Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Looks like the HTC HD2 is getting a little spec bump on its way to our fair shores: the official spec page lists the version bound for T-Mobile US with 1GB of ROM and 576 of RAM, a boost over the international edition's 512 and 448MB. What's more, it looks like a bigger 16GB microSD card will come in the box, a big jump over the 2GB stick currently bundled overseas."

Over the weekend Engadget and others repoted that the version of the HD2 that is slated for T-Mobile will get slightly better stats than the first version available worldwide. My HD2 Saving Fund is strong in both amount and desire - how about yours?

The Boy Genius Report has a piece on a new HTC device codenamed Obsession, that may just be the first native WM7 device to hit North America. The prospective specs matches or exceeds that of the HD2 (except for screen size), and the device is expected to be picked up by AT&T and T-Mobile as the successor to the Diamond 2. We've have no firm idea on the release date, but given how early this leak is and how close we are to MWC, there's a chance the Obsession//Diamond 3 will be announced at the same time as the expected official unveiling of WM7 this month.

In Oz and have a hankering for the almighty HTC HD2? It's now available on Telstra's Next G network in Australia at $150 AUD upfront on a monthly $20 AUD, $30 AUD, or $40 AUD plan, or $0 upfront on other plans. Alternatively, you can pick it up for $829 AUD outright. It's available online and from any Telstra Shop around the country.

"T-Mobile USA, Inc. and HTC today announced that HTC HD2ä is expected to be available for the first time in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile USA this spring. With its industry-leading, high-resolution, 4.3-inch capacitive touch display and high-powered features, the ultrathin HTC HD2 phone delivers content in a sharper, brighter and richer way. The HTC HD2 comes equipped with the 1GHz SnapdragonTM by Qualcomm mobile processor and utilizes T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network for a fast mobile data experience. "T-Mobile and HTC have a long history of partnering to deliver innovative, cutting-edge products to T-Mobile customers," said George Harrison, vice president, marketing product innovation, T-Mobile USA. "The HTC HD2 delivers a thin, sophisticated design and powerful features that we are excited to add to our dynamic smartphone lineup this spring."

Later this spring the HTC HD2 will be coming to those on T-Mobile USA. It's a beautiful machine, so those looking to upgrade may want to fill out the form on T-Mobile's site for updates!

"I had concerns that the HD2 was simply going to be too big. The initial pictures gave me the impression that it couldn't be comfortable to carry, hold or use. I'm glad that first impression was way off target. I found the HD2 very comfortable, and the large 4.3-inch screen a joy to use. The capacitive screen is nice, but had HTC chosen a resistive screen, I believe the HD2 would still be a solid performer. Call quality is very good and the Snapdragon processor moves things along nicely."

WMExperts recently gave the HD2 a spin, and liked what they saw. Unfortunately, for those of you in the US, it's not all that US-friendly at the moment, but hang on to your seats because a US-friendly version of this snappy Snapdragon-based device is expected to land sometime this quarter.

"Not much to say here other than there's a PlayStation emulator for the HD2 and it bloody well works! The original gangster of consoles, already emulated on other WinMo devices such as Toshiba's TG01, has made its way to HTC's finest thanks to version 0.10 of the First PlayStation Emulator for Windows CE."

The above comes from the post on Engadget, with WMPowerUser also reporting that playstation addicts can now find a working port of the FPSE to Windows CE and by extension, the HTC HD2. So if you're in the mood for some old school gaming on the small screen, check it out for a late holiday present!

This is a two-part unboxing and first impressions video of the HTC HD2 [affiliate], a Windows phone running Windows Mobile 6.5. The HTC HD2 has is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, at an amazing 1024 Mhz. It has 512 MB of ROM, 448 MB of RAM, and a microSDHC card slot for expansion up to 32 GB. It weighs 5.54 ounces (157 grams), and measures 11mm thin (0.43"), 120.5mm tall (4.74"), and 67mm across (2.64"). Read more...

