Author: Josh Karp

HTC First preview: The first phone to feature Facebook Home

We just had a chance to dive into Facebook’s (FB) new “Home” software suite on the HTC First, and came away with some good early impressions. Press weren’t allowed actual hands-on time, but instead treated to a demo from a friendly Facebook employee. As such, we weren’t able to push Home much beyond the facade of persistent status updates, floating timeline images and Chat Heads. That said, we think that’s the point of Home: It’s a software layer that hides the bulk of the functions on of your Android phone behind a wall of Facebook content and services.

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April 4, 2013
Live from Facebook’s Android event

Various reports over the past few years have suggested that Facebook (FB) is developing its own smartphone, but nothing has materialized yet. Instead, Facebook continues to expand its mobile products across various mobile platforms, and we expect the company to further its efforts today. According to earlier reports, Facebook will unveil new “Facebook Home” Android software that features deep integration with several Facebook services. The software is expected to be available across a number of Android smartphones, and rumors suggest it will be showcased on the upcoming “HTC First” smartphone rather than an own-brand “Facebook Phone.” All will be revealed momentarily though, and our live coverage of Facebook’s press conference follows below.

April 4, 2013
Alcatel One Touch Fire preview: This anemic Firefox phone might be a tough sell

Another day, another Firefox OS-powered handset here at Mobile World Congress. We had the chance to take a hands-on look at Alcatel’s first Firefox phone on Tuesday and walked away with some distinctly tepid impressions. As a disclaimer, the software we played with was in beta, but Firefox and Alcatel are planning to launch these phones within months, so any performance enhancements they hope to achieve will have to be pushed out relatively quickly.

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February 26, 2013
Hands on with NVIDIA’s blazing fast Tegra 4 reference tablet

In a world where frequent technology shifts are commonplace, it’s tough to stand out. Phones are getting bigger and faster with each passing month and crafting a device with real-world performance that truly impresses is a challenging task. While the reference tablet we played with today at NVIDIA’s (NVDA) booth will never reach consumers’ hands, the internals are very much worthy of your attention, as there’s a good chance that they’ll serve as the powerhouse in your next smartphone or tablet.

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February 26, 2013
Asus Fonepad preview: Decent tablet, terrible phone

Why? Seriously, Asus (2357). Why? This question bears asking, as going hands-on with Asus’ new Fonepad truly requires some big hands. Single-handed operation is a thing of the past. Remember when diminutive phones were the latest trend? When iPod grew smaller and smaller and RAZRs got thinner and thinner? Wave goodbye, dear friends. That age is long gone.

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February 26, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 preview

Samsung’s (005930) Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet has been one of the worst-kept secrets in recent memory, as rumors and leaks floating around the Web over the past few weeks have painted a fairly comprehensive picture of Samsung’s latest Note. But the Galaxy Note 8.0 is now finally official, and we met with Samsung on Saturday to take a look at its new slate ahead of the Mobile World Congress trade show, which kicks off on Monday.

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February 23, 2013