HTC has announced its first profit dip in two years. The finger is pointed at the iPhone as part of the reason HTC is having trouble.

The iPhone has used Corning Gorilla Glass for a long time and the glass isn’t as strong as some of us wish it was. Corning will be unveiling Gorilla Glass 2 at CES.

The ITC ruling in the patent infringement case Apple brought against HTC for allegedly using its patents has been delayed again. There is no indication from the ITC why the ruling has been delayed for a second time.

Linksys has a new router called the E4200 v2 that has launched that has a cool new feature. That new feature allows the router to be set up and managed form an iPhone or other devices using a Linksys app.

Rumors claim that the iPhone 5 will launch on September 12 but the iPad 2011 launch rumor has changed. The iPad 3 won’t launch this year according to the sources.

Another legitimate looking fake Apple store has been found in China. This one is two stories and apparently sells black iPhones modded to be white for $110 more.

HTC has purchased S3 Graphics from VIA and its partner. The interesting part is that Apple was recently found to be infringing on patents held by S3 meaning HTC has some leverage over Apple once the deal is done.

ComScore has reported that Android is still tops in mobile market share. However, the iPhone is still growing. Google has 38.1% of the smartphone market and apple has 26.6%.

Rumors are floating around that we are more likely to see the iPhone land on the Sprint network this year than the AT&T network. Sprint should empty its coffers to make this deal a reality the company needs a popular handset.

Apple is reportedly interested in developing its own search engine for the iPhone. The company’s ties with Google the current default search engine, are now strained with Android and the Nexus One.

HTC has stated that it “disagrees” with Apple in the patent suit Apple brought against HTC. HTC points out that it in fact had not only the first touchscreen phone in the US, but also the first in the world.

Apple has removed screen protectors from its store and website. An exact reason for the removal has not been given, but speculation is that Apple feels its screens are strong enough that it needs no protection.

A patent expert is warning that if Apple wins its patent suit against HTC, HTC could be forced to remotely cripple some of its smartphones. The expert is Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard Law School professor.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has said that he expects the iPhone to be an important part of the wireless company’s line for “quite some time.” He also says that call quality will be considerably better for iPhone users by mid-2010.

Pioneer has unveiled a VSX-820-K AV receiver that is Works with iPhone certified. The receiver also supports Bluetooth and surround sound for $299.

Netflix is popping up with streaming service on gobs of platforms and many have wanted access on the iPhone. Reports are now coming in that Netflix is surveying iPhone users for interest in an app for the iPhone.

Here is the pointers:

Touchscreens

• Both have capacitive touchscreens
• The former 3.5-inches and the latter 3.2-inches
• Both running at 480 x 320.

Size

• The iPhone 3G (4.5 x 2.4 x 0.48 inches) a little longer, wider and thinner than the Magic (4.45 x 2.17 x 0.54 inches).

Weight

• The Magic is lighter: 4.18oz versus the iPhone 3G’s 4.7oz.

Hardware

• The Magic has a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7201a chipset.
• Apple has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack
• HTC insist on you using an adapter dongle with their ExtUSB port.
• The Magic has native miniUSB supports.
• The iPhone 3G has proprietary connector.

Home screen

• The HTC Magic has dedicated search, home, menu and back buttons directly under the touchscreen, then hardware send/end call keys and a trackball with enter button.
• There’s a volume control on the left hand side, but there’s no dedicated camera shortcut.
• Apple make do with one home button, volume controls, a lock button on the top and a physical ringer switch, which is certainly more useful when the phone is in your pocket or bag.

Connectivity

• The iPhone 3G delivers HSDPA, WiFi b/g and Bluetooth, although the only Bluetooth profiles supported are the headset and handsfree.
• The HTC Magic has 7.2Mbps HSDPA, WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0, and there’s much more flexibility in the Bluetooth stack.

Capacity

• The iPhone 3G is available in 8GB or 16GB, with no way to expand that capacity
• The Magic has a mere 512MB ROM but a microSD slot with up to 16GB cards.

Camera

• The iPhone has just 2-megapixels camera with a fixed-focus lens
• The Magic has a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus.

For starters, the T-Mobile G1 has a brand new operating system, Google’s Android that has been highly anticipated for quite some time. It has the unique distinction of being open-source, which means developers from all over can update and modify the OS. The Android Market is also going to go live, which features apps from all walks of life.

The phone itself features Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G (where available). It features a 3-megapixel camera and 1GB of storage by means of a removable memory card, which can be expanded up to 8GB. The G1 has a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard that is revealed by means of a nifty sliding mechanism. We can expect the G1 from T-Mobile on October 22 and current T-Mobile customers can pre-order it for $179.

On the flip side, we have the iPhone 3G. It’s been out for nearly three months and while it looks nice, it hasn’t been without its drama. Some people don’t get 3G reception, there were a few security issues, and the App Store appears to be highly monitored so certain apps are rejected. But as far as specs go, the iPhone has Wi-Fi, a limited GPS function, a 2-megapixel camera, 8GB or 16GB of storage and a 3.5″ touchscreen that supports multi-touch gestures. It currently costs $199.

