HTC, the makers of the One X, still the best Android smartphone around, have just revealed the complete schedule for the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates for their devices. The roadmap shows the HTC smartphones that are capable of handling the latest version of Android, with most devices set to receive it towards the end of the upcoming summer season.

The update to Ice Cream Sandwich is hotly anticipated by Android fans across the globe, bringing new features to their smartphones including a revamped user-interface, home screen folders and favorites tray, new lock screen actions, improved text input and spell-checking, a unified calendar, improved camera capabilities, and much more.

We’ve already seen Ice Cream Sandwich running on HTC’s latest devices, like the One X, One S and One V, which gave us the impression that HTC is gearing up for its big comeback, after some months of struggle in the past year.

Here’s the full, updated table, directly from the official HTC blog:

HTC has already started rolling out the ICS update to devices like the HTC Amaze 4G, HTC EVO 4G+, HTC Sensation, HTC Vivid and more. But devices like the Desire S, EVO 3D, and many others will only receive Android 4.0 starting this June up to August. Also, most devices here were announced in the past year or so, except the Thunderbolt and Incredible 2. All these devices meet the minimum system requirements for the latest Android version – 256 MB RAM and a decent GPU for hardware-accelerated 2D drawing.

Although the listed schedule from HTC  doesn’t offer any exact rollout dates for the much-craved Ice Cream Sandwich updates, it’s still good to see precisely which devices will get the coveted ticket to the ICS club.

NEXT: HTC Says first ICS Updates will take place in March, Also Adds More Devices to First Round of Updates

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Looks like HTC has done a pretty good job of dealing with the import bans of the HTC EVO 4G LTE and HTC One X, a major annoyance that has delayed the shipments of the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint customers.

After HTC announced  that the problem has been partially resolved, it didn’t take long for Sprint to update its website and inform customers who have pre-ordered the HTC EVO 4G LTE that the kickstand-equipped phone will arrive on their doorsteps on or around May 24.

The carrier stopped short of announcing a new date for the nationwide availability of the EVO 4G LTE in retail stores, but we wouldn’t be too surprised to see more announcements coming from Sprint later this week about the full launch. It appears that, for now, Sprint only has enough supplies to fill the pre-orders quota.

If you had a change of heart over the last couple of days about buying the delayed EVO, you won’t be able to cancel your pre-order anymore with a full refund. You can still, however, go through the standard return routes. But surely the HTC EVO 4G LTE is worth waiting for another couple of days?

Once again, kudos to HTC and Sprint for getting things back to order in less than a week. As for those who will be receiving their HTC EVO 4G LTE soon in all of its “4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 16GB internal storage, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, micro SD card slot, and kickstand” glory —  happy playing with your shiny new toy!

While many Samsung Android-based smartphones and tablets are still (un)fashionably late to the Ice Cream Sandwich party, HTC is doing its best to keep its customers happy and updated. Less than a week after the Sensation 4G has received an Android 4.0 official OTA upgrade, the Amaze 4G is currently enjoying the same refreshing treatment.

T-Mobile’s exclusive device is getting the ICS update right on schedule, as it has been announced for a while, which is yet another reason for HTC and T-Mo customers to be happy with their manufacturer and carrier of choice.

If you haven’t yet received a prompt message to download a tasty software package, you can manually check for the update by accessing the “Settings” menu of your phone, and the subsequent “About Phone”, “HTC Software Updates” and “Check” options. If this doesn’t work either, you might want to reboot your device for a couple of times or check for a better Internet connection.

Before downloading and installing the Android 4.0 update, you should make sure that your handset’s battery life is at a 50 percent mark or higher, because the software package is quite hefty and could run your battery down before being fully installed on your device.

While I’m almost positive that you know what to expect from the update in terms of new features and improvements, I’m going to once again publish the shortlist of things to wait for from your “refreshed” phone. You will therefore receive all the following and many more:

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked
• Data usage controls
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life
• Improved text input and spell checking
• Improved menu structure

Have you received the over-the-air update? Was the installation as smooth as HTC and T-Mobile was expecting it to be? Drop us a line in the comments section and let us know!

