Author: Chris Davies

We can’t say we were that impressed by our experience of Flash 10.1 on the Google Nexus One, but it looks like fettled versions of the code are performing more successfully.  Adobe Flash evangelist Michaël Chaize has been running some comparison benchmarks between Flash 10.1 and HTML5 video on his Nexus One, and it turns out Flash is “much faster”.

“What you’ll find is that on PCs, Flash Player is faster than HTML5, and that HTML5 is not that bad for basic animations. I wanted to add more information to this benchmark, testing the Flash Player 10.1 on my MAC, and on my Google Phone (Nexus One). I obtain the same experience. Flash Player is much faster, specially with a basic shadow filter. I also tried to launch the Canvas test on my iPhone 3GS.” Michaël Chaize

Chaize’s tests build on previous work by The Man In Blue, who looked at Flash 10.1 versus HTML5 performance when viewed in desktop browsers.  They too found that the Adobe technology was faster.

Still, the end messages is that performance is very dependent on the person doing the programming.  Chaize points out that Flash developers need to be careful with their AS3 optimization, while “knowing HTML doesn’t mean that you’ll become a HTML5 expert. I guess you’ll also have to take care of code optimization.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via Recombu]

We already knew Vodafone UK were planning to offer the HTC Desire sometime in April, but the company have just confirmed that preorders for the Android 2.1 smartphone are being taken from today.  The Vodafone HTC Desire is expected to ship by April 8th, with the handset being offered from free on select monthly contracts.

The Desire is available for free on monthly contracts from £30 (24 month contract), with 600 minutes (900 minutes if you order online), unlimited texts and 500 MB of mobile internet.  The carrier joins T-Mobile in offering the Desire, though there have been rumors of late that a last-minute firmware issue delayed the delivery of many customer’s T-Mobile handsets.

Still unconvinced whether the HTC Desire is the phone for you?  Check out our full review over at SlashGear.

HTC Desire vs. Google Nexus One:

Press Release:

Pre-Order Opens At Vodafone UK For HTC Desire

More Android goodness due to arrive soon on the UK’s best network

Vodafone UK has now opened pre-order for the HTC Desire as the build up to its Android April continues.

Based on the new HTC Sense with Android 2.1, HTC Desire is the richest way to visually experience news, friends, photos, favourite places and whatever else that is important.

With one of the most advanced displays available on a phone, HTC Desire is designed with a large 3.7 inch WVGA AMOLED display to enhance and maximize content, whether it is pictures and videos, browsing the Web of checking on friends’ status updates.

HTC Desire is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor making it one of the fastest handsets around and is Adobe Flash Lite 4 enabled and 10.1 ready. It also features a new optical touchpad for enhanced navigation experience.

The HTC Desire is one of a range of great new Android-based handsets that Vodafone UK customers will soon be able to choose from, with the HTC Legend, Sony Ericsson X10 and Google Nexus One also scheduled to launch soon.

The HTC Desire launches on 8 April and will be available for free on monthly contracts from £30 (24 month contract), with 600 minutes (900 minutes if you order online), unlimited texts and 500 MB of mobile internet.

We can’t say we’re especially enamoured by Rockchip’s first attempt at an Android smartphone, but this reference design is more about what’s going on inside the casing than what said-casing looks like.  Based on Rockchip’s Android-capable RK2808 chipset, first announced all the way back in August last year (and wearing a pretty slick MID outfit at the time), the unnamed smartphone should support 720p HD video.

Full specifications for the handset are unknown at present.  There’s talk of various types of 3G modem inside, together with a front-facing camera for video calls; beyond that it’s all a bit of a mystery.

We do know a little more about the Rockchip RK2808 chipset, however, which is believed to be able to handle MKV (H.264/VC-1), AVI (Xvid/DivX) and various other formats, with bitrates ranging from 30 to 40Mbps.  Of course, Rockchip aren’t planning on making this handset themselves, and instead will be looking to manufacturers to pick up the design and put it into production.

[via Cloned in China]

Seeing Android hacked onto hitherto Windows Mobile devices isn’t new, but this latest ROM is probably one of the most complete – and recent – so far.  The handiwork of the guys over at xda-developers, the ROM will load Android 2.1 with HTC Sense onto a device like the HTC Touch Diamond2.

