HTC Desire Z Gingerbread update coming up this month

This might not be the best example of punctuality in the world, but the Gingerbread update for the Desire Z QWERTY smartphone is getting close to being released. Various HTC branches confirmed through their Facebook pages that the Android 2.3.3 update will be pushed to users by the end of this month.

In May, HTC promised that they will be giving the Desire Z the Gingerbread treatment in June, but obviously development didn't go as smooth as hoped. Fingers crossed that there will be no more delays and the update will be released for real this time.

The good news is that, if HTC has its way, all the Desire Z units should get the update almost simultaneously. This means that the Taiwanese company has ironed out the issues that usually cause updates to arrive slower to carrier-locked devices.

HTC Status starts taking pre-orders for AT&T customers

We caught wind of the HTC Status late last month and as its name suggests it's all about social networking. It was in fact officially announced by AT&T on the big 'F', (that's Facebook) and now the pre-order gates have opened to those itching to text, tweet and update their status' till the cows come home.

The Facebook share button allows people to:

Post instantly on your wall or a friend’s wall by pressing the Facebook share button from your home screen.
Take a picture or shoot a video and share it instantly with a press of the Facebook share button. You can also post multiple pictures at one time and label and tag them before posting. Or even post photos automatically as you’re taking them.
Check in to Facebook Places by pressing and holding the Facebook share button from the home screen.
Share something cool on the Web with a quick press of the Facebook share button and be the first with the news.


Let your friends in on the music you love with the push of a button by pressing the Facebook share button to post the song title and other details.
AT&T on the Status' Facebook integration

We've talked already about the fact that the Status looks familiar, you could easily mistake it for the HTC Cha Cha and no one would berate you for it. Other than the fact that the Status is solely for the US telecoms giant AT&T, there are a few other subtle differences. For one the keyboard has a slightly different configuration, swapping out the 'Fn' key for an 'Alt' key and so on. The magical Facebook button that graced the Cha Cha and the Salsa elsewhere in the world also carries over to the Status, but with a more rounded, softer look. Other than that it's effectively the same device.

Adopters will benefit from an uprated 800Mhz processor (originally intended to be 600MHz piece), 512MB of RAM and ROM, a 5MP camera on the back with autofocus and an LED flash, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA/HSUPA, expandable memory via USB up to 32GB, a 480 x 320 2.6" TFT touchscreen, the hardware keyboard and of course all of this wrapped in Android Gingerbread 2.3.

With pre-orders now in full swing the HTC Status will become available in store from July 17. If you want to get your hands on one, a 2-year contract with AT&T gives you a device for $49.99.

Check out our video to see how we got along with the HTC Cha Cha here.

HTC Desire Gingerbread update coming this month

The thrilling story of the Gingerbread update on the HTC Desire will come to an end this month. Afterannouncing the update, then denying it and then announcing it will be made available and then finally revealing that there will be some cutbacks made to the Sense UI in order to fit it on the Desire, HTC today announced on their Facebook page that the update will be made available this month.

According to HTC, the testing on the device has gone well and that they will be able to roll out the update by the end of July. No exact dates were mentioned but considering there are just three more weeks left in this month, you won’t have to wait for long as long as HTC stays true to their word.

HTC EVO 3D now available for pre-order SIM-free

When the HTC EVO 3D became official in Europe a few days ago, the information on its pricing was rather scarce. Today, we know how much one will set you back, should you decide to order this highly desirable handset sans contract and SIM card.

As you can see above, the HTC EVO 3D is currently available for pre-order from Amazon UK for £569.99 (€631;$917). Shipping is set to commence on September 12, but we do believe that this might be subject to change (assume earlier rather than later).

While not cheap, the price is pretty much in line with the cost of the other top Android offerings at the moment. Should you decide £569.99 is too much, you can always opt for a contract with Vodafone. We told you a few days ago that the UK operator is set to begin taking pre-orders for the device any moment now as well.

