Author: Robert Nazarian

We had heard that SwiftyKey would be involved with the stock keyboard on the Galaxy S IV, but nothing was mentioned about it during the event. That is because it won’t be the SwiftKey keyboard exactly, but the the prediction engine itself. SwiftKey does have one of the top prediction engines, so this isn’t surprising.

Dr. Ben Medlock, co-founder and CTO of SwiftKey, said from the New York launch: “Following our great success with the SwiftKey 4 launch last month, we are excited to confirm that Samsung has chosen SwiftKey’s innovative keyboard technology to be at the heart of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. This is fantastic progress for our vision of bringing the best touchscreen typing experience to as many people as possible.”

As to why Samsung didn’t opt for the full experience, it’s because Samsung isn’t interested in “advertising” for any other brand but themselves. I say that in a good way because they are the top dog right now, so they don’t need those types of partnerships. If you’re a SwiftKey fan, you can still opt to download the keyboard and change it out. In fact, you can choose whatever keyboard you want if you so wish, which is what makes Android so special.

 

Come comment on this article: SwiftyKey’s prediction engine will power the Samsung Galaxy S 4 native keyboard

Since most people that own a Galaxy S III are probably stuck in a contract with at least 1 year remaining, it’s good to know that Samsung plans on bringing most of the new Galaxy S 4 features to the Galaxy S III. I say “most” because some features such as anything regarding the IR blaster won’t make it since the GSIII lacks an IR blaster. So this means that features such as AirView, Smart Pause, Optical Reader, Group Play, Drama Shot, Photo Eraser, Sound and Shot, Cinema Photo, Dual Shot, Dual Recording, ChatON Video Chatting, ChatON Screen Sharing, S Translator, Adapt Display, and S Health will probably make it to your phone. I presume they will be part of the Android 4.2.2 update. As to when that will happen, no word, but you know how that goes with all the carrier testing. I wouldn’t expect carrier branded devices to approve the update until the end of the summer, but that’s just my opinion.

So there really isn’t a need to worry about upgrading, but if you’re still on the fence, you can check out our hands on video as well as Samsung’s overview video on the Next Big Thing.

source: PCMag

Come comment on this article: Samsung to bring newer Galaxy S 4 features to the Galaxy S III

Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 isn’t about the specs folks. Sure it sports some of the best specs around, but Samsung wants you to know that their phone is a life companion full of features that you need. That’s why they only spend about 1 minute talking about the specs in this four minute video.  The rest of it is all about those new features including AirView, Smart Pause, WatchOn, Optical Reader, Group Play, Drama Shot, Photo Eraser, Sound and Shot, Cinema Photo, Dual Shot, Dual Recording, ChatON Video Chatting, ChatON Screen Sharing, S Translator, Adapt Display, and S Health. Hit the break for the full video and be sure to check out our hands on as well.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: Samsung gives us a 4 minute overview of the Galaxy S 4 [Video]

Tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S IV, which promises to be your life companion for a richer, simpler, and fuller life. If there is one thing Samsung proved tonight, it’s not the specs that sells, it’s the features. Last year it was all about S Beam, S Voice, and AllShare. This year they added a whole lot more such as Dual Camera, Group Play, Share Music, Smart Scroll, Smart Pause, S Voice Drive, WatchOn, S Health, Adapt View, and Adapt Sound. Still, we can’t forget about the specs, and they are impressive with the 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, 1.9GHz Exynos Octa or 1.6GHz Qualcomm quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16/32/64 GB of storage, microSD slot, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, and 2600mAh battery. What are you waiting for? Hit the break to see our hands on of the Next Big Thing.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: Hands on with the Samsung Galaxy S IV [Video]

So what do you do when your the Apple marketing chief and it’s the eve of the Samsung Galaxy S IV announcement? You do a little trash talking, but in this case Phil Shiller didn’t really go after Samsung, but instead went after Android as a whole. Where do we begin? He started off by saying that products that run the Android software are inferior to Apple’s iPhone. He went down the fragmentation path as he said that a lot of Android users are running old operating systems. In his defense, that is absolutely correct. Only about 15% of Android users are actually running Jelly Bean. In Android’s defense, I will say that most consumers aren’t all that concerned with that.

