Get a second chance at $100 (or more) with trade-in, no preorder required

In February, HTC started a promotion for those that preordered the HTC One: trade-in a qualifying old smartphone, and get at least $100 back with proof of purchase. This required a unique pre-registration code that HTC sent out upon preordering.

Those that missed HTC's original offer now get another shot at the $100 Visa gift card (up to $375 based on trade-in value). This second chance at the money back promotion is good for this weekend only (May 2 - May 5). Instead of unique codes given to each customer, HTC is giving out a universal code for anyone to use. To qualify, follow these three steps:

1. Buy a new HTC One between 5/2/13 - 5/5/13
2. Go to the promo page and enter the promotion code: HTC100
3. Use the shipping label provided to mail-in your eligible smartphone and proof of your new HTC One purchase postmarked by 6/15/13 and you'll get a Prepaid Visa card by mail

This offer is good for phones purchased through U.S. carriers or national retails stores only. If you've been looking for an excuse to pickup a One, now's your chance.

ClockWorkMod dev steps in to help actor root his HTC One

Star Trek: The Next Generation actor and all-round alpha-nerd Wil Wheaton is having trouble rooting his HTC One. Of course ClockWorkMod developer Koushik Dutta is going to help out with a limited edition, Wheaton-centric recovery image.

The story, from Koush on Google+, goes something like this --

Tonight, Wil Wheaton was trying to root his HTC One and failing miserably. He was able to get recovery installed, but couldn't figure out how to get Superuser installed through recovery (some issue with mounting, blah blah).

Tough bootloaders call for an even tougher recovery. I'm proud to announce the new Wil Wheaton Recovery. Wil Wheaton will offer to root your device if root access is missing.

That's no joke -- it's exactly what Wil Wheaton recovery for the HTC One does when you install it. Naturally, it's also decorated with a new background image featuring Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher himself (imagine him reversing the polarity or unleashing a swarm of sentient nanites or something).

No word on whether Wheaton's been able to use the new recovery yet; his last Google+ post from a few hours ago said he was "giving up for the night." If you want to try out Wil Wheaton recovery for yourself (HTC One-only, of course), you can grab the download link from Koush's G+ page, linked below.

Source: +Koushik Dutta, +Wil Wheaton

Final Q1 results underscore what unaudited figures told us, but there's a more optimistic outlook for Q2

HTC has officially announced its consolidated first-quarter financial results, and the figures confirm what we learned a month ago from its unaudited Q1 figures -- specifically, it was a dismal quarter for the Taiwanese manufacturer. The first three months of 2013 weren't kind to HTC, with the company's new flagship handset, the HTC One, arriving too late to make any difference to its Q1 balance sheet.

Total quarterly revenues stood at NT$42.8 billion ($1.42 billion), with a gross margin of 20.3 percent and a razor-thin operating margin of just 0.1 percent. Net profit was NT$85 million ($2.88 million). Earnings per share (EPS) were NT$0.10 ($0.003).

In today's press release, CEO Peter Chou describes this as a "pivotal quarter" for HTC, as it transitioned to its new flagship smartphone. The HTC boss goes on to list various accolades picked up by the handset since its announcement.

Looking ahead to Q2, the company expects a significant uptick off the back of the HTC One, with predicted second quarter revenues of NT$70 billion ($2.73 billion), a gross profit margin of between 22 and 24 percent, and operating margin of 1 to 3 percent. With HTC One sales just starting to get going in many countries, the manufacturer has every reason to be optimistic. But it'll also have to contend with competitor Samsung's massive launch push for its new flagship, the Galaxy S4.

Source: HTC (PDF)

LG's latest looks to be a worthy contender in AT&T's summer lineup

LG formally took the wraps off its latest AT&T flagship tonight in New York, and the US-version of the Optimus G Pro is just as impressive as we when we first met it back in Barcelona. A worthy contender in AT&T's summer lineup, the Optimus G Pro beats the Note 3 to the market as the next-gen phablet designed to compete: with a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 GB of RAM, and an eye-popping full 1080p IPS display, the Optimus G Pro hits shelves on May 10, joining the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 in the summer's most robust portfolio. LG's offering will cost $199 on contract. Hit the break for our initial impressions.

Optimus G Pro preorders start May 3

AT&T this morning officially announced the LG Optimus G Pro. It'll be available starting May 10 for $199 on contract. Preorders kick off May 3 online. (Looks like what we heard a few weeks back about a May 10 AT&T launch was right on the money.)