NEXT: T-Mobile rolls out ICS update for HTC Sensation 4G on May 16, HTC Amaze 4G coming soon

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For many, waiting is the most boring thing to do, and it’s even worse when you don’t even know how long you have to wait for.

Though there’s no official confirmation yet from Sprint, your wait for the HTC EVO 4G LTE might end sooner rather than later. Responding to the US import ban on the company’s two flagship phones, the HTC EVO 4G LTE and HTC One X, HTC was apparently able to speed up the customs’ review process. Note that initially we were told that the review could take up to three weeks.

In a written statement that the company has filed to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, HTC revealed the good news. “Some of our products have passed the review and have been delivered to our telecoms operators’ clients in the US.”

Despite the vagueness of the statement, since it didn’t mention the specific model(s) of the phones that the US customs have finished reviewing, the news will be welcomed by the carriers that are banking on HTC’s latest phones. This brings relief to HTC as well, since a longer delay of its flagship phones could spell trouble for the company’s financial standing.

As for weary potential owners of the EVO 4G LTE, looks like there’s still some good chance that you’ll have your phone before Memorial Day. While Sprint’s support page on the whole import ban debacle hasn’t been updated yet, hopefully we’ll hear more encouraging developments as the day progresses. We’ll keep you posted!

NEXT: HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE delayed, shipments still waiting US Customs review

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Although HTC claims that both the HTC One X and the EVO 4G LTE are now free of the infringing feature, it seems that the US Customs needs a lot of time to decide if that’s truly the case.

The most immediate and visible effect of this incident was the canceled debut of Sprint’s EVO 4G LTE, which left many customers (some of whom have pre-ordered the device) furious. It’s easy to blame Apple for the whole snafu (if you’re an Android fan), but I also wonder what HTC did or could have done to prevent such a high-profile embarrassment. Even Sprint could come under fire for scheduling a device launch before knowing for sure when the device will be available.

Regardless of who’s to blame, it’s increasingly obvious that this indefinite delay will have real consequences for all the players involved. Here’s how I see the winners and the losers of the game.

The winners

• Apple – Although many have interpreted Apple’s legal victory from last December as merely symbolic, it appears now that ITC’s ruling is more than just a bureaucratic measure. Apple actually managed to disrupt (even if it’s just for a few days) two of the iPhone’s bigger competitors. Moreover, this affair will show the other Android OEMs that losing against Cupertino can have dead-serious consequences. I am not sure if the other manufacturers are affected in any way by ITC’s decision, but at least at a symbolic level, Apple has shown its killer instinct. Oh yeah, and the iPhone will probably sell better now.
• Samsung – somewhere in Korea, someone smiled when news broke about the HTC embargo. The One X is the main competitor to Samsung’s freshly unveiled Galaxy S3, and many say that HTC’s device is superior to the much hyped S3. Every little obstacle that the One X (in its various incarnations) faces is a boon for Samsung. Although the Galaxy S3 is not out yet in the United States, even a brief absence will erode the One X’ position in the market. If the delay goes on for another week or two, some potential customers might even switch sides, provided that the Galaxy S3 gets a launch date anytime soon.
• Nokia and Microsoft – the battered Finnish and their Redmond-based buddies certainly won’t mind that the Lumia 900 enjoys some extra days in the spotlight on AT&T. Although some stores still have the One X in stock, most AT&T retail locations don’t have HTC’s device available in numbers. This extends the window of opportunity for the Lumia 900, which has been Ma Bell’s hero device for the last month or so. Sales of Nokia’s flagship are reportedly good, and this misstep from HTC is likely to improve them.

