The same Galaxy S4 we all know and love, with less bootloader protection and more good karma 

If you're the type who would rather not play the cat and mouse game with Samsung to keep your bootloader open on the Galaxy S4, here's some interesting news. The Developer Edition Galaxy S4 looks to be headed to both AT&T and Verizon. While we don't have any full details, we expect these to be identical to the standard 16GB versions, but with less bootloader protection. We also expect them to be full price, as carriers don't want to make it easy to get your hands on something they don't control.

Word from Samsung on both is just "coming soon" and neither AT&T or Verizon has had anything to say concerning these. Hopefully, they will be better received that the Developer Edition Galaxy S3 was last year, so Samsung knows it's worthwhile to continue to build developer-friendly versions of their carrier locked phones.

Source: Samsung (1), (2); via : Phandroid

More than just a pretty face, the HTC One is business ready and HTCPro certified

HTC has announced that the HTC One is their first HTCPro certified smart phone in the US.This means that the device meets standards that make it ready for the enterprise and a good choice for business customers. Specifically, the HTC One it meets the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and offers 256-bit encryption. It also includes IPsec VPN for security when accessing corporate networks, and features device management APIs for remote administration from your mail server administrator.

We're not sure just how many of the 5 Million sold are being used for business purposes, but it's nice to know that they can be if that's your thing. For more information about the HTCPro program and the HTC One, visit the source link below.

Source: HTCPro

The raw exploits to work around the locked bootloaders on some Galaxy S4s is released

On the heels of the release of the Galaxy S4 on Verizon, Android security researcher Dan Rosenberg has released the tools and files needed to work around the bootloader security of the AT&T and Verizon versions of the Galaxy S4. Unlike the other versions of the S4, the versions built for America's two biggest carriers have an extra security layer at the bootloader level, which makes it a bit difficult to flash a custom recovery or boot image to the device.

Rosenberg's tools work around these issues, and allow the user to flash custom kernels and recoveries on the AT&T and Verizon branded Samsung Galaxy S4. 

It's worth noting that these aren't for the novice, so you might want to wait a day or two to see what other developers can build using the new bootloader tools. Hopefully, something simple and sane can be made for those folks who want or need to do a little magic on the software of their Galaxy S4. See the links below for more information.

Source: XDA; Azimuth Security. Thanks everyone who sent this in!

First UK network to confirm it'll carry Samsung's 6.3-incher

Three UK is the first (and so far only) major UK network to confirm plans to launch the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega. The Mega 6.3, which dwarfs even the Galaxy Note 2, packs a 720p display resolution, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and the latest TouchWiz UI. On the inside it's running a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU and 1.5GB of RAM. And yes, it's a rather large telephone.

There's no date on the cards yet for the Galaxy Mega's arrival on Three, but reports from independent retailers point to a July launch. In the meantime, Three's published an official teaser video, which you can find over at the source link.

Source: YouTube

$199.99 with a two-year plan, or $649.99 outright

Verizon Wireless customers, your long wait is over -- today you can go out and buy the Samsung Galaxy S4. Though we've been hearing news of pre-order customers getting their devices early, today's the day the S4 is officially available for purchase online and in stores. Verizon is selling the 16GB Galaxy S4 in black and white color options, priced at $199.99 with a two-year plan, or $649.99 outright.

If you're picking up a GS4 on Big Red today, be sure to hit the comments let us know how you get on. We've also got bustling Galaxy S4 forums for all your questions. And if you're still on the fence, you can check out our exhaustive Galaxy S4 review.

More: Galaxy S4 review, Galaxy S4 forums

Source: Verizon Wireless

Pre-orders start tomorrow, in-store from June 14

Last night we heard that new colors of the Samsung Galaxy S4 would be arriving this summer, and now we have the first details of when and from whom. AT&T has confirmed that it'll exclusively stock the "aurora red" Galaxy S4 in the U.S., and sends word that the device will be available to pre-order from tomorrow, May 24. Brick-and-mortar AT&T stores will have the device from June 14. The red color will be available for the 16GB model, AT&T says, which costs $199 on contract.

The new red Galaxy S4 makes for a fitting successor to the "garnet red" Galaxy S3 that AT&T debuted last year. If you're tempted to pick up this new, more colorful S4 when it lands, be sure to shout out in the comments.

