Sprint HTC Touch Pro2 shows up sporting a 3.5mm headphone jack
By Nilay Patel 
posted Aug 9th 2009 9:08PM
posted Aug 9th 2009 9:08PM
[Thanks, Kenny]
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SWEEEEEEEEET. I really didnt want to get the vzw TP2. This now confirms it.
Now here's the real question: Pre or TP2?
Ya, that's a hard decision. I have the Pre now after using winmo for years and am tempted to get this. Winmo feels a bit dated though after using the Pre but this phone is so sexy. Might just have to get both.
I have to say, that for my first smart phone, I'm loving the Pre. After cycling the battery a couple of times, and getting used to the interface, I'm real happy I went with it instead of the Blackberry Tour. Now if it only had better vibrate function so I can actual know when I get a text...
Yeah and the TP2 has an awesome battery life.
OMG!!!!!
Wondering when AT&T will get it?
TP2 FTW!!
I really don't like WinMo, so I'd go Pre. Impressive hardware and really nice software. I'll give WinMo another shot when they get 7 out, or maybe even 6.5 if it's a good enough revision, however, I doubt it is going to be much more than Microsoft's reskin of WM6.
Slow news day?
you don't know htc much do you? this is huge news.
Oh trust me, I KNOW about HTC. Its just that it has been reported already that TP2 has 3.5mm jack.
Now if only I wanted one
@Sneakz It has been confirmed that the Verizon TP2 will have a 3.5mm jack, but I have not seen any rock SOLID evidence that the Sprint version will. Its always good to have official confirmation =)
Isn't it kind of bewildering that a 3.5mm jack is considered an "upgrade" these days? :)
Seems superfluous to me.
When USB can handle everything just fine, it's a shame that we need multiple connectors on a single device.
I agree. My dumphone (Dare) has one. And most smartphones today don't?
Name me 3 amazing noise-cancelling USB earphones.
ipodrulz
It's a catch-22.
The reason there aren't any "amazing noise-cancelling USB earphones", is because most manufacturers of media devices throughout the last several decades have made the 3.5mm jack a standard on all of their devices.
USB is still a relatively new thing, especially mini and micro USB.
In other words, if you make it, then will come.
We need to move on to a new standard, and I for one am glad that micro USB is being adopted at least for chargers, and hopefully it will catch on more categorically than that even.
Mini usb falls out too easy to be used for headphones in my experience. Plus you cant charge the phone and use headphones without a separate headphone jack.
Yah because the minute I leave my USB to 3.5mm headphone cable in the car and jump into a friends car is the minute I'm going to need the adapter. Sorry but USB right now is starting to become the standard for power on phones. They are NOWHERE near standard for audio. As such give me my audio jack.
I would prefer the power port is not shared with the audio port.
An example: I occasionally use my TP in my car with the included HTC dongle. Plugging in my AUX in to the port along with a USB plug to charge it introduces engine noise. Why? The power line is right next to the audio line.
This does not happen with phones that have independent audio jacks.
Hell, I don't use my TP for music mainly because I have to plug in a dongle to use my headphones. That, and the TP is the worst audio player ever created (not because of sound quality, but because having music playing actually causes the phone to run slower, and the last thing I need is a reduction of speed).
Ruben
1. Don't use WMP for WinMo. It has a known memory leak, and is infamous for causing slowdowns.
2. Use the built in TF3D music player if you're using TF3D, it's better than WMP .... or
3. Better yet, use Nitrogen (Media Player), it's the most intuitive, easiest to use, and least resource consuming MP i've used yet on my WinMo phones. You can get it for free from XDA-Developers.
Ruben,
You should use TP for your bunghole instead of music.
This story is like saying Honda Fit, now with Air Conditioning... It's true that previous models didn't have it, but why would we get all excited and abuzz about them finally joining the 1980's with a 3.5mm headphone jack!?
HTC should be ashamed of pulling this USB audio crap! I refuse to excited about them coming to their senses. My current HTC product will be my last.
Damn HTC for not throwing this on at first. Too bad the Tmo version won't have it.
