HTC First with Facebook Home review

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05424-1365523689.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> With a billion users, it'd be an understatement to say Facebook has done a good job conquering the desktop world. Mobile, however, is the social network's next frontier: although it has a significant presence on every major smartphone and tablet platform, the company has a reputation for bringing its key features to the PC environment long before they arrive on mobile -- if at all.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> But the April 4th reveal of Facebook Home, a solidly built Android launcher, reflects a change in attitude for Mark Zuckerberg and Co. Instead of simply maintaining a smartphone presence, Facebook is ready to go to battle and is putting mobile on the top of its list of priorities. It's even adding a proper piece of hardware to its arsenal in the form of the HTC First, a 4.3-inch device on AT&T with LTE, reasonable mid-range specs and a gorgeous display. Is it worth $99 with a two-year commitment to purchase a handset dedicated to the social cause? Should you just wait until Home is available as a free download in the Google Play Store? Or is it best to ignore it altogether? Continue reading to find out.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <span>It would be an understatement to say the HTC First took a backseat to Facebook Home at the company's recent press conference; it was locked in the trunk and wasn't let out until a few hours after Mark Zuckerberg and a series of HTC / AT&T execs said their piece. That doesn't mean the First's hardware is chopped liver, but even so, the omission of specs is rarely a good sign. Aside from a nod to the LTE radio and a few pictures detailing the four available colors -- black, white, pale blue and red, if you're curious -- Facebook almost seemed to forget that new hardware was being introduced.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <span>Now that we've had a chance to actually use the First for a few days, we can happily put an end to any confusion about the hardware. In today's market, an Android handset with a 4.3-inch display is considered petite, and the First definitely feels that way: at 125.99 x 65.04 x 8.89mm (4.96 x 2.56 x 0.35 inches), it nearly gets swallowed up in the hand, especially compared to all the 5-plus-inch devices we've been testing recently. It's also incredibly lightweight, barely registering on the scale at 4.37 ounces (124g).</span></div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05371-1365523526.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Since the First was built to impress the Facebook-savvy, we shouldn't be surprised that this is one of the most playful-looking handsets HTC has ever made. It's not that there's anything extreme about the design; there's just something about the soft curves, multiple hues and soft-touch plastic shell that wraps around the entire device, similar to the Lumia 620. (Don't take that comparison too far, though -- the shell here isn't user-removable.) All told, it doesn't take itself too seriously; it's a phone that's focused on Facebook, and indeed, it looks the part.<br /> <br /> In fact, one of the biggest surprises is that the First's design doesn't really scream HTC -- it's almost as if the company is going back to its ODM roots, creating whatever handset other businesses (Facebook, in this case) demand. Whether or not this is the beginning of a new strategy for the Taiwanese manufacturer remains to be seen, but we can't help but wonder if "First" connotes more than just the inaugural Facebook Home device.</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05427.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> On the front of the First, you'll find a 4.3-inch, 720p S-LCD2 display, which packs in an above-average pixel density of 341 ppi. Obviously, it doesn't hold a candle to all those 1080p behemoths we've been seeing, but these specs were top-of-the-line in 2012, and they still hold up well today. Viewing angles are better than average, colors are decently saturated (but not overly so) and text is pretty smooth, though it's expectedly not as good as what we've seen on the HTC One's 1080p screen. The only disappointment was the phone's subpar performance in direct sunlight -- even at full brightness, we found it difficult to make out images and text.<br /> <br /> A 1.6MP front-facing camera resides above the screen, though it hangs out underneath the same panel of Gorilla Glass, along with the usual assortment of sensors and LED notification light. The speakers are squeezed inside a tiny, narrow grille, which sits in between the glass and the top edge of the phone. On the opposite end you'll find three capacitive keys: back, home and menu. (Recent apps pop up when you double-tap home, while a long-press of home pulls up Google Now.)</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05348-1365523735.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Turn the phone over and you'll discover a perfectly flat back featuring the 5MP rear camera and LED flash. If you only glance quickly, you may think that there isn't anything else happening on this side of the device, but look more closely and you'll see it: stenciled in incredibly light ink are logos for HTC, Facebook and AT&T, along with the obligatory FCC information underneath. The print is so small, so inoffensive, that it's actually hard to read in dimmer lighting conditions. This is something we want to see other companies mimic on their devices (Sprint has already taken a big step by removing logos from its branded phones). We're also happy to say the Beats Audio branding is nowhere to be seen, a rarity for a post-2011 HTC device.<br /> <br /> Up top sits a 3.5mm headphone jack and mic, while the power button is located on the right. Since it sticks out from the frame by at least a millimeter or so, that button is very easy to press. Meanwhile, the right side houses the micro-SIM slot and micro-USB charging port. It's an unfortunate location for the latter, but the bottom of the device -- our preferred location for charging ports -- is taken up by a machine-drilled speaker grille. The volume rocker is found on the left side of the First. Finally, if you're looking for a microSD slot or dedicated camera shutter button, you'll be disappointed.<br /> <br /> The First is an AT&T exclusive in the US, and it actively uses LTE bands 4 and 17, HSPA+ 850 / 1900 / 2100 and quad-band GSM / EDGE (its FCC docs also indicate the presence of LTE bands 2 and 5, as most AT&T smartphones do). The global model, on the other hand, promises LTE capacity on 850 / 1900 as well as HSPA+ 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 and quad-band GSM / EDGE. Both devices also provide dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, FM radio, a non-removable 2,000mAh Lithium-polymer battery and 16GB of internal storage (11.9GB of which is user-accessible).</div></div>

