HTC officially announced their MWC line-up of Android smartphones: One X, One XL, One S and One V

HTC officially announced their MWC line-up of Android smartphones. Unsurprisingly, the devices unveiled are the flagship One X and One XL, the mid-range One S, and the starter One V. Let's start with the most interesting one.
 HTC One X 
The One X is the most powerful Android smartphone HTC have built to date and it's built around a 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 display sporting a 720p (1280x720 pixels) resolution. A 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 chip for the global edition of the phone and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core for the LTE variant coupled with 1GB of RAM will be making sure Android 4.0 Ice Scream Sandwich is running at its best with no apps making it think twice.
At the back, the One X sports an 8MP snapper, which packs a special Dual Shutter camera module, which allows you to take photos while shooting 1080p video at the same time. We are quite impressed. And the main camera itself rocks a 22mm wide angle lens, f/2.0 aperture and a BSI sensor. Face and smile detection are on board as well as burst shooting mode up to 5fps.
Storage on the One X is limited to 32GB with no microSD card on board, but HTC compensates its lack with 25GB of free Dropbox storage for two years. NFC, DLNA, Bluetooth 3, Wi-Fi N, 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB with MHL are on board, too. Oh, and it's also got Beats Audio enhancement, so music through that 3.5mm jack should sound extra nice.
The display of the One X is covered in 3D Gorilla Glass, which is another way of saying the screen glass is tapered on the edges as on the Nokia N9 and Lumia 800. The whole body of the phone is one piece of polycarbonate plastic, just like the N9. It's quite slim, too, measuring only 9,29mm. Impressive for a 720p screen, Tegra 3-packing (or Snapdragon S4-packing) Droid.
    
 HTC One XL
The HTC One XL is a variation of the One X but packs LTE, hence the L at the end of the phone's name. As we mentioned above, the One XL will be packing the Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz.
HTC One S
The One S is the slimmer brother of the One X and as it happens is the thinnest phone HTC has ever produced.
Slimmer, but also less powerful, it's powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor on the MSM8260A platform thus making it more of a mid-range model, rather than a truly fledged flagship.
Still, the One S is packing a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display and an 8MP shooter at the back with an f/2.0 lens and a LED flash. The audio of the One S is enhanced by Beats Audio as well.
The One S is built around HTC's usual aluminum unibody design and is just 7.6mm thick. HTC has gone the extra mile by giving the One S a crystaline ceramic metal finish, which is achieved by baking the aluminum in plasma. This whole process transforms the aluminum into ceramic making it 4 times harder and scratch resistant.
     
HTC One V
And lastly, the HTC One V is the entry level addition to the HTC line-up at MWC.
As such, it's packs a 1GHz single-core yet unspecified CPU Snapdragon S2 processor, 512MB of RAM and a 3.7-inch WVGA LCD display. The One V runs Ice Cream Sandwich, but unlike it's fellow relatives from the One family, which run Sense 4.0, the One V is coated with the older Sense 3.6.
At the back there's a 5MP camera with autofocus and f/2.0 lens recording 720p videos. Unfortunately, HTC has omitted the front-facing camera on the One V. Storage is limited to just 4GB sans microSD card slot, but a deal with HTC and Dropbox comes to the rescue. It gives users 25GB of free Dropbox online storage for 2 years.
A 1500mAh battery will give the phone its power juices while a quadband GSM and WCDMA radios will take care of the telephony. The One V also packs GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The whole HTC One family of phones will be globally available come April this year.
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The Top Ten (10) for Samsung Galaxy S i9100 SII, 2 (tech, news, report, utilities, smartphone, repair, unlock, Auckland)

If you are fortunate to own a Samsung Galaxy S 2 then no doubt you will be looking for apps to take advantage of its 4.3″ WVGA SUPER AMOLED Plus display, the greater processing power of its dual core processor; its 8MP camera and its other impressive features. Here is a roundup of some great apps for the Samsung Galaxy S 2.

GasBuddy

If your ride is as figuratively large as the Screen on the Galaxy II then you should be more than concerned about the high cost of Gasoline. Even so, most of us wouldn’t mind getting a better price on the fuel we use in our vehicles. GasBuddy is the front-end of a user-generated database of gas stations and the price that they charge for regular, premium and diesel fuel.