Back when people were complaining about the int'l version not having one I didn't care much. It's already regularly described as a brick by most reviewers (morons), I'm sure they were sensitive about cramming as much into a small space as possible. But now with these CDMA phones getting it, I'm a little annoyed.
I was planning on getting the TMobile version, but I might wait and see whether the ATT version, should it ever come out, has a 3.5mm jack. It would make life a little more convenient.
shut up.
For the sake of the iFans, lets not turn this into a discussion about what the iPhone had or did not have on day one..
iPhone still doesn't support multitask. Post fail.
Ewwww! They ruined the back with those holes!
i was just about to comment on that. it looks hideous now
Are you smoking rocks? It's two tiny holes in the side, both of which improve the function of the phone. Even on the original TP, the micro USB slot at the bottom looks fine. It's not as though there are many ways to design standard inputs...
@Bakari
Tee hee...he said back, you thought he said bottom. You got all mad. It was funny.
Yeah, the back has that badass speakerphone in it, so it needed some holes to let out sound. Why they went with a flame look for a business oriented phone is beyond me. I'll have to see it in the flesh (or plastic) before I judge.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s218/cryptosopidium/bladechanger.gif
Thats the first thing I thought of when I saw it.
lol, It looks like It has chicken pox. lol.
I thought it was an improvement. Looks more funky this way. Must be just me though.
The back of this is even uglier than the Verizon version...
Damnit man, why does no one ever take pictures of the "About" screen under settings? I could give a rats ass about a headphone jack...I just wanna know what build number of WinMo this is running!
It's 6.1. But as soon as you get it go on over to the XDA forums and grab WM6.5. :)
hey you can always get the latest from XDA
great minds think alike
Oh I know its 6.1, but I still want to see the OEM build numbers...ive been runnin 6.5 on my Shadow and my Wing for like a month now so its already behind the times strait out the box.
Loving the back cover! I came!
No tab or ctrl key???? Am I missing something?
PLEASE put one on the AT&T Tilt 2/Whatever the heck it's called.
There are few things more annoying than being unable to listen to music while my phone is charging.
And there are obese adapters that allow it, but I'm not carting around a massive cable just to make up for the lack of jack.
anyone else hate the extUSB jack?
No CTRL key.. ruh roh.. this may be a problem.
how commenters say this is better than the standard aluminumish back, i have no clue. that is soo much more classy than this cheap looking plastic (a la Dell Adamo speakers/fans?)
clap. clap. clap.
they just saved this from being a massive fail.
They should give themselves a pat on the back.
Now it's only going to be a moderately large fail. :)
Dude all ur comments are so negative. If u don't like it then don't click it
As a Touch Pro user (former Mogul user) on Sprint, this phone will get me back into a two-year contract with the provider (not like I have anyone better to switch to,, SERO FTW). 3.5mm headphone jack seals the deal pretty much. I've got some $25 KOSS noise-isolating earbuds that sound great, and I'll be glad to use 'em with a smartphone without having to mess with my Jabra BT3030 "dog tag". Heck, I'll probably sell the BT dog tag along with my Touch Pro when I upgrade to the Pro2.
As for the Pre vs. this phone, even though I love Palm's stuff I wasn't that impressed with the Pre when I tested it out, and its unavailability on SERO means I'm getting the Pro2. Even if the Pre was available on my current plan it'd be a hard decision, seeing as how WinMo has a decent numer of apps (WebOS doesn't yet) and I like the HTC slide-out keyboard better than a vertically oriented one.
As WindowsFTW said, the iPhone still lacks a lot of functionality that other smartphones have. One of the minor functional advantages of the Touch Pro2 over the iPhone is the vastly higher-res screen on the Pro2 (800x480). As for the first version of the iPhone having a headphone jack, a good amount of 'phones won't work with it due to the recessed jack. Trust me, I have a first-gen iPhone (unlockd and running on T-Mobile prepaid). Speaking of T-Mobile, one HUGE advantage of the Pro2 over the iPhone is that you DON'T have to use AT&T as your provider.
One thing that would be nice: the Touch Pro2 on Sprint with Android. With a tethering app of course. That'd be perfect for me.
As for the back of the phone, I'll pass on passing judgment until I see something more than a blurrycam shot.
I don' think you will be able to activate any new smartphone on SERO. I hope I'm wrong.
