By now, HTC One owners on T-Mobile were supposed to have Android 4.3 up and running, but the overdue Jelly Bean update has been delayed until next week.
"It has been held until Monday," tweeted HTC U.S. President Jason Mackenzie. "Apologies for the delay, but this one is out of our control."
Mackenzie personally apologized to just about every irate customer of the nation's No. 4 carrier that reached out to him on Twitter.
"It's not easy to predict to be honest, but [we] have chosen to keep you up to date along the way," he said in another tweet to a customer.
Carrier my wayward son
Android 4.3 has been slow to roll out to HTC One smartphones and carrier-locked Android devices in general.
Verizon, which became the last major U.S. carrier to launch the HTC One at the end of August, hasn't announced when Android 4.3 will be available to download.
However, the Verizon HTC One had Android 4.2.2 pre-installed instead of Android 4.2, so the customers of the No. 1 U.S. carrier aren't in angst just yet.
The Google operating system update made its debut with the Nexus 7 tablet in late July, so T-Mobile customers will have waited almost three months for this update if it comes out on Monday.
With Android KitKat 4.4 expected to launch at the end of the month, it may be just in time so that T-Mobile subscribers don't feel lapped.
After all the recent hubbub about the Nexus 5's brief appearance on the Google Play site, it only makes sense that we should get some official news soon.
Which makes a Google Play New York City event slated for October 24 a strange coincidence, does it not? The "night out" invite briefly lists an array of activities including a special performance by Capital Cities.
But sounds like the slumber party is missing one thing: a Nexus 5 announcement.
A Google rep has confirmed with TechRadar that "there is no news at this event - its a basic meet and great (sic) for NYC consumer press to learn more about Google Play."
So it seems like there really won't be any info about the Nexus 5, and that the event will probably focus on Google Play's new look - though we'll keep an eye out just in case, and wait for the imminent Android 4.4 KitKat launch.
We're listening to Play Music to Get Lucky? (credit: AndroidPolice)
Google's 'I'm Feeling Lucky' search button, which takes users directly to the first page in the listing, has been around forever, but is thought to be deployed in less than 1 per cent of all queries.
So the company will hope it finds a more appreciated home within the radio portion of Play Music app, for those users who just can't decide what they want to listen to.
The new feature, spotted by the AndroidPolice site, will allow users to auto-generate a radio station based on their previous listening habits.
In the current version of the app users need to select an artist or a genre in order to start a custom radio station.
One genre
According to AndroidPolice, the new button seems to serve up music from the user's most frequented genre, rather than offering up a mix, which seems to take away from the fun a little bit.
It also appears, from various reports that the feature is limited to All Access subscribers at present.
According to the site, the new version of the app will be rolling out to all users of the iTunes Radio rival in the next couple of weeks.
These photos allegedly show the Nexus 5 in a new color (credit: underkg.com)
It's a good week for Nexus 5 leaks - first the new Google and LG flagship made a brief surprise appearance in the Google Play store, and now some alleged box shots have appeared showing the phone in a never before seen white and black color scheme.
The Korean website underkg.com, which carries the amusing tag line "Everything under 1kg. Because heavy stuff sucks," posted the photos online, though it since removed them.
The images appear to show various angles of the Nexus 5's retail packaging, and the phone on the box looks like it has a white back with black on the front and sides.
The Nexus 5's predecessor came in a lighter shade as well, though the white Nexus 4 was unveiled and released after the black one was already on the market.
Nexus 5 specs and battery
However, the photos that appeared today have clearly been doctored and should be viewed with skepticism for the time being.
The Nexus 5 has yet to be officially unveiled by Google or LG, but we're currently expecting a Nexus 5 launch just before Halloween at the end of the month.
The latest leak reportedly showed the Nexus 5 running Android 4.4, revealing some new features coming in Google's next OS update.
Another rumor earlier this month claimed that the Nexus 5 will come with two battery options, depending on the size: a 2,300mAh battery for the 16GB Nexus 5, and a 3,000mAh battery for the 32GB.
We had doubts about the report, though, since the alleged Nexus 5 manual that leaked before that said the 32GB will sport the smaller 2,300mAh battery as well.
Italian site TuttoAndroid said was skeptical as well, and said today that it can confirm there will only be a 2,300mAh option.
Other than that we're expecting the Nexus 5 specs to include a 5-inch 1080p display and a Snapdragon 800 processor.
