Owners of HTC's Evo 3D have reportedly begun receiving notifications from Sprint that their phones can now get an update to Android 4.0. Phandroid points to reports from assorted Android fan forums indicating that the notifications are going out, informing users how to download the update over-the-air.
Google Australia and Lego have created Build, a WebGL-based Lego construction app. Users can claim a plot of land on a map of Australia and New Zealand, and can build an object on a 32x32 starting base. Using 12 shapes in 10 different colors, builds can be saved and viewed by others on the Build with Chrome website. In a blog post, Google Australia voices hope that Build will expand to more regions in the future.
HTC has upgraded its Android FAQ page to lay out the timeline over which a number of its handsets will receive upgrades to Android 4.0. Over the next few months, the Droid Incredible 2, Amaze, Desire, Desire HD, Evo 3D, Evo 4G+, and a number of other models are slated to receive an update to the latest version of Android.
Sprint confirmed during a call for its latest results that it was bringing 4G to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. CEO Dan Hesse expected both of the prepaid carriers to use the older WiMAX network before the end of 2012. More details would come as the launch got nearer, he said.
Just as Sprint is getting its first LTE phones, its sub-brands Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile may be getting their first forms of 4G, according to a rumor. The two contract-free carriers were purported by TechnoBuffalo's contact to be inheriting the WiMAX network as Sprint moves its main customer base to the newer LTE standard. Accordingly, the just phased-out Evo 3D and other phones would go to Virgin, possibly under different names.
Sprint has quietly dropped the HTC Evo 3D near its one-year anniversary. The glasses-free 3D phone is no longer available online and now is in limited stock at retail stores. At present, the Evo Design 4G is the only as-new HTC Android phone on the carrier.
HTC's One S got clues it was much closer to release after leaks of internal staff training. Material passed on to TmoNews have it selling the phone on April 25, which is likely "Final" barring a delay. The copies mostly recap features, but also position the One S as one of if not the most important phone T-Mobile will have for the spring.
HTC has posted a promo video (below) for the Evo 4G LTE that may have inadvertently given away HTC's plans for a sequel to the Evo 3D. While showing a series of prototypes' backs, a phone with twin cameras and matching flashes is shown at around the 23-second mark. Its look is virtually identical to that of the Evo 4G LTE next to it, suggesting that the two Android phones have at least had a parallel development track.
Samsung hoped to quash rumors with a statement denying any plans for 3D smartphones. The Korean firm explained to Engadget that it was "constantly exploring new technologies," but that there was "no immediate plan" to use 3D screens or cameras for its future phones. The remarks leave the GT-i9300 and other hardware using conventional technology for now.
New NPD data has credited the iPhone 4S as the primary factor behind the adoption of 4G or pseudo-4Gon smartphones. Where just six percent of devices had support for HSPA+, LTE, or WiMAX at the end of 2010, about 35 percent had it during the newest iPhone's fall launch. Even though it only had two months to sell, Apple's hardware became the most popular HSPA+ phone in the US for all of 2011.
The Wi-Fi security flaw present in some Android-powered HTC smartphones has been acknowledged by the manufacturer on its support page. When connected to Wi-Fi networks, hackers can take advantage of the flaw to gain security access credentials. The flaw was discovered by researchers Chris Hessing and Bret Jordan and would allow the details to be sent to a remote server on the Internet.
A recent update for the HTC Evo 3D handset has removed the controversial Carrier IQ software, users over on the Android Central forum have found. The update was expected, and backs Sprint's earlier statement that it will back off from actively using the app. The HTC IQAgent and IQRD apps are now showing up as 0KB in the Manage Applications screen.
Owners unhappy with the selection of hardware in HTC's bootloader unlocking program have developed their own unofficial solution. HTC Super Tool on the XDA-Developers forums both unlocks the bootloader and roots devices whether or not they're part of HTC's plans. Along with the Evo and Sensation models, it also unlocks the T-Mobile G2, Inspire 4G, and multiple myTouch models.
The iPhone 4S is overwhelming talk of other smartphones as holiday picks, Nielsen tracked on Friday. The new iPhone has consistently been the most talked-about device in news and social, at about 40 percent between July and early December. When joined with other iPhone models, Apple had 66 percent of all the buzz, or three times as much as Google's 23 percent for Android.
The latest update in the CarrierIQ data collection controversy and the related privacy issues has brought apparent video confirmation. shared by Geek and made by security researcher Trevor Eckhart, the video (below) shows a LogCat proving that the CarrierIQ name is not mentioned anywhere in the startup code. The handset used is a stock HTC Evo 3D, and there is no way to shut down the app as it's not visible.
HTC's CFO Winston Yung in an interview early Monday dismissed worries that its steep outlook drop was an indication of long-term trouble. He told Reuters that HTC had had six straight quarters of improving performance. Even the "most conservative" outlook at HTC had 45 million phones shipping in 2012, up from 25 million this year.
HTC outlined some of its Android plans on Monday that included both the courtroom and its products. In a far-ranging briefing, the company's CEO Peter Chou told Reuters his company was "open-minded" to the prospect of buying patents to escalate its fight with Apple. There weren't any specific plans, he said.
