HTC Leaks Android Jelly Bean Device Update List

Each new version of Google’s Android operating system that rolls out will inevitably bring about a whole lot of chatter - especially when it concerns the different kinds of hardware manufacturers who have a bunch of Android-powered devices in tow, as owners of those devices are left scratching their heads, wondering whether their devices (tablet, phablets and smartphones alike) will make the cut when it comes to an upgrading exercise. Well, those who are of the HTC persuasion should sit tight - a list of HTC devices has been leaked, and these will be on the receiving end of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Normally, it takes months after the release of the latest Android version to hit the various devices and hardware in the market, and sometimes, it is due to the complex relationship that mobile carriers and the hardware manufacturers have. Still, Football4PDA, a Twitter feed that has come up with reliable rumors in the past (especially the latest Nokia Lumia range with its wireless charging accessories), has obtained a list of all HTC devices that will get the Jelly Bean upgrade.

Bear in mind that the leaked list is in no way a full or definite answer of what the future holds, but at least it provides a general roadmap. Without further ado, the HTC devices that will be updated to Android Jelly Bean are the HTC One X+ (Evitare), HTC One XL (Evita), HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE (Fireball), HTC EVO 4G LTE (Jewel), HTC One SV (K2), HTC One VX (Totem C2), HTC One S (Ville), HTC One S C2 (Ville C2), and the HTC J ISW13HT (Valente).

Of course, the HTC One X was earlier confirmed to receive the update, and you would realize that older smartphones such as the HTC Sensation and Desire X are missing from the list. HTC did mention before that their handsets that have 512MB or less RAM will not be part of the Android Jelly Bean update, and while those devices have more than 512MB, they do seem to be at the end of their update life cycle. Bummer.

Source: Football4PDA 

HTC M7 Prepared For A February 2013 Debut

Every smartphone company would need a flagship device to keep the colors flying, and it is no different with HTC. In fact, the rumored HTC M7 is said to be lined up for a February 2013 debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and we have some leaked details on what you can expect underneath the hood after the jump.

It seems that an anonymous (although believed to be reliable) source claims that the HTC M7 will deliver some industry firsts, such as the first Full HD 4.7-inch display that packs a whopping 468PPI pixel density, making it some 40% higher compared to what the iPhone 5 from Apple offers, while sharing a similar optical lamination technology.

Dubbed as the SoLux display, it is also touted to come with a range of visual improvements compared to the previous generation of Super LCD 2 displays, helping boost viewing angles, outdoor visibility, and color accuracy.

Apart from that, you should be able to find a second-generation quad-core processor from Qualcomm underneath the hood, which has been clocked at 1.7GHz for each core. That would be aided by 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage space should be comfortable for many, should it happen to lack a memory expansion slot.

In all probability, the HTC M7 should ship with Android 4.1 (or 4.2, who knows?) Jelly Bean in tow, and obviously being a HTC device, it would be skinned with the latest version of HTC’s Sense 5 user interface enhancement.

Other than that, the rumor mill has yielded some other juicy features such as a 13-megapixel CCD sensor as well as an even larger f/2.0 lens. Known as Cinesensor, this improved and larger sensor is said to deliver increased image quality and improved features, including super slow-motion and video HDR. The front camera can capture video in 1080p to boot.

A Beats-enabled amplifier and a next-generation Wi-Fi standard (802.11ac) have also been penciled in. In all, the HTC M7 should figure out on Verizon and Sprint in the US, and we look forward in anticipation.

How To Make Your Android Run Like It’s A Stock Device

For those who don’t already know, there are two broad groups of Android devices. There are stock Android devices which run the ‘vanilla’ Android operating system, and then there are third-party Androids which run a modified version of that operating system.

Any device with ‘Nexus’ in its name – like the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, or Samsung Galaxy Nexus – is considered a stock Android device with the basic Android OS installed. Meanwhile, popular Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S3 come with a version of Android that was modified by Samsung to include Samsung apps and dozens of UI changes.

Stock Android is pure Android. Stock Androids tend to be faster and contain less bloatware. The UI is cleaner and more reliant on default Google apps.

It’s easy to appreciate stock Android. And if you want to experience the magic of stock Android on your non-stock Android device, then there are three ways you can do that:

METHOD 1) ROOT YOUR ANDROID USING ONE CLICK ROOT

Rooting strips away all of the ‘improvements’ that have been made to the Android OS on your device. When you use a program like One Click Root, rooting only takes a few minutes to complete. And once you have root access to your Android, it will run a vanilla version of Android.

Rooting also gives you access to a number of other unique apps and cool rooting benefits.

METHOD 2) BUY A STOCK ANDROID DEVICE

There are plenty of Stock Androids available for sale today. Many of them are made by Google. Unfortunately, Google’s smartphones and tablets are notoriously difficult to buy because – for whatever reason – Google never makes enough to keep up with demand.

If you want to buy into the stock Android experience, you can check out the following devices:

-Nexus 4

-Nexus 7

-Nexus 10

-Samsung Galaxy Nexus

METHOD 3) INSTALLING APPS THAT LOOK LIKE STOCK ANDROID

If you don’t want to pay for a new Android and don’t want to root it yourself, then you can easily download some apps that make your device look like it’s running stock Android. Here are some of our favorite stock Android-looking apps that will improve the appearance of your smartphone or tablet:

Lockscreen: Your lockscreen is the first thing you notice when you turn on your Android. It’s a central part of the vanilla Android experience. You can create a nice-looking vanilla lockscreen thanks to a free app called Holo Locker.

Launcher: Once you’ve unlocked your phone, you’ll want to use a vanilla Android launcher to access your apps in the most authentic way possible. Download the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean launcher from the Google Play Store in order to setup your homescreens like they look on any stock Android device.

Camera: Third-party Androids come with their own camera app installed. You can download the stock Android camera experience for Jelly Bean here or for Ice Cream Sandwich here

Photo gallery: I don’t know about you, but I spent a lot of time browsing through my lovely Android gallery of photos. It’s one of the most-used apps on my phone, and the minimalistic interface of the stock Android gallery app makes browsing through photos a breeze. Download the Ice Cream Sandwich gallery for free from here.

Other Android apps to download if you want to access the stock Android experience (or at least make your phone look like it’s accessing the stock Android experience):

-Calculator

-Clock

-Jelly Bean 4.2 Keyboard

-Jelly Bean Messaging apps

-Calendar

-Ice Cream Sandwich browser

CONCLUSION – SHOULD YOU USE STOCK ANDROID?

If you don’t want to spend a few minutes rooting your Android, then you can make your Android look and perform like it’s a stock system by downloading the apps we’ve linked to above.

When you use stock Android, you’re using Android the way Google intended you to use it. When you use an Android that’s been modified by third-parties like Samsung, HTC, or LG, you’ve diluted that experience and added pointless apps that you may never use.

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