HTC Touch HD handled, pre-release style

Okay, so this "review" of HTC's beastly new Touch HD isn't much of a review, but it offers up a few important snippets of insight -- and perhaps more importantly for the visual stimulation-starved among us, a plethora of photography. The reviewer notes that the 800 x 480 display is positively gorgeous, the cam is decent (though autofocus is a tad on the slow side), the latest iteration of TouchFLO 3D running here chugs along with virtually no slowdown, and despite the display and the heavy-duty spec sheet, the darned thing is essentially the same size as an iPhone 3G. Oh, and there's also a true 3.5mm headphone jack lurking on here, too, which we dare you to find on that HTC in your pocket right now. Makes it all that much harder to hear that it's launching in the fourth quarter without global HSDPA, doesn't it?

[Thanks, Steph]

[Karn Eggie @ Sep 17th 2008 7:43PM]

a beauty, its good to see some competition to apple.

R$D + Real Engineers F THE W

[Karn Eggie @ Sep 17th 2008 7:44PM]

R&D ... typo, its dark!

[Jubei @ Sep 17th 2008 7:59PM]

Competition? Thats funny, I don't recall this "me too" company releasing a rich SDK and an App store. You know, the store where I can download applications directly on my iPhone. Apps like Asphalt 4, Real Soccer, Spores Origin... just your basic console quality games. Among other excellent business apps. Plus all the other content unsurpassed by anyone in the business. All within my fingertips, and at my whim.

[huh @ Sep 17th 2008 7:57PM]

You're kidding, right?

R&D + Real Engineers = whatever they could put out the door the day of the press release, partially goaded, partially due to geek pride, very little due to a reckoning between what the tech can do and the end users (the real end users, not some bizarre marketing filtered version) would want, very little due to what a real design company like Apple would do, which is sort of fortunate considering Apple's willingness to sacrifice capability in favour of creating an iTunes funnel.

[iofthestorm @ Sep 17th 2008 8:05PM]

@Jubei: Are you shitting me? You mean like the Windows Mobile SDK that's been out for, I don't know, several years before the iPhone was a rumor? Shit, you iTards are really something. When the iPhone has no programmability you defend it by saying that you can just hack it, and when it gets an SDK you act as if it's the only thing that has one? I bet you'd never even heard of the term SDK before the iPhone SDK came out. Fucking idiots.

[crazacool @ Sep 17th 2008 8:49PM]

Wait, excuse me, Jubei. Did you say "console quality" games?

Really?

[deyanimay @ Sep 17th 2008 8:11PM]

First of all take that up with microsoft not htc, remember that they are making open android devices too. Second of all apples app store isn't that open with its many restrictions.

[JohnTitor @ Sep 17th 2008 8:12PM]

WTF, forget the app store, WinMo has more apps than Apple will ever have, Apple is pretty hesitant to giving developers any power over their device, not allowed to share code, not allowed to compete with their own apps, wtf is up with that. Like on a real OS, you just have to go browsing and find em but there are some great apps for windows.

gaming may look good on the iPhone but its nothing the new HTCs can't do, its just since most WinMo phones don't have GPUs and good specs that people don't make too many graphical games. It's not even that much fun playing without buttons aside for a few exceptions. If anyone got mobile gaming right it was Nokia with their 2nd generation N-Gage, but you wouldn't know it cause for whatever reason North American service providers don't grab their N-series phones

[Jubei @ Sep 17th 2008 8:16PM]

@iofthestorm

Unfortunately the SDK and offerings produced by those "me too" companies has given you users nothing but garbage and subpar apps for years. Thats the difference.

Apples SDK, in conjunction with the iPhone/Touch cutting edge technology are giving users the best experience one can have using mobile and PMP devices.

A mobile application distribution model and apps updating system that your "me too" companies are more than happy to copy from Apple.

[kccboy2004 @ Sep 17th 2008 8:19PM]

iofthestorm,

you have a wonderful way with words. you have my vote. you could have just written "jubei=tosser"

[Flashpoint @ Sep 17th 2008 8:22PM]

I'm not sure whether or not I'd turn in my iPhone for the HTC touch.

