Merry Christmas everyone!

Android Revolution HD Team would like to wish you all Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2014.

May love and happiness be a part of your everyday life. 

Forget about the problems and enjoy the moment. Smile, laugh and share the love.

Of course, we also wish you quick Android updates and a lot of flashing.

Android Revolution HD

How to: Use "adb sideload" on your Android device

Probably every Android power-user at least once in his life used ADB - Android Debug Bridge. It is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device. Using ADB shell commands gives you additional control over your device and sometimes it can save your device from being bricked (example: How to: copy ROM zip file to the freshly wiped device). You can find some more basic information about ADB here.

How to: Manually install an OTA update on your HTC device

Sometimes it turns out that your device for some reason can't find the most recent OTA (Over The Air) update. However, there is a solution to apply OTA update manually, without being forced to wait for the update being downloaded and installed by your device.

HTC ROM Update Utility (RUU) variants explanation

Owners of HTC devices might be a little confused when it comes to understanding the current method of numbering used by HTC to mark their software updates. Here you can find a short explanation of this matter.

How to: Copy ROM zip file to the freshly wiped device

Have you ever been in a situation where you mistakenly (or not) wiped the content of the internal storage (including system partition and virtual SD card) on your phone or tablet and unfortunately it doesn't support external storage? Now you can't flash desired custom ROM because you removed it and the device can't be booted due to wiped system partition. Don't worry - it's very easy to fix!

HTC One with KitKat and HTC Sense 5.5 is finally out!

Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 5.5 is now available for the HTC One. This is a must-have update for all HTC One owners.

KitKat for HTC One Google Edition is out. Sense version coming soon!

Android "four point four" (aka KitKat) is what most HTC One users are still eagerly waiting for. The "senseless" version is already available to download via Over The Air (OTA) update on the HTC One Google Play Edition.

Stock system dumps (Android 4.3 with official HTC Sense 5.5) for HTC One

First official update with brand new HTC Sense 5.5 for the HTC One arrived today. The new software number is 3.62.401.1 and it's based on Android 4.3. To receive the OTA update your device must be running 2.24.401.8 software and you must own the international version of HTC One (M7_UL). If there is no update for you CID yet, you can download and flash stock system dump instead.

Android terminology explanation and why ROOT isn't a crime

This Android terminology dictionary will be growing in time. If you have any suggestions for terms to be included here, please leave a proper comment below this article. The purpose of this dictionary is to explain basic and fundamental Android terminology to a regular "noob" Android user. It is supposed to be written in language that everyone can understand.

Ubuntu 13.10 for Galaxy Nexus - first look

I have to say I was very excited to install freshly released Ubuntu 13.10 for Nexus devices. I couldn't resist so I took my old Galaxy Nexus (maguro) and I started the installation procedure. It's very simple to do it all manually. Screenshots below!

The official Nexus 5 press shot directly from Google

It seems that the photo of the incoming Nexus 5 "leaked" to the web. Of course, I believe that nothing happens mistakenly, especially when it comes to Google. Let's call it "official leak" then.

How to: Fix a corrupted DATA partition on the HTC One

Since the HTC One was released, I've had a few users asking me to help them fix their broken device. They couldn't boot their system or access anything on the DATA partition from inside custom recovery. Why this happens so often on the HTC One I have no idea...

Here is a short guide explaining how to fix this problem without sending the device for repair under warranty.

Stock system dumps (Android 4.3 with HTC Sense 5.5) for HTC One

Very important update is out since yesterday for HTC One user. Android Revolution HD 30.0 - the world first custom ROM based on Android 4.3 & HTC Sense 5.5 for HTC One is available for download on XDA-Developers thread. However, there is always one problem when it comes to HTC updates - no RUUs (ROM Update Utility) officially available for download for regular users (HTC One Developer Edition and Google Edition seems to be the only exceptions). Why RUU is that important to us? I already made a short explanation here, but let's remind that again.

First custom ROM based on HTC Sense 5.5 is out for HTC One!

Yes, here it is! The one you've been waiting for! Android Revolution HD 30.0 is the world first custom ROM for the HTC One based on Android 4.3 and new HTC Sense 5.5 UI.

Just grab it from downloads section!

My XDA-Developers thread with link to follow my work - http://goo.gl/UajIh2

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

More details about incoming Sense 5.5 update

The dust hasn't settled yet after the first worldwide HTC Sense 5.5 screenshots and here comes the another part of the fresh new details about newest HTC Sense UI. Have fun!

