HTC Explorer Malaysia Review

The HTC Explorer is so named not because it's a phone for Bear Grylls-style adventurers, but because it's for people exploring the world of smart phones for the first time. It's the cheapest smart phone in the HTC range, sitting below the Wildfire S, and it's been purposefully designed to be easy to use. We tried the phone out to see how easy it is to go exploring.

The phone has a rugged-feeling rubberised texture on the back. It's also very small, slotting neatly into a pocket. That does mean the screen is pretty small though, measuring 3.2-inches across, about the size of a credit card; such a diminutive display isn't great for surfing the Internet.The HTC Explorer will be available in black or dark blue, but you can swap covers and make it purple, orange or white.

The HTC Explorer is aimed at those who haven't used a smart phone before. A smart phone is a step up from a handset that just does boring things like making calls and sending texts. The HTC Explorer helps you to browse the Web while out and about, letting  you check your emails and Facebook messages, and discover anything from the weather to the latest headlines and fun games.

The HTC Explorer uses Google's Android software, which lets you download apps -- mini bits of software that undertake specific tasks, like accessing Facebook, displaying the weather, and showing maps, to name but a few examples. You simply find apps in the Android Market and download them over a Wi-Fi connection in a matter of moments. You can download as many apps as you like, or just stick with the apps that come pre-installed.The HTC Explorer uses the latest version of Android, 2.3.5 Gingerbread (each update is named after a tasty snack). HTC adds its own features on top of Android with its proprietary Sense interface.

The Sense interface makes for a straightforward user experience. The latest version is Sense 3.5, but the HTC Explorer uses the specially adapted Sense 3.5.a variant -- it's the same but without the fancy animations, so it works better on phones that don't have such fancy specs.HTC has put plenty of effort into making the phone as easy to use as possible. For example, potentially confusing icons have often been replaced by words. In the email app, for instance, there are 'compose' and 'forward' options instead of symbols. Once you're familiar with the user interface, you can change it back to showing more aesthetically pleasing icons.

The HTC Explorer packs a modest 600MHz processor and a 3-megapixel camera. The processor will get you through your day, but the Explorer won't be as fast at Web browsing or running several apps simultaneously as a more powerful, pricier smart phone.

As a phone aimed at people on a budget, the HTC Explorer is designed to give you control over how much data you use. It's set up to run mainly on Wi-Fi, so you can access the Web without paying a fortune due to using 3G all the time on your mobile network.If you have Wi-Fi at home, you can simply connect the Explorer to your network and surf the Web, send emails and watch online video. If you're out and about, you might have to pay to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot, but there's free Wi-Fi to be found in many pubs, cafes and other places.If you're not in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, you'll have to connect to the Web using your mobile phone network. You'll probably have a certain amount of data included in your contract and, unless you watch loads of data-heavy videos, your data allowance will probably be more than enough.

But going over your allowance can be expensive, so the HTC Explorer has a dashboard to show what you've used. The data-management dashboard shows how many minutes you've spent chatting, how many messages you've sent and received, and how much data you've used.The dashboard is helpful, but could be better -- it doesn't really explain what the totals mean, and there's no way of telling the phone what your allowances are so that you can get a more realistic picture of what you've used and what you've got left. The dashboard is also buried in the menu system and hard to find.

Conclusion:The HTC Explorer is aimed at those using a smart phone for the first time. We reckon this straightforward Android handset could find plenty of fans.


HTC Flyer Review

HTC has taken a different approach to its first tablet. Like the Blackberry Playbook, the screen is seven inches, this instantly makes it a far more portable option and at just 122 mm wide, it can easily fit into a pocket. This form factor also enables you to hold it comfortably using one hand.Construction follows the same unibody design as HTC’s handset range, but this time with white accents. HTC uses a proprietary port in the base for charging and unlike Honeycomb tablets it charges over USB.

When HTC announced that the Flyer would be running Android 2.3.3, we were surprised – surely it makes sense to run the latest tablet optimised version of Google’s UI? So although it looks like a big smartphone, it doesn’t feel like a smartphone to use - unlike the first Samsung Galaxy Tab.There’s a slick 3D carousel of homescreens for you to flick through, while widgets such as FriendStream, Contacts and Mail have been designed to fit a large screen, with most changes evident when you flip the Flyer to landscape orientation.In Mail you can view a dual-panel email view, with a list of messages on the left and contents of the email on the right. However the bewildering array of buttons, means it isn’t as intuitive as the Honeycomb Mail app, where the controls change intelligently.Contacts too has a dual-pane view in landscape format, displaying additional contact details including Twitter and Facebook accounts on the right. You still get HTC’s social networking widget Friendstream displaying Twitter and Facebook feed on the left, with comments on the right.The HTC Flyer sorely misses some key elements of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, such as the excellent You Tube app with its 3D wall and the ability to drag and drop apps and shortcuts onto the screens.

HTC has included a single, rather than dual-core processor, but we never found the device slow at loading web pages. In fact in general use it's smooth and quick to use.  On-board Flash support is welcome too.Without a dual-core chip you won’t be able to access the range of games available for tablets like the Motorola Xoom. HTC’s solution is to include cloud-based gaming service OnLive. It hasn’t launched yet, but when it does you’ll be able to play games including Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Lego Harry Potter.

The Flyer shares the same screen resolution as the Blackberry Playbook, and playing back a selection of HD clips, motion was smooth and colours natural, although we noticed blacks and whites aren’t as pure as the iPad 2. Seven inches is a good size to watch movies comfortably though. Off-angle viewing is OK and visibility isn’t too bad in bright sunlight.

One of the main distinctions of the Flyer is its compatibility with a pen. Surprisingly this doesn’t come with the device and will cost an extra ~RM240. Enter Pen mode at any point by tapping the green icon. You can either scribe notes or take a screen shot.The pen is compatible with certain apps, including Notes, which has been optimised especially for it. As well as scribing notes, you can also record an audio track simultaneously, when you’ve finished tap on the note and it automatically goes to the correct part of the audio track. We tried it out by taking notes while watching The Apprentice and it works very well, although the tapping of the pen is audible.The pen doesn’t work as a stylus, so on occasion our natural instinct was to use it to tap the screen to access menu commands, when in fact you need to use your finger. Two buttons on the pen let you erase and highlight text, although the latter only works in compatible programs, such as Reader, Polaris Office and PDF Viewer.

HTC’s equipped the Flyer with a 5-megapixel primary camera, which is poor. Tapping the screen to autofocus is a nice touch, although detail is very soft, with little definition, especially at wide angle. Things improve with close up shots though, which are much sharper.There’s a good selection of tweakable features, including: ISO, White Balance and Exposure Compensation, along with HTC filters: Distortion, Vignette and Vintage.The rear camera captures 720p movies at 30fps, but while the action is smooth, it’s very soft, drop it to VGA and quality improves dramatically. We’ve been disappointed with HD movie quality of a few HTC products and this is no exception.

With WiFi on and screen brightness to Automatic, we managed to get five hours use, four hours or so of movie playback and an hour or so of general use, including browsing. With a lot of downloads, this will probably reduce.

There are some things we love about the Flyer: the high-quality build, the size, performance and HTC Sense is slick and efficient. Sure Sense lacks features of Honeycomb, but it’s arguably simpler to navigate. The Flyer is not a multimedia powerhouse, but if you’re main use of the tablet is browsing, playing back video and making notes, the 1.5Ghz processor will be more than adequate. What makes the Flyer unique is its pen, which with practice certainly adds a new dimension to tablet use. But we object to the extra cost of the pen, especially when you are paying a whopping pirce for the 32GB 3G version of the tablet.


HTC HD Mini Review

Windows Mobile 6.5.3 is an albatross hanging around the HTC HD Mini's neck. With the HTC Sense interface, the phone is somewhat usable. But with the wondrous Windows Phone 7 launched, you can't seriously consider the HD Mini right off the bat—so keep that in mind as we discuss the phone from a purely academic perspective.

The hardware is great. It's what we've come to know and love from HTC, scaling the HD2 down to a more accessible size. It's an industrial one, the HD Mini. Certainly not sleek and sexy like the Legend, nor curved like the Desire. Exposed screws on each corner of the rubberized back plate give it a very masculine appearance. Underneath the cover lies a bright yellow inside, a hidden secret which I showed off to countless friends while testing it.

The 3.2-inch capacitive HVGA screen more than big enough to browse and type on. It's bright until you hold the phone in the sun. The screen is responsive, with haptics providing feedback—though I found it more difficult typing on the HD Mini than I did the Legend and Desire, often pressing the wrong letters. Predictive text exists for a reason, but it did have me pining for my usual BlackBerry.

A 600Mhz processor with 384MB of RAM should be adequate to drive a modern smartphone OS, but the lag was infuriating. Switching between programs, heck even scrolling through the sideways menu bar through Sense was a real hassle. Trying to read the Twitter feed, scrolling through the messages but encountering an almost-frozen screen resulted in me just not bothering after a while. The HD2 has a Snapdragon processor and 448MB of RAM, which was "unbelievably fast," but with the slower processor the HD Mini is almost crippled by WinMo.Surfing the internet didn't prove to be difficult, though I did find 3G service dropped in areas where I normally receive a strong signal. In most places though it was fast, though browsing was hindered by the clunky Opera browser.

A typical 5MP image sensor with flash and autofocus didn't throw any surprises my way, though the lack of a hard button for taking photos is always a disappointment. Due to the nature of Windows Mobile, fumbling for the camera app is time consuming, having to load the menu and scroll through to the app, or scroll sideways through HTC Sense and access the camera through the photos and video app.

