htc

HTC's Facebook phone: Not dead yet

No, the first Facebook phone, also known as the HTC First, isn't ready for the smartphone graveyard just yet.

BGR reported Monday that AT&T would discontinue selling the HTC First and return unsold inventory back to the manufacturer once it met the contractual obligations of its in-store display arrangement with HTC.

But AT&T has not made a decision to discontinue the First, according to a person familiar with the carrier's plans.

"I am not aware of any discussion ever taking place about sending the phones back or to stop selling the First," … Read more

Here's why the Facebook phone flopped

The HTC First, also known as the Facebook phone, was unofficially declared a disaster after AT&T dropped its price from $99 to 99 cents on Wednesday.

Is anybody surprised?

Even in an industry known for liberal smartphone discounts, the price drop of the First -- which comes less than a month after its debut -- came relatively quickly. That suggests what many of us have suspected: that the First was dead on arrival.

Despite an army of naysayers, the First actually had a lot going for it. It had the backing of a well-known name in Facebook, which … Read more

Dud alert: 'Facebook phone' on sale for 99 cents

Less than a month after its release, the HTC First, also known as the first "Facebook phone," is selling for the clearance price of 99 cents with a two-year contract with AT&T.

The mid-range smartphone, which arrived on April 12 and was previously selling for $99, comes preloaded with Facebook Home, the social-networking software package that turns the device's home screen and lock screen into Facebook-only zones.

The dramatically reduced price point seems to confirm our earlier suspicions that Facebook wasn't proving to be much of a sales pitch.

HTC avoided sharing sales figures … Read more

Crave giveaway: OtterBox Realtree Camo case for HTC One

Congrats to Ken W. of Tallahassee, Fla., for winning a Sonic Alert Sonic-connect 2 in last week's giveaway, and to Maher K. of Maple Grove, Minn., for winning a Grace Digital Ecoxbt Bluetooth speaker the week before that. This week's prize is for the HTC One owners out there.

HTC's new flagship smartphone has generated lots of buzz with its all-metal design and revamped, love-it-or-hate-it Sense user interface. CNET reviewer Brian Bennett calls the Android device "the fastest, most beautiful phone I've ever used," and if you're going to have a gorgeous phone, you're going to want gorgeous clothing for it. That's where our freebie comes in.

We're giving away a rugged OtterBox Defender Realtree Camo case with a built-in screen protector; damage defense from drops, bumps, shock, and impact; and a cool nature-inspired design that'll make it easy to blend in to your surroundings when you and your HTC One commune out in the woods.… Read more

HTC One buyers can score cash by trading in current phone

Those of you who pick up the HTC One smartphone could get cash back if you trade in your current phone.

Kicking off Thursday, the offer rewards buyers of the HTC One with as little as $100 or as much as $375 for trading it any one of a number of phones. The trade-in promo page lists the following phones: iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola Droid Razr, LG Optimus 4X HD, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Curve, and BlackBerry Bold.

But a variety of other phones are also eligible depending on their condition. HTC's Trade-Up page lets you … Read more

HTC Q1 profit plunges 98 percent, despite HTC One launch

The HTC One launched too late to save the Taiwanese company's first-quarter results.

Net profit for the handset maker tumbled to NT$85 million ($2.85 million) from NT$4.5 billion ($152 million) a year ago, a drop of 98 percent.

It's the company's lowest quarterly profit since 2004. Revenue plunged too, to NT$42.8 billion from NT$67.8 billion, the company confirmed in Thursday's earnings call.

The company did not reveal how many units of the HTC One it has so far sold, but said it expected revenues to jump in the … Read more

AT&T trade-in drops Galaxy S4, HTC One, others to $99

How's this for an instant discount? Beginning Wednesday, when you trade in (almost) any old smartphone, AT&T is knocking $100 off the price of any new smartphone -- including the HTC One, iPhone 5, BlackBerry Z10, and Samsung Galaxy S4.

Of course there are a few caveats. Smartphones can't be older than three years, and need to be in good working order. As a bonus, though, AT&T rates some trade-in phones at more than $100, which means you could get even more off that asking price.

The offer extends to AT&T retail … Read more

Take creative photos with the HTC One

One of my favorite features on the HTC One is its camera. Beyond the picture quality, which is great, HTC really went the extra mile to pack in a bunch of cool software extras.

Two of these extras that really caught my eye are called Sequence Shot and Zoe, and you can see them in action in the above video.

Using the Sequence Shot feature allows you to composite multiple images into one picture. The trick to this one is to hold still and fire off a bunch of snapshots by holding down the camera button. This will create a … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 shootout versus HTC One, iPhone 5

Samsung has absolutely stuffed its Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel camera with settings and modes, but none of that matters if the phone's image quality can't stand up to the hype.

And so, here is a smartphone shootout between the Galaxy S4's top Android rival, the HTC One, and another beacon of smartphone photographic excellence, the iPhone 5.

One important thing to note is that all three phones have very different sensors. The Galaxy S4 hosts a 13-megapixel camera, and the iPhone 5 has an 8-megapixel shooter. For its part, the HTC One has what it calls an … Read more