Over the past few weeks, starting before Christmas and continuing on past CES, we’ve been hearing a lot of different rumors about what to expect from Android handset manufacturers in the coming weeks and months. We’ve already talked about some of them, but in all honesty, there have been so many that it’s been hard for a lot of people to keep track of them all.
Lucky for you readers, that’s what we’re here for. Below, I’ve rounded up some of the biggest Android rumors surrounding the three most important Android manufacturers, all in one place. As always, these are rumors, not necessarily facts, so sprinkle however much salt you want on these, and read on.
HTC
The most recent rumors regarding HTC’s upcoming Android flagship device, codenamed the M7, point to an announcement date of February 19 in London. This goes against previous indicators that the phone wouldn’t be announced until Mobile World Congress in May, and it hasn’t even been a full year since HTC announced its previous flagship, the One X.
Rumored carrier partners for the M7 in the US include Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon, although there’s no word on HTC’s plans for T-Mobile in the US. There’s also no word on whether or not HTC will stand its ground this time, and force Sprint to drop the EVO name, and Verizon to drop the Droid name. Personally, I think there is a good chance that this might happen – after all, how much longer can these names get? How about the HTC EVO 4G LTE II? The HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE II? The HTC EVO 4G LTE HD?
Anyway, rumored specs include a 4.7-inch 1080p display, Jelly Bean with Sense 5, a quad-core (Tegra 4?) 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2300 mAh battery, 2MP front-facing camera, and a 12MP rear camera.
Motorola
It’s starting to seem more and more likely that Motorola and Google are working together on a new type of Android phone, which isn’t quite a Nexus, but close. Dubbed the X-Phone, this device is said to have a near-stock experience, although carriers will be allowed to customize it with a small amount of bloat. Luckily, it will be available through the Google Play Store at prices that are similar to the Nexus 4, and those who buy it directly from Google will get it unlocked, making it incredibly easy to remove any bloat and return to a near-stock experience.
Reportedly, the X-Phone will be available on all major carriers in the US. Verizon will also sell it on-contract for $299, and supposedly charge a monthly fee if you want it unlocked – although why anyone would buy it from Verizon when they could purchase an unlocked version for probably the same price is beyond me.
Depending on which rumor you read, the X-Phone will have either a 4.7-inch or 5-inch 1080p edge-to-edge bezel-free display, and run Android 4.5 or 5.0, Key Lime Pie. Speculation says it will have a quad-core proceesor, 12MP back camera, and a massive 3,300mHz battery.
Some people are even going so far as to say that Google and Motorola are already done with the X-Phone, and are now working on the X-Tablet. I hope Samsung doesn’t get too jealous. But speaking of Samsung…
Samsung
How big can the Samsung Galaxy Note series get? What about a Galaxy Note phone that’s 6.3-inches? And four cores aren’t enough? How about eight? The Samsung Galaxy Note III is getting even bigger – and faster, with Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa processor. We don’t know much else about this phone, other than it’s scheduled to be released in the fall of 2013, and that’s a lot of time for things to change.
Also, not to be outdone by the Nexus 7 or the iPad mini, Samsung is getting ready to release the Galaxy Note 8.0 – because, you know, I guess every centimeter and millimeter counts, or something. Of course, this is a little more than just a rumor – the Galaxy Note 8.0 will almost definitely be released sometime in February. Specs-wise, it’s got a 1280x800p display, 16GB internal storage, 5MP camera, quad-core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and Android 4.2.
Of course, we also have to mention the Galaxy S IV, which is rumored to have a 5-inch display with a pixel density greater than 440ppi. (Remember how the original Note had a 5-inch display? That was apparently child’s play.) The Galaxy S IV is also said to include another 1.8GHz 8-core Exynos 5 Octa processor, 2GB of RAM, a microSD slot, wireless charging capabilities, and a 13MP camera. Wow.
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Lately, lots of people have been wondering what technological innovation would look like in 2013. I think we just found our answer.
Which of these are you most excited about?
[Unwired View | Phandroid | Droid-Life | Android Community | Korea Times via Android and Me | AndroidSPIN | Boy Genius Report]
samsung here i come!! jewel will be my last HTC device for sure.. done waiting months for kernel source.. they could give 2 **its about the dev community.. and jelly bean update was trash.. my kids mothers has the gs3 and when it got the jelly bean update she dont have any problems like my phone does.. its been real!
Any nexus device is what interests me. The x phone could be promising. Dat battery
as much as i hate to say it, i switched to the galaxy note and i have to say that samsung really is way ahead of htc. Some of you may say that touchwiz is ugly compared to sense, and hey its all based on opinion..but the galaxy note really does so much more. Besides samsung updating faster, the battery life is great, and its just snappy and not laggy at all. With my evo lte i know i ran into a few minor hiccups with the constant htc loading symbol. Also the note has way better signal than the evo, in some parts of my house where i got no service with my evo, i now get 2-3 bars. I still miss my evo lte of course, but i think from now on i’ll have to stick with samsung
Specs don’t mean a thing if the phone sucks like the *cough* Galaxy *cough* S *cough* 3 *cough*
Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update release date: 10/26/12
HTC EVO 4G LTE Jelly Bean update release date: 12/13/12
Besides HTC screwing the pooch on everything to do with the JB update and incorporating bug after bug, I think the choice is quite obvious.
I’ve been an HTC die hard from the original Evo 4g to the new 4g LTE but my impression is that Samsung is at parity or somewhat better and perhaps pulling away. Picked up the Galaxy S III for three kids over Christmastime and have started to feel a little behind-the-times! It will likely come down to the M7 vs. the Galaxy S IV and I have a premonition that Samsung may be ahead where it counts (for me). We’ll see. Is the S IV set to launch at about the same time as the M7? Thanks for the update!
Having only seven months to go to finish my first contract phone (HTC Amaze on T-Mo), i’m very excited to see what the year holds.
My phone has been quite reliable and the ICS 4.0.3 update went without a hitch. However I have oddball battery issues that shut it off occasionally. Was fixed with new hi-cap batts for about 3-mo but coming back.
Love HTC style so might do it again, however Samsung is really on their game.
Moto X… wow, that would be very nice. This is going to be an interesting year. I still want a phone with SD card and have a sinking feeling that is going to go out of style. I use cloud services and yes, “get it” but know when there’s no network that it’s screwsville.
Dreaming of a snappier new phone.