I really like a lot of things about my T-Mobile Touch Pro 2. However one thing I detest is the SIM card slot. The provided method you are asked to use (pressing down on a small silver latch and then sliding the card out) simply doesn't work. I've tried jamming the stylus under it, on it, around it, and that isn't the best solution either. Finally this morning I found a method that works very well, is easy to do, requires very little outside funding, and is safe: A Paperclip! Bent up paperclip to be precise, with a small loop that can lift the SIM card up just enough to slide it out. Check out the video below for my simple fix, and be free to swap SIMs like a maniac (a.k.a. like me).

"If you live and die by HTC, you might be very excited to know that the company's portfolio for the first half of 2010 has been leaked online. HTC's portfolio was presented in Vienna back in October in a global meeting, and now it's available for us to see. The phones are broken down by category: Design, Performance, Social and Productivity (can't a phone be two or more?). Lined up are a number of Windows Mobile 6.5 devices and Android devices, so we hope you're sitting down for this one."

Boy Genius report has a number of tidbits about HTC's upcoming headsets (They and other sites like Gizmodo got it from Android and Me) and does a good job rounding all the information up. For those of us who make HTC our preferred phone vendor, it's nice to get a glimpse behind the curtain every so often.

HTC's Touch HD2 is perhaps the most hotly anticipated handset of the holiday season, which says a lot given the competition. Is it too big? Is Snapdragon all its cracked up to be? Is this (finally) Windows Mobile answer to the iPhone? Read on for the reviews, hands-on, and first impressions:

• Engadget
• Akihabara
• Infosync
• ZDNet
• Gear Diary
• Mobility Minded

"A video review of HTC's flagship Windows Mobile Touch screen phone, the HD2. This is the first Windows Mobile phone with a capacitive touch screen, and the glass display measures 4.3". The HD2 runs Windows Mobile 6.5 with HTC's Sense UI which is their new version of TouchFLO 3D. It has a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 488 megs RAM, a 5 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. This is one of the best smartphones we've seen and is definitely worth a look!"

Lisa Gade from MobileTechReview does a great walk-through of the HTC Touch HD2. I haven't had a chance to shoot mine yet, so until then, enjoy...

"I understood that Windows Mobile 6.5 was going to be a fairly minor update to bridge the gap between WM 6.1 and 7, but as I stated in my Windows Mobile 6.5 review I found too many things still missing from the update that I expected to see even with this understanding. Given the experiences I had with 6.5, I was expecting the same issues on the HTC HD2. I was pleased to discover that HTC didn't just settle for Windows Mobile 6.5.0 and took it to the next level with several optimizations to make the experience better. There are still a couple of issues I want to see addressed in an update prior to Windows Mobile 7, but HTC did a great job with the HD2 and we may see updates to address these issues too."

Matt Miller has put together a great write-up that talks about the HTC HD2 that he was given at Mobius 2009, and about the latest version of HTC Sense (Touchflo 3D) that covers up even more of Windows Mobile 6.5. HTC has done a really good job of hiding Windows Mobile - perhaps too good of a job. For instance, it took me several days of searching off and on to find the interface panel that would allow me to set how much of an email to download (5KB, 10KB, etc.). HTC hides this part of the interface - I had to access Inbox via the "real" shortcut rather than HTCs covered-up interface. All in all though, I really appreciate the work that HTC has done to make Windows Mobile finger-friendly - their calendar program and new appointment interface is absolutely brilliant.

A couple of things jumped out at me as I watched this video: first, that the Snapdragon processor/chipset of the HD2 allows Windows Mobile to finally be as responsive as the iPhone - and in fact, I'd argue it's even more responsive. HTC has continued to evolve TouchFlo 3D - seeminly now officially re-named to HTC Sense - and with this new release they've gone deeper into the guts of Windows Mobile and replaced even more than previous devices. You can finally create new calendar appointments in a finger-friendly way, and HTC Sense has been expanded in terms of built-in functionality; there's now a Twitter client, and the photo viewing software taps directly into Facebook photo albums and allows you to browse them as if they were local to your device. The rich, deep functionality of HTC Sense and the associated apps that HTC has created is truly impressive.

The question is, will HTC release this new version of HTC Sense for the Diamond2 and Touch Pro2 via a future ROM update? Or will they continue to use HTC Sense as a "buy a new device to get the new software" ploy that alienates HTC customers? Only time will tell...

