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Bleeding Edge TV 576: HTC One A9 review

This is the HTC One A9 - this isn’t an iPhone. But, if you wish you could get an Android device in the shape of an iPhone, well, here you go. HTC says  that it sold aluminum unibody devices before Apple did, and they’re right. Ever since the One M7 at the start of 2013, HTC has been promoting its signature aluminum unibody design, characterized by a particular mix of subtle curves and precise straight lines.  But hey, the camera, camera flash, and even corner radius on the A9 device matches the iPhone 6 and 6s, and those antenna bands look awfully familiar as well.

If you read the One A9’s spec sheet, you’d probably think of it as a mid-range phone with nothing special about it. But that’s why spec sheets should be ignored for the most part. Using the One A9 shows what happens when a phone makes the most of its components, resulting in a device that compares favorably with most other companies' flagship smartphones.

The HTC One A9 is a good phone. However, the price is the issue. $500. Decent battery life, above average performance, decent software options, decent camera. This is a mid-range phone with mid-range specs with an expensive price tag. It doesn’t compete in a market where you can drop $500 on a Nexus 6P flagship, Galaxy S6, or the iPhone 6.

When the A9 launched at $399 In the United States, that was the time to pick one up, despite the insane backorder. The metal unibody frame is nicer than what you will find on the Nexus 5X.. But after a week, the price increased to $499, and that 25% jump in price means that the One A9’s value diminishes greatly. Now you compare it to the Nexus 6P, which many consider to be the best Android smartphone to date. No way HTC is winning that contest, even if simply for the fact that the Nexus device  includes long-term assurance that you will get Android updates faster and for a longer period of time.

You can pick up HTC One A9 now.

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Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 576: HTC One A9 review


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HTC One (M8) review: The best Android phone gets even better

HTC One M8 review

Last year, HTC impressed us with the release of the original HTC One, a phone that featured what we believed to be the best build quality of any Android smartphone. This year, the HTC One (M8) takes its place as the flagship handset from HTC.

On the surface, the HTC One (M8) improves upon the original in a multitude of ways. Faster internals. Dual-lens UltraPixel camera. Larger display. Improved industrial design. The question is, though, does the final product add up to being another that can stand above the crowded Android line-up? We've put the device through its paces, and we are here to answer all of those questions here in our full HTC One (M8) review.

Click to continue reading HTC One (M8) review: The best Android phone gets even better


Bleeding Edge TV 507: HTC One (M8) vs. HTC One (M7)

In this episode I give you a comparison review of the HTC One (M8) vs. the original HTC One. Last year, I named the HTC One as my favorite Android smartphone, and this year the HTC One M8 has a great chance at claiming the title again. We've received a bunch of questions from readers asking about the differences between the two devices, and if it is worth upgrading from the 2013 model to the new HTC One M8.

I go through each major change and upgrade (and, in one case, a downgrade) to give you a thorough look at what's new and what's changed!

Pick up your own HTC One M8:

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Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 507: HTC One (M8) vs. HTC One (M7)


Glamour Red HTC One (M8) heading to Verizon

Red Verizon HTC One M8

For all you Verizon customers waiting on the Glamour Red HTC One (M8) to arrive, it looks like your wait won't be that much longer. The folks over at @evleaks got their hands on a render of the red HTC flagship device, which means that it's likely primed for release, sporting the same 5-inch, 1080p, KitKat goodness that the other three hues (Gunmetal gray, Arctic silver, and Rose gold) are packing.

So specific date has been announced just yet, but it's looking mighty fine, no? As soon as an announcement is made on availability, we'll let you know--or, you can check Verizon's HTC One (M8) page for yourself. In the meantime, check out our HTC One (M8) unboxing video after the jump.

Click to continue reading Glamour Red HTC One (M8) heading to Verizon


HTC One (M8) teardown shows repair difficulty

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds,

HTC One M8 teardown

HTC announced the new HTC One M8 last week, and we've got one in that we're putting through it's paces (stay tuned for our full HTC One (M8) review!) iFixit was also able to get one of the new smartphones, and it performed the now-expected teardown, revealing the build quality and all the innards. The result? The HTC One (M8) build quality is solid, but repairability is very difficult. The battery is buried beneath the motherboard and is adhered to the enclosure, and the display can't be removed without taking apart the entire phone. This is likely why HTC includes free cracked screen repair for the first six months of HTC One (M8) ownership, where the company will take care of the issue absolutely free, regardless of the reason for the damage. Head on over to iFixit to see the full teardown.

Read More | iFixit

HTC One (M8): Quad-core, 1080p, KitKat, available today for $199

HTC One M8 gunmetal

This morning, HTC officially announced the HTC One (M8) during a New York City press conference. It's the new flagship device from the company, replacing last year's original HTC One smartphone, which we thought was the best Android phone of the year (you can see our original HTC One review here.) HTC did what it could to make the device better in every way, including a unique camera system. With that said, there's a lot to go over, so let's get to it.

Click to continue reading HTC One (M8): Quad-core, 1080p, KitKat, available today for $199


Unboxing Live 126: HTC One Mini

We open up the HTC One Mini in this episode - the smaller version of one of our favorite Android devices, the HTC One. I give you a look at the differences between the HTC One and the One Mini, including its smaller 4.3-inch 720p display, dual-core SnapDragon 400 processor, and build quality.

You can pick up the HTC One Mini for a penny on Amazon.

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AT&T HTC One Mini available August 23rd for $99

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,

HTC One Mini

The HTC One Mini has finally been given a release date, and you can get your hands on the 4.3-inch version of what we deemed the best current-generation Android smartphone in just four days on August 23rd. The HTC One Mini boasts a 720p display, 1.4GHz dual-core SnapDragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera, 1,800mAh battery, and runs Android 4.2 out of the box. You'll have to be an AT&T customer for the priviledge, and you'll need to be willing to drop $99 and sign a two-year contract to make it all happen.


Unboxing Live 119: HTC First & Facebook Home

In this episode we open up the HTC First smartphone, the first phone to ship with Facebook Home as the default launcher. Facebook Home turns your phone into a device that is hyper connected to Facebook, including lock screen slideshows of recent updates from your friends, and direct access to Facebook and Facebook Messenger from the lock screen as well. The HTC First reminds us of a flatter iPhone 3GS, or to be more current, looks a lot like the leaks of the upcoming budget-friendly iPhone. It originally debuted at $99 with 2-year contract, but now sells for $0.99 instead after lukewarm reception.

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HTC One to debut on Verizon later this summer

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds,

HTC One Verizon

This morning, Verizon announced that it will begin carrying the HTC One later this summer. This news means that, soon, the HTC One will be available on all four major carriers here in the US, matching other major phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5. Verizon has not announced any specific date or pricing (although we'd have to think it would be $199 with two-year contract,) nor any potential hardware differences, but that information will likely come sooner rather than later.

Be sure to check out our HTC One video review for more on this fantastic smartphone.

Read More | Verizon Twitter

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