March 28, 2013 By 16 Comments

Which MHL Cable should I buy?

MHL Cable choices

The chances are that if you’ve come to this post, you’re already aware that your device has MHL (video out capability), so I won’t explain what an MHL cable is used for (there are good definitions within the linked products below) and we also have this post, which explains what MHL does and shows off some of its coolest features.

MHL Cable

However, while MHL is an industry standard (meaning that in theory the same cable should be compatible with all MHL-enabled devices), that is not the case – some use a 9 pin arrangement, others use a 5 pin arrangement. The point of this post therefore is to tell you which MHL cable is compatible with your device.

Samsung Galaxy S4/Samsung Galaxy S3 MHL Adaptor

We have created a video to show the description below in action, which you can view here

The Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S4 MHL adaptors are interchangeable with both handsets. That’s to say, the S4 MHL adaptor will work with the S3, and the S3 MHL adaptor will work with the S4. However, there are still some differences.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 uses MHL 2.0. This means that there is no power connection needed for the MHL adaptor to work – the S4 can power the connection itself. That being said, it is advisable to power the connection if possible (using your handset’s microUSB charger) in order to prevent battery drain. Both the S3 and S4 adaptors work with the S4 without the need to power the connection.

The situation with the Samsung Galaxy S3  handset is the opposite. Both the S3 and S4 MHL adaptors will need to be powered if you are using them with the S3. This isn’t a huge problem as the microUSB charger supplied with you handset is fine for this purpose, it just makes the setup slightly more inconvenient.

The other difference between the two adaptors is that the S4 adaptor has a 60MHz refresh rate, whereas the S3 has a 24GHz refresh rate. This means that the S4 adaptor will provide a better image on screen, whether you are using it with the S3 or the S4.

11-Pin MHL adaptor

Samsung Galaxy S4 MHL Cable (demo video)(also compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S3)

Samsung Galaxy S3 MHL Cable (demo video) (also compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S4)

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 MHL Cable (demo video)

5-Pin MHL adaptor

Sony Xperia Z (see a demo video for this here)

HTC One (see a demo video for this here)

Sony Xperia T

Samsung Galaxy S2

Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy Nexus 

HTC One X

HTC One X+

HTC One SV

Other accessories that offer MHL capability

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Smart Dock – due early April. It’s possible that this will also be compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S3, but we will confirm this once we have received stock.

There was a similar product for Sony handsets called the LiveDock, but this has now been discontinued.

Handsets that you may expect to have MHL, but don’t

MHL is a relatively new standard when it comes to its inclusion with smartphones, so you could be forgiven for expecting it to be included with newly released handsets. however, some new handsets do not include it, but use other standards such as SlimPort, which we explain here. Here are a list of those that we are aware of that do not use MHL and the equivalent standard that they do use.

LG Nexus 4 – SlimPort

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December 5, 2012 By 15 Comments

HTC One X + vs Samsung Galaxy S3

Let’s be honest; HTC and Samsung’s flagship devices do not have much to choose between them. Both are extremely powerful handsets that boast the latest and greatest tech available in a smartphone today. I am going to compare some of the features between the two warrior handsets as this question is a frequently asked one here at Clove: What’s the difference between the HTC One X + and the Samsung Galaxy S3?

OS: The HTC One X + comes with the latest Android OS (4.1 Jelly Bean) compared to that of the S3 (4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) although there is an update now available for the S3 which allows you to upgrade to Jelly Bean.

Processor: The SGS3 is running on a 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad-Core processor to that of the One X + which is powered by a larger 1.7GHz Tegra 3 Quad-Core processor. To be quite honest; there is not too much to choose between the two when it comes to processor speed. However, the HTC One X + runs 60% faster than the original One X which is a very notable improvement.

Display: The One X + has a 4.7 inch Super LCD 2 display with a 1280 x 720 resolution and 312 ppi. The SGS3 has a slightly larger screen at 4.8 inches featuring a Super AMOLED display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 306 ppi. Both devices feature Corning Gorilla Glass 2 displays, the pixels per inch are slightly higher on the One X + plus; but again the difference is hardly significant.

Storage: The storage is where potential users will be swayed to one device in particular. The One X + has a massive internal storage (64GB) comparable to that of the S3 (16GB), although the HTC One X + has no MicroSD slot which may be a deciding factor for many when making that final decision on the two devices.