So far, there’s a lot more working than still requiring attention.  In fact, only the camera and GPS are still causing headaches; the touchscreen, hardware buttons, wireless connectivity, radio and Android market all work, and there’s even Flash support though it doesn’t seem the Diamond2’s CPU is strong enough to get past jerky playback.

Still, if you’ve an old Windows Mobile device lying around then you could do far worse than to give it a shot of Android.  Full installation instructions and all the necessary downloads here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via CoolSmartphone]

The second part of HTC’s Android attack, the HTC Desire, certainly has the heritage and hype, but is it actually a decent phone?  That’s just the question we’ve been grappling with over at SlashGear, where our full HTC Desire review has just gone live.  We’ve made plenty of comparison against the Desire’s effective sibling, the Google Nexus One, too.

Of course, the Google Nexus One isn’t available – at least without importing it – outside of the US yet, and so the Desire will certainly beat it to European shelves.  It also has, arguably, a better looking UI, in the shape of HTC Sense, which packs social networking integration right out of the box.

So, two phones remarkably similar in specifications, appearance and promise: which comes out ahead?  Head over to the full HTC Desire review over at SlashGear to find out more!

HTC Desire vs. Google Nexus One:

Rumors last week that Google were paying carriers a portion of their revenue on in-application advertising have been strongly denied by the company, who insist that only Google search ad revenue is shared with network operators.  The rumors had been used by some as evidence for the recent proliferation of Android devices offered by carriers, but according to an official comment given to eWeek, it has no basis in fact.

“We share revenue on search, not on mobile applications. The same is true for non-Android devices that use Google as the default search engine” Google spokesperson

Carrier AT&T in the US is notable for having exchanged Google search functionality for Yahoo! on handsets like the Motorola BACKFLIP.  Google has previously said that OEMs are free to load builds of Android with their own choice of search provider, though it can then limit what Google-brand apps (such as GMail) are also preinstalled onto the handset.

Specific details of Google’s search ad-revenue share deals with carriers are unknown at present.

It feels like we’ve been waiting ages since Mobile World Congress and the launch of the HTC Desire, but the Android 2.1 smartphone is finally in our hands. Packing the same 1GHz Snapdragon processor as the Google Nexus One, but bearing the latest version of HTC’s alluring Sense UI, the Desire has a 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, Flash Lite support and a 5-megapixel camera.

The Desire is set to go on sale through UK carriers T-Mobile and Vodafone over the next few days – in fact T-Mobile are already shipping handsets out this weekend, with deliveries expected to begin on Monday – and with the Nexus One still not officially available in Europe there’s a lot resting on this new device.  First impressions are certainly positive; the display is just as bright and eye-catching as we know from the Nexus One, and Sense whips along on the 1GHz CPU.

We’ll be putting the HTC Desire through its paces over the weekend and expect to have the full review up next week.  More photos plus first-impressions and a demo video (including Flash in the browser) over at SlashGear!

HTC Desire unboxing video:

HTC CEO Peter Chou has spoken out in defence of the Google Nexus One, dismissing the recent speculation regarding poor sales figures for the smartphone.  Speaking at CTIA Wireless this week, Chou described the Nexus One as a halo device for HTC and suggested that Google’s intent with the smartphone was more to show what Android is capable of rather than to dominate the market in terms of sheer sales.

Analysts Flurry caught headlines earlier this month by suggesting Nexus One sales severely lagged behind both the first-gen iPhone and the Motorola DROID in their first weeks of availability.  In defence, while Chou wouldn’t reveal specific sales figures, he did say that “considering Google didn’t do [standard] retail or marketing for it, the Nexus One is doing pretty well.”

“We can quickly leverage that [Nexus One] credit to show that we are the top Android brand” Chou explained.  The company have used pretty much the same hardware as is found in the Google-branded device for their own HTC Desire, set to go on sale in Europe imminently.

In among the WiMAX excitement, the HTC EVO 4G’s front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera perhaps didn’t get the fanfare it deserves.  A first for an Android device, the camera paves the way for video calls; problem is, Android as it stands isn’t video call friendly.  Happily Sprint – a member of the OHA, as they’ll happily remind you – is stepping up with a new 4G developer guide intended to show Android devs how to deal with the EVO 4G’s hardware capabilities.