1.5 GHz HTC Eternity leaks, boasts a huge 4.7-inch Super LCD screen

An image of the first HTC handset to ship with the latest Windows Phone 7 version - Mango just surfaced. The HTC Eternity is certainly entering rumorland with a bang - it features a monstrous 4.7-inch Super LCD screen.

It's certainly a looker and we will definitely cheer if HTC goes for some metal on the device as they usually do. The HTC Eternity relies a 1.5Ghz single-core processor on a Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset to do the math and offers generous 16GB of internal memory. The amount of RAM is yet to be confirmed, but we figure it's going to be north of 512MB.

On the back of the Eternity sits an 8MP shooter with dual LED flash, capable of recording 720p video. There's also a 1.3MP camera on the front for those video-chats. Other notable features include Wi-Fi, GPS, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and to keep the giant screen from dimming off quickly - a 1650mAh battery.

Release date and price are, understandably, unknown for now, but expect to see the HTC Eternity hit the shelves this fall or as soon as WP7 Mango starts rolling.

HTC Desire Gingerbread nears release, already in testing

A few hours ago HTC announced it is already testing the Gingerbread for the original Desire and will start the QA procedures this week. Obviously the update is nearing release and the wait will be over soon.

Initially HTC promised a Gingerbread update for the Desire, but then it was dropped due to incapable hardware. After the massive pressure it got from users the company made another U-turn and decided to launch the update anyway, even if it will compromise a feature or two.

And here we are today when HTC is almost ready with the update. Here is the HTC's statement:

We suppose we'll see the Android 2.3 update soon after the QA is over. So arm up with just a little more patience and prepare for an update.

HTC EVO 3D with T-Mobile USA 3G bands passes FCC testing

The European GSM-enabled HTC EVO 3D recently went official but 3D-loving GSM fans in the US were seemingly left out of the party. Luckily this is about to change pretty soon as the EVO 3D is on its way to T-Mobile.

The news was brought to us by the FCC, which has just concluded testing an EVO 3D with T-Mobile USA 3G bands. So the handset seems fit and ready to enter the arena and face the LG Thrill 4G for AT&T (a.k.a. Optimus 3D) and its Sprint-bound twin - the mobile 3D battle is really heating up in the States.

The FCC report has this helpful schematic of the wireless antennas on the HTC EVO 3D, with the 3D dual-lens camera on there as well (not that it has anything to do with FCC tests). The tests include tests of the 1700MHz band (AWS), which points to T-Mobile USA as the future home of this new EVO 3D.

The reports don't give away much more than that - besides a 1730mAh battery, the same as on the current EVO 3D models. There's no mention of launch dates in there so we can only guess about that.

So, Sprint's EVO 3D is out, T-Mobile's seems to be coming and AT&T's LG Thrill 4G (Optimus 3D) is "coming soon". Your move Verizon.

HTC Status for AT&T gets announced on Facebook

This is hardly a surprise to us. After we saw it in leaked picturesbarely a week ago, the U.S. version of the HTC ChaCha got officially announced on Facebook under the name HTC Status - quite a fitting moniker for the phone which is designed to rule the social network.

There are practically no differences between the HTC Status and its European sibling, the Chacha - their appearance and specs are identical, save for the AT&T logo of the Status.

The U.S. version of the ChaCha will also get the upgraded processor which we previously told you about - it is clocked at 800 MHz unlike the originally claimed 600 MHz. There is 512MB of RAM and ROM on board respectively. The memory can be expanded through a microSD card. A 5MP camera will handle the capture of pictures before they get uploaded on Facebook. The device will have Android 2.3 Gingerbread, dressed in HTC Sense, right out of the box as well.

HTC EVO 3D is coming soon to Vodafone UK

It was just yesterday that the European EVO 3D became official, but it seems Vodafone UK is already preparing its pre-order campaign. You can already register your interest and there is a cool ad for you to enjoy.