Sprint on Tuesday sent notice that it was the first carrier to push a broadly available fix for the major privacy hole in HTC's Android phones. Evo 3D, Evo 4G, Evo Design 4G, Evo Shift 4G, Evo View 4G, and Wildfire S owners on the network are now getting an over-the-air upgrade. Users will get the notices in stages, although anyone can push the update sooner by checking in HTC's software updates.
HTC in an update Friday gave an early sign of its plans to upgrade phones to Android 4.0. While vague, it set out to upgrade "as many HTC devices as possible". More details would come in the weeks ahead, the company wrote.
A study performed by Localytics found 36.6 percent of all Android devices sold in the summer of 2011 in the US offer 4G network speeds. This includes HSPA+, LTE. and WiMAX network compatibility, however. The tally represents an increase of more than 50 percent since the 22.6 percent in the first quarter.
Japanese carrier KDDI has announced its winter lineup for the last quarter of 2012. The second largest wireless provider in Japan will be offering six Android phones, two feature phones and a new tablet. In a unique touch, most of these phones offer waterproof protection.
Hulu has continued to slowly expand the list of Android devices supported by the company's Hulu Plus app. The latest release adds support for a variety of smartphones, including HTC's Incredible 2, EVO 3D and Sensation; Motorola's Droid 3, Bionic and X2; and LG's Revolution and G2X. Aside from the handsets, the app can also be accessed from HTC's Flyer tablet.
LG, in talks with Pocket-Lint, revealed the successor to its glasses-free smartphone, the Optimus 3D, will be about 7mm thick and probably due out sometime in 2012. LG's Dr. Henry Noh said the focus will be on slimming down the handset but plans on making it stand out from all the other handsets out there which he describes as boring. What the new Optimus 3D will have that others don't is the 3D display, however.
Radio Shack scored a minor coup Tuesday with word that it had landed a special, white version of the HTC Evo 3D. The glasses-free 3D Android phone has the requisite bright white back along with silver, Apple-like trim instead of the usual red. It should reach stores on September 9, most likely for the same $200 on contract as the black version.
HTC has already expanded its bootloader unlock page to include its second device, the Evo 3D. Sprint's version of the dual-core phone can now go through the web process to derestrict its firmware and have the option of installing the firmware they like. No timeframe yet exists for when the international Evo 3D would get the same treatment or if it's necessary.
HTC as it has been promising for weeks has started up its official bootloader unlock program. The over-the-web process derestricts the firmware and lets owners of Android phones load firmware of their own choosing without having to use a workaround or other special tricks. The option is currently limited to the European version of the Sensation but will include the Evo 3D and T-Mobile's Sensation 4G.
HTC's promises of a developer program specific to its own phones was realized on Monday with the launch of HTCdev. The portal gives access to the OpenSense SDK to write apps tailored to HTC's Sense UI on Android as well as source code and the eventual option to unlock the bootloader. It should also enable hardware-specific tricks both on Android and Windows Phone, such as using the Evo 3D's cameras or pen input on the Evo View 4G and Flyer.
After publicly committing to unlock Android bootloaders, HTC has finally announced further details surrounding the process. After installing the Android SDK on a computer and connecting the handset to retrieve a device identifier token, users will be able to take advantage of a web-based utility to receive an unlock key via e-mail.
Last week, HTC unexpectedly announced a two month delay in shipping the GSM version of its Evo 3D smartphone until September. Vodafone subsequently backed away from carrying the phone. Digitimes reports that HTC denies this, contending that Vodafone will still carry the phone.
Sprint had mixed news on Thursday for its spring quarter. While it reached a deal with LightSquared for 4G, it posted a steep loss of $847 million, $87 million more than it lost a year ago. The company added 1.1 million new subscribers, though a lower than usual 275,000 of these were its core Sprint subscription customers, where the rest were either prepaid or those signing on through an affiliate carrier.
HTC will delay the European version of the Evo 3D smartphone, and it will now arrive in September in the UK, SlashGear learned. This represents a two-month delay, and no reason was revealed. Vodafone UK this week backed away from the Evo 3D entirely and said it will no longer bring the glasses-free 3D handset to its lineup.
Fresh checks by Baird & Co. analyst Will Power suggests that Apple and Samsung dominate carrier recommendations in the US. At AT&T and Verizon, the iPhone was consistently a popular choice from staff and the top pick at AT&T. Samsung's Droid Charge was the top pick at Verizon among a general trend towards 4G Android phones.
Sprint VP of Product Development Fared Adib has promised that it will cull the bloatware pre-installed on Android and other platforms sold on its network. Bloatware, once infamously referred to as a “feature” of the Android platform by Google’s Andy Rubin, is carrier specific software that tries to direct users to online content that users often have to pay extra for. Frustratingly for many users, this software can sometimes be embedded into the OS and next to impossible to remove.
Canadian wireless provider Rogers on Friday announced it will bring the HTC Evo 3D and the LG Optimus 3D to its stores this summer. The pair will be Canada's first smartphones capable of capturing 3D images. The handsets capture said images using their dual five-megapixel cameras and can play them back to users on their 4.3-inch touchscreens without the need for 3D glasses.