Camera: Both handsets feature an 8-megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash. Again, both feature 1080p video recording. The cameras are almost identical in quality and precision; the only slight difference would be on the front facing cameras: the S3 features a 1.9 megapixel front facing shooter with 720p video capture for video calling compared to that of the One X + which is at a slight disadvantage with a 1.6 megapixel camera and 720p video capture. Of course there is a lot to consider when it comes to comparing cameras on smartphones, but again the two really are neck-and-neck in most areas.

Design: Although I have always been a fan of the HTC form factor, I can definitely see a vast improvement with the SGS3 compared to its predecessor the SGS2. The SGS2 had a very lightweight and almost plastically feel to it. The SGS3 has definitely got a more of a solid feel but is still some way behind the One X + when it comes to the aesthetics of the two devices in my opinion.

Conclusion: To be honest I find it very hard to choose between the two, they’re both top end smartphones that can offer a lot to their user. I think the ultimate decision may come down to the MicroSD issue with the One X + but then the design of the One X + outweighs the SGS3 so it really is a personal choice that only you the consumer can make. As many of you will have purchased a One X + or an SGS3 we would love to hear why you opted for your chosen handset?

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November 4, 2012 By

HTC One X+ v HTC One X

See what the differences are between the 2 smartphones

You would be excused for wondering what the differences are between the HTC One X+ and the HTC One X.  Well if you would like to know, check out the video below.

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November 2, 2012 By

HTC One X+ Unboxing

We unbox the new HTC One X+.

Take a look at the following video to see what the HTC One X+ is like.

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October 31, 2012 By

HTC One X+ (S728e) User Manual/User Guide

Official Quick start guide and user manual for the HTC One X+

Below is the official user guide for the HTC One X+.  Click the icon below to be taken to the English manual.

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Click the icon below to be taken to the quick start guide for the HTC One X+

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October 24, 2012 By

HTC One X+: How does it differ to the HTC One X?

HTC One X vs HTC One X+

HTC’s new flagship, the One X+, is due to arrive in stock at Clove next week.

At a glance, the upgraded HTC One X is slimmer, 67% faster, has double the internal storage and up to 50% more battery life than its predecessor.

However, it’s more than just a bump in battery life and processing power that the addition of the ‘+’ symbol represents. 

Let’s have a look in more detail at what improvements the HTC One X+ has to offer.

[Read more...]

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October 2, 2012 By

HTC One X & One S Jelly Bean updates to begin rolling out this month

Along with announcing the HTC One X+ today, HTC has confirmed that the Jelly Bean update for the HTC One X and HTC One S ‘is scheduled begin rolling out this month’. Experience has taught us to take up date schedules with a pinch of salt, but the good news is that this is the most precise date we’ve had for the update so far and given HTC’s estimated timeframe, we can certainly expect international versions of the handset to receive the update by the end of November. Also included with the Jelly Bean update will be HTC Sense 4+, which will add some more features to the company’s custom Android skin. Unfortunately there has been no mention of the JB update for the HTC One V, but we’ll let you know as soon as we’ve had any news.

Full PR here

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September 25, 2012 By

HTC One X–NEW LOWER PRICE

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Excellent news if you are in the market for a HTC One X, we have just dropped the price!

Now £30 less (inclusive of VAT) the new price is just £339+VAT (£406.80 inclusive) and comes with a complimentary copy of Norton Mobile Security worth £30.

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September 4, 2012 By

HTC One X with Norton Mobile Security Worth £30

For a limited time we are now offering Norton Mobile Security with all HTC One X smartphones purchased from Clove Technology.

The winner of many awards the HTC One X is a very capable phone that includes features such as:

  • 8MP Camera with HTC ImageSense
  • 1.5 GHz quad-core processor
  • Beats Audio technology
  • 25GB free cloud storage for 2 years
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • 32GB Internal storage (26GB accessible)
  • 4.7″ Touch screen, 1280 x 720 resolution
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA, NFC, 3G (quad-band)
  • A-GPS with Google Maps
  • MHL for video & audio out
  • 1.3MP front facing camera

[Read more...]

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August 12, 2012 By

OtterBox Defender Case–HTC One X

Protect your HTC One X.

Give the best level of protection to your HTC One X with the OtterBox Defender Case.  Made up of 3 parts, that includes a belt holster this is one case for those who NEED to protect their phone form the elements.

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