Unlocked, contract-free HTC HD2 will be available November 11 for a lot of money
By Paul Miller 
posted Oct 12th 2009 4:47PM
posted Oct 12th 2009 4:47PM
[Via SlashGear]
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I think HTC is a company that should be purchased by a much larger company that is struggling in the sector or wants to enter it, Sony, Motorola, Dell, Garmin (to diversify).
HTC is doing just fine and should be left alone, specially by big companies that managed to make a mess of their own mobile phone branch with far larger budgets and resources.
As for the HD2 it will be available here in Denmark october 31, I already pre ordered aad I'm fairly confident that it will be settled in my pocket by november 1st.
No kidding, look at what's happening to Danger right now.
Sony? Motorola?! DELL?!?! O_O
You've just got to be kidding, right?
*checks sarcasm detector*
*sarcasm not found*
*down-ranked*
$740 for a WinMoan device? No wonder HTC is bleeding cash faster than a chicken without a head. That's a sweet device, but it honestly needs Android.
Sorry for acting like a douche and post this as a reply ot the first comment so it's on the top, but I have to do this because the iFails have taken over:
This is OFF-CONTRACT, your $200 iPhone ON-CONTRACT clearly is cheaper since your CARRIER is paying 60-80% of your phone. An iPhone is $800 OFF-CONTRACT, this $740 OFF-CONTRACT.
HTC sales has been on steady decline for obvious reason.
That is they bet on the wrong horse which is WinDIE Mobile.
HTC must make a BOLD move like Mot, Palm, and kill
the WinDIE Mobile product line for good moving forward.
Microsoft should buy them.
@Unsung Hero:
And I ask you, who do you think is the manufturer of the first Android phone? *coughhtcdreamcough*
And some OTHER Android phones? *coughthtcmagicandhtcherocough*
Plexus, I am so damn jealous of you. Gotta wait until next year for it, dunno if I'm gonna make it.
This thing is so incredible, I'd switch carriers for it.
Is there anyway to hook this up to a TV and output HD video? Or is that like, not something that anyone who owns a WM phone would ever do, since WM users are like, all business, and have no desire to ever watch HD video?
This phone clearly won't cost $740 when it launches in the USA. Given the price conversion and the taxes differences between gadgets in Europe and the States, I'm guessing this will ship at a roughly 500 dollars.
And I'm not blindly predicting, but that 1:1 ratio between dollar and euro seems to be the rule in gadgets, so converting the pounds to euros it yealls 501 euro, the price I'm expecting for it to hit the american shelves.
Just wondering, do these GSM phones ever have North America 3G when they get released overseas? Does anybody else use our frequencies?
DUDE!! Your display picture is NOT SAFE for work. you just me crack so hard and loud I fell off my chair
@crashcarstar
and to answer your question, RTFA.
But seriously, it says right there that until that US-specific version hits our shores next year, we'll be limited to EDGE only. So no, nobody else uses our frequencies
The thing I would be assuming, is the phone capable of handling US frequency but was somehow disabled.
Why would they disable it? Unless perhaps it's locked to a certain carrier, there's is no reason to disable a frequency
From what I understand, they need different chipsets
Otherwise, it'd be a WCDMA quadband phone.... which do exist but this isn't one
Only a few phones sold overseas have t-mobile or at&t bands. The ones i know of are the omnia 2 when it first came out overseas had GSM 850 and UTMS 1900 and the same with acer f1/neotouch
@TRLK
There are many reason why they would disable 3g frequency for the US. One of which is negotiation power. Should HTC allow 3G band here. Verizon and sprint might not even consider it because they would have to compete with a GSM version. Imaging Verizon or Sprint putting massive amounts of advertising cost behind a CDMA version of the HTC HD2 and were told there is a GSM version out there. Exclusivity would be gone. Had Palm Pre released a GSM version along with the CDMA, i am sure many would import these phone in and stick with a GSM carrier. Making Sprint thinking otherwise about paying what they paid to Palm for the exclusivity rights.
With the reason why I think they would disable 3g frequency explained. I think it would be better that they should release this product with one production model. Having one large order of one chip that can do all three frequency(cant see t-mobile getting their band included) would be better than to order two difference chips, might have a better cost factor to it. I also think having one version of the HD2 would be more efficient. With apple's negotiating power, I would assume the 3G chip that supports both US and Europe would be cheap so I would think HTC and probably get something along those similar price ranges.