When it comes to looks, the iPhone 3G definitely wins. It’s glossy back, large screen smooth touch capabilities all lend it a sense of style. The T-Mobile G1 is also decent-looking, though what was previously described as the “chin” and the bulkier feel bring it down a notch.

But looks aside, who comes out on top here? Well, Apple has been criticized recently for its excessive monitoring of apps in the iTunes App Store, and the Android Market will be rule-free, in effect. But is that a good idea, either? What about malware apps or other annoying programs that intend to harm your G1 or obtain your personal information? What will be done in these cases?

The limited storage capacity is also a bit of a problem, especially for those that want to load up on music. A plus, however, is that Android uses Amazon MP3, which offers DRM-free tracks, often a point of contention with iTunes.

During the announcement yesterday, I would have said the G1 has a leg up because it only costs $179, but many users of our Android Community are reporting differently, noting pre-order price tags of $299 or more!

In the end, I find myself torn. While the iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1 are similar in that they are smartphones with touchscreens and app stores, they couldn’t be more different. The iPhone 3G is a phone made by Apple that runs on Apple software. When it comes to the G1, we’re dealing with a phone made by HTC, carried by T-Mobile that runs on an OS by Google.

Could an Android-based handset be the always talked about “iPhone killer?” Sure. But that handset is not the G1. Until Google makes their own phone that runs on Android, I don’t think we’ll see all that the very impressive OS from the search engine mogul can do.

A trademark lawyer has already stated that for the most part, the names are different enough to avoid a lawsuit based solely on that fact, but combined with the highly similar functionality, well that’s another story. Mr. Chou over at HTC is quoted to have stated his opinions on the matter, including the fact that he thinks Apple naming their product the iPod Touch is a compliment to the product his company has produced.

However, its what he hasn’t said that could be cause for concern as he hasn’t said one way or the other whether or not HTC will pursue legal action over the matter. So, for now, Apple is good, nothing is going on with the name, but that could change even as soon as launch date for the iPod Touch.

Apple in hot water with HTC over “touch” name? [via electronista]

The HTC shift is quite revolutionary, whereas up until now, if you wanted to do even the most basic of functions on your UMPC you had to fully power it on and begin sucking away at that battery, with the Shift, this is not the case. There are separate OS and processors for use at your disposal.

There is the 400MHz Qualcomm processor and Windows Mobile 6.0 for PDA types of use, and you can use it without recharging running solely on this set of hardware/software. Then you simply push a button and you are using the Intel A110 800MHz processor and Windows Vista Business which only lasts about 3 hours.

Other specs include a 1.3MP webcam, fingerprint scanner, 1GB DDR2, 40GB HDD, WLAN, HSDPA, and the latest revision of Bluetooth. There isn’t a price listed, but it should be available now (once again, at least in Korea). One note of caution, HTC’s latest press release containing info on the Shift says it should be released in US and European markets by Q3 of this year, so, it may be available in Korea, but probably won’t be available here for at least another month.

www.htc.com/product/03-product_HTC_Shift.htm

HTC UMPC ‘Shift’ to load two CPUs [via AVING]

The full specs make for interesting reading – an optional credit card reader, anyone?  Rumour has it that this is set to be HTC’s further foray into the potentially-lucrative enterprise market, who will likely get a kick out of the dual MMC/SDIO expansion slots and A-GPS.

• Qualcomm MSM7200, 400MHz chipset
• Memory: 256 MP ROM, 64 or 128 RAM, Optional 1GB NAND Flash
• Windows Mobile 6.0
• Quad-band: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, EDGE, GPRS
• WCDMA tri-band 2100 or 850/1900 MHz, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth, miniUSB
• 3.5″ QVGA TFT touchscreen
• 3 mpx camera with aoutofocus
• A-GPS
• Fingerprint reader
• 2 MMC/SDIO expansion slots
• Dimensions: 137×72×21 mm
• Optional credit card reader/extended battery

Personally I think that hardware is pretty much irrelavent, and that the iPhone will only be toppled by a company who grasps the simplicity and ease of use that the handset’s OS so exemplifies.  The mediocre HTC Touch has already demonstrated that it takes more than a flimsy WM6 overlay to turn an interesting phone into an exciting one, and I’m yet to see any indication that Microsoft’s mobile platform has that potential.

Being fair, however, it’s a bloody impressive device.  Unlike the iPhone (in fact more like the Nokia Communicator) it’s a landscape clamshell with full QWERTY keyboard and 4-inch WVGA 800 x 480 display. 

Inside the slick, minimalist casing is a GSM/GPRS/UMTS/HSDPA cellphone with WiFi in b and g flavours, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS and assisted-GPS, running Windows Mobile 6 on a 400MHz Samsung SC244X processor.  There’s also a sub-display for caller-ID and status on the outside.

Physically connectivity gets a boost, with both TV and VGA out, offering potential for the Omni to be both a portable office and media player, though you’ll be looking to store most things on microSD since internal memory is limited to 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM.

Dimensions run to 130 x 81 x 16 mm, and it’s apparently set to be the successor to the successful but ageing HTC Universal when it launches in October.

Unwired View [via SlashGear]