HTC self-brands Hermes (TyTN) and Breeze (MTeoR)

It's been a crazy few years for the once unknown Taiwanese OEM known as High Tech Computer. Although still not a household name like Sony or Samsung, HTC has leveraged its strong ties with Microsoft to offer tantalizing products that have made us early-adopters stand up and take notice, and now the company feels that it's in a strong enough market position to ditch the Qtek brand and begin selling phones under its own name. The Qtek phase-out was announced as part of HTC's official unveiling of the 3G Hermes Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone -- now known as the TyTN -- as well as the compact, UMTS-capable Breeze smartphone -- which is now called the MTeoR (yeah, we're noticing a MOTO-like naming trend too; see the rebadged STRTrk for further proof). In announcing July's European launch of these self-branded handsets, HTC reemphasized its dedication to the many carriers selling its products under their own names, but this development certainly bodes well for the company's overall name-recognition; imagine, instead of lying and telling people we have a Treo because Sprint-branded-UTStarcomm-PPC-6700-based-on-the-HTC-Apache sounds so nerdy, we may one day be able to proudly proclaim "Oh, it's an HTC." [Warning: PDF link]

[Via Geekzone, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[joe @ Jun 15th 2006 10:32AM]

I know i have same problem when i try to explain to someone what phone i have(XV6700).

its a HTC, whats that?

It's a Audiovox...

[Rich @ Jun 15th 2006 10:38AM]

I always wonder why they don't stick with the names like "hermes" and "breeze". I suppose names like TyTN and the like are more technical, which suits the products' nature, but surely it's much more ambiguous? Is it a tee-why-tee-en, a Titan, or a Ty-tee-en?

[Brian Baigorri @ Jun 15th 2006 10:41AM]

Very 'pretty'

So, the Hermes is pretty much the only real one right now from what I gather (and probably the only one making it to the US market in my lifetime). Aside from 400 mHz (mmmm.... Skype), does anyone else have ANY solid stats? memory? camera? touch screen? anything???

[Kel @ Jun 15th 2006 10:45AM]

Brian:

PDF Link http://europe.htc.com/pdf/products/1766_TyTN_LFLT_OUT.PDF

[E71 @ Jun 15th 2006 10:53AM]

Finally! I was wondering how long it would take them to stick their own corporate logo on the phones. New logo by the way?

[Brian Richardson @ Jun 15th 2006 11:06AM]

Doesn't HTC make the current lineup of treo's too? HTC pretty much has a monoploy on PDA's and smartphones right now. And no one cares that Audiovox keeps rebranding everyone else's stuff. I already tell people that my 6700 is an HTC product rather than Audiocrap.

[xbit @ Jun 15th 2006 11:06AM]

What terrible names! They're never going to appeal to more than just the geek crowd with names like the "HTC TyTN".

[GreggB @ Jun 15th 2006 11:47AM]

Does anyone know to what extent the "Europe" phones will work on Cingular's network in the US?

[bboe @ Jun 15th 2006 12:17PM]

I have the 6700 and while it is a good phone I hope HTC starts to look at a way to make a phone as slim as the Q or the Samsung SGH-i320 but with the full OS, touch-screen features of the 6700.

Their phone is pretty good other than the BT being too weak and the phone being to thick.

[rospaya @ Jun 15th 2006 12:21PM]

I'm kind of confused now... Is HTC leaving Qtek? Is HTC leaving other companies that brand their PDA-s?

[hesh @ Jun 15th 2006 12:43PM]

@GreggB

These phones should work without any problems. My bro has a RAZR from the Asia and he just went out and bought a Cingular pay-as-go for when he's in the States and all he has to do is swap SIMs.

[Hobo Joe @ Jun 15th 2006 12:43PM]

Huh. Tightend and Meatier. Now which is manlier?

[hesh @ Jun 15th 2006 12:46PM]

The HTC logo looks like a thin squarish Kirby...

(>'-')> ===> [>'-']>

[Alcaron @ Jun 15th 2006 12:48PM]

I know personally speaking I know the HTC brand name better than Qtek.

I just assumed Qtek was a reseller of "who knows" reputation.

I'd buy something labled HTC over Qtek any day. And I guess that is the point of brand identity huh. :)

[Terral @ Jun 15th 2006 1:12PM]

Could someone buy one of these European phones and get it activated with a new Cingular account? Or would you already have to have an account with SIM card to make this work?

[hesh @ Jun 15th 2006 1:27PM]

@Terral

You can probably import just the phone so you wouldn't need to activate anything. As long as you already have an active SIM, you should be able to just pop that SIM into the phone and start using it.

[Eric @ Jun 15th 2006 1:30PM]

Seriously, I've got the XV6700 and I have no idea what to tell people it is when they ask. I usually say, it's a PocketPC but IMHO that gives WAY too much lip service to the almight Microsloth.

So, anyone got something better?
It's an Audiovox.. (sucks)

Hell, maybe i'll just start saying it's an HTC. It would need a logo though... I guess this is a good start.

[BK @ Jun 15th 2006 1:45PM]

HTC's new names have "RAZR" moniker wannabe all over it. Why are cell companies limiting themselves to 4 or 5 chars.

Like, buy a vowel man.

[tmonkey @ Jun 15th 2006 3:56PM]

I am so lost as to what is what with the HTC naming system. Between their develepoment names coming out months before anything is available and then everything being renamed for i-mate, tmobile, audiovox, qtek, etc, I have no idea what to get to replace my sp3. I'm too confused - I think I'll get a Mio 701 (I can't remember which of the upcoming HTC phones has built in GPS and everytime I look for it I get even more confused).

[Giuda @ Jun 15th 2006 4:07PM]

Sorry guys, but...

1. HTC MTeoR HAS NO front camera for videocalling

AND

2. HTC Breeze DOES HAVE a front camera for videocalling

IMPLIES

HTC MTeoR is not HTC Breeze

Am I wrong ?

[..........? @ Jun 15th 2006 4:31PM]

HTC (Original Device Manufacture) is the manufacture that makes the phone. They now also want to brand their phone with HTC. Qtek and Dopod is own by HTC. Long time ago Dopod and Qtek is seperate company that buys the product from HTC and stamp their software and logo on it.but now Dopod and Qtek is just a company that sells HTC product in another brand. Other brand that sells HTC designed product such as imate is doing what Qtek and Dopod is doing.

[gasp @ Jun 16th 2006 12:02PM]

Dopod very recently became a subsidiary of HTC. Qtek have been a subsidiary for a while now. HTC say they will not be distributing where there current resellers/distributers are selling. So I guess O2 and I-mate are keeping their markets. Bad luck for us as O2 especially always seems so slow to the market. Dont know about I-mate. The test will be to see when either company says they will have the HTC Hermes product available. (I prefer the code name)

[MOBILITY MAN @ Jun 21st 2006 3:56AM]

WE HAVE THE QTEK 8500 IN SOCK NOW..

WWW.SMART-MONILE-GADGETS.COM

[mobility man @ Jun 21st 2006 11:31AM]

qtek 8500 on sale in stock


www.smart-mobile-gadgets.com

[Kin @ Jul 5th 2006 2:19PM]

For stats on the TyTN visit http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/HTC-TyTN-Hermes-phone-p_1636.html. I'm looking forward to checking this one out

[MOBILITY MAN @ Jul 7th 2006 5:31PM]

there is a front camera in the preproduction unit ihave
http://www.smart-mobile-gadgets.com/mteor.jpg
http://www.smart-mobile-gadgets.com/mteor2.jpg

[paul @ Jan 3rd 2008 4:50AM]

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thanks all