Laptop Thoughts: News & Reviews on Laptops, Netbooks, Slates, and More.

Be sure to register in our forums and post your comments - we want to hear from you!


Android Thoughts

Loading feed...

Windows Phone Thoughts

Loading feed...

Digital Home Thoughts

Loading feed...





All posts tagged "htc"


Friday, December 23, 2011

Slipping into the LTE Jetstream -- a review of Rogers' HTC Jetstream

Posted by Don Tolson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 08:30 AM

Product Category: Tablet
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to Buy: Rogers or AT&T
Price: USD $499 w/3 year contract, $799 w/o contract from Rogers; $599 with w/2 year contract, $749 w/o contract from AT&T
System Requirements: Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) with HTC Sense
Specifications: 256mm (10.1in diagonal) LCD tablet with 1.5GHz, dual core CPU; 1G RAM; Quad band GPRS, Tri-band HPSA + LTE; 32G internal memory (28G available) + microSD card slot (32G maximum); 250mm (9.87in) x 178mm (7in) x 13mm (0.5in); 750g (26.5oz). Full specifications can be found here.

Pros:

  • First LTE-capable tablet available in Canada;
  • Very comfortable size and weight;

Cons:

  • Pricey compared to other tablet offerings available;
  • Yet another non-standard charging/sync port.

Summary: In October 2011, with much fanfare, Rogers announced the availability of the HTC Jetstream (aka the HTC P715a) -- Canada's first LTE-capable tablet. Even though the LTE network is limited to three cities in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) we were able to get one of the preview units and play with it for a week in Victoria and Vancouver! So, does an LTE-equipped tablet run circles around mere 3G/H models? The results were surprising. Read more...


Thursday, December 15, 2011

HTC Flyer Gets Android Honeycomb (3.2) Update

Posted by Michael Knutson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 08:00 PM

http://www.netbooknews.com/41485/ht...b-review-video/

"Great news if you’re an HTC Flyer user: the Taiwanese smartphone giant has released the Android 3.2 update for its 7-inch tablet. The update weighs in at 210MB and bumps the version of Android from 2.3 Gingerbread up to the proper 3.2 Honeycomb for tablets."

This has been long-awaited, but it's finally here! The Flyer has been a good performer with Android Gingerbread, and should be quite impressive with a true tablet OS. Aside from the enhanced dedicated stylus button, the other buttons become inactive. It'll be interesting to see if the 7-inch form factor catches on after the success of the Kindle Fire.


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

HTC Flyer 3G Gets Honeycomb Update

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/...c-flyer-owners/

"HTC just confirmed over on Facebook that the GSM 3G version of the Flyer gets the Honeycomb update today, the update for WiFi-only users is "coming soon.""

It's great to see HTC doing the right thing here! Anyone with the HTC Flyer should be pretty happy about this. As far as I know Samsung still has not released an update for the original Galaxy Tab to bring it up to Honeycomb. Have any of you updated your Flyer to Honeycomb? If so, how's it working for you?


Monday, October 17, 2011

HTC Jetstream LTE Tablet coming to Canada on Rogers

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:00 AM

"Available tomorrow to Rogers customers, the HTC Jetstream is the first HTC tablet running on the Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) operating system. Beyond blazing speeds, it also boasts a striking design, HTC Scribe™ digital ink technology and the latest in HTC Sense innovation - HTC's unique user experience that puts people at the centre."

HTC and Rogers have officially announced the HTC Jetstream. This nicely loaded Honeycomb tablet will be available in Canada starting tomorrow for $500 on "select three year plans". As far as hardware goes, it has a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, 10.1" 1280x800 Super LCD screen, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage and a MicroSDHC card slot. It supports Rogers gsm, HSPA, and LTE. One thing that I really like about it is the fact that it has a 7300mAH battery! That should give some descent battery life. One thing I'm not sure I like is the fact that it has some form of Sense on it and it only has Honeycomb 3.1, not the latest 3.2. While it supports the HTC Scribe stylus it will cost you an extra $80. Follow the "Read more" link to see the full press release.

