HTC Lancaster is a QWERTY slider with Android for AT&T

AT&T's been extraordinarily coy about its Android plans, right up through our interview with Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega back in February -- but rest assured, the carrier does plan to get in the game, and it might just beat a number of T-Mobile's planned launches to market. Meet the HTC Lancaster, which kinda looks like a Magic when closed -- but open, it takes on more of a traditional Touch Pro-ish form factor for a QWERTY slider than the G1 / Dream. It's got triband EDGE and 850 / 1900MHz HSPA, AGPS, a 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and a "unique HTC social messaging user interface" that we'd assume takes cues from that Hero stuff we've been seeing recently. It's lined up for a full six months of AT&T exclusivity and -- according to our materials, anyway -- has a target availability date of August 3, meaning we could see this pretty shortly. Unfortunately, there's a note here that "Initial Lab Entry dates were based on Google Mobile Services (GMS) UI, AT&T standard UI has been requested, which puts schedule in question." In other words, AT&T wants its fingerprints all over the interface, which risks pushing out the launch -- and that's a double whammy of suck. Follow the break for a larger shot of the phone!

[dcoaster @ May 24th 2009 5:22PM]

Why so many buttons on the front?

[letstakeawalk @ May 24th 2009 5:32PM]

That could be a Pocket PC-type complement of hot keys. They come in handy, especially if they're user-mappable.

[oldmanhorton @ May 24th 2009 5:34PM]

because Google requires them

[imacmatt09 @ May 24th 2009 5:55PM]

Is this engadget mobile or something? The past 7 articles are all about phones..

[Jonesy555 @ May 24th 2009 7:15PM]

You've got call, home, menu, back, and end just like the G1. Didn't know that was alot of buttons?

[kobioshi @ May 24th 2009 8:50PM]

because some of us like buttons.

[TheSuburbanWhiteBoy @ May 25th 2009 12:25AM]

yeah imacmatt09, it must be, there hasnt been a pointless wireless mouse article in a while

[TRS @ May 25th 2009 11:48AM]

Why so serious?

[ddub @ May 25th 2009 2:44PM]

because if they only put one their ears would start bleeding from all the annoying crying from people who have unhealthy iphone love affairs and feel the need to say everything is a copy of an apple i-something or other.

[Nastro @ May 24th 2009 5:22PM]

The resolution sucks.

[brotato @ May 24th 2009 5:27PM]

Agreed. I was considering selling my touch pro and getting that but then I saw the resolution. When will we get a android phone with a decent res.

[Level 5 @ May 24th 2009 5:30PM]

@brotato

I really feel like the Raphael will get a decent build of Android before we get a dedicated VGA Android device.. sad really. The Touch Pro isn't cuttin' it for me these days.

[oldmanhorton @ May 24th 2009 5:41PM]

im not getting a new phone until one comes out with WHUXGA...

[Theli @ May 24th 2009 5:45PM]

I'm not sure Android officially supports QVGA (320x240) yet. And seeing how similar this device is to the Magic in terms of form factor and design, it seems strange to me that they would use a different screen.

It may be an error.

[ANdrew @ May 24th 2009 8:45PM]

yes but this helps older phones with the same cpu hardware now gett a better scaled ui for android..im down.

[eddie @ May 24th 2009 5:24PM]

holy shitballs

[GBeatzRecrds @ May 24th 2009 5:25PM]

Another one!

[Totalfixation @ May 24th 2009 5:25PM]

Quad band edge but only list 3 bands?

[oldmanhorton @ May 24th 2009 5:36PM]

maybe theyre just assuming that there is no such thing as a modern non-KIRF phone that has less than 4 bands of EDGE

[Rudy @ May 24th 2009 5:26PM]

hopefully it will come out by the end of the summer. if it is as good as it seems right now, i might get this over the next iteration of the iphone.

[TareX @ May 25th 2009 3:14AM]

I don't think you read the specs.

[Epsilon-Not @ May 24th 2009 5:30PM]

I second the comments about the resolution- why bother with a slider and a large form factor if you're not going to give it a decent resolution for videos and such?

[damiaking @ May 24th 2009 5:31PM]

2.8 inch screen =fail and is that a chin i see come on HTC

[Chicago Pete @ May 24th 2009 7:36PM]

I've grown to like the chin on my G1. It allows me to put the phone down on a table face down, protecting the screen and facing the speaker up, where it can be heard at pretty low volumes.

[Information Central @ May 26th 2009 4:25AM]

Why do you need to protect the screen from simply being placed down? If it's not glass, the phone's a hopeless failure. The iPhone has a flat profile and glass screen, and after two years mine doesn't have a scratch on it.

