The HTC Universal: What do you want to know?
posted Aug 25th 2005 9:48PM
Man, if there was ever one gadget we were definitely not expecting to have fall into our laps this week,
it's the HTC Universal. It's
definitely big for something you're supposed to use to make phone calls, but with great size comes great power, right?
(There's a good chance you have the spec sheet for this one memorized: this baby has Windows Mobile 5.0, WiFi,
Bluetooth, a one megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, a VGA touch screen, a 520MHz processor, 96MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM,
and an SD memory card slot.)
Normally we'd take a week or whatever and pump out a review, but we thought it'd be more fun to just ask you guys what
you want to know about. Post your questions in the comments below and we'll do our best to answer as many of them as we
can in a future post.
UPDATE: Yikes, that's a lot of questions! In fact, a lot more than we'd anticipated, can't guarantee that we'll be able to answer all, or even most, of them, but we promise we'll do our best. Now just give us a few days, ok?
Any chance its Mac, and preferably iSync compatible?
OOPS sorry about last one. Just how big is it?
How's the keyboard for typing?
Was wondering if you could get skype up and running on HTC universal?
or maybe google talk?
How is the Bluetooth implementation? Is is a Widcomm stack or the terrible Microsoft version?
Will it work with T-Mobile in the US? Price? Availability?
What about battery life if you surf a wifi network?
Wifi 11mb or 54mb?
How much? which carrier?
Is it coming to the US at all? On an actual network, i.e; anyone but T-freakin'-mobile?
Does it actually work on T-mobile or Cingular's network here in the US?
Can you get data to work at all? UMTS or GPRS? or something faster?
Does Exchange sync actually work? Does it at least seem like push e-mail/calendaring? Does the Windows Mobile 2005 client work/look like desktop outlook?
How long does the battery last? With and without push ActiveSync.
How good is the browser? Does it handle java/javascript? Can you use it like a desktop browser or is it crippled in some way?
And most importantly... WHERE CAN I GET ONE!?!
How's that for questions?
-dw
Who cares, considering it's ass-ugly?
I'd like to know if this phone is a quad band or not. Also, is there IR on it? 'Bout the camera: does it take video? Does the phone come with a cradle? Any news on the launch date? Thanks a bunch
USB 2.0? My SMT5600 takes too long to transfer simple mp3 files to the miniSD card.
* how solid does the swivel neck seem? would you trust it to last a couple years?
* whats the millamps of the standard battery? is the battery exchangable?
* is there a USB (host?) (2.0?) connector?
* does the joypad input change along with landscape/portrait screens?
*how long does it take to boot?
*see if you can speed test the sd slot -is it fast enough to stream vga mpegs?
*does the webbrowser support flash? javascript? tabbed browsing? i'd highly suggest throwing minimo (0.07+) on it and seeing how it performs.
Cost?
The Treo 650 is a widely known device and I was wondering when the Universal is closed in "phone mode" how big is it compared to the Treo?
Can it run Doom? Maybe Quake?
Bluetooth 2.0?
How fast will it load up Engadget?
Do they really need a windows button. How many times do you really use that besides windows d. And do you really need to minimize all windows on a pda cell phone thing? Never!
How does it actually feel like when used as:
a) a phone
b) a PDA
Is the keyboard backlit? And if so, how brightly? Thanks!
Really, I'd just like to see some shots size-wize next to a Treo 650...
1. Which mhz of umts will it use (1900, 2100 or both)
2. Will it be coming to america
3. Does it support HSDPA
4. Battery Life
5. Ability to use Wifi & UMTS or GSM at the same time.
We all know it's big (yet crammed full of features!), but is it sill usable as a phone? Is it practical to be able to carry it around in your pocket with you all the time and still be able to whip it out and quickly make a call without it feeling like you are talking into a brick? Also how’s the screen for watching films, particularly viewing at different orientations (some PDA’s it can be awkward viewing in landscape). Is the keyboard worth the space, and actually reasonably easy to use? Lastly, is it possible that dedicated, but impoverished (and possibly deluded) gadgeteers can receive a free unit as a rewarded for…um…well…. There must be some reason I deserve one of these!