Could Apple really read your iMessages - or hand them to authorities?
Research firms QuarksLab claimed on Thursday that Apple can theoretically intercept users' iMessages and read them or hand them over to authorities, but Apple responded that that's simply not true.
"iMessage is not architected to allow Apple to read messages," an Apple spokesperson told AllThingsD.
"The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so," the spokesperson continued.
Just a theory
QuarksLab presented its findings at the Hack in the Box conference that took place this week in Malaysia.
The group said that while Apple's end-to-end encryption is secure, Apple "can change a key any time they want, thus read [sic] the content of our iMessages."
The security and hacking community so far has reportedly found few faults with QuarksLab's theory, which is apparently quite complex.
However, the researchers emphasized that they're not claiming Apple does read your iMessages; only that it can if it chooses to.
To iMessage or not to iMessage
iMessages are messages sent between iOS devices that Apple has long claimed are more secure than standard SMS messaging.
The iPhone 5C marks a new era in Apple's mobile onslaught, as the Cupertino-based firm finally breaks rank from premium design and price by offering up a device which is slightly more affordable. Slightly being the key word there.
Before you start getting excited about the potential of a "cheap iPhone", be warned that the iPhone 5C is no mid-range Android rival, because with prices starting a £469 ($549, AU$739) for the a 16GB SIM-free handset you're still talking quite a lot of money.
If you fancy doubling your storage capacity to 32GB - remember the 5C is an Apple device so there's no microSD slot in sight - you can add another £80 ($100, AU$130) to that base price.
So let's bust one myth right from the off then - although one that Apple never promised in the first place. The iPhone 5C is not a cheap, budget device - it's a slightly cheaper offering compared to the premium, metal clad iPhone 5S which launched alongside this polycarbonate-clad phone.
One way Apple has managed to keep the cost of the 5C down slightly is ditching the glass and aluminium body we've seen on every handset since the iPhone 4, and welcoming back the brazen use of polycarbonate we last saw on the iPhone 3GS.
Now the plastic versus metal debate is one which has been raging for a few years, with Apple fans blasting the top Samsung products such as the Galaxy S4 for looking and feeling cheap - but is it time for those people to eat their hats?
Pick up the iPhone 5C and there's no mistaking that this handset isn't clad in the premium materials which have adorned the more recent models, but that's not necessarily bad thing.
The polycarbonate exterior comes in a range of colourful options - green, yellow, pink, blue and white - and anyone who has owned an iPod will be well versed in these hues.
This is the first time we've seen the varied palette make it to the iPhone range however, prompting some mocking from Nokia who drew comparisons between the 5C and its fluorescent Lumia range - and to be fair there is a small similarity between it and the Lumia 625 front on.
The bright colours also make the iPhone 5C look a bit childish. Our green review handset for example could be mistaken for a toy phone from a distance and it doesn't exactly ooze the Apple quality we're used to seeing when unboxing an iPhone.
However, look beyond that and the iPhone 5C does feel structurally sound in the hand, no doubt helped by the steel frame hidden under the polycarbonate exterior and we found we were far less concerned about it smashing.
The steel frame also doubles as the 5C's antenna, meaning there's no risk of signal dropping if you fancy holding this iPhone in your left hand.
While the likes of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5 are clad front and back in glass causing users to be wary at all times about the state of their smartphone, the iPhone 5C feels like it can be chucked into a bag without us having to worry about its condition when it comes to pulling it back out.
It's reassuring that the iPhone 5C feels like it is capable of taking a few knocks, because the slick, unibody plastic finish offers very little in the way of grip.
Apple does offer a range of equally colourful rubberised skins which you can slap onto your iPhone 5C to provide some much needed additional grip, but at £25 ($29, AU$39) a pop it's yet more money leaving your wallet - plus the odd hole design of these cases won't be to everyone's taste.
Of course third party accessory manufacturers will be falling over themselves to offer a multitude of cases, skins and other forms of protection for your iPhone 5C, so you'll be able to find cheaper alternatives out there.
At 124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97mm the iPhone 5C is slightly chunkier than the handset it's replacing, but considering the iPhone 5 was wafer thin the 5C certainly isn't overbearing in the hand and the added weight from a slightly larger battery means that it actually feels more substantial compared to the iPhone 5S.
iPhone 5C unboxing, in association with O2 Guru
The same minimalist attitude to buttons has been implemented on the iPhone 5C, with the famous home key the only navigational aid on the front of the device, while the power/lock resides at the top and the separated volume keys on the left.