@Galen
I did RTFA. Maybe next time you should Read The F'n Question because it was only slightly related to the article.
Seriously hot piece of hardware, shame about the OS though. Make this an Android phone and I'll be laying out cash preorder style.
1. There is android one coming up... remember there was an article about it...
2. Windows Phones are good.... and I have HTC Diamond 2 at the moment and I like flexibility of changing stuff... when my brother has an iPhone and he has same style since he bought it (he didn't jailbroke it).
3. You can install a custom rom, and now in XDA-developers people are trying to get android and it almost works..
ooo where's that article? I'd hold out for an HD2 that ran Android :D
\_(T.T)_/ ----- "Come on people. Give Sense UI a chance. God!"
| |
Yeah, let's downrank the guy who happens to have the opinion that WinMo is the worst OS!! WHAT A PREPOSTEROUS OPINION!!!!
I tell you what - When you can buy a great-performing, capacitive touchscreen, 16+GB storage included, Zune Pass-compatible, WinMo phone FOR UNDER $200 (shit, even at $299, I'd bite), THEN I'll buy one. 100% serious. I don't understand why having these features/specs in Q4 2009 still qualifies it to be a $800+ phone (assuming that it even existed!!! Still waiting on that Zune Pass for WM, MS!)
Does anyone else find it ironic that the WinMo phones are, without exception, the most expensive of them all?
Does anyone else find it ironic that the maker of the most mainstream desktop OS also makes the most niche, least user-friendly, glitchy OS of them all, on hardware that costs wayy more than the latest BB/iPhone/Android device?
**prepares for downrank!!!!**
@ crawdad689
Well, I guess Snapdragon can't be cheap, neither can the 4.3" WVGA display with capacitative touch screen
@crawdad689:
You've been down-ranked alright, for reasons that have been explained, let's see, about a couple of hundred times in previous articles whenever trolls like you show up. Good luck out there buddy.
I don't find it the least bit ironic that a Microsoft product has a much higher price:value ratio than competing products.
@crawdad689
I hope you realize that this is an unsubsidized price. As such, this is comparable to any smart phone out there right now. The iPhone costs about $800 unsubsidized, I believe. Truth us, when this comes out it will probably be available for $300-$350 on contract.
Also, it's been confirmed that the Zund HD interface will be coming to Windows Mobile. Maybe it will be available when or before the HD2 hits stateside.
The android "version" of this is rumored as the HTC Dragon
You guys treat me like I'm some hopeless Apple fainboi.
I'll tell you right now that I will absolutely buy this, if I can get it for $349 or less on subsidy, it's confirmed that it will support WM7, and it has 16GB+ of storage included. Game, set, match. I'm absolutely willing to admit that, as far as MY (and hopefully most of the readers on this site's) phone buying preferences are concerned, there's a point where hard specs win out.
There's NO phone out there that bests these specs right now. 4.3" capacitive + Snapdragon, do want.
I just think it's unfair to downrank people simply for saying "I wish it had a different OS". How is that not a valid opinion for them to hold?
Also, @melloncollie, WHERE IS IT CONFIRMED THAT THE ZUNE HD INTERFACE IS COMING TO WINDOWS MOBILE? I ned a link now. If you can provide me with a worthy link, there's absolutely no doubt that my next phone will be HTC/ Windows Phone. How's that for me being some anti-MS fanboi?
@Mega-Japan
wow your a hardass aren't you?
^ One to talk
HTC Leo benchmarked, leaves blisters {Engadget}
Sep 27th 2009 11:41PM
Too bad its a failure before its even released because it runs Windows Mobile!
Such sexy specs wasted on a garbage OS...
If I was rich dude(na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na nah)
See, I'd have all the phones in the world, if I was a wealthy dude
No carrier could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy dude
+1 for Fiddler on the Roof reference
Locooo.... Dude now really... Your posts are just the best!
+1 for creativity.
Galen, i am sure you were kidding, but i guess Fidler did sing something of the sort.
that is excluding VAT....
I hear Obama is considering VAT for USA.
I'm current HTC Pure (ATT's version of the Touch Diamond 2).
I got to say I'm enjoying the TouchFlo 3D over Win6.5 a lot. Extremely fast. Onscreen keyboard is very responsive and accurate.
I've seen comparisons of the Pure to the HD2. I don't know if I want something that much larger in my pocket.
