Update - 109

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HTC shows off ImageSense with sample photos taken by HTC One Posted: 01 Mar 2012 04:05 PM PST It’s no secret that the HTC One phones unveiled at Mobile World Congress this week were a step ahead of most the competition. We’re all suckers for dual- and quad-core processors, HD displays and Android 4.0, but one key differentiator HTC is focusing on this year is the camera on each of their phones. To make HTC One phones stand out from the competition, HTC has equipped them all with an f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, dedicated HTC ImageChip, BSI sensor and a smart LED flash with five levels of brightness. With ImageSense HTC One rivals traditional digital cameras with improvements to every part of the camera, including the lens, the sensor, the software, and even integrating a new custom HTC ImageChip.HTC Superfast Capture: HTC One dramatically reduces the time it takes to take pictures. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot. A with a new superfast 0.2-seconds autofocus, you can take nearly unlimited continuous shots simply by holding the shutter button. Good photos in adverse conditions: improved image quality with low light, no light or bright backlighting. The f/2.0 lens on the HTC One X and HTC One S captures 40 percent more light than the f/2.4 lenses available on other high-end phones. HTC One also includes HDR, which improves pictures when in direct sun light. Video Pic: capture a photo and shoot video at the same time.  Tap the shutter button while recording HD video to capture a high-resolution still photo while the phone continues to record video.  Users can also capture a photo frame from a previously recorded video. It’s certainly nice to have all these new features built right into the HTC One devices, but what does all this technology actually translate to in the real world? HTC was kind enough to share a handful of sample pictures shot with the HTC One. Gallery It would have been nice to have full resolution pictures to look at, but it looks like the focus on the HTC One’s camera was worth the time and effort. We can’t wait to get out hands on the HTC One devices and compare them to the competition. What do you think of the sample pictures HTC has shared? Is a quality camera in your smartphone one of the main selling points for you?

HTC switching to simple philosophy with Sense 4 and new devices Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:16 AM PST HTC is in the middle of one of its biggest transitions in the mobile industry. The plan is to simplify everything, from the range of devices to HTC Sense itself. We have already started to see this being implemented, specifically with the unified HTC One device line-up. But there is also a substantial improvement in HTC’s customized UI overlay. In an interview with Pocket-Lint, at MWC, HTC’s Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera went on the record about HTC Sense 4.0. Kodera mentions that their custom skin had become too complicated, and needed a renovation. While Sense has proven to be one of the most popular among custom manufacturer skins, the simplicity of stock Android is unbeatable. And HTC is now focusing on bringing the experience closer to stock. From the original Sense up to Sense 3.5 we added too many things. The original concept was that it had to be simple and it had to be easy to use and we had that philosophy, but over time it got cluttered.Kouji KoderaHTC Chief Product Officer Kouji goes on to mention that HTC Sense had become very cluttered. “There where too many things in there. Even on the home screen we had four or five icons before consumers got a chance to add things themselves,” he said. And this is true, not only did Sense become a bit of an over-worked product, but it also was known to be a battery hog. HTC claims that things were brought down to Sense 2.0 with the HTC One devices, making for a much cleaner experience. But that is not the only thing that is changing in 2012. Kodera also re-stated that we will be “hearing less from them,” as product releases will also start decreasing. This year, HTC has decided to switch its whole philosophy, in order to become less cluttered and confusing for the consumer. Everything will be much more simple and seamless, with a much smoother flow. With fewer devices and a UI that is more parallel with stock Android, we can surely expect much better and more timely updates, as well as more thought out, quality smartphones. This is assuming that things are done right, of course, but we assume big HTC has a good strategy in its plans. Let’s sit tight and see how things turn out. But for now, the new Sense will be available via the HTC One X and One S. The lower-end HTC One V has HTC Sense 3.6, so we don’t know just how well it will play out among its bigger brothers. But the device is not bad, and the Sense 3.6 UI looks just as clean as Sense 4.0. Are any of you planning to enjoy HTC Sense 4.0 on one of the new devices?