A trusted tipster with a proven past just gave us the launch day scoop on the hotly anticipated HTC Leo. A Windows Mobile 6.5 handset we recently spied with
HD2 branding and a
4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 800x480 resolution -- a pixel density that should give plenty of room for finger-friendly TouchFlo 3D navigation. According to said source, the O2 intranet site lists the "HTC HD2" on its future products list with an October 12th launch date. O2 peeps will immediately recognize the lack of XDA branding which makes the claim a bit suspicious. Then again, HTC has been trying to break the shackles of pointless carrier rebranding
for years. Truth be told in the days ahead.
posted Sep 24th 2009 6:41AM
I dont know for sure the Leo is the HD2, but when I called to renegotiate my contract with O2 last week the operator said he thought there was a HTC phone coming up, went away for a while to dig up details and told me it was the HD2. So I think this is true, although I cant confirm the date.
I just spoke to O2 - they said the date they have down is the 19th October. Although this is not set in stone.
It looks nice. If it is true, I will be replacing my iPhone with the HD2 :) I am a .Net developer afterall - it makes sense...
Level 5@
You haven't tried running most WinMo apps.
I wish it wasn't coming to O2. I'm currently on the HD1 on Orange.
I wonder if this means that O2 might be losing the Iphone??
I do like the look of the the HD2 but I don't see enough of a difference (although I'm sure there is something like a processor bump) to updrage from a HD1.
I am due a renewal in the next few month but I think I'll wait for windows mobile 7 and then see how soon the HD3 comes out. Haven't seen that capacitive stylus yet that HTC patented.
At least O2 is nice enough to acknowledge that a new devices are coming. American carriers rarely will give up any info on new devices coming to them. It's why we have to run on rumors, tips, and leaks to find out. Then the carrier finally confirms.
Another winmo handset from HTC? Oh please!
Whats wrong with Winmo? I still think its the best mobile OS for business use.
sk@
You meant the best stylus OS? Just so you know I held a stylus tablet made by GO
20 years ago. Stylus OS is ancient. Real business people prefer other platforms
based on numerous surverys so don't go to that corner. :)
Bladerunner - Way to go ahead and prove you haven't used a WM6.5 device before. Can't tell you the last time I used my stylus.
Level 5@
You haven't tried running most WinMo apps.
@Bladerunner, who are those real business people and what survey? The business people I know use either a Winmo or Blackberry device.
There's no need for a stylus on a 4.3" screen and the HTC Leo doesn't come with one anyway. What was your point?
I wish people like Bladerunner would realise it's not 2006 anymore. He'll be wittering on about BSoDs next.
@Bladerunner
Like which ones? I certainly don't have a problem with any installed on my Touch Pro, even really old ones like SPB Finance.
Hell even things like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0mqaevgIYY&feature=related FtouchSL work on stuff that's as old as the Blue Angel.
The stylus argument is old. The capacitive/resistive arguement is old. I guess you won't be buying a Windows Mobile device any time soon then? Good for you. But get your facts straight.
@ Bladerunner
You know maybe your right! That silly stylus is so yesterday
luckily the HD2 seems to have 384000 pixels to play with!
(thats only 230400 more than the iPhone)
-oh and I still like a stylus on my titan for certain purposes, thanks
Have you tried it? It's definitely more open than any other OS.
Possibly my next phone - if I can get over the using Windows Mobile part of the deal!?
Just spoke to O2 and they said it was coming in October as well. It is on their list of coming soon phones.
Coming BEFORE the Pre?
Good luck with that, Palm.
Palm is due before the HTC HD2 - HD2 is due on the 19th Oct - well that is what they said on the phone to me earlier...
I think it looks great.
I'd like the Laporte edition.
It is a gorgeous looking phone for sure, wont see it in canada till 2011, if ever
Under the hood is Windows Mobile which is NOT so gorgeous. ;)
Forget the UK, give me the American release!
...
Oh yeah... it's not coming, is it?
Don't worry, at least you have the Zune HD.
