HTC Holiday's 4.5-inch Prototype Makes its First Appearance [Photo]

HTC’s upcoming Android-based smartphone Holiday’s prototype has just revealed itself for the first time.

The new Android smartphone has a large ‘CALIFORNIA’ sticker on its cover or on the back which may mean that the device will be released in different parts of the United States with different cases.

If the rumored specifications are true, then the device will arrive with a 1.2GHz processor, a 4.5-inch qHD display at 960 x 540 pixel resolution and could possibly look forward to an AT&T release. Previous rumors said that the device will also have 1GB RAM and an 8 MP rear and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera.

Nothing much in known about the device at the moment but the HTC Holiday may also arrive with conductive charge port on the back, according to a XDA report.

Apple files patent complaint against HTC

Apple Inc has filed a fresh complaint against Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp with a US trade panel over unspecified portable electronic devices and software, according to the panel's web site.
Apple already filed a separate action last year against HTC before the US International Trade Commission,

where HTC then leveled its own patent infringement claims against Apple.
The latest complaint by Apple was filed on July 8, according to a brief description on the ITC's web site on Monday. A copy of the complaint was not available.
Apple has launched patent lawsuits over its iPhones and iPads against different handset manufacturers, including HTC and Samsung.
Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel, said the company continues to deny all of Apple's past and present claims.
"HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the market place," Lei said in a statement.
Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet referred on Monday to an earlier company statement about HTC, which said competitors should create their own technology and not steal Apple's.
The ITC, a US trade panel that investigates patent infringement involving imported goods, has become an increasingly popular venue for patent lawsuits because it can bar the importation of products that infringe patents.

What HTC's Thunderbolt means for the iPhone 5

With the next generation iPhone 5 on it's way from Apple, enthusiasts and analysts are looking to glean any clues as to what will be packed into the anticipated phone.
With regards to a few important aspects, clues have come from a surprising source -- Apple rival HTC with

its Thunderbolt 4G phone.
With its fast 4G advantage, the phone sports the highest component costs of any other smartphone, and even rivals some tablets.
But it's that same 4G technology that allows industry watchers to understand some of the challenges that Apple is facing as it builds out its iPhone 5.
The 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless chips required for the faster speeds in the Thunderbolt cost an extra $39.75, according to industry researcher IHS.
This presents a problem for Apple, which observers believe is mulling adding the capability to its forthcoming iPhone 5.
There are some options.
Apple could forgo 4G technology all together. Indeed some analysts have predicted just as much, given the current chips are relatively new technology that haven't been 100 percent proven.
The company has already dropped hints, saying at a Verizon press conference in January that it will be conservative with the implementation of LTE, primarily because of battery and other concerns that didn't meet Apple's demands.
On the other hand, there are already three models of LTE phones on the market from competitors Samsung, and LG, as well as HTC's Thunderbolt.
To combat, Apple would certainly need a 4G offering, but would need to make some sacrifices given the size and cost of the chip.
"First, the iPhone's minuscule printed circuit board (PCB) will have to grow in size in order to support the first-generation LTE baseband processor as well as all the supporting chipset," explained firms senior analyst, Wayne Lam.
"Second, the next iPhone's BOM value certainly will increase substantially compared to the iPhone 4 if LTE is implemented in the same manner as in the HTC Thunderbolt."
The current iPhone 4 costs $171.35 to make, meaning the addition would run costs up to roughly $211 per unit, cutting down on Apple's margins, which could be passed on to the consumer.
But seeing that Apple executives have publically complained about the poor designs of current LTE chips, Apple could opt to use someone else entirely.
Enter the Qualcomm's "SnapDragon MSM8960." The chip is the newer version to the 4G chip in the Thunderbolt, and features a number of advantages over standard 4G implementations.
It combines LTE, the "EVDO" standard for existing CDMA networks, and the GSM standard used at AT&T, in one chip, allowing Apple to sell one iPhone 5 that can run on multiple networks.
Currently it sells one for AT&T and one for Verizon.
Given the iPhone 5 is expected to ship a lot more units than HTC's Thunderbolt, Apple has the advantage of pushing down prices even more.
"I would imagine the caveat would have to be added that strict cost of components may vary between Apple and HTC, given Apple's purchasing power in the semiconductor market," Lam says.
The iPhone 5 is expected in Q4 this year.

Apple sues Samsung for 'copying' iPad

Apple is one participant in a web of litigation among phone makers and software firms over who owns the patents used in smartphones, as rivals aggressively rush into the smartphone and tablet market that the US firm jumpstarted with the iPhone and iPad.

Nokia has also sued Apple, which in turn has sued Taiwanese handset maker HTC.

Samsung is one of the fastest growing smartphone makers and has emerged as Apple's strongest competitor in the booming tablet market with models in three sizes, but it remains a distant second in the sector.

Its Galaxy products use Google's Android operating system, which directly competes with Apple's mobile software. However, Apple's claims against Samsung focus on Galaxy's design features, such as the look of its screen icons, the lawsuit said.

John Jackson, an analyst with CCS Insight, said Samsung is essentially Apple's only real tablet competitor at this stage. "It's clear that they do not intend to let Apple run away with the category," Mr Jackson said.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday, alleges Samsung violated Apple's patents and trademarks.

"This kind of blatant copying is wrong," Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said in a statement.

Samsung said it would respond to the legal action "through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property".

"Samsung's development of core technologies and strengthening our intellectual property portfolio are keys to our continued success," it said in a statement.

Steve Jobs, Apple chief executive, has criticised Samsung and other rivals in presentations of new products or technology debates. Analysts say Samsung's response to this has been muted, partly because Apple was Samsung's second-biggest customer last year after Sony.

Apple brought in around 6.2 trillion won (£3.5bn) of sales to Samsung in 2010 mainly by purchasing semiconductors, according to Samsung's annual report.

"This is more like a symbolic move by Apple that it is quite serious about rivals advancing and it is trying to hold back its close competitors," said John Park, an analyst at Daishin Securities in Seoul. "Samsung is unlikely to respond aggressively given that Apple is its core client in the component business."

To better compete with Apple, Samsung redesigned within weeks its new 10.1-inch tablet, first introduced in February, to make it the thinnest in the category after Apple set the trend with its iPad 2.

The global smartphone market is expected to grow 58pc this year and Android is set account for 39pc of the market, while the tablet market is likely to quadruple to 70m units, according to research firm Gartner.