HTC First with Facebook Home review

With a billion users, it'd be an understatement to say Facebook has done a good job conquering the desktop world. Mobile, however, is...

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HTC First hands-on

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/firstdsc0417.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> After endless months of speculation, the collaboration between HTC and Facebook has finally been revealed to the world. It's not a Facebook Phone <em>per se</em>, it's simply a skinned Android smartphone that just so happens to bestow deep social media integration upon the OS, a move which makes the First -- as well as future devices that feature the newly announced Facebook Home interface -- an appropriate candidate for the term. The First will be available April 12th for $100 on AT&T, but it can be pre-ordered starting today.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> While Facebook Home is taking the spotlight, let's examine the first piece of hardware it will be featured on. On the spec sheet, the First isn't going to take anybody's breath away: <span>it's a midrange phone with dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, 5MP rear camera, Android 4.1 and a 4.3-inch 720p display. </span>We're just getting our hands on the device right now and will continue to offer up our First impressions, along with a full gallery of images.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><strong>HTC First hands-on</strong></h3><br /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc0406_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc0408_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc0411_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc0414_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc0417_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc0421_95x95.jpg" /> </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> The First won't be the only device featuring Facebook Home, as it will be available for download on a limited number of flagship phones next week, but the idea is for the First to offer more optimizations in the experience: it's a cleaner setup process since it's pre-loaded on the phone, and it can take advantage of a few additional service integrations that legacy devices won't offer.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> While we don't have the phone's exact dimensions just yet, it's safe to say the First is one slender and lightweight handheld. <span>We're also pleasantly surprised by its rounded edges and matte rubberized shell -- both result in a comfortable and pleasant feel when cradled in the hand. </span><span>The 4.3-inch 720p screen seemed bright enough under the demo room's task lighting, though it's obviously not as sharp as the One's. Flipping through Home's UI felt zippy enough thanks to that dual-core Snapdragon processor, but it didn't strike us as a super speedster either. </span><span>On the whole, the First strikes us as a pretty simple phone, and its design reflects that.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>

HTC First hands-on

After endless months of speculation, the collaboration between HTC and Facebook has finally been revealed to the world. It's not a Fac...

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HTC First announced, coming exclusively to AT&T on April 12th for $99.99

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="HTC First announced, coming exclusively to AT&T on April 12th for $99.99" data-src-height="412" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/first-2.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Continuing its obsession with the number one, HTC has officially announced the First, an Android device with a bit more Facebook influence than most other smartphones we've used in the past -- including other handsets given preferential treatment from the social media network during the last four years. HTC's Peter Chou and AT&T's Ralph de la Vega took the stage at the event to announce the phone, which is the world's first Home-optimized device. What exactly that means remains to be seen, but HTC's Chou indicated it will be a "unique experience."</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">There were no specs announced for the device, other than it having LTE, of course. But, earlier leaks have indicated it will be 4.3-inch, 720p mid-range phone, not threatening the HTC One by any stretch of the imagination. It will be available on April 12th exclusively in the US on AT&T for just $99.99. And, it will be available in four colors: red, turquoise, white and, of course, black. You can pre-order yours today at the More Coverage link below, and there's a brief video after the break to explain how the new notifications work. </div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HKyO0hJEp-g?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

HTC First announced, coming exclusively to AT&T on April 12th for $99.99

Continuing its obsession with the number one, HTC has officially announced the First, an Android device with a bit more Facebook influence...

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