O2 Germany announces new HTCs as Xda "terra" and "nova"

Though O2 spends plenty of time getting cozy with Quanta for its Windows Mobile needs, that doesn't mean they've thrown HTC to the curb. The latest two HTCs to get the O2 treatment -- in Germany, anyway -- will be the Herald and Elf, released as the Xda "terra" and "nova" respectively. As you might recall, the Herald is the facelifted Wizard, replacing O2's own Xda mini S and offering all the same slide-out QWERTY action in a 17 millimeter shell; 3G data is sadly missing, though O2 is going to one-up the competition here by rolling out Windows Mobile 6 Professional on this bad boy out of the gate -- expect it in May for €150 (about $200). Meanwhile, the Xda nova (also a 2.5G device) brings Windows Mobile to the masses with a relatively low price point -- €100, about $130 -- while still managing to pack 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and version six of Microsoft's ubiquitous platform. Look for it a month after its Xda terra stablemate in June.

Read - O2 Xda terra
Read - O2 Xda nova

[totalfixation @ Mar 14th 2007 11:01AM]

I can see why Apple will kick A$$ when they come out. These phone just don't live up to my expectation. Even though the iPhone isn't out yet, i see it living up to my expectation already. If the iphone has 3g Im set for a few good years but edge is ok for now, eh maybe not, but i still think the Iphone is going to do way better then the top selling phone right now.

[Josh McGrath @ Mar 14th 2007 11:06AM]

how does this story have anything to do with the freaking iphone.

[totalfixation @ Mar 14th 2007 11:09AM]

just saying how ugly this phone is and the fact that these phones aren't anything but a rehash of the same $hit. Don't get me wrong I really like Windows Mobile, but the phone they are on just sucks.

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 11:13AM]

No memory - 128mb
No USB 2.0 - USB 1.1
No 640x480 - 320x240
No 3G

Could they be any more obsolete? This is like releasing a 19" Black and White Tube TV. Maybe they are giving these away with a 1 year contract or 15 cereal boxtops or for sitting through a half hour time share sales pitch?

[Alan Strangis @ Mar 14th 2007 11:20AM]

I'm almost tempted to get a Herald, because a slimmer Wizard would be perfect, but after playing with a TyTN, it's a tough call, especially since I like to play DivX vids without converting, the faster proc means smooth playback in TCPMP of 720x480 vids - and the 3G is sweet. Decisions decisions.

iPhone: No 3G. No DivX/XviD/WMV. No 3rd party apps. No sale.

[Ben H @ Mar 14th 2007 11:44AM]

"iPhone: No 3G. No DivX/XviD/WMV. No 3rd party apps. No sale."

Great comment here Alan. But you forget one thing, Apple users have no idea what you are talking about. Look at totalfixation for instance, he likes the iPhone because it looks "uberl33th4cks" to him. Apple fanboys are going to buy the phone for the name, not the qualities.

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 12:15PM]

Alan, Based you your desire to playback 720x480 vids, why not get a PDA that can come close or meet your resolution needs. The Herald is 320x240 - That is only 25% of the resolution of ANY of the 5 Imate Ultimates which max out at 18mm thick or you could get a thicker Wizard which does do 640x480 but these things should come in a big crackerjax box - they are novelty items - hardly anything useful in the real world.

[Alan Strangis @ Mar 14th 2007 11:24AM]

@ boe: $130 IS pretty cheap for a PPC phone (if that's what US pricing will be). Either would make a great starter phone, or a reliable workhorse if you mainly use data connectivity for email.

[srnphoto @ Mar 14th 2007 11:42AM]

QWERTY slideout? o.O More like QWERTZ !~@!

[Croz @ Mar 14th 2007 11:57AM]

That's because it's a standard German keyboard layout. The inevitable UK release will get the QWERTY keyboard.

[srnphoto @ Mar 14th 2007 11:55AM]

How did this thread get bastardized into an iPhone promo??

~lame squared~

[Jeff R @ Mar 14th 2007 12:10PM]

i wonder if this the replacement for TMO also, now that the mda is discontinued. i hope not...

[totalfixation @ Mar 14th 2007 12:49PM]

First off =) I'm not a apple Fan boy, I don't own anything apple, and when i did it was either a gift that i then resold. You guys have to admit that the iphone does look really nice compared to most phones out there. It might now have 3g but it will eventually. For a new phone with a new os, you cant expect very much apps but it will come. To start off with that phone does come with a lot of features already. To be honest i think apple does provide good quality, i don't know why you anyone would say otherwise. oh btw sorry srnphoto for bastardizing it into a iphone dilemma

[Andy @ Mar 14th 2007 12:54PM]

I'd really like to see a Herald/Terra in person. I've played with the Tytn and liked it but I'm always interested in a smaller footprint...and WinMo6 for that matter...but only if I didn't have this great plan with Sprint! D@mn CDMA network!

