HTC Unveils the Vive Pre Dev Kit

Today HTC has taken the wraps off of the second generation version of the HTC Vive. As you probably know, the HTC Vive is a virtual reality head-mounted display designed and made jointly by HTC and Valve. The consumer launch date for the Vive Pre has been pushed back a couple times now, but certain developers have had access to developer versions of the headset for some time now in order to develop new titles for it or work on adapting existing ones. The new Vive Pre is the second version of the Vive developer kit, and it comes with a number of improvements that bring the Vive closer toward its eventual commercial launch which will be occurring this year.

The Vive Pre makes some notable additions to the earlier version. First and foremost are the improvements to ergonomics. According to HTC, the headset has basically been redesigned from the ground up to be more compact and fit more comfortably onto your head while also being more stable. The displays have been made brighter and refinements to the entire display and lens stack have improved clarity over the existing model. Finally, there has been a front camera added to the headset. This may seem strange at first, but what the camera allows for is augmented reality experiences where a feed of the real world can be shown to the user and illusions can be projected onto that space by the headset.

As for the controllers, the design has been overhauled to make them more ergonomic. The buttons have been textured to make them easier to find, and the trigger has been changed to a dual stage switch which allows for interactions with multiple states, such as holding or squeezing something. There’s also haptic feedback to go along with interactions, and this is something that can really help the experience when implemented in a proper and subtle manner. Finally, the tracking stations for the controllers have been made smaller and more precise.

I had a chance to try the new Vive Pre earlier, and it marked my first experience with a virtual reality headset, with the exception of the Nintendo Virtual Boy. While I can’t make any statements that compare the new Vive to the old dev kit or to other VR headsets like the Oculus Rift, I can say that the experience with the headset and the controllers was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. The demo consisted of a virtual environment that simulated some of the challenges one would encounter when climbing Mount Everest. It included very theatrical sweeping shots where you looked over the mountains as though you were flying in the air or riding on a helicopter, as well as interactive segments that simulated crossing over a large pit, and climbing up a ladder.

What amazed me was how quickly I forgot about the fact that I was just in a hotel room wearing a rather large helmet and holding some controllers, and I found myself too frightened to look right over the edge of a cliff, and felt a strange feeling when I climbed the ladder as though I was nervous with my increasing height, even though I knew very well that I was standing on the floor the entire time. Head tracking latency was also very low, and to be honest the only thing that ever took me out of the experience was the limited resolution of the displays. That’s a technology issue that will be improved with time, but even with that barrier to total immersion the experience is still extremely compelling and unlike anything else.

As of right now, the HTC Vive is scheduled to launch commercially in April of this year. Whether or not that date will be pushed back again is unknown, but what I can say is that I think the Vive and other VR headsets will have been worth the wait. 

HTC Brings the Desire 816 to the US

HTC is expanding their lineup of devices in the United States with the official launch of the Desire 816 on Virgin Mobile USA. We talked about the Desire 816 when it launched earlier this year at MWC, and much like the recently launched Desire 610 on AT&T it has taken quite some time for the Desire 816 to makes its way to the US. In many ways the Desire 816 can be viewed as a big brother to the Desire 610, with improved specs across the board. It’s also a device that helps HTC combat inexpensive phablets like the Huawei Ascend Mate2. The full specifications of the Desire 816 are laid out below.

Looking at the specs there’s not a whole lot to talk about. The Snapdragon 400 platform has become ubiquitous among devices in this price bracket, and the 720p display is also fairly standard. It’s interesting to compare the Desire 816 to the Huawei Ascend Mate2. While they don’t compete on the same carrier in the US, they share similar specifications right down to the camera resolutions. The big difference comes with the larger display on the Mate2 and the subsequent larger battery due to the increased physical size of the device. Overall, HTC looks to have put together a very decent device for its price bracket. Features like multiple color choices and HTC’s front facing Boomsound speakers will also help to differentiate the Desire 816 from the other competing devices that have a similar hardware platform.

Currently the Desire 816 will launch on Virgin Mobile USA on August 12 for $299 off contract. This variant will support the Sprint EVDO network that Virgin Mobile utilizes. HTC has also stated that they intend to bring other smartphones in the Desire lineup to the United States later this year. Whether that also means expanded carrier availability for the Desire 610 and 816 is something only time will tell.

AT&T Launching HTC Desire 610 On July 25

Today AT&T and HTC announced that the HTC Desire 610 is coming to AT&T. The Desire 610 was announced back in February and so it has taken quite some time to make its way over to the US. It competes in the same price class as devices like the Motorola Moto G and the Huawei Ascend Mate2, and its specifications are laid out below.

The Desire 610 shares many common hardware features with other devices in its price point. The MSM8226 and MSM8926 have become ubiquitous among smartphones in the $200-300 price range. When compared to the Moto G we see that the Desire 610 brings along a higher resolution rear-facing camera but takes a significant step down in resolution. Something to note is that AT&T’s press release states that their Desire 610 has an 854×480 display at 199ppi, while the Desire 610 that has shipped in other parts of the world has a 960×540 display for a pixel density of 234ppi. It is unclear if AT&T’s model of the Desire 610 is a special variant or if this is simply an error in the specifications AT&T has listed. The inclusion of MicroSD and LTE support is welcomed, as it was not long ago that phones aimed at the low and middle ends of the market would forgo LTE support to reduce costs. Beyond that it is a fairly similar device to others in its price bracket, and for many consumers choosing a smartphone in thise price bracket the choice may be more about size and appearance than what’s inside.

The Desire 610 will be available for purchase on July 25 for AT&T customers. It will be available for $199 with no carrier contract, or for $10 or $8.34 a month on AT&T’s 12 and 18 month financing plans respectively.

Source: AT&T