A Sprint 4G developer guide is available today from the Sprint ADP Web site http://developer.sprint.com. The Sprint 4G developer guide explains how to develop on an Android 2.1 handset and how to take advantage of 4G and unique hardware/software capabilities, including how to use a forward-facing camera in an app; how to use HDMI output; and how to build in network detection (3G, 4G or Wi-Fi) to optimize quality of data in an app. The Sprint 4G developer also will include sample apps and source code that highlight these features. It will supplement the Android 2.1 SDK

As well as the front-facing camera – the higher than normal resolution of which seems intended for bandwidth-heavy video-over-IP chats than it does regular cellular video calling – the new guide addresses the HDMI output and network identification.  The latter is particularly important, as it gives an app the ability to differentiate between 3G, 4G and WiFi networks, and potentially adjust data use accordingly.  For instance, a streaming media app – such as Sling Player – could automatically increase video resolution when it knows it’s on a 4G versus a 3G connection.

The SDK and other tools – together with guides and other development details – are available here.  For more on the HTC EVO 4G, meanwhile, check out our hands-on video.

HTC and Sprint have announced the HTC EVO 4G, the smartphone previously known as the HTC Supersonic and the first ever WiMAX Android handset for the Sprint network.  Borrowing plenty from the HTC HD2, the HTC EVO 4G packs a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, HTC Sense UI and Android 2.1.

That’s not all: there’s an 8-megapixel main camera with autofocus and 720p HD video capture, together with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls, as well as WiFi b/g and Bluetooth.  With an adapter cable you can plug the HTC EVO 4G into an HDTV courtesy of an HDMI output, while onboard storage includes 1GB of memory and 512MB of RAM (plus a microSD card slot).

The 4G WiMAX connection can be shared using a MiFi style app, and Sprint are apparently working on enabling both CDMA and WiMAX at the same time so that you can browse the internet while on a voice call.  When outside of a WiMAX area the phone falls back onto EVDO Rev.A.

No word on pricing or what sort of plans will be on offer, but Sprint reckon the HTC EVO 4G will go on sale this summer.  We’re at CTIA Wireless this week, and will have hands-on photos and video with the HTC EVO 4G as soon as possible!

[via SlashGear]

Press Release:

World’s First 3G/4G Android Phone, HTC EVOTM 4G, Coming this Summer Exclusively from Sprint

HTC EVO 4G offers one of the most robust multimedia experiences on a wireless phone today; features Android(TM) 2.1, one of the industry’s largest touch-screen displays, 8.0 MP camera, HD video capture, HDMI output,Mobile Hotspot capability and HTC Sense(TM) Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/evo

LAS VEGAS, Mar 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint (NYSE: S) and HTC Corporation today announced summer availability of the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, HTC EVO 4G exclusively from Sprint. HTC EVO 4G delivers a multimedia experience at 4G speeds that is second to none, making it possible to download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go with one of the largest pinch-to-zoom displays, at 4.3 inches, in the wireless industry.
Sprint 4G offers a faster wireless experience than any other U.S. national wireless carrier, and Sprint is the only national carrier offering wireless 4G service today in 27 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G1,giving HTC EVO 4G the fastest data speeds of any U.S. wireless device available today.

“Sprint continues to lead the 4G revolution as we introduce HTC EVO 4G to give our customers an experience that is unlike anything available in wireless to date,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level.”

Customers will be able to purchase HTC EVO 4G through all Sprint channels and through national retail partners, RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, this summer. Pricing will be announced at a later date. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/evo.

A device beyond compare

HTC EVO 4G delivers a robust list of features, including a 1GHz Qualcomm(R) Snapdragon(TM) processor ensuring a smooth and quick user experience. With dual cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera – HTC EVO 4G unleashes the ability to create, stream and watch video that far surpasses expectations of what is possible on a phone today.

With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G allows up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience. Users can easily share an Internet connection on the go with a laptop, camera, music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device.

With integrated HD video capture and 4G speeds, HTC EVO 4G makes slow uploads and grainy video a thing of the past. Now, it is possible to post high-quality video to YouTube(TM) or Facebook, or share moments in real time over the Internet live, via Qik. After these videos have been captured, it is easy to share them on an HDTV via an HDMI cable (sold separately).

The custom Web browser is optimized for HTC EVO 4G’s large display and Sprint 4G speeds to deliver a full, no-compromise Internet experience. Adobe Flash technology ensures that rich Internet content, such as embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant to be seen. Pinch-to-zoom and automatic text reflowing provide easy Web page views.

