fat checks to Gameloft and other devs for exclusive titles. Qualcomm is a much larger company than NVIDIA and they could outspend them on game exclusives if they choose to.
Browsing Experience
Winner – Too close to call: When I was on WiFi, I could not tell a difference between the two devices in day-to-day browsing usage. This could change in future versions of Chrome or with newer firmware updates, but for now the two devices are equal.
Mobile Networks Speeds
Winner – Snapdragon S4: Not much to say here. LTE is faster than HSPA+. Snapdragon S4 has an integrated LTE modem, while the Tegra 3 version is currently paired with a HSPA+ modem. This will always depend on your location and carrier, but on AT&T the Snapdragon S4 version is much faster. I achieved download speeds of 50 Mbps on Snapdragon S4 with LTE, and around 10 Mbps on Tegra 3 with HSPA+.
Drive-by Conclusions
Tegra 3 offers more exclusive games, right now: Thanks to NVIDIA’s relationships with game developers, they currently offer a better overall gaming experience since they have more exclusive titles. This could change as Qualcomm steps up their efforts.
Snapdragon S4 has a faster modem, right now: Qualcomm has the only mobile chip with an integrated LTE modem, which gives them an advantage in network speeds. NVIDIA says their partners will have LTE modems out by the second half of 2012, so this advantage will be moot in a couple months.
Both chips are awesome and you can’t really tell a difference in normal usage: Even though Tegra 3 wins a majority of our benchmarks today, I can’t really tell a difference between the two devices. If you did a blind test between the two versions, I doubt you would be able to tell which is the quad-core Tegra 3 or the dual-core Snapdragon S4. NVIDIA has an advantage in exclusive games and Qualcomm has an advantage in LTE modems, but both of those arguments are going to be obsolete in the next couple months.
At the end of the day, it’s the consumer who wins this round of testing. Both Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 offer a better overall experience than the current generation of mobile processors and it’s significant. After using the HTC One X, I do not want to return to my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
AT&T HTC One X review
May 1st
HTC’s flagship device, the One X, has been available overseas for almost a month, and it finally arrives in the United States on AT&T’s network this May 6th. The US version is slightly tweaked and features a different processor, so many have wondered how the two devices would stack up. We were fortunate enough to spend a couple weeks with AT&T’s variant, so read on to see how they compared. Is this the best Android phone yet?
Video Review
Note: This video was recorded with the HTC One X. Head over to YouTube to watch this video in full 1080p.
1. Beautiful design
Carry the HTC One X around town, and you are sure to turn heads. HTC’s design firm One & Co did an awesome job with the One X and it’s one of my favorite Android phones of all time.
The device is available in white or grey, and I would highly suggest going with the white version. We found that the white version can sometimes get dirty, but a quick wipe with a cloth and rubbing alcohol cleans it right up.
Some people will complain that the camera lens sticks out when the device is resting flat, but HTC slightly altered the design on this AT&T version. We found the ring around the lens was a little thicker than the international version, so the lens will not scratch as easily.
Others have also expressed their concern over HTC’s choice to use physical buttons, instead of on-screen buttons like the Galaxy Nexus. I found there was a period of adjustment coming from the Galaxy Nexus, but they didn’t bother me after I got used to them.
Overall, the HTC One X is a device that’s fun to hold, features incredible build quality, and has a unique look that stands out from the mob of Android phones.
2. Amazing camera experience
This is the smartphone camera I have always wanted. For the first time ever, I now have an Android phone that is “good enough” to shoot video of other phones. HTC claims “it just might be the only camera you’ll ever need to bring with you” and we tend to agree in most situations.
Features of HTC’s camera include instant capture with zero shutter lag, extended depth of field (EDOF) to capture everything in focus, continuous shooting for non-stop, rapid-fire shots, backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor for low-light photos, smart flash for providing the precise light needed to produce great photos, and built in high dynamic range (HDR) imaging.