If the HD2's specs can be crammed into the Pure sized phone, I'll have my choice.
I think the AT&T Pure (Touch Diamond2) is better compared to the original Touch HD.
They use the same processor. They've got the same amount of memory. The Touch HD's display is only 80 pixels wider (in portrait position). The biggest functional differences between the two are that the Pure has access to AT&T's 3G network, and the Touch HD has a standard headphone plug instead of an ExtUSB adapter.
The Touch HD2 is a nice machine. But it may be more phone than I need, which is why the Pure may be my next cell phone.
Well I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I got it last Thursday.
I previously had the ATT Tilt with WinMo 6.1 on it. My biggest fear was loosing the keyboard. I tried out the virtual keyboard in the store and it was very responsive (no difference than the iphone to me) with it being resistive versus capacity screen.
The Pure is essentially the TouchPro 2 minus the keyboard and extra speaker plus a better camera on the pure.
The lack of keyboard after a weekend of use it not bad at all. On top of all that, the Touch Pro2 will cost $300 on contract versus the $150 for the pure.
That sounds really nice, the Touch Diamond2 is one heck of a phone, tried it myself (the original Diamond2 anyways). The only thing I don't like is AT&T, they don't even fall into my consideration list. Hopefully though, other carriers get the Diamond2 as well, as for me, I do want the HD2 the most, can't pass that 4.2" capacitive screen up.
There's no way the Pure is better than the HD. They are identical except for the HD having a significantly larger screen, at 3.8 vs 3.2 (pure). The HD is also a thinner device, and is certainly still pocketable despite the size.
I personally use an imported HD from Telstra/Australia which means I have 3G on the 850MHz band, which works perfectly fine where I live.
I know since you own a Pure yourself you're going to be advocating it, and that's fine, but don't be saying it's better than the HD without any basis.
My guess:
HD2, if it comes to the US, will be somewhere around April- May and will cost $349 on contract.
There is no way they will price it more than $349. That is the magic number for AT&T (now you have the mail-in rebate and instant discounts and blah blah blah).
Again, if it comes to the US it will come with a subsidy from a carrier. Sure, you can also buy it unlocked from any US based dealer.
I wasn't saying it was better. Read my post next time.
I was saying I like the smaller form factor of the Pure better than the dimension of the HD2. I was hoping that in a years time the components of the HD2 could fit in a Pure size device.
With all that begin said, the current Pure is quite nice and very adequate for my uses.
I hope this phone is brought to the T-Mobile network alongside the rumors of the $50 unlimited plan ending up true. I would be an extremely happy camper.
That's actually not too ridiculous an amount, as previous phones listed on Engadget have held.
Nah, sorry, T-Mobile is destined to have the honor to received your majesty King N900 the First of Finland ** trumpets **
+1. Automatic rank up for having a Luffy avatar.
That and I hope it gets to Sprint myself, with WiMax.
Bonza! I thought the retail price was going to be more at £550 as the N900 is at £500? If this is true not complaining tho!
Totally insane. Does anyone ever do a cost annalists of the parts in these things. Sorry but even with R&D included these prices are insane. I'm seeing parallels with the pharmaceutical industry here. These prices are intentionally inflated so customers don't go rogue with a phone that isn't available on an alternate carrier.
Really? your going to say a device with the specs of a net book, in 1/4th the die size isn't worth its value in gold? I'm sorry but your a fool to think that the HD2 is over priced, in comparisons to other phones this device should easily be in the 1+ club, but due to marketing factors it has to be tamed. Just because you got locked in a 110$ a month contract on a 200$ phone AFTER Carrier discounts doesn't mean you should rip on every other person for being as naive as you.
And to the Android people, Look at HTC's approach to it, both use Sense UI, which makes the interaction basically the same. Only difference is WinMO is much more customizable overall.
This phone will revolutionize the phone market any one who thinks else is a fool, or ignorant to the facts.
Very well said... except for the part where that isn't the only difference. And its not even true. You can customize an android device as much as a winmo device. Android is a much more finger friendly OS then winmo, and i have both a G1 and a touch pro 2 (and an iphone). Android is an open source operating system where users can see and make input to the source code, and the OS is still new, which means it has a much greater chance of growing than windows mobile does.
Good point on andriod but if you looked up how many ROMs are out there for WinMo then you would see just as many options out there. The question are you going to tinker with the source code...probably not, same with the general public so with the Sense UI that htc has on this device and pretty much hacked and slashed this OS people are going to fall in love with WinMo yet be confused why the other manufactures blow at making a good device.