HTC EVO 4G features the newest version of the highly acclaimed HTC Sense user experience. Along with all of the HTC Sense features first introduced on HTC Hero, HTC EVO 4G adds a number of new features, including Friend Stream, which aggregates multiple social communication channels including Facebook and Twitter(TM) into one organized flow of updates; a “Leap” thumbnail view to easily switch between home screen “panels”; the ability to download new, interactive widgets; and a “polite” ringer, which quiets the ringing phone once lifted up.

“HTC and Sprint have a strong history of working together to bring consumers technologies and advancements that make their lives easier,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “We believe that the HTC EVO 4G represents the best of Sprint and the best of HTC working together to bring an unmatched device to the U.S. This combination of HTC and Sprint innovation will allow people to do even more while on the go, faster than ever on the Sprint 4G network.”

Experience Android at 4G

HTC EVO 4G, the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, features the latest iteration of the increasingly popular Android platform. Leveraging the Android 2.1 platform, HTC EVO 4G can deliver a wide array of useful new features:

Android 2.1 enables a new way to search with pictures instead of words. Google Goggles(TM) works with everything from books, DVDs and barcodes to landmarks, logos, artwork and even wine labels. A picture taken of the Golden Gate Bridge returns all of the information anyone would need to know about the structure. By just taking a picture of several restaurant options, HTC EVO 4G will provide restaurant reviews to ensure the best choice.
Text messaging and email composition feature built-in voice-to-text technology. By simply pressing a microphone button on the screen, messages can be composed by just speaking, making keeping in touch faster and easier than ever.
Through Android Market(TM), HTC EVO 4G users have access to thousands of useful applications, widgets and games to download and install on their phone, with many more to come.
In addition to today’s Android apps, the performance of which will be enhanced by 4G speed, application developers will be introducing new apps that take advantage of 4G power in new ways – games and communications tools and other apps that bring together video, presence and location simultaneously, and capabilities that haven’t yet been imagined. For example, an application developer might create an app that allows a customer to simultaneously watch a streaming sporting event while pulling down stats and conducting a video chat with a friend.

A Sprint 4G developer guide is available today from the Sprint ADP Web site http://developer.sprint.com. The Sprint 4G developer guide explains how to develop on an Android 2.1 handset and how to take advantage of 4G and unique hardware/software capabilities, including how to use a forward-facing camera in an app; how to use HDMI output; and how to build in network detection (3G, 4G or Wi-Fi) to optimize quality of data in an app. The Sprint 4G developer also will include sample apps and source code that highlight these features. It will supplement the Android 2.1 SDK. As a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance(TM), Sprint is actively engaged with the Android community. Sprint has employed an open Internet approach, and the Sprint Application Developer Program has been providing tools for third-party developers since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.

“Sprint and HTC have come together to propel the Android platform into the 4G world with the introduction of HTC EVO 4G,” said Andy Rubin, vice president, mobile platforms at Google. “The Android platform was developed to give people unmatched mobile connectivity to the Internet. By combining this vision with the promise of Sprint’s first-to-market 4G technology, HTC EVO 4G makes accessing thousands of applications from Android Market, using Google(TM) services like Google Goggles, Google Earth(TM) and the all-new Gesture Search, or simply browsing the Web faster, easier and more enjoyable than ever before.”

Blazing trails with Sprint 4G

As the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, Sprint made history by launching 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. Today, Sprint 4G covers more than 30 million people and expects to have up to 120 million people covered by the end of 2010.

Sprint currently offers 4G service in 27 markets, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., San Antonio and Seattle. Following is a comprehensive list of markets by state where Sprint 4G is currently offered: Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro, (along with High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (along with Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Oregon – Portland, Salem; Pennsylvania – Philadelphia; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Wichita Falls; Washington – Bellingham, Seattle. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

In 2010, Sprint expects to launch service in multiple markets, including but not limited to, Boston, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Sprint is harnessing the power of 4G as the majority shareholder of Clearwire, the independent company that is building the WiMAX network. Sprint is the only national wireless carrier to offer 4G services on the Clearwire WiMAX network.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

1 “Up to 10x faster” based on download speed comparison of 3G’s 600 kbps vs. 4G’s 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary. Sprint 4G currently available in over 25 markets and counting, and on select devices. See www.sprint.com/4G for details. Not all services available on 4G and coverage may default to 3G/separate network where 4G unavailable.

Note: Device features, specifications, services and applications are subject to change.