HTC Butterfly S: official specs

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - Asia version
		HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 - EMEA version
	4G Network	LTE 800 / 1800 / 2600 - EMEA version
		LTE 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 - Asia version
	SIM	Micro-SIM
	Announced	2013, June
	Status	Available. Released 2013, July

BODY	Dimensions	144.5 x 70.5 x 10.6 mm (5.69 x 2.78 x 0.42 in)
	Weight	160 g (5.64 oz)

DISPLAY	Type	Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches (~441 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
		- HTC Sense UI v5

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers, built-in amplifiers
	3.5mm jack	Yes
		- Beats Audio sound enhancement

MEMORY	Card slot	microSD, up to 64 GB
	Internal	16 GB, 2 GB RAM

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0 with A2DP
	NFC	Yes
	Infrared port	Yes
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0 (MHL)

CAMERA	Primary	4 MP, 2688 x 1520 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	1/3'' sensor size, 2µm pixel size, simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, HDR
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps, HDR
	Secondary	Yes, 2.1 MP, HDR

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600
	CPU	Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300
	GPU	Adreno 320
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	TBD
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Black, White, Red, Gray
		- SNS integration - Dropbox (25 GB storage) - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - TV-out (via MHL A/V link) - DivX/XviD/MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player - MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC player - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk - Organizer - Document viewer/editor - Photo viewer/editor - Voice memo/dial/commands - Predictive text input

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Po 3200 mAh battery
	Stand-by	Up to 544 h (2G) / Up to 659 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 29 h (2G) / Up to 25 h (3G)

Apple iOS 7 beta review: Evening the odds

Introduction

The last couple of iOS updates were hanging on the wrong side between too little and too late. The user interface is six years old now and while it has been repeatedly polished in every revision so far, it was decidedly starting to look stale. And it's not just a matter of visuals either. iOS 5 brought little to nothing in terms of new features and some would even argue that iOS 6 was actually a step back. It seems though that Apple has found inspiration again and is ready to take the game to the opposition.

The UI that launched on the original iPhone way back in June 2007 has finally been put to rest. Android has stepped up in big strides since Gingerbread to dominate the smartphone game. Meanwhile, Windows Phone keeps bringing new features, and even the conservative BlackBerry broke with the old ways and completely redesigned its platform. It was about time Apple did something different with the iOS.

The iOS 7 is among the largest upgrades the OS has ever been given - not quite the game changer that the iPhone OS 2 and the App Store were, but it certainly took a lot of effort. It not only brings some key new features and a few cool system apps, but it also completely overhauls the user interface and tweaks the right things under the hood.

Key features

• Complete UI overhaul with adaptive colors and system-wide Back swipe gesture
• New system icons and folders, animated icons available
• System-wide parallax effect
• Dynamic wallpapers
• Control Center with toggles, multimedia controls and shortcuts
• Updated Notification Center with three tabs
• All apps multitasking with new card interface
• Updated Safari browser with unified search filed
• iTunes radio
• AirDrop file sharing
• Inclinometer within the Compass app
• Camera filters with live preview and new square mode
• New Photos app with better photo organization, picture editing
• Weather app with live weather animations
• Updated Maps with Night mode and Turn-by-Turn walking directions
• New Siri interface, new supported commands, new voices
• Contact Blacklist
• FaceTime audio
• Activation lock
• Automatic app update
• Cellular data usage breakdown
• Chinese-English, Italian, Korean and Dutch dictionaries
• iOS in the Car coming in 2014 in selected cars

Main disadvantages

• Very iTunes dependent for uploading files and multimedia
• No open file system means you often have to duplicate files
• Limited integration of 3rd party social networks and services
• No widgets
• Air Drop works only between selected iOS 7 or later running devices
• No lockscreen shortcuts (besides those in the Control Center)
• Very basic camera UI with limited features and settings
• Limited codecs support
• iTunes radio only works in the US

The iOS 7 indeed has gone flat, but brings dynamic wallpapers and parallax view to make those flat icons pop to life. Indeed, the parallax effect is one of the few among the newly introduced features that is truly unique to iOS (yes, it is available as an app for Android, but here it's baked right into the OS). There is lots of transparency throughout the iOS, brand-new flat theme, all-new system apps, live icons, and a lot more.

From a functionality perspective, Apple has finally decided to give us connectivity toggles organized within the new Control Center, iTunes radio streaming service, the notification center has been completely redesigned, there is AirDrop for easy sharing between different iOS devices, and even more capable Siri.