HTC has squeezed a 1200mAh battery into the slim casing of the HD Mini, which proved decent enough, but as smartphone owners know all to well, constantly being connected results in daily charging. The Legend used a 1300mAh and HD2 1230mAh, so we've certainly seen better—but anyone buying a Windows Mobile phone will be well aware of battery downfalls already.

I wouldn't normally mention call quality in reviews nowadays, as you expect a certain level of quality from this high-end smartphones. Having said that, the call quality was pitiful on the HD Mini. On a call to my parents, I actually had to swap my SIM back into my BlackBerry, such was the annoyance of having a crackling sound in my ear. This could be due to the phone being a pre-production unit, as two other reviewers I spoke to about the issue also confirmed they had problems. Having said that, if you do buy this handset, be sure you're happy with the call quality before committing fully.

I do feel quite sad for HTC. They can't do wrong when working with Android, but when faced with a clunky, bloated operating system that will be DOA, it really lets the whole phone down. Lag was a real issue, the camera wasn't quite as good as the Desire and Legend's, despite the similar specs, and while HTC Sense helps hide some of the most unflattering views of Windows Mobile, it doesn't take too many presses of a finger to dig down and discover the true bones of the OS—and it's always, painfully, excruciatingly slow.


HTC HD7 Review

The HTC HD7 is one of the best from the first batch of Windows Phone 7 smartphones and it features a large 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD display. The HD7 feels a bit heavier but some people would prefer its square form factor and metal-like look.

HTC HD7 - Hardware:The HD7′s hardware is strikingly similar to that of the HTC Desire HD we reviewed earlier. Dominating the phone is a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, with minimal bezel and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash on the back. Inside is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 chip, the same as all the other first-wave Windows Phone 7 devices, paired with 576MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM and 16GB of flash storage (courtesy of an internal microSD card not intended for user-replacement). Again, there’s no user-expandable storage option.

Hardware controls consist of the power/sleep button on the top edge, and volume and camera buttons on the side; there are also three touch-sensitive buttons under the display – back, home and search – together with a 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port on the bottom edge. The metal surround for the camera flips out to prop the handset up for video playback, though we’re dubious about its long-term resilience to damage. While the phone overall feels sturdy, the thin plastic battery cover and the stand do seem the most likely breaking points.

The combination of well-tuned software and speedy hardware makes for an enjoyably swift device. The homescreen, with its distinctive tiles, can be as straightforward or as flexible as you want it to be, and the animations – the tiles tilting slightly as you tap them, lists and menus bunching up as you reach their limits, different screens pivoting into place as you move between them – never feel as though they’re holding up the core functionality in the name of visual gloss. Although we like HTC’s Sense enhancements on Android, WP7 feels more consistent with the suite of customizations corralled neatly into the HTC Hub.

The Hub consists of a suite of mini-apps that more closely resemble the company’s Sense experience on Android devices. Loaded via a dedicated tile on the homescreen, it’s packed with HTC’s favorite weather animations and a selection of mini-apps including a flashlight, basic photo editor, stocks app, notes app (in which the notes visibly age the older they are), a sound equalizer and a converter app. HTC has also said it will be releasing further apps for the Hub for users of its devices. While they all work, the overall theme sits uncomfortably with the regular Windows Phone 7 UI, and Microsoft’s decision to prevent OEM modification of the core visuals of the OS means it’s easy to forget HTC’s extras.

HTC HD7 - Camera:Unlike the HTC 7 Mozart, the HD7 makes do with a 5-megapixel camera (rather than 8-megapixels) and a dual-LED flash (rather than Xenon). Since the Windows Phone 7 camera app is the same, there are multiple shooting modes – Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Beach, Backlight, Candlelight and Macro – together with various effects – Grayscale, Negative, Sepia and Solarize – plus flicker adjustment, a choice of metering – center, average or spot – and flash on/off/auto. The digital zoom steps through its few jerky levels with either the touchscreen or the volume rocker.Unfortunately, while the Mozart’s two-stage camera button is solid and tactile, the HD7′s is mushy and uninspiring. It’s hard to tell whether it’s half-depressing to lock focus or not, since the mechanism overall has so much play to it. As a result, more often than not we found ourselves nudging the phone unduly while trying to snap a frame.

Consuming multimedia is perhaps the HD7′s forte, then, and – while what is the biggest display on a Windows Phone 7 device today still doesn’t offer any extra pixels beyond the standard WVGA resolution – the handset does a decent job of it. The OS supports 3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m4v, .mbr and .wmv video, and as long as you’re sitting dead-on to the HD7 and using headphones then the experience is strong.

Shared viewing is less successful, mind, mostly because of poor viewing angles that mangle the colors as you move off-center. Unfortunately it’s more noticeable in landscape orientation than it is in portrait, which considering how HTC – and the kick-stand – encourage you to use the HD7, is a real issue. The stereo speakers which flank the short edges of the display, meanwhile, are also pretty underwhelming, and they’re perfectly placed and shaped to catch all the dust and fluff from your pockets, too. Happily audio quality through headphones – either wired or Bluetooth A2DP wireless – was more successful, and the Windows Phone 7 media player responded to the AVCHD controls on our test Bluetooth cans.

HTC HD7 - Battery:Prize off the HD7′s wafer-thin battery cover and there’s space for a 1,230mAh pack, which HTC reckon is good for up to 380 minutes of talktime or 320 hours of standby. Despite the bigger screen and the HD7 being a larger handset overall, it actually gets a smaller Li-Ion pack than its Trophy and Mozart siblings. Other Windows Phone 7 devices offer even more capacity.The result is a smartphone that penalizes you heavily if you take advantage of its media and browsing abilities. Watch a few video clips, spend some time online over 3G or WiFi, and you’ll find yourself out of juice before the day is through. More moderate use saw us manage a full day, complete with push email turned on.

Phone quality was good, with parties at both ends able to head us clearly, and the speakerphone was strong. Being able to prop the HD7 up on its kick-stand made for a good impromptu conference call setup. We also paired it with Bluetooth earpieces, and had no problems there either.

Conclusion:The HTC HD7 delivers a great performance with its large display; whether it is emailing, browsing the web, getting directions on Bing maps, reading and editing a document or watching videos, it is highly enjoyable. A few features could have been better: the display and the speaker quality, web browsing was overall slightly slower than expected.


HTC Incredible S Review

The HTC Incredible S is a worthy heir of HTC Desire. The device boasts a refined design with a slightly convex case.

The HTC Incredible S takes about 25 seconds to start. Overall, the device benefits from the “fast boot” technology. The smartphone can restart in five short seconds, provided you do not previously remove the battery. Navigation can be done with greater fluidity and latency is almost non-existent. When loading an application, even when a Web connection is required, it is done almost instantaneously.The Incredible S works well with EDGE or 3G; unfortunately it doesn’t have 4G (LTE) support.

HTC Incredible S - An optimized virtual keyboard:

The predictive system with word suggestion has been improved. The suggestions are often very good and the software will take into account your mistake in the future to transform automatically an often-misspelled word.A tutorial is offered to the user when the smartphone is first used. During the use, the virtual keyboard is very nice, especially in landscape mode. Capitals are accessible by holding down the desired button. Overall, the copy/paste function is very intuitive.

The messages will be received automatically through push mode with attachments. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF formats are also supported natively by the HTC Incredible S. For other major e-mail accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail and others), the smartphone incorporates compatibility with Exchange. Users of social networks can use the FriendStream app to aggregate all updates from Facebook or Twitter.

The HTC Incredible S offers Chrome browser with support for Flash format. Zooming is done by spreading your fingers on the screen. Furthermore, by double-clicking the screen, the text is resized automatically to allow more comfortable reading.

There are three new apps that come with the HTC Incredible S. The first application is GPS navigation software called Route 66. The second is an app designed to secure data on your smartphone. It allows you to remotely lock the phone or delete data from your computer. If you lose your phone, the app helps you to locate it. There is also a new app called eReader. It is an e-book.

Even with a fairly intensive use and with Wi-Fi enabled, it can last for about two days. Voice and video calls are the most energy-intensive. In continuous call, the device lasts between 6 and 8 hours depending on the network reception and whether the Bluetooth is enabled.

The Incredible HTC S is positioned in direct competition with Samsung Galaxy S and perhaps, it is one of the best Google phones on the market. The Android 2.2 OS is responsive along with useful business applications. E-mail usages and web surfing are particularly intuitive, while the battery life is a little above average.


HTC J Butterfly 3 officially released for Japan with 20MP Duo camera and 2K display

While the title of most tech spec topping device in our books remains the Saygus V2, the recently released HTC J Butterfly 3 is also a very feature-filled as well. While it has been released for just Japan only, in terms of tech specs it packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 20MP Duo camera and a 5.2-inch display with 2K or quad HD resolution. It also packs in a 13MP front camera along with up to 32GB microSD, 4G LTE, NFC and WiFi a/b/g/n/ac. Oh, and it is both dust and water proof too. While it comes with a familiar design, the J Butterfly 3 has a plastic body which probably allows it to stay usable underwater. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details but since it is tied to a Japanese carrier we doubt that it will be coming to Malaysia any time soon.


ARM Processors Going 3GHz by 2014

In a move that doesn't surprise anyone, TSMC and GlobalFoundries, two of the world's leading semiconductor foundries (they make chips) are looking to begin development on a 20nm chip for next generation ARM based mobile processors. The advantage of doing so includes:

Currently, the fastest mobile processor chips such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and NVIDIA Tegra 4i use a fabrication process of 28nm and have reached speeds of 2.3GHz. The 20nm jump will not only make it possible to increase speeds up to 3GHz but also make chips which save more energy but do more at the same time. These much faster chips are expected in 2014 but probably won't reach consumers until the middle of next year.[Source]


HTC Jetstream Preview

The HTC Flyer, a 7-inch tablet due for release in the US before the end of this month, was HTC‘s first foray into the tablet market. Now, details have emerged about HTC’s second tablet, the HTC Jetstream.