The Jetstream looks like a very nice Android tablet. I would want to play with the interface a little before picking one up but I like the hardware HTC put in it! What are your thoughts on the HTC Jetstream? Will this be your next Android device?

Read more...


Monday, September 26, 2011

I'm Selling These Web Sites, Moving to the USA, and I Got a Job Working for HTC. Any Questions?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Thoughts Media Status Updates" @ 08:00 AM

I've been writing and re-writing this post in my head over the past couple of months, and that headline was the best I could come up with. It's not easy to encapsulate one of the most significant changes in my life in a single sentence. Now let's unpack that bombshell I've just dropped...

The HTC Job

I've been working with HTC, the mobile phone and tablet maker, since August 1st of this year. Being a long-time fan of Microsoft's efforts in the mobile space - and largely tying my career to those efforts, for better or worse - I've watched HTC grow from being a nameless, brandless, tiny Taiwanese ODM making Palm-sized PCs/Pocket PCs to the mobile powerhouse they are today. I've always had tremendous admiration for HTC as a company and loved their products, so when someone I knew from Microsoft got a job with HTC in late 2010, I reached out and we started talking. The rest, as they say, is history. I believe HTC is uniquely positioned to do some amazing things in the mobile space over the next few years and I'm excited to be a part of it!

Thoughts Media is currently a vendor for HTC USA, and come October 1st, I'll be a full-time employee. I have an H1B work visa, and after closing the sale of my house this weekend (phew!), I'll be moving in the near future to the Bellevue, Washington area with my wife, our two year old son and our dog, and starting my new career. To add a little extra stress into my life, we're also building a new house and will be in temporary lodging until it's finished. Oh, did I mention this is the first corporate job I've held in 13 years? This is the single biggest career transition I've ever gone through. Read more...


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

AT&T Offers Tablet Goodness at Jetstream Speeds

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?p...neral|community

"Exclusive to AT&T customers, HTC Jetstream is the company’s first 4G LTE/HSPA+ tablet. It runs the Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) operating system and represents the first iteration of the HTC Sense™ user experience on Honeycomb. HTC Jetstream boasts a large 10.1” WXGA high-resolution display for an immersive entertainment experience, third-generation Snapdragon 1.5 GHz dual core processor for fast multi-tasking and instant screen refresh."

In the US and Canada, vendor lock-in used to be quite common, and is still prevalent in many ways. Do people remember when the iPhone was restricted to just AT&T? Well, the HTC Jetstream is the latest in AT&T exclusives, though I suspect it will not have quite a draw as the coveted iPhone. Still, showcasing an LTE network is pretty enough as it is. I wonder if there is much use for it yet, through a tablet. When I think tablet, the highspeed demands I think of are things like streaming videos or watching a large slideshow of pictures from my friend who recently went on vacation that he just had to share with me because it truly was a wonderful trip that everyone should know about. Short of HD streams, which would blow one's wireless data cap in short order, what is the use again?


Friday, August 26, 2011

HTC Puccini Coming To AT&T With LTE

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 02:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/24/...port-confirmed/

"Have a gander. Take as long as you need. That, friends, is the AT&T-bound HTC Puccini, and it'll be the first tablet to hit Ma Bell with inbuilt LTE support. According to our sources, the Android-based slate is currently in testing, and should be hitting the markets in the not-too-distant future."

Can you imagine if we were all still stuck with GPRS speeds? As good a start as it was, the increase in speeds for our mobile wireless activities has payed a really large role in our adoption of smartphones and what they are capable of. Of course, we now see speeds where we can stream HD movies, share pictures in the blink of an eye and exceed our data caps in mere hours. The only complaint that I have with tablets and netbooks having built in LTE or wireless data connections for that matter is that they usually tend to be tied to specific carriers. Yes, each carrier uses different technologies or frequencies, but if an expensive device like a modern tablet is going to have wireless connectivity, why not make it compatible with more carriers so that if one does not fit your liking, you can always change?