Meet the HTC One Max, a Supersized HTC One

That big, bold beauty pictured above is the HTC One Max. There have been more than a few leaks about this product. Why? There's a lot to love - literally and figuratively. Let's start with a quick video introducing the product:

And the HTC One give-away winner is...

I'm very happy to announce, that the winner of the HTC One Giveaway #RevolutionChange is...

The Meenova Micro-SD Card Reader for Android

A few months back I decided to pledge $12 US to a Kickstarter Project for a miniaturised USB card reader for Android smartphones. The idea looked promising, and I had a spare $12, so I took the gamble, and this week it paid off. Through the post I received the dividend on my 'investment'. I'll follow up this mini-review with some details on performance once I can get hold of a class 10 card, but for now here are some first impressions and opinions.

HTC Sense 5.5 busted! True screenshots of the incoming HTC UI

It's been some time since we have had HTC Sense 5.0 on the market. In the past few weeks this, considered by many as the best Android UI, also has been released for HTC One X and HTC One X+.

We already know for a few months, that HTC has already been working on the next version of their famous UI - HTC Sense 5.5. Some of the Sense 5.5 features are already present in the latest HTC One Android 4.3 build, however they are currently disabled in the framework.

Today, we present to you the first screenshots of the incoming HTC Sense 5.5 interface. If you are going to share this great news, please don't forget to include the source link too!

Home screen - now you can disable or enable HTC BlinkFeed easily.

Android Quick Settings - now you can re-arrange the content of the QS panel.

Improved HTC keyboard with possibility to add more emoticons.

Improved camera - "Dual capture" and "Panorama+", Storage and Recent Apps panel.

New HTC BlinkFeed categories, custom topics tab and minor changes to alarm clock.

Many more changes are of course under the hood, so expect improved performance and overall UI smoothness. Many bugs are also fixed, so the incoming HTC Sense 5.5 should bring a lot of joy for all HTC fans!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

HTC One vs. Apple iPhone 5s - comparison: part 2

The HTC One has received high praise in recent weeks, including the honors of smartphone of the year. For many, the One defines what a smartphone should be. It has a beautiful 4.7 inch 1080p display, elegant aluminum zero-gap build, loud and clear dual front facing boomsound speakers and user friendly Sense 5. The handset has dealt with stiff competition in recent months, with the iPhone 5s garnering a ton of hype.

HTC One won "Gadget of the Year" by T3

Since the release date, the HTC One has won almost every smartphone contest. It's won awards on many sites because of its unique design and great performance in conjunction with my favourite Android custom UI - HTC Sense. Now, months after the launch event in London, the HTC One has won yet another slew of awards - T3 Gadget of the Year, T3 Phone of the Year and finally T3 Design Award 2013! We are not hiding the fact that we are not surprised!

"The HTC One is a product designed to save a company in financial trouble – and it seems HTC’s design and engineering team work well with their backs against the wall.

This Android phone is the best product HTC has ever built, with a gorgeously thin, reassuringly rigid aluminium body bonded to the 4.7-inch screen by a technique that doesn't leave a single gap. And speaking of the screen, it’s eyeball-piercingly sharp, with a 1080p full HD resolution and Retina display-spanking pixel density of 468ppi. It’s one of a handful of phones that can be mentioned in the same breath as the iPhone when it comes to looks and build quality.

Performance is no less impressive, with the quad-core processor blazing through tasks with nary a trace of lag and the 4MP Ultrapixel camera serving up some of the finest snaps we've ever seen from a smartphone."

Source: Awards T3

Android Revolution HD in courtesy of HTC is giving away brand new HTC One to the lucky winner of the giveaway #RevolutionChange contest. Don't miss it!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

HTC One vs. Apple iPhone 5s - comparison: part 1

The HTC One was released earlier this year a midst a fair amount of hype and anticipation. The handset has seemingly brought HTC back into the forefront of mobile technology, to the point where Robert Downey Jr. is now their marketing star. Apple has refreshed the iPhone with the 5s, and its popularity continues to rise year after year. Competition has grown substantially, with various manufacturers releasing great smartphones set to compete in every major market. So how has HTC continued to stand out against the crowd? With its build quality and gorgeous display.

Give-away! Win a brand new HTC One!

Edit: 9.10.2013

The contest is now closed. I'm trying to reach the first randomly selected person to confirm if he (yes, it's "he") has a Twitter account and he entered the contest properly.