The Jetstream will be a 10-inch, 1280 x 800 pixel tablet, shaped much like the Motorola Xoom, and featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor under the hood.

The Jetstream will also be the first HTC tablet to run Android 3.0 “Honeycomb,” as opposed to the stretched-out and version of Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” that the Flyer supports. HTC’s Sense UI is back again on the screenshots posted by 911HTC, complete with the trademark clock widget and smaller social widgets off to each side.Even though the Jetstream will reportedly run Honeycomb when it’s launched, the screenshots that 911HTC claims are from the device show a build of Android that’s similar to the HTC Flyer, which look much more like Gingerbread.

The Jetstream will also support AT&T’s 4G LTE network, which is growing, although it’s currently the smallest 4G network in the country. That also tells us that the Jetstream will likely be an AT&T exclusive, at least until a Wi-Fi only version hits store shelves. There’s reportedly also support for HTC’s “Magic Pen” stylus, a carryover from the HTC Flyer that we were sad to hear HTC decided to sell separately from its tablets.

The Magic Pen works less like the stylus you might remember from old Palm and Windows Mobile devices and more like an artist’s pressure pen used on a drawing tablet. The Magic Pen is battery powered, and allows HTC tablet users to draw on the screen like paper. This means that, for example, in the Notes app, you can actually write notes on the screen and save them in your own handwriting.


HTC Launches the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play

HTC has arrived in 2017. They have just released the new HTC U Ultra and the HTC U Play to the world. The two phones feature a new design, look, and yes – no headphone jacks.

For those who want something a bit large, the U Ultra is the choice. It has a new type of glass; call Liquid Surface, as the glass is curved all away round the body. The material reflects the light in a way that has never been done before, at least for HTC. The phone has a 5.7-inch screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, either 64GB or 128GB of storage,  and the Liquid Surface treatment for the body. It has a second display that works mainly with the HTC Sense Companion.  The phone also features four microphones that can be used for voice search, as well as a voice biometric system that can unlock the phone just using the voice. There is a 12 megapixel sensor camera at the back, and at the same time there is a new wide-angle 16-megapixel front camera for selfies.

The U Play meanwhile is design as a more compact version of the U family. It also features the Liquid Surface treatment on the device. Instead of a Qualcomm processor, it has a MediaTek Helio P10 processor, with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, up to 4GB of RAM, and a different 16 megapixel camera for the rear. The screen size on this puppy is 5.2 inches.

The new feature that HTC introduced in the HTC U Ultra is the HTC Sense Companion – their own take on a machine learning AI in the phone. The AI takes data from information that is already available in your own phone. It also works with the second display, giving user the required data as needed, and down the road gives a more personalised data right on your fingertips.

Yes, the two phones does not come with the 3.5mm audio jack – but instead will be bundled with USonic earphones, that is said to be intelligent enough to customise the audio experience to fit you.

What may shock you is the price – the HTC U Ultra is slated to have a sticker price of USD749 or about RM 3340 in blue, black, white, or pink while the HTC U Play has no price as of yet. There will also be a limited edition U Ultra with a sapphire glass screen on the front and 128GB of storage. No details on that model as well. HTC Malaysia has yet to get back to us with any indication for Malaysia availability, so stay tuned to TechNave for more information on the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play.


HTC Malaysia announces Desire 10 Pro for RM1699 and One A9s for RM1159

HTC Malaysia recently announced that the HTC Desire 10 pro will be available to buy in Malaysia for RM1699 while the HTC One A9s will go for RM1159. Thankfully, Malaysia will be getting the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version for the Desire 10 pro. Both phones will be available from 26 December 2016 at authorized resellers.

While we're thankful that Malaysians are finally getting the HTC Desire 10 pro and the 4GB RAM version at that, there are a bunch of other phones in the market with similar tech specs and slightly lower prices like the Honor 8 or the ASUS ZenFone 3 or even the OnePlus 3. Do check out our comparison tool and see if the Desire 10 pro manages to match up with other competitors.


HTC Malaysia announces the personal yet powerful HTC Desire 650 dual sim for RM619

It’s been awhile since we last saw the last HTC Desire series, but the latest HTC Desire 650 dual sim appears to be quite an affordable yet functional phone. With a price of only RM619, it's almost a steal!

A direct upgrade from its predecessor the Desire 650, the new dual sim model will have a different chipset, more RAM, more internal storage space and a much bigger battery with more features to boot.

The full specifications of the Desire 650 dual sim is listed as follows:

The HTC Desire 650 Dual SIM is available right now in the colours of Dark Blue and White throughout Malaysia at a bargain price of RM619.00.

If you're not convinced, hop on to www.htcmalaysia.com.my for more info and make sure to stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest updates and news.


HTC Malaysia revealed the HTC One A9 flagship for RM2299 along with four other smartphone additions

On 18 February 2016, HTC gave a surprise revealing not only one, but five new HTC smartphones altogether – award-winning HTC One Family, the HTC One A9, HTC One ME dual sim, HTC Desire 728 dual sim, HTC Desire 626 dual sim and HTC Desire 828 dual sim.

“Our customers are gradually looking for stylish smartphones with faster processors, network speeds and outstanding battery life. They are creating and consuming rich video content and want greater freedom to personalize their smartphones. We know they love the flexibility that comes with expandable memory.” said Mr. Faisal Siddiqui, President, HTC South Asia. Our new ranges of smartphones deliver the distinctive features with an outstanding user experience in a sleek, chic, slim package at an affordable price.”

Below are the tech specs of the new HTC smartphones:-

Priced at RM2299, the One A9 is perfect for storing a lot of photos, music and videos with its given huge storage capacity. Combined with striking design and excellent camera features such as the HTC UltraPixel technology for more vibrant, real and true to life photos even in low light environments. It comes in two colour options with Carbon Gray and Topaz Gold.

This one provides an immersive smartphone experience with the 5.2-inch display with 2K resolution to ensure amazing viewing pleasure for both image and video. It also has clear audio which is great for music lovers. Coming in Classic Rose Gold and Meteor Gray, it is priced at RM1599.

The headphone jack at the top, 13MP rear camera with LED flash and the volume and power button on the right side

Available in Blue Lagoon and White Birch colours, this is another mid-range smartphone option that sports a 5-inch HD display with an exceptional 1.7 Ghz octa-core processor, 13MP BSI sensor main camera and a 5MP front camera. There's no price available yet.

The volume and power button on the right side

The perfect smartphone for those who are looking for a mid-range class, it features high-quality audio, 5.5-inch HD screen, 13MP rear camera and a 5MP camera at the front, and it has Purple Myst and White Luxury colour options as well. No price tag is available yet.

Designed to be trendy with dual SIM operability. The Dark Gray and Pearl White device combines a host of features such as an advanced back and front cameras for quality image shooting. Unfortunately, the device was absent at the event so there aren't any hands-on pictures.

Mr. Faisal Siddiqui (second left) along with three HTC executives showing the HTC smartphones

That's all we got for now, stay tuned for more news at Technave in the future!


HTC Omega in Malaysia Price, Specs & Review

HTC Mobiles have many touchscreen mobile phones to their credit now and one such model to be part of this league is known as HTC Omega. This mobile phone runs on the Windows 7 operating system just like its cousin HTC Eternity. Infact it will be fitted in with the Mango firmware update pre-loaded.

This mobile phone features a 3.8 inch capacitive touchscreen which is capable of offering a resolution count which is as good as one would good in a phone like Samsung Wave 2. This display is AMOLED in nature and offers capacitive sensitivity.

When it comes to the processing unit by which this device is powered, we come to point at the 1.5GHz third generation Snapdragon processor which is an extremely superior kind of a processor in this league of models.

On the rear side of HTC Omega, you shall find an 8 MP camera fitted which does a pretty nice job because of features such as LED flash and auto focus along with a great pixel count. One will find a lot of connectivity options on Omega such as GPRS/EDGE, Wifi and GPS navigation system in addition to the HDMI and DLNA out. Bluetooth and USB port are other such options.

There are ample positives associated with this mobile phone and it seems to go down well with the customers’  inspite of the few negative points. The audio experience on HTC Omega isn’t as good as one would want it to be and even the size of the screen might be a little too small for a few users. Hence overall, HTC Omega is surely a fine piece.

HTC Omega Specifications (Unofficially):


HTC One 2014 (HTC M8 / All New HTC One) benchmarks score very high

As is typical right before the actual announcement, a whole bunch of new details have come out for the HTC One 2014 (HTC M8, All New HTC One). While we've already seen tech specs, features and practically confirmed pics, performance benchmarks usually come afterwards, but somehow Rightware have done just that. Showing benchmarks of the Basemark OS II and Basemark X benchmarks, the HTC One 2014 scored very well in the performance and graphics part but not so well in the browser based tests. The benchmarks also confirm a 2.3Ghz Snapdragon 801 processor with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display but we should know everything in a few more hours. The still unnamed HTC One 2014 is expected to be announced tomorrow but there is still no exact Malaysia release dates or pricing details just yet. Stay tuned for more information.[Source]


HTC One A9 announced for $399.99 with Snapdragon 617, 13MP camera and more

The HTC One A9 is finally official and confirms nearly all the previous leaks. Yes, it looks nearly identical to the all metal Apple iPhone but it comes with a slightly thicker 7.3mm aluminum unibody chassis. While the 13MP rear camera is protruding it is situated in the top center rather than the corner while a 4MP UltraPixel front camera graces the front. Check out the full tech specs and features below:

Aside from the mentioned Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it’s noted that the HTC Sense is more or less the same with its relative the HTC One M9 so the smartphone is pretty responsive. Oh, and the Hyperlapse mentioned earlier is an editing tool that allows users to speed up their video recording 12 times as fast. The One A9 is now available in the US for $399.99 (RM1717.04), however this is on a promotional price with a limited time period. No official Malaysia pricing or release dates yet though but it is expected worldwide by November 2015.