It would have been nice to see a dedicated camera button, but we can live without one in this case since the overall camera experience is still better than other Android phones.
HTC will also tell you their main camera features a dedicated ImageChip, 8 megapixel sensor, F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, but the specs don’t really matter in this case. The end result is what we care about, so check out the sample pictures and video below.
3. Superior display
This display is unmatched. I thought the Super AMOLED Plus display on the Galaxy Nexus was the best thing around, but HTC’s Super LCD 2 display beats it hands down. It is not pentile, the text is super clear, and it’s much brighter than the Galaxy Nexus. Nothing I write will do this display justice, so I suggest headed to your local AT&T store to check it out.
4. Blazing fast 4G LTE
HTC One X Speedtest results.
My HTC One X has faster download speeds than my home internet connection from Time Warner. In my time with the One X, I found AT&T’s 4G LTE network smokes my Galaxy Nexus on Verizon 4G LTE. I know AT&T’s LTE coverage is still limited, but I found download speeds were around 2-3x faster than Verizon on average.
In Dallas, I was able to achieve download speeds in excess of 50 Mbps and saw upload speeds around 20 Mbps. This is sure to slow down once more LTE devices join the network (like the next iPhone), but AT&T currently offers the fastest mobile data connection.
Seeing these crazy results raises the question if we really need these kind of speeds. LTE allows you to download files at 50 Mbps, but the average user won’t find my cases to take advantage of that. About the only thing LTE is good for is burning through a monthly data cap 10x faster than HSPA+.
The low latency times (sub 100ms pings) would be great for online gaming, but there are not many titles that require that kind of speed. This should change as we see more console quality first-person shooters, but I’m not seeing many other uses for it yet. Streaming music and YouTube videos is still the same experience on AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks.
Having said all that, we were still impressed by the One X network speeds and can’t wait to see what apps take advantage of them.
5. Best Sense UI yet
“We got a little too Kung-fu with Sense [3.x],” said Jason Mackenzie, HTC’s President for Global Sales and Marketing.
If previous versions of Sense UI annoyed you, then you will be glad to hear that HTC toned it down a notch for Sense 4.0. I was never a big fan of Sense, but I found the latest version to be tolerable, and even enjoyable in certain cases. To put it simply, this is the first version of Sense that I don’t want to immediately turn off.
The only thing that frustrated me was HTC’s stock keyboard, but I quickly downloaded an ICS clone keyboard and never looked back.
We plan to do an in-depth look at Sense UI 4.0 in the coming weeks, so check out HTC’s Sense page for further details.
HTC still allows users to unlock the bootloader, so you can flash any custom ROM to your heart’s content. We have already seen CyanogenMod 9 and MIUI 4 ported to the Tegra version of the One X, and we expect similar ROMs for the Snapdragon version once it gets in the hands of developers.
6. Snappy performance
This is the fastest Android phone I have ever used. Some users have already complained that it’s not “quad-core” like the international version with Tegra 3, but we found the dual-core Snapdragon S4 inside AT&T’s model to be just as fast. I’ve had both versions of the phone for several weeks, and I can’t tell a different in normal day-to-day usage.
For a complete comparison between the two models, check out our HTC One X: Snapdragon S4 vs Tegra 3 showdown.
7. Beats audio and loud speakerphone
I’m no audiophile, but the HTC One X paired with Beats headphones produces the best sound I’ve heard on any Android device. I tested the One X with a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre MIXR headphones (normally $249
Beats audio is mostly a software solution that includes an enhanced equalizer setting based on the content. You can toggle it on and off, but everything sounds much clearer and louder with it on and there is no reason to turn it off.
You won’t find a pair of Beats earbuds packaged with AT&T’s phone, but HTC did that for a reason. They did’t want to cheapen the experience by tossing in a pair of free earbuds. If you want the full Beats experience, you will have to pony up the cash and get the high-end gear.