Dropbox

Even though the Samsung Galaxy S II has lots of storage, chances are that it won’t be enough to store the large collection of pictures, music and video that you have in your collection. Ensure that you have access to all your files, from wherever you need them, with the Dropbox app.

After you install Dropbox onto your phone, computer and maybe a Tablet it will automatically sync files between each device and allow you to access your photos, documents and other media from anywhere you have Internet connection and perhaps share those files with others.

Slice It!

Sometimes you will find yourself with tons of time on your hands and nothing to do. If at those moments you like to do something mindlessly fun then perhaps you should consider installing Slice It!. The objective of the game is to simply slice each object into equal parts or the same ratio. It sounds simple enough, but subsequently level can be joyfully challenging.

Anti-Virus Free

Computers aren’t the only playground of viruses. Android viruses, malware and exploit exists, and so owners of Android phones and Tablets must install security software to protect their Androids. AVG Anti-Virus Free not only protects against malware but can also help the device owner to recover a lost or stolen phone, backup and restore files and remotely wipe sensitive information and data from the device if it is lost.

Go SMS Pro

If you aren’t particular fond about the stock SMS app that ships with Android devices then you may want to consider installing GO SMS Pro. With it you get backup and restore, data encryption, a cool UI, popup notification, and a privacy mode to keep a particular messaging session away from prying eyes.

ASTRO File Manager

If you plan on using your Galaxy S II phone to its full extent chances are that you will have lots of files on your computer.  ASTRO File Manager has backup features to safeguard your files, a better search feature and the ability to handle attachments Tar and Zip files, as well as a better interface for exploring the Android file system.

Daily Bible

This is a way to ensure that you have access, at all times, to the most popular book that was ever written. With Daily Bible you can follow a daily reading plan or simply listen while verses are read to you.

Bubble Blast2

We couldn’t conclude our roundup of Samsung Galaxy S 2 Apps without including at least one fun app. The objective of Bubble Blast2 is to pop all the bubbles on screen with as few tries as possible. Once you pop a bubble the explosion pops nearby bubbles as well. The player has to be strategic in trying to make each pop burst as many adjacent bubbles as possible.

WiFi Analyzer

This app shows the Wi-Fi signals and channels that are within range. The app also shows the strength of the signals, the name of the network as well as helps to user to find the least crowded WiFi channel.

History Eraser

Despite best efforts your phone may find its way into the hands of someone you really don’t want seeing your personal web browsing history and call logs. Not only can History Eraser improve privacy and maybe keep you out of trouble, but it can be used to improve your phone’s performance by freeing up memory that may be used by SMS, cached files, web browsing history, market search history, the clipboard and apps.

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2011, HTC Desire S review: Droid cravings (Google Andriod phone repair by www.drmobiles.co.nz)

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It was the alliance with Android that put Motorola out of the woods. Like every partnership, it’s been a series of peaks and dips but every now and then the relationship between Motorola and Android goes beyond a mere marriage of convenience and well into a simmering love affair.
They did it with the MILESTONEs and the DROID X, the BACKFLIP and the DEFY. With the ATRIX 4G, Moto says it has no plans to live in the shadows of other big makers.
Motorola ATRIX 4G official photos
The Motorola ATRIX 4G is the first dual-core smartphone in the Motorola line-up. It’s also the first to flaunt a qHD touchscreen. That’s as solid as credentials get. Add the fact it’s the first handset for Motorola to support the fast HSDPA+ network (hence the 4G moniker) and you’ve got yourself a Droid that’s not afraid of what comes next.
Dual core is certainly the next big thing in mobile phones and the Motorola ATRIX deserves credit for being among the first – our bad really, this review isn’t exactly on time.
But there are other bold decisions that Motorola had to make. The HD and laptop docks for one – though the concept is not exactly original, Motorola is trying to make it mainstream. The added fingerprint scanner is not new either but well forgotten old does just as well. Plus, it will satisfy the privacy freak in all of us.
Anyway, the standard package is what we’re interested in and this is what our review will focus on. The optional extras can wait. The ATRIX is more important to us a phone (a dual-core smartphone, to be precise) than a wannabe laptop or a potential entertainment dock. Let’s waste no more time and take a glimpse of the ATRIX 4G’s key features.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA
• 4" 16M-color capacitive touchscreen of qHD (960 x 540 pixels) resolution, scratch-resistant Gorilla glass
• Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor, ULP GeForce GPU, Tegra 2 chipset; 1GB of RAM
• Android OS v2.2; MOTOBLUR UI (update to Gingerbread planned)
• Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.1 support
• 5 MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash; face detection, geotagging
• 720p video recording @ 30fps (to be upgraded to 1080p Full-HD )
• Wi-Fi ab/g/n; Wi-Fi hotspot functionality; DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS; Digital compass
• Fingerprint scanner that doubles as a power key
• 16GB storage; expandable via a microSD slot
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
• standard microHDMI port
• Smart and voice dialing
• Office document editor
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary mic
• DivX/XviD video support
• Lapdock and HD Dock versatility
• Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.2 support