Source: AT&T

'Facebook phone' skipping British release, EE spokesperson confirms

It looks like the HTC First might never see the light of day in the UK, as a spokesperson for carrier partner EE has confirmed to Android Central that Facebook is holding off plans to bring the handset to British shores. "Facebook has decided to focus on adding new customisation features to Facebook Home over the coming months," the spokesperson said, "While they are working to make a better Facebook Home experience, they have recommended holding off launching the HTC First in the UK, and so we will shortly be contacting those who registered their interest with us to let them know of this decision."

Despite the decision to hold off the HTC First launch, the EE spokesperson said "we remain committed to bringing our customers the latest mobile experiences, and we will continue to build on our strong relationship with Facebook so as to offer customers new opportunities in the future."

The HTC First went on sale in the U.S. on AT&T last month, but had its price dropped from $99 to 99 cents on contract amid widespread rumors of poor sales. If the First has performed as badly as is being reported, this might explain the decision to curtail any wider launch plans.

An HTC spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

We've seen the comparisons between the HTC One and the Galaxy S4, and we've read the reviews for both, also.  Surely, that's all that we need to know, right?  Questions still remain, like how the camera of the One stacks up in real world use.  That's exactly the question that Android Central Forums member Bobbman asked:

Hello all. ... Strongly considering the HTC One. Camera quality is really important to me. I have heard some mixed opinions about the camera. Was hopping you could help me based on the following criteria:

• How do photos look on large computer screen. Do not care about cropping or zooming in. Just want them to look good on large screen.
• The low light photos are they really good on a consistent basis? I looked at the photo thread and it seems a bit hit or miss.
• Does the video capture record sound well? Also have seen mixed opinions about this.
• Do photos print well on to a standard 4x6 print? Again not worried about cropping.

Thanks for any input!!!

It's a lengthy conversation already, but the past couple of days have focused on how to get the best pictures out of the One.  Some of these tips will apply to just about any device, though. Head past the break for some highlights.

Number given to the Wall Street Journal by unnamed HTC executive

HTC has sold approximately five million of its latest flagship smartphone, the HTC One, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The paper quotes an unnamed HTC executive saying the company had sold "around five million" HTC One devices since the launch around a month and a half ago.

"Orders are pretty good so far and are still more than what we can supply. This is partly due to the shortage of components. When the issue is resolved next month, we will have a better idea if it's doing really well or not," the executive is quoted as saying, referring to supply issues with camera components for the phone.

If accurate, the 5 million figure shows strong sales for the device the face of fierce competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung. By contrast, rival Samsung says it recently passed the 10 million units shipped mark for its new Galaxy S4, which went on sale around the world during the last week of April, so it's still comfortably ahead of its Taiwanese rival.

HTC will be relying on sales of the One to remedy its current financial woes, and shifting five million units is certainly a significant step in the right direction. What's more, the news might also quell worries over the stream of high-profile figures who've recently left the company.

Source: WSJ Online

Headed to Russia, Ukraine, Middle East and Asia from June

Just 24 hours after the name was initially leaked, HTC has officially announced the Desire 600, a new mid-range handset aimed at Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The HTC Desire 600 sports many of the headline features of HTC's current flagship, the HTC One. You've got Jelly Bean (we presume Android 4.1, not 4.2) and Sense 5.0, a pair of beastly "BoomSound" speakers, the BlinkFeed home screen experience and Beats Audio. The new Sense 5 Gallery app has made it across, it seems, as has video highlights. Zoes, however, are not mentioned on the spec sheet.

The handset is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 CPU with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD. Around the back there's an 8-megapixel BSI camera with f/2.0 lens. That screen on the front is a 4.5-inch qHD panel, a significant step down from the One's 1080p SuperLCD3, but not a horribly low resolution. The Desire 600 dual also comes with dual SIM capabilities, and runs on 900/2100MHz HSPA networks with data speeds up to 7.2Mbps.

The HTC Desire 600 is due out in early June, starting in Russia, Ukraine and MEA (Middle East and Africa) -- no word of any plans for a wider European release just yet. We've got the full press release below, along with a few more photos.