HTC

Ex-HTC design chief works on next-gen Beats headphones

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Apple Beats PowerBeats in red
A new head of design means Apple will offer plenty more headphones to follow these Beats PowerBeats.
Photo: Apple

The reports of Beats’ death are (reportedly) greatly exaggerated. Rather than phasing out the brand, as had been rumored, Apple put Scott Croyle, the former head of product design at phone-maker HTC, in charge of crafting new Beats headphones, according to an unconfirmed report.

HTC’s upcoming wireless earbuds look like total AirPods ripoffs

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HTC AirPods
Spot the difference?
Photo: HTC/Android Police

HTC has plans to release some wireless earbuds in the near future. And there are absolutely no prizes on offer for guessing which company’s existing earbuds they look like.

Android Police found evidence of the forthcoming U Ear AirPods earbuds Monday. The images were discovered through regulatory agency filings in the U.S. and Taiwan. Boasting a similar shape and glossy plastic design to Apple’s ultra-successful AirPods, the U Ear buds differ most significantly in HTC’s choice of black as a color option.

Then again, there’s nothing to stop it from releasing the product in a variety of different shades!

US deploys 500,000 iPhones for 2020 census

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iPhone 8 red
iPhone 8 is being put to work for the 2020 census.
Photo: Apple

Most Americans are used to celebrating April Fools’ Day on the first day of April, but there’s another hugely important holiday happening today that you probably don’t know about: Census Day.

The decennial holiday kicks off on April 1, which is an important reference date for the census as enumerators attempt to count how many people there are in the country and where they live. This time, census takers are turning to the iPhone 8 instead of pencil and paper to get the job done.

HTC is falling to pieces thanks to Apple

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HTC Dream was the first Android phone.
HTC Dream was the first Android phone. But now its maker could be out of business in a year.
Photo: T-Mobile

HTC, once among Apple’s top rivals in the smartphone market, is laying off a quarter of its workforce. This is just the latest step in the slow collapse of the Taiwanese company.

This isn’t the result of some terrible misstep. There just doesn’t appear to be room in the current phone market for anyone but Apple, Samsung, and China-based phone-makers.

macOS Mojave adds support for HTC Vive Pro VR headset

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Mojave
macOS Mojave makes VR easier than ever on Mac.
Photo: Apple

Who says Macs can’t do virtual reality? When macOS Mojave rolls out this fall, it will include plug-and-play support for HTC’s latest Vive Pro VR headset.

Apple has been working closely with HTC and Valve to make this possible. Vive Pro support isn’t yet available with the first macOS Mojave beta, but it is expected to be made available to developers and testers in a future beta release.

Samsung and LG don’t throttle their phones like Apple does

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galaxy note 7
The battery might burst into flames, but at least you get a full-powered CPU.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s decision to throttle CPU speeds on iPhones with older batteries isn’t a feature its competition is eager to copy.

Both Samsung and LG have come out with statements today saying that none of their phones use similar power management tactics. Their claims echo other Android makers Motorola and HTC who made the same claim yesterday.

Here’s how Google plans to fight iPhone 8

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Google Pixel
It's in talks to buy HTC, maker of the Pixel lineup.
Photo: Google

Google plans to step up its fight against the iPhone 8 by taking a leaf out of Apple’s playbook.

A new report claims the company is in talks to buy HTC’s struggling smartphone business, which would give it near complete control over future Pixel devices.

Google’s answer to 3D Touch is destined to fail

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Google Pixel phone family
Google's next Pixel phones will be squeezable.
Photo: Google

Google’s next-generation Pixel smartphones will finally give pure Android lovers an alternative to the iPhone’s 3D Touch. But it won’t be anywhere near as good.

Instead of using pressure-sensitive displays like Apple, the company is said to be ripping off the new HTC U11’s squeezable edges.

Got a new iPhone? Sell your old Android phone to us.

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Got a shiny new iPhone? Sell us your old Android device.
Got a shiny new iPhone? Sell us your old Android device.
Photo: Paula Lavalle/Unsplash

No matter how well you take care of an Android phone, the time will come for it to count its last electric sheep. Selling a smartphone, even a functioning one, can be a hassle — and less than rewarding when dealing with the typical Android buyback program or Craigslist buyer.

If you’ve got a Samsung, LG or HTC phone, even one that’s gone completely kaput, Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it easy to trade it in for the best price.

HTC plans to copy iPhone 7’s most hated feature

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The HTC Bolt in silver.
The HTC Bolt in silver.
Photo: Evleaks

Apple isn’t the only smartphone maker that wants to kill headphone jacks.

Removing the 3.5mm audio port from the iPhone 7 was the most controversial design decision Apple has made in years. Now some leaked photos have revealed that HTC plans to copy the move on its next flagship device.