The HTC's worst kept secret - the European EVO 3D became official just a day ago. Soon after Vodafone UK launched an EVO 3D commercial and is already allowing you to register your interest in the device. If you live in the UK and you want an EVO 3D, then this is your place.

HTC Desire will not be updated to Gingerbread

Bad news HTC Desire owners, HTC has just announced it won’t update the original Desire with Android 2.3 Gingerbread due to insufficient memory. You are now stuck with Froyo forever.

Ok, this forever thing is overrated, but you surely won’t get Gingerbread via the official channels on your Desire. Here is the official statement:

"Our engineering teams have been working hard for the past few months to find a way to bring Gingerbread to the HTC Desire without compromising the HTC Sense experience you’ve come to expect from our phones. However, we’re sorry to announce that we’ve been forced to accept there isn’t enough memory to allow us both to bring Gingerbread and keep the HTC Sense experience on the HTC Desire. We’re sincerely sorry for the disappointment that this news may bring to some of you."

So, those guys worked really hard for a few months but they came up with nothing. It seems running Gingerbread on the Desire will compromise the Sense experience.

HTC Desire runs on a 1GHz processor, has 576MB RAM and 512MB ROM. HTC claims the memory is not enough. Well, HTC, the Wildfire S has a 600MHz CPU, 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM and it CAN RUN Gingerbread. Even though, the Desire has a higher resolution screen, it's still not enough to convince us HTC has done everything in its power.

We are sorry, Desire users, but it seems you will need to upgrade with a newer device or get some unofficial Gingerbread ROM.

Rumor: HTC to use NMT tech for slimmer, deathgrip-proof phones

Talk in the tech industry has it that HTC will be partnering with Chenming to use their NanoMolding Technology (NMT), which supposedly allows for thinner, cheaper phones with less interference for the antenna, or in other words - no death grip.

The NanoMolding Technology works by taking the metal chassis and depositing liquid plastic on it, so that the plastic bonds directly to the metal. In traditional designs, the metal and plastic components are attached using adhesives.

Chenming claims that this reduces thickness but also results in a stronger chassis. Also, the combination of plastic and metal will allow makers to side-step antenna interference issues that traditional metal chassis have.

Neither HTC nor Chenming have officially confirmed the partnership, but rumor has it that Chenming will begin manufacturing in July for several handset makers.

Example products using NMT

We'll keep an eye on that, especially the promise of no death grip as it has become somewhat of a sensitive topic lately with HTC.

The Facebook-centric HTC Salsa gets its debut release

We saw HTC debut two new Facebook-centric devices back at MWC 2011, the QWERTY based Cha Cha and the unibodied HTC Salsa. The Salsa now looks like it'll making its way to stores with, first availability coming to India.

An Indian retailer already listed the HTC Salsa as available, where it's listed for 20,499 INR (a snip under $460 or around €316). The Salsa is the second one of the two Facebook-centric HTC announced back in February and so far it hasn't been available for sale. HTC Facebook-centric phones have a hardware Facebook button on the front that's context sensitive. We spoke about how it changes the way your interact with the device here, when we first heard about it just after MWC this year.

The Salsa comes with a 3.4" capacitive touch display (320x480 pixels) that's protected by Gorilla Glass. You also get microSD storage capabilities up to 32GB, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth (3.0), HSDPA and HSUPA support, a 5MP camera on the back and a front-facing VGA video call camera on the front all topped off with Android Gingerbread. The processor is currently sited as being clocked at 600MHz, but it's likely to jump to 800MHz by release to follow in the footsteps of the Cha Cha.

The retailer lists the HTC Salsa as available now and deliverable within four business days. And we guess it's only a matter of time before it gets to Europe. Do you plan on having a taste of the Salsa, let us know your thoughts in the comments.

HTC does an Apple, denies Sensation death grip issues exist

HTC has obviously taken a leaf of the Apple book of PR and denied today that their Sensation flagship has the so-called "death grip" issues. There was no press-conference this time, but a company spokesman did go on record and denied there was anything wrong with their powerhouse of a smartphone.