“HTC is a smartphone pioneer, having delivered the first Android smartphone, the first Windows smartphone, the first 4G smartphone, and the first all-metal smartphone. Today we’re taking that heritage of innovation to the next level, unveiling a phone that stands apart in a market increasingly dominated by a company which controls every aspect of your phone. The HTC One A9 breaks from this trend by offering an incredible design, fantastic performance, cutting-edge software features and the freedom to take full control of your smartphone experience." Cher Wang, HTC chairwoman and CEO

Looks like an iPhone but runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow


HTC One Camera Performance Even Better With Update

HTC One's Ultra-pixel camera has been noted for its much better low-light performance. However, when reviewed at the time, the daylight performance for the camera didn't turn out as well as expected as you could see just a little bit too much noise from shots resulting in a rather blurred effect. Thankfully, this was due to the software it was tested with as the latest software update has proven.

When tested with the new software update, these daylight blurry shots looked much more detailed with better overall precision and accuracy. While image quality for daylight shots in general saw a much more improved performance, images at ISO800 surprisingly had more noise and looked softer than images at the lower ISO400 as well as those taken at ISO1600. This likely means another fix on the way but those getting their retail units in April should get this fix updated as well. If you've made the decision to buy something other than the HTC One based on previous review shots, it would perhaps be better if you take another look.  [Source]


HTC One Coming to Malaysia and Everywhere Else Before The End of April

Right on the heels of the recent news regarding the HTC One delay is an official statement from HTC regarding said delay. While they haven't confirmed why the delays have happened, they have confirmed that 3 countries will get their HTC One shipments starting next week. These countries include United Kingdom, Germany and Taiwan. Other countries and markets are not so lucky. HTC has however promised that the HTC One will be released in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and most everywhere else before the end of April. While it may be a bit slower to the gate than Samsung's Galaxy S4, its always better late than never. The official HTC statement reads:"HTC has seen unprecedented demand for and interest in the new HTC One, and the care taken to design and build it is evidenced in early reviews. The new HTC One will roll out in the UK, Germany and Taiwan next week and across Europe, North America and most of Asia-Pacific before the end of April. We appreciate our customers’ patience, and believe that once they have the phone in their hands they will agree that it has been worth the wait."[sourced from GSMarena.com]


ARM allegedly looking to change licensing model, could affect existing smartphone brands

By now, most of you should know about Qualcomm and the mobile chipsets it provides. But did you know that Qualcomm actually licenses its chipset designs from ARM? Well, that license could soon be changed, which could give Qualcomm some big problems.

According to SemiAnalysis (via 9to5Google), ARM could prohibit companies from customising certain parts of ARM-based chipsets. It's suggested that ARM is "bundling its other IP with the CPU IP in a take-it-or-leave-it model", thus preventing OEM partners from using non-Mali GPUs. This proposed licensing model could affect major OEM companies that have customised ARM-based chipsets.

For example, Samsung has been working with AMD to create custom RDNA2-based GPUs for its high-end Exynos chipsets. Qualcomm is the same, as it sells its Snapdragon chipsets with customised Adreno GPUs. Google is another company that could be affected since its Google Pixel devices feature the custom Google Tensor chip, which helps with the camera and AI learning features.

Of course, ARM could renegotiate its deal with its OEM partners. There are no confirmations on which direction ARM could go at present, and we don't know how big of an effect this could have. For now, we'll keep an eye out for updates on this and see how things go. Until then, stay tuned to TechNave for more news on mobile tech and gadgets.


HTC One Delayed

Those looking to get their hands on a fresh and powerful HTC One smartphone may have to wait a little while longer as component shortages are causing delays in available stock. According to HTC this was because certain component suppliers didn't keep up their end of the deal, instead prioritizing on other brands and clients. According to them it was because shipment forecasts for HTC haven't been very good and as such, said component suppliers lowered down HTC's status down a tier or two. The components that seem to be short include the camera components (a deal breaker for the HTC One's Ultra-pixel cameras) and the metal casings. Pre-order customers may yet receive their HTC One, but other markets like retail sellers and other shops may have to wait a while longer. Available stock is estimated to arrive at these other markets around or after April. While reviews of the HTC One continue to be great, availability may kill whatever momentum gained from the positive response. [source from engadget.com]


HTC One E8 now available in Malaysia at RM1699

The more affordable HTC One E8 was recently launched here in Malaysia from RM1699. The smartphone bears a similar shape and design as the HTC One M8 but goes for a plastic or polycarbonate backside casing instead. Currently available at all authorized HTC resellers here in Malaysia, the smartphone comes in Electric Crimson (red), Misty Grey (blueish grey) and Polar White (white). Check out the full tech specs and feature list for the HTC One E8 below:

While you can use our HTC One E8 vs HTC One M8 tech spec comparison tool to see all the differences, the major differences include no InfraRed blaster and no Ultrapixel Duo camera for the HTC One E8. Apart from these features and the plastic backside, everything else is more or less the same.


HTC One E9+ announced, features 3GB RAM and 5.5-inch quad HD display

HTC recently announced the release of an all-new HTC One E9+ smartphone, which is exclusive to the Asian market. Compared to some of its predecessors in the upper-mid range segment, this model falls under the high-end category with its attractive and powerful features. The phone is backed by the following tech specs: a Mediatek MT6795M with Octacore 2GHz SoC, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage expandable via microSD card, 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution LCD display measuring 156.5 x 76.5 x 7.5 mm, a 20MP rear camera, 4MP front camera with UltraPixel feature, and a 2800mAh battery backed by Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with HTC Sense UI 7.0.  Similar to the HTC One E9 the One E9+ has 3GB RAM, a 20MP rear camera and a higher-end 2K or quad HD display. The design is also different in that the One E9+ uses a plastic back with glossy finish. No official word is out on when it’ll be released in Malaysia or how much it’ll retail in the market for yet but we expect it to be priced at a premium considering the higher-end tech specs and features.


HTC One E9 hits TENAA, features a large 20MP rear camera sensor

TENAA is a good source of information about upcoming smartphones these days. Recently, a new model in the HTC One family was spotted on this certification website, namely the HTC One E9. Just last week, the company announced the HTC One M9 flagship model and looks like it is now focusing on the less popular models. The highlight of the device is it's monstrous camera at the back. The phone will feature Mediatek's 64-bit MT6795 octa-core processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM. Instead of the 5.1-inch full HD display on the One M9, this particular model will feature a much larger 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution. At the back, there will be a large 20MP sensor and up front, there are two camera options, a 13MP shooter and a 4MP Ultrapixel sensor. The device will measure just 7.5mm. In this thin body, HTC has managed to incorporate a 2800mAh battery. The phone supports dual SIM dual Standby and will run on the latest Android Lollipop with Sense 7.0 UI on top. The HTC One E9 will come in Metallic Gray, Brown Gold and White Rose Gold colors. The company has not yet officially revealed Malaysia pricing or release date details.


HTC One E9+ launched in Malaysia at RM1899

Cheong Wah Tong, Country Manager, HTC Malaysia and Wayne Tang, Product Marketing Manager, HTC South Asia with the HTC One E9+

The HTC One E9+ was recently launched here in Malaysia for RM1899. Available for purchase in Gold Sepia and Classic Rose Gold, the HTC One E9+ is currently on sale at authorized resellers. Tech specs and features look to be the similar as the asian release with a few exceptions which include a Mediatek Helio X10, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage expandable via microSD card, 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution LCD display, a 20MP rear camera, 4MP UltraPixel front camera, and a 2800mAh battery backed by Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with HTC Sense UI 7.0. Similar to the HTC One E9 the One E9+ has 3GB RAM, a 20MP rear camera and a higher-end 2K or quad HD display. The design is also different in that the One E9+ uses a plastic back with glossy finish. Standout features include HTC Boom Sound and up to 2TB microSD (for when they actually exist), support for flac audio and dual nano SIM 4G LTE.

First-hand impressions of the HTC One E9+ are a much lighter plastic backed smartphone with same HTC One front design. Rather than a curved back, the HTC One E9+ has a flatter matte backplate. At the suggested price point of RM1899 it joins other metal frame smartphones in the entry-level flagship range like the Huawei P8. Check out some of our tech spec comparisons below:


HTC One Google Edition Coming Soon?

After Google's recent surprise Nexus device unveiling of a Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition at Google I/O, quite a few smartphone makers are looking to do the same with their smartphones. HTC are no different as rumours are about that they are working on a similar HTC One Google Edition as well. Currently all HTC One smartphones use Android as the operating system with HTC's Sense UI layered on top of it. Opting for a HTC One Google Edition would mean this Sense UI being removed leaving the stock vanilla Android. Like all Nexus devices it would certainly mean faster updates from Google (which may or may not improve UltraPixel camera performance). By rights the tech specs for this HTC One Google Edition shouldn't be any different from existing HTC One smartphones nor should the price. No news yet when the HTC One Google Edition is going to be available but it does offer other alternatives for HTC One fans.