@boe 320x240 is pretty much the standard nowadayz, newer higher end models are the ones coming out with higher rezs. Man, I'd love to get my hands on that Toshiba G900 with that 800x480 screen! Heck, I'd even take the G500. Back to d@mning CDMA! I guess I'm stuck waiting for HTC's CDMA slider (I think they're calling it the Titan? That'll cause some confusion...).

I gotta agree about Apple fanboys (I'm not saying that everyone that wants an iPhone is a fanboy, just people like totalfixation), they're complete brandwh0res. Sorry, I consider myself a power user, I need more than what the iPhone can offer (No 3rd party apps??? What's up with that???).

[bungsana @ Mar 14th 2007 1:54PM]

i may be biased cause i have a herald, but why cant people compare phones that ARE ALREADY OUT?

i can see arguments for the treo 750i, htc tytn, and the bb 8800 but anyone can say that a phone that will possibly come out sometime maybe next yearish will be better than any current phone cause it maybe pseudo semi quasi will have this generic superficial function.

whatever, im just psyched that i'll be able to get WM6 for my baby.

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 2:36PM]

bungsana, some of the IMATE phones which have 640x480 resolution, USB 2.0, 256MB of RAM - pretty much everything this thing lacks is out at the same time this unit is.

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 2:14PM]

I understand why so many people keep bringing up the iPhone - I don't think they are apple fanboys by any means. I think most are more interested in the hardware that makes the HTC cookie cutter crap they've been pumping out for the last 2 years look like doo doo.

AGAIN - I and most people who bring up the iphone probably know the difference between WM5/6 the functionality differences between PPC and OSX. People see someone mention an apple product and assume we hate MS or are apple fanboys. Facts are facts, the ipod is one of the best MP3 players out there - doesn't mean I have an Apple workstation at home, it means I recognize a quality product. I think the iphone is probably going to be a good mp3 player and phone but not a great pda business phone. I do however recognize that is is only 11mm thick much better than your standard HTC Brick, has a decent processor, a reasonable screen resolution - better than 95% of the HTC phones on the market, and is USB 2.0 while HTC hasn't recognized that USB 2.0 came out half a decade ago and still is pushing out slow USB 1.1 crap. OH did anyone notice this has 128MB of storage - I believe the iPhone comes in a choice of 4 GIGABYTE or 8 GIGABYTE. I have a PPC6700 and have over 1GB of storage used up for programs, not songs, not crap but programs. While I would prefer an IMATE ultimate phone with only 256MB of storage because it comes with a 640 x 480 screen and runs WM6, I have to recognize that the iPHone hardware is about 2 years ahead of the HTC units although it is behind the IMATE technology in my opinion although I would be the iphone might have been durability than a IMATE (aside from scratching).

[Andy @ Mar 14th 2007 3:37PM]

Easy there, Rambo. I don't think you brought up the iPhone at all in this particular post and I don’t see anyone here calling you a fanboy (but you'll probably be called one now).

I barely use any of my Treo's built in 64MB of memory and it's loaded with 3rd party apps so I have no idea how you managed to fill up 1GB of "just programs". What kind of bloat code are you installing? Wait, this is MS we're talking about (I kid, I kid...I actually like WinMo6, might be what pulls me from Palm, unless a good CDMA Symbian device comes out...not holding my breath on that one...). Also, if you can't install any 3rd party apps on the iPhone, then what's your point of the 4 to 8GB of space? Music? I'll pass. Pictures? This isn't a Sony or Nokia camera phone, again, I'll pass.

I think the point of these two HTC devices is price. Cut a few corners here and there and *poof* sub $200 MSRP PDA phones. Show me where you can get an iPhone for that price when it comes out (or any PDA phone for that matter). Discounts for the carrier? Rigghhhttt, good luck with that one.

Oh, you do realize that almost all of Imates phones are re-badges from other companies, right? And that the large majority of those are from HTC? So how could HTC be behind Imate?

Don't forget that Apple does not develop the core hardware technology (this is quite apparent from all of the patent infringements talks being thrown around the iPhone), so I have trouble seeing Apple having more advanced tech than a dedicated hardware developer. What Apple does is take existing hardware and package it brilliantly, I will say the Apple design team is unmatched.