Can't reply to Dogtown directly, but I know for a fact that the only Sprint handsets that can't be activated with old SERO plans (but can with the new Everything Plus Referral Program) are the Samsung Instinct series and the Palm Pre. My Touch Pro activated just fine, and it's a newish smartphone.
Hmm... The front of this seems to stay true to the GSM model one (not T-Mo GSM, the one that was released to the other countries). I don't like the front much on the T-Mo TP2...
Looking good for WinMo users.
is this Nilay's phone? does he have to "fire" nikki and mike? dude thats a huge blunder if i wasnt
wrong
which version the tmobile, verizon or sprint is the best one
Well its your preference mine are as follows
1. Sprint- Sprint has the best price for data plans and their 3g has been said to be the best plus they give you some OS features that T-mobile does not offer and Verizon cost $10 more for
2. Verizon- Verizon is about $10 more then Sprint so their on par unless you have Sero.
3.T-Mobile- Lacking the 3.5mm jack also T-moblie will have less OS features then Sprint and Verizon and their plans cost more.
4.AT&T when it comes out (AT&T Warhawk)- The cost of AT&T plans are a joke $90 a month when I could go with Verizon or Sprint for $30 less a month. I bet though they will have the best looking ROM and the name is really cool I think.
I'll tell ya, I still think it's weird that the Sprint version says "Ev", while the spyshots of the Verizon version said "3G". Can't say I've ever seen a Verizon phone with 3G on it. Who knows?
Anyway, as a Verizon user, I must say that I like the Sprint holes. Not saying I dislike the "world map" thing the Verizon has going on, and I may like it even more if I see a higher-res image. Better yet, I'd rather have it in my hands.
Overall though, I think the CDMA version of the TP2 looks WAY LESS generic than the GSM version. (period)
Only 30 days to go!
Umm..
Yea Back Cover.. Hideous
The Fact that Sprint has it now and not Tmobile yet (closing eyes, deep breath)
No Ctrl, could be a problem
besides that.. I would be all over this phone..
It shouldve came with the initial rumored 5mp camera
Windows Mobile FAIL! a headphone jack will not compensate for under a power processor and over weighted OS
I think that posts with the word "fail" should automatically get rejected by the system. I mean, it's seriously become a word that people use, since they have no actual justification or data to support what they're saying.
When's the last time you used Windows Mobile for more than a day? I've been using it for about 5 years, and have almost nothing to complain about. Would you rather use a baby OS like BB or Apple? I mean, they're not even a full OS, so it's like comparing a calculator to a computer.
And honestly, Android, talk about crap hardware so far. I could go on with the genius that designed the Pre, vertical keyboard, seriously? Come on, what is it, 2004? Never again after the HTC Harrier.
Windows Mobile = Win.
Not fail
Once again, I would wager anything that those who pass such judgments on WinMo have NOT used say a tweaked WM 6.5 ROM on a device such as a TP2, Touch HD, TG01, or Omnia 2.
The capabilities, functionality, flexibility (and even performance on a device such as the TG01) leave phones such as the iPhone and any Android one out there in the dust.
Since its HTC and being branded like this....expect this beast to boot a future Android OS on top of this..when it support VGA that is....its not really under powered when your device doesnt have any apps to use the CPU to begin with LOL....what does apps that use complex algorhymthims utilizing the internet require more processing power or something? hahaha get real.
You know what is so good about WinMo? If you don't like the OS there are about 3-5 other builds of the OS that can be ported to almost any WinMo phone. Try doing that with your iPhone or BB.
uhmm...tmobile has it coming out on aug 12, wednesday......brown color no 3.55mm jack
I must say I'm not a huge fan of the new look either. IMO it looks like an old device. I'm not diggin' the orange on the buttons either. I really prefer the unlocked version. I hope this backplate would work for it.
http://www.windowsmobilenow.com/us/p_wm_acc1.aspx?i=179102&partner=wmusfroogle
I'm so upset that the Tmobile version doesn't have the 3.5mm jack :(
Oh well, In person, the T-mobile version is the best looking compared to the chromed up versions.
