Updated: Apple said Tuesday that it is suing HTC for infringing on 20 patents related to the iPhone and pursuing a permanent cease and desist order that could derail a wide range of Android devices.

Specifically, Apple is suing HTC in a Delaware district court and the U.S. International Trade Commission for violating patents related to “the iPhone’s user interface, underlying architecture and hardware.” Apple didn’t detail the specific patents involved.

In a statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said:

“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it. We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”

Funny that’s what everyone in the smartphone food chain says. The ITC is going to be quite busy evaluating all the patent lawsuits against various mobile phone players.

HTC wasn’t commenting until it reviewed the complaint.

Also see: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes’ take and court documents (PDF).

• Smartphone wars: Apple fires back at Nokia; Court skirmishes heat up

For those keeping score at home, here’s the ITC’s plate:

• The ITC has launched an investigation into Eastman Kodak’s complaint that Research in Motion and Apple are infringing on its patents.
• The ITC is investigating a complaint by Motorola against RIM.
• And the ITC is investigating a complaint by Apple against Nokia.

The big question is whether Apple’s first serve against HTC will escalate into a bevy of countersuits like the Nokia patent war has. It’s unclear that HTC has the history or intellectual property to countersue Apple into a cross-licensing pact. Apple signaled that it wouldn’t let competitors run off with its intellectual property a little more than a year ago and hasn’t disappointed.

Apple vs. Android

It’s hard not to take Apple’s HTC suit as an indirect shot against Google. HTC is a big partner of Google and is launching an army of Android devices that are clearly aimed at the iPhone. Bottom line: Google’s Android encroachment is the biggest threat to the iPhone and a patent suit could be a nice way to distract HTC. Would it be surprising if Apple also sued Motorola too?

Email alerts: Smartphones, Google, Apple

Indeed, Apple’s complaint mentioned Android just as much as it does HTC. Devices targeted by Apple include HTC’s Nexus One, Dream, Magic, Droid Eris and Google G1 among others.

Should Apple be successful it could derail the marketing and importation of many Android devices in the U.S.

In a footnote to its complaint, Apple said:

The categories listed are a shorthand summary of products currently accused of infringement by complainants. These descriptions, and the examples given therein, are not intended to exclusively define or otherwise limited the categories of accused products. Respondents have announced their intention to release additional products in the future that will infringe the asserted patents.

Then as an example Apple mentions that HTC will sell the HD2 in early 2010.

It’s also notable that Apple hasn’t sued Google directly. By going after device makers individually Apple could hamper the hardware partners that Google needs to bring Android to a bevy of devices.

A look at the patents

Apple’s suit involves a bevy of patents ranging from user interface features such as scrolling and scaling to touch screen methods to power consumption to graphics.

The laundry list:

• ‘331 Patent, entitled “Time-Based, Non-Constant Translation Of User Interface Objects Between States”
• ‘949 Patent, entitled “Touch Screen Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface For Determining Commands By Applying Heuristics”
• ‘849 Patent, entitled “Unlocking A Device By Performing Gestures On An Unlock Image”
• ‘381 Patent, entitled “List Scrolling And Document Translation, Scaling, And Rotation On A Touch-Screen Display”
• ‘726 Patent, entitled “System And Method For Managing Power Conditions Within A Digital Camera Device”
• ‘076 Patent, entitled “Automated Response To And Sensing Of User Activity In Portable Devices”
• ‘105 Patent, entitled “GMSK Signal Processors For Improved Communications Capacity And Quality”
• ‘453 Patent, entitled “Conserving Power By Reducing Voltage Supplied To An Instruction-Processing Portion Of A Processor”
• ‘599 Patent, entitled “Object-Oriented Graphic System”
• ‘354 Patent, entitled “Object-Oriented Event Notification System With Listener Registration Of Both Interests And Methods”

What to watch going forward

As we look ahead to the next chapter in this Apple-HTC spat the following questions pop out:

• What other Android bandmates of Google will be targeted? Motorola seems like a potential target.
• Will there be a chilling effect on the Android ecosystem?
• Will the discovery process in the HTC patent suit reveal whether there’s Apple code in Android? While HTC, a hardware company is being targeted, most of the named patents have a software component and could tie into Android.
• Does HTC have the intellectual property portfolio to countersue Apple? Let’s face it these patent suits usually turn out to bring both parties into a big co-licensing deal. Nokia, Motorola, Palm and others have the portfolios to countersue Apple. Does HTC, which was founded in 1997, have the history or patent portfolio to compete?

[via ZDNet]

The HTC Hero will be getting Android 2.0.
Google

Now that the Motorola Droid is set to debut on November 6th for $199 that is set in stone after today let’s take another look at that rumor that had HTC phones also getting Google’s new mobile operating system, Android 2.0.

So that means you may want to hold off on getting the Droid, because HTC’s Hero is supposed to be getting the new Android as well.

Engadget has HTC saying this:

Yes, we are working on an Eclair update for the HTC Hero. Because Eclair is a significantly enhanced release, it will require some time to update Sense for this new version of the Android OS. Please be patient while we work to provide you with a tightly integrated experience like the one you are already enjoying on your Hero.

So it is only a matter of time before the update comes out, they just need to port their Sense UI and work out the kinks. It’s as simple as pie.

Will this stop people from getting the Droid?

Probably not, but hey, it could prevent people from immediately making a switch. Or you could pick up a BlackBerry Storm 2 instead.

That’s a thought.

[via examiner.com]

We’ve mentioned the HTC Dragon a few times over the past week or so, with the rumored 1GHz Snapdragon-based Android smartphone – aka the Android HD2 – seemingly promising to answer any complaints users had about HTC smartphone performance.  However, we’ve been yet to actually see the device in action; that may have changed today, with The Unlockr being sent some live photos of a mysterious, unnamed Android handset that could very well be the HTC Dragon.

