HTC's Touch HD now available for �514.99

It's not apt to ever go on sale in America (okay, so maybe there's a sliver of a sliver of a chance), but HTC's Touch HD is now on sale for fortunate Britons with a fair amount of poundage to spare. The drop-dead gorgeous WinMo 6.1 handset can be procured right now for £514.99 ($821) sans contract, but if you're a North American mulling an import, you should obviously tack on a few more bills to that. You're still mulling, aren't you?

[Via MoDaCo]

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 1:02PM]

Lucky bastards.

[Rehehelly @ Nov 5th 2008 1:03PM]

Only if you're rich enough to afford one.

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 1:06PM]

True. But i would sell one of my Beaker nuts for that.

[Thizzle @ Nov 5th 2008 5:38PM]

like most expensive phones in the UK .... They're free if you buy them on contract, of which most people do as its cheaper to run. I just got the HTC touch diamond as soon as it came out... phone Free and for only for £24.50 a month from dialaphone with unlimited txts n mins.!!. scoreeee.!!!!

[dark @ Nov 6th 2008 12:25PM]

wtf 25 a month for a contract with unlimited speech AND txt ??? thats 40€
that is unfair- in Germany u gotta pay around 110€ for that!

[Justin @ Nov 5th 2008 10:56PM]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Alex @ Nov 5th 2008 1:07PM]

Anyone that spends $800 on a phone needs to be shot on sight.

[Juxterium @ Nov 5th 2008 1:08PM]

So all iPhone owners should be shot? Because that's about what the iPhone costs when you tag on the mandatory contract.

[Alex @ Nov 5th 2008 1:19PM]

Exactly my point. Shot on sight.

[sami @ Nov 5th 2008 1:23PM]

http://www.expansys.ae/p.aspx?i=173502 i pre ordered it last week for $692 last week its a about $700 now from expansys

[konshuss @ Nov 5th 2008 1:29PM]

a coworker preordered his. we're in canada... as the dollar has dipped, the price has gone up.. i think he's going to end up paying just over a grand for this. i still use an old SE with 20/month pay as you go. ha!

[Alex @ Nov 5th 2008 1:34PM]

Congratulations. You spent $500+ on a phone that does basically the same thing as the G1.

[Jack Storm @ Nov 5th 2008 1:53PM]

This is Engadget, a gadget site, where people live for technology. No matter the amount, money is spent right when going to good technology.

But yeah the HD looks amazing but i will stick to its little brother with a real keypad when it hits att as the fuze here in the states.

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 1:59PM]

@Jack Storm

+1 for your name and your money comment.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 5th 2008 2:18PM]

"Juxterium @ Nov 5th 2008 1:08PM

So all iPhone owners should be shot? Because that's about what the iPhone costs when you tag on the mandatory contract."

I am so over this argument. Because no matter what phone you buy you have to pay for service. You can't simply add the cost of the contract to the iPhone and compare it to the cost of other phones without adding the cost of service to all those other phones first. And it has to be a comparable level of service.

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 2:43PM]

@happy_penguin

Subsidy. Bold goes for $700 unlocked, but you can get it free with contract through letstalk or walmart or whatever.

So, you can in fact add the cost of the contract to the cost of the phone as a valid arguement. You dont have to sign a contract if you have an unlocked phone that is compatible with a particular carrier.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/22/atandt-says-sim-only-service-available-contract-free-2-year-plan/

[happy_penguin @ Nov 5th 2008 3:08PM]

And it's still going to cost you something for service from someone. What are you going to do, buy it for $800 and not get service? That's the only way you can convince me.

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 3:23PM]

The subsidy guarantees (to some extent) 1-3 years of service. Everyone pays the same price for service, but when you guarantee a carrier that you will pay them for 2 years of it, that is worth $. $ added to price of subsidized iphone = +/- $700.

$700 (full price unlocked bold) + $1500 (2 year contractish) = $2200

$000 (price of subsidized bold) + $1500 = ..... $1500

2200>1500

Am i completely missing your point? Or is it the other way around.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 5th 2008 3:48PM]

My point is this: When you add the subsidized price of the iPhone (or any phone) to the service cost of the contract and compare it to the non subsidized price of any phone you aren't comparing Apples to apples, you're comparing Apples to oranges. You have to take the non-subsidized price and add it to whatever service you want to use it with over the same period of time and then compare. You aren't going to buy a phone and not get service, are you? If your complaint is being locked in then I say fine, go ahead and complain. But you can't tell me that an iPhone is say, rough example, $300 + $70 * 24= $1,980 and a non subsidized phone is only $800, and not add in what you're going to pay for service.

