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Android skins have raised the hackles of some smartphone enthusiasts because they can be slow and tacky. But phone makers are not ready to give up on them just yet.

Along with the launch of two new phones Wednesday, HTC revamped its Sense user interface seen on devices such as the Evo. Sense is HTC’s Android user interface that includes widgets to aggregate social networking feeds, offer calendar, and camera app among others.

The new version of Sense will be seen on the Desire and Desire Z smartphones that has company has recently launched.

The revamped Sense UI will have a much faster boot time, DLNA support to allow streaming media to other devices, faster maps and a new website for device management, says HTC.

HTC doubling down on its Sense UI is a sign that phone makers are likely to hold on to Android skins, despite significant improvements in the latest versions of the Android operating system. In July, Motorola said it plans to let go of the ‘MotoBlur’ brand name since it confused consumers. But it is staying firm on the idea of the MotoBlur skin that would customize the generic look of Android and meld it to the company’s tastes.

Here’s what HTC consumers can expect in the new Sense UI. The new version will boot under 10 seconds, says HTC. The company wouldn’t provide information on boot time for the older version. The move should help alleviate some of the complaints around skins slowing down the Android OS.

HTC has also added Locations, a mapping application that’s different from Google Maps. Locations has some unique features, says HTC. It includes cached maps, which can be handy for international travelers who don’t want to incur data roaming chargers. Users can download the map information to their phone before they leave the country and still get GPS-based map information in a foreign country without using any data.

Locations also includes a compass mode to orient the map on the screen so it is aligned with the direction the user is facing.

HTC has improved the camera app in the new version Sense by adding different filters and effects such as line art.

“So, if you want to create an artistic Photoshop-ish effect to an image you are capturing, you can do it real time while you take the picture, rather than using a photo processing app after the fact,” says Keith Nowak, spokesperson for HTC.

Also, in keeping with how popular e-readers are now, the new Sense interface includes a widget for an e-book store powered by Kobo.

Remote device management is now become a must-have for all major smartphone makers. Motorola offers free online back-up and remote find for its lost Android phones. Apple does the same with the paid MobileMe. Now HTC is joining the bandwagon with the HTCSense.com service.

The service allows consumers to manage their phone from a computer and locate a missing phone by triggering the handset to ring loudly, even if it is set to silent, or to flag its location on a map.

Other services include remote lock, forwarding calls and texts to another phone and remote wipe can be done through the site. Users can also access archived mobile content such as contacts, text messages and call history from a PC browser.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source:wired.com

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After Google’s Nexus One, HTC’s Evo 4G phone is the first device to get upgraded to the latest Android 2.2 Froyo version of the operating system. But some users are not happy about it.

The Froyo update has broken the syncing of multiple Gmail accounts on the device. The results is that only the primary Gmail account is updated automatically. Second and third Gmail accounts have to be manually refreshed to pull in new e-mails, say Evo users on forums such as Android Central and Google’s Android support board.

“My two Gmail accounts have always worked great on 2.1. Moving to 2.2 my primary Gmail pushes instantly. My secondary Gmail account doesn’t sync at all. I have to manually sync to get it to work,” says ‘tommy m‘, an Evo user who first posted about the issue on the Android Central forum.

The problem also means that users don’t see new e-mail notifications from secondary accounts.

HTC hasn’t responded to a request for comment yet.

HTC and Sprint, the exclusive carrier for the Evo, started pushing out Froyo to customers on August 3. The update offers features such as voice dialing over Bluetooth, the ability to store apps on the external memory card and browser improvements including a faster JavaScript engine and Flash support.

The problems with syncing of multiple Gmail accounts flared up right after the Evo moved to Android 2.2. Some Froyo users have been offering homebrewed solutions on message boards including deleting the accounts and adding them again with a change to the mail setting of ‘notify once.’ But the solution hasn’t worked reliably for all users.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source:wired.com

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The HTC Evo has competition. Samsung has introduced its first 4G handset, called the Samsung Epic, on Sprint’s network. The Epic will be the second 4G smartphone on Sprint, following the Evo 4G’s debut earlier this month.

The Epic 4G will have a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard. Inside, the device packs a 1GHz ‘Hummingbird’ processor from Samsung, and two cameras: a five megapixel camera to shoot movies and photos and a front-facing VGA camera (0.3 megapixels) for video chat. The phone will run Google’s Android 2.1 operating system.

Samsung’s 4G phone is up against some strong rivals. The HTC Evo 4G has become the best-selling device on Sprint’s network. Meanwhile, Apple launched its latest iPhone, the iPhone 4, last week. Though the iPhone 4 runs on AT&T’s 3G overloaded network, the device has some features such as video chat and a luminous, high-resolution display that is drawing in customers. Apple sold 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the three days since the device’s launch.

The Epic is part of a new family of Android smartphones called Galaxy S from Samsung. The Galaxy S phones feature 4-inch screens, run Android and integrate social networking feeds from Twitter and Facebook, plus e-mail messages, calendars and contacts, into a single screen.

Sprint did not reveal pricing or availability for the Epic 4G.

When it comes to 4G services, Sprint is ahead of other wireless service providers in the U.S. Sprint’s 4G network is currently available in 36 cities. Sprint claims its 4G service can deliver up to 10 times higher speeds than existing 3G networks. Major areas such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. will get 4G connectivity later this year, says Sprint.

Verizon is testing its 4G ‘LTE’ network this year and expects to start rolling it out next year. AT&T is likely to start trials of its 4G service next year.

Not surprisingly, Sprint is pressing its advantage with 4G handsets.

Samsung’s Epic is largely comparable to the HTC Evo in its hardware, but it lags behind in a few areas. The Evo has a 8-megapixel camera, compared to the Epic’s 5-megapixel. The Evo can provide wireless access for up to eight devices as part of its hotspot capability, while the Epic an support only up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

But Samsung hopes to offer content that will put the Epic ahead. For instance, over the next few months, Epic users will have access to the Samsung Media Hub, a video store with movies and TV available for purchase or rental, says Samsung. A 4G network should help make downloads much faster, says the company.

The phone will also have a service called ‘AllShare’ to wirelessly exchange music, pictures and video with other devices. For business users, the phone supports push email, integrated calendar and Exchange ActiveSync.

Samsung and Sprint say the Epic will be upgraded to the latest flavor of Android, Android 2.2 ‘Froyo.’

As for other cellphone service providers, Samsung isn’t neglecting them. In the next few weeks, Samsung plans to offer Fascinate, a 3G phone running Android 2.1 OS on Verizon and Vibrant, an Android smartphone on T-Mobile’s network.

Top Photo: Samsung Epic 4G/Samsung

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews