HTC Phones is Slowly Beginning to be Released by U.S. Customs

Good news for those looking for out-of-stock HTC phones: U.S. customs have started releasing them.

A statement released on the HTC Investment Site this evening states that U.S. customs has begun releasingsome of the phones that were held up for inspection last week.

Each imported HTC model must be reviewed by Customs and will be released once Customs officials have completed the inspection. Some models have gone through inspection and been released to our carriers customers. We don’t have the status of each specific device model at this time, but we are working closely with Customs. We remain confident that this issue will be resolved soon.

HTC has not yet detailed which phones have been released, but we’re sure a more official statement will be coming in the near future. We have reached out to HTC for comment and will update as soon as we can.

Samsung Mobile Chief Sees Some Hope in the Patent Wars with Apple

On the eve of court-mandated talks between Apple and Samsung, the Korean manufacturer offers a glimmer of hope.

Under orders from Judge Lucy Koh from the Northern District of California, the two companies are to spend Monday and Tuesday of this week in discussions in hopes of resolving the numerous patent suits that are pending between them.  As he prepared to depart for the United States, Samsung Electronics’ mobile division chief JK Shin stopped to speak with reporters at Seoul’s airport according to Reuters.  ”There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple but we still have several negotiation options including cross-licensing,” Shin said.

Samsung S III VS iPhone 4S

Introduction:

Always a difficult decision, choosing between the latest and greatest Android phone or the latest and greatest iPhone is a problem that every smartphone user faces at one point or another. Thankfully, the key to solving that problem isn't that far away when you know what to look for. Having both the Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 4S here with us, we thought that we absolutely have to pit these two ambitious guys against each other in order to make it easier for you to determine if you are more of a Galaxy S or iPhone user. Please let us kill the suspense from the very beginning – the Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S are so different and excellent in their own way, there isn't an ultimate “better” phone. For each of us, the better choice would be different as we're all looking for different things. Our comparison between the Galaxy S III and One X achieved its goal of pointing out the ultimate Android phone. However, it is now time to venture out of the Android zone and get the attention back to the notorious OS wars.

SmokedbyWindowsPhone takes over the city of Toronto

One of the most interesting promotions in the mobile phone industry, #SmokedbyWindowsPhone, went on the road to the city most often used by the motion picture industry to portray the Big Apple. We are talking about Toronto, of course. The current prize for beating Windows Phone is $100 and most walked away without the prize and either a new found respect for Microsoft's mobile OS, or else a feeling that someone cheated.

Check out the video below of a young man named Corey putting up his Apple iPhone 4S against a Nokia Lumia 900. The task was to find a list of local GTA eateries and the Nokia Lumia 900 handled it faster by coming up with a listing of a Tim Hortons restaurant before Corey even had opened his map application. Microsoft originally gave out new Windows Phone handsets to the losers until it was discovered that some were losing on purpose in order to snag a free phone. 

'Nokia Reading' now available for all non-U.S. Nokia Lumia Windows Phone models

The app is available on the Nokia Lumia 610

Last week Nokia pulled the curtain back a little on its 'Nokia Reader' application.  The reading hub and bookstore is now available for free in the Nokia Collection of the Windows Phone Marketplace. The app can be installed in non-U.S. models of the Nokia Lumia series in such locations as France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the U.K. and will slowly be added to other markets as the year progresses. The application is supported by all versions of the Nokia Lumia that have been released so far such as the Nokia Lumia 610, 710, 800 and 900 models.

Nokia Reading will offer books popular in local markets, but also books in English that have made the best-seller list. Since the Amazon Kindle app is not available to those using Windows Phone, 'Nokia Reading' takes its place and allows those in non-English speaking regions (where eBook sales have been traditionally low) to have easier access to digital books. Additionally, for those who enjoy the classics, many of them will be available for free.

RIM's BlackBerry Music Gateway is setting its eyes for an arrival in June for $49.99Black

As June quickly approaches, RIM is aiming to complement its existing line of BlackBerry devices, like the Bold 9900 and PlayBook, by bringing to market itsBlackBerry Music Gateway.

No doubt something that’ll be particularly interesting to grads and dads that have a soft spot for all things music, the BlackBerry Music Gateway provides the ability to wirelessly stream songs from their BlackBerry device, to a home or car stereo system. Not only does it connect with devices via Bluetooth connectivity, but the Music Gateway has the advantageous ability to quickly pair with devices that are NFC enabled. Essentially, all you’ll have to do is tap your NFC enabled BlackBerry, and voila, instant pairing without all of the hassles.

Samsung Galaxy S III vs HTC One X

Introduction:

The HTC One X was the first new-generation Android smartphone to come out this year. It introduced us to a new kind of Android experience – one powered by an ultra-fast quad-core processor. Moreover, it helped HTC become relevant again, after a brief period of slowdown in innovation that caused the company a few disappointing quarters. Until now, the One X was pretty much the go-to phone if a user wanted one of these new Android marvels, equipped with an extremely large screen and the latest silicon inside. With the recent introduction of theSamsung Galaxy S III, though, things are going to get much more interesting. While HTC has always been a leader in the Android sector, even its best phones have always been in the shadow of Samsung's Galaxy S series, at least in terms of popularity. Thanks to their relatively close launch timings, we now have a perfect opportunity to pit these two powerhouses against each other.