Some things that could easily make me change my mind are:
#1 unlimited data tethering of the HTC to my computer for mobile internet
#2 the ability to use any SIM card i'd want
#3 A2DP
#4 instant communication with my MSN Live/ Xbox Live accounts (which I see possible considering its a Microsoft Operating System)
#5 FLASH and JAVA


Problem with iPhone is its got an almost hypnotic appeal to it. People all know its name when they see it. The general public either wants an iPhone or a Sidekick. I've never been an Apple fanboy (I'm a proud HP fanboy). In fact the iPhone is the FIRST Apple product I ever purchased for myself. Its a great PDA but as a DAP it is LACKLUSTER - ipods suck for sound quality.
Its a great wifi internet pocket device.
Unfortunately, iPhones have a shit camera with no video, no Data tethering unless you are a hacker, are locked into AT&T unless you jailbreak and have poor battery life on the 3G.


Once a company combines a great audio player, mp3 download service, a good integrated camera with video, and a consistent data exchange service that doesn't break down like MobileMe, they'll easily have a better device than the iPhone. but then there's Apple's aggresive marketing...

[SimbaDogg @ Sep 17th 2008 8:27PM]

@ Jubei
you know what i was actually going to reply to you on on my htc kaiser w/ my bluetooth accy at school, but i just waited till i got home (mmm....can you add bluetooth accys like keyboards and mice to your phone, or just headsets? or can you even do bluetooth file transfers or syncs w/ your pc for that matter?).
But i fucking hate you apple brainwashed sheep. I swear to god, and this is a true story, a guy was watching me check type my notes on my phone using MS word w/ my bluetooth keyboard in class. And he was absolutely blown away by it. I then told him all the things i used my phone for, and he said..."thats cool...why didn't you get an iphone?" and i at first laughed at that question, and said "i could name 12 things my phone can do that i require, that cannot and probably will never EVER be possible on the iphone (jobs is a stubborn man). it was only after that point that i saw that he had pulled out his iphone, and was going to try to impress me with it.

But anyways the windows mobile/ce SDK has been out for years before jobs finally said, "ok we'll do it" (and on a limited basis at that). So maybe you should quit your "me too" comments. Sometimes i wish that all you sheep could be herded off a cliff. You obviously dont think for yourself, and you let a 30 second commercial w/ a black backdrop and someone surfing the internet (neato) do the thinking for you. Lame bastards

[rock99rock @ Sep 17th 2008 8:35PM]

@Flashpoint

Im in the same boat, and agree with everything you said.

I believe i will jump ship though. Its fun and has potential, potential that wont be released until the next gen. Its obviously all possible right now, was for the last version as well. Everything i want on the iphone is on the HTC. That freaking AWESOME screen.

[Jubei @ Sep 17th 2008 8:59PM]

Interesting observation. My post are accurate, factual and clear in regards to the iPhone and notes regarding these "me too" companies. The interesting fact is, the defenders of these devices has a commonality that is easily observed. Unable to accept the mediocrity of their products and current direction of copying Apple with every turn, these posters tend to response with:

1. Deviant Sexual Suggestions
2. Name Calling
3. Outlandish claims citing similarity ( the sun is round therefore its the same are your tire which is round )
4. Profanity

It is of no wonder that all your arguments are irrelevant.

HTC is copying Apple, so is RIM, so is MS. Face that fact and try not to get so angry with the truth.

[JohnTitor @ Sep 17th 2008 9:19PM]

dude it's obvious HTC might have gotten some inspirations from Apple, but remember they've been making touch phones long before apple and we as consumers shouldn't care who made it first, but instead who has the best device right now

[Brad @ Sep 17th 2008 9:23PM]

@Flashpoint:

I figured I'd go ahead and address these "wants" one by one.

#1 unlimited data tethering of the HTC to my computer for mobile internet
My HTC Mogul has this. In fact, it is OS transparent on a Windows machine. I just plug in my phone and boot up the included "internet sharing" application, which turns my phone into a USB network adapter. If this isn't available, it's at the request of the carrier. This is a standard feature in WM6 Professional (which HTC HD will likely run). If for whatever reason you can't get that to work, PDANet is a wonderful little tool that completely bypasses the blocks put in by most carriers, but you have to run a client on your computer as well. Not as graceful as "it just works" but a wonderful way to stick it to your provider if they're trying to lock you out.