The handset is certainly an HTC, and has the usual Android keys along the bottom of the display – this time touch sensitive – together with a trackball precariously placed at the very bottom.  Around the back there’s a camera lens and what looks to be an LED flash; judging by the scale of the lens to the rest of the phone, it looks highly likely that the device has particularly large display.  Time will tell whether that display is the same 4.3-inch capacitive panel as on the HD2.

The 3G logo in the status bar would seem to confirm a GSM device, too, and the different unlock mechanism – so far HTC Android devices have used a slide-to-unlock system – suggests either tweaks to HTC Sense or Android 2.0.  The “touch the Android” system here doesn’t match up with the Android 2.0 unlock bar seen in the leaked preview screenshots.

By Chris Davies

[via Slash Gear]

Additional Screenshots

This was on Android and Me:

“Apparently a hacker was able to obtain a leaked copy of a Cliq rom (which includes MotoBlur) and he ported it to the HTC G1. We saw how Google reacted to developers distributing their Android apps, so I can only imagine how Motorola feels about someone releasing their software for another manufacturer’s handset.”

Then at Moto Dev:

“Anonymous person at Moto Dev event showed a moto Exec the G1 with Blur and this is what happened: looked at the screen, said “I don’t want to see that” in a nasty tone, I asked “why? is that bad?” She said yes, blew me off and walked away”

On Twitter:
@androidandme Haha just found out that Motorola doesn’t want any press at Motodev. We were escorted out.

@csewell08 @androidandme don’t worry I’m probably next, they don’t seem to like that I have blur on my g1

Button down the hatches guys! Motorola is pissed about the leak…They are looking into how it was released and who leaked it!

Check Out This YouTube Video of a G1 running Blur

HTC Tattoo

(Credit: HTC)

After playing peek-a-boo for the past few weeks, HTC officially introduced its latest Google Android handset on Tuesday, the HTC Tattoo.

Formerly known as the HTC Click, the Tattoo, we presume, gets it name from the customization options it offers and is being advertised as an Android phone for all. It’s the second phone from the company, after the HTC Hero, to use the HTC Sense user interface, which provides up to seven home screen panels that can be personalized with various widgets, shortcuts, and wallpapers.

The phone itself is pretty compact at 4.17 inches tall by 2.17 inches wide by 0.55 inch thick and 3.99 ounces. The HTC Tattoo features a 2.8-inch QVGA resistive touch screen and comes with a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a microSD expansion slot, and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also onboard. Of course, as an Android phone, you get access to Google’s various services, including Google Maps, Google Mail, and the Android Market.

The quad-band HTC Tattoo will be available in Europe first (of course), starting at the beginning of October. According to HTC, the smartphone will roll out to the rest of the world in the following months. Pricing was not announced at this time, but we’re thinking a sub-$100 price point would be pretty sweet, especially for something that’s marketed for such a broad audience.

[via cnet]

As if Sprint customers weren’t already happy enough to have an Android headed their way with the Sprint HTC Hero, today Sprint just announced a service plan that they teased as “revolutionary”. I might not go that far myself… but it kicks butt indeed.

The bottom line: your “Everything Plan” just got a little more of Everything. For $69.99 you’ll get unlimited calls to ANY carrier along with unlimited data, SMS, MMS, GPS nav, Sprint TV, etc… it’s called “Any Mobile, Anytime” (AMA). If you’ve currently got “Everything Data” your plan will automatically transitioned over to the new sweet deal.

This went from rumor to Official in record time. Last night I got a tip from a reader who sent in the following online conversation with a Sprint rep – important parts highlighted in red:

First of all, completely hilarious how he informed the rep about the HTC Hero launch date. The entire conversation is pretty amusing – definitely worth the read. When I went through this I thought it was interesting… but its from an online chat representative and let’s face it, they didn’t even know when the Sprint HTC Hero launched!

But shortly after we got another tip (BGR) informing us of an EMail Sprint sent out concerning some “wireless revolution” they would announce the following day. The lingo referred to service plans and suddenly that initial tip had a whole lot more substance:

But the impatient bunch that we are, tech media couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Within a few more hours, rumored details of the upcoming announcement were leaked by TechVi:

An anonymous tipster tells TechVi Sprint will be launching a calling plan which will allow customers to call any other cell phone from any other carrier for free. Any Sprint customer on the base $70 / month plan, which includes unlimited data, text and MMS messages, and 450 minutes, will be able to call any other cell phone on T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T without using plan minutes.

Callers have one caveat, according to our source, if roaming on another network, such as Verizon’s network when no Sprint coverage is available, they’ll end up using plan minutes. However, when in any Sprint coverage area, all cell-to-cell calls will be free of charge.

Sheesh. Sprint was SO close to keeping and delivering that secret and it all unraveled in an instant! The rumor factory was pumping at full capacity and they gave it a much needed rest by Officially announcing “Any Mobile, Anytime” as promised:

And there you have it. Sprint announces an awesome service plan to improve their already pretty awesome service plans. Now the question is… will Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile respond?

[Via Sprint, IntoMobile]

HTC is getting into the Android market in a big way and has unveiled its latest Android device called the Tattoo. The device is a low-cost entry-level handset that will ship in October.

The device will feature a 3.2MP camera, HTC’s SenseUI overlay for Android and will operate on HSPA 900/2100 frequencies. The device measures 106 x 55.2 x 14mm and weighs 108 grams. The screen is a 2.8-inch 240 x 320 QVGA resistive touchscreen.

Other features include a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, and a d-pad rather than the track ball we are used to seeing. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and USB 2.0. GPS is also integrated and the device runs on an 1100mAh battery pack. Price is unknown at this point.