HTC's G2 "Sapphire 2.0" caught slumming in the wilds
By Thomas Ricker 
posted January 21st 2009 8:36AM
posted January 21st 2009 8:36AM
Well, well, lookie here... HTC's G2 followup to the original Android phone getting a good man-handling in the wild. Expected in May, the images were leaked without specs or any real details. Still, it's clearly the G2 / Sapphire 2.0 handset with 3.2 megapixel camera leaked just a few weeks back along-side the rest of HTC's 2009 models. Hey, you didn't need that physical keyboard anyway, right?
[Via Engadget Chinese]
[Via Engadget Chinese]
I still would like to have a sliding keyboard. There are going to be times when the touch screen is just going to be a pain in the @$$. I do think that this one is uglier than the G1.
For yall with the environment in mind, their are plastics that use less oil and are safer than others..
Am I the only one that sees absolutely no good in having those 5 keys below the screen? Just make the screen bigger, and have those be constant "buttons" on the screen.
Overall, I don't think the phone's too terrible looking. I don't understand all the posts stating "IT'S PLASTIC!!! ZOMG!!wtfbbq"
EVEN THE BACK OF THE ORIGINAL iPHONE was made completely of plastic: http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/17/laser-etching-the-iphone/
Given this, there's even LESS of a reason that companies should use such ugly colors, textures, and finishes/glosses for their phones.
iPhone 1's "aluminum colored plastic" is plenty sexy for me.
oh yeah, why can't HTC make any good devices w/ Android? Seriously, how hard is it to mimic the design of the iPhone. Give me ALL screen (like on the iPhone, but without the black border at the top and bottom...4.5 inches please), and one, two, three, maybe four hard buttons along the VERY bottom of the screen. And make it thin. Rinse, repeat. I won't buy an Android phone (or any other phone, for that matter) until it comes in this form factor.
Sincerely,
A fairly satisfied iPhone 3g owner. =P
That said, I can understand that physical keyboards are the preference for some, and that is fine, too. :-)
I find the iPhone's major limitation to be the laggy UI and keyboard, however, and not the fact that there are simply no buttons for me to push.
WHY can't they release an update to make the SMS app load take less than ~7 seconds?! WHYYY!
"Give me ALL screen (like on the iPhone, but without the black border at the top and bottom...4.5 inches please),"
Aside from the contridiction.
Why would you want HTC to mimic the iPhone when there's already the iPhone (which you seem sufficiently enamored with)?
Perhaps you're hoping for a Apple Android device?
Sadly HTC thinks it's best to have a chin that gets in the way of typing, so you can have a bigger looking phone? Designers spend a lot time shaving off unneeded material or weight from their devices, and yet the chin remains :(
The chin does not get in the way of typing and it serves the purpose of letting you set the phone down face first without scratching your screen or mashing the trackball up into the device. Its a nice design touch.
maybe I'm missing something, but seems like the point of Android was not to tie it to one (fugly) phone and have it ported to all types of makes and models. Hope they release android on more than plastic banana phones. please, please, HTC no more of these phones
Yes that's correct MobileGeek, and I believe it will be available to more handsets from different manufacturers. This is just HTC's offering.
uh, am i the only one that thinks that looks worse? that whole curvy lip on the edges looks terrible. give me back my keyboard. i'll keep my g1, thanks.
yes you're the only 1.. besides all the posters above and below you
And still no 3.5 mm jack probably.
This doesn't look much better than the G2, but now it doesn't have a keyboard - this is an improvement how?
NOOOOOOO
now it's just an iphone with android.
seriously, do these designers think
"physical keyboards are too useful, people like them. GONE"
Why HTC? Why have you forsaken us?
Much uglier than the G1, which actually shares a lot of its rounded corners straight edges design with google's sites, it's a shame they broke the continuity, the original wasn't ugly, rather just understated, its not designed to stand out too much, and it has a clean design to it. This is just too curvy.
Well, at least the back side looks good.
Shame on you HTC...shame on you
Is there a rule written in the Android licensing that states that the device must be ugly as sin?
My response still remains the same, "The ugly, gets uglier."
Come on HTC, can't you design something like the HTC Touch Pro !!!