I will just have to make due with my 3.5mm extusb converter. *sigh*
no charging while listening to music. *sigh* and its probably going to be $350 @ Tmo *sigh*
You can charge while listening to music, I've been doing it for years on HTC devices.
Just use the adapter the phone(s) comes with, it has an extra USB port for charging.
Well, this will be my last WinMo phone. As a Sprint SP customer with yearly upgrades, I'll wait till 2010 for the TP3 with Android or the Sprint Hero with a physical keyboard.
wow
I know this phone comes with international capabilities in the form of a Quad band GSM chip (firmware disabled by default, but that should not be an issue for long), but does it come with an actual GSM chip slot to use an international carrier or will I be roaming and paying Sprint an arm and a leg? This pretty much would make the difference between me going yay or nay on this phone.
I'm wondering the same thing
No joke I just ran around the house screaming "I'm so excited I just can't hide it" I cant wait any longer
sweet!
Damn it Sprint! For the last few years, we the sprint customer have had limited smartphones worth a damn to choose from. Since June until the end of the year we now have to choose from the Pre, BB Tour, TP2, Hero, and this unseen Samsung Android device. You know we aren't use to all these goodies. But ahhh, patience is a virtue. I'll have to wait until the holiday season to make a decision.
The phone looks nice.. but.. must wait for some good custom ROMs first, I know Sprint will have this thing one-nutted out of the box.
Sprint =/= Verizon.
Looks like Sprint picks up the 3.5mm jack but loses VGA video and the (Ctrl) key. It's resolution for recording is half that of what T-Mobiles is. I would much rather have VGA recording and a (Ctrl) key rather than a 3.5mm jack that I can replace with a connector that stays attached to my headphones. I don't even know the adapter is there, they do have very small ones out there that cost about 3 dollars. The one that comes with the T-Mobile version is on the larger side but it has 3 different connections on the adapter.
In the end though, I'm thinking about getting a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones. After all this is the 21'st century. Who needs cords holding them down any more.
Why is it so much uglier than the HTC branded one.... I understand that sprint is trying to make it there own here but come on! its hideous where phones are concerned...
Says you.
I think it looks better than the original GSM variant and tied up with Verizons
Should I get this or the Hero?
Well this is what you have to ask yourself
1.Do you want more applications to choose from? If yes then TP2
2.Do you want a physical keyboard? If yes then TP2
3.Do you want multi-touch? If yes then Hero
4.Do you have the Sero plan? If yes then TP2 (most people believe that Sero owners will have to let go of their plans for Hero)
5.Do you use MSN Hotmail and Live Messanger? If yes then TP2
6.Do you use Microsoft Office? If yes then TP2
I believe those are the basic questions I would ask myself. I'm going for the TP2 myself it's the better phone if your a hardcore Windows user and use mostly Microsoft products.
The Pre is compatible with the $79/99 sero plan (unl data and messaging, 1000 minutes per month).
Don't believe me? Log into SERO, choose the plan, and the Pre is the first phone that shows up as compatible. Ta da.
.
...sorry. That was supposed to be entered under someone's Pre vs TP2 post.
/whoops
The iRony of this is that the original iPhone had the worst designed 3.5mm jack I've ever seen.
OMG cannot wait for September 3rd (which is the date Sprint store computers show as the estimated date of availability so I'm favoring this date over the 8th).
Crappy VGA drivers with choppy scrolling still present? Same Qualcomm chipset right?
Thats the other thing I'm worried about. Same CPU, same RAM, even higher resolution = worse performance than my Touch Diamond? My Diamond is still sluggish even with custom firmware installed.
I have a Diamond too, and have tried a lot of different ROMs/radios. Have installed GenY D2 R2 ROM (with radio 1.09.25.23) since last week :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=521941
and I have the impression of having a brand new phone : performance is really here, slugish has disappeared, memory leaks seams derisoire, and battery life is really better. I was about to change for an android device (HTC Hero) but now I'm thinking of keeping my Diamond for a bit longer.
Looks awefully thick for a phone
can anyone confirm that the keyboard will be backlit?
i believe those holes on the back are to dissipate heat better because these phones are like heating units when plugged into my car charger
get the one without the keyboard
what kind of usb port is that? not your typical mini right?