Take a deep breath, people, as what follows is the most epic Android clash for the first half of the year – the Samsung Galaxy S III is facing the HTC One X!

HTC One X vs Samsung Galaxy Note

                                          Introduction:
The Samsung Galaxy Note bully is not just the record holder in screen size among high-end phones, it also comes with a baseball bat to crush the competition, in the form of a stylus. This actually puts it in a category of its own, but for the sake of the comparison with another giant - the HTC One X - we’ll pretend that size doesn’t matter.

Once you go big, you might never look back - valid as much for banks as for smartphones now. If you’d told us just two years ago that we will be comparing a phone with a 4.7” display to one with a 5.3-incher as if it’s no big deal, we’d be recommending a full mental checkup.

Yet here we are, comparing HTC’s high-end for the year - the One X - with the phone Samsung took a big risk with and won - the 5.3” Galaxy Note. We say won, since it has sold millions to date, backed by a lofty marketing campaign, whereas the HTC One X has only been around for a few weeks, but the Taiwanese already pledged that its One series trio will receive the best marketing attention the company’s ever done too.

Motorola explains why some devices won't be updated to Android 4.0

A couple of days ago, Motorola updated its Android 4.0 upgrade timeline. The refresh narrowed the Ice Cream Sandwich release window for several devices, but it also revealed that some will not be receiving an ICS bump and will instead stay on Android 2.3. Shortly after updating its schedule, Motorola posted a brief explanation on why devices like the DROID 3 and DROID X2 won't be updated to Android 4.0. The company explains that it wants an update to improve the device it's being pushed to, and if it decides that a particular update wouldn't accomplish that, it decides that it's unable to upgrade that product. Moto's full statement:

GameStop Mobile appears as new AT&T MVNO

Today has brought with it the second new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) of the week, and while the latest provider comes with a name some of you may be familiar with, you likely wouldn't have guessed that the firm would be interested in entering the cellular arena. Video games retailer GameStop has introduced GameStop Mobile, an MVNO that operates on AT&T's network. Interested customers can buy a SIM card from GameStop Mobile and then insert it into an unlocked GSM or AT&T device, select a plan and then they'll be ready to roll.

Virgin Mobile offering $25 Google Wallet credit with LG Optimus Elite

If you've been on the fence about picking up Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus Elite, the carrier has a new deal that may convince you to pull out your wallet. Virgin has announced that any customer that buys an Optimus Elite and activates a Google Wallet prepaid card within seven days of the phone purchase will receive a $25 Google Wallet credit. The promotion starts today and will run through July 18th, meaning you've got plenty of time to gather up the $149.99 for a new Optimus Elite. It's also worth noting that the $25 credit will be given to you in two portions, with the first $10 getting delivered within 48 hours of your Wallet activation and then the remaining $15 arriving within three weeks.

LG Optimus Elite to Sprint

We thought there was going to be two new smartphones hitting Sprint today, but since the HTC EVO 4G LTE is being held up, we can only announce the LG Optimus Elite on this Friday May 18, 2012.

Release Date: Friday May 18, 2012
Carrier: Sprint
Retail Price: $249.99
Phone Price: $29.99 after instant savings, mail-in rebate, and with 2-yr Agreement
Hot Features:  Eco-friendly, compatible at Google Wallet locations, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), 1530 mAh battery, 800MHz processor

Facebook sets IPO share price, now worth $104 billion

The shares, priced at $38 (£24) a pop, will go on sale on the Nasdaq exchange, giving you a chance to own a piece of the social network. The news means that Facebook will raise some $16bn to invest in making the site even better and makes it one of the biggest stock market launches in American history.

"Facebook today announced the pricing of its initial public offering [IPO] of 421,233,615 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $38 per share," a company statement said.

"The shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on May 18, 2012, under the symbol 'FB'.

Samsung Galaxy S III receives 9 million pre-orders

Reports suggest more than 9 million customers have already pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S III before its official arrival on 30 May. The Samsung Galaxy S III, which was unveiled at a glitzy soiree in London, has already received rave reviews from the tech industry and, if the reports are to be believed, it’s hit the right note with consumers too. 

The Korea Economic Daily newspaper which published the figures has also been told by an unidentified Samsung official that the manufacturer’s smartphonefactory in South Korea is producing units at a rate of 5 million a month. 

Samsung Galaxy S III S Voice APK leaked online

If you find yourself with nothing better to do this weekend, then you might have a bit of fun playing around with Samsung's soon-to-be-released S Voice application on your rooted Android 4.0 smartphone. The APK has now made its way into the wild, and we couldn't help but take it for a spin on our Nexus S. First off, while we can't vouch for the security of the file, we can confirm that it's indeed functional. Secondly, while some of the S Voice features work just fine -- such as search or contact queries -- other requests such as navigation repeatedly caused the app to crash. In other words, if you're expecting this app to behave as it should on the Galaxy S III, you might be in for a disappointment. If you're merely looking to poke around with the S Voice functionality, however, the download seems quite worthwhile. At this point, we're most curious to know whether non-Samsung owners have similar luck. If you're willing to give 'er a go, let us know your experience in the comments below.

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 14th, 2012.