I second that - we got screwed on the HD1....
so if that's true no Canadian love either :(
This is probably enough to make me go through the hassle of switching carriers, even with the very good deal I have with Orange at the moment. I just hope that, as with previous HTC phones, it is released on multiple carriers, or I might have to get the TG01 which is pretty cool too, but not as hackable as the Leo will be.
That huge screen is truly a sight to behold.
I see everyone (in the previous articles at least) downing WinMo and saying that it should have had Android, but personally, I don't even care! That screen, the capacitive one at that, is gorgeous!
Its such a scabby design. Specs look nice but come on HTC invest some effort and money into the design. This is a step BACK from the Touch HD's design.
It obviously didnt have the same budget the Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 did.
I like the design.
I like it too, and according to the guy at XDA it feels really solid, it uses high quality plastic and has an aluminium battery cover.
(And he thought it had an oleophobic layer on the screen too, just like the 3GS and Hero)
October 12th ??? isn't that too early ??
Hope it's true!
The phone hasn't even been announced yet. So it can't be october 12th...
Would like to see this with an OS that knows how to make use of that 1Ghz CPU, though the convergence of Winmo(tethering etc..), the real GPS and that awesome screen make for some good pulling points- one question remains...Flash support?yes-no?
We've already seen video of Flash support in the new version of IE.
Run skyfire. its had flash support for a long time lol
Sound like a sweet deal in that case, My wife's got the iphone and I've got an older model HTC on the same network(02). Most of the time I've gor 3G/Hsdpa access while the iphone grapples for connection...
Kinda makes me wish I wasn't stuck on a BlackBerry contract. :(
Great HTC. Now bring it over the rest of Europe quickly!
Android and iPhone fans, stop boasting your finger-friendly OSs here, and just let everyone else use what they will. Windows Mobile is still pretty much usable with HTC's graphic shells. We don't poke you for being impotent without iTunes or not able to transfer files over Bluetooth, right?
Well actually you do.
Copy and Paste..need i say more?
If you're talking about the times when iPhone had no copy/paste functions, need I say these times are gone :) Well, actually I was cunning when I said that no one offended iPhone users, but as far as I see, it is often some most radical of them who spark flamewars. But of course I have nothing against any iPhone users who are not like, "hey you, iPhone rules the world because it's brilliant and you all are sorry sights with your WinMo."
I'm tired of carrier exclusivity. I really want this phone but I sure as hell won't be switching to O2 for it.
Is it fair to assume that an unlocked version should be available from shops like Expansys, Clove, etc. around the same time?
Expansys and Clove usually do a good job of getting hold of vanilla HTC devices.
What's happend to Vodafone, T Mobile and Orange. They don't seem to be getting any of the lastest phones first nowadays in the UK . I am suprise at Vodafone the most though.
There's still exclusivity going on, though it tends to be short term.
Vodafone has/d; Xperia X1, Xperia X2*, Blackberry Storm, BB Storm 2*, HTC Magic, HTC Tattoo, ...
T-Mobile has/d; G1, ...
Orange has/d; HTC Touch HD, Toshiba TG01, ...
* Not confirmed, but likely.
ooh nice-looking.
hm. so what is this device positioned as? just another phone?
Come on AT&T. Don't let us down again.
P.S. AT&T STILL hasn't released the Touch Pro 2.
truly a beautiful phone. What processor does it have? I sure hope there's an android build that would be headed stateside in the near future.
Have I mentioned today that I'm in love with this phone?
If only it would come to AT&T... alas... I'm not holding my breath.
I'm banking on sprint...
ZOMG GIEF NAU! ;)
It's definitely coming to o2 uk as i work for them and it's coming in as the HTC LEO according to the price ticket we got in today.
I thought this was coming to Verizon? Anything new on that front?
I believe I read a while back a CDMA version already passed the FCC. I sure hope that is true and that Sprint and Verizon will have them soon although typically there is about a 6 month to a year delay between when nice phones are available here and when they are released overseas. What bugs me after talking to employees from Sprint and Verizon is that the delay isn't due to manufacturing or the FCC - it is because Sprint and Verizon need to "test" the phone and install crapware on them.