Just above the volume keys is the small switch which is now synonymous with Apple's iDevice range, allowing you to quickly toggle silent/volume mode.
All the keys are easy enough to reach when holding the iPhone 5C in one hand, but thanks to the elongated nature of the device since Apple bumped the screen size up from 3.5 inches to 4 you need to stretch your fingers that extra bit to reach the power/lock button.
We'd much prefer this key to be located on the right hand side of the iPhone 5C, as it would make it that bit easier to access and avoids any awkward shuffling of the phone in the hand - but of course that would see Apple copying Samsung in terms of placement, and nobody wants to see any more accusations of copying coming along.
There's nothing else joining the power/lock key on top of the 5C after Apple relocated the headphone jack to the bottom with the iPhone 5 - a move which isn't to everyone's taste.
Joining the left aligned headphone jack on the base of the iPhone 5C is a centralised lightning port and a mono speaker to one side to help you blast your tunes at grannies on the bus or conduct a more civilised speakerphone conversation.
Now the right hand side hasn't been left completely alone on the 5C, with Apple choosing this surface as the location for the SIM card tray - but unlike most smartphones that take microSIMs these days, iPhones now rock the tiny nanoSIM technology.
This means you'll have to talk to your network about getting a nanoSIM for your shiny new iPhone 5C before you'll be able to use it - that is unless you're upgrading from an iPhone 5, but we'd suggest that's pretty much a waste of money.
If you're coming from a similarly priced Android handset you'll probably think the iPhone 5C feels a little on the small size, with its 4-inch display more at home at the budget end of the rival OS's line up.
While the screen size might not be anything special, the 1136 x 640 Retina display is present and correct on the iPhone 5C, meaning it has the same offering as both the iPhone 5 and 5S.
There are even more similarities with the iPhone 5, as you'll find the same A6 processor, 8MP rear camera, 1.9 MP front camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 in the 5C.
The iPhone 5C is 4G enabled of course, but more supports even more bands meaning it'll work even more networks around the world - Apple claims the 5C and the 5S support the widest range of 4G bands out of any smartphone currently on the market.
So what have we got so far then? Well, the iPhone 5C is a slightly overweight iPhone 5 with a plastic body, larger battery and a slightly lower price tag. If anything it looks to be a bit of a hard sell on paper - but with iOS 7 on board, there's a litany of places where it might it might excel.
Here's something to get excited about: the Samsung Galaxy S5 could feature eye scanning technology as part of its security system.
Questions have been raised over how Samsung would respond to the TouchID fingerprint scanner Apple stuck in the iPhone 5S, but instead of going down the same route as this and the HTC One Max, the Galaxy S5 might be checking out your retinas.
The news comes via AndroidSaS, which claims the Korean firm is planning the technology for its flagship Galaxy S5, although there's no detail on how it will work.
Not set in stone
It's not exactly rocket science to assume that Samsung will launch a Galaxy S5 handset next year, although previous rumours suggest we'll get to see it earlier - potentially in January or February.
Details on the Galaxy S5 are pretty thin on the ground at the moment, but along with the eye scanner tech it might pack a 64-bit A7 processor, 3GB of RAM, Android 4.4 KitKat and 16MP camera all wrapped in a metal chassis.
We'll be keeping an eye out (see what we did there?) next year for more information.
It's been a brilliant week for photography fans: not only do we have a whole bunch of handy hints for smartphone snappers, but for serious shooters there's a veritable cornucopia of new cameras to choose from.
Has Sony just released the ultimate bridge camera? The RX10 certainly looks the part: it's a premium camera with the RX100 II one-inch sensor and a constant f/2.8 aperture lens.
It's got a new Bionz sensor too, and Amy Davies is impressed. It won't be cheap, but "this camera is exactly what's needed to shake up the bridge camera market."
That's not all Sony had to show us this week. The new A7 and A7R come with full-frame sensors, and Davies has the deets: the Sony A7 has a 24.3 million pixel sensor and the Sony A7R has 36.4 million pixels and no anti-aliasing filter.
Are they any cop? The A7 "is ahead of the curve of the other cameras which are on the market" and the A7R is better still. "What we have here is an extremely exciting development, especially for the compact system camera market," Davies explains. "Traditional DSLR manufacturers may be starting to get worried."