The losers

• Apple – Yes, Apple. This case has highlighted the way Apple wages its legal war against Android, often based on patents for trivial features. In this case, it’s tapping a phone number to get a context menu, but that’s not really important. Most comments on the articles that covered this story revolve on the “Apple sucks for this” theme. And I am not talking just about the Android sites. It seems to me that people are tired of seeing big companies (Motorola, Samsung, and others included) harass each other, especially when it directly affects consumers, like it happened now.
• HTC – obviously, the Taiwanese can’t afford this type of mishap now. We are not talking about the glorious HTC from 2010. Today’s HTC is bleeding money, and the One X is the shot in the arm that was supposed to bring the company back to life. Even if the delay doesn’t go on for too much, I am almost sure that we will see its impact when HTC’s quarterly financial results are announced. Samsung Galaxy S3 is already breaking records, and it didn’t even begin to sell. Another week of uncertainty could cost HTC dearly, and it would be too bad, because the One X really is a beautiful device.
• Sprint – the third largest carrier in the US had passed through some tough times lately, making a big strategic error by betting on the Wimax standard instead of LTE. After admitting defeat and jumping on the LTE bandwagon, Sprint hoped that the HTC EVO 4G LTE would be its ticket to a new era. With the iPhone coming at a blistering price for the company (as CEO Dan Hesse admitted), Android should have been a breath of fresh air for Sprint. The damage is still limited for now, but if the delay continues for another week or so, the repercussions will follow.

Tell me what you think. Who is the biggest winner and who is the biggest loser? Does this delay affect your purchasing decision?

NEXT: Android Developers Challenge 2 winners announced

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Cheer up, Desire C, it looks like you won’t be the only C device in HTC’s growing list of smartphones, despite the manufacturer’s pledge to release fewer devices this year.

A leaked screenshot of the HTC Ville C has been unearthed by the folks at BriefMobile, but not of the phone – just the specs. According to their source, the HTC Ville C will be offered as a more affordable alternative to the HTC One S. Let’s check out what the HTC Ville C supposedly has under its casing.

Starting from the exterior, the HTC Ville C is expected to be another ultra slim phone, but at this point, we can’t tell if it’s going to be as gorgeously thin as the HTC One S. From the picture, it appears the phone will be powered by a dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 S3 processor. But don’t get too excited just yet, because this was apparently a mistype and the actual speed is clocked at 1.2GHz. As for other specs, the HTC Ville C will come with a 4.3-inch qHD AMOLED screen, 16GB internal storage, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera, VGA front camera, and 1,650mAh battery.

Unsurprisingly, the HTC Ville C will get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The surprising part is seeing HTC Sense 4.5 being listed there. If it’s right on the money, we may see HTC rolling out the 4.5 UI overlay to its trio of flagship models before we see the HTC Ville C being released. Except for the S3 processor, the specs we’re seeing of the HTC Ville C now are very similar to HTC One S. Hopefully some pictures of the HTC Ville C will leak in the coming days to see how much resemblance it’ll have to the One S.

Are you digging the specs of the HTC Ville C so far, especially if it’ll be offered cheaper than the HTC One S?

NEXT: HTC Ville to launch on T-Mobile

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If you’re familiar with Carly Foulkes, T-Mobile’s spokeswoman that has appeared in the carrier’s ads since 2010, but you haven’t watched the news lately, you might be in for a real shocker today.

“The cute girl in the pink dress” is now Bad Girl Carly and two recent ads promoting T-Mobile’s HTC One S are set to raise your blood pressure significantly in a matter of seconds. While the One S should have been the star of the new TV commercials, T-Mobile has risked a bit, attracting all male eyes on Carly, who is rocking a leather suit on an even sexier Ducati motorcycle.

We have a smoking hot young woman in a leather suit, a fantastic black-and-pink Ducati, and these ads are part of a campaign promoting a phone? I know, it might sound weird, but if you think about it, it’s quite smart. Both videos have the potential to become viral and to attract very large audiences, which should be the number one target of any advertising campaign. And even though not everyone will remember the ads as promoting T-Mobile and HTC’s One S, at least for some that might stick.

The first of the two ads, called “See It Again” (released a while ago), uses an advertising technique that I for one usually find cheap. T-Mobile’s HTC One S is compared with AT&T’s iPhone 4S, which is uncool from two reasons. First of all, I think that if you have a good enough product that you really trust, you should be able to promote it without attacking your competitors. Secondly and more importantly, I feel that T-Mo is taking a cheap shot at the iPhone 4S, which overall is a much better phone than the HTC One S, but that has some issues with connectivity speeds.