HTC One (M8) coming to Malaysia by end of April 2014

The latest version of the HTC One (M8) may well be the one device that saves HTC completely, however, it appears that it may be too little too late for users in Malaysia. With the Samsung Galaxy S5 set for a 27 March 2014 launch tomorrow, HTC Malaysia are still unsure as to when we'll see the new HTC One (M8) here. While the HTC One (M8) was available nearly instantly over in the US and UK, HTC Malaysia say that we should expect the HTC One (M8) by the end of April 2014. They also went on to say that the HTC One (M8) would be available for all major telcos. While it could be another late entry, we're thinking that HTC Malaysia could do much with a couple HTC One (M8) smartphones and some persuasive campers placed strategically nearby the Galaxy S5 launching areas (HTC did this for the original HTC One). Still no specific Malaysia release dates just yet but stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.[Source]


HTC One M8 officially launched in Malaysia for RM2399

HTC Malaysia recently launched the HTC One M8 in Malaysia. Going on with the same all metal design, the new M8 offers more curves, more metal parts and finally a processor that is from the latest generation of mobile processors and expandable storage memory. Tech specs for the HTC One M8 includes the following:

Coming in in Gunmetal Grey, Glacial Silver and Amber Gold, the HTC One is retailing for RM2399. Check out the videos below for a refresher or our HTC One M8 telco plan comparison tool for some Malaysia telco deals on the smartphone:

Introducing the HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 highlight video

The HTC One M8 Duo camera effects and filters

Explaining the HTC One M8 UltraPixel camera technology

The HTC One M8 Design video


HTC One M9 Pre-MWC rumor roundup

With MWC 2015 just a few hours or so away, HTC is all set to unveil its flagship smartphone of the year, the HTC One M9. The new HTC device is said to retain the design philosophy of its predecessors, which is actually a good thing considering all the praise that it received in the past few years. HTC UK recently released a teaser video for the One M9 on twitter. The video reveals little about the device but shows off a violet material ripple which could hint at the new HTC Boom Sound front facing speakers. Finally, there are the words "let them stare", which once again fails to reveal anything concrete about the device.  As for the tech specs, it is almost confirmed that the HTC flagship will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor. The chipmaker recently released a Vine on twitter which showed off a device similar to the One M9 with the words '8:10'. Moreover, in the video, the clock style figures '10:08' changes to '10:09' hinting that the One M9 will succeed the M8. Other leaked tech specs include 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, 5-inch Full HD display, 20MP rear camera and 4MP ultrapixel front shooter and finally a 2900 mAh battery. The company has an event scheduled for 1st March 2015 at 10 AM EST. So, the event will start here in Malaysia at 11PM on Sunday (today). You can check out the live stream for yourself as well but we will be covering MWC 2015, so stay tuned for more updates.


HTC One M9 Prime Camera Edition official in HTC India for 23990 Rupee

Today, the HTC One M9 Prime Camera Edition is now official as a new variant of the One M9. First announced in Germany, the new device is now listed on HTC India eStore for 23990 Rupee (around RM1466).

In the tech-specs corner, it's said that the new phone features a MediaTek Helio X10 SoC, supported by 2GB RAM and carries 16GB ROM inside, with a 5.2-inch full HD display, packs a 13MP rear camera + a HTC UltraPixel front shooter, running on Android 5.0 with HTC Sense, and finally a 2840mAh battery.

Do you want this device to come into Malaysia? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more news at Technave.com.


ARM introduces the Cortex-A78 and Mali-G78, promising great leaps in performance and power consumption

Most devices these days use chipsets featuring CPU and GPU cores from ARM, with new hardware announced once a year. Well, that time of the year has come and the company has now announced the Cortex-A78 and Cortex-X1 CPU cores, as well as Mali-G78 GPU that will greatly boost the performance of future smartphones.

In a series of official posts, ARM introduced a few new technologies that improve on current ones by a significant margin. First, there's the Cortex-A78 that can provide up to 20% more sustained performance compared to the Cortex-A77. What's impressive is that the CPU core takes up less space and reduces energy consumption by up to 50%.

Then there's the Cortex-X1, a custom line of CPU cores that can get up to 30% more peak performance than the Cortex-A77. ARM stated that the Cortex-X1 will be meant for smartphones with new form factors, with the examples of devices with foldable or multiple screens. The blog post about it doesn't explain the reasons behind the idea, but it's possible that the Cortex-X1 being customisable means it'll better fit these new form factors.

Finally, ARM also introduced the new Mali-G78 GPU. Compared to its predecessor, the Mali-G77, the new GPU's performance is up to 25% better. The feature called Asynchronous Top Level is what's helping the GPU cores work more efficiently and reduce power consumption. Additionally, there's a lower-end Mali-G68 GPU that shares the features of the Mali-G78, except it has 6 GPU cores instead of 24.

Before we forget, ARM also announced the Ethos-N78, which is an NPU for all those fancy AI and machine learning features. Overall, we can expect chipsets in 2021 to provide greater performance and higher energy savings. We can expect apps to run better in phones while consuming less battery at the same time.

With that said, what are your thoughts on the news? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


HTC One M9 official with Snapdragon 810 and 20MP rear camera

HTC has finally made the HTC One M9 official and it has retained the same design philosophy as the previous generations. The new HTC One M9 features a refined design with dual anodization and scratch resistant coating. The phone is lighter and smaller than the One M8. The company has made some essential changes as well, like the power button is now placed on the side and the volume rocker keys have improved too. The new HTC flagship is not water or dust resistant, but the company will unveil a number of IP69 certified cases to make it more rugged. Like previous rumors suggested, the phone comes in new dual color tone options, like silver plus gold accent on the frame or pink plus gold accent. There are two other colors as well – Gun Metal Gray and Complete Gold.

Tech specs wise, the HTC One M9 features the new Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM onboard. The BoomSound speakers make a comeback, now with Dolby Surround Audio technology. The phone supports fast charging, however users will have to purchase a supported charger to use this tech. The rear camera is now from Toshiba, instead of the 4MP Ulrapixel sensor. This will be a 20MP rear camera and will support RAW capture along with 4K video shooting too. HTC has promised improved Zoe apps for a better camera experience as well. As for software, the HTC One M9 runs on Android 5.0 out of the box with the new Sense 7 UI on top. This Sense version brings new BlinkFeed features like lockscreen support, Yelp partnership etc. Sense 7 supports new themes as well, changing the overall looks of the device with just a click. Pricing and availability details have not yet been revealed, but a recent listing on Best Buy shows that HTC may sell the phone for $650 (RM2350).

Full tech specs of the device are as given below.


HTC One ME with 20MP rear camera on sale in Malaysia for RM1599

In courtesy of Dynamics Distribution Sdn Bhd, they have announced sale of HTC One ME for sale on their Facebook page just a few hours ago. For only RM1599, you may purchase it from their authorized stores in Malaysia. Here are the specifications.

Also, you can check out HTC's latest device which was just announced few hours ago - the HTC 10 and 10 Lifestyle. For more information, you may visit their Facebook page to check it out.


HTC One Malaysia Official Launch sees 32GB and 64GB Versions

Malaysia got its official HTC One launch recently and it saw the Aluminum unibody Android smartphone get both the 32GB and 64GB versions. Price-wise the HTC One 32GB version retails at RM2299 while the HTC One 64GB version retails at RM2499. According to HTC, both versions should be available for the 4 major telcos of Celcom, Maxis, DiGi and U Mobile by early May. SenQ may also get it around this time while other dealers may get it a bit later in mid-May.Stand-out features for the HTC One remain the aforementioned Aluminum unibody design and it's UltraPixel camera. However, other features such as the 4.7-inch 1080p screen and front facing stereo speakers are also noteworthy. Still no news if the HTC One will come with the latest firmware so if you get it and the camera doesn't perform very well, this could be a sign you don't have the latest update.


HTC One Max phablet officially announced, 5.9-inch display but just Snapdragon 600 processor

After months of leaks, rumours and rather vague ads, HTC have officially announced the HTC One Max phablet. Featuring the same unibody design as the HTC One the phablet adds another inch or so for a 5.9-inch screen with full HD 1080p resolution. While the smartphone is significantly larger than the HTC One, it maintains the overall aluminum metal chassis design as the original but uses a plastic band rather than the metal band in the middle of the original. Besides the screen, the most notable features of the HTC One Max include the rear fingerprint scanner (which is the swipe kind rather than just touch), expandable microSD support and a removable backplate. Other tech specs for the HTC One Max include:

A look at the specs shows that apart from the larger screen (and resulting drop in pixel density) and battery, the HTC One Max has more or less the same tech features as the HTC One. So far, no official pricing or Malaysia release dates were available but any launch for the phablet in Malaysia should be from October 2013 and the HTC One Max has been spotted overseas for GBP600 (RM3052) but most Malaysian tech watchers are estimating the phablet to match prices with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 at the normal retail price of RM2399. In addition, HTC are also release related accessories such as the Power Flip Case which offers an extra built-in 1200 mAh battery, HTC Fetch for finding your phone and a BoomBass speaker.


HTC One Max phablet set for Malaysia release from 15 October 2013

Another day, another version of the HTC One, this time the larger phablet sized HTC One Max has been confirmed at China's Tenaa. Bearing practically all the design features of the HTC One, chamferred sides, aluminum unibody, beats audio and Ultrapixel camera, the one major change is what appears to be a fingerprint scanner on the backside, located right below the rear camera. Other tech specs and features confirmed from the listing and pictures include a reportedly 6-inch screen and some form of dock connectors on the side. Reports indicate that the HTC One Max could be released on 15 October 2013, with Malaysia release dates either on the same date or afterwards. No news on pricing for Malaysia just yet or if this version of the HTC One Max phablet is only headed for China. We should find out soon though as the reported release date is just about 2 weeks away.