I also enjoyed the sound level of the external speaker. It was much louder than my Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and perfect for watching YouTube videos on the go.
8. Medialink HD
HTC MediaLink HD.
MediaLink HD has to be the One X’s most underrated feature. This extra accessory creates a wireless link between your smartphone and HDTV that extends your mobile display to the big screen.
Users get full-screen mirroring, which means they can take anything on their phone and easily share it with friends. In my brief time with MediaLink HD, I used it to share videos and pictures, browse the web, and play games.
HTC has also created specific MediaLink APIs that allow developers to create dual-screen apps. Example of this include playing a game on the big screen, while using the phone to access special on-screen controls. Users could also play video on the big screen, while browsing around to other apps on the mobile device.
Setup was a breeze and the connection can quickly be established by swiping up with three fingers on the smartphone display. The MediaLink HD connects to any display with HDMI and is powered by USB. Most newer TVs that have HDMI should also have USB, so it’s pretty easy to hook up. Thanks to the small size of the MediaLink HD, it’s also great to carry around to a friends house, or hook up to that hotel TV when you travel.
Pricing and availability has not been announced, but we expect the MediaLink HD to fall in the $99-149 range.
9. On device storage is half of international One X, but still adequate
Some people might not like it, but on-device storage is on the way out in favor of cloud storage. AT&T’s One X includes 16 GB of internal storage, compared to 32 GB that we saw in the international version. Thankfully, HTC still throws in 25 GB of cloud storage via Dropbox. Google also offers an additional 5 GB of free storage space with their Google Drive service.
We understand that the average user will never use up 16 GB of space, but it would have been nice for AT&T to go with the 32 GB option. For this reason, we rate the storage options as average and only reward half a point.
10. Battery performance above average, but not the MAXX
One battery size does not fit all. It’s true that the One X offers the best battery life of any previous HTC phone, but you will still need to charge it every night with normal usage. We would have liked to see a higher capacity battery, like the 3,300 mAh monster found in the RAZR MAXX, but HTC has found that consumers prefer thinner phones.
For the last week I carried around the AT&T One X and the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, two flagship devices with LTE. My Galaxy Nexus has the official Samsung extended battery (2100 mAh), but I found that the AT&T One X and its smaller 1800 mAh battery lasted longer.
It’s nice to see that HTC has found a way extend the battery life with the Snapdragon S4 and software tweaks, but we would still like a higher capacity battery or the option to replace it with an extended one.
AT&T HTC One X9 / 10
I love this phone, and I don’t say that often. It would have received a perfect score if HTC went with expandable storage and a user-replaceable battery, but we understand why those trade-offs were made. Other than those two issues, it’s hard to find much to gripe about
Most Android phones are all the same and boring, but the HTC One X is truly different and I was excited with the opportunity to review it. Compared to my Galaxy Nexus, the One X has a greatly enhanced camera experience, faster performance, and longer battery life.
We receive new review units every month, but I generally only upgrade my personal phone around once a year. I’ve only spent around two weeks with the HTC One X, but it’s such a better experience than anything else that I don’t think I can return to my Galaxy Nexus.
Each user will have features that are the most important to them, and for me it’s camera performance and battery life. I’ve been carrying both the One X and Galaxy Nexus for the last couple weeks, and I reached for the One X every time I wanted to take a photo. HTC’s phone also outlasted my Galaxy Nexus in battery life, which was a major bonus.
When my friends ask me about upgrading their smartphone I like to say, “If you find a better phone, buy it.” The AT&T HTC One X is the best Android phone currently available in the United States, so I would recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a new device.
Keep in mind that Samsung unveils their next Galaxy phone on May 3rd, but we don’t know when it will be released or if AT&T will carry it. I’d suggest waiting to see what Samsung has in store, but go ahead and pull the trigger on the HTC One X if you need a phone now.
AT&T will offer the HTC One X for $199 on contract, but Amazon sells it for $149
