To say Samsung and Apple have a strained relationship would be quite the understatement. A once symbiotic partnership has turned into an all out war over claims of patent infringement and design copying. Their global legal battles have disgusted enough judges and consumers to spawn serious debate over the current status of our patent system and a call for reform.
5-inch devices appear to be all the rage, and so naturally, HTC had to take a crack at it. Announcing the DROID DNA for Verizon, this 5-inch “don’t call it a phablet” device has some impressive specs. Most impressive is the Super LCD3 display featuring full 1080p (1920×1080) resolution with a ppi of 440! The DROID DNA is like an HTC One X on steroids, featuring:
It looks like the Samsung Galaxy Camera isn’t the only device landing on AT&T this Friday. The upgraded HTC One X+ along with the budget One VX will be available starting November 16 at the cost of $199.99 and $49.99 respectively. Of course those are subsidized prices, and come attached to a two-year contract.
HTC managed to give virtually no information in their update on the progress of Jelly Bean as it pertains to previously released devices. Every mobile scapegoat word known in the industry was used: internal testing, carrier expectations, performance, connectivity and platform stability, carrier partners, actively reviewing, optimal user experience, localization, partner approvals, etc…
In a surprise turn of events, Apple and HTC have decided to end all ongoing patent disputes in favor of a 10-year licensing agreement. This is the exact kind of resolution courts around the globe have been hoping for from Apple and in fact, have begged for from Apple and Samsung. While there appears to be no such truce in store for Samsung and Apple, this latest bit of news at least shows hope of Apple scaling back on its patent crusade.
