HTC Hermes appears at 3GSM

Well, well, well. Hello there, HTC Hermes, so lovely to finally see you in person (kind of), up close. We don't have any idea how long this'll take to get to market (if we're talking about America, then it'll probably be a year or more, if ever), but apparently PocketPC Italia can confirm that it rocks UMTS / HSDPA, has a 300MHz Samsung processor, 128MB flash and 64MB memory, 2.8-inch display, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, MicroSD, 2.1 megapixel camera, and a secondary videoconferencing camera. Expect it to enter the market as the QTEK 9600 in late summertime, and don't be surprised if T-Mobile Germany announces it some time around then, too.

[Thanks, Mark]

[Virtuous @ Feb 15th 2006 3:55PM]

This probably take 6 months to a year to appear in the US from the time TMo Germany begins selling it. :-( And no I can't afford to buy it unlocked!

[andy @ Feb 15th 2006 4:09PM]

now that is what i like, but buy the time i can get it i'll want something newer. why can't new phones be released in the US first?

[elbow @ Feb 15th 2006 4:11PM]

My understanding is that the only game here in the US for UMTS / HSDPA is Cingular, and a device has to be specifically designed to do HSDPA at 850MHz for it to work here (Europe does UMTS at 2100MHz, correct?). So, importing one to the US from Germany won't get you those yummy 3G speeds, drat...

[martin @ Feb 15th 2006 4:12PM]

I don't get it. Is this like an upgraded Apache?

[Benson Leung @ Feb 15th 2006 4:24PM]

andy... newer phones don't come out in the US first because our carriers are an evil draconian bunch.

There are a few exceptions... like the Treo 700w, and the Motorola Q (hopefully soon) coming to the US market with Verizon first... but for the most part, hot phones from HTC have a snowballs chance in hell of coming here in any kind of quick way.

[aws910 @ Feb 15th 2006 4:25PM]

Two problems:

1. MicroSD
2. Screen is only 320x240

Forget it. I just bought an unlocked HTC Universal. That's where it's at.

[Robb @ Feb 15th 2006 4:43PM]

My friend was playing around with one of these last week here in Dayton Ohio. He works for Verizon

[Stephen @ Feb 15th 2006 4:45PM]

Damn you cingular! What is the hold up with the HSPDA rollout? This thing looks sweet, and perfect for a hypothetical 3g cingular.

[Kel @ Feb 15th 2006 5:04PM]

No EDGE and microSD (not miniSD like the wizard) BIG SIGH!

[Psychoray @ Feb 15th 2006 5:50PM]

Yeah! This is the phone i've been waiting for all this time :)

The only thing i don't like about it is the microSD slot, now i'll have to wait for 4gb microSD cards...

[Manny @ Feb 15th 2006 6:17PM]

i don't get it.. huge phone.. lots of features.. still following stoopid transflash/micro sd thing which is hardly available in local markets..the biggest ones i have seen are 512Mb combo'ed w/ Rork E1.. and they go double the price of regular SD cards..Not to mention the speed? anybody ever heard of speeds on micro SD's? ATleast we can buy 50x and higher SD cards.. C'mon HTC start using SD slot as universal media slot..its not THAT big!!

love

manny :P

[Joseph T. @ Feb 15th 2006 7:20PM]

This truly pisses me off. No one even has their MDA's/8125's yet. I hate American carriers.

[3rdsun @ Feb 15th 2006 8:09PM]

this looks sweet. i hope they dont change the name tho, why cant they keep the name HTC dubbed it with they always change it to some lame excuse.

[smokeyb @ Feb 15th 2006 8:20PM]

I love how some are NEVER satisfied. This phone has a LOT of features. FM radio is BOORING and TV is pretty much useless in all but a fraction of the globe (if it's DMB you're referring to) With HSDPA, streaming video via programs similar to ORB video that YOU want to see because YOU recorded will definitely be possible and at ridiculous speeds. GPS?? big deal. You can only fit so much stuff in a phone. This is truly THE pda/phone to watch out for on GSM networks. Cingular better not pull the same move they did with the 8125.

[Tino @ Feb 15th 2006 11:24PM]

MicroSD? That's retareded. Is there a smaller version of memory type they can switch to on the next version? Memory Stick M2 or something?

[Bob @ Feb 16th 2006 1:50AM]

Does this thing have Cingular's HSPDA bands (800MHz/1900MHz)?

[New 8125 Owner @ Feb 16th 2006 2:25AM]

I just got a new 8125 from Cingular and it's sweet.

As you can imagine it's slower than the symbian OS or the Blackberry but. . it's sweet. Now if i can browse the web faster and have a better proc, I will put up with the assy membory issues.

HURRY

[Maitreya Yadav @ Feb 16th 2006 3:57AM]

I was hoping that this phone gets a zippy processor but from the report here it seems like it has a not so fast samsung S3C2442@300Mhz instead. What i would like to see is how this compares to the S3C2440@400Mhz of Eten M500/M600. It looks like S3C2442 is a newer processor made to run at 300Mhz and it should perform similar to the ones found in ETEN pocket PCs.
If this is true, Hermes would be the one Pocket PC Phone to beat.
Anyways, this is a fantastic phone (presuming it supports HSPDA).

[E71 @ Feb 16th 2006 4:55AM]

smokeyb, GPS is a big deal and as for the other features, it's not that I want FM Radio or TV to sit and listen/watch all day but so that no-one can brag they have more features than I.

Besides, I love how some people are always trying to hold technology back. Like YOU and those klutz supporting HD-DVD. More capacity you say? No thanks, I'll happily stick with my miniscule upgrades. *Scoffs*

It's all over the news that components are getting smaller and more of them will fit into future phones. Not asking for more is perfectly fine but to stand up and say NO MORE is just plain ignorant.

[smokeyb @ Feb 16th 2006 7:11AM]

E71,
Look I'm not saying that asking for my features isn't the right way to go about things. It's the evolution of technology but DANG, this thing has damn near every feature you could ask for in a phone (excluding the GPS and FM radio....) For what it's worth, the slide design coupled with the features, will make this the best PDA/phone on the market...(my opinion) provided it get's released or becomes available this summer.

[Jason @ Feb 16th 2006 10:46AM]

microSD... no sale.

[C8M @ Feb 16th 2006 10:47AM]

Seriously how difficult is it to release a Windows Mobile phone with a row of dedicated number buttons? This is partly why the T-mobile Sidekick's true 5-line QWERTY keyboard will always be superior to Windows Mobile 4-line keyboards. No space between the keys also makes for a very uncomfortable typing environment.