We're no stranger to the Optimus G Pro, having enjoyed the Korean version for a couple months now after its unveiling at Mobile World Congress. It's surprisingly svelte for a 5.5-inch device, and the 1080p IPS display is downright gorgeous. It's plenty snappy, too, with a Snapdragon 600 processor cranking along at 1.7 GHz. The 13MP rear camera proved to be decent enough as well. 

AT&T's version is sporting 32GB of total storage (actual available storage will be less, of course), and you can slap up to a 64GB microSD card in there for good measure.

AT&T's Optimus G Pro also will have that "Value Pack" update that brings features such as dual-video recording and that eye-tracking stuff the kids are crazy about these days. 

More: AT&T

Camera-centric smartphone with 20-megapixel 1/1.6-inch sensor could be coming later this year

Smartphone imaging tech is constantly evolving, with manufacturers cramming ever more advanced shooters into handsets. Now it seems Sony may be taking things a step further with a new flagship phone for late 2013, codenamed "Honami." 

New Samsung phone available in-store and online through major retailer

British retailer Phones4U sends word that it's officially launched the Samsung Galaxy S4, with the handset being available online, in-store and in store-in-store locations at PC World and Currys. P4U offers the Galaxy S4 on a range of tariffs through EE, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Orange, with prices starting at £36 per month for a free GS4. That'll get you unlimited data and calls, and 2000 minutes.

The cheapest monthly price plan we could find was on Orange, with £26 per month (and £299 up-front) getting you unlimited texts and calls, and 250MB. 4G LTE plans are also available on EE through Phones4U, with prices starting at £199 up-front and £31 per month for 500MB, all the way up to an eye-watering £81 per month for 20GB with roaming included.

The full list of pricing options can be found over at the source link.

Source: Phones4U

More: Samsung Galaxy S4 review

'Mini' HTC One could pack 4.3-inch, 720p display, dual-core CPU

HTC was won heaps of praise for the design of its new flagship smartphone, the HTC One. So it's natural that it might want to echo that same iconic look in its new mid-range product, and if the latest leaks are to be believed, that's exactly what's on the cards.

Prolific leaker @Evleaks, this time moonlighting for PhoneArena, brings us the first possible image of the HTC "M4," a device he says packs a dual-core CPU and a 4.3-inch, 720p display, 2GB of RAM and an 'UltraPixel' rear camera, powered by a 1700mAh battery. Naturally, it's a dead ringer for its big brother the HTC One, which carried the codename "M7" -- with key elements like the "BoomSound" speakers, unique two-button setup and chassis design making the transition over to the smaller handset. There's also some suggestion that the M4 might not use the same aluminum construction as the HTC One, on account of the duller look of the front and back panels in the render.

We should "expect [the M4] to ship with some manner of One branding," when it eventually appears, according to @Evleaks. (Our money would be on "HTC One Mini" or something similar.) The launch, he says, is scheduled for sometime in Q2, with LTE on-board, as well as Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Source: PhoneArena

My time has finally come. It's time I put down ... the other phone I've been using and pick up the Samsung Galaxy S4. Alex Dobie did a stellar job with our deep-dive Galaxy S4 review on Sprint's variant, and now I've got AT&T's in house. 

Hardware-wise, we're not really looking at anything different here. Same 5-inch Super AMOLED display. Same Android 4.2.2 with Samsung's TouchWiz atop it. Same 1.9 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. Same paltry 16GB of on-board storage space -- only we know that's not quite true. 

Where AT&T differs from Sprint, aside from a handful of AT&T-specific applications -- of course is in the network. So we'll see how this thing handles a day of proper LTE versus spotty EVDO. Like many of you, I'm particularly interested in the camera. Will it be a better all-around choice? Will I miss Zoes and Video Highlights too much? Will I, like so many of you, be underwhelmed by an iterative design instead of a radical overhaul?

Only one way to find out. Time for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to live in my pocket for a few weeks. Join me in our Galaxy S4 forums, will ya?

Hit the break for a quick video intro.

Picking up your Galaxy S4 this week? Check out some of the top accessories

The Galaxy S4 is finally upon us, and that means many of us will be looking for some shiny new accessories to go with the latest Samsung smartphone. Here's a quick roundup from ShopAndroid.com --