#2 the ability to use any SIM card i'd want
This is the choice of the carrier, but it is very difficult to SIM-lock a windows mobile phone, especially since the folks over at XDA-developers are happy to release the unbranded/unrestricted software for your exact phone. HTC doesn't typically lock down their phones, either. Think of it as Jailbreaking your iPhone, except the "broken" version comes direct from Microsoft and they'll never work to stop you from doing whatever you want with it, nor release an update every month to try and stop you from doing what you want with it.

#3 A2DP
Standard feature on WM6 phones and every HTC phone I've ever used. Can't "guarantee" it, but I'd be extremely surprised if it wasn't present. Hell, even my PPC-6600 back in '05 could do A2DP with a little free piece of software. You also get Object Push, media control, serial port (extremely handy!) profiles, and even stereo headset! (a2dp + mic).

#4 instant communication with my MSN Live/ Xbox Live accounts (which I see possible considering its a Microsoft Operating System)
Live Messenger and Live Search are both standard on WM6 and tightly integrated with the OS. I'm not sure what you mean by XBOX Live - do you mean marketplace content or just gamertag info / messaging? If it's the latter, I don't know of any apps offhand, but both the phone and LIVE are open platforms for that kind of use, so I see no reason why one couldn't be written. If you mean purchasing games direct from LIVE onto your phone, Microsoft's "Skymarket" or whatever it's called might be the thing you're looking for, but I much prefer all the free stuff that can be found with your good friend Google.

#5 FLASH and JAVA
Both of these work just fine on my phone. The FlashLite3 is part of Opera 9.5 which can play up through Flash9 files typically. Though sometimes it can churn along on more complex flash stuff, I've been able to watch all the normal Flash things. Also, newer versions of PocketIE and Skyfire support Flash.

As for JAVA, I assume you mean the sort of Java Midlets that run on most non-smartphones? Well, there are a number of Java Midlet managers. My phone came pre-installed with one, though sometimes you have to track your own down. It all depends on whether or not your provider decides that giving you their Java apps is worth letting you have ANY Java app. But since it is nearly impossible to lock-down Windows Mobile and prevent a user from installing whatever they damn well please, snagging one of the free J2ME handlers is a piece of cake. I've never tried BREW apps, so you're on your own on that one. In addition, you also get .NET compact framework, which lets you run a lot of other little programs with ease. I like my .NET VNC app, which will let me control devices on my home network from afar.

Hope that encourages you to stop by and look at one of these when they come out! And bring your iPhone along, see how the HTC handles the kinds of things you like to do most, whatever they may be.

[Kevin @ Sep 18th 2008 12:18AM]

@jubei
Really? you really think that apple came out with SDK technology first?
Look it up kid.
Apple announced it was offering a SDK on march 8th and made it available on March 27. of 2008.
Windows released it back in 2003. When WinMo came out.
Oh... Do you hear those bells? You just got schooled.
Damn noobs....

[Sisyphus @ Sep 17th 2008 9:45PM]

DAMMIT.

I just (literally) received and activated my Touch Diamond from Sprint today.

I effing love this phone. Its amazing. But WHY HTC, WHY do you have to give me buyers remorse the SAME DAY??

Now I want the touch HD :(

[Jubei @ Sep 17th 2008 10:20PM]

"Really? you really think that apple came out with SDK technology first?"


*sigh* "rich SDK..." I suppose reading comprehension is not a strong factor for users who buy into the "me too" devices.

[LordFarkward @ Sep 17th 2008 10:22PM]

man, are you guys new here? stop feeding the apple-hate-garnering trolls (Jubei, iEye, Steffen Jobs, iPhone etc). they do nothing but make all apple fans sound obnoxious and brain washed, and you guys are clearly falling for it...

[Baby-G @ Sep 17th 2008 10:29PM]

Hey Engadget what can we compare the iphone with next? My laptop is pretty small? What do you think? Like 3 iphone's long? 4 iphone's thick?

[CJ @ Sep 17th 2008 10:32PM]

Hey Jubei, guess what, HTC is running WM6.1. This means that a) The SDK has been out for several years, and b) The need of an app store is a moot point.