Ya, Paul...I am fighting this insane force to spend almost $1k on a phone next month that can only use EDGE. WHAT A STRUGGLE!
yep, it's real shame that HSPA frequencies aren't the same all round the world.
i have no idea how the FCC and other regulatory bodies have allowed this to occur.
Who in their right mind would pay $750 for a device like this to run on EDGE? Nutz! I thought it would run on AT&T 3G though. Am I missing something?
Right now it's only being released in Europe so they don't really care about catering to the US right now.
'fonly it ran android and had a capacitive screen and was a little smaller...
"cough" it has capacitive screen "cough" that is the fuzz about (reason 2, reason 1 spandragon)
snapdragon*
'fonly it ran android and had a capacitive screen and was a little smaller.. " was green, had a qwerty keyboard, was made by SONY, had 9G and was free......
It is what it is. Then you need to look at another phone. Maybe Le Hero? Moto Droid? LG LifeDroid?
@ Dking: Don't you mean Spamdragon?
"will we be strong enough to wait?"
at $740, yeah. i know that's not shocking compared to other smartphones, given this one's specs, but still, i bought an LG 42" 1080p TV for $700 about two months ago. i don't understand why somebody in the US would get shafted on plan prices and on top of that shaft themselves by spending that much on a phone. i'll wait for the US version and get it through a carrier so i don't get the double stuff.
So if I choose to have unlimited 3g gps b email n text on this phone in ameica I would have to pay $30,?
Insane. !!
Yes, but apparently it's coming to T-Mobile in the States. So you really wouldn't get 3G in most places.
I'd wait for the American release in Q1 2010, but waiting is so hard when this phone is so amazing lol.
Are these unlocked prices you're comparing... or is a name change in order?
"A fool and his money are soon parted"
Can this $750 phone be docked to a renotecobtrol surround sound??
Considering the iPhone was $600 when it came out (on contract!) and this is way more powerful, that's not a terrible price.
What's the word on a US release? I heard rumors that it would be on Sprint or Verizon...
Yes, and just as with this one, it was too much. $750 for a phone? Come on people, where do you draw the line when allowing yourself to be bent.
This is the off-contract price. You'd be surprised how expensive a lot of phones are off-contract. On-contract they're sold cheaper, but the company ultimately makes up the difference by either getting your monthly payments for two years or by collecting an early termination fee if you cut the rope early.
Wait Wait Wait
So what you're saying is that this phone coming out in November 2009 is more powerful than the iPhone that came out in June 2007?
@MR_COW
Correction; this phone that's coming out in Nov. 2009 is going to be better than the iPhone that came out in June 2009. Good things come to those that wait - didn't ya know?
dont have to imagine: anyone older than 3 years old LIVED through it. 4gb, contract and sim locked to att EDGE only iphone. $500 plus tax..$600 plus tax for an 8gb... neither had/has any kind of flash on 2 megapixel cam, no video recording, copy paste, MMS... yep. i remember it fondly..... now can we move on and leave the iphone for iphone articles?
I look forward to picking it up. I picked up the Touch HD but it was a bit too slow both processor wise and network wise. When this comes to the US with the right bands for 3G I'll pick it up. I think Android, Windows Mobile, and the iPhone OS all suffered from the same issue, lack of processor power. First up with a speed boost was the iPhone, now it looks like it's time for Windows Mobile to get a boost with some better hardware.
Actually, the main hindrance of Winmo is ram, but I'm sure the new processes doesn't hurt. This thing also has x2 the Ram of the TP2/Pure/Imagino So either way this thing will be flawless for Winmo 6.5 and 7 When its announced. Also I believe this is the only phone thats going to support win 7 that is being released any time before Q2 next year. But Winmo 7 doesn't com out till Q3/4 any ways so don't sweat it that much if you want to wait.