Here's the exact quote as sent to Slashgear:

“Every phone experiences a slight variation in signal strength when the antenna is covered in its entirety by a palm and/or fingers. However, under normal circumstances this does not affect the performance of the phone.”

Now the first part is absolutely true - you can drop a few bars on just about any handset out there if you hold it in a specific way. Yet our dedicated test revealed that the Sensation can lose all of its Wi-Fi signal quite easily in what we wouldn't call abnormal usage - it's just how you’d hold it if you are web browsing in landscape mode, for example.

Mobile network signal also suffered if you put your hand in the wrong spot, thought it didn't seem to be as damaging there. Now, we are not saying this is a deal-breaker - the Sensation is still a pretty hot device with all that oomph under the hood, but it's still a quirk you should keep in mind if you are about to get it.

And we really don't think dismissing the problem as non-existent will do any good to HTC. There are plenty of early adopters out there who will confirm that they were unpleasantly surprised.

Update: HTC just responded to a question about our video posted by one of their customers on Facebook, claiming that "The HTC Sensation issue seems exaggerated in this video, which is why it is misleading.". We find this statement largely inaccurate, since as we mentioned this is the exact way you would hold the handset if you were web browsing in landscape mode, for instance.

Vodafone exclusivity of HTC Sensation in the UK ends soon?

It appears that the UK exclusivity of the HTC Sensation that Vodafone had is coming to an end. The smartphone has just been listed in the Carphone Warehouse system in a bundle with O2 and Orange contracts. The screenshot gives us no exact availability date but it clearly shows that the Sensation is already on its way to other major carriers.

Other online retailers are already taking pre-orders for the HTC Sensation. Here are the deals that you might get if their listings are to be believed. Orange will give you the for free if you sign a 2-year contract worth at least £28.44 per month. The cheapest available plan there is a 2-year deal for £25/month, but if you go for that one, you will need to fork another £100 for the handset so it makes little sense.

T-Mobile requires a £32/month 18-month contract to fully subsidize your acquisition of the Sensation. You can also opt for the £25.5 a month year-and-a-half deal and pay £40 upfront for the handset.

The minimum contract needed to get you a free HTC Sensation from O2 stretches over 24 months and costs £31/month. £21.50 is the cheapest you can go with regards to monthly fees with O2, but in that case you will need to pay an extra £80 for the Sensation.

Finally, if you decide to go for Three you will need to commit your next two years to a £30/month deal or pay £70 upfront and sign a £25/month contract.

HTC ChaCha gets a CPU upgrade, makes status updates speedier

The Facebook-centered HTC ChaCha has just started shipping and its early adopters were treated to a nice surprise by the Taiwanese company. The CPU inside the Android smartphone has been quietly upgraded to 800 MHz from the previously promised 600 MHz.

There are no other changes to the hardware of the device, but a 33% improvement in the processor speed should have a pretty good effect on user experience by itself. The good news comes on the heels of the first software update that HTC released for the ChaCha and shows that the company plans to take good care of its first “Facebook phone”.

Now the future seems even brighter for the HTC ChaCha, which pulled off the seemingly impossible for a mid-range device stunt of standing out in the over-crowded Android market.

We are already eager to take the ChaCha for a spin so you can be sure that we will be doing our best to secure a test unit and give it the full review treatment. How about you, the Facebook fans out there - are you willing to give it a try? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

HTC Sensation suffers from death grip, iPhone 4 caught snickering

Looks like there might be trouble in paradise for HTC fans. Nordic Hardware’s tests have proven that the new HTC Sensation also suffers from the same dreaded death grip as the iPhone 4 but this time it also affects the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity of the phone.

