The HTC Cavalier: followup to the Excalibur

Right on cue, now that everyone's got an Excalibur (i.e. T-Mobile Dash), HTC's latest creation shows up online. Obviously the successor to the sleek Excalibur, the Cavalier doesn't look as refined to these jaded eyes, but it's certainly got the horsepower under the hood to make up for its sharper, more Blackberry-esque lines. For starters, that 200MHz OMAP is now a 400MHz, which is just what's needed to power the UMTS / HSDPA. It's also got a higher capacity battery (though not by much -- 1050mAh over 960), a 2 megapixel camera, and the requisite 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0. Don't worry about it though, it won't make it to America until late spring by our wholly unscientific estimates, so your investment is safe for at least a couple months before importers make you miserable with longing.

[Chris Gregg @ Nov 24th 2006 8:28AM]

It looks like they borrowed the color styling from a 1970s HP calculator.

[rick @ Nov 24th 2006 11:52PM]

wonder if it'll do RPN?

[Jason @ Nov 24th 2006 9:08AM]

Will the cpu be fast enough to run skype?

[haythem @ Nov 24th 2006 9:22AM]

Yes easily, my MDA does skype right now when its overclocked to 240

[Fishd @ Nov 24th 2006 9:37AM]

Ok, I understand that I'm making these comments to people who are just as gadget-lust addicted as I am... but isn't it getting a little tiring to see all these minor increments to 'smartphones' before you've really had the chance to get your hands on the previous version?

I'm still kicking around with an SPV C500 (Typhoon?) mainly because I know the C600 will be replaced the moment I decide to buy one... I already tried once... I walked into an Orange shop and asked for a C600... the assistant said "Ooo, the C700 comes out next week, don't you want that one?" ... so I hesitated...

Ok, I know that I'm going to get a tonne of flack from people telling me that everything in this industry gets outdated... but the trouble I have with the mobile industry at the moment is that a manufacturer will announce/demo/market a phone which will then spend 6 -8 months sat in the carriers labs while they figure out how to cripple all the really cool features and by the time they do release it... the manufacturer is already annoucing/demoing/marketing something even cooler!!!

/rant

[Billy Bob @ Nov 24th 2006 10:13AM]

that looks like my ti-89 titanium

[Dave Pevsner @ Nov 24th 2006 11:00AM]

everyone's got an Excalibur?

I have yet to see a single person with a dash, or for that matter, a single dash anywhere but the display shelves at the T-Mo store.

I'm sticking to my clie UX PDA.

[Scott @ Nov 24th 2006 11:53AM]

I have one through work. I do have to say the device is quality. Besides the annoying touch-strip volume on the side, I don't have any real complaints about this phone. Of course t-mobile service can suck if you go 10 inches outside a coverage area but otherwise, the DASH works for me.

But you are true though, every single store I go to at the mall I can't find one anywhere. And it's been out for weeks now.

[Jaime @ Nov 24th 2006 12:14PM]

Does it has touchscreen?

[Matt Packwood @ Nov 24th 2006 12:59PM]

what we really need in the infrastructure to support these beasts here in the US....

[saq @ Nov 24th 2006 2:24PM]

HTC must put lock their engineers in a room for 10 months out of the year and keep them hopped up on crack.
The amount of products these guys put out, and the quality and speed in which they go through them is seriously staggering. They seem to have a product roadmap that is a mile long.

[Rubberdemon @ Nov 24th 2006 4:53PM]

This is looking more and more like a BlackBerry to me - I agree, though, the HTC people are fiends for productivity; too bad they're stuck with Windows Mobile, which I've abandoned now (hopefully for the last time) due to its clunkiness and general crappiness.

[Evan Brom @ Nov 24th 2006 7:09PM]

Finaly a faster CPU now we can use SKYPE.

[Evan Brom @ Nov 24th 2006 7:10PM]

Finaly

[FlatDasher @ Nov 30th 2006 8:30PM]

I like the all black one. I wonder if the battery life will be a bit better that what I use now. It could be that my network coverage sucks (i read that could contribute to it on forum.dashsmartzone.com), but it's hard to prove. Anyone else have this issue? I live on the outskirts of town.

[Gabriel Lowe @ Dec 3rd 2006 10:50AM]

I wish there was an alternative for this device that didn't run Windows Mobile. I just can't get into that OS.

[Roger @ Jan 3rd 2007 8:28AM]

I dont undestand why everyone is so crazy about Skype.. I have tried to use it 3 times and 3 times I have unistalled it. My brother who lives in France keeps bugging me to use it but why?

I use a service called Pingo. www.pingo.com I would trully be amazed if anyone including Skype has better prices than Pingo. And you can use Pingo anywhere anytime, no need for special phones or anything.

I have a Dash, and yes, it pisses me off that just 15 days after I finally got one they anounce a newer better one... but screw it. I survived 1.5 years with a p910i that I still use as a back up phone and I will resist to getting a new phone for a while. I love the Dash, is the best I ever had.