Thanks!
will it get me dates with women? Im looking for a gadget that makes me cool with the ladies. Does it have what they call bling-bling?
does it cure cancer?
*How smooth and solid is the swivel? Is it a frustration or do you not notice it?
*Does it have a usb or mini-usb jack?
*Can you easily make/respond to calls without having to open the thing up?
Is it hard to type while only holding it ("blackberry thumb style")?
Some of these questions/ replies are the most idiotic posts I have read anywhere in a long time. Morrons!
- Please post more pictures so we can judge the size of this thing (in a hand, compared to otherphones....)
- Is it already selling somewhere in the world? In the positive, it probably means it will be possible to get it from people like www.mobilebee.com or www.importgsm.com ...right?
- How did you get your hands on one?
Thank you for this great web site. Keep up the good work.
Does it smell good? I live for the smell of new Apple products...
you know what i'm talking about.
.mCr.
half of these questions have been answered, do a search....
Here's what I want to see.
I am in a real estate broker office and we already have video profiles of a number of properties (wmv format).
1) I want the ability to push these files to multiple devices (e.g. sync up while in office). Thus info be same/replicated to multiple agents.
2) Have each video associated with attribute database to make searchable (e.g. Bed/Bath/Price and other basic attributes, plus address related fields). If there are any mobile device developers, feel free to contact me on needs. I can work with to develop basic app. (Think "generic", one can relate different attributes to other video types and meet multiple users needs).
3) Ability to subsequently receive newer info via network (e.g. I've not been to office for several days to sync, but I too want complete inventory)
Basic objective is agent with client, could seach among matching video clips to preview property. Save need to come into office and eliminate need to drive to property that preview would rule-out. [Bonus, let me identify those that are within given radius of inputted address]
The devices are now coming, I need some one to offer me the support/solutions that go along with them!
To its rather: How good is the Bluetooth implementation, esp. with headset (also stereo?) and in the car. Can you still write one handed sms somehow? Still usable as a normal hand phone?
And besides being still a phone: To which extent can it replace a Laptop on the Go?
Outlook? Viewing of Word/PDF/Excel? Changing of the before mentioned? Any Chance for VoIP? Battery Life when used as micro Laptop?
Thanks folks!
gosh, if only the writeup gave a link, that would be as futuristic as this gadget.
1. I understand that it has a 3.5mm headphone port. How does this coexist with phone functionality?
2. What is the sound quality like (e.g.compared to a recent ipod)?
3. Is windows mobile 5.0 an improvement over the previous iteration?
4. what is the stability of the device like?
5. could you get a scale and tape measure and actually measure the device? The specifications for size-weight online do vary.
Thanks! :D
Does it toast sandwiches?
I'd like to ditto the quad-band question. Some sites say tri, others say quad. For the love of all that is gadgety, which is it?
Oh, right, and the phone's sound quality: how is it?
Thanks a bunch, you dear, dear nerdlingers.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Test pictures from the camera please?
Can it run Linux?
How are the stereo speakers? Are they decent, are they loud?
Can you use a ThinkOutside Bluetooth Mouse with/without drivers on the Universal?
Are there any good options for holding it in one hand and scrolling down web pages, documents, rss feeds, other than the D-pad? Can you remap any buttons to scroll up/down?
Release date anywhere in the world?
version w/o camera???
Thanks for opening the floor to questions, here's mine:
*can you use it with VNC (access another computer screen)
*how well does it function as a pda while using it simultaneously as a phone (thinking of using a bluetooth headset)
*is it worth waiting for the next big thing (six months) or is this the holy grail of convergence
Is this phone bigger than the mpx(300)?
USB Host? Can it run Opera? Can I use my USB mouse with it? Can I use any USB gadget with it?
it sizes? its sound quality?
1. When it's closed, tablet mode / screen inside, can you answer calls - hear them ok, them hear you ok? Is there a small external screen in this mode so you know the number of who's calling?
