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

"We're not sure we'd be able to find a piece of hardware that made us adore Windows Mobile 6.5 the same way we adore puppies or a hot cup of cocoa, but that doesn't mean that the usual suspects -- HTC, Samsung, LG, and the like -- aren't producing some magnificent hardware on which to run it. Today we've had a chance to give LG's new eXpo for AT&T a quick once-over, and on paper, this is a hell of a handset: 5 megapixel autofocus cam, a fingerprint sensor that doubles as a d-pad, Snapdragon power, a WVGA display, full QWERTY, and most notably, support for an optional microprojector add-on"

The LG eXpo is hitting the news big as of late, and Engadget has their two cents out if you're interested and want to take a look at both some nice pictures of the device and some interesting reading!

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the Pico Projector accessory for the AT&T LG eXpo. This projector uses a tiny Texas Instruments DLP light engine to project an image onto any surface. The retail cost is rumoured to be around $180 USD, though that hasn't been confirmed. The Pico Projector is specifically designed for the LG eXpo and will not work on any other phones. I have no other specifications on the projector at this time.

An LG eXpo showed up today! I'll be shooting an unboxing and first impressions video of it later this week - but I figured I'd share this somewhat amusing video in the meantime. It gives a decent overview of what's in the phone, though you've got to wonder why someone would go through all the trouble of making this video and not post it to YouTube in HD or even HQ format. Oh well. Give it a view...

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...

It's Windows Mobile 6.5 launch day, and that means that the sites that were lucky enough to get devices are launching their content. Here we have Michael Oryl taking a look at the HTC Imagio on Verizon, and the HTC Pure on AT&T.

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the Bell Palm Treo Pro. This Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional touch-screen phone is a CDMA phone offered by Bell Canada. The 2.5 inch screen is 320 x 320 in resolution, and the device has a full QWERTY keyboard. It has built-in 802.11 WiFi, a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot. No, it's not a new device, but Microsoft Canada contacted me and asked if I'd like to look at one, and I said yes. Read more...

"Yesterday I managed to get my hands on a pre-release version of the Diamond2 which I'm going to use to start off my review of the handset. This pre-release unit is final hardware but there will be a few more tweaks to the ROM before the final version goes on sale in the next few days. I've had the Diamond2 for less than 24 hours so far and I have to say that I like what I see. I'm happy that the back is now flat rather than angular like the original Diamond and despite the larger screen, larger battery and the inclusion of the MicroSD card socket HTC have managed to keep the overall size and weight down so that it's not much bigger or heavier than the Diamond and still retains the slim-appeal."

Salivating over the forthcoming HTC Touch Diamond2? Then you'll enjoy this 18 minute long video that goes into great detail on this new device. I was shocked to see how quickly it booted up - evidently HTC has figured out a fairly major optimization here since it's still Windows Mobile 6.1, not 6.5. All in all, looks like a nice device - especially that screen resolution. Our affiliate partner Expansys is selling the Diamond2, Euro/Asia 3G frequencies, for $574.99 USD.

There's lots of news on the Epix popping up - Mobilitysite has a couple of things worth checking out if you're looking for first-hand info on this device.

Above is Chris Leckness' unboxing video, and in his usual style he goes into a lot of detail. There's also a series of unboxing photos if you're curious about how big this device is.

It's a busy period for the folks at E-TEN... uh, Acer; they're introducing one Glofiish after another. A few weeks ago, I showed you the V900. Today, I'm unboxing the X610. Before your inner geek cries tears of joy, do know that this is an entry-level device, so if you were hoping for gadgetry that would make even the feature-rich V900 bite the dust, you won't find it here.

Specs-wise, the X610 is much like its predecessors, the X500 and X600: Samsung S3C2442 400MHz CPU, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, quad-band GSM/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, an FM tuner, a 2.8" QVGA (240 x 320) touch screen, a 2.0-megapixel fixed-focus camera with flash, and a microSD slot. There are improvements, of course. First, the microSD slot is SDHC-capable, so if you have any 4GB or 8GB cards lying around, the X610 will love 'em. Second, take a look at the design. The touch screen isn't recessed, which makes all that finger-tapping and sliding a whole lot easier. And, to take advantage of that very point, the X610 includes Spb Mobile Shell, along with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The X610 may be an entry-level device, but it still offers plenty of bang for buck. Definitely worth considering if you're on a tight budget.

Jump the break for more pictures. Also, like the V900 thread, this is an open Q&A; so if you have any questions, ask away and I'll do my best to answer.

Read more...

What's that? You want to see pictures of the new Palm Treo Pro so you can salivate about the slick-looking hardware? Our friends at Engadget have you covered - check it out.

The HTC Touch Pro, widely seen as a Touch Diamond + keyboard, has come out of its shell this week. Both Engadget and Tracy & Matt have given it the unboxing treatment. Like all new toys, it has a few downsides. First, there's the thickness. It's comparable to the Tilt's (TyTN II), but if you're used to the slender build of the Touch Diamond or iPhone 3G, you'll be labelling the Touch Pro a brick the moment you set your eyes on it. Second, there's no 3.5mm headphone jack, but that's nothing new in the world of HTC. So, audiophiles, be warned: you may need an adapter or two to get the Touch Pro to play nice with your favourite cans. Third, there's the touch screen. I appreciate HTC's efforts in making Windows Mobile more touch-friendly, but having played with the iPhone and a wide range of (supposedly) touch-friendly Windows Mobile devices, I do think there's a world of difference between capacitive and non-capacitive touch screens. The Touch Pro has the latter. So while the touch experience on the Touch Pro might be great, it could certainly be better.

That said, this still seems like a solid device. Any of you own one or have played with one and care to weigh in with your thoughts? If you're interested in ordering one, our affiliate hardware store (Expansys) is expecting stock in less than two weeks.

Our buddy, Chris, has just unboxed the HP iPAQ 910. The quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA device is impressive, packing 128MB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.0-megapixel auto-focus camera, a huge 1940mAh battery (HTC, are you taking note of this?), and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Alas, some of you may be let down by its QVGA display. But if you can look past that, this may be the device for you.

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the HTC Touch Cruise [affiliate], a Windows Mobile 6 Professional smartphone. With a 400MHz CPU, 256 MB of ROM, 128 MB of RAM, a 2.8 inch QVGA (320 x 240) LCD touch screen, GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA/UMTS for communications (oh, and 802.11 b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0), and a GPS chip in it, it's a capable device. Watch me have fun trying to find the power button (never having seen one in person prior to this). ;-)



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Unboxings: love 'em or hate 'em, we've got one of the HSDPA-capable Glofiish M810. This device looks a lot better in the flesh than in renderings, and heck, I don't even think these shots do it justice. But jump the break for a look, anyway. Alas, if you're a VGA or WVGA zealot, you probably won't find happiness here. Read more...

Yet another HTC Touch Diamond unboxing, except the folks behind this one (ePrice) know how to work a camera. Head over there to check out the entire gallery. Read more...