I wouldn't equate "best selling mp3 player" with "best mp3 player". You seem to underestimate the power of fashion. There are a lot of people that would argue that the Creative and IRiver mp3 players have superior sound, I tend to agree with that because I, personally, do not like the way the iPods sound (I prefer the Creatives). I also don't understand why they can't even put an FM tuner in the iPod, something Creative's had for years.

Anyway, I'm not calling you a fan boy and I'm not down on Apple, I'm just not that interested in "fashion over function" devices. Altho, I am starting to like those Mac's, those things are sweet!

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 4:59PM]

Andy - I assure you I am no fanboy for MS or Apple. Both have good things and both have crap. I realize what things are good, what things are bad. I like WM6 - does that make me an MS fanboy? I think the Ipod is a good MP3 player - does that make me a fanboy? I think of fanboys as anyone who assumes that because something is made by one company it is good. I am however noticing what I would call applephobes and MSphobes - people who jump on someone and belittle them for in anyway supporting a product by a company. As for my comment - you are correct, in no way had I previously mentioned the iphone in this thread - then again I never claimed I did - I have however mentioned the better hardware technology in other posts and was berated for being an apple fanboy.

Iguidance alone using only a few states of GPS data fills 1 gig. I also have vjcadella, flash, adobe reader, spb pocketplus, MS live Search, MS Live, various conersion programs, ip calculators, spb time, etc etc - all good programs, all programs I use at least once a week.

People ASSume that you won't be able to install progrms on the iPhone - I'll wait until it is out before I say so. I hear it is a closed platform, but I also know that apple is hiring a lot of developers and I have yet to see a closed system that is closed - xbox, ps3, etc all cracked quickly after they were released.

For you the price is the point and I can understand that. My issue is that HTC has been releasing obsolete crap for 2 years - I would like to see them release more current technology - not some far distant dreamphone technology but phone technology that other companies are implementing in their phones such as IMATE ultimates (A WM6 platform - release in April of this year) and the iPhone. HTC is one of the largest phone manufactures and the lazy bums at Sprint keep buying their old crap so YES, for selfish reasons I'd like them to move forward with their hardware as that is who I have my plan with and I've been with them so long I'd pay a lot more to get a similar plan with some other cell provider.

Does HTC have an 11mm thick 640x480 phones with touch screen - WM6 professional, USB 2.0 phones? That is how HTC can be behind IMATE - I don't care who makes the phones. OK if IMATE doesn't make the phones I want, I wish HTC would start buying from whomever makes those phones as I'm tired of lugging around an obsolete brick.

I understand apple doesn't really "make" the iphone but do you know who does - if you mentioned their name, how many people here would know it?

I have a creative labs MP3 player AND an IPOD - mp3 compresses the sound so much no matter what compression scheme you use if you want to fit a lot of songs on a reasonable amount of storage, they all are primitive - if you hook one up to a real stereo, none sound good - just my opinion of course. I agree about the fm tuner - seems silly that it isn't present.

Thanks for not calling me a fanboy - I only give my loyalty while a manufacturer has the best product - kind of like a lakers fan - only there when the team is winning. The moment someone who makes my favorite product is falling behind whether it be a video card, car, TV etc, I'm done with them - I'll come back as soon as they have a better product.

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 2:35PM]

I understand why so many people keep bringing up the iPhone - I don't think they are apple fanboys by any means. I think most are more interested in the hardware that makes the HTC cookie cutter crap they've been pumping out for the last 2 years look like doo doo.

AGAIN - I and most people who bring up the iphone probably know the difference between WM5/6 the functionality differences between PPC and OSX. People see someone mention an apple product and assume we hate MS or are apple fanboys. Facts are facts, the ipod is one of the best MP3 players out there - doesn't mean I have an Apple workstation at home, it means I recognize a quality product. I think the iphone is probably going to be a good mp3 player and phone but not a great pda business phone. I do however recognize that is is only 11mm thick much better than your standard HTC Brick, has a decent processor, a reasonable screen resolution - better than 95% of the HTC phones on the market, and is USB 2.0 while HTC hasn't recognized that USB 2.0 came out half a decade ago and still is pushing out slow USB 1.1 crap. OH did anyone notice this has 128MB of storage - I believe the iPhone comes in a choice of 4 GIGABYTE or 8 GIGABYTE. I have a PPC6700 and have over 1GB of storage used up for programs, not songs, not crap but programs. While I would prefer an IMATE ultimate phone with only 256MB of storage because it comes with a 640 x 480 screen and runs WM6, I have to recognize that the iPHone hardware is about 2 years ahead of the HTC units although it is behind the IMATE technology in my opinion although I would be the iphone might have been durability than a IMATE (aside from scratching).