HTC late Sunday in a Facebook update more fully fleshed out its promise to unlock Android bootloaders. The Sensation will get an update to support unlocking in August and will be joined by phones based on its design, such as T-Mobile's Sensation 4G and Sprint's Evo 3D. Those phones should have the actual opportunity to unlock in early September.
The HTC Evo 3D smartphone, launched in the US just last week, will soon come to European countries. Hardware-wise, the device will differ only in that it will swap CDMA and 4G WiMAX radios for GSM and HSPA chipsets to support European networks. The handset can also be identified thanks to its gold highlights around the camera rather than red ones on the US version.
Sprint on Friday launched its two flagship devices of the summer, the HTC Evo 3D and the Evo View 4G. The Android phone and tablet are on sale at carrier shops, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and some other dealers. The Evo 3D sells for $200 on a two-year contract where the Evo View 4G sells for $400, with its signature pen input, on the same terms.
Buzz surrounding an Android phone returned for the first time in many months with Best Buy planning an early opening for the HTC Evo 3D. All Best Buy Mobile stores, and those regular Best Buy stores that offer Sprint, will open two hours early at 8AM on the June 24 launch day. The retail chain planned to keep the same $200 on-contract price.
Sprint is offering the HTC Evo 3D to its Premier customers 3-days ahead of its scheduled June 24th release date. The Android-based 3D smartphone is available today to these loyal Sprint customers. Price has been set at $200 with a new or extended two-year contract.
HTC's two Sprint flagship devices, the Evo 3D and Evo View 4G, received a slew of reviews Wednesday night that signaled its possible hopes to counter the iPhone and iPad on AT&T and Verizon. Most reviews of the Evo 3D, including those from BGR as well as This is my next and AllThingsD, praise the phone for being fast, having a meaningful improvement to the Sense UI through app launching from the lock screen, and carrying a much improved 540x960 screen. The glasses-free 3D was mostly a gimmick, but it was an incidental bonus on a phone that was still very capable in 2D.
Sprint announced today that the HTC Evo 3D and Evo View 4G tablet will be available beginning June 24. Rumors circlating late last week speculated that both the smartphone and the tablet would be available on that date. Sprint's Premier customers will have the chance to buy the Evo 3D online starting June 21.
An early Radio Shack flyer has given away Sprint's launch date for HTC's long in the works Evo 3D. The copy shows the twin-core Android flagship "available June 24" and confirms that official pre-orders will have started as soon as the flyer goes out for the week of June 19. The Phandroid tip didn't mention the price, though a $200 cost has been mentioned in one of Radio Shack's earlier copies.
Sprint on Tuesday confirmed plans for the HTC Evo 3D to ship with 3D content both on and ready for the phone. The dual-core Android hardware will come with the recently hinted 3D version of Green Hornet and tap into 3D movie services as well. Both Blockbuster and HTC's own Watch will be onboard with 3D movies as an option to buy or rent from either store.
More details have emerged about the price of the new HTC EVO 3D. A Radio Shack ad leaked by inyofacerecords indicates that the the smart phone will sell for $200 with a new or extended Sprint contract or $500 without one. Radio Shack is offering an additional $100 off the phone with trade-in.
The HTC Evo 3D has been tentatively pegged to hit the Sprint network on June 4. The news comes courtesy of a leaked screenshot from an email sent to Sprint employees forwarded to XDA Developers. When it becomes available, it will be one of the first 3D smartphones to reach the US market.
Sharp pushed to keep Android on top in Japan by launching a new flagship with multiple firsts for the country. The Aquos SH-12C carries two rear eight-megapixel cameras that, like the Evo 3D, can shoot 3D video or still photos. Its 4.2-inch display is both one of the sharpest in Japan at 540x960 but also provides glasses-free 3D to show off the resulting footage.
An unconventional rumor claimed that Apple was focusing the third-generation iPad on 3D. A woman billed as a movie industry insider claimed to RCR that it was a "dead cert" and that studios were supposedly preparing 3D movies and other content for iTunes. Multiple sources from Foxconn were supposedly corroborating leaks of early production plans.
Eager candidates for the HTC Evo 3D have been given an unusual early pre-order option through a leaked Best Buy pre-order campaign. As of Monday, stores were quietly allowed to start taking deposits for the dual-core Android phone. The memo obtained by AndroidCentral warned stores to keep quiet on the pre-order but to offer it to anyone who asked and wasn't inclined to buy another phone.
HTC on Friday reported one of its best quarters ever and set relatively high expectations. The company's profit almost tripled from year-to-year to reach the equivalent of $510 million. Phone shipments themselves were a record high at 9.7 million on the back of its continued strong Android lineup.
Sprint on Thursday touted signs of recovery by getting its best cellphone customer growth in five years. It added a total of 1.1 million new users, most of which were 846,000 prepaid customers but also included 310,000 regular subscribers. The total number matched the fall but saw about five times more regular subscribers.