Google is finally making its own iPhone rival

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The official Google phone is coming.
The official Google phone is coming.
Photo: Google

Apple and Google are set to face-off as direct competitors in the smartphone wars later this year, according to a new report that claims the search-engine giant is finally preparing to make its own smartphone hardware.

Google has offered a “pure” Android experience for years with its lineup of Nexus phones made by the likes Motorola, LG and Huawei. However, it appears that the company is ready to tighten its control of the Android platform by going toe-to-toe with iPhone by making its own handset.

Samsung could beat Apple to dual-lens smartphone cameras

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its-official-galaxy-s7-has-the-best-smartphone-camera-on-the-market-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603Galaxy-S7-cam-close-jpg
The Galaxy Note 7 edge could have a second camera here.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

It looks like a dual-lens camera will be the most exciting upgrade for the iPhone 7 Plus this year, but you might be able to get one a month early from Samsung.

According to one report, the South Korean company is expected to deliver one inside the Galaxy Note 7 edge, which is due to make its debut in mid-August.

HTC 10 supports Apple AirPlay right out of the box

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htc-10-supports-apple-airplay-right-out-of-the-box-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604HTC-10-video-png
HTC 10 will stream straight to Apple TV.
Photo: HTC
HTC 10 will stream straight to Apple TV. Photo: HTC
HTC 10 will stream straight to Apple TV. Photo: HTC

If you’re thinking about swapping your iPhone for the new HTC 10, that decision just got a lot easier.

HTC has made its new flagship compatible with Apple’s AirPlay platform right out of the box, allowing it to play nicely with your Apple TV and other AirPlay devices without any additional hardware or software.

Got an old Android? Sell it to us for a great price!

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got-an-old-android-sell-it-to-us-for-a-great-price-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20160220140529_sims-erecycling_0536-final-640x426-jpg
It's easy to turn your old devices into cash.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Got an old Android you don’t use anymore? It’s useless to you in the bottom of a drawer, but if you dig it out and dust it off, you can sell it to us for cold hard cash!

We’re buying used and broken Android and Microsoft devices through our new buyback program, and we pay more than Best Buy, Gazelle, and Walmart in most cases. We’ll even buy used wearables, watches, and devices that don’t even work anymore.

5 tech trends you don’t want to miss at CES 2016

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Tech is taking over Vegas for the week.
Tech is taking over Vegas for the week.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage 2016 is here and that can only mean one thing: It’s time for CES.

The world’s biggest consumer electronics show, CES 2016, is getting underway this week in Las Vegas, which means nerds and all the companies that make the gadgets they love are instinctively flocking to the desert oasis like the salmon of Capistrano.

This year’s show promises to be bigger than ever, with all the latest tech trends on full display. Cult of Mac will be on the scene all week long bring hands-on looks at the coolest and weirdest gadgets CES has to offer.

Here’s what we expect to see at the show:

Think same? HTC’s new One A9 ad is another Apple ripoff

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think-same-htcs-new-one-a9-ad-is-another-apple-ripoff-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510HTC-One-A9-gold-jpg
HTC's new flagships certainly looks familiar.
Photo: HTC
HTC's new flagships certainly looks familiar. Photo: HTC
HTC’s new flagships certainly looks familiar. Photo: HTC

Before he made The Martian, Ridley Scott directed the most iconic Apple ad in history with the classic 1984 Macintosh commercial.

So what better way to set yourself apart from Apple as a rival smartphone maker than to… completely rip off ideas Apple was circulating thirty-odd years ago? Yeah, we don’t get it either.

Check out HTC’s new One A9 ad below to make your own mind up.

How Microsoft’s ambitious new Lumia 950 phones compare to rivals

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Windows 10 Mobile
Windows phones could be about to make a comeback.
Photo: Microsoft
Could you fall in love with a Lumia? Photo: Microsoft
Could you fall in love with a Lumia? Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s new Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL have arrived, with high-end specifications, iris recognition technology, and the latest Windows 10 software. But do they have what it takes to persuade you to give up Android or iOS?

Find out in our in-depth comparison below.

HTC’s iPhone clone leaks out again with giant bezels, six color options

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htcs-iphone-clone-leaks-out-again-with-giant-bezels-six-color-options-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201509HTC-One-A9-colors-jpg
One A9's six color options.
Photo: Evan Blass
One A9's six color options. Photo: Evan Blass
One A9’s six color options. Photo: Evan Blass

HTC’s upcoming iPhone clone, the One A9, has leaked out again ahead of its official unveiling.

A new press image confirms the device will be available in six colors, with gigantic bezels above and beneath its display that somewhat spoil its otherwise attractive look.