Of course, there are still missing features. And while our prayers of an open file system were always likely to remain unanswered, those for better utilization of the lockscreen (with widgets and shortcuts) had a chance. Well, you can't have it all, they say.

The iOS 7 update will be seeded to iPhone 5, 4S and 4; iPad 2, 3, 4 and mini; and iPod Touch 5 generation. But not all features will become available on all devices. We also believe the iOS will be the last upgrade for the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

To help you quickly identify what you'll be getting on your iPhone, iPad or iPod, we've got a handy table that lets you see everything at a glance.

HTC One mini preview: First look

Introduction

The HTC One is certainly one of the smartphones of the year and has come a long way towards helping the Taiwanese company out of its financial woes. It was only logical then that HTC will try to capitalize on that success by bringing the same formula to other parts of its portfolio. We already got the upscaled version with the Butterfly S, so now it's time to shrink the design with the HC One mini.

  
HTC One mini official images

Over the last few years large phones (that grow ever bigger) have managed to claim a monopoly on good specs it seems, which made many (including quite a few members of our team, we even started a petition) yearn for a compact, but premium Android. The Galaxy S4 (the arch rival of the One) already got its mini version, but that one made too great a compromise with the screen. Let's see if HTC has done better.

HTC One mini at a glance:

• General: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, quad-band UMTS/HSPA, LTE
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 132x 63.2 x 9.3 mm, 122 g
• Display: 4.3" 16M-color 720p (720 x 1280 pixels) Super LCD 2 capacitive touchscreen, 341ppi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, Dual-core 1.4 GHz Krait 300, 1GB RAM, Adreno 305
• OS: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Sense 5
• Memory: 16GB storage
• Camera: 4 megapixel auto-focus camera with ultra-pixels; LED flash
• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps with HDR
• Front camera: 1.6MP front-facing camera; 720p@30fps video
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL and USB host, GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack
• Battery: 1,800mAh Li-Po
• Misc: Aluminum unibod with polycarbonate frame, Beats Audio, BoomSound stereo speakers on the front, HTC Zoe

Some might frown at the idea that a 4.3" smartphone qualifies as mini, but the truth is this size hits a sweet spot. It has enough screen estate to provide enjoyable multimedia and gaming experience as well as enable decent productivity, yet it still allows a smartphone to fit into virtually every pocket.

And the 720p resolution is just right too - the Galaxy S4 mini screen is also 4.3" big but the qHD resolution and 256ppi pixel density spoil the premium feel somewhat. The plastic body didn't help the One mini competitor either.

This is important - there are plenty of mid-range reasonably compact phones already. What we want (and really hope HTC has delivered here) is a compact phone with high-end specs. The HTC One mini spells out premium with an aluminum unibody design and UltraPixel camera with dedicated ImageChip 2, plus BoomSound (stereo speakers on the front with a dedicated amp).

HTC has delivered the best software it has too - Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box with Sense 5. The Sense customizations include the BlinkFeed news and social media aggregator, Zoe camera and Video highlights.

   
HTC One mini pays us a visit

Could this be it? The dream phone with good specs, without a huge screen you have to overpay for, even when you don't want it in the first place? At first glance there are only a couple of things that might prevent the HTC One mini from achieving glory. It has a lesser chipset (1.4GHz dual-core Krait CPU, 1GB RAM) compared to both the original One and the Galaxy S4 mini and its storage is limited (just 16GB with no option for expansion).

We only got one short day with it, so we are not sure we'll be able to answer all questions, but we'll do all we can to cover as much of the hardware and software of the HTC One mini as possible. Join us after the break.

Motorola Moto X

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA
	4G Network	LTE
	SIM	Micro-SIM
	Announced	Exp. announcement 2013, August
	Status	Rumored. Exp. release 2013, Q4

BODY	Dimensions	-
	Weight	-

DISPLAY	Type	Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	720 x 1280 pixels, 4.7 inches (~312 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	microSD, up to 32 GB
	Internal	16 GB, 2 GB RAM

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	HSPA+
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
	Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0 with A2DP
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	10 MP, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps
	Secondary	Yes, 2 MP

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8960Pro Snapdragon
	CPU	Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait
	GPU	Adreno 320
	Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	TBD
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Black
		- SNS integration - MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA player - MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player - Google Search, Maps, Gmail - YouTube, Google Talk, Picasa - Organizer - Photo viewer/editor - Document viewer - Voice memo/dial - Predictive text input