He continued with, “Android is often given as a free replacement for a feature phone and the experience isn’t as good as an iPhone.” Overall, Shiller thinks Android’s weakness is a result of many manufacturers making phones whereas Apple is in complete control of the hardware. Again a very true statement and is definitely the reason for fragmentation, but unfortunately Android as a whole is still the better OS. The consumer is the judge of that. According to Gartner, the iPhone represented 19.1% of the global market share while Android had 66.4% in 2012. Of course Mr. Shiller will give you a different story as their research suggests that four times as many iPhone users switched from an Android phone than to an Android phone in the fourth quarter 2012. He also downplayed market share estimates by saying, “I’m not sure that the estimates and the modeling accurately gives an accurate picture of it all.”

This outburst was obviously out of anger as Android has astounded even myself with the amount of growth it has achieved in the last couple of years. At the same time, Samsung is now a force to be reckoned with. Samsung is now the face of Android and they will announce a new phone tomorrow that will prove to be yet another thorn in Apple’s side. Shiller makes some valid points, but talking isn’t what sells phones. It’s innovation and something Apple has lacked for a while now.

source: WSJ

Come comment on this article: Oh what a surprise: Apple’s Phil Shiller thinks Android phones are inferior to the iPhone

Whether you’re a creative genius or someone trying to be more creative, you might want to check out Sharpee  – Powered by Behance. If you’re not familiar with the Behance Network, it’s a an online site that allows creative professionals to share their portfolios. At the same time anyone can view these portfolios and utilize them for inspiration.

Anyone can create an account and set up a profile on Behance. Then it’s time to upload projects. For now it can only be done on the desktop, but that feature is coming soon to the Sharpee app. Projects can consist of just about any type of creative field imaginable including advertising, architecture, animation, drawings, graffiti, graphic design, illustrations, photography, visual effects, web design, and 57 others. Portfolios can be complete collections or simply a work in progress.

The cool thing about Sharpee is that you don’t need to be an artist to enjoy the app. Thanks to apps like Instagram, we have become a very visual world and Behance has not only incredible images to enjoy, but professional as well. Behance isn’t about taking a picture of a salt shaker at the diner, adding a filter to it, and calling it art. Behance is about people who know what they are doing. Aspiring artists will love Sharpee because you can get a lot of inspiration and ideas by looking through all the incredible works.

The app itself is as easy as it gets. Upon opening the app, you will get a quick glance at all the featured portfolios, which include the titles, author name, creative field, how many people appreciated it, and how many people have commented on it or viewed it. Tap on the portfolio, and you will be taken to the artist’s description as well as all the images associated with it. You will find an option to view comments at the bottom of the page. By tapping on any of the images, you will be taken to a gallery-like experience where you can swipe through the collection of images. From here you can tap the icon at the bottom left that will give you options to download the image, set it as a wallpaper, share it via email or various social networks like Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. If you’re searching for something in particular, you can tap the search icon to further refine things by keyword, creative field, collections, work in progress, or artists. If there is one negative it’s the wallpaper aspect in that you can’t download high resolution images, so if you have a high-end phone or tablet, you can forget it.

If you’re looking for something new to inspire your own works of art or just simply enjoy looking, you should definitely download Sharpee today. It’s absolutely Free so give it a shot. For now it’s only for phones, but a tablet version is coming soon. Hit one of the download links below to get started, and as always, let me know what you think.

Features:

• search & explore projects, collections, works in progress and artists from Behance network
• filter your search over creative field, time or country
• download images to your device
• set artworks as wallpaper
• share artworks with your friends

New features coming soon: login, works upload, creating collections, appreciations etc. to make application full functional.

For more information: Sharpee and Behance Network

Play Store Download Link

 

Come comment on this article: Featured Android App Review: Sharpee – Powered by Behance [Social]

As the continued hype machine builds for the Samsung Galaxy S IV, analysts are concerned with over-hype. Right now they are projecting that Samsung will move 10 million units during the first month, but they are also concerned that we could see a repeat from last year’s supply issues. Last year, there was a manufacturing defect in handset cases that resulted in a loss of 2 million units of the Galaxy S III during the first month of release.

“There could be, again, a supply bottleneck due to tight supply of components… but I think any such disruption will be very brief, as Samsung is making a bigger bet on the S IV than on its predecessor with a backup plan to avoid such disruption,” said Greg Noh, an analyst at HMC Investment and Securities.

Of course you don’t expect that Samsung would sit back and allow it to happen again do you? Well you can never guarantee anything, but it looks like one analyst feels Samsung has done everything they can to make sure we don’t see any delays.