This is a great price for a phone like this. I don't know what wrong with Engadget, but not everyone is eligible for the $200 phone specials from large service companies such as AT&T and Verizon, plus you have to pay outrageous monthly fees to get the phone for $200 so it ends up costing much more. Also, this phone is way better than the phones you purchase for $200, the internals alone are worth more. I am tired of hearing that $700 is expensive for a smart phone. Your forget this is a Mobile Internet Device with a 1 ghz processor which is incredible for a small phone. Also it has fast internet and a really nice 4.3" touchscreen + it has a professional quality 5MP camera + Dual LED Flash + a GPS + the new Windows Mobile and much more. All of that seperately makes this phone easily worth $700. I thought the phone would be $900 or $1000 to tell you the truth. High end smartphones such as this should not be sold for a petty $199. If you do get it for that price you still usually end up paying more due to the 2 year contract you agreed to. Then if you want to upgrade to another phone you usually have to wait another year. Thats why people buy unlocked phones because you can get a new phone when you want, you aren't locked into a contract and it end up being cheaper since you don't have to pay for the expensive plan.
'
Thats the unlocked price. For comparison, an unlocked 16gig iPhone 3GS will cost you around £750, thats about $1185. Doesn't sound like such a bad deal now does it?
Dude, unlocked iPhone 3G cost ~600$ and that's without warranty
Wait a minute, Isn't the iPhone 3GS still $899 unlocked?
we posted at the same time, the same thing :D
And it's still cheaper than the unlocked iPhone 3Gs
And it's still hobbled with Windows Mobile.
And it brings removable battery together with a gazillion things that the iPhone can't do =).
Like sucking ass
Price is $750. Data plan 30$ voivce 59$ text $20=$110.
110 times 2 years =$2640.
plus price if phone $750=$3390
price of ownership $3400!!!
Will anyone bite??
Thought so
u r all talk.
Truth, you are the dumbest person ever. ever. Also, I live in holland and I pay 40 euro's a month for unlimited everything
dude just change your name and STFU, stop bending over and get screw by your month bill. if you dig your head out from ATT's rear-end maybe you'll see all the non-iPhone users pay less than you. on the other hand seeing how much you are paying truly makes me feel strongly about a better economy in the near future :) thanks!
Don't concern yourselves. Almost no one will be buying this smartphone and HTC will be losing money for another financial quarter. This company is just like Sony-Ericsson. Very good hardware and sub-par software. Not much of a way to stay in business in this day and age. I don't think the hardware is over-priced but the functionality is going to be hampered by the OS.
@Truth
you should change your name to Ignorant: do some price research you can easily find an unlocked 3GS for just as much, but inferior in everything else on the hardware department (w/ the exception of # of Apps, but.. we all know there's a 'map' for that now :) sure you get to pay $199/299 for a 3GS but you pay in blood over the long run. HD2 may not be the one to compete - since U.S. isn't its home turf but it sure does out class 3GS as a phone in most scenarios. Just b/c you paid $299/199 (or even $49 for refurb) and think that it's the holy grail from heaven due to the down-to-earth price, think again, you'll be paying in blood over the long run w/ that data plan from hell.
“It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”
in europe it's around 700 euro's for the 16gb iPhone, so around the same price
If people are lucky,
Phone 750$ + Sero Sprint plan 30$ a month
Only Winmo Phones go on Sero, so I bet there's a lot of happy people waiting to gobble this bad boy up when it goes to sprint.
Also Idk where your getting 110$ for a plan I pay 40$ a month on Verizon, maybe 15-20$ more a month if you add the min's I split with my family.
While a Iphone is still 80$ min just to have it function, 100+ if you want more then 300 mins
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure this is a UMTS/GSM phone, not a CDMA phone.
I guess I'm the only one that the economy has hit hard. I'm amazed that anyone would even consider spending this kind of money when you consider the economic conditions. No wonder we're in such sad shape when people are so willing to wasting money when they'd be better served waiting until times get better.
The kind of people who buy unlocked, off-contract phones usually consider gadgets / technology a hobby of theirs. Just as some might consider guns a hobby and buy lots of guns brand-new (which can actually run quite expensive).
It's not a matter of what people are spending on, it's a matter of what kind of people are spending. If someone's buying this on credit without knowing if they'll be able to actually pay it off on time, chances are they'd be doing that mistake with any other item they buy.
It looks like this is coming to Verizon...
In that engadget hands on video, you can actually see a "Verizon Wireless Accessories" contact item
and to think, not more than a few months ago, nokia wanted as much for the failure N97
I live in the US and bought an Austrailian model HTC Touch HD last year. It is a sweet phone. Even though it does not run 3G in the US, it operates just fine on AT&T and most places have WiFi anyway. I'm planning to buy the HTC HD2 out of London ASAP. It looks like the ultimate gadget and about the same price as an unlocked iPhone. I can hardly wait....