The problematic area is the back cover. As we discovered a few days back, the Sensation does not have a true unibody design as HTC claims it does but instead uses a large removable battery cover which is mostly made out of metal and has plastic areas that work as antennas. Unfortunately, when these pieces are covered by your hand, there is a substantial drop in the performance of the radio units within the device, particularly of the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios.

Could this be the GSM version of HTC EVO 3D?

HTC showcased the EVO 3D back in March, which was their first phone capable of recording images and videos in 3D. That phone, however, was intended for Sprint’s CDMA network. But HTC may just have a GSM version of the EVO 3D up its sleeve.

Pocketnow.com came across these images on HTC’s website. The one on the extreme left is the one that they initially announced, the one in the middle that was put up on HTC’s website but later pulled and the last one that appeared on HTC’s developer website and the one that we are going to talk about.

Notable differences between this and the others include a lack of circles around the keys below the display, which were exclusive to the HTC phones on Sprint's network. Along the side, the volume control button, camera shutter button and the 2D/3D mode switch have been redesigned. On the back the camera lenses don’t have the red surround and the window for the LED flash has a different design.

It’s also running an older version of Sense but if you look carefully at the icons you can see that it’s because the screen does not belong to the phone but it’s just pasted there from some other HTC phone. The EVO 3D has a qHD display which makes the icons look smaller with more gaps between them as is evident from the other two phones but this one looks more like the one on phones running WVGA screens.

All this point toward the fact that this slightly redesigned handset might just be the GSM version of the EVO 3D. If this is true it won’t be the first time HTC has done this. They created GSM versions of existing CDMA phones before, for example, the Desire HD is virtually a clone of the EVO 4G. Perhaps this could be the Desire 3D?

EVO 4G gets Gingerbread update, breaks Netflix support

Sprint recently announced that they will be updating their first 4G handset, the HTC EVO 4G, to the latest version of Android this Friday and just as they promised the update is now available to download to anyone who’s willing to manually check.

According to the official changelog, the 2.3 update brings with it some bug fixes to the Gmail and messaging application along with the usual Gingerbread goodness.

However, we are also hearing reports of compatibility issues with the Netflix application after updating. Netflix has acknowledged this issues and is currently investigating it. So if Netflix playback is important to you, you might want to hold on to the update till the official fix comes out.

HTC Bravo New Android Phone With HD Video Recording

HTC has always been recognized for power. After Nexus one, HTC now comes with another Android smartphone called as HTC Bravo. Due to camera quality, HTC lacked behind other mobile companies. This phone outfaces all of them because this phone has 720p video capture. I like the look of this better than the Nexus one.

Hardware and Operation system

This phone has Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz processor, 320 MB RAM , 480 x 800 pixels resolution, a 3.7 inches AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, a 5 Mega pixel auto focus camera and the most important feature is that this phone take 720p video capture quality, after Samsung i8910 Omnia HD. One thing which I do not like was the trackball on a touch phone, there is basically no need for it since the touch screen response is accurate. This phone also has WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G support.

This phone is embedded with Android 2.1 OS.

Software

HTC Bravo is embedded with social networking application like Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. This phone has DivX player. For browser this phone has Android webkit support which adds speed to the browsing mode.

Release and Price

3 Sweden’s official Facebook page mentioned this week that, the HTC bravo will be lunched March 2010. We expect that this phone will come out during the month of April, 2010 and is expected to be priced nearly $530. It is expected to be launched with AT&T, and then it might be available world wide with independent provider’s support.

HTC Sensation doesn't offer a unibody design after all?

The HTC Sensation, which was promised to boast the company's unique unibody design might not have it after all. The first live photos and videos that surfaced clearly show that the back panel of the Sensation is removable, rather than being firmly attached to the frame surrounding the front.

The official HTC Sensation page claims that the device features the famous HTC unibody design, but as it turns out, it might be just a cheap marketing trick. Of course, it could be possible that SlashGear have just gotten a review unit with a non-final design, but we wouldn't count on that.

We are expecting HTC response about this discrepancy, we'll let you know once we hear back from a rep.