“Based on checks we had with suppliers, Samsung has already done significant work to ensure smooth supply and not to repeat what they had to deal with last time,” said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at IBK Securities.

There’s no question that Samsung will sell a lot of these bad boys, the only question is how fast they can churn them out?

source: Reuters

Come comment on this article: Sales of Samsung Galaxy S IV to top 10 million units in the first month assuming no production issues

Yesterday we found out the UK release of the HTC One would be delayed by two weeks. Of course when it rains it pours so everyone is wondering if: 1) there will be further delay and 2) will it effect the U.S. market? Well I’m not sure we can give you an answer on any further delays just yet, but HTC did say the UK delays have nothing to do with the U.S.

“The statement doesn’t apply to US models. The US carriers are on a separate timeline”

Unfortunately this doesn’t tell us that the U.S. market won’t have a separate delay at some point. It is our understanding that these delays are due to component shortages regarding the UltraPixel camera. We can only hope that things will get rectified soon, and we won’t see any more delays. We are expecting to see the HTC One hit U.S. carriers by early April. It’s a lot like the weather in that it’s beyond our control and we will just have to wait and see.

source: HTCsource

Come comment on this article: HTC One delays won’t effect the U.S. market

Those of you with a U.S. zip code will be able to buy the HTC One Developer Edition around the same time the standard HTC One is released in the U.S. The Developer Edition features an unlocked SIM and bootloader right out of the box, but everything else is the same. As far as radio frequencies, you get HSPA/WCDMA: 850/1900/2100 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, and LTE: 700/850/AWS/1900 MHz (US). Unfortunately you won’t be able to grab this one on contract as it will run you $649 and quantities will be limited.

source: HTC

Come comment on this article: HTC One Developer Edition with unlocked SIM and bootloader coming soon

We’ve been hearing about another Facebook phone since last November, and at that time it was codenamed “Opera UL.” Then last month, the codename “Myst” appeared. Either way, it looks like “Myst” is indeed the codename for the next Facebook phone that will be made by HTC. The specs have leaked again and they are a lot like what we heard last month, but with some minor changes and additions.

What’s different is the CPU. It’s still a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus, but now we are hearing it’s 1.5GHz , as opposed to 1.4GHz.  The display is confirmed to be 4.3-inches and 720p, but we now know it will have a ppi of 320. Other new information is the RAM, which is 1GB, 16GB of internal storage (no microSD slot), both LTE and HSPA radios, and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. As to the camera, there isn’t anything different than what we already heard, a 5MP rear camera and 1.6MP front camera. Obviously these specs don’t scream high-end, but when you consider the target demographic, they don’t need to.

As to when this bad boy will become available, the latest rumor points to the spring.

source: unwiredview

Come comment on this article: Next Facebook phone (aka HTC Myst) specs are now confirmed

HTC just can’t catch a break. They build some of the nicest phones in the world, but when things are bad, things get worse. KGI Securities just slashed its HTC One shipment estimates for the first half of 2013. They originally expected 15 million units, but now they are thinking more like 10.5 million. This drop isn’t because of demand, it’s because of “low yield rates” of some of its components, namely the compact camera module (CCM) on its UltraPixel camera as well as the phone’s voice coil motor (VCM). ”We believe the production restraints that UltraPixel faces will severely limit HTC One shipments,” said KGI analyst Kuo Ming-chi.

Earlier this week, HTC reported sales of NT$11.4 billion for February, which was a 3-year low. HTC has a lot riding on the One, so this shortage is obviously bad news especially with the Galaxy S IV ready to make a huge splash next week.

source: Focus Taiwan
via: PhoneArena

Come comment on this article: HTC One to have limited supply thanks to production restraints regarding UltraPixel camera

Spring is in the air folks and you know what that means, spring cleaning. When people say, “spring cleaning” people always think about cleaning their house or office, but it doesn’t stop there. Your phone might need a little as well, especially if it’s not running like it was when you first took it out of the box. We actually did a post about that last year, but there is a newer app on the scene that will assist you in cleaning your cache, uninstalling apps, and deleting  files, bookmarks, and text messages. It’s called Clean Master from Ksmobile, and it reminds me of CCleaner for Windows. It’s so simple to use, that I guarantee that after using the app for a few minutes, your phone will be as good as new again.