Main disadvantages

• Not the latest Android version
• No FM radio
• Screen image is pixelated upon closer inspection
• Questionable placement of the Power/Lock button
• Poor pinch zoom implementation in the gallery
• No dedicated shutter key
• Doesn’t operate without a SIM card inside

The ATRIX 4G is certainly the most powerful phone Motorola has made so far. With a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB worth of RAM and the ultra low power GeForce GPU under its hood, the ATRIX 4G is set to win the hearts and minds of power users.
Motorola ATRIX 4G live photos
Garnish all this premium hardware with a 5MP camera with dual LED flash and a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen of qHD resolution of 540x960 pixels, and the ATRIX 4G is more than ready to play with the other dual-core kids.
As for us, we are about to take a closer look at the design and build of the phone and find out if it matches the premium hardware that resides within.

Pretty decent retail package

The HTC Desire S comes in a pretty small box, but it still has room for the essential accessories. There’s a socket charger, which needs a standard microUSB data cable to connect to the phone. Such cable is, of course, included.

The HTC Desire S retail package
There is also a headset with music controls. Unfortunately, it’s of the one-piece variety, meaning you can’t replace the headphones with third-party kit without losing the remote functionality.
Finally, there’s adequate storage right out of the box, thanks to an 8GB microSD card, which was inserted in the handset itself. The usual paperwork was also here, but it’s nothing you cannot find online anyway.

HTC Desire S 360-degree spin

While the HTC Desire S keeps the screen size of the original Desire and even throws in several new features, it manages to fit into an even more compact package. The difference is not quite prominent in width (59.8mm vs 60mm) and thickness (11.6mm vs 11.9mm), but the height has shed some 3mm, which is certainly not bad.

And the weight has been reduced too, though marginally. At 130g, the HTC Desire S weighs 5g less than its predecessor. We do appreciate its solid build and quality feel though.

The HTC Desire S sized up against the iPhone 4

Design and construction

The HTC Desire S is a looker. With a large screen on the front and metal unibody for the rest you can’t really go wrong. Plus, we can trust HTC for a solidly build smartphone.
The only downside is that it’s hard to really tell form a slew of recent HTC handsets. Still, the black color scheme and the subtly changed contour and controls below the screen are probably enough to make it stand out among its siblings. After all, there aren’t too many ways to design a touchscreen phone.
The Desire S comes with a 3.7” S-LCD screen. And while you won’t get to experience any AMOLED blacks, you’d still get one of the better LCD screens in business.

The S-LCD screen is a nice step forward for HTC
We saw the first of the HTC units worthy of the name Super LCD on the Incredible S and we are happy that the Desire S is treated to the same high-quality LCD. You get a display with punchy colors and very broad viewing angles. As far as LCD goes, image quality doesn’t get much better than that.
The only area where HTC still lags behind is sunlight legibility. The display isn't particularly bright and it's obviously pretty reflective so using the Desire S outside on a bright sunny day is not exactly an easy task.
And here come the results of our now traditional display brightness and contrast test. As you can see, the Desire S fares pretty decently against its peers.

