HTC Announces the 5.7″ HTC U Ultra and 5.2″ HTC U Play with Sense Companion AI

In an event in Taiwan, its home country, HTC has announced its first devices of 2017 — the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play. The announced devices indicate a shift in HTC's design language as it now seeks to experiment with a different design and build, outside of the metallic unibody builds that it has followed along for a few years now.

Termed 'Liquid Surface', this design philosophy is seen on both the devices announced today and is likely to be followed and adopted by other 2017 devices as well.

HTC U Ultra

The HTC U Ultra is the bigger and better device out of the two announced. You get a very premium-looking device, with a metallic mid-frame sandwiched between glass on the front and back. The glass on the back of the device curves on all the edges, giving us a seamless transition from glass to metal. The top most variant of the HTC U Ultra takes it a notch higher by making use of Sapphire Glass for the front and back.

For the display, there is some LG V10/20 action going on here. The main display panel is a 5.7″ QHD Super LCD 5 display with Gorilla Glass 5 on top. The secondary panel on the top is a 2″ (diagonally) 160 x 1040 Super LCD display. In addition to always-on functionality, the secondary display will be the home for Sense Companion (which we will talk about in a bit).

On the inside, the HTC U Ultra packs in specs that would feel top-notch in 2016, but may struggle in the highest-end flagship category in 2017. The HTC U Ultra is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, which albeit is a high-end choice, may leave users expecting to see the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 a little disappointed. The standard variant comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage with microSD expandability, while the exclusive Sapphire variant bumps up the storage to 128GB.

The HTC U Ultra borrows its rear camera setup from the HTC 10, making use of a 12MP UltraPixel sensor with large 1.55µm pixels, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, laser autofocus, and an addition of phase detection autofocus and Sapphire lens as well. On the front, there is a 16MP shooter, which also has an Ultra Pixel mode which can output 4MP images with increased low-light performance.

For the rest of the specs, the HTC U Ultra packs in a disappointing 3,000 mAh battery, which might struggle to power the big and dense display through an entire work day. On the plus side, you do get Quick Charge 3.0 through the USB Type-C port. However, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack port.

We removed the headphone jack because we believe the audio experience on the phone can be so much more than just the simple transmission of sound. The sonar-like capabilities of the new USonic earphones [included in the box] wouldn't be possible with a 3.5mm headphone jack. We have microphones built into both earbuds that "listen" for sonic pulses, which can then adjust your audio to match your ears' unique architecture. We believe the market is ready to push audio into new innovations that benefit consumers' listening experience.

HTC did spend some time on stage talking about the AI capabilities of the new HTC U Ultra. The AI experience on the U Ultra is powered by the Sense Companion. This will make use of the four-microphone setup on the U Ultra to leverage always-on voice detection to allow voice-based biometric authentication. The phone will also attempt to learn the habits of its users, using these to predict needs and actions and serve suggestions.

The HTC U Ultra does come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Pricing of the standard variant U Ultra is fixed at $749, a price point that leaves no doubt about the premium placement of this product. The U Ultra is available in blue, black, white and pink colors, and is available for pre-order from htc.com beginning today while deliveries will begin in March. Pricing and availability of the 128GB Sapphire variant of the HTC U Ultra is unknown right now.

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HTC U Play

The HTC U Play is the smaller and disappointingly-inferior cousin to the HTC U Ultra.

The U Play adopts the same 'Liquid Surface' design philosophy, so you do get a device that looks premium and similar to the HTC U Ultra. The device gets a smaller 5.2″ FHD Super LCD display. There is no secondary display on this device.

On the inside, the HTC U Play packs in the MediaTek Helio P10, a midrange SoC from MediaTek that was launched in June 2015 and a baffling choice for a 'mid range' device of 2017. The other internals are not as severe of performance choke points as the device comes in two RAM/Storage variants of 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB along with microSD expandability on both.

The camera setup on the HTC U Play consists of 16MP sensors with 1µm pixels and f/2.0 aperture, one each on the front and rear. The rear camera does get PDAF and OIS capabilities, while the front camera gets the Ultra Pixel mode.

Disappointment continues on with the small 2,500 mAh battery which bears fast charging capabilities only up to 5V/2A. The USB Type-C port is USB 2.0 (as opposed to USB 3.1 on the U Ultra), and the phone also lacks the headphone jack.

The HTC U Play comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, but the device does retain the Sense Companion AI capabilities.

Pricing and availability of the HTC U Play have not been revealed, Unfortunately, a dated processor like the Helio P10 will have a difficult time standing against current budget processors, leave alone mid-end powerhouses like the Snapdragon 652 and others. HTC will need to price this device aggressively if they wish to entice the spec-informed consumer.