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 4:05PM]

but i added in the price of service. please see my math equations above. I worked very hard on them.

the "value" of the handheld is the cost of the phone + the value of the subsidy. No one is arguing that you need service or not. I think you are completely missing the few hundred dollars of value you get from a subsidy.

You said
"Because no matter what phone you buy you have to pay for service." and i agree. makes perfect sense.

Then you said:
"You can't simply add the cost of the contract to the iPhone and compare it to the cost of other phones without adding the cost of service to all those other phones first."

The fact of the matter is that you /can/ add the cost of the contract to the value of the phone brand new. The contract = the value of the subsidy (in one way or another) to the carrier.

If you dont sign the contract, you dont get the phone cheap (cheap as in $2-300). Contract = value.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 5th 2008 4:17PM]

You can add in the cost of the contract to the cost of the phone as long as you compare it by adding in the cost of comparable service for the same amount of time to whatever phone you want. Apples = apples.

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 4:20PM]

"You have to take the non-subsidized price and add it to whatever service you want to use it with over the same period of time and then compare. You aren't going to buy a phone and not get service, are you?"

Ok, stop with the no-service BS, thats getting old! Of Course we are getting service that is not the argument here.

the value of the contract is NOT the $1500 or whatever. the $1500 is NOT being added to the value phone. the contract value that /is/ being added to the phone is the 2 year commitment. 2 yr commitment is worth $2-3-500 to some carriers.

When he said this
"So all iPhone owners should be shot? Because that's about what the iPhone costs when you tag on the mandatory contract."

the "mandatory contract" is NOT the price of every month added together for a grand total of whatever. he is referring to the value of the 2 year commitment to ATT. The price that they pay apple, to make the phone cheaper.

When you said
" You have to take the non-subsidized price and add it to whatever service you want to use it with over the same period of time and then compare."

You two said the EXACT SAME THING just worded differently.

And im spent.

[iSmoke,therefore emit death by breathing @ Nov 5th 2008 4:50PM]

lol

[htd @ Nov 5th 2008 1:08PM]

ouch, that price hurts...

[Valicore @ Nov 5th 2008 1:12PM]

Holy shit. 515 pounds? that could end up costing you a 1000usd if the exchange rate gets any more unfavorable. I love phones, but not that much.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 5th 2008 2:50PM]

I started using steroids in order to handle all 515 pounds of it. Upgraded my jean pockets too.

[mickliq @ Nov 5th 2008 1:15PM]

You won't pay the VAT if you're outside the UK, although you will pay shipping.

[Josh @ Nov 5th 2008 1:19PM]

das kostet viel zu viel.

[Valicore @ Nov 5th 2008 1:25PM]

Ja, VIEL zu viel. Yeah, WAY too much.

[sami ali @ Nov 5th 2008 1:23PM]

http://www.expansys.ae/p.aspx?i=175640 its only abutt $740 with blutooth headset + stuff. it was even cheaper last week

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 1:23PM]

Interesting, $799 on the US site.

http://www.expansys-usa.com/d.aspx?i=173482

At least they are forthcoming with the 3g band specs.

[Khattab @ Nov 5th 2008 1:23PM]

It's already available in Germany, too, for around 550-650 Euros.

[Jakob @ Nov 5th 2008 3:59PM]

Scandinavia prices:
4699 kr (Denmark) - £510
6299 kr (Sweden) - £510
5630 kr (Norway) - £526
€629,99 (Finland) - £511

This is history, we are cheaper than UK! :)

[MMaster23 @ Nov 5th 2008 1:25PM]

It's 550 euro here in the NL including shipping and VAT.
Simlock free, without contract.

I compared one today with my iPhone. Pretty cool device.
If you dislike an iPhone, this is the device to get. The Pro if you're a QWERTY kinda guy/gal

[rock99rock @ Nov 5th 2008 2:01PM]

There's gals on here? (adjusts bow tie)

[TareX @ Nov 5th 2008 1:27PM]

Crazy resolution and Excellent video playback
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo7I6K8U7L4

Hopefully my G2 concept will become a reality and achieve this with a tilted screen as well...
http://www.talkandroid.com/android-forums/android-hardware/341-t-mobile-g2-phone.html

[chefgon_ign @ Nov 5th 2008 2:04PM]

Wow, a slightly larger screen on an otherwise identical body. Dream big.

