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

"While in a recent Twitter Q&A, Microsoft UK's Director of the UK Mobile Business Group Alex Reeve hinted that 'ODMs are free to offer Windows Phone 7 Series upgrades for Windows Mobile 6 smartphones', Natasha Kwan, General Manager for Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business in the Asia-Pacific region, told APC that the HD2 - the hottest candidate for such an upgrade - 'doesn't qualify because it doesn't have the three buttons'."

With its uber-specs, the HD2 was the likeliest candidate among the current crop of WM6.5 smartphones to get an upgrade to WP7. But Microsoft appears to be taking their lockdown of the user experience in WP7 very, very seriously - and the HD2 doesn't qualify. That's going to disappoint a lot of HD2 buyers (in Asia and Europe) and prospective buyers (in N. America). I'd bet the possibility of an upgrade was a factor in the buying decision (I was certainly thinking that way), and with this development sales of the HD2, as well as its resale value, might take a hit with WP7 just 7 months away.

"It is always good to have a big battery in a smartphone, so that you can work for longer without having to charge the phone. Larger batteries often mean a larger overall size, which isn't for everyone. However, sometimes the need outweighs the shape, aesthetics and weight of the product. So if this is the case for you and you own a HTC HD2, this extended 2300mAh battery will be ideal. An official extended battery for the HTC HD2, this 2300mAh battery comes complete with a replacement back cover, that has a kickstand (allowing you to stand the device up - perfect if watching a film)."

It adds significant bulk to the HD2, but it nearly doubles the battery power, so if you're using your HD2 as a portable entertainment system on a long flight, this would make a great solution. Leigh Geary from CoolSmartPhone has snapped a couple of real-life photos as well. I wouldn't use this often, but it would be great to have for the times I needed extra battery run time.

The HTC HD2 is one of the gadgets up for Engadget's "Gadget of the Year" award - jump over to the voting page and cast your vote. We can't let the iPhone 3GS win! ;-)

I have to admit to being a bit puzzled by this accessory. The HD2, between the huge screen size and the superb software efforts HTC has put into making Windows Mobile finger-friendly, is the first Windows Mobile Professional device to ship without a stylus. And, based on my experience using it over the past couple of months, it really doesn't need one - certainly not a $28 USD stylus. Because the HD2 uses a capacitive screen, you can't use any old piece of plastic - it needs to be a stylus created specifically for a capacitive screen. Are you an HD2 owner using a stylus? If so, chime in.

"For Diamond 2 firmware is not planned. Of the existing communicators on the market, only the HD2 firmware to get WM7."

That's a translated quote from HTC Russia's Twitter account, though as of right now the tweet has been deleted and the page Engadget linked to is now gone. Oh HTC, you should know better - you can't publish something, then try to un-do it after it's gotten out there. At any rate, I'm not sure which surprises me more: that the HD2 will be getting a Windows Mobile 7 upgrade, or that the almost-as-expensive Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2 won't. I'm not so sure I believe that the HD2 will get an upgrade to 7...it lacks some of the things that are part of the Chassis 1 spec we read about earlier this year. We can all hope though, right?

The HTC HD2 [affiliate] is a device worthy of much coverage - it's really a ground-breaking Windows Mobile device, and a big part of that is the software that HTC has put such huge effort into creating. This is a two-part video walk-through of the HTC "secret sauce": HTC Sense, a.k.a. TouchFlo 3D. The second video is after the break - enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions about the device or the software. Read more...

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...

"This update for HTC HD2 delivers clear digital picture quality like never before. Living up to the name of "HD" this phone and its twin LED flash will take beautiful pictures for you to cherish your memories. Displayed in brilliant vibrant colors on its 4.3 inch screen, HTC HD2 camera will delight you."

Remember that story about the camera on the HD2 taking pictures with a crazy pink hue? HTC has released a fix via a software patch, so if you have an HD2, grab it today!

"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...

That's a photo taken by Philip Berne from infoSync on the HTC HD2 he received at the recent Mobius event (and here's his review of said phone). Notice anything, uh, pink about that photo? There's something screwy with the sensor on the camera - likely related to white balance I'd think - and it thinks the scene deserves a blast of pink. Initially HTC told users that it was a hardware problem, but now it seems it's a software problem and can be fixed with a forthcoming update. Good news for HTC HD2 owners! Myself, I haven't noticed this problem yet, but now that I've said that, I probably will...

"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...

"We have waited long for this device, but finally it's here. There were a lot of rumors about the HD2, also known as HTC Leo. Some people believed it would be a (killer) Android device and others told us that it would be the first HTC device with the 1 Gigahertz Snapdragon processor and a capacitive screen. The last party was right. The HTC HD2 has been released to the public with a Snapdragon processor, a large 4,3″ capacitive touchscreen, lots of ROM and RAM and all this in a 11 mm tick housing. Currently there is no other phone with these impressive specifications and comparing it to an iPhone 3GS only reveals that HTC has done a very good job and beats the iPhone in every single way!"

This article is a great walk-through of the HTC HD2. I learned several new things about the HD2 after reading it - the most interesting of which is that HTC has created a Wi-Fi Router application. It takes your 3G connection and shares it out via Wi-Fi, which is quicker than setting up the built-in Internet Sharing application. I'm curious how badly it beats up the battery life though - when I'm using Internet Sharing over Bluetooth, I can practically watch the battery on my Samsung Blackjack II drain. The HD2 is a very exciting device - and if it really does arrive in North America by early 2010, it just might become my next device.

"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?

Our affiliate partner Expansys has alerted me that they've set up pre-order pages for the HTC HD2, the HTC Touch2, and the Acer F1. If you're looking to snap up any of these devices, making your purchases through our affiliate store would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your support!