HTC Touch Pro2 calls dibs on 3.5mm audio jack for Telus and Verizon
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jul 17th 2009 4:57AM
posted Jul 17th 2009 4:57AM
[Via WMExperts, thanks Guill M.]
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Verizon actually made an improvement to a smartphone? O.o
Bricks were shat.
Yes surprisingly they have been on a roll with their HTC phones. Their version of the Snap came out at $50usd vs $100 something for the Sprint and T-Mobile version. And vs the Sprint version it has wifi and is world phone capable. I hope this good roll continues.
Yes but when on the phone with them about it yesterday they staff bounced me all over and still nobody knew shat about it!
Don't get too happy, for all we know they took half the ram out, crippled the bluetooth, and disabled GPS.
good decision, having an adapter sounds like a huge hassle.
That is cool, I wonder if the European version will get an upgrade as well...
Doubt it, since it's already out.
Shame too, it's about the only thing keeping me from buying one :/
I think Sarig's right, if it's already out I can't see them releasing an HTC Touch Pro2-2. It's not the only thing stopping me buying - Vodafones plans are the main thing - but it is in the negative column. But hey what do i know, I'm still using an HTC Exec and really just want one with a 4" 800*640 screen.
TouchPro2.5
@Phoenix, aren't you glad they didn't release it and then come out with a literal TP2.5 in 6 months. I can't wait for the Sprint Version man!
I'm guessing this was a decision by HTC, not Verizon or Telus. HTC has been getting a lot of heat in the WinMo press about sticking to their proprietary ExtUSB and probably realized that they had enough room to put a 3.5mm jack in the CDMA version of the Pro2.
You know, I thought so too when I got my touch pro, but I use the headphone/headset that came with it so that not only can I lisen to music (they really are decent headphones) but I can hear the phone ring and answer it without removing my earbuds. It really is a nice solution.
I also have a wire adapter that I use to plug into the car stereo, but it's not that bad.
All cell phones only need SCSI ports and break out box adaptors!
HTC: A+
Well done HTC, this is going on the fridge...
Yeah, it actually makes the company look as if... they care. Really odd vibes im getting from them right now.
Well, if sprint gets the 3.5 jack, i'll have to rethink my decision to not upgrade.
At last, a victory for common sense!
The more I think about it the more I believe that HTC could become the new Daddy of the mobile phone world.
It already is as far as Im concerned.
As for me personally, Im waiting for the HTC Superstar, the first Tegra based phone (purportedly due this year), my Touch Pro 1 will have to do until then.
I dunno, they're still pretty ancient when it comes to processor and graphics driver support. Samsung on the other hand coming like a bat out of hell.
Chan,
That is all set to change later this year when they release the HTC SuperStar, the first Tegra based phone in the world.
Ruh Roh.. please tell me the Sprint version is going to have one too!!!
Sprint will get an earful if they don't... cross out one less con from the TP2 when compared to Omnia
Now all we need is a flagship Android device, complete with Tegra/snapdragon, keyboard, and of course, 3.5 mm.
I absolutely love my G1 and all, but bring on the G2 HTC!!!!!
And actually give it a decent sized battery(1400mAh+?) and make it as slim as possible for a keyboard phone...
That would be the best phone ever.
Tegra doesn't work on Android and isn't going to for the foreseeable future.
@ jakem:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/16/nvidias-tegra-jumps-on-the-android-bandwagon/
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/17/nvidias-tegra-in-the-flesh-booting-to-android-and-pumping-out/
To the contrary, I see a bright future for tegra+android....
Where is the TP2 for Sprint already? Bring it!
If the 3.5mm version of the TP2 is the reason for the delay... I'd say it will be worth it as long as its before the holiday season.
If Verizon is getting the 3.5mm jack you can almost bet the house that Sprint will as well. If this is the reason for the Delay I'm fine with it. I just hope they keep the Cool battery cover. ;)
I get a new phone every year.
But i keep saying this will be my last phone.
TP2 better have 3.5mm.
COME ON SPRINT!
I would pay big money if someone could pull off this mod to my G1.
Man this is going to make me feel horrible about the AT&T version (which I will be getting) because it probably won't have the 3.5mm since it is nearly identical to the GSM version already shipping without the 3.5mm.
ATT will alter the keyboard though.