[Tom @ Sep 17th 2008 10:43PM]

@Jubei: "me too company?" Whatever, I've been using HTC pda phones way before iPhones (which I currently own as well) were announced. And the funny thing is that the original HTC touch was announced way before Apple decided to name their phoneless iPhone as iPod Touch, and now everyone thinks HTC is copying Apple. Ridiculous.

and console-like quality games? what consoles have you been playing =/ As much as I love my iPhone, I'd never make such a claim.

[Ysleiro @ Sep 17th 2008 10:38PM]

So Jubei. The Apple SDK is a stronger development center than the WinMo SDK?

[Glenn Tobey @ Sep 17th 2008 10:53PM]

@Jubei
1. HTC not me too
2. Windows Mobile SDK
3. You're a troll
4. Tethering
5. Unlocked (without hacking)
6. Real bluetooth
7. Flash
8. Micro SD Slot
9. Good Camera
Need more?

[alberto @ Sep 17th 2008 11:58PM]

@Jubel

I hope by now someone has educated you what SDK is right? I mean you know what it means...well just to drill it into that tiny little brain. SDK stands for software developement kit or devkit, also known as a native developer kit NDK for short. Call it rich SDK or iphone SDK it's the same thing.

Oh and it's not a program. It's consist of a collection of tools, files, debugging aids, utilities, sample code and supporting technical notes that help developers create software that runs on a particular OS or hardware. That can be for Windows, OSX, iphone, WinMobile, etc, etc. Every software and hardware manufacturer makes up an SDK. They are all different because no one makes the same thing. Get it.

Jubel you don;t deserve to even have a kool gadget like and iphone or even a computer no matter what OS it runs. Apple use to have the smart guys now we are getting these dumb yuppies.

Listen why so angry..I understand that other companies are coming out with cooler stuff. Embrace it don;t be dissing cool phones just because you are unhappy. To be honest I just spent 4 hours in a Best Buy today and debuted if I wanted to buy a iphone3G. I also spent that time in front a computer looking through all the apps in the app store. As well, looking through most of the WinMOBILE software. Ok, the app store is full of crap..I found very few apps am willing to buy. Now WinMobile has the same story...a lot of crap too. But they were some awesome apps that I would love to get. Plus, WM gives me ability to fully customize it my way given the right tools. iphone does not let me do that. Beside, my Mac is fully compatible to sync with WinMobile so I will not miss a thing.

SO Jubel, get a life. Cause this Mac guy wants this HtC phone. Shoot with all the hooting, hollering and defending of all the HTC products on Engadget for the past few weeks. Eric and Jennifer over at HTC should send me a free phone... any of them...the diamond, the pro, the dream...man I would be happy with a plain basic white touch. But am very excited.

Bring it on HTC, I can take it. I got to choose a phone sometime soon. Just slow down with the unveilings. A man can only absorb so much cool gadgets at a time.

[alberto @ Sep 18th 2008 12:28AM]

@ Jubel again

You mention that Apple develop the touch screen first. Here is another history lesson for you, the first touch screens where created in 1971 by Dr. Samuel Hurst. Elo TouchSystems acquired it not much later.

Recent history, Palm makes it's first touch screen phone named the Treo g in 2002, since then it's been developing better phones. Till now it decided to jump on the band wagon and make a full touch screen phone.

In late 2006, LG announces the LG Prada. The first "full screen" muti touch phone in history. In May 2007, the Prada comes to US. Six months later Apple announces their iphone.

So Jubel, Apple was not the first one to do anything. It did make the full screen touch screen popular along side of the LG Prada. What made the iphone a big seller. The prada was $800.00 vs iphone being $500.00.

This will do for now. Oh btw...all this is on the web.

[Zeus.:God @ Sep 18th 2008 1:40AM]

DAMN, JUBEI! You're just getting your ass handed to you EVERYWHERE today!

[loosely_coupled @ Sep 18th 2008 2:06AM]

@JohnTitor

"WTF, forget the app store, WinMo has more apps than Apple will ever have, "

When did quantity of applications become a measurement of a platform? 99% of the Windows Mobile apps I've downloaded in the past on my Treo 700W have been total trash. Windows Mobile 6.0 is a total joke. Although there is a lot of crap on the iPhone app store that you have to sort through, even this early in the release of the IPhone SDK, I'm using software of a quality and sophistication I didn't think I'd see for another 5-6 years before the iPhone came out. Although I will agree that Apple's developer NDA policy has been a bunch of nonsense, the mobile OSX platform SDK, libraries, and the Xcode/Interface Builder IDE is unparalleled in the marketplace, and I say that as a long time .NET developer with barely any OSX experience.