I've found major issues with every HTC phone that has ever been released on SPrint the first day they are released - what the hell does Sprint do that they define as "testing"?
Wil I be ablel to find this online or pick it up while on holyday and have it work with AT&T's 800 and 1900 MHz frequencies?
I am alos hoping the first HTC HD drop in price on eBay.
that phone would be awesome with android on it
Nah, it looks much better with WinMo.
Surprised no one commented on the model names? H1 & M1??? Very close to H1N1 (swine flu).
no contract please, just tell me what to pay and DONE!
BTW, why do people go for contracts anyway?
looks good, but does it run linux?
Me likey!
Unfortunately, this probably means that US carriers will start launching versions in 6-8 months. AT&T will announce it for launch in about 12 months, but it will then disappear from their radar and never show up. That is how you handle uber-phone launches when Steve Jobs has you by the shorties, right?
Exellent, now i'm not going to have to upgrade to an iphone and unload it on ebay
Man if this had Android I would pass out then go out n buy it
*sigh*. Nice looking device. Awesome features, and hopefully it will support H.264/MP4. BUT! I can't believe all these handset manufacturers (Particularly HTC) failing when it comes to storage. Phones are at the point were they are combining all of the following:
* Phone
* iPod
* Camera
...And what is required for all these? Storage. Anyone with a sizeable music collection will want to put most/all of it on their device. Anyone like me with say an iPod classic and 32GB+ of music is having to seriously slim down their music, let alone free space for podcasts, pictures, email, etc. The Nokia N97 comes with some descent storage + expansion. The Samsung Omnia II will have some descent storage (When they release the flaming 16GB model!).
So what does the HTC HD2 have? Just micoSDHC for a current max of 16GB (Yawn!) and a probably future max of 32GB. 32GB isn't enough now, let alone a year from now. In the mean time, mobile operators love this because they don't want you carrying your media around. They want you shelling out to stream content over their ludicrously priced data plans. *sigh*.
i just want to point out, as quite a few people who have posted a comment doesn't seem to know, the HTC leo/HD2 has a capacitive screen so NO stylus.
it's true that WM 6.5 doesn't support multi-touch, but HTC have coded the functionality into their phone UI anyway. it also means that 6.5 has be designed to be finger-friendly as of course you can't use a stylus with the phone, so would be pretty hard when going into windows mobile proper to use the damn thing. there is no such problem with 6.5. ;)
To Anyone who say that stylus is redundent with the HTC hd2. . .
I think a stylus IS needed with the HTC HD2.
I strongly believe I would need a stylus for the following reasons:
I have an older pda, which has many Excel spreadsheets that I regularly use and update.
these spreadsheets are configured (by zoom and text size) to display as much information as possible on the screen.
I cannot see any way in which I can select a cell in any of these spreadsheets with my finger, as the size of my finger is about 3 cells in height.
Without a pinpoint stylus – I believe I would have a hard time using this device.
Im mainly out in the market for a better performing PDA, with internet connectivity. Not for the multimedia, not for the games, not for MP3 player – For a PRODUCTIVE better performing PDA, with the benefit of connectivity.
For the same reason – the size of the huge on-screen keyboard (which id derived from the need to use your fingers, and not a stylus) that leaves you with about 6 lines of editable text - is a big MINUS for me, as I was expecting to get bigger editbale field with the on-screen keyboard on, as a benefit of the huge screen.
So – there are many users out there, with many many different needs.
A stylus is a need for some of these users, for their legitimate reasons.
Having the option to use either your finger, or a stylus will be a big PLUS, instead of limiting the user to one of the input methods.
Now - since HTC had already designed “Capacitive Screen Stylus” see : http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/14/htc-files-patent-for-capacitive-stylus-with-resistive-accuracy/ I see no reason they would not include it with this flag-ship device, and allow the user a CHOICE of how to use the device, and how to customize the keyboard (allow so set a much smaller sized on-screen keyboard)