Friday, August 19, 2011

HTC Puccini, er, Jetstream, er, Skyrocket Tablet in the Pipeline

Posted by Michael Knutson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 08:30 AM

http://www.netbooknews.com/33114/pu...+(Netbook+News)

"The HTC Puccini tablet now has an official name attached to it – the HTC Jetstream, as discovered in a new screenshot of the settings menu showing the name of the tablet, and another screenshot showing the AT&T logo confirming the carrier (once again). That name is expected to be unique to AT&T where it’ll clearly launch with 4G LTE given all we’ve seen in the past. It’s expected to have a different name internationally, which is not known yet but one possible candidate is the “HTC Skyrocket”."

Here's some speculation about an AT&T 4G LTE tablet arriving in North America on or about September 1, 2011. Configured with a 10.1-inch 1280x800 screen, optional Pen Scribe input, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (1.2 GHz or 1.5GHz), an 8MP rear-facing camera, and, of course, the 4G LTE radio, it appears to be similar to many other tablets out there. No details on price were posted. Why do carriers feel that they have to rename (almost) every product? Wouldn't Puccini work here? Just wondering.


Monday, May 30, 2011

HTC Puccini 10.1" Honeycomb Tablet Coming Soon

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:30 AM

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110525PD220.html

"HTC has entered the final stages of testing for its 10.1-inch Puccini tablet PCs, with volume production slated for June 2011."

Mass production of the HTC Puccini tablet is scheduled to start in June. This will be an interesting device for a few reasons. First, the hardware. It is the first tablet I'm aware of with a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor (I'm pretty sure that's dual-core). It also has a resistive/capacitive screen so it can use touch people are now used to on these devices as well as an old-school stylus. This makes a lot of sense for data entry, note taking, or editing on a tablet device. It will be interesting to see how practical or needed a stylus really is these days. Second, the software. It apparently will ship with Android 3.0.1 which I'm hoping is a typo and it will have 3.1 instead. Either way, as you can tell from the screen shot above HTC has built a new UI for Honeycomb devices. A lot of people seem to like Sense on their phone. I really wish OEM's would stop changing the stock interface and just let you download a different launcher if you want instead. Have you been waiting for the Puccini? What do you most like, or not like, about it?


Thursday, May 19, 2011

HTC Takes a Flyer With Their New Tablet

Posted by Kevin Jackson in "Android Slates/Tablets & Accessories" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/16/...c-flyer-review/

"Yes, we're talking about the 7-inch Flyer, the most unique of this year's Android tablet offerings, opting for a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a sturdy aluminum construction that doesn't even try to compete in the race for extreme thinness, and a Magic Pen to make you forget it's running Gingerbread and not Honeycomb (yet). Also set for release under the EVO View 4G moniker on Sprint in the US, this tablet is the sum of a set of bold choices on the part of HTC."

HTC has really made a name for themselves in the Android marketplace, coming up with some innovative designs and features and their Flyer tablet is no exception. Check out this review to see if it's the right tablet for you. As far as I'm concerned, this one is right up there on my wish list.


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Another Tablet on the way from HTC...Meet the Puccini

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.slashgear.com/htc-puccini-tablet-detailed-honeycomb-1-5ghz-dual-core-and-lte-17152391/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: slashgear (SlashGear)

"Details on what could well be HTC’s second Android tablet of 2011 have leaked, codenamed the HTC Puccini, and expected to be the company’s first Android 3.0 Honeycomb slate complete with AT&T LTE 4G support."

One thing that sets this tablet apart from the others is that instead of a Tegra 2 HTC chose to use a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. That CPU uses an Adreno 220 GPU which should be very fast. With that high clock speed and good GPU it will be interesting to see if this is a Tegra 2 killer. It will also have AT&T 4G LTE support built in. One plus or minis depending on whether or not you like the HTC Sense interface is that HTC has it on the Puccini. Personally, I would much rather have the original Honeycomb interface but I shouldn't knock it until I try it. Make sure to hit the "Read" link below for the rest of the details. What do you think of the HTC Puccini? Does it seem to be a tablet that you would consider?


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Engadget Reviews the HTC Flyer: 12 Hours of Battery Life? Yowzers!