"I've been honoured to have the HD2 in daily use for the last six weeks (thanks O2) and I'm very impressed with all aspects of its design and function - The Sense tabs that replace the Titanium interface work beautifully well and the deeper integration that HTC have done to hide the somewhat finger unfriendly WM6.5 interface make the device a joy to use - and yes I can say that the stylus has not been missed at all. The speed of the HD2 has to be seen to be believed (videos to follow) everything feels fast and smooth from the transitional tab navigation in the Sense screen to the speed of scanning photos in flow mode, or flicking through large pictures in the Album itself. Transitions from portrait to landscape modes in applications is nigh on instant and the same can be said when zooming in and out of photographs using the two finger pinch system. At one point I actually found I had fourteen applications loaded in the background (including heavyweight items like the Album) and there was no slow down in operation and no applications had auto-closed in the background. During the time I've used the HD2 there have been no problems with the device heating up or behaving in an adverse manner in any way."

I normally don't like to quote as much as I did above from 4WinMobile's review. However you can believe me when I say that I'm not quoting any more than my normal percentage! This thing is massive! And with more screenshots than you can shake a stick at (ANY stick.. large or small), it is worth a read. And I'm fairly sure it would make even the most ardent iPhone supporter admit that the UI is quite nice!

"The HTC HD2 is the world's first Windows Mobile-toting phone with a capacitive screen, and also packs the world's largest mobile phone display too. It's also the first WinMo phone to use HTC's Sense UI, previously used on the company's Android handsets, bringing with it Facebook integration and direct Twitter access, as well as masking well the operating system beneath it."

In an extensive review of the HD2 TechRadar compares it to the iPhone (What else is new?) and while a complete review in it's own right, it does make me wonder: Is it fair to compare a business-oriented OS to a consumer-oriented? Or is it just that Windows Mobile doesn't fit nicely into purely business or purely consumer spaces?

While the grapevine has supplied this tidbit for quite some time now, it's nice to see official confirmation. If you've been living on a desert island for the last couple of months, the HD2 is HTC's latest uber-phone sporting a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.3" capacitive display, WM6.5, an ultra-slim profile, HTC's latest UI overlay (HTC Sense), and just about everything else under the sun. The big deal about this confirmation is that the models currently shipping in Europe and Asia don't support US 3G bands, which meant the US market would have been left out otherwise. No clues yet on which carrier will take this up, but the HD2 should be available by Spring 2010.

"Sure, you've seen this guy in action in earlier videos... but it's still nice to get a look at this monster up close. We're still blown away by the fact that this is a Windows Mobile 6.5 device -- the skinning job that HTC has done here is nothing short of a miracle."

HTC's Sense-equipped HD2 is one gorgeous Windows Mobile 6.5 device, and Engadget has the eye candy to back it up. Scoot over there and check it out. Anyone planning on picking one up?

Italian site Solopalmari have scored what looks like the very first unboxing video of the when-is-it-going-to-be-in-stock HTC HD2 (original link here, Google-translated version here). What's shown isn't the final packaging, which is a relief - I saw the video first before reading the article, and thought HTC were nuts to have the accessories look like they've just been thrown in the box. Thankfully that's not the case, though I wonder if you can really call this an unboxing video when the "box" isn't what you're going to get at retail. Oh well, enjoy the view.

"HTC Corporation, a global smartphone designer, today unveiled a global advertising campaign that is based on HTC's new Quietly Brilliant brand positioning. As HTC's first global advertising campaign, the YOU campaign is being rolled out across 20 countries in the coming weeks and features the tagline, 'You don't need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you.' This represents HTC's commitment to focus on people, their needs and how they work and live to ensure that HTC devices suit them."

With a plethora of new and upcoming devices up its sleeve, HTC has gone mainstream in the marketing department. It's just unveiled its YOU ad campaign that's set to be rolled out in twenty countries. The primary take-home point is that HTC's devices are all about the people (you). Yeah, it all sounds like marketing fluff. Admittedly, I wasn't entirely sold on the idea at first (and at this stage, you probably aren't either), but after watching the TV ads, I'm actually digging the way this campaign is headed. Check them out after the break, then drop your thoughts in this thread.

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If you're a Touch Pro2 user with Vodafone UK and are eager to upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5, your moment has arrived. The update is free and yours to grab at the Vodafone UK site.