HTC One Max shows how NOT to do a fingerprint sensor

The HTC One Max phablet is currently one of the few smartphones with a fingerprint scanner. However, unlike the Touch ID fingerprint scanner from Apple, the fingerprint scanner on the backside of the HTC One Max phablet requires you to swipe your finger, which is both inaccurate as well as difficult to do from the back. Granted, HTC looks to have offered some extra functionality by calling up apps based on differently swiped fingers but the feature is rather difficult to use for both of the reasons mentioned above. In addition to the hardware issues, there is very little software integration that may actually require or use the HTC One Max phablet's fingerprint scanner as you still have to enter passcodes to buy apps (or anything else for that matter). For smartphones that already have the swipe type fingerprint scanner, this may be too late to change, but it shouldn't be too difficult to offer a bit more integration with the software. As it is, fingerprint scanners are pretty much unused features for now, even in the Apple iPhone 5S, but this may change soon as software integration picks up.


HTC One Mini 2 officially announced with 13MP camera

Confirming previous rumours about the mini version of the HTC One (M8), HTC have officially announced the HTC One Mini 2. Featuring the same brushed metal look as the larger version, the mini offers a 4.5-inch display with 720p pixel resolution making it slightly larger than the previous HTC One Mini. The most notable feature difference here though, is that there is no Duo camera, but HTC have opted for a conventional 13MP BSI camera sensor instead of the usual UltraPixel camera. Other tech specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, up to 128GB microSD support, 5MP front camera, GPS, NFC, 4G LTE and a 2100 mAh battery. No news on Malaysia pricing or specific Malaysia release dates yet but the HTC One Mini 2 is expected to be launched in North Asia by June 2014. The smartphone will come in the standard Amber Gold, Glacial Silver and Gunmetal Gray colours.

The HTC One Mini 2 next to the HTC One (M8)


HTC One Mini Appears Again

The HTC One Mini or M4 has appeared again. Placed side by side with the original HTC One, this time with the same colour, it looks like it will maintain the same aluminum unibody chassis but go for a much smaller build. While the chassis remains the same it looks like there will be a white ring of plastic, perhaps to increase durability and reduce weight.Tech specs that we can confirm from the pic include a 4.3-inch screen which is probably going at 720p. There doesn't seem to be any IR blaster but the front facing Beats Audio speakers are still there. Other specs include the fact that it is using Android 4.2.2 and has an UltraPixel camera. The One Mini will likely run a 1.4Ghz dual-core Snapdragon 400 but that's about it. No details yet on pricing or availability but it will most likely be more affordable than the HTC One and come soon (some say in August).[Source]


HTC One Mini Officially Confirmed

HTC has recently published a UA Prof File confirming the HTC One Mini. For those who don't know, a UA Prof file or User Agent Profile is a specification file that lists the model, screen size and other details before the device gets officially announced. UA Prof files are not required but they are usually done by the manufacturer. Since HTC released it, it is as official a confirmation as possible.Other details mentioned in the HTC One Mini's UA Prof file is that it will have a 720 x 1280 pixel display. This coincides with other tech specs that include:

From leaked images it looks like the HTC One Mini will have the same aluminum unibody chassis but in a smaller form. No details or news on price or availability but HTC should announce the HTC One Mini soon.[Source]


HTC One Mini announced with confirmed LTE and Ultrapixel camera

After months of leaks and teasers HTC have finally announced the HTC One Mini. Featuring the same design in a smaller form factor, the smartphone offers some interesting features at a (hopefully) more affordable price. Some of these features and tech specs include:

Like the larger HTC One, the HTC One Mini has the same zero-gap construction, which also means still no microSD card. While it keeps the same software features of Zoe and Blinkfeed it does away with the IR blaster and NFC but now only weighs 122g. It comes in silver and black but no news just yet on when exactly it will be available in Malaysia and for how much. It will be available in certain markets from August with a global launch in early September. We're expecting the HTC One Mini to be at least two levels lower in terms of price compared to the HTC One. For more information see the video below or check out the HTC One Mini site.


192MP cameras will soon land on future smartphones

If you think you might not see smartphones with cameras that have higher megapixels than 108MP in a while, you are wrong! Today, a tipster has announced on Weibo revealing a smartphone that features a 192MP camera sensor that is going to be dropped soon. Whether it’s true or not, we guess the war of high megapixels between smartphones is once heated again.

Fighting other brands to have the highest megapixel was a trend for some time. After that, the war has stopped for a while as flagships from huge brands like Samsung and Apple were comfortable with just 12MP or 16MP cameras. Now, it looks like the fire has been ignited once again with Samsung and Xiaomi using 108MP for their latest flagships.

The post on Weibo didn’t reveal the brand of the smartphone that is going to be launched with a 192MP camera. However, it did mention that there will be a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 chipset joining the powerful sensor. From the chipset, it is also predicted that the device is going to be in mid-range, which means slightly cheaper compared to the flagships.

Let us know what you think about this exciting news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more viral smartphone news.


ARM selling IoT division to Softbank to focus on designing chips

Sometimes, a company decides to cut off what it may deem unwanted excess to focus on more important things. That's what ARM is planning to do as it looks to offload its Internet of Things (IoT) divisions to SoftBank. This is so that the company can concentrate on what it's most famous for - designing chips for mobile devices and computers.

Yesterday, ARM announced that it has sent a proposal to SoftBank about the transference of two of its IoT businesses to companies run by the Japanese enterprise. As mentioned, the reason given by ARM is so that the company can focus on designing chips like its Cortex series CPU cores for mobile devices. Allegedly, without the extra IoT divisions, ARM would be in a "stronger position to innovate". As for SoftBank, its businesses can benefit from having their own IoT divisions.

Now, most of the time companies would hire more people to fill in roles in other divisions as required. But with many countries facing uncertain economic situations, large enterprises like ARM may have felt it prudent to keep the company slim, rather than continue to grow. Regardless, this deal is expected to be concluded by September 2020.

You may wonder what this means for us in general? Hopefully, faster development of ARM-based chips. Of course, it's really hard to say at this point. With that said, what kind of improvements would you like to see from ARM's CPUs? Discuss it on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news on the latest tech and gadgets.


HTC One Nexus Edition Confirmed for 26 June 2013

After our earlier report on a possible HTC One Google Edition, it seems that this rumour has been confirmed. HTC are going to release a HTC One running stock Android for a Nexus experience, much in the same way as when Google announced the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition at Google I/O. According to HTC, the HTC One Nexus Edition will be priced at $599 (RM184) and be sold at the Google Play Store from 26 June 2013.Tech specs for the HTC One Nexus Edition are the same as before but it is the 32GB version and comes with the SIM and Bootloader unlocked. Unfortunately it doesn't support Malaysia's LTE band so while it does have LTE support, you won't be able to connect to Malaysia's LTE providers. Since it will be using stock Android 4.2.2, bear in mind that all of the HTC One features that you may have liked will be gone. We also wonder if this may affect the HTC One's UltraPixel camera performance as it was the HTC One firmware that initially boosted it. Check out the HTC site for more information.


HTC One Preorder at DiGi from RM1269

While the HTC One has yet to arrive, preorders have opened up, specifically under DiGi starting from RM1269. To be more specific, this price is for their DG Smart Plan 148 plan under a 24 months contract but you also have the option to preorder under the DG Smart Plan 58 and DG Smart Plan 88. Check out the plan details as below:

As usual, the DG Smart Plan 58 and DG Smart Plan 88 have RM10 and RM20 monthly rebates respectively but the subsidized price is higher. Advance payment for long-time (more than a year) DiGi subscribers is waived. As an added bonus the first 100 units will receive a FREE HTC One exclusive casing worth RM149 and all Digi bundles will also come with 100 minutes of free Skype. For more DiGi Telco plans click here and if you need more details about this deal (like how red that exclusive casing looks like), go to the DiGi site.


HTC One Review - Beautiful Trendsetting Android Smartphone

In many ways, the HTC One is a pioneer, innovating upon features that most Android smartphones lack. It was the first premium Android smartphone to offer more than just a plastic casing and paid much more focus to design (almost like the Apple iPhone). It offers features like Full 1080p HD on a 4.7-inch screen, an UltraPixel camera and software features which you won't find on any other smartphone. Is this the smartphone for you though? Read on and find out.

Before the HTC One, most Android smartphones all looked the same, were basically made out of plastic and looked downright boring. The HTC One shook things up by taking the same design approach as the Apple iPhone, giving much thought and focus to a new tough metal unibody chassis with a rounded brushed metal back. In making the overall smartphone, HTC designers decided to stick to a zero-gap construction, which makes for a beautiful smartphone with no gaps in between the components. The result is a nearly sealed case apart from the earphone jack and micro-USB port. In short, the HTC One is one of the most beautiful smartphones in the market, even after so many other Android smartphones have followed or tried to follow what it did.

At 143g it fits nearly perfectly in the palm of your hand and due to the slightly smaller 4.7-inch screen (compared to the other 5-inch competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the Sony Xperia Z) it manages to squeeze in a full HD 1080p capability with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The result is a nearly unmatched Pixel Per Inch or PPI pixel density of 469. Colours and details look awesome on this Super LCD3 touchscreen while the Corning Gorilla Glass 2 keeps it somewhat scratch resistant. There are some downsides to these new innovations though. Unlike many of it's competitors, the HTC One has no microSD expansion slot and no removable battery (although there is a version for China that has these features) due to the aforementioned zero-gap construction. While the brushed metal backside looks great, it tends to get hot and also gets scratched very easily (especially in a pocket full of keys and loose change). And though the HTC One feels solid enough the rounded brushed metal casing is also a bit difficult to grip, with some reviewers reporting unintended slips and falls.

The HTC One was the first smartphone in the market to feature a 4MP UltraPixel camera. The idea of UltraPixels is that larger pixels means better light absorption. This makes it great for low light conditions. Coupled with OIS or Optical Image stabilization, an LED flash, 88 degree wide angle lens and HDR recording it takes a step above the usual point-and-shoot cameraphone performance. However, initial UltraPixel camera performance was blurry and lacked detail when used for daytime conditions. This was eventually fixed with firmware updates.