That being said, the actual commercial is not at all bad and you can see that it has cost T-Mobile some dough. I like the idea of the replay, showing exactly how faster is T-Mo’s One S in comparison with AT&T’s iPhone, and I loooove Carly’s cheeky smile and the way she “peaces out” the dude on the blue motorcycle.

The second ad, called “Fast Songs”, is not as controversial as “See It Again”, and only concentrates on a couple of the One S’s strong points, but then again it’s clearly less creative than the first commercial. Sexy Carly is showing off the phone’s Google Play Music capabilities before running off into the night on her snazzy bike.

All in all, this ad might actually do its job better than the first one, even though it won’t be as debated, as it shows off the HTC One S more. There’s also more Carly for us, so what’s there not to like?

What do you guys think of T-Mobile’s new ad campaign? Do you like the commercials? Do you like Carly better as a bad girl than as a cute girl in a pink dress?

NEXT: T-Mobile tries to save sinking ship. Image re-branding on the way [Updated]

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“What in the world did HTC do to Android ICS multitasking?” That was the opening question on an xda-developers thread from last week, which talked about what many users consider a serious software glitch on the One X, HTC’s current flagship device.

According to the thread’s OP, but also to a lot of other One X users, memory management on HTC’s new device is too aggressive, with background apps closing too fast. While great for freeing up memory, this behavior threatens to significantly cripple the user experience of multitasking on Android.

Most of us are used to open a bunch of apps on our Android devices and keep them open, even though we aren’t using them all at the same time, to be able to quickly access some of them later. The One X reportedly doesn’t allow this, closing pretty much any app in stand-by after a short while.

That wouldn’t be very serious if it only happened when memory started to run out, or if you got any sort of warning before an app was “killed”, would it? Well, unfortunately, there isn’t any kind of notification and apps are being shut down as soon as others are opened, making browsing, IM-ing, or listening to music on the One X a real hassle.

The shocker, however, comes straight from HTC. The company has publicly addressed the “issue” and… well, it doesn’t look at it as a problem, glitch, or bug. On the contrary, the company feels that “multitasking is operating normally according to our custom memory management specifications which balance core ICS features with a consistent HTC Sense experience.”

In other words, the swift closing of dormant apps is an HTC Sense feature, added to make the One X, as well as other phones featuring the new UI, last longer on a single battery charge. That may be a noble cause and everything, but what about us, the users that want an intuitive phone that allows us to do what we want, when we want it, and how we want it?

I mean, is autonomy so important that we can’t even leave a game on stand-by for a couple of minutes and pick things up from where we left them, without saving the session and re-opening the app? And when phones sign out of Google Talk seemingly randomly, is HTC somehow doing us a favor? These are just a couple of the questions that HTC will need to answer soon, before sales begin to suffer.

Do you guys agree with us, that multitasking as HTC sees it right now is against all we love at Android? Or is their approach a good solution to increase battery life?

NEXT: HTC One X issue breaks Android multi-tasking

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Starting from the brick-style cell phone of the late Eighties, the design of the mobile has progressed towards being smaller and more feature-rich. We saw the introduction of flip-phones, slider phones, and smaller candybar style devices.

That is, until the smartphone burst onto the scene like a crazy man in a theater, which switched and reversed the trend rapidly: faster processors, larger batteries, more storage and high-res displays have changed the way we use our phones. This allows for easier internet browsing, e-mail, video calls, and HD music and videos. While ultra-thin has become the new craze, we’ve seen a continuous increase in the screen size of mobile phone displays,  giving rise to the famed “phablet.” Herein, we present a review of said devices and what purpose they serve in the rapidly growing Android market.

What is a Phablet?

A phablet, as the name suggests, is a device that combines the voice-calling capabilities of a smartphone with the larger display sizes of a tablet. Bigger than a smartphone, but not large enough to be a tablet, the screen size of a phablet falls in the 5″ to 7″ region. Another feature that defines a phablet is the presence and use of a stylus pen. The larger size and the light and thin quality of such devices eliminate the need to carry around the comparatively bulkier tablet.