Snap happy
If Nikon's bricking it, it isn't showing: the venerable camera firm has yet another new SLR for your excitement and delightment in the shape of the Nikon D5300. Angela Nicholson put it through its paces and found a lot to like: 24 million pixels "is more than enough for most photographers" and the integrated Wi-Fi is great news.
However, the beginner-friendly controls aren't as quick to use as direct controls: "We'd like to see a few more on the D5300 to make it faster for enthusiasts to use," she says, but the D5300 "is an attractive proposition for someone looking to take their photography more seriously."
Not to be outdone, Fuji busted out a couple of cameras to round the week off: the compact Fuji XQ1 which comes packing a fixed zoom lens with an equivalent focal length of 25-100m, and the Fujifilm XE2 that can handle interchangeable lenses.
High-end cameras tend to be fairly hefty beasts, but that's not the case with the Panasonic Lumix GM1: it's a Micro Four Thirds camera that's absolutely tiny - but it packs a 16 million pixel Live MOS Four Thirds sensor. It's one of the smallest compact system cameras on the market.
Maxed out
While Panasonic goes small, HTC has gone big: the latest entrant to the increasingly crowded "stupidly large handset" market is the HTC One Max, which comes with a whopping 5.9-inch screen. It's big, but is it too big?
Phone and Tablets Editor Gareth says "it's hard to recommend," and News Editor Kate reckons it is "too big. Way too big... if I wanted to use a tablet as a phone, I'd buy a tablet and use it as a phone." If you'd like to try it for yourself, just grab an HTC One and hold it really close to your eyes.
You'll need to hold the new Nike Fuelband SE close to your eyes too, or at least you will if you want to see what's new: as Hugh Langley reports, most of the changes "are quite subtle." It can now track cycling and rowing as well as running, it's harder to cheat and it can now connect via Bluetooth 4.0.
Last but not least, happy Windows day! Windows 8.1 is out, and Gary Marshall reckons it makes Windows RT look rather like a red-shirted security goon in Star Trek: "The 'One Microsoft' currently has three Windows for two platforms: there's big-Windows on Intel, and there's phone-Windows and weird-Windows on ARM."
No prizes for guessing which of those is Windows RT. "Windows RT was a gamble, and it didn't pay off."
You may not of heard of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo, but the firm is making waves in the mobile space with the announcement of its latest device, the Vivo Xplay3S.
That may not be the most exciting name for a phone, but the Xplay3S has one standout feature - a 2K display. A world first on a smartphone.
We're currently enjoying full HD displays on our mobiles, with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 featuring an eye popping 1080 x 1920 5-inch display - but Vivo is taking things a step further offering up a screen resolution of 1440 x 2560.
Is 2K too much?
It's unclear what advantage a 2K display will bring to smartphones, and whether they'll actually provide a noticeably better experience than the current crop of full HD screens.
The size of screen on the Xplay3S is unknown, but it's assumed it will be erring on the phablet side of things - so expect something in the region of 5.7 inches and above.
There will, of course, be concerns over battery life as that barmy 2K display will no doubt be a power hungry component.
In terms of other specs the Xplay3S is set to sport a punchy 2.3GHz quad-core processor and dual-band LTE for superfast network speeds - although it's unlikely to ever make it out of Asia.
While we may never get our hands on the Xplay3S, its introduction signals a new era for the mobile market and it's safe to assume the big hitters will probably follow suit will similar displays on their handsets next year.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has upheld 20 of Apple's patent claims after re-examining what is being coined the "Steve Jobs patent".
The part of the filing that was being targeted specifically deals with the "touchscreen device, method and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics."
When the patent was challenged anonymously last year, the USPTO rejected 20 of Apple's claims in its U.S. Patent No. 7,479,949 filing. However, this was temporary "first Office action", requiring the patent office to re-examine it.
On September 4, the USPTO issued a certificate which states: "No amendments have been made to the patent. As a result of the re-examination, it has been determined that: The patentability of claims 1-20 is confirmed."
Samsung was found guilty of infringing this patent by an International Trade Commission judge back in October 2012.
This led to an import ban that went into effect last week of certain older Samsung smartphones and tablets, including the Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1.
While this patent has already led to the above import ban, it will be interesting to see how this will how – or even if – affect the next round of Apple vs. Samsung court battles, which is set to being November 12.