2. Can you describe how it feels when in your shirt pocket?
3. Is the keyboard good enough that it's truly faster and easier to use than skillful screen typing with a stylus?
4. The JAM has a fine pixel mesh, but it's only 240x320. I know the Uni screen is much bigger, I think 640 x 480, but is the resolutio as fine as the JAM's?
5. Is it thicker than the JAM when closed?
6. Can you describe - and show in pix - how much better a Word or Excel document looks on this screen compared to the much smaller screens of earlier generation ppc phones?
Thanks - good idea to solicit questions!
1. When it's closed, tablet mode / screen inside, can you answer calls - hear them ok, them hear you ok? Is there a small external screen in this mode so you know the number of who's calling?
2. Can you describe how it feels when in your shirt pocket?
3. Is the keyboard good enough that it's truly faster and easier to use than skillful screen typing with a stylus?
4. The JAM has a fine pixel mesh, but it's only 240x320. I know the Uni screen is much bigger, I think 640 x 480, but is the resolutio as fine as the JAM's?
5. Is it thicker than the JAM when closed?
6. Can you describe - and show in pix - how much better a Word or Excel document looks on this screen compared to the much smaller screens of earlier generation ppc phones?
Thanks - good idea to solicit questions!
How does videos run on this device? Does the 640x480 screen do it justice?
Does the phone come with a cradle?
is the sd slot fast enough to stream vga mpegs?
does the webbrowser support flash? javascript?
Is the keyboard backlit?
how does a Word or Excel document look on this screen compared to a normal PPC?
does it support Alternate Line Services (ALS) Like Orange Line2
The blue angel's wifi signal sucked! Has the problem been fixed with the Universal?
Post examples of photos taken with it, as well as videos.
Do you know if it'll support CDMA, and how's TCPMP do with a mpeg-4 file at vga? And how's the video handled? is there a second chipset (like the 2700G in the Axim x50v?) or is everything done in software?
Just one question:
Does the wifi allow you
to access network shares in a PC?
stream a movie for example without skips!?
oh btw..
excellent site..! :)
i thought it had 2 cameras a 1 mp and like .3 mp. one on back one on front or by the screen id really like to know a price. what are all those things below the keyboard and how long does it take to boot
Pls do some heavy wifi testing, it's big sister "blue angel" has never been realy good at it.. (yes, it works but poor coverage..)
Looking forward to this baby though..
I've heard the camera can capture mpeg4, is this true?
Does it have vibrating appointment alarms?
I know it has an SD/MMC slot, but is it SDIO ??
Hi Peter, any chance to compare its VGA screen to the screen of a Axim X50v?
I love the look of this device!
Is the browser fully HTML 4 compliant? If your not sure, I can give you a url for one of my business websites to browser to.
When will it be available in the UK, and on which networks?
I've got the MDA III (The previous incarnation of this device) and the biggest problem I have with it which cripples alot of the functionality is the sh#tty / buggy / unstable OS... So that being said, just how good / stable / useable is Windows Mobile 5.0?
1. Did you weep tears of joy when you opened the box?
2. How much does it really weigh? I know I could search for the weight but how does it compare weight-wise to an iPod or Blackberry?
3. Is Windows Mobile 5.0 a definite improvement over the previous versions or is it another ho-hum upgrade?
4. Can you send me one?
What bluetooth profiles are included. I'd especially like to know if it support A2DP so I can listen to audio on BT stereo headphones? Is the stack from MS or Broadcom?
Ta Wayne
Is the screen useable in direct sunlight? Have had problems in the past using pda's for navigation due to poor performance in daylight.
When will this thing be available in the US? and what carrier?
The HTC Universal looked great in black.
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000990044936/
Do you know who will be bringing out a black version, because as much as I really really want one now, I will wait until the black one comes out. Both the QTek and I-Mate versions look dog ugly (same with Orange) with a funny grey colouring.
How big is big? Can we see pictures of it next to comparable products like the Treo 650 and i-730?
Which US carrier(s) will be carrying it and when?