If he won't answer me within next 24 hours I will pick another winner. Stay tuned and check your Google Hangouts ;)

Here comes another give-away! This time the winner will get a brand new HTC One. Previously, a brand new HTC One X+ in a limited white colour went to Barry.

This give-away is international, which means everyone from around the world can enter and win! HTC One is also supported by Android Revolution HD on XDA Developers Forum under this link.

Why HTC One?

Because it's still the best Android device you can find on the market. HTC partnered with Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) on a series of #HTChange videos that only he could come up with. To enter the contest, you need to visit first a short RDJ change video  available here - http://s.htc.com/1fKG6Rr

Rules

1. Watch this video - http://s.htc.com/1fKG6Rr
2. In the comments section beneath this post answer one of these two questions:
1. what would you like to change in the Android OS?
2. what was the most important change in your life? You might use just a few words, but you might come up with a whole story too.
3. Share this give-away announcement on Twitter (short link: http://goo.gl/Hfq5d2) using the #RevolutionChange hashtag - this is very important for us to see you actually entered the contest!

The winner will be picked randomly on Wednesday, October 9th 2013.

Prize

As mentioned above, it's a brand new HTC One in a variant of your choice (GSM or GSM+LTE).

Good luck everyone!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

Android 4.3 for HTC One now available for everyone

As previously promised here, the new Android Revolution HD based on Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.0 is ready for everyone to download.

HTC hasn't released yet the international (WWE) update for HTC One, so users with international version of HTC One (M7_UL) are still waiting for Android 4.3 to come. As a workaround, Android Revolution HD is based on recently released Android 4.3 OTA for HTC One "Developer Edition". By checking byte to byte it's quite easy to notice that the software from international edition (401) and developer edition (1540) are almost the same. So instead of waiting for WWE OTA, Android Revolution HD 22.0 has been "WWE-ed", which means it works identically to WWE software. All WWE languages are included.

So, if you don't want to wait for WWE OTA update for your HTC One, please visit this thread and get the latest Android Revolution HD 22.0 with Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.0.

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

Sense 5 Toolbox - the best customizer for HTC Sense 5 based ROMs

If you haven't used it yet - you really should. I'm talking about the "Sense 5 Toolbox" application, made initially for Android Revolution HD. In the last few weeks the popularity of this application reached an unexpected level, and we believe it's a reason to celebrate.

HTC Desire HD looking for a new owner!

It's been a great adventure since 14th November 2010, when I started my first Android Revolution HD thread. The first officially supported device was HTC Desire HD. In three years this thread reached almost 15 million visits and more than 70 thousand replies. That's probably the most popular thread on the entire XDA Developers' Forum.

I have many devices laying in my closet, so I decided to sell some of them. Every electronic device loses some of its value with each passing year. I have two options: I can sell my HTC Desire HD for some regular market price (around $150) here in my country, or I can send it outside my country, to a person who will decide to pay more as a kind of donation to support Android Revolution HD project.

The device itself is in perfect condition, fully working and without any scratches. You can see the actual pictures of the device in the gallery.

If you would like to get the first Android Revolution HD device, please offer your price by sending an e-mail to android.revolution.hd.app@gmail.com

Thanks!

Android 4.3 update for HTC One

HTC One finally received official Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update from HTC. So far the update is available for only 2 CID/MID variants:

• x.xx.709.x for Asia TW (Taiwan) - from 2.24.709.1 to 3.18.709.2
• x.xx.1540.x for Developer Edition - from 1.29.1540.17 to 3.22.1540.1

Both OTA updates are around 550 MB so it's pretty large update. Keep in mind you can't flash particular OTA update on the device with different CID/MID. That said, international users (WWE x.xx.401.x) still needs to wait for proper OTA package.

In a mean time we had some preview of what's coming along with Android 4.3 for HTC One in a leaked 3.17.502.2 software for Cingular US (United States). The reason why x.xx.502.x software was ready in a first place was the release of HTC One blue variant for U.S. AT&T network provider. You can find the latest Android Revolution HD 21.0 based on this software under this link.

If you don't want to wait for WWE update, there might be something special coming today for all HTC One users. Android Revolution HD 22.0 should be available soon in my xda-developers thread under this link.

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use the media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

NFC vs. Bluetooth (and why Bluetooth is better)

NFC is by no means a new 2013 invention, despite what the recent influx in NFC enabled phones may lead you to believe.

HTC Desire 600 - dual SIM device review

The HTC Desire was HTC's well known flagship in 2010, since then their flagship brand was replaced by the One series, however due to its successful history the Desire name is still being used for the mid to low end range releases. If you want the short version of this review: The best thing about the Desire 600 is the build quality, it's a mid-range premium phone.