I sure hope Sprint is on board as well to save me some trouble, because using a branded phone on a different carrier can be done--just asks the guys at ppcgeeks and xda-developers
So unfair, I received my Pro 2 earlier this week and now I'm so envious of those getting this new version with 3.5mm
How do you ship a smart phone without a 3.5mm jack? I like the new Android stuff, but that should be standard.
Verizon Touch Pro 2? Eew, no thanks. Knowing Verizon's track record, they'll neuter the available RAM and do other nasty things to the hardware. I wonder if the Sprint version will be the same spec in terms of this input? I"m sick of using a dumbass adaptor on my Touch Pro whenever I want to use external audio sources (read: headphones, for one)
You're right, they will drop the stock RAM and put their watered down version of Windows Mobile on it, just like they did with the Touch Pro compared to Sprint's Fuze. This is why I bought the Fuze on eBay, ported it over to Verizon, and put a custom ROM on it (thanks to the many tutorials on ppcgeeks). I will most likely do the same thing again with the Touch Pro 2. You wouldn't believe the difference in speed and functionality with a custom ROM.
Rumor is they are not going to mess with the specs that way... I think they learned their lesson with messing with the Diamond and Touch Pro 1. Time will tell.
I really hope Verizon has learned their lesson about gimping phones. From what I've seen online about the Touch Pro 2, it is one hell of a smartphone. If it has less RAM than was originally intended, it's going to be slow as hell with all the features it has. If they gimp the Touch Pro 2, you can bet they will do the same to everything else, just like they have done in the past. If not, they probably have learned and will never do it again. (Could you imagine what a gimped Palm Pre on Verizon would be like? *vomit*)
JStro,
Did you say that wrong? Because what you said is impossible. The Fuze is an AT&T phone which runs on GSM. Verizon is CDMA. The phones are incompatible. Did you get the sprint version and port it? That would make sense.
Big Red might've retained me with this a year ago, but now I demand something with an App system. Worse, they've stated that won't be included on any phones they might p/u with such OSs. Can I get a show of hands for who really thinks they're going to release a relevant Android phone by this Fall?
Is one Android phone by Big Red this fall really asking to much? If I had to guess one way or the other, I would say they would put out a Android phone by the end of the year.
The Touch Pro 2 has an app system(or will have, depending on launch dates), as do/will all WinMo phones, going forward. Have you not heard of the Windows Marketplace?
http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=windows+marketplace&invocationType=wl-gadget&searchsubmit=
I only want an 'app ecosystem' if the device lets me get apps from someplace outside that ecosystem as well, without having to play 're-hack' every time there's a firmware update.
As a former owner of two tilts and now a touch pro, I applaud the fact that they finally "get it" but would it kill them to put the audio port on the top or side of the phone?
I understand the reasoning behind wanting the headphone jack on the top of the phone so it's more convenient for listening with the phone in a pocket, but with Bluetooth A2DP support and a pair of Buetooth stereo headphones it is no longer much of an issue. Sure, they cost more than wired headphones and don't get as good of a sound(relatively) but the issue at hand is convenience. If you don't care about cost and you're not an audiophile, Bluetooth headphones are much less of a hassle than running a cord from your head to your pocket.
I agree that adding the 3.5mm jack is a step in the right direction, but cut them some slack on the placement. I'm sure there's an engineering reason for it.
Agreed 100%! To be honest two ports together look a little ugly. Their best phone to date in terms of design till date is the Touch HD. Why cant they just continue doing what they did with that!
Of Topic.. Is HTC providing graphics drivers on this to improve performance or are they going the Touch HD road where it doesnt utilize the graphics card due to driver issues?
Bluetooth earbuds are also bulkier, have to be charged, and have a relatively low maximum volume. When I am on the train they often are drowned out. No phone should come without a 3.5mm jack.
Except most bluetooth headphones are pretty uncomfortable and not ideal for doing anything remotely active. (I've heard stories of "jogging". Not sure what the hell it is though"
From what I've read from owners, the touch pro 2 and and diamond 2's hardware has a really hard time processing high quality bluetooth and playing video. (The phones struggle with VGA video as it is) Not to mention the BT lag that causes the audio and video to be out of sync.
I dunno, doesn't it make more sense to put the jack at the bottom? I put all my phones in my pocket upside down so when I reach in and pull it out, I'm holding it in the right position.
