Second Verizon Android phone to be an HTC, Motorola Sholes makes an appearance
By Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 6th 2009 1:04PM
posted Oct 6th 2009 1:04PM
P.S.- This also jibes perfectly with that HTC Desire rumor from last month, but we'd bet almost anything the internals are the same as the Hero.
[Thanks, Berry]
FUCK! I wanted this on TMO!!
oh snap!
perhaps i'll be switching from at&t to verizon and not sprint as originally planned.
I hope you dont want the HTC phone. Look at the bottom of it. I do not see a 3.5mm and if there isnt one on the top this phone is going to be a no-go for a lot of people.
Mr. Jobs is not going to be happy with this.
Folks, enjoy your Google iPhone apps while you can, because they ain't going to be around for much longer.
Also I think, competition wise, this is GREAT for the smartphone market. Apple can't have a lock on this market. Competition will drive innovation and pricing. Obviously, Verizon isn't getting the iPhone any time soon. Just my opinion.
Peace out!
BTW, Verizon, can you hear me now? Good, F you!
What's so special about the most expensive carrier getting new phones? I still can't believe anyone chooses to pay for Verizon's service.
1. Locked phones
2. Coverage on par with Sprint and AT&T
3. AT&T prices without unlocked GSM phones
Can anyone come up with an actual reason to get Verizon other than the "teh network" marketing crap that means exactly nothing? Seriously, Sprint: $70/month equivalent Verizon plan $165/month. So, unless you want an iPhone or unlocked GSM phone, why would you ever even consider Verizon?
People who play the lottery and people who use Verizon have something in common, neither one can do basic math.
@hold - unlimited everything on verizon is $139.99 i'm not sure where you got $165
@JXCgunrunna
So far both Hero variants have the 3.5 outlet on the top of the phone. I don't see why this would be different.
I bet you forgot to add on unlimited navigation and TV since Verizon's unlimited plan isn't actually unlimited.
also
ha! I had a feeling those were the phones. Is it possible that the HTC maybe the HTC Desire? I'm excited.
Argh, stop redesigning the HTC Hero and give me the original design. I would buy it instantly!
The Hero has only been redesigned once. This is a redesigned entry level Tattoo folks, not a Hero. This is the little brother to the Hero with lesser specs.
"We don't need another Hero"
-- Tina Turner
@troyboytn:
I think you need to read this cause that is in-fact a redesigned hero:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/06/htc-hero-hitting-verizon-in-november/
@projectdecember: Good try, buddy, but that's not the Sprint/US redesigned Hero. This is: http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//2009/09/16/337704502440FT.jpg
It also doesn't look like a Tattoo, however, as it only has 3 physical buttons and a much smaller center one, versus the 5 on the Tattoo: http://www.talkandroid.com/wp-content/gallery/htc-tattoo/htc-tattoo-3.jpg
So, as mentioned in a prior Engadget article, this could be the new Google/Verizon device said to be "game-changing."
We'll just have to wait and see.
How hard and costly would it be to move the whole family over to Verizon? :)
Hi Scott,
I have three phones on the select family plan (1400 min, unlim text/pix) with 10 friends & family (out of network, landline, etc). Each phone pays about $44/mo (we divide it evenly even though an extra line is technically only $10), so about $132/mo total, which includes taxes. We never come close to using all of the minutes. I think the most we ever used was about 600. Granted, your bill may be a bit higher given the same specs since my employer offers a 17% discount. I think if you got the connect plan (select plus unlim. data) it's an extra $10 per line or somewhere around there.
Hope that helps!
Kelly
how is the htc hero game changing when sprint is going to have it first? what processor is in the shole? anyone know?
OMAP3 and we do not know if it is infact the Hero. And if it is, if Verizon has it for 150 or less it will be worth it.
If verizon has it for $150, they probably reduced the specs like they did on the Touch Pro.
Perhaps it is a game changer because it comes with a user flashable ROM without rooting required.
@engadget,
I could be wrong, but I don't think thats a Hero
First!
And about freakin' time! I My contract with Verizon was up a couple months ago and I decided to pickup a Blackberry Tour for me and the wife. But what I really wanted was an Android-based phone, but didn't want to switch to T-Mobile. Although I probably won't qualify for an upgrade since I just renewed, I would definitely pick up an HTC Hero when it is released.
Failure is not an option. It’s bundled with your software
The Sholes looks pretty slim in his hands. Looks like my move to T-Mo may not happen after all... Especially since I have an upgrade credit pending.
Now I just have to see what processor is in the HTC. I like the rumors of the processor and screen on the Sholes, but Sense looks nice.