The interface is simple, clean, and features the Holo UI. Those are three things I love in apps. The main screen will give you a quick glance at how much storage you have left on both your device and on your SD card (if  installed). You have four options: History, Privacy, Tasks, and App Manager.

History has two parts and the first is your cache, which are temporary files created by all your apps. Over time they accumulate and take up a lot of unnecessary space as well as drain your memory. Just tap “History” and you will get a list of all your installed apps as well as how much cache storage each one has. The majority of them will be classified as System Cache. Clean Master will already check off the ones that it feels you should delete, and it will also go as far as tell you what you shouldn’t delete. You can still uncheck or check any of the apps if you so wish. Just tap clean, and presto, it will delete all the cache files from the selected apps. To give you a point of reference, my current phone is about 4 months old, and my total cache was 821MB. Cleaning your cache is probably something you should do every week or so. The second part of History covers your residual files such as music, videos, documents, etc. You can quickly see all these types of files as well as how much space they are taking. Just checkoff the ones you want deleted and tap clean.

Next up is Privacy. In Privacy, you can delete SMS/MMS messages, Call Logs, and Search History. For both SMS/MMS and Call Logs, you will have the choice of deleting all history or by contact. One thing I would like to see is the ability to tell Clean Master to only delete messages that are older than a certain amount of days. This way you can still keep some of your more current messages, and is something they may include in a future update. If you tap on Search History, you will be given a list of the apps that are saving such data like your Browser, YouTube, Gmail, Google Search, etc. Unfortunately Chrome doesn’t show up in this list, but is something that should be rectified soon. In addition to Clean Master’s built in deleting mechanism, the app will also take you to the stock Android app page for individual apps so that you can clear data manually, which would also remove account settings and passwords.

Tasks is simply a task killer. It’s not a task manager, which would supersede Android’s task managing abilities, of which I’m totally against. This is a manual task killer, which probably isn’t all that necessary since every Android phone UI has it’s own built in version. Nevertheless, Clean Master lets you checkoff a bunch of apps to close at the same time.

Last but not least is the App Manager, which lets you uninstall apps as well as backup apks. Android already makes it fairly easy to uninstall apps, but Clean Master makes things easier when you are really looking to delete a lot of apps. It will list all apps installed on the device as well as any third party apks. You can check off the ones you want to be uninstalled and bingo, Clean Master will get rid of them in one swoop. If you want to backup any apks, you can do that as well, but keep in mind, it won’t backup app data even if you’re rooted.

So there you have it. Clean Master is quick and painless and will help you free up a lot of space that will enable your phone to be a little bit more like it was the day you first turned it on. Of course, we can all use the extra space for more music or pictures as well. It’s absolutely free in the Play Store, so give it a shot and let me know what you think. You can check out my hands on video below as well as download links.

Full Features List:

1. History Eraser –  clean cache and clean residual files
2. Privacy Protection – clean selected messages (SMS&MMS), selected call logs, Google search history, clear clipboard data, and protect other app privacy such as wechat, whatsapp, etc.
3. Kill running tasks/release RAM/1Tap Boost
4. Application manager – uninstaller and backup

Clean Master supports the following languages: German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese (China), Portuguese, Vietnamese, Hungarian.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

 

Come comment on this article: Featured Android App Review: Clean Master [Tools]

High-end handsets will always be in demand, but so will the lower-end devices. The latest comes from the Times of India that reveal that Samsung is working on a RS 5,500 ($100) contract free 4G LTE smartphone for Reliance Communications in India. Let me repeat..that’s contract free. We have a number of $100 phones here in the U.S., but they are all with 2 year contracts. Right now Samsung is already offering contract free 3G phones in India for $100, so this would be the first 4G LTE offering. No word on the OS, but we assume it will be Android in favor of Windows Phone 8.

Reliance’s new LTE network, of which Samsung will assist with, has a planned soft launch in Mumbai and Delhi by the middle of the year. The formal launch will take place by the end of the year.

source: Times Of India

 

Come comment on this article: Samsung prepping a $100 contract free 4G LTE smartphone for India

The Samsung Galaxy S IV hasn’t officially been announced yet, but that won’t stop us from talking about the upcoming Galaxy Note III, which won’t be announced till mostly likely August/September. The Galaxy Note is all about size and the biggest question we need answered is what will the display size be? The first Note had a 5.3-inch display, and the Note II jumped to 5.5-inches. You don’t believe for a second that the Note III won’t have a bigger screen do you?