Display test	50% brightness			100% brightness
	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio
HTC Desire S	0.14	113	803	0.21	193	914
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc	0.03	34	1078	0.33	394	1207
HTC Incredible S	0.18	162	908	0.31	275	880
iPhone 4	0.14	189	1341	0.39	483	1242
Motorola Atrix 4G	0.48	314	652	0.60	598	991
Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo	0.05	68	1324	0.10	134	1295
Samsung Galaxy Ace	0.23	160	701	0.34	234	683
LG Optimus 2X	0.23	228	982	0.35	347	1001

You can learn more about the test here.
As to screen sensitivity, the Desire S performs just as you would expect a capacitive unit. The gentlest of taps do the trick.
Moving on, a video-call camera is right next to the earpiece above the display. There are also a couple of hidden sensors there – proximity and ambient light.

There’s a video-call camera right next to the earpiece this time
Underneath the screen, we find four capacitive keys. Frankly, we wouldn’t have minded regular keys like on the first Desire, but we’ve no reason to complain. The haptic enabled controls are well spaced and very responsive. Plus, the transition from the touchscreen is smooth.
The keys (Home, Menu, back and search) have extra functionality upon a long-press (task switcher, virtual keyboard, voice search).

There are four capacitive touch keys below the display
There’s no trackpad on the HTC Desire S. With the whole interface designed for touchscreen use it was redundant to begin with, probably only usable as a shutter key.
The long and thin volume rocker and the microUSB port are on the phone’s left side.

The volume rocker and the microUSB port on the left side
The right side of the smartphone is perfectly bare with no controls or ports whatsoever. A camera key would have been nice, but we’re in no luck yet again.

The completely bare right side
At the top we find the 3.5mm audio jack and the Power/Lock key.

There’s a standard 3.5mm audio jack and a power/screen lock key on top
As usual, at the bottom of the phone, you will see the mouthpiece.

The microphone pinhole is located on the sloped bottom
The HTC Desire S rear features the 5 megapixel camera lens and the small loudspeaker grill. There is also a tiny LED flash but, as you know, you shouldn’t get your hopes too high for night photography.

The camera lens is flanked by the LED flash and the loudspeaker grill
The back plate consists of three parts – a metal piece in the middle and two parts of soft rubbery plastic either side. The upper one hosts the lens, flash and speaker, while the lower one opens to grant access to the card slots and the battery.
Unfortunately, we discovered that placing your hand over the top part of the back panel quickly deteriorates the Wi-Fi signal the Desire S is getting. You wouldn’t usually place your hand over there when you’re browsing the regular way in portrait mode, but when you switch to landscape grip, it’s quite easy to go for this death grip.
While with a strong Wi-Fi signal around, covering the back panel with your palm may only lower your download speed, with a more flimsy connection, it can stop a data transfer in its tracks.
Going further down the back, we get to the battery cover. It’s a bit hard to slide the cover open and then undo the battery holder but it’s not a major flaw on its own.
However to access the microSD slot you need to undo the battery holder. There’s nothing to keep the battery in place so you need to prop it with a finger unless you want to turn off your phone.

Gaining access to the battery is harder than usual
The 1450mAh battery inside the HTC Desire S is quoted at up to 455 hours of stand-by or up to 9 hours and 50 minutes of talk time. In real life, it does pretty well. Our test unit gave us two full days of fairly heavy use (quite a bit of web browsing, the usual set of photos, a few minutes of calls and fiddling with the interface and testing the apps).
Generally the HTC Desire S is one of the best built smartphones we have seen recently. Its aluminum body is a joy to look at and handle.

The HTC Desire S felt nice in our hands
And there are only a few problems in terms of pure ergonomics too – the lack of a dedicated camera key and the sub-par sunlight legibility are probably the biggest issues, but the rest of it seems fine. Pretty good marks overall for the HTC Desire S in the hardware department.
We now move to the software part of this review. Starting on the next page, we're going to look into the nuts and bolts of a Sense-skinned Gingerbread Android.

This post is sponsored by:
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Tel: (09) 551-5344
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