I'd wait and see how open the Android market will be on Verizon first.
I'm not saying it will be very restricted, but this is Verizon, they have a bit of a record...
FINALLY! Verizon is really getting some great smartphones.
damn, i was getting ready to renew my contract with Sprint, and get the Hero in a week!!! But now, the Sholes looks to be pretty badass..
I dont think it's the Hero, maybe the HTC Desire/ Passion that's been rumored. Heck, maybe 3rd time's the charm, a redesigned Hero for verizon
that thing dont look like the hero to me
Okay guys, we get it. it's not the hero...
But hey, my contract expires soon, Do I want sense? Or blur? Sense, blur, sense, blur.
Sense.
same boat here
you want blur for sure. blur is way more than just a simple UI, there's a whole service to it to keep your phone constantly refreshed with the latest social networking communities, s/w updates, etc.
sholes isnt getting motoblur
Well I have been trying to keep up with all of the leaked info about the sholes and other stuff in the Android world and it is almost not even a question whether or not the Hero will have the Sense UI since that is HTC's "thing", and as for the sholes/tao/droid/ It will NOT have Snese UI because the Sholes is by Motorola and it also is NOT going to have MotoBlur. It is still unknown whether or not there will be a custom UI on it but those two for sure are not going to be it.
I know that the Sholes will be running the new Android 2.0 (eclair) OS which is not yet released. This may or may not look totally different from present versions on Android.
dammit sholes is just too ugly
i agree. i dont understand why any can be excited for it.
You guys are probably looking at the red d-pad mock up. The most recent pics have it looking pretty decent.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/motorola-sholes-android-phone-for-verizon-appears-in-the-flesh/
but... i don't have any other pictures. i can't hang with this
It is a small pic, but it clearly shows a different looking form factor.
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/05/verizon-wireless-sams-club-target-gearing-up-to-launch-motorola-droid-blackberry-storm-2-blackberry-curve-2-more/
http://gigglehd.com/zbxe/files/attach/images/296468/758/820/002/motorola-sholes.jpg
i just don't get why they'd put the earpiece on the part that slides up and not the mic part as well. that's just common sense. keeping a chin just for the mic is [shudder]
as terrible as the bigfoot is, its got better design going for it
so Hero or Sholes..which is better?
If the Sholes has Blur or stock Android it will lose to Sense IMO. As we've all said, the hardware looks nice, but is only proven by its UI.
Because I assume you've had hands-on experience with both and thus can tell everyone, on an omnipotent scale, what they prefer in a phone.
/sarcasm.
So far Sholes/Tao/Droid (whatever the hell they are going to call it) won't have Blur. It's supposed to be a goolge phone, so it will be stock Android.
are either of these phones gonna be 'world phones', i.e. have both CDMA and GSM bands and have a SIM slot, like the TP2 on Verizon has?
I am so glad that Verizon and Google are getting together on Android. I can hardly wait to see the new offerings from HTC. You can bet that Sprint's Hero will not be the only android thunder we hear this month.
I think sprint had it right with the way they changed the hero. That thing looks cheap and plastic above and im not even getting into that motorola trash on the right.
Funny, I was thinking the opposite. Slider QWERTY for me, softboard no thanks.
How was ur hands on experience with the moto? What was wrong with it? Oh did you say you didnt use it yet. I gotcha
That sound you hear is Dan Hesse's wind getting knocked out of him.
now seems to be a REALLY bad time to buy a new phone on contract. with that 1ghz htc leo snapdragon coming, and the tegra chip in the zune hd, and i guess the palm pre/3gs chip... alll these new phones are bound to be severely outdated by their crappy 528mhz arms very soon..
i think im going to hold out about 4 months or so and see what else pops up
There's always something better around the corner. You can wait forever.
of course. but the hero/cliq are already on outdated hardware. and they are already laggy.
im not waiting for future chips, im waiting for new phones that actually utilize chips that are already out and "current" that wont start lagging on me. IE snapdragon and tegra.
its theres a winmo snapdragon on the way (by htc of all people), i can pretty much promise there will be one with android
Well, the sholes/tao/droid is rumored to have an OMAP3 Cortex A8 chip in it. That's the same chip in Pre and 3GS. So, I wouldn't say it's outdated.
Where was this stuff when I was on Verizon?
good things come to those who wait (:
OK I have a delima, I told my GF to buy the HTC Imagio and she got it this morning. Now this news broke...