Pixels and Pixellation

How many pixels do you need? This is a question many, many people ask and to be honest I think it's the wrong one. Let me give you a few numbers!

Cameras in Phones - what do we really need?

An awful lot is being said about mobile phone cameras just lately; and we have HTC to thank for opening the conversation with the introduction of their HTC One which has half as many pixels at twice the size of anyone else's. Before we begin I'm going to get some ground rules. I won't use marketing terms; so I will talk about how many pixels a camera sensor has, and what size they are. You won't hear me talking about mega- or ultra- anything. Next is that I will show my meaning with diagrams - I'm a visual person and it helps me to explain. Please bear with me on this post; there's a lot to read but it's worth it at the end.

The Android ION Memory Manager

Lately there's been quite a bit of discussions about Android "ION". What exactly is ION? Is it just some fancy name or is there more to it?

Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 worth upgrading from the Note 2?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 transcends niche markets. With the original release of the Galaxy Note, Samsung released a device that didn't appeal to the mass consumer base. With it came insults about its size, with people going as far as to call it a "VCR". One year after its original release, the Note 2 was announced. With LeBron James as the face of the handset, its popularity rose to new heights. The phone that was once dubbed "too big" has now become the ideal device for many average consumers. With the Galaxy Note 3 nearing its release, we answer the question, is it worth upgrading from the Note 2 to the Note 3? Let's find out.

HTC One review - part 2: Hardware

Here is the second part of the HTC One review. If you haven't read the first part yet, you can find it here - HTC One review - part 1. Design. This time we will review what lurks under the hood of the HTC One, and help you to decide if this is your chosen top end phone of 2013.

Stock system dumps for HTC One & HTC One X

Last two days were very exciting for HTC community, especially for HTC One X users (Android 4.2.2 with HTC Sense 5.0 update described here). However, there is always one problem when it comes to HTC updates - no RUUs (ROM Update Utility) officially available do download for regular users (HTC One Developer Edition and Google Edition seems to be the only exceptions). Why RUU is that important to us?

HTC One X with Android 4.2.2 & HTC Sense 5.0 update

HTC One X is one of the very few (if not the only one) devices from HTC which reached 4.xx.xxx.x software version (4.18.491.2). This only proves how great this device still is and how many users are still actively using it. Today HTC One X users are receiving one of the most important update - Android 4.2.2 with HTC Sense 5.0. Last summer HTC did similar update, upgrading HTC One X with Android 4.1.1 from Android 4.0.4 and bumping HTC Sense from 4.0 to so called "4+". However, HTC Sense 4.0/4+ update wasn't that significant and didn't bring so many new features and improvements as HTC Sense 5.0.

Do you want to write on Android Revolution HD blog?

It's time to expand. This place has a potential and I want it to become even more popular. If you are interested in making this place even better and more crowded, please keep reading!

New feature on xda-developers - "XDA: DevDB"

Recently xda-developers presented new forum feature: Development Database, or DevDB for short.

Revolution Toolbox

There is something amazing coming for all Android Revolution HD users. But not only. Every Android user would be able to use it!

I will just leave it here... ;)

Hint: Logo

Hint: App drawer icon

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) down this post!

Do we really need S-OFF?

Lately there has been a lot of confusion about if we - HTC users - really need S-OFF on our devices. I think it's time to make this case as clear as possible, and clear up any remaining doubts.

HTC One review - part 1. Design

I used to think that we were in an era when all smartphones with big screens looked more or less the same. Because if you're honest, what can be changed in the front of the device, if 90 to 95% of its surface is just touch screen? Oh dear, I was so wrong. HTC One is a true masterpiece of art. However, this review will also show some weak points of the newest HTC premium device. Yes there are some shortcomings, but we are not living in an ideal world so you won't ever find a perfect product: it doesn't matter if it's just a smartphone, a computer or even a car. People have different tastes or expectations and this won't ever change. But HTC One can surely satisfy more people then any other device before. Let's start from the beginning.

HTC One Android 4.2.2 with HTC Sense 5.1 aka HTC Sense 5.0?

There were quite a lot of rumours about upcoming HTC Sense and Android 4.2.2 update for HTC One and HTC Butterfly. All were expecting HTC Sense 5.1 to show up, but instead, the version of HTC UI in latest Android 4.2.2 update is still 5.0. However, it does have a lot of important changes. Let me introduce few of them.