How does this one with the swivel screen compare to the one with the horizontal slide out keyboard (size & functionality)?
Been a great site ... thanks,
Rick
Some sample photos taken with it would be nice.
(with various light settings of course)
How do website pages look on the VGA screen?
Video quality on screen?
Video and photo capture quality?
(*) What's it like as a gaming device?
(*) I notice that the d-pad only appears on the front, while the remaining hardware buttons all appear on the keyboard. Are these replicated elsewhere?
(*) How does the d-pad feel? Is it spongy like the Axim X5/Toshiba e7xx, solid like the X3, or halfway between like the h2215?
(*) How comfortable is it to use as a phone for long calls?
(*) Can you answer calls with the flip screen closed?
(*) What type of connector does it use (is it the HTC standard of a compressed USB port?)
(*) Does it come with a cradle of any sort, and if so, how does it sit in said cradle?
(*) I second the various requests for a size comparision pic with other devices :)
A few more random thoughts:
(*) What's the soft reset time like? Is it excessively long, or normal?
(*) Do applications designed to force "true" VGA mode (like SE_VGA or OzVGA) still work with this device?
I've tried lots of handheld devices with keyboards, as well as external InfraRed or Bluetooth keyboards for use with PDAs. Almost every single one I've ever seen has really screwed up the keyboard layout, many times by placing the up-arrow key between the question-mark/slash key and the right shift key. I have a Treo 650, and the keyboard is incredibly damn tiny -- about as functional as I guess you could expect for the size, but still almost unusable.
I've looked very closely at the Nokia 95xx and 93xx series, and had an opportunity for extended sessions with predecessors of the 95xx (as owned by various friends). Size-wise, the 95xx keyboard is actually too big to be a good thumb-board, because holding the device in both of your hands, your thumbs can't easily reach the keys in the middle. The little-brother 93xx keyboard is just about ideal in terms of key-feel and size for a proper thumb-board, but Nokia has made the same mistake with key placement as most other vendors.
So, can we get some close-up pictures of the keyboard (to look at key layout), and comparison pictures side-by-side with Nokia 95xx and 93xx phones, as well as other common models like the Treo 650?
Many vendors also make screens that are great indoors but impossible to read outdoors, or good outdoors and hideous indoors. How about both indoor and outdoor pictures of the screen, preferably including shaded/indirect outdoor lighting as well as direct sun?
Also, can we get close-up comparison pictures of the screens of different benchmark devices (including the Treo 650), showing what the screens look like when trying to view the same content?
When using it to talk to someone, not browsing the internet, not text chating or writing email, but when you're actually putting the phone to your ear and talking into it, do you look stupid?
screen dimensions?
Love the look of that black Universal :-)
Wish it'd come out at a decent price instead of over $1K just because it's the first "everything but the kitchen sink" device :-(
My list:
- how good is the videophone quality if you load up a videophone app and run it over wifi? and gprs? It doesn't support EDGE or I'd ask about EDGE and there are no WCDMA networks in the US to test it on :-P
- can we see it on a person's belt, in a pocket, in your hand next to your head, etc. so we can get a sense of how big it is?
- can you hook a big hard drive to it via WM5.0's USB On The Go support?
What version of Bluetooth - 1.1, 1.2 or 2.0?
Can you send the review model to me to keep after you are finished testing?
Thanks for the offer to provide Q's:
1. Can you test it with GoToMyPC.com?
2. Will it function as a modem tethered to my notebook?
3. Will it play videos and for how long?
4. Does one look like an NGAGE looking dork making a phone call with it?
Cheers...
will it work with the U.S. SIM cards and take advante of EDGE hi speed internet access?
The previous version of windows mobile OS did not (without setting up VPN or using 3rd party software) perform the simple task of connecting to an existing Windows LAN to browse shared files. Does the new OS better allow for this simple task?
How stable is the OS?
How compatible will this be with existing 3rd party windows mobile applications?
How does one hold this apparently large device to talk on the phone? Do you hold the entire phone up to your ear and mouth? Does it require a headset? Speakerphone?