Do I tell her to send it back and wait for an android phone?
are you afraid of your girlfriend? lol
No I would just rather have an android phone. I just don't know if I want to convince her to wait for the hero or stay with the Imagio Winmo 6.5
no. Use it until the Motorola Sholes is released. Just pray it's within the 30 Day Worry Free time frame. That's what I'm doing. I called them and asked about, they say it was cool. You can turn the imagio in when sholes is released, pay a $35 restocking fee, then buy the sholes at the 2-yr contract price.
Awesome.
I would be happy with either of these living at my house. I really loved the iPhone (until I dropped it and it broke), but have always been frustrated with AT&T's service. I am very excited about switching back to Verizon and sporting one of these real soon.
For all the shole vs hero questions:
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdacomparer&id1=1966&id2=2011
okay there has to have been more than one picture taken of these phones so we can all stop guessing. where are the rest of the pics????
I am still getting the Sprint hero. Having experienced both Sprint and Verizon service I would say that it's very comparable. Also, Sprint has gone leaps and bounds to improve their CS and phone selection. Additionally you can't beat their plans. So eve if it is the same Hero on the VZ network it's still not worth the extra $$ per month.
In the end anything is better than AT&T service (the main reason why I will not buy an iPhone).
What a pair – talking through their teeth:
Eric: Do we look desperate?
Lowell: You think?
Together: Die Jobs, Die!
Dear Verizon,
Don't screw up this phone or I will officially hate you forever. No need to fill it with your crappy V-cast software.
Thanks in advance, Your pal, Twan
Android been out for 1 year.
Still only on 2 American handsets. Lame.
Google is lagging. Will it cost $49?
If more will have lousy sales
Well,
The Motorola Devo Keynote just ended. Lots of talk about the new Cliq, but no Sholes announcements. These guys do realize that they'll have to produce a physical phone at some point to produce a profit, right? Or are they just banking on Future Profits from market-to-market accounting a la Enron?
I love Lowell he's the sweetest!
dammit I was so SET on the imagio until this post. mainly because the name reminds me of the baseball legend. Now I don't know if I should wait and see. I want something that's close to my 6900's size and shape. but I need to stick to WM. love the OS.
I've been having thoughts of getting rid of my iPhone 3G, and leaving ATT service for a while now, and it seems the time has come....maybe
I've been eying the HTC Hero for a while now, and would definitely jump on this....if it weren't for the Rumors of a new HTC 1ghz snapdragon powered Android phone. Would definitely need to see how much or if Verizon cripples The Hero much when it's released
Verizon is the only wireless service that gets a signal on the WHOLE floor in out unit at the Hospital. If i'm paying ATT 120+ a month for two lines, I should be getting service in places anyone else does. I really hope to ditch ATT soon! :D
I'll believe that Verizon will take an "open" approach to offering non-crippled sets when I see it. I won't get my hopes up before all the details come out.
That being said, those don't really look like the hero or sholes to me. Unless they've changed the casing again...
Maybe "game changer" is referring to the first free or $99 (with contract obviously) Android phone.
That will put it into the cost of the normal phone range, and the first affordable Android phone.
Not that the G1 and Mytouch doesn't have good sales, but this will drive up the install base of Android even further.
That's def the sholes. Look at it matched up with the renders.
I cant wait! I cant stand a dumbphone any longer.
Will these phones be hobbled and crippled? I just canceled my data package and switched from my Verizon smartphone back to a garden variety phone because GPS was disabled again after I had it working for a while with a hacked rom. Therefore Google maps would no longer work either. Do not want to pay for V-cast if the phone had the capabilities disabled. Only reason for staying with Verizon is good coverage area even if it is somewhat expensive.
know i am glad my VZW contract expires in febraury-any earlier and i would have gotten a meh selection. vzw is shaping up for february!
All these new Android and Wimo phones make me want to Get rid of AT&T who only want to promote Iphone!
FINALLY,
i've been waiting for this day to come! android coming to verizon.
android has become my DREAM OS, and im stuck with the friggin LG ENV TOUCH.
and the holidays are just around the corner! ahhh, perfect timing.
im definitely torn between which one to get.
i prefer physical keyboards over virtual ones, but i've had bad experiences with my past motorola phone. and htc makes high quality products.
i need to see the specs for both though.
Oh come on! The Hero? I mean the device is great, but it's time for a device with higher processing power. I don't appreciate a sluggish device.
Do those phones come with, out the box:
* music store
* video store
* podcast library organized brilliantly
* world class browser
with all the the aforementioned elements working seamlessly together?????????????
HELLO NO!!!!!!!!
So kiss my ass.
