Category Archives: HTC

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Nexus 9 with Android M Video Review

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For the second time, I am reviewing the Nexus 9. I reviewed the LTE model when it first came out. It was pretty bad. I had heard that the Wi-Fi only model was better. Now, I’ve finally got my hands on a Wi-Fi only Nexus 9.

Of course, I installed Android M Developer Preview on it. That was pretty bad. The actual review of the Nexus 9 running Android M will be at the bottom. First, I’ll add three walk through videos of Android M, which all used a Nexus 9. The first was about new features. The second was about performance improvements where I actually had two Nexus 9s, one with Lollipop and one with Android M. The third video is with Android M Developer Preview 2.

And finally, the fourth video will be the Nexus 9 with Android M review. The first three videos are there for a bit of backstory, but this is really about the actual Nexus 9 with Android M review. The final video is a little long, but I think it’s totally worth your time.

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HTC One M9 Video Review: A Lovable Phone

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By Rich W Woods

I’m doing a thing. It’s new. After writing a full review of a device, I’m doing a video review as well. It’s a way of wrapping up my thoughts on a device. There are certain things that work better when you say them out loud, certain emotions that you can convey.

I thought the HTC One M9 is a great phone. I think that anyone that buys it will be happy with it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good when you compare it to its competitors.

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HTC One M9 Review: An Awesome Phone that Doesn’t Measure Up

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By Rich W Woods

My time with the HTC One M9 is coming to a close and I’m finding that it is a phone that I will miss. I’ve found the HTC One M9 to be a delightful device; however, I find the general feedback around the device to be very discouraging.

After the HTC One M9 was announced at Mobile World Congress, I went down to the HTC booth to see what HTC had for their next generation flagship. They proudly demoed the new features for me, showing off themes, easy Miracast screen sharing, and of course, “the box”. I asked her why they hadn’t physically redesigned the phone and she told me, “Just like it says on our web site. Why fix it if it’s not broken.”

I left the HTC booth excited. After all, she was right. The HTC One M7 and M8 won awards for their beautiful aluminum design. Why would they change that? I would soon find out.

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HTC Desire 820 Review: The First 64 Bit Android Phone

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By Rich W Woods

Ok, it wasn’t exactly the first 64 bit Android phone, but the HTC Desire 510 is lower end and didn’t quite get the publicity. The more I used the HTC Desire 820, the more impressed I became with it I became. The display is just 720p, which is a pretty low resolution on a 5.5″ LCD. It comes out to 267 ppi.

Unfortunately, it runs Android 4.4 KitKat, which doesn’t support 64 bit, so I didn’t get that 64 bit goodness that will come when it gets updated to Lollipop. Unfortunately, this phone won’t get that update. It seemed to be using some sort of in-house version of Sense, which doesn’t have the ability to receive OTA updates.

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HTC Re Camera Review: Good Idea, Bad Execution

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By Rich W Woods

Way back on October 17 at HTC’s Double Exposure event, HTC announced a “remarkable little camera that we call Re”. The idea was that while a Go Pro is great for people doing extreme sports or jumping into a volcano, the HTC Re would be better for everyday folks doing everyday things.

I have always been a fan of HTC’s photography tools. They are an industry leader in front facing cameras and the ultrapixel method that they use for their rear cameras saturates the images for more vibrant colors. The HTC Desire Eye has this effect without the restrictions that come with the 4 MP rear camera on the HTC One M8.

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HTC Desire Eye Review: A Mid-Range Flagship?

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By Rich W Woods

As I tell people when I write these reviews, I don’t go to events and I don’t sign NDAs. I don’t sugar coat my reviews because I don’t have to. Because of all that, my reviews tend to come out a few weeks later than everyone else’s.

When the NDA was lifted on the HTC Desire Eye, I read the reviews posted on The Verge, Engadget, etc. They all described it as a mid-range phone. After all, Desire has historically been HTC’s mid-range line of phones. This was strange to me though because it is powered by a 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801 processor. The specs are exactly the same as HTC’s flagship HTC One M8 but with a higher resolution camera

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HTC One M8 for Windows vs Nokia Lumia Icon: Which is the best Verizon Windows Phone? Part 3 Final Comparison

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By Rich W Woods

Verizon has always had a limited selection of Windows Phones. When Windows Phone 8 launched, they got the HTC 8X and the Nokia Lumia 822, both mid-range phones. Later, they got the Nokia Lumia 928 after the former two had left the shelves. The Lumia 928 was a variant of the Lumia 920 that came out 8 months after AT&T got the 920.

Contrary to what Nokia, HTC, or Verizon would have you believe at the time, both the HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 928 were mid-range phones. In fact, all of the original “flagship” Windows Phone 8 phones were mid-range. They used dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processors. They were slow and frustrating to use.

Then came the Nokia Lumia Icon, a beautifully designed Nokia Lumia that packed a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 20 MP camera, and a 5″ 1080p display.

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The HTC One M8: HTC Sense vs Windows Phone vs Google Play: Which Operating System should you Choose?

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By Rich W Woods

Just ten days ago now, HTC made history by announcing the HTC One M8 for Windows. It is the first time in computer history that a device has been available and the customer has had a choice in operating system at the time of purchase.

Because of this landmark phone, I have been spending quite a bit of time with it, comparing the rear camera, the front camera, low light, boot time, and everything I could think of between the HTC One M8, HTC One M8 Google Play Edition, and the HTC One M8 for Windows.

HTC One M8 for Windows

HTC One M8

HTC One M8 Google Play Edition

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HTC One M8 for Windows: Review

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By Rich W Woods

The HTC One M8 for Windows made history upon its announcement. In the history of computers, never before has there been a device available where the consumer could choose an operating system upon purchase.

Having used numerous Windows Phones in my day, I found this one to be the most pleasing. The body of the HTC One M8 is a beautiful aluminum unibody and Windows Phone 8.1 looks like it was designed for this hardware.

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