Well Samsung might have let the cat out of the bag. An anonymous official from Samsung told the Korea Times, “Samsung is working on introducing a new phablet using a 5.9- inch organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen.” I think it’s safe to say that “phablet” will be the Note III, and I’m liking the sound of OLED.

source: Korea Times

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note III to sport a 5.9-inch display

Earlier we showed you some leaked screenshots from what was supposed to be the Galaxy S IV, but it might have only been from a leaked Android 4.2.1 ROM that will end up on the GSIV. Now we have some more screenshots out of Israel, and these look like they are definitely from the GSIV, or at least one of the variants (SCH-i337 and most likely AT&T). The screens confirm what we are already expecting and that’s a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU (on certain variants) and a 13MP camera. We also get confirmation of the expected 1080p screen, but I believe for the first time, we get the PPI, which is 441 and a touch lower than the HTC One (468). Another screen confirms the smart scroll feature, but that will end up being a feature that will end up on all devices that receive the Android 4.2.1 update. Hit the break for the rest of the screens.

source: gsm-israel.co.il
via: phonearena

Come comment on this article: Second set of screenshots confirm Samsung Galaxy S IV with 1.8GHz quad-core CPU and 13MP camera

It’s hard to believe that it was a year ago that the Android Market became the Google Play Store. It seemed like most people weren’t fond of the new name, but none of the matters now as Google has begun it’s celebration with deals for one week. Hit the break for the featured U.S. deals:

These are the featured deals, but there are plenty more in music, movies, books, magazines, TV, and gaming.

Apps

• Fancy  – Get a $15 gift card with your first order
• Gyft – Get $10 in free cards
• Hotels.com – Get 10% off for a limited time

Games

• Yumby Smash – limited edition Yumby character added
• Gnome Village – Enjoy the new “Mars location”
• Royal Revolt  – a custom birthday-wish themed map, a unique item and 50% savings on in-game goodies

Music

• “Sweet Jane” by Velvet Underground for Free
• “All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem for Free

Television

• “Breaking Bad” pilot episode for Free

Movies

• “Kung Fu Panda” now 50% off at $4.99

Books

• “Quest of Heroes” for Free

source: Google Play

 

 

 

 

Come comment on this article: Google celebrates the Play Store’s first birthday with deals all week

Sense 5 will bring a lot of new features like BlinkFeed and Zoe, but what about wallpapers? HTC usually has some pretty cool ones, and I did have my eye on a few at the event.  If you’re looking for a change in background on your current phone, HTC or otherwise, you might want to check out these new Sense 5 wallpapers. There are eighteen in all, and we have them all for your downloading pleasure. Whether you want to grab just one or all of them, hit the the break to get started.

Just tap on the image to get the full size, right click, and select “save image as” to save it to your PC. If you’re on your phone, you can still tap on each image to get the full size, and after that, just long press on the image and select, “save image.” Enjoy!!

source: HTC HD Blog

Come comment on this article: HTC Sense 5 wallpapers now available to download

Ever since Facebook added voice messages as part of their Messenger service, we knew that the next eventual step would be voice calling or VoIP. They already start VoIP through Messenger for iOS users in the U.S., but nothing was available for Android users until now. The latest Android update added it, but only for our friends up north in Canada. Canadian users can now make calls over WiFi or their mobile data connection to other Facebook friends in Canada or even those in the U.S. provided they are on iOS. They can also start and name group conversations.

At some point in the future we will probably only need a data plan from our mobile providers and Facebook is making it that much closer. Utilizing VoIP on our mobile phones makes sense, but it probably won’t take off until the major carriers stop forcing us to have calling plans.

source: ca.ibtimes

 

Come comment on this article: Canadian users get voice calling via Facebook Messenger for Android

Previous rumors pinpointed March 7 for the release of the Verizon LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (SCH-i925). Samsung just dropped us a line confirming the date and the price will be $599 for both in stores and online. It’s basically the same Galaxy Note 10.1 WiFi-only version we reviewed last year, but with the addition of Verizon Wireless LTE connectivity. It sure is a hefty price to pay, but the good news is you won’t be on a contract, and if you’re on their Share Everything plan, you can can simply add it for only $10 extra per month.