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What are your thoughts on the HTC U Ultra and the HTC U Play? Let us know in the comments below!

>> Check Out XDA's HTC U Ultra Forums!

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Android Wear 2.0 Update is Scheduled for Release Next Month

Google first announced the Android Wear 2.0 update back in May of last year at Google I/O 2016. Shortly after, the company released the first developer preview for the wearable update, and they've been working hard on it ever since. Since then though, the big update to Android Wear has had a rough development cycle, and over all things haven't looked that great for the wearable platform as a whole.

Android Wear 2.0 has had a handful of developer previews since it was announced, with each one slowly introducing new features and new mechanics for both users and developers alike. A big one that many are anxiously waiting for is the ability to manually install applications directly on the smartwatch itself. This is different to how things are now, where companion versions of apps are forced to be installed on the watch if the parent application is on the device it's paired to.

Google was rumored to have Android Wear 2.0 ready for launch sometime in Q1 of this year. This led to many thinking the company would wait until the last minute to release it, especially since Google has confirmed they're launching two smartwatches to coincide with the big new update. These two devices will not carry the Pixel branding though, and instead will follow the traditional Nexus template and will be manufactured by OEMs.

Yesterday, Google started sending out emails to various Android Wear developers, telling them to get their app update published to the Play Store. If the developer has any issues with their current app, a brief summary is outlined in the email, which is nice, but they're also telling developers that "Android Wear 2.0 is launching in early February." So if you own a device that is slated to receive the update, you should only have to wait a few more weeks to get bumped up to Android Wear 2.0.

Have you had a chance to try out any of the developer previews, or are you waiting for the official update to be rolled out?

Source: +AdamOutler

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Facebook Finally Fixes Battery Draining Bug In The Messenger App

For a past couple of weeks, many Facebook Messenger users were complaining about  very fast battery drainage on their smartphones (with the accompanying thermals impact) due to an unknown bug in the app. Luckily, it looks like the bug which was causing this rapid battery draining has been fixed after all.

Yesterday, Facebook's Vice President of Messaging Products, David Marcus, took Twitter and acknowledged that they were aware of the bug and that it's now fixed. As for what was causing the problem, David said that it was a server-side bug, adding that it has now been isolated and fixed by the Facebook team. David also advised users to restart the Facebook Messenger app in order to completely get rid of the issue.

@bestsportnascar @alxpap issue was isolated and fixed server side. If you restart Messenger the problem should be gone now. Very sorry.

— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) January 10, 2017

If you're a Facebook Messenger user and noticed that your battery is draining very fast from past couple of weeks, then you were most likely affected by this battery draining bug. But as acknowledged by Facebook, the issue is now fixed on their end and to ensure it's fixed on your end too, simply restart the Messenger app. You can try force closing the app from the Settings. Alternatively, you can also restart the device to see if the issue is resolved.

Are you a Facebook Messenger user? Let us know if you noticed unusual battery drain!

Source: @DavidMarcus

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Get Custom Quick Settings Tiles

In Android Nougat, you are able to edit your quick settings tiles and even download and add new ones from the Play store. This video shows some of the best tiles out there.

Weather Quick Settings Tile

This app lets you add a small weather tile to your quick settings bar on Android Nougat. The text shows you the current temperature while a small icon displays one of 12 different weather conditions.

Download

Caffeinate

Caffeinate works by creating a tile in your quick settings, a feature only available in Android Nougat and higher. Upon toggling, Caffeinate will keep your screen awake for five minutes. After the time is up, your screen will continue sleeping normally.

Download

Night Mode

Activate the hidden night mode feature in Android Nougat with one tap of this tile.

Download

Monotweety

Monotweety is an open-source Twitter client just for tweeting from device's notification area. If you are using Android 7.0 or later, you can literally tweet from the notification area. Otherwise when you tap the notification, an editor dialog will be launched.

Download

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Xperia Projector Shows up Again at CES 2017 — Android Touchscreen Device Projected Anywhere!

Lately, Sony has showcasing new devices that it claims are the next step in innovation for mobile technology. Dubbed "Xperia SmartProducts", they are a new take with a small twist on not-so-old gadgets, often with just enough pizzazz to raise some eyebrows.