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 06:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/16/...c-flyer-review/

"Over the past couple of years, HTC has rapidly built up an enviable reputation (and bank balance) in the smartphone space with a succession of feature-rich, smartly designed, and innovative handsets...Today, the company's Android assembly line is turning out yet another groundbreaking device, though this one's closer in size to the Athena than the Aria. Yes, we're talking about the 7-inch Flyer, the most unique of this year's Android tablet offerings, opting for a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a sturdy aluminum construction that doesn't even try to compete in the race for extreme thinness, and a Magic Pen to make you forget it's running Gingerbread and not Honeycomb (yet)."

I have a soft spot in my heart for HTC products - I've watched this scrappy company grow from being a fairy small ODM making Pocket PCs for the likes of HP to being a powerful phone brand making phones for practically every carrier in the world. It was with great interest that I read this review of the HTC Flyer, because I've been wondering how this latest foray into the bigger-than-a-phone world would go for them this time. This isn't their first time at the plate - remember the HTC Advantage? Or the HTC Shift? Both were products that had a gem of awesomeness at their core but were ultimately limited by the hardware at the time.

So did the Flyer do any better? Yes and no. I was relieved - and quite impressed - that the battery life of the Flyer was tested at being 12 hours. There were rumours for the past couple of months that they battery life on the Flyer was a meagre four hours...I read it time and time again in forum comments, Tweets, etc. Why HTC didn't step up and correct this fallacy is beyond me - I was initially quite interested in the Flyer because I'm a fan of the 7 inch tablet form factor, but when I read about the four hour battery life I immediately axed this from my list of potential non-iPad 2 options.

It looks like the HTC is a strong contender in a field of competition - can it stand out, and can HTC slim it down in the next generation?


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

10 Inch HTC "Puccini" Tablet on the Way?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 10:00 AM

http://pocketnow.com/android/htc-pu...-tablet-for-att

That itty-bitty picture above is supposedly an image of the forthcoming 10 inch HTC tablet, code-named "Puccini". The rumour is that this tablet will be one of the first to work on AT&T's forthcoming LTE network, making it a true 4G device. Nothing is known of the specs, though one can safely assume it's based on Android Honeycomb 3.x and will very likely feature the same HTC Sense interface we saw on the Flyer. My hope? That it gets into the 10 hour battery life range that has become the norm for tablets of this size - the four hour battery life of the HTC Flyer kept me from even considering that tablet.


Thursday, March 31, 2011

The HTC Flyer Detailed in Video

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 11:10 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzn9LkvKM8E

"Introducing the HTC Flyer -- the big screen that's small enough to hold in your hand. The premium unibody construction looks great and feels solid in your hand, while still keeping the weight to less than a paperback book. Plus, it does most things your PC can -- and more!"

Although I feel a bit leery about HTC's new non-Honeycomb tablet from a will-they-upgrade-the-software perspective, there's a lot to like about this tablet. I've always been fond of the HTC Sense UI, and this tablet at 7" seems to hit a sweet spot for portability and productivity. Best Buy will be selling the WiFi only version via Best Buy in the spring, but no firm details on pricing just yet. This one has my attention though!


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

HTC Takes a Flyer On Tablets

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 03:00 PM

http://www.netbooknews.com/22518/ht...ailed-hands-on/

"The HTC Flyer picks up on HTC’s now-familiar unibody design. The 7-inch 1024 x 600 screen offers up HTC Sense, now customised for use on a tablet. Than means it works in landscape much more naturally making much better use of the screen space on offer. The HTC Flyer is very much a HTC Sense tablet meaning it won’t be launching on Honeycomb."

Hooray for tablets! By the end of the year, everyone is going to be selling their own kind of tablet. HTC, though, has its own plans and the Flyer looks to be a good option when it becomes available. The video makes it look fairly fluid and fast though the stylus, at least for me, is a welcome addition. Touch has revolutionized mobile computing, but it just feels a bit inaccurate to me. For many things, it does not make a difference, but I can see myself whipping out the tablet to do some notes once in a while. Does the HTC Flyer perk your interest, or do you only have eyes for the iPad2?