Viva iphone!!!!!!
for a device that only recently managed to do MMS and copy pasting, you sure talk loudly. Enjoy your locked Apple protective environment. I'll be calling and texting people for free using google voice while giving you the finger.
ok I really hope that that phone is in fact the sholes/tao/droid in his hand, but why am I the only person who is skeptical? Why aren't there any other pictures of the droid phone besides this one where you can't even see it? I've been following the developments of the droid phone enthusiastically for the past few months now and I've never see an picture of it from the top like that, so why is it safe to assume that that phone on the right is the new motorola droid phone?
Everybody is complaining that the phone on the left isn't the hero, who cares? I'm complaining that the phone on the right isn't the droid.
Was able to track down and alternate photo from this press comference showing the front of the sholes...
http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/patterson__16/patterson-172282353-1254855328.jpg?ymgaSACDh8zhA3GX
good man, i know most don't like it, but i like the clean sharp lines.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFKNbX2980riTQuslzhAuqLtJnmgD9B5P9OG0?index=0
wow nice one! i stand corrected thank you!
Not downing android or Google, but c'mon their ceo even uses a blackberry for crying out loud. If none of the other variety of android sets have been game changers thus far, I don't see how this one will either.
For those of you with the "Sholes or Hero?" Dilemma:
I am going to assume the Verizon Hero will be VERY similar to the Sprint version so I will compare to the sprint version.
Here is what I have read so far...
(Sprint) HTC Hero:
Weight: 4.5 oz (128 g)
Dimensions: 4.46" x 2.22" x 0.54" (113 x 56 x 13.7 mm)
Form Factor: Bar, Internal Antenna
Battery:
Talk: 4 hours max. (240 minutes)
Standby: ?
1500 mAh LiIon
Display:
Type: LCD (Color TFT/TFD)
Resolution: 320 x 480 pixels
3.2" diagonal
Colors: 65,536 (16-bit)
Platform / OS:
Android version 1.5
Processor 528 MHz MSM7600
Memory 133 MB (internal memory available to user for storage)
GPS / Location:
Type: A-GPS
Alerts:
Polyphonic Ringtones: Yes
Vibrate: Yes
Connectivity:
Bluetooth: Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, A2DP, AVRC version 2.0+EDR
PC Sync: calendar, contacts
USB: mini-USB connector
Wi-Fi: Version(s): 802.11 b,g
Customization
Custom Graphics: Yes
Custom Ringtones: Yes
Real-Music Ringers: Yes
Music:
Headphone Jack (3.5mm): Yes
Music Player Supported Formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, WAV, WMA-9
Photo & Video:
Camera: Resolution: 5+ megapixel auto-focus
Streaming Video Protocol: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, WMV-9 YouTube
Video Capture Max. Length: available memory
QVGA (320 x 240) resolution
More info: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=2343
Motorola Sholes/Tao/Droid:
(may not be 100% Accurate)
* OMAP3430 – 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)
* Dimensions 60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70 mm
* Weight 169 g
* Battery Li-ion 1400 mAh.
* Standby 450 hours, talk time 420 minutes
* 3.7-inch touch-sensitive display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, 16 million color depth. Physical screen size is 45.72 mm by 81.34 mm.
* 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM
* microSD / microSDHC expansion slot
* Camera: 5.0 megapixel with autofocus and video recorder
* Connectivity: USB2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi
* Supported audio formats: AMR-NB/WB, MP3, PCM / WAV, AAC, AAC +, eAAC +, WMA
* Supported video formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, WMV
* GPS navigation
* Package Contents: Phone Motorola Sholes, battery, charger, USB cable, 8GB MicroSD memory card and other literature.
source: HowardForums.com
Here is another angle of the picture in the original blog post showing the front face of both phones, that is definitely the Sholes on the right.
http://por-img.cimcontent.net/api/assets/bin-200910/96ff67bcbca8ba4f709ca00c3c7cbdb3.jpg
image posted by 'stinkyminky' at HowardForums.com
I hope this helps some of you out in making your decisions :)
Wow, I was hoping Verizon would get the Hero! That thing looks gooood. Good enough for me to get rid of the Tour.
I will be getting the first Verizon Android phone that has a good processor, capacitive screen, wifi, and good battery life.
How much will it cost to terminate the AT&T contract I re-upped in June for the 3GS? Will my number be portable to VZW? (It is originally from VZW that I switched to AT&T for the original iPhone in 2007)
Htc Sense looks so good. But they made all the hardware in the US looks so cheap that it runs on.
Does anyone know whether the HTC "Hero" (or whatever they end up calling it) on VZW will be a World Phone (i.e. SIM card in addition to CDMA)? Very intruiged by this phone, but it'll be a non-starter for me if it doesn't have global capability...