First shown alongside the Xperia X series back in February of 2016, these smart devices are what Sony calls products "with the brains and the beauty to redefine the way you communicate". While most of them existed as mere visions and concepts back at Mobile World Congress 2016\, the Xperia Ear voice assistant is actually available now — but this was arguably the least ambitious of the products, though, as it is essentially a newer Moto Hint. What really made us raise our heads back then, and what we are still most excited about, is the Xperia Projector. Below is an excellent video by Linus Tech Tips demonstrating how the Xperia Projector works and what it's good for:

In case you cannot watch the video, the Xperia Projector is indeed a laser projector that's intended to bring a full-fledged Android tablet experience anywhere, projected onto any surface. It detects 10-point multi-touch rather accurately through an IR sensor on the device, making for a responsive and scalable Android touchscreen you can put anywhere in your house, including on furniture and even walls. It generates a 23-inch display which can also be scaled up to 80 inches by putting the device around 25cm away from the target surface (this being best for walls), which makes it great for gatherings or movies (even if the quality isn't the best). The device also has NFC, bluetooth, WiFi , a microphone and a camera for Skype calls and other use.

Like we saw with other Xperia smart products, there are various usecases this could be good for, ranging from a smart wall assistant for your bedroom to an interactive kitchen screen to help you navigate recipes and cooking videos without getting a physical device all messy. It also looks to be fun to use with board games and casual reading, and you can stream PlayStation 4 games to the device as well.

Sony isn't sharing many details regarding price or availability, but it's likely that this product will hit stores within the year as other "Xperia smart products" have. We don't expect it to be cheap, but we appreciate Sony's willingness to innovate in this space. If you haven't checked out Linus Tech Tips' video on the matter, we suggest you bookmark it for later as it's truly worth a watch!

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What do you think of this projector? If it ends up being affordable, would you buy one? Discuss below!

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Google will now Require OEMs to Prompt before Silently Uninstalling Applications

With the release of each new version of Android comes a whole host of changes. For instance, Android 7.1 Nougat introduced application shortcuts, round icon support, and keyboard image insertion. But there are also many subtle changes made to the operating system that only developers and OEMs really pay attention to. For OEMs, they also have to pay attention to any updates made to the Android Compatibility Definition Document (CDD). This document outlines the hardware and software requirements necessary for devices to meet the compatibility requirements with the latest version of Android. If a device fails to meet these requirements, then they may fail Google's Compatibility Test Suite – resulting in a loss of access to Google's suite of applications.

When the CDD for Android 7.1 Nougat released, it received little fanfare compared to the interest generated by 7.0's document. No surprises there, though, as 7.1 is only a minor upgrade to Android so there isn't much that was expected to change. But that doesn't mean there aren't any changes worth noting. Today, AndroidPolice discovered some language in the updated document stating that OEMs will be forbidden from modifying the notification behavior introduced in Android Nougat – direct replies and notification bundling. Through some digging of our own, we discovered the introduction of some more interesting language added to the document.

Section 4 of the document, titled "Application Packaging Compatibility", defines how device implementations must manage APK installations. At the bottom of this section, there is a new paragraph that states that system-installed applications can no longer uninstall packages without prompting the user.

Device implementations MUST NOT allow apps other than the current "installer of record" for the package to silently uninstall the app without any prompt, as documented in the SDK for the DELETE_PACKAGE permission. The only exceptions are the system package verifier app handling PACKAGE_NEEDS_VERIFICATION intent and the storage manager app handling
ACTION_MANAGE_STORAGE intent.

What this is essentially saying is that only the application that was responsible for installing a package in the first place will be able to uninstall that package. For example, if you install an application through the Google Play Store, it retains the ability to uninstall that package. The only exceptions to this rule is when the system package manager is verifying an application and when you are using the new Android Nougat storage manager feature.

In order to delete a package that is not considered the "installer of record", an application needs to have the DELETE_PACKAGE permission. Fortunately, this permission is restricted to system applications, so it's not as if you can be tricked into granting an application this dangerous permission (unless you grant a malicious application root access, but then all bets are off). The Android permission manifest documentation notes that whenever a system application requests to delete another package, user confirmation will be requested. However, even though this language was introduced in the developer reference page for Android 7.0, it's only with Android 7.1 that Google is making this user prompt a requirement.

We haven't heard of any examples of OEMs secretly maliciously uninstalling your applications, because it would undoubtedly be a big scandal for that to occur. We found it interesting to see this requirement and language introduced now, when this dangerous permission has existed for many API levels. What's most likely happening is that Google is cracking down on third-party cleaner applications that are installed at the system level of certain smartphones, and is instead pushing OEMs to adopt their new Storage Manager feature.

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January 2017 Security Update Rolling out to the Huawei Watch

Feature Image Credit: XDA Member Pepousek67

The latest January 2017 security update is now rolling out to owners of the Huawei Watch. Pictures of the update and a downloadable OTA link to sideload have been shared in the forum thread. Get it now!

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