[TareX @ Nov 5th 2008 2:10PM]

Not not really. You're either blind or illiterate.

[Fundi @ Nov 5th 2008 3:37PM]

If you going to design a concept at least make it better looking.

[TareX @ Nov 5th 2008 3:41PM]

It has to be realistic.

The iPhone 3G looks almost identical to the original iPhone. The Tytn looks "similar" to the Tytn II.

This concept is about how much better the G1 could have been with a smaller, flat, chin, a bigger screen that fills all the dead space on the front of the G1.

Here's what I had in mind hardware-wise:

Hardware additions:

1) Tilting screen (a must for watching movies, live TV ...etc and a big upperhand over the iPhone as well)
2) Subtle front camera on the edge of the speaker. (like the X1's cam, for waving hand gesture control apps [to compete with WM7], and video chats)
3) 3.5 headphone jack
4) TV out (and/or HDMI port)

Hardware Improvements:

1) Screen resolution 800×480 or 800x600 (no quality drop with DVDrips)
2) A bigger, flush widescreen that fills the sliding part front (dead space makes the G1 appear to be ugly)
3) Ultra low-power Tegra-like processor (GPU+CPU) capable of seemlessly handling Open GL ES 2.0 gfx effects, transitions, and lengthy HD playback e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0U_Zzcwc10
4) More inward travel with keyboard key strokes
5) More responsive/sensitive compass
6) Smaller, less protruding "chin" piece with no angle transition (flat phone, please)... Keep the basic "Google geek look" of the G1 (with the aforementioned adjustments as in the concept images), or do an overhaul design with overall BETTER AESTHETICS.
7) 5MP camera with flash
8) OLED screen (OLED displays appear brighter and sharper than LCDs, even when viewed at an angle. They are viewable in sunlight. And as a side benefit of ditching the LCD backlight, OLEDs are battery thrifty. OLED screens refresh faster, so they're better at displaying video.)

As you can see, compared to what the iPhone went through over the duration of a year, this is huge.

[allerune @ Nov 5th 2008 1:32PM]

THEY MUST BE JOKING!!!!
£54.37 for delivery to Ireland

I was going to get one but this is a f.....ing ripoff.

(I ordered 1.5 kg lens and paid 8Ł)

[Eldiablo @ Nov 5th 2008 1:33PM]

Ohh, if only it was bonus time. Instead, I'm waiting till T-Mobile get it (I understand Orange have it first?) so that I can 'spread the payment'.

[MikeWard1701 @ Nov 7th 2008 10:53PM]

There are retailers like eXpansys that will sell you one subsidised with a contract.

http://www.expansys.com

[James Barsby @ Nov 5th 2008 1:43PM]

Does anyone really need this? At one fifth of the price the LG KP500 is the way to go for full touchscreen :0)

[McLovin @ Nov 5th 2008 2:31PM]

You're a ding-dong

[KilgoreTrout @ Nov 5th 2008 1:44PM]

Don't forget that very soon carriers will start to offer it with rebates to their customers.
When the Samsung Omnia came out here it costed over 500 euros (unlocked) but 2 weeks later you could get one on contract for 220, and remember that our contracts are binding only for a maximum of 6 months, after that the carriers are obliged to unlock your phone.
The HTC diamond too unlocked costed (and still costs) over 500 euros, but you can get one for about 150 euros if you accept to use at least 30 euros a month for 6 months for voice/sms/data etc, which most people would use in any case , even if they were to buy their telephone unlocked.
Until next april I'm obliged to keep my Omnia (lovely phone anyway) but before the spring's bloom I would surely get one of these boys in my pocket.

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Nov 5th 2008 1:48PM]

Wife now available for £514.99

[tpadekar @ Nov 5th 2008 3:09PM]

I'm not gonna plug in my headphones in your phone's 3.5mm jack!

[Tobi @ Nov 5th 2008 1:50PM]

It's £498.19 from http://www.superetrader.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=3659

[Hellaphunt @ Nov 5th 2008 1:54PM]

So beautiful...