Just to clear things up, the 5.3″ Samsung Galaxy Note is considered a phablet, whereas the ASUS Padfone, with a phone that docks into a tablet casing to then be used as a tablet, is not a phablet. The idea of a phablet is to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds, without needing additional devices (or device casings in the case of the Padfone).

Let’s take a look at a few such devices available in the market now, as well as some future releases that will likely keep up the phablet trend.

Available/Coming Soon

Samsung Galaxy Note

With the 5″ Dell Streak releasing in 2010 (but failing miserably), the Samsung Galaxy Note isn’t the first phablet, but is certainly the device that led to the coining of the term “phablet” and is the first such device to enjoy massive commercial success. The 5.3″ device sold over 5 million units in just 5 months, even before the eventual US release. The specifications of the Note include:

• 1.4 Ghz dual-core Exynos processor
• 1GB RAM
• 5.3″ Super AMOLED display, 800×1280 resolution
• 32GB internal storage
• 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera

Although the Note currently features the Android 2.3 OS, the ICS update rollout for the device is picking up steam, and is slowly being available to Galaxy Note owners worldwide. The inclusion of a premium suite of apps optimized for use with the S-Pen stylus makes Galaxy Note one of the most sought after devices available. Even with the recent release of the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Galaxy Note appears unstoppable on Samsung’s quest for quick dominance in this new market niche.

LG Optimus Vu

LG hasn’t exactly been a major player in an Android smartphone world dominated by Motorola, Samsung, and HTC, but it has stepped up its game this year with impressive high-end releases like the Optimus 4X HD. LG is also attempting to become a contender in the phablet market, and provide some competition to the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy Note, with the 5″ LG Optimus Vu. The specifications of the device include:

• 1.5 Ghz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 32GB internal memory
• 768×1024 resolution
• 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera

The LG Optimus Vu will release with Android 2.3 out of the box, but LG promises an eventual upgrade to ICS. Another odd feature of the LG phablet is the 4:3 display aspect ratio, which is likely to not be well-received. Strong competition for the Samsung Galaxy Note? The public will surely decide.

Panasonic Eluga Power

Panasonic has decided to throw its hat in the phablet ring with the 5″ Eluga Power. The Eluga Power, even with its much larger size, has been designed and streamlined beautifully by Panasonic, allowing it to still fit quite comfortably in the hand, and even allowing for easy one-handed typing. The specifications of this device include:

• Android 4.0
• 1.5 Ghz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage
• 720×1280 resolution

Additional features including NFC support, water and dust resistance, and super-fast charging to make this phablet stand out. It might provide some serious competition to the Galaxy Note and the Optimus Vu, once it is released.

Future Devices: Rumor Roundup

So far we’ve seen some of the devices that are already available or soon to be released in the market. It is now time to jump into the world of rumors and speculation, some confirmed, while some are too good to be true, and therefore, probably aren’t.

Photo Credits: PhoneDog

ZTE Phablets

Chinese companies like ZTE and Huawei have been known for their low to mid-range Android devices, and are far more popular in their own regional market than on the world stage. Both companies are looking to grab a chunk of the world smartphone marketshare as well, with plans to ship a combined 100 million devices this year.

Huawei has been creating waves with the claims of its two high-end Android devices being “the world’s thinnest smartphone” and “the world’s fastest smartest phone”, respectively. It’s obviously hoping to stand strong in competing against the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S3.

In an effort to stand out from the crowd, ZTE, on the other hand, has announced its intention to release not one, but two,  Samsung Galaxy Note-like phablets by the end of 2012. The Galaxy Note is a tough act to follow, and ZTE is certainly aware of that. It will be quite interesting to see what devices the company will release to compete against the Note, in its fight to be relevant on the world stage.

Google Phablet

A largely forgotten fact about Android 4.0 is its innate support for stylus input including recognizing multi-button pens, taps, tilts, distance, and pressure. This type of usage is perfect for any handwriting or art input device, which is what most phablets aim to be.