I just want to know...
A) If that touch-screen is capacitative or resistive
B) If there is a 3.5mm jack
C) What combination of stupidity and psychoactive drugs led them to get rid of the keyboard
I wouldn't call it "much" uglier than the G1. I'm just dissappointed that HTC did almost nothing to evolve the design. This phone is designed as though there was unanimous praise for the G1's appearance; there wasn't. It looks like the HTC designers ignored most of the criticism and said, "Hmmm...since everyone loves our Dream phone, why don't we just stick with that overall look?"
Specifically, I think the button layout on the face is inefficient given the amount of space below the screen. In the previously leaked photos, it also looked awfully thick for a phone with no keyboard. Lastly, that trackball or nub below the screen is sort of garish.
I hope this was an early mock-up and has since been refined.
Only the back of this phone is nice, imo the front of G1 is still even prettier than this.
The problem is that people buy these phones because they are running Android, causing HTC to believe that people like their design. What we need is a well designed Android-based phone from a different company to completely outsell the "G" line. I believe that's the only way they'll learn.
A number of theories for the design of this phone:
1. HTC or T-Mobile didn't want this phone to cannibalize their Windows Mobile phone sales, so they came up with a completely oddball design for it.
2. The designer has a terminal illness and no one at the company wants to hurt his feelings.
3. T-Mobile's CEO's daughter likes the design.
4. Spite.
5. Someone had a misguided wish to design something "unique".
YESS. The bozos at HTC didn't bother do any internet market research. They figured the high sales numbers the G1 achieved is a sign the phone design was a success. So we're probably just talking to ourselves here.
Looks like I see a soft keyboard button under the screen... Second on the left :P
@Jorvay: Totally agree; finally someone who knows what they're talking about.
I would like to see someone try putting all those hardware buttons on the sides of the phone and centering the screen. As phones are designed with larger screens, it places the buttons further down on the face. It gets fumbly to slide the whole device up in your hand or reach all the way down with the thumb to press them.
And I'd also like to see it made out of figgy pudding.
Who the hell approves these designs? He needs to be fired. Android seems to be limited by horrible hardware.
Effing horrible. Good work HTC/T-mobile. God awful design number 2. Ugh.
I miss the week after which it was rumored that the G2 might just be the Touch HD with Android and before HTC's 2009 lineup was leaked. That was a happy week.
Blech!
Oops sorry guys I just threw up a little in my mouth.
WHAT IS HTC THINKING? Do they actually pay their designers to think nightmare+phone= G2 and G1?! Both android phones are full ugly plasticy play toys. And a large chin, on a touchscreen phone? Really? Ughh, people obviously like the design of the i
phone and palm pre more than the G1, so why bother adding on to it's ugliness?!
Ugly
Why does everybody think this is ugly? I'm comparing this side-by-side with a picture of the Touch HD, and it looks pretty much exactly like a Touch HD with a trackball, just like everybody wanted a couple weeks ago.
Maybe white isn't the most flattering color for the design, but the lines and curves are almost exactly the same, just with more space on the bottom to accomodate the trackball.
That device is supposed to be cutting-edge technology, yet they managed to make the thing look terribly dated...
It looks like a futuristic concept phone design from the 80's.
that looks awful... then again you see i love my g1....and the keyboard is one of the reasons why.
it's like HTC's Android handsets designers are all stuck the 80's - maybe they all use ZX Spectrums (with the tape drive that made those funky modem noises when loading 'Meteor'....for 30 mins!) to design the thing. A kind of special office, Life on Mars style, for the Android department.
Meanwhile the real HTC department produces a stunning handset in the Touch HD, releases it on the most behind-with-the-times UK network...then offers it up with horrible Orange firmware with the WM OS.
It's all a horrible joke on the consumer! Sort it out HTC, please!
what people don't seem to get is that this is supposed to sit alongside the G1 in the active product lineup, NOT replace it. They have different target audiences. I have a G1 and wouldn't trade it for this, but I know a lot of people who would die for a thinner G1 without a keyboard. I think its a good play on HTC's part.
>.< i don't get the button on the bottom...its in the most random spot ever...
It's the Home button.