Rumor: The First Smartphone To House A Snapdragon 64-Bit Chip Might Be The ZTE Apollo

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We’ve known that the iPhone 5s has been the only smartphone with a 64-bit processor inside for quite some time now, and we have danced around the question of what the first Android device would be to house a chipset of the same makeup. Not too long ago we reported that it was looking like Pantech’s Vega Iron 2 would be the first smartphone to potentially hold a 64-bit processor on the Android side of the spectrum, but today we’re learning that the ZTE Apollo could be the first smartphone to house a 64-bit processor made by Qualcomm. If this is true it’ll be big for ZTE as the first smartphone OEM to grab up Qualcomms 64 bit chips since they’re the biggest chipmaker currently. Other OEM’s are reportedly working on their own 64-bit processors as well, like Nvidia with the dual-core denver Tegra K1 processor, and Samsung with their own 64-bit Exynos SoC.

The ZTE Apollo, is apparently going to be the first device sporting a 64-bit snapdragon processor from Qualcomm according to cnmo.com, a Chinese news site. The phone isn’t expected to be out until sometime around the fall, so even if it is the first smartphone to house a 64-bit snapdragon chip, there is a good chance that at least one other device will be on the way around the same time frame with a 64-bit processor from another OEM.

There are potentially two different 64-bit processors that Qualcomm is working on that could make into the ZTE Apollo-the Snapdragon 808, or the Snapdragon 810- but there hasn’t been any mention from the source as to which processor it might be. Both processors have their strengths and pose to provide some serious computing power to the devices that they run inside of. The Snapdragon 810 will end up providing a bit more power because of its 8-core makeup, but even the Snapdragon 808 should be able to provide substantial computing power and performance to the Apollo. More information is likely to come out about which processor ZTE decides to use inside the upcoming device, but we might not find out which processor they use until we near the supposed release date around September.

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Root Required: XDA Mod Gives Your HTC One M8 A Boost In Volume Output

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High quality audio has always been something that users have wanted from their smartphones. Music lovers, gamers, and film buffs all enjoy and appreciate crystal clear and high quality sound output from their mobile devices, allowing them to enjoy a similar type of audio experience they might get from home through their home entertainment center. This is just one reason that the HTC One, and now the HTC One M8 have been highly praised-because of their dual front speakers with Boom Sound-and continue to be sought after devices for those who are seeking an unmatched audio experience from a smartphone. The old HTC One had great sound quality, but HTC wanted to do better. This year they have, delivering the HTC One M8 with the same loved dual front speakers, Boom Sound included, but they have made it so the speakers with the One M8 are 25% louder than those that come with the original HTC One.

While this a great start, some might want even louder audio output. If you have a set of headphones with their own separate audio control, this can sometimes be achieved, but not everyone can or cares to rush out and pick up a set of headphones or earbuds that deliver this feature, and will end up using a regular set of headphones or just listen with the speakers themselves. This is where this XDA mod comes in. A member over at the XDA site has come up with a way to give the HTC One M8 and your headphones of choice, a boost in the audio output department. The mod reportedly makes it so that both the speakers on the phone and the headphones you’ll be using give you a boost of 150% more volume output, making things even louder than before.

It should go without saying that this type of mod obviously requires root access to achieve the end goal, but for those who are unfamiliar with rooting and all that comes along with the process, if your phone has not been rooted, you cannot get this sound boost. If you wish to get this increased volume output on your M8, we recommend looking into rooting your device(properly of course) before you attempt to read through the XDA thread on the sound mod. For everyone who already has their M8 rooted, jump to the XDA thread link below where all the details lie in wait for you.

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Pre-Registration For The T-mobile HTC One M8 Starts Today

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T-mobile subscribers are now getting their chances to pre-register for the upcoming release of the HTC One M8. The launch date is only days away as April 11th is coming up fast. This is the same type of scenario that customers had with the Samsung Galaxy S5. Users of T-mobile service were able to pre-register for Samsung’s new flagship the day it was announced by Samsung at MWC in February with pre-orders beginning at the end of last month. This new pre-registration for the HTC 2014 flagship is just like most other major device launches for the company. You can pre-register for an informational update reminder about the device launching so you remember to jet down to your closest retail location and buy one, but you cannot pre-order the phone.

It’s interesting that T-Mobile would choose to have available pre-order options for the Samsung Galaxy S5, but not with the HTC One M8. This of course could be something entirely at the hands of HTC and have nothing to do with T-Mobile. Today you can go to a dedicated HTC One M8 web portal at the T-mobile website, and enter your information to get that all important alert that the new HTC phone is ready and available for you to buy come launch day. Upon navigating over to the pre-registration page you’ll need to be ready to enter your first and last name, your email, your phone number, and your zip code.

We haven’t heard anything exactly on the color option details T-mobile subscribers will have available to them, but we know the gunmetal grey will be available and we can guess there might be the glacial silver color either immediately or shortly down the line after initial release. The HTC One M8 as most of you already know comes with a full HD 5-inch display, and comes with the iconic dual front top and bottom speakers with Boom Sound just like last years device. Are there any subscribers out there that aim to be picking one of these devices up on the day of the launch? If so have you already pre-registered or will you just be entering the date into your phones calendar?

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LG Already working on a Second Wearable after the G Watch?

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According to a new report out of ePrice, it appears that LG is working on another wearable, and it’s not the G Watch of the Lifeband that we saw at CES. So it’s looking like LG is betting big on wearables this year. The LG G Watch is supposedly coming in Q2 of this year, and is based on Android Wear. Which we already know a bunch of OEMs have partnered with Google on. LG being one of them, hence the G Watch. Recently, LG posted the G Watch on their Facebook page so we could see how good the watch actually looks, as we haven’t seen much about the device already.