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The HTC Flyer Caught on Video

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 05:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/15/...z-7-inch-flyer/

Lots of videos about the new HTC Flyer are popping up, so here are a few to satisfy your curiosity...


HTC Flyer: The Andriod Tablet I've Been Waiting For?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 04:07 PM

http://www.htc.com/www/press_produc...o.aspx?p_id=395

"BARCELONA, SPAIN - Mobile World Congress - February 15, 2011 - HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced its first tablet, the HTC FlyerTM. HTC Flyer blends HTC's trademark design language with an all-new HTC Sense user experience that has been reimagined for the tablets. Using an intuitive and innovative approach to tablets, HTC Flyer combines natural touch and pen interaction. HTC also announced HTC Watch, a new connected video service that will debut on HTC Flyer tablet, and will collaborate with OnLive, Inc. to launch the first cloud-based mobile gaming service on a tablet."

I've been watching the Android tablet market carefully, looking at every new tablet coming out, and have been pretty underwhelmed by many of them. Some of them, like the Motorola Xoom, have impressive hardware - yet the software leaves much to be desired. I'm not an expert on Android so it's hard for me to say what's stock Android and what's not, but much of what I've seen is summed up by the word "Meh". It just doesn't seem to have much style.

The HTC Flyer, however, has caught my attention in a big way: as an HD2 owner (the phone is now retired) I'm very familiar with HTC Sense and the overall design language and functionality of their software has impressed me for the most part. Sure, some of it is silly fluff that does nothing but use CPU cycles and battery life, but I for one like a good UI as long as it doesn't feel slow. With a 1.5 Ghz single-core CPU, the HTC Flyer should be anything but slow. The 7 inch capacitive screen offers a 1024 x 600 resolution, and is pressure sensitive, which allows HTC to bring something interesting to the table that I haven't seen elsewhere yet on an Android tablet: a stylus. Engadget has more details on that, but suffice it to say that I think it brings a unique advantage to the table. It also synchronizes with Evernote right out of the box, which is killer if you're an Evernote user.

Rounding out the hardware spec is HSPA+ wireless (I have to assume WiFi is in there as well), 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage (with expansion via microSD), a 5 megapixel rear camera, and a 1.3 megapixel front camera. It's said to weigh "as little as a paperback book", and the 4000 mAH battery will allow for up to four hours of video playback. Four hours doesn't sound very impressive to me - Engadget says the Samsung Galaxy Tab does just over six hours of video playback with the same sized 4000 mAH battery.

No word on pricing, but it will be available globally in Q2 2011 - I suspect that means there won't be a WiFi-only version initially, and it will be sold via carrier partners with data contracts. What that probably means is that it won't be able to compete with the WiFi only $499 iPad - which is a real lost opportunity in my opinion.

Oh, did I mention it can't make calls either? For some that may be a deal-breaker, though I personally don't think it would matter to me - that's what I have a cell phone for, and it's not like I'd leave the house with my HTC Flyer and not my cell phone. Frankly, I think a bigger problem is where do you put that stylus when you're not using it? It looks too big to be stored inside the device - and if it's not kept inside the device, it's something that might get lost easily.

The remainder of the press release, along with more images, after the break. Read more...


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Could The Scribe Be A Tablet?

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 03:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/...ld-be-a-tablet/

"It's an open secret at this point that HTC is almost certainly working on one or more tablets for introduction in 2011 -- and with heavyweights like Samsung, Motorola, and LG all playing the game (or about to play the game), really, how could they not?"

The USPTO (along with the FCC) seems to be a wonderful source for technological speculation. Whenever a company submits a documents, it usually it not long before enthusiasts unearth any details hidden in the filing. This time, HTC is the target and the prize is a tablet, possibly running on Android. HTC has a strong heritage in smartphones and is also no stranger to tablets and tablet like devices. With Samsung showing that Apple is not the only company capable of making a successful tablet, HTC might be able to produce yet another happy story for Android fans. Of course, while it might be Android based, I suspect that HTC's Sense UI may play a role.


Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Sponsored links