Is there a better way to showcase the stylus abilities of Android 4.0 than on a Google Nexus device itself? With the Google I/O event a little more than a month away, the speculation wave surrounding what Google might have in store for us is rising to epic proportions. There have already been suggestions that the Android 5.0 Jellybean OS may be introduced. Further speculation states that Google might launch up to 5 different Nexus devices at this event or by the end of the year. If this is indeed true, it is not unreasonable to imagine that a Nexus Phablet would be a part of this lineup.

HTC Phablet

This is a rumor that should be thrown into the “Not true” bin. But if there is even a minor chance of this being true, I already know what my next device is going to be (and I just now bought the One X).

Verizon is adding one amazing device after another to its 2012 line-up, in an attempt to cement its place as the No. 1 network carrier in the US. Apart from multiple RAZR Models(including the RAZR HD) and the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Verizon lineup might feature a Galaxy Note competitor from HTC, at least according to Jonathan Gellar, founder of bgr.com.

The HTC phablet is said to feature:

• 5″ 1080p HD display (non-pentile)
• quad-core Qualcomm Krait CPU
• Adreno 320 GPU
• HTC Sense 5
• Scribe Pen

Wow! 1080p display? quad-core Krait CPU? HTC SENSE 5?

Photo Credits: PhoneRpt

Conclusion

New releases such as the HTC One X and the  Samsung Galaxy S3 are pushing the lower limit of the “phablet,” but in my experience (with the One X), while big, they still handle exactly like a phone. This was not entirely the case when I was using a Galaxy Note, which had a distinct tablet-like feel. So designating a “phablet” has more to do with just size, and it looks like this type of device might be the answer for a lot of consumers on-the-go. There have been some complaints about how the Galaxy Note is quite difficult to hold, and awkward to hold up to your ear when making a call, but we’ve already seen its huge success, and with a slate of such devices set to arrive in the market, the phablet is most likely here to stay.

The phablet is on the rise, and if this does eventually become the mainstay device, I have just one simple request to make: Can someone please coin a new term to replace “phablet?”

What are your thoughts? Are phablets here to stay or just a passing phase? How good does the HTC phablet sound? Do you want to take a shot at renaming “phablet?” Let us know in the comments section below!

Traditionally in the Android development cycle, major versions have launched at the end of the year (exception being Gingerbread/Honeycomb). According to the Wall Street Journal, Android Jelly Bean should launch this year, “by Thanksgiving”.

Will this be Android 5.0 or another version? That depends on Google’s plans for their I/O developer event happening in June. Andy Rubin’s team has two options: one, launch an Android 4.1 version with some improvements at I/O (and call it Jelly Bean), and then give a new name to Android 5.0. Two, use the event to showcase upcoming features of Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, and release it this fall.

Now, the rumor in WSJ says that Google is getting five manufacturers (probably Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony and LG – no love for Huawei, Google?) to release “Nexus devices”, all at the same time, this fall. How is this possible? Well, Google plans to give all of them early access to the next major version of Android, much like Microsoft does with Windows and WP7 manufacturers.

Google plans to launch the next version of Android with all of them at once , with some less important manufacturers launching a little later.

So what does this mean for us, the users? It means that we get to choose from at least 5 phones and maybe some tablets, too (some manufacturers will choose to release both a phone and a tablet), so our choices for stock Android devices will greatly improve. Even better, they will all be available from day one. That means that, if you don’t like a particular Nexus device, you have several others to choose from, and you won’t have to wait many more months until other devices appear.

This deal means that stock devices will flood the market. Also, manufacturers will have early access to the Android code, meaning that they will also be able to upgrade their skins faster and  launch new devices faster. However, the first devices will still be only stock Android. And Google should make sure of that through a formal agreement.

According to WSJ, the Nexus devices will most likely be sold through Google’s Play Store in US, Europe and Asia, which again is a great move for Google, because they’ll be able to wrestle control over Android from carriers. It won’t hurt carriers too much, because at least in US, most people still buy phones through carrier subsidies, but it should work very well in markets in Europe and Asia.

Overall, this is a very smart move from Google, that will benefit themselves, the consumers, and even the manufacturers.

NEXT: HTC Negotiates with Google for Potential Jelly Bean Nexus

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