htc

Customers not as happy with iPhone as they were last year

More customers are satisfied with Apple's phones than any other handsets, but they're not as happy as they were last year, a new report said.

According to an American Customer Satisfaction Index report issued today, Apple received a score of 81 (on a scale of 100) in terms of customer satisfaction. But the company dropped 2 percent from its 2012 position, and the iPhone lags the customer satisfaction rating of 86 for Apple's desktop, laptop, and tablet business.

At the same time, satisfaction with Motorola phones jumped 5 percent from 2012 to 77, and Nokia grew 1 … Read more

HTC One makes video call from summit of Everest

This might not be what the Taiwanese company had in mind when it wanted its HTC One to be on top of the world, but thanks to British mountaineer Daniel Hughes, the high-end Android phone is the first to make a video call from the highest point on Earth.

Hughes, who's trying to raise $1.5 million for Comic Relief -- it's also the highest ever Red Nose -- spoke to BBC News yesterday from the summit of Everest. … Read more

Forced to live with BB10, and kind of liking it

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Irony may be funny to the gods of Olympus, but it's a cruel lesson for us mortals. I found this out the hard way at BlackBerry Live 2013. Within minutes of arriving at my hotel I managed to misplace my lovely HTC One test unit. As a result, my backup BlackBerry Z10 was suddenly promoted to first-string smartphone duty. … Read more

HTC One volumes to double in May

HTC will be ramping up production of its flagship HTC One device, and capacity will double this month from April's, as the company looks to make up for lost sales due to component shortages that delayed the phone's launch in various markets.

Focus Taiwan reported Thursday that the production capacity for HTC One is rising on a month-to-month basis as its component supply chain issues improve. Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said manufacturing volume will double in May from the previous month and will rise further in June to meet "strong demand."

"Our … Read more

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