[Malweran @ Sep 18th 2008 4:57AM]

*feeds Jubei*
*gets angry eyes looking toward me*

OK SORRY!!! I won't feed the troll anymore!

*runs away*

[kev @ Sep 18th 2008 7:26AM]

Jubei is the classic example of a troll. He knows of an SDK, but he probably couldn't program anything worth shit for his life. But, it's fun throwing insults at an asshole who has nothing better to do, right? It's win-win (except we both lose time...)

[Purple Haze @ Sep 18th 2008 8:59AM]

Here's a working link with some pictures and a couple of sizeasy comparisons: http://www.modaco.com/content/pocket-pc-professional-news/272214/introducing-the-htc-touch-hd/

[Nick @ Sep 18th 2008 5:47PM]

Jubei, please shut up already. The iPhone isn't a bad device but you're giving it a bad name..

..

Actually you're making every Apple product look bad..

[GT Zero @ Oct 25th 2008 8:44PM]

Umm, just wondering, how is everyone taking 3 minuets out of their day to type 20 line comments going to help HTC or Apple with anything? If you really feel a problem with and SDK, then just download it and modify it to your own standards....i just would like to comment on the phone, but it seems i would stick out like a sore thumb if i even attempted to do that...but it tickles me how comments insulting jubei are the highest ranked.

[Hey Ya @ Sep 17th 2008 7:45PM]

I want this.

I can only dream that a CDMA/EVDO version will follow this one.

[ntlam @ Sep 17th 2008 8:39PM]

I want this. and hopefully this is dual bootable. ;-) WinMO and Android.

[thedesolate1 @ Sep 17th 2008 11:54PM]

How bout these things become like regular pc's where you can install any mobile OS you want?

[Christian Walters @ Sep 17th 2008 7:45PM]

Now THIS is the true iPhone killer that we all want and desire! Same size screen, better, unlocked from the get-go OS, sweet form factor AND BUTTONS.

If this doesnt do it, I dont know what will.

[huh @ Sep 17th 2008 7:50PM]

You can tell by the fact that there's an on-screen home "button," and a real physical home button, that it's going to be a real winner. Though I hear the new Symbian has three home buttons on screen at all times, and Motorola will have "infinite home buttons."

[fh @ Sep 17th 2008 7:50PM]

Correction: bigger screen but in the same formfactor.

[WhoMe @ Sep 17th 2008 7:50PM]

This actually won't do it. Unless the name starts with a lower case 'i' followed by an upper case second letter, and has an Apple logo on it somewhere.

Does it?

[Christian Walters @ Sep 17th 2008 7:57PM]

@WhoMe-WELL MET SIR! YOU HAVE MADE A FAIR BIT OF GOLD!

[konshuss @ Sep 17th 2008 8:01PM]

strictly speaking form-factor, the one on the right looks at home on an executive's desk... while he empties a new packet of altoids into that thing on the left.

[Martin @ Sep 17th 2008 8:04PM]

"In order not to break the line, the HTC Touch HD offers 4-sensitive buttons on the front…" so it seems they're not "real" buttons.

[le Chen @ Sep 17th 2008 7:47PM]

it's the iphone..long time no see
how are you doing~

[lorddshadow @ Sep 17th 2008 9:33PM]

long time no see? i guess you haven't been to engadget in a while.

[Jash Sayani @ Sep 18th 2008 3:37AM]

The iPhone still looks way better.

[ivanotter @ Sep 18th 2008 5:23PM]

@Lord...

the word is "sarcasm"

[MD2 @ Sep 17th 2008 7:47PM]

Wow... puts the iPhone's display to shame... gorgeous.

[computer.dude.28 @ Sep 17th 2008 8:16PM]

So true! Finally a cell phone screen to beat the iPhone's and no surprise HTC was the one to do it.
And now, thanks to Engadget's ever-changing comment system I can tell you're highest ranked from 30 paces and I can even read neutrall comments from sitting distance. Thank the Lord, troll comments still go to hell.