When are the questions going to answered?/
How well does it work as a speaker phone?
can buy it here
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=119353
When is it going to be released on Verizon? Supposedly they (as well as Sprint) are slated for the CDMA version of it.
Hey can you take a picture of it next to a psp and a DS for size comparasion?
1. Need to verify that it is GSM 900/1800/1900 and UMTS 2100 (I was hoping for quadband GSM + UMTS but I know I am dreaming).
2. How fast is it?
3. How stable is it?
4. What is the battery life like?
5. Do girls dig guys carrying it ? ;)
When is it going to be released on Verizon? Supposedly they (as well as Sprint) are slated for the CDMA version of it.
Pictures of it beside the treo 650 please.
All angles of course.
When is it coming out in the US? What carriers, etc. Initial reports had it as second half 05.
What is the price point?
Can you use the phone and WI-FI at the same time? Reports are that you cannot do this with i730.
What is the lag like on video conference?
You needed to use the stylus on old PPC phnes, the integration is supposed to be better with WM5. Is it to the point of being equivalent to a Treo650 for ease of use with one hand and no stylus?
What are the download speeds that you are getting with EV-DO?
What is the music playback like, and for kicks what about the video playback?
Most of all when is it coming out?
!!!
Is the battary easily replaceable?
i.e. do you need to unscrew a compartment or is it more like modern cellular phones - where you can just 'throw' it away if its no longer working.
can you take pictures of ALL the sides, especially the bottom and the side panels, so we can see all the connectors/buttons/hinges...
Thanks
Well well just talked to Orange UK about the old HTC and they don't know when it will go live for them - the guy hoped in September but admitted that they had had no training no it yet and all they knew was on the website - when I asked about wireless networking he repeated all they knew was on the website and to watch for changes in the spec as they get more information and training...come on Orange if I can get around the size of this you can no cripple the WiFi and for me it reminds me of my old Psion and I love that in its time!
Not so fast all you lecherous gadgeteers - the standalone price of this contraption in the UK is about $1200!!!!!
With a 12-month `phone contract of about $27 per month the price drops to $1000 with a few minutes of free `phone thrown in.
Who wants to buy it now?
Not so fast all you lecherous gadgeteers - the standalone price of this contraption in the UK is about $1200!!!!!
With a 12-month `phone contract of about $27 per month the price drops to $1000 with a few minutes of free `phone thrown in.
Who wants to buy it now?
Predictions : Too costly , not Mac compatible, susceptible to Virus attack, bulky, memory hog, battery hog will launch in the $900 - 1300 space and price cut in 6 - 1o months. Just as things settle down, Palm will launch Treo with MS 2005 as will various others to confuse everyone
Interesting, the iMate version of the HTC Universal over at Expansys lists the wifi as 'b', which is disapointing on a phone at this price point.
hi !
finally an opportunity to ask about this baby to professionals who actually have one in their hands...
i want to know about SKYPE phone calls in wifi, and auto roaming parameters when in UMTS range as well
i'd like to know whether you can stream a movie from your wifi PC to this baby at a distance of 7 meters: is the 802.11b signal strong enough ?
is the processing power of the HTC up to it ?
can i do multitasking while streaming ( i mean run some apps in the background ) ?
...and last but not least, how does multitasking feel in general ? ( is it slow or responsive ? )
THANKS GUYS, you can answer these questions, you TOTALLY RULE !=)
Hi,
- Customer Infrared CIR or Fast Infrared FIR?
- Easy typing with 10 fingers, index or thumb?
- Does the bluetooth implementation support A2DP profile (stereo sound)
Happy testing
Thanks
Any word on what other goodies HTC has in store?They said they would also release another 3G phone soon after the Universal.
How does the keyboard compare to the sliding keyboard of the other HTC unit now offered by Cingular in the USA?
Do you know of other manufacturers planning to issue 3G phones with keyboards.
Can the combination of features and Windows Mobile 5.0 get us to the same result as the push technology that has made Blackberry's success ( I admit I keep mine on silent otherwise it is too distracting)
Thank you