It's like the side slide out keyboard I guess. Some like it to flip out to the left, some to the right.
whew, almost had to switch from 5 years of HTC. Make ths sprint tp2 3.5mm or else
SOOOO When is verizon suppose to be getting this phone? I heard the end of July but that was months ago...
Any news?
I dunno about Verizon...but Sprint was rumored to Release theirs on August 15th. Which is 2 weeks after the Tour Is Available in All Sprint Stores.
Now that I know Verizon is getting a Touch Pro 2 with a 3.5mm headphone jack, I can add it to my list of potential purchases for when my New Every Two discount is available this Valentine's Day. So far, I'm thinking about the Blackberry Tour, HTC Touch Pro 2, or Palm Pre. Anyone want to give me their two cents about what I should get?
If you want Winmo and don't need a hardware keyboard, I'd definitely look at the Samsung Omnia II. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10264584-1.html
My 15 months are up! I can sign another two years.
(Sprint premier program)
I am just waiting!
I have played with the palm pre. Its ok!
Not what i am looking for though.
The Omnia 2 looks awesome but i am not switching to Verizon. And Sprint has a problem with custom sim cards
I do want a physical QWERTY, which is the only reason I'm not looking at the Omnia 2. This will be my first smartphone, so I currently have not decided on an OS. The phone I have now is an LG Voyager(VX10000) and I am sick of it. The touch screen is terrible, it's slow as hell, Verizon's music app sucks, the send/clear/end buttons have now started registering single presses as double presses at random, and it freezes or reboots itself at random as well. Not only am I tired of this phone in particular but I am tired of dumbphones in general. I want apps and a better web browsing experience. I don't care about email. What I use most besides calling is texting, IMing, web browsing, music, and maybe some social networking.GPS with Google Maps would be nice, but I've survived without it so far.
I'm probably missing something, but what I don't get about the 3.5mm mania is...where do you put the mic?
The USB -> 3.5mm adapter for my current HTC phone gives me a mic for headset purposes, then I can plug my nice regular headphones into it. If I get a phone with a 3.5mm port and plug my nice 3.5mm headphones into it, how do I talk to someone if they call me while I'm listening to music? I have to drag the phone out of my pocket and talk into the phone's mic? :\
Uh you get headphones (3.5mm) with an inline mic, like the ones that ship with the phone, and like the iPhone... Normal headphones with built in mics are everywhere....
You don't have to have a USB port for a mic. I can't vouch for the quality, but the iPhone 3G, Blackberry Storm/Bold/Tour, and Palm Pre work just fine with a 3.5 mm jack.
Verizon people at the customer service center had no idea what I was talking about. LAME!!!!
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Nice i hope the sprint version has this too
dammit! right after I switch over to AT&T for a good phone, I find out Verizon is finally getting a non-crippled phone!
Ah well, they're screw it up somehow.
Of course they will cripple the phone! Don't let the 3.5mm headphone jack confuse you. I'm sure that Verizon will reduce the ram from 288 to 128 or something like that. They might even take the WI-Fi out... just to mess with us.
and then of course there probably won't be a Verizon Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade because they want to make their own crappy overpriced software store for their phones and don't want Marketplace.
This is what I have been hoping for ever since the TP2 got announced. Now that it is here, I feel like it is just a kick to the face since I'm going to get the T-mobile TP2.
Congratulations HTC, you implemented a feature that the iPhone has for years.
congrats iphone users, you finally got mms (kinda) which other phones have had for years.
good start. now add:
1. android
2. flash camera
and you've got something i'd pay money for.
Oh yes! Give all my information to Google! They're already found a way to throw ads into calls with their new great Google Voice service... they'll adword everything you do and serve up ads for you and their partners - yeah!!
wo0t, i got the cred for the story. thx engadget.
I like my Touch Pro a lot and carry the USB->3.5mm audio adapter with me everywhere but I think I've only ever used it once or twice. The battery life sucks so much that I just listen to podcasts on my iPod Touch. I have a charger in my car, at work and at home, I plug my Touch Pro in whenever I can and I still run out of battery sometimes after about 6hrs of in-and-out of the pocket use with only cellular and bluetooth radios running. Markedly better battery life would the really impressive thing they could put on the TP2.
the sprint tp2 does have a 3.5 jack, look at the pictures http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f319/dan257/htc_touch_pro_2_back_closed.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f319/dan257/TP22.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f319/dan257/tp2.jpg