Come comment on this article: Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE to be available March 7

       

Flagship phones will always be popular, but a recent trend of high quality mid-range phones started late last year. The DROID RAZR M is a perfect example because it gives you a lot for the money. Now HTC is attempting to get in on the bandwagon with the One VX. It’s priced at $49 on AT&T, and although the specs are not what you would find on a high-end phone, they are far from embarrassing. Is it just another cheap device or is it worthy of your money? Hit the break to read the rest and find out.

Design

HTC continues to amaze me with their quality of workmanship. The One VX looks like a baby One X, which is a good thing because it sports the same polycarbonate body. After using the DROID DNA for a while, the VX almost seems tiny, but it’s not. It packs a 4.5-inch display, which is just under what you will find in most flagships. The result is a really nice size (9.19mm thick and weighs 124.7g) for most people, and feels very comfortable in the hand. I generally don’t like white phones, but I fell in love with the color on the One X. With the One VX, the white back is very similar to the One X, but they added a nice touch of silver around the bezel, sides, and the top of the back. The other major change is that the back is removable, which gives you access to the microSD slot and microSIM slot. Unfortunately the battery is still non-removable, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the target user.

Hardware

The One VX comes with a 4.5-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super LCD display at 245ppi, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930 processor, 1GB of RAM, an Adreno 305 GPU, 8GB of internal storage, microSD slot for expansion, 5MP rear camera with ImageSense, VGA front camera, 1,800 mAh battery, 802.11a/b/g/n, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC. As for mobile bands, it supports LTE (bands 4 and 17), tri-band HSPA+ / UMTS (850/1900/2100) and quad-band GSM / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900).

Performance

I remember when a $49 phone meant that it was slow and unresponsive. That’s not the case with the One VX. Is it the fastest phone in the world? Absolutely not, but I don’t see any casual user complaining about the speed. The best part is that it will only improve once the buttery smooth Jelly Bean update lands. For giggles, I ran the AnTuTu Benchmark and it came in at 10,384, which isn’t too shabby at all. In fact, it’s much higher than the One X, which came in at 6,772 and utilized the older S4 chip (sans Plus). To give you another perspective, the DROID DNA came in at 14,544, so the One VX sits right in the middle, which is very good for a sub $100 phone.

With the current crop of high end devices sporting 1080p, the qHD display on the One VX seems so 2011. However, HTC makes the best displays in the business. No, it’s not as nice as the DROID DNA, but I am going to repeat myself again in saying that the average user won’t find any complaints.

Beats Audio is onboard, and as we stated in the past, it might be more of a gimmick than anything else. With that said, I would still rather have it then not.

Battery

I ran my usual battery rundown test that yielded just about 6 hours on 4G LTE. This test is done by running continuous video and setting the display to 2/3′s brightness, while  WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS are on. (WiFi and Bluetooth not connected). However, the real world is where it matters, and you should be able to go from morning until bedtime without a charge under moderate use.

Software

The one glaring negative for the One VX is that it comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich underneath Sense 4. HTC does promises the Jelly Bean update that will come with Sense 4+. If and when that does happen, I think it’s safe to say that it will be the only major update, so you will have to decide if you will be happy with that for the next two years. Other than some minor bug fix updates, don’t expect to see Sense 5 or Key Lime Pie, but most users looking for a sub $100 phone probably isn’t worried about what dessert their phone is running. To learn more about Sense 4 and Ice Cream Sandwich, see our One X and One S reviews from last year.

Camera

The One VX sports only a 5MP camera, but don’t let that detract you. It has ImageSense, an f/2.2 lens, and can record 1080p video. It also has the same settings and features that are found on the higher-end One X such as HDR, panorama, burst shooting, and a lot of effects. You can learn more about these features in our One X and One S reviews. Below are some example shots for you to judge for yourself (last one needing flash), but you won’t find a better camera in a sub $100 phone period.

Closing

If you’re looking for a sub $100 phone and on AT&T, it’s pretty clear to me that the One VX is a solid choice. It’s priced at $49 on contract, and you won’t find anything better at that price. It should also be noted that if you don’t mind your One VX in red, you can currently grab that one for 99-cents ( Web only). If you’re not tied to a carrier, you could look at the DROID RAZR M on Verizon Wireless, but to me the One VX is the better phone because it has a much better camera.

 

Come comment on this article: HTC One VX quick review: The best features from the One series at a bargain price