The other question is whether this is another idiotic HTC phone with no headphone jack.

[B3astofthe3ast @ May 24th 2009 5:33PM]

Aw man, if the resolution wasn't so low this would be AWESOME. It should at least be the G1s resolution-why the step backward, HTC?

[Dorian @ May 24th 2009 6:27PM]

Agreed. I think it's more on AT&T than on HTC though. AT&T won't put anything up against their beloved iPhone; they wanted the phone to have inferior specs and HTC just delivered on their wishes.

[yungcotter @ May 24th 2009 5:39PM]

This phone isn't that big its about the same size as a psp screen

[oldmanhorton @ May 24th 2009 5:38PM]

Pros- well, i mean look at it, its hot; QWERTY, good sized Space bar (yay)
Cons- QVGA=bleh, supa-fat, has a chin (wtf HTC), and the trackball looks about the size of my eyeball

[Phoenix @ May 24th 2009 5:40PM]

looks like a round d-pad to me

[oldmanhorton @ May 24th 2009 5:42PM]

well to me that sounds worse

[trevor @ May 24th 2009 6:11PM]

hey i -appreciate- my chin. ive dropped my G1 numerous times and the screen came out flawless every time all cuz of that ominous growth on the bottom! i say chin for the win! or... something less cheesy....

[Dane @ May 24th 2009 6:04PM]

Why does every single Android device have the same form factor? Come on HTC....experiment a bit.

[jay jay @ May 24th 2009 6:20PM]

Don't worry other manufacturers are starting to make android devices (samsung, motorola, etc.) so we'll no longer have to put up with htc's shitty designs.

[LowTeckh @ May 24th 2009 6:21PM]

Next complaint - Why do all phones look alike!?

[Information Central @ May 26th 2009 4:32AM]

"Form factor"? I can see the use of "form", but what is "factor" adding here?

[PO.OP @ May 24th 2009 6:04PM]

AT&T branding? YES!!! it makes a device feel better than an unlocked one :)

[Connor @ May 24th 2009 6:18PM]

The thing that scares me the most is that it says nothing on here about a touch screen!

[soonerLM @ May 24th 2009 6:27PM]

Form Factor: Touch

[digitallysick @ May 24th 2009 6:25PM]

They should have got rid of the chin and made the whole slide out part a screen, higher res cam, and higher res screen. Also a headjack

[iDavey @ May 24th 2009 6:27PM]

HOLD ON...AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT NOTICED THAT IT SAYS TRI BAND...THAT CANT BE RIGHT!
AT&T USES 850 AND 900...FOR THIS PHONE TO BE TRI BAND, IT WONT WORK IN CITY CITIES. I KNOW FOR A FACT 850 DOESNT WORK IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY...

SOMETHING DONT SEEM RIGHT...

[AndrewNoNumbers @ May 24th 2009 7:49PM]

It could be an error and all, but triband doesn't always imply the same 3 bands. An American triband phone has different bands than a Euro triband.

[siluah @ May 24th 2009 8:10PM]

Really because my iPhone is on 850 in Lexington.

[bachviet @ May 25th 2009 1:49AM]

Those tri-bands should work since AT&T uses 850 and 1900. 900 is mainly used in Europe/Asia.

[Daryll Strauss @ May 24th 2009 6:31PM]

QVGA, if that's correct makes it a no-go.
It is a touch screen, right?
Where's the WiFi?
I'm looking forward to an AT&T Android phone to replace my curve. This is close, but not it.

[zim2411 @ May 24th 2009 6:32PM]

ugh, this seriously piqued my interest until I read "In other words, AT&T wants its fingerprints all over the interface"

no no no :(

I just want an Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard and 3G access that works on AT&T. (And no restrictions software wise)

[quillaja @ May 24th 2009 7:47PM]

Yea, i'll never understand why these stupid carriers have to fuck up a perfectly good phone with their stupid crapware and 'customizations'. It's such bullshi-t.

[tande @ May 24th 2009 6:34PM]

Cool I've been waiting for the Memphis to land somewhere. I just didn't think it would be AT&T.

One thing that has me a bit worried.

"AT&T standard UI has been requested"

[TareX @ May 24th 2009 7:12PM]

The ugly memphis makes its appearance. So:

1) Thick phone with Dead space a plenty upfront.
2) Small screen with the lowest possible resolution.
3) Comes with extra ugly

No thanks.

[iSuriv @ May 24th 2009 7:17PM]

This phone would be with Windows Mobile

dfde21a5

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/12/htcs-2009-haul-seemingly-leaked-packs-all-sorts-of-gorgeous/