The HTC One was also one of the first smartphones to implement dual BoomSound speakers which gives it a very loud and very solid audio performance. In terms of User Interface or UI, the HTC One uses Sense 5 which looks good and packs in two major yet unique features in the form of HTC Zoe and BlinkFeed. HTC Zoe allows you to create up to 30-second HD video by stitching together image information taken before and after you press the camera shutter button. The only downside to Zoe is that the file size for each image-video is huge compared to your normal image. BlinkFeed on the other hand combines all of your social media into one tiled screen (which looks a lot like Windows Phone 8) so you have instant access to everything that interests you. Unfortunately, BlinkFeed has a love-it or hate-it feel to it, and if you hate it, it can't be uninstalled from the smartphone. Other notable features include support for LTE, NFC, stereo FM radio, a 2.1 front camera and a 2300 mAh battery.

The HTC Zoe takes image data before and after you take the shot

In terms of performance, the HTC One is powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM which makes it able to handle everything on the market with speed and ease. Many reviewers have named the HTC One as the fastest smartphone around especially after you remove all the other bloatware that comes with it. On AnTuTu the HTC One gets an average score of 22000+ which beats out the Sony Xperia Z but bites on the heels of the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505. Apart from slowing down your smartphone BlinkFeed also drains your battery significantly but on normal use (without BlinkFeed on) the HTC One can get up to 1 day and a half of normal use on a single charge. It is also worth noting here that a tear-down of the HTC One revealed an iFixit score of 1, which means it is almost impossible to fix (or put together) should it become damaged.

The HTC One performs very well in AnTuTu

Overall, the HTC One is a beautiful premium Android smartphone that could seduce anyone. Powerful enough to rank amongst the Top 5 most powerful smartphones, it delivers fast performance and can handle everything well. While it's design is innovative and trendsetting, you can really feel the lack of an expandable microSD slot as all the Zoe image-videos you've taken will quickly fill up the 32GB worth of onboard storage. If you're looking for a beautiful yet powerful Android smartphone then the HTC One could be the one for you but if you have butterfingers, don't like hot phones or want tons of features, then perhaps you should look elsewhere. The Price of the HTC One is as expected: premium , but has dropped somewhat since it's introduction price of RM2299 since you can now get the 64GB version for around the same price. You can also get the HTC One at subsidized prices from one of the major telcos in Malaysia.

Introducing the HTC One

See if you like the HTC One BlinkFeed

Designing the HTC One


HTC One S9 with 13MP rear camera (OIS) for €500 (around RM1136) in Germany

Today, at HTC Germany the HTC One S9 made its official debut as a mid-range smartphone with a price tag of €500 (around RM1136). While the new device has some similarities with the One M9, the difference is that the One S9 has two front speakers. Below as the official specifications:

There's no word on international releases yet, and because it was done so silently we aren't sure whether if it would even make it to the USA even, but we will keep an eye on it. Stay tuned for more news at Technave.com.


HTC One Takes on Hammer, Knife and Key

Considering the HTC One's elegant aluminum unibody design it seems hard to put it through such punishment, but one user did just that, bringing a hammer, knife and key to it. As expected of the scratch resistant screen, it didn't really get damaged by any of the three, and the tough aluminum unibody chassis also didn't dent all that readily. However, this time the torture test was more thorough and exposed the weaknesses of the back and chamfered sides of the aluminum unibody design. For more details check out the video below:


HTC One X9 officially announced for China at 2399 CNY (RM1590)

Following in the footsteps of the HTC One A9, the HTC One X9 has been officially announced featuring a fairly similar rounded metal body but this time with a plastic band at the top on the back that looks a lot like the Huawei Nexus 6P (which HTC say copied them first) and BoomSound dual front speakers. In any case the HTC One X9 is priced from 2399 CNY (RM1590) which is actually cheaper than the One A9 (2799 CNY) but there are still no Malaysia release dates or pricing details. Check out the HTC One X9 tech specs below:

Strangely enough, the One X9 does not come with a fingerprint sensor (the One A9 did have a fingerprint sensor) despite having better tech specs in everything else. For more details check out the HTC One X9 at the HTC China site.


HTC One X9 with 3GB RAM and 5.5-inch 1080p Super LCD screen in MWC 2016

While the HTC One A9 was released in Malaysia not too long ago, its successor the One X9 is enjoying the spotlight in MWC 2016 and it's reported that it will begin landing in North Asia first, followed by Europe, and the Middle East from the end of this month. Price is not revealed yet.

The full metal device is available in Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Topaz Gold, and Cooper Rose. Journalists are complimenting its solid and sleek design and it weighs quite “heavily” with 170grams even though it's only 8mm thick. It can also record a 4K video, offers a Pro mode with manual controls and one-touch RAW enhancement, and is compatible with the Dot View case. Below are the tech specs:-

The One X9 isn't the only one showing up at Barcelona, there's also the HTC Desire 530, 630 and 825 so do check it out, and stay tuned for more MWC 2016 news at Technave!


HTC One's Great Build but Terrible Repairability

While the HTC One managed to beat out Apple's iPhone 5 in drop tests recently it should be noted that it is a lot harder to repair. The HTC One recently got a teardown at iFixit (a site which takes apart smartphones and tries to put them back together). In that particular iFixit teardown, the HTC One is the only smartphone to get a repairability score of 1/10, which means it is next to impossible to repair (the Apple iPhone 5 has an iFixit repairability score of 7/10). Tearing down the HTC One the folks at iFixit found:

Thankfully iFixit also noted that the build quality for the HTC One is awesome with no external screws at all. As you can see from the previous drop test videos the HTC One is very tough, however, if it falls on its face, the screen will almost certainly shatter and considering the above points repairing the display would be next to impossible. The bottomline is if the HTC One does get damaged, you'd better hope it was within warranty so you can get a complete replacement as repair is probably not possible. The other things that come up for the HTC One based on the iFixit findings include:


HTC One vs iPhone 5 Drop Tests

For quite some time now, Apple's iPhone has touted it's toughness and endurance based on it's aluminum unibody carved from a single block of aluminum. However, it is no longer alone in the smartphone arena as from the horde of plastic Android smartphones comes the HTC One, one of the first Android smartphones to have an aluminum unibody as well. Both have aluminum unibody casings and both have not nearly as tough glass screens. Which one would survive drops better?

Testing this out from normal waist height, chest height and head height, both the iPhone 5 and the HTC One were dropped. Watching the video made us cringe as well as go "Hmm" at the same time so do check out the video below:

Click here for a Mobile Mega Mall specs comparison between the HTC One and the Apple iPhone 5.


HTC Patents Dual-Screen Slider Smartphone, Stashes it away for the Future

Overall, it is good to see HTC on the up and up, as it gives them the time to come up with patents such as this dual-screen slider smartphone patent. Rather than have a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, the patent shows a device where a second screen slides out to fit with the existing screen and form one unified display.While dual-screen slider smartphones are not new, many have failed because two screens resulted in a really thick and heavy device to lug about. So far, HTC seem to be blazing a new trail in design with their HTC One, so while this patent will probably be stashed away for the future, it does lead to brighter expectations for a well-designed dual screen slider from HTC in the not so far future.[Source]


ARM unveils v9 chip architecture, promises greater security and AI capabilities

When Apple launched its M1-powered Macs last year, it showed how powerful ARM-based chips can be for more mainstream systems. Companies are looking to replicate that success for Windows devices, and ARM's latest chip architecture could be the key.

Yesterday, ARM announced its first chip architecture in a decade - the ARMv9. The new architecture's focus is to deliver improved security, AI-related processing, and overall computing power. According to ARM CEO Simon Segars, ARMv9 will power the next 300 billion ARM chips, which would be used for a variety of devices.

Moreover, ARM claimed that v9 can provide 30% more performance for mobile and cloud CPUs. In our opinion, this could apply to regular computers too. Of course, this is assuming that there's a company with plans to adapt the ARMv9 for desktops or laptops. In terms of features, ARM v9 comes with the Confidential Compute Architecture (CCA) and Scalable Vector Extensions 2 (SVE2).

Honestly, I'd like to see ARM-based Windows PCs that are worth buying, so it would be interesting to see if ARMv9 can deliver on that end. Having said that, would you be keen on such a device, or do you still prefer an Intel or AMD-powered one? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


HTC RE handheld action camera announced, 16MP and waterproof

HTC recently announced their take on the action camera, the HTC RE. Shaped like a small periscope, the camera can take photos and record videos using a 16MP 1/2.3" CMOS sensor with 146-degree wide-angle lens at f/2.8. It has no on button, no viewfinder and works either on it's own or with both Android and iOS devices. Other tech specs include support for an up to 128GB microSD card and an 820 mAh battery. To turn it on, just hold it, the sensor on the grip will turn it on automatically. The only control on the RE is a large circular button on the corner, a short press takes a picture, a long press records a video and you can record 1080p video at 30fps or slow motion video at 720p.

The RE is quite small, measuring in at 96.7 x 26.5mm and weighing in at 65.5g. It has an IP57 rating so you can bring it underwater for 30 minutes and 1 meter depths. The RE connects via Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi and microUSB. It is compatible with Android 4.3 and above and iOS 7 or later, with plenty of accessories. No details yet on Malaysia release dates but it will be released in the US by the end of October 2014 and is currently available on pre-order (for the US) at $199 (RM643).


HTC Radar Review

The HTC Radar is the younger brother of the HTC Titan, a truly mammoth Windows Phone smart phone that rocks a 4.7-inch display. The HTC Radar isn't quite so gigantic, but it's no less exciting, and could be a good deal cheaper.