[mofotrucker @ Mar 16th 2007 5:21PM]

iphone sucks my balls

[Andy @ Mar 14th 2007 6:55PM]

Uh, I don't think I called you a fanboy one way or another, I was just trying to bring some information to light, but whatever...

I don't consider maps an app, that's just data. Try Google Maps, it supports GPS antennas and it pulls maps from the web. If you're using that brick HTC slider from Sprint, then I feel for you...that thing even makes my Treo look small. BUT that is a function of HTC not making many CDMA devices, the Imate Ultimates are GSM devices, so you're out of luck there too unless you jump to TMobile or Cingular (have fun with their data plans, they're rediculously expensive for PDA type phones). As I said before, I'm waiting to see what this new HTC CDMA slider is like (the Titan, not to be confused with the Tytn).

And yes, I believe Imate re-badges the Ultimates as well (I can't remember who makes them). Plus there already have been reports that they are misquoting the dimensions...

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/02/27/is-i-mate-misquoting-dimensions-on-its-ultimates/

...but we shall see if this is true or not later this year, won't we? I do like the specs, however, but the design needs serious work (maybe Apple can help them?).

People aren't assuming that you can't install 3rd party apps the iPhone...

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/01/09/the-iphone-is-not-a-smartphone/

...but I'd be very surprised if someone doesn't hack it within a few months of release...

ANYWAY, back to the post, these HTC's are right up my alley...functional, expandable, wi-fi enabled, a decent OS (sort of) and cheap... now if only they were CDMA devices, come on HTC, where's my Titan???

[boe @ Mar 14th 2007 7:36PM]

Andy - thanks for the dimensions link - hopefully it is not true but very dissappointing if it is. They have the smaller dimensions listed on Imate's web page - hopefully that is just a protype in the picture.

As for 3rd party apps - i realize apple says it is a closed system but how many hacks exist for the PS3 and TIVO and and other "closed" systems. I'll wait until the apple is out for a couple of months before I believe that there isn't a way to get a 3rd party app on it. I'm willing to bet someone will have WM on it within 3 months of release.

I'm stuck in CDMA hell, so I have no choice but to get the crap phones Sprint offers.

[momo @ Mar 14th 2007 10:53PM]

remember one thing, the 11mm thick 640x480 imate phone doesn't have any working sample, not even mockup. The current working sample they have is 5150. But the size is nothing special. 8150 is the is the one with size 94mm x 50mm x 11mm. But if 8510 can have this size, why 5150 and 6150 need to be that big. I don't think the size of 8150 is possible in 2007 if it has the same SPEC except LCD size with 6150. Unless 8150 doesn't need to pass any test like drop down test or reception test.

[Brandon @ Mar 15th 2007 12:50PM]

Lets stop talking about HTC releasing old hardware and start talking about American carriers not demanding new hardware. The iphone has style but it's not as powerful as the Ameo! We want the best in America but our carriers know that the majority of us refuse to break $300 w/or w/out a contract. Apple is bold enough to know that everyone was anticipating the iPhone, so they have a smaller marine for error when it comes to a high price device not sitting on the shelf.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/HTC-Ameo-Officialy-Announced-by-T-Mobile-45502.shtml

[boe @ Mar 16th 2007 2:58AM]

Brandon, I'm guessing you are being sarcastic and posting that beast as a joke but with some posters it is hard to tell.

Yes, let's encourage American Carriers to only carry the most obsolete technology possible for $150. I'm pretty sure when the 6700 came out it was about $500 and one of the fastest selling PDA phones in the US.

That new ETEN X800 is just about the slickest phone I've seen to date!
HTC 6800 110 x 60 x 20
ETEN X800 113.5 x 60.5 x 15.8 - Much thinner - but no keyboard - I'd gladly give up for the thinner design - but they could keep the 6800 for people who want one. I would imagine they'll also make one with a keyboard but I don't have any info about that unit.

HTC - 240 x 320
ETEN - 480 x 640 - 4 TIMES the resolution better for browsing, e-mail, documents, GPS etc.

HTC USB 1.1 - Maybe they are some sect of amish and can't go beyond 99 technology
ETEN USB 2.0 - they noticed USB 2.0 came out around the turn of the century and decided progress was good

HTC - No FM tuner
ETEN - FM

HTC - NO GpS
ETEN - GPS on board

[Nick @ Mar 14th 2007 11:12PM]

Odd... Terra Nova is the name of one of the state tests we take here in NY.

[xchubisx @ Mar 17th 2007 3:52PM]

terra nova was a test i had to take as a freshman
haha