However the more interesting part here is the rumor coming out of Korea that LG is working on another wearable that is due to hit shelves shortly after the LG G Watch. Which we aren’t sure if its another smart watch or just a wearable as the source is only saying wearable. But we’re pretty sure that it’s going to be running on Android Wear. Since that’s the new hotness right now.

Obviously we’re a bit low on details of this new wearable right now, but we’re sure we’re going to see more about this device in the very near future. With it launching shortly after the G Watch which is launching in Q2 (June at the latest), it almost sounds like LG is going to launch this alongside their LG G3 in late Summer. Sort of like the Gear 2 with the Galaxy S5. But then again, I hope they don’t go Samsung’s path and make a wearable just for their devices. As it’s definitely not a good look, especially for someone like LG who doesn’t have as big of a market share as Samsung.

So another wearable from LG? I can dig it. What about the rest of you?

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Otterbox Announces their Galaxy S5 Case Offerings

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The Samsung Galaxy S5 launches this Friday, just about everywhere, in over 150 countries and on all four national carriers here in the US. So we’ll be seeing a lot of case manufacturers announcing their cases this week if they haven’t already. Otterbox is the next one to announce their Galaxy S5 case offerings, and as usual they are pretty tough. We’ve got a few new cases this year. So we’ve got the Defender and Commuter series that we’ve had for years. But Otterbox has added The Symmetry series and the Clearly Protected cases.

The Defender series is the most rugged case for the Galaxy S5. Comes with a built-in screen protector, a big holster and everything to protect your device. The Commuter is a bit slimmer, just covering the back and sides. But the Symmetry and Clearly protected cases are a bit new to us, so we’ll need to check those out. According to Otterbox the Symmetry Series:

“Slim, stylish, pocket-friendly design

Wraparound colors and graphics add seamless style

Dual-material construction absorbs shock and withstands drops

Raised beveled edge keeps your touchscreen safe

Easy installation protects and stylizes your phone”

While the Clearly protected is simply a screen protector that will work with any of these other cases. It will protect your new Galaxy S5 from getting scratches, dents, cracks, and much more. it also gives you a bit more privacy so those looking over your shoulder won’t be able to see what you’re reading, typing, etc. It’s a complete screen protector too, protecting the front, and back of your device. Which is a pretty big deal, at least in my opinion, because I’d hate to see scratches and dents anywhere on my phone.

Otterbox Commuter Series for Samsung Galaxy S5 – Frustration-Free Packaging – Black (Black/Black)

Otterbox Defender Series for Samsung Galaxy S5 – Frustration-Free Packaging – Glacier (White/Gunmetal Grey)

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HTC One M8 has the best Touch Sensitivity of all Current Flagships

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There’s a lot to love about the new HTC One M8. While many people weren’t happy with the camera, it does still take great pictures, and has some great hardware inside. Not to mention that beautiful display. But let’s talk about that beautiful display for a minute. One of the main issues we see with some devices is the touch sensitivity. Which is basically how long it takes for your finger to touch the display before the device knows that you’ve touched it. Now most people wouldn’t notice a difference, but those of us that use all of these flagships for reviews, and such, will notice it because well we use all these flagships so we notice the small stuff.

According to a new report – and graph, we love graphs – it appears that the HTC One M8 has the best touch sensitivity out of all the current flagships available right now. Which is kind of surprising, at least to me. It beat out the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, Apple iPhone 5, Apple iPhone 5S, Nexus 5, LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1, and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. As you can see from the graph down below, the HTC One M8 had a response of around 40ms. While the LG G2 came in last at around 110ms. What is really surprising is the second best touch sensitive device is the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the HTC One M8 cuts the Note 3′s time in half. That’s pretty crazy.

So while most of you probably won’t notice this, it’s still a great thing. Especially for those that are looking for reasons to buy the HTC One M8. We could probably give you a ton of reasons why you should buy the HTC One M8, but we’ll save that for another post. Check out the source links below for more information.

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Google is Using Android TV to Redefine Apps as We Know Them

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Android TV is real, and it’s really happening. We first heard about something called Android TV last October, but we hadn’t seen anything solid come to light until two days ago. Now it seems that Android TV is on track and well on it’s way to a release, possibly at Google I/O in June. What is Google trying to do with Android TV, though? Google TV was a failure. Chromecast is a resounding success. What’s in it for Google to take another shot in the set-top box arena? They want to redefine what we know as an app, and redefine how apps work on your television.

Right now, apps on any platform are stand-alone affairs that can’t talk to each and don’t share much data. This makes for a somewhat frustrating user experience, whether it’s on a Google TV box, Roku, Chromecast, or even an Apple TV. Google is looking to provide content providers with a platform that will integrate their app data, and make it smooth and seamless for consumers. If Google can make apps more easily accessible for consumers to use, by making it easier for content providers to share app data, that’s a win for everyone. Right? Not necessarily.

Big name content services like Hulu and Netflix want users to recognize their own brands, not Google’s. Even so, if a user were able to easily access content, any content, from any provider, that’s going to end up a win for everyone involved. But what does Google get out of all this? App data.

All of those apps would be sharing some or all of their data with each other, and with the core Android TV OS that they are running on. That means Google gets more living room data. How, and when, and where we watch what we watch is what Google is after. Android TV may even be released as an open OS, like Android Wear and Android itself. The more manufacturers using Android TV, the more data Google can get its hands on. Some content providers, and some TV manufacturers, may not be happy with this way of doing things. Who knows, it may flop the same way Google TV did. But in the end, Google is after our data.

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