The Radar feels quite chunky, and it's definitely substantial too, feeling rather hefty in the hand. That's typical of HTC mobiles, and indeed it's fair to say HTC hasn't strayed from its established design formula -- the rear is a curved patchwork of metallic and rubberised textures, lending the HTC Radar an industrial feel.Measuring 120 x 61.5 x 10.8mm it’s not the thinnest phone, the flatest phone, or even the most sexiest phone out there. Coated in white and silver the design mirrors the company’s tablet, the HTC Flyer, and we are surprised that we haven’t yet seen this design on an Android handset, so as to complete the set if you have both.

The HTC Radar comes with a HTC’s 5 megapixel camera and it likely to be the same as found on the HTC 7 Trophy (also a 5 megapixel sensor). The front has a VGA forward-facing camera so you will be able to make video calling when Skype makes its inevitable arrival on the Windows Phone platform.

Burst mode does what is says, lets you take five pictures in quick succession so you can capture a moment as it happens. Panorama automatically stitches three shots together, producing a super-wide image. Images on screen looked okay, although not perfect, but this could have been done to poor light, pre-release software.

The screen measures 3.8 inches on the diagonal, which is a large display by any measure, but is absolutely dwarfed by the vast HTC Titan. Still, we were impressed by the brightness of the HTC Radar's screen, and icons and text looked very crisp.

On the inside, the HTC Radar is powered by a second-generation Snapdragon processor, clocked at 1GHz. That's not as speedy as some other smart phones, but we didn't notice the Radar performing slowly at all. Our hands-on time was brief, so we'll need more time before we can say for sure, but this felt like a perfectly capable little phone.

There's 8GB of on-board storage, which will probably be enough for your music collection, as long as it's not too massive.

The HTC Radar will ship running Windows Phone Mango, the very latest version of Microsoft's mobile operating system. It packs some fairly crucial additions, most notably multi-tasking -- the ability to keep apps running in the background and switch between them.You can also now sort your contacts into groups, and pin that group to the Windows homescreen. The little widget will then keep track of tweets, texts and Facebook updates from the people in that group. Handy if you want to keep track of a small circle of people, for instance your family, or your absolutely bestest best buddies.

HTC has added some goodies too -- there's a hub mode with attractive weather effects (and the signature HTC clock), something called Connected Media that will output your photos and movies to your telly via a DLNA connection, and HTC Watch, which is HTC's movie service. We're informed that logins for the Android version of HTC Watch will work fine.

There's also a dock mode, for when you're using the HTC Radar as an alarm clock, or for when it's just sat on your desk. Dock mode displays on-screen information in an appealing widget-style display, which looks rather reminiscent of the default Android background on an HTC phone.

Conclusion:We didn't find anything particularly striking about the HTC Radar, either good or bad. We suspect its success will depend on whether Windows Phone Mango can improve the number of apps it offers to compete with its iPhone and Android rivals. If the operating system itself starts to look tempting, the HTC Radar feels like a decent little mobile, which hopefully won't cost you the Earth.


HTC Rezound Preview

After long interval HTC announced its upcoming cell phone names HTC Rezound (Vigor). It works on both network 2G (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) and 3G (HSDPA). Phone runs with Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread) and 1.5 GHz dual-core processor which is makes phone to runs smoothly. It also has huge store, it is capable to support 32GB microSd memory card which allows storing unlimited call records, huge amount of Songs, Videos, Images and other data.

OS of any phone plays an important role when we talk about the apps which a phone is going to have. OS of all the phones nowadays is Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) and it seems that every smart phone will have this Android v2.3. Same is HTC Rezound, it is powered by Android v2.3 which indeed is a powerful OS.

Phone will come with large display of (720 x 1280 pixels) 4.3 inches  touch screen with 16M colors, Multi-touch input method, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Gyro sensor, HTC Sense v3.5 UI.

Processor’s main function is to power the phone by its clock speed and the more the clock speed of a phone is the more power it’s going to hold and hence will work faster. Processor of HTC Rezound is a super powerful processor, the most powerful I have ever reviewed. HTC Rezound is powered with a super solid 1.5GHz dual core processor. This is just too much for a small phone.

Cameras are the need of today’s youth and the phones are providing them up with cameras. Cameras which not only click photos but also shoot HD quality videos. Camera of HTC Rezound is a super powerful camera of 8MP resolution and to create more impression they have studded features like autofocus and dual-LED flash. You can also shoot videos with this super amazing phone and that too of full HD quality i.e. 1080p and that too with the speed of 30fps.

Storage capacity is something which gets overlooked by everyone who is using a smartphone but they regret when they run out of it and feel really upset because they get unable to store the data which is costless, like photos of family. Storage capacity of nowadays smartphones is huge some phones even have the storage capacity of 64GB! HTC Rezound is having the huge space of 32GB expandable which is quite large for general use.HTC Rezound: Connectivity

It has almost all type of connectivity features such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, microUSB v2.0. It also integrated with many social networking apps such are YouTube, Google Talk, Picasa, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter etc.

HTC Rezound is having lots of creative features such are Digital compass, MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA player,  XviD/MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player,  Document viewer, Loudspeaker, 3.5mm Jack, Stereo FM radio with RDS, Games, SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM, HTML Web Browser, GPS, Supports Java apps via Java MIDP emulator, Voice memo/dial/commands, Predictive text input (T9 Trace) etc.


HTC Rhyme Review

The HTC Rhyme was announced and it looks like a great mid-range phone for fashion-conscious users.

The Rhyme doesn't feel small, per se; it's just not as gargantuan as all the 4-, 4.3- and 4.5-inch handsets we've been manhandling lately. It does feel positively featherweight, though because there's really not much to this device. HTC's playing up the minimalist design but, as is the case with so many gadgets aimed at women, it skimps in the ports department. You've got a 3.5mm headphone jack, lock button, volume rocker, USB port and... that's it.

In terms of build quality, this feels like a typical HTC product. Which is to say, it feels solid, well made -- not unlike the Incredible 2, cut down to size. Though Verizon's version bears that plum hue you'll see repeated throughout the photo gallery, the one headed to Europe and Asia will come in a more gender-neutral silver (and be dubbed "Hourglass"). Either way, that tri-tone design on the back is quintessential HTC.

The device comes with 4GB of internal storage on board, which isn't too shabby, along with an 8GB microSD card that you'll unfortunately have to access by sliding off the battery cover.

The phone packs a single-core 1GHz Qualcomm processor. And yes, we realize that might be a turn-off for you, our readers. For what it is, the performance was brisk and precise as we swiped the display and pinched it to get an aerial view of all seven home screens.

Speaking of those home screens, this runs HTC's Sense UI on top of Gingerbread, though what you might not have anticipated is that this is the next generation of the software. We have to say, we're digging the redesigned clock widget. HTC says it's more modern, but we just got the immediate impression that it's less obtrusive. You'll also find the home screens peppered with customizable icons with preview panes that update with new photos and the like. Also new to this version: the ability to control music from the home screen and a "paper-like" quality to the icons (whatever that means).

We also got a chance to play with the Charm Indicator, an oddball of an accessory that plugs into the headphone jack and flashes when you have a call. The idea is that you'll be able to find your ringing handset if it's buried in your purse bag. The cable's roughly two and a half feet long, topped off with that flashing geometric bit -- a design that makes it look not unlike an antennae. The catch, of course, is that you can't have headphones plugged in, which stinks for anyone who uses her phone as a music player. One interesting tidbit: we're told that the light will keep flashing for five minutes, even after the phone stops ringing. Assuming your friends get impatient, then, and only wait a few rings, this is more of a clumsy, secondary notification light than anything else.

Overall, when considering the accessories included, the HTC Rhyme is a great smartphone for just about everyone who doesn’t mind having a more wildly colored smartphone.


HTC Runnymede in Malaysia Price, Specs & Review

HTC Runnymede Malaysia Review: Smart Phone with Beats Audio

HTC Runnymede is one of the good looking cell phone by HTC Company. It has very attractive body having dimension of 132.5 x 70.7 x 9.9 mm. Device runs with Android v2.3 Gingerbread Operating System along with 1.5 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset CPU and 768 MB RAM memory. It also has pretty impressive battery power with Li-Ion 1600 MAH standard battery.

The device comes with large 4.7 inches of S-LCD capacitive touchscreen which is having 16M colors and 480 x 800 pixels resolution. It also has other display features like HTC Sense UI 3.5, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Multi-touch input method, Gyroscope sensor and Touch-sensitive controls makes easy to handle screen.

HTC Runnymede is inbuilt with 8 Mega Pixel camera which can captures crystal clear photos and HD quality videos (720p). 8 MP camera reliefs users carrying camera while outing. Camera has 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash and Geo-tagging features which makes image and videos quality more better. It is also inbuilt with 1.3 MP camera at front side for video calling.

The sound quality of Runnymede is quite good it has sound features like Beats Audio and Beats headset it makes the better sound while listening music. It is also capable to play many formats of media players like MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV and MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player. It is also inbuilt with Stereo FM radio with RDS, Loudspeaker and 3.5 mm Jack.

It internal space is much enough to store songs, images, videos, movies and other data with 16/32 GB storage, and there is no option to increase external memory so users have satisfy with the memory given in the phone.

It has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, microUSB v2.0 to share and receive data with other device or on web. In 3G it can access up to 14.4 Mbps internet speed while surfing web. It is also inbuilt with many social apps like Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Facebook and Twitter to connect with world.HTC Runnymede Malaysia Release Date & Price:

HTC Runnymede will be available from late September 2011 but the price is yet to be annouce.

Features and specifications are subject to change without prior notification.