HTC HD2 and Windows Phone 7 Series: Just tell us no, Microsoft
By Paul Miller 
posted March 4th 2010 12:29PM
posted March 4th 2010 12:29PM
Dear Microsoft,We've had it up to here with these shenanigans. You're jerking us around, and we're sick of it. We get it, you have a very particular concept of what sort of phones you want running your new Windows Phone 7 Series OS. Not only do we get it, but we're kind of proud of you for sticking up for yourself for once and ensuring some sort of sameness across your platform. Unfortunately, it's not the holiday season yet, so we can't buy one of these fancy WP7S phones yet. Meanwhile, on the other end of town, HTC is bringing the HD2 to T-Mobile in the US this month. Sure, it runs your soon-to-be-outdated Windows Mobile 6.5 OS which nobody wants, but it's also pretty much the best hardware we've ever seen. Bar none.
This brings us to our plea: Microsoft, please put a line in the sand and tell us if the phone will be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series. Of course we know why you won't, you don't want to "Osborne effect" the sales of your one last hope for Windows Mobile 6.5 success, and you don't want to harm one of your most loyal handset builders. But what about your consumers? You've recently pushed out a number of statements about the device, full of wimpy non-line-in-sand-ers like "We currently do not have plans to update the HTC HD2 to Windows Phone 7 Series." Sure, you're not telling us to get our hopes up, but you're also just cruel and calculating enough to leave room for hope. We're pretty resigned at this point to receiving our Windows Phone 7 Series update on the HD2 from our good friends at xda-developers, but we'd just like to hear it from your mouth. Or better yet? Just get WP7S on there yourself, caveat it as "non-preferred" or whatever makes you comfortable, and save us all from this paralysis.
See you at MIX!
@Steven
I really don't think you have anything to worry about if you want to get the HD2. MS will bring WinMo 6.5.x (or classic) at least up to par with iPhone OS and android. From what I've been reading 6.5.3 is supposed to have reworked all the non-finger-friendly screens into finger-friendly screens, and they will continue to provide updates. And the apps are already there. The only other phones that will be providing something above and beyond what the iPhone, Classic WinPhones, and Android phones would be the 7 Series WinPhones.
Just assume that you're not gonna get the 7 Series OS on the HD2, and decide to wait for the 7 Series phones, or get the HD2. Either way you're going to go have a good phone. And in 2 years, when the OEMs start building 7 series phones that are even more advanced, you'll be ready for an upgrade.
Didn't the HD2 just receive a tiny spec bump to make it meet WP7 standards? Maybe only the upgraded ones will get a WP7 upgrade.
@Nitesh no it didn't.. it was just locked in the rom.. you are talking about extra ram it had..
@Nitesh
According to APC magazine, windows 7 won't be on the hd2 because it has 5 buttons instead of the required 3!
http://apcmag.com/microsoft-no-windows-phone-7-upgrade-for-windows-mobile-6x-devices.htm
Speaking of which, if this article is correct, then APC magazine (who published it on the 1st of march knew a definitively before engadget that the hd2 wasn't going to receive the update
@Nitesh
we all hope so, atleast the hd2 owners ;)
I wont mind buying a new phone if it beats my hd2 though...
@Nitesh Its probably not going to happen, they have already said that the phone does not have the required buttons. I'm quite sure that they are not going to do it because that would defeat the purpose of them being to tough on the specifications of the handsets... sorry guys.
@unwynd I wouldn't mind buying a used HD2 when that happens :-P
@vintoe
well thats been the line for as long as WP7S has been revealed. we're wondering if despite having extra buttons the HD2 will be able to upgrade, based on it meeting the other standards as well as just being an expensive incredible phone coming out so close to the WP7S launch.
@Nitesh Yeah I dont get that either... why would HTC hide some ram for no apparent reason? Whats the deal? Maybe future manila updates?
Yes, pleassssssse let this phone upgrade to Windows Phone 7 Series!!! If I were to get a confirmation that it will be upgradeable, I will buy an unlocked version right now and get rid of my iPhone. Either that, or HTC should just release the HD2a (ANDROID!). Either works for me, but I don't think either is gonna happen.
@vintoe Apparently you can have more than just 3 buttons, this one has 6: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/27/exclusive-lgs-windows-phone-7-series-early-prototype-unveiled/
@Nitesh
This whole post is pointless.
Whether sanctioned or not - the HD2 will sport Series 7. If the folks over at XDA can get the latest 6.53 OS to run on phones originally designed for Windows 5, this port is certainly possible.
May not happen by day 1 but typically the guys at XDA are grabbing early releases and start the work immediately.
So, whether sanctioned or not, there is VERY LITTLE risk that the HD2 won't be running Windows 7 by Christmas.
One more thing - maybe MS hasn't announced whether the phone will qualify for an upgrade because it simply hasn't made a decision yet. We are still 6-7 months away from the OS launch. It doesn't strike me as odd that they haven't spent a great deal of time pondering the future of this one particular phone.
@Dking7
Also the US version gets Double the ROM @ 1GB instead of 512MB, which was also holding it back from the WP7 requirements, if it wasn't getting an upgrade somewhere down the line what was the point of adding the extra ROM
@Nitesh Yes they have that, actually even without testing, HD2 could be upgraded with a WinPhone7 platform, the question is why not? Also, the underlying question, will our 6.5 winmo version ever have an update for windows phone 7? I guess even a morsel of hope, is worth waiting for till holidays..
As for windows phone 7, I think MS has done a pretty good job to show 'simplicity' over this platform. If they can improve the marketplace of this phone then I believe this could set a new tone for the mobile industry: http://bit.ly/windows-phone-7-glances
@bjsguess
You are so incorrect it isn't even funny.
WM5, 6, 6.1, 6.5, 6.5.3 all use the same native kernel. 6.5 actually made some small tweaks but will run on the old kernel fine. That is why phones that ran WM5 are currently running 6.5.3. They are all based on the same Windows CE core 5.2.
WM 2003SE and below ran a lower core. And guess what? None of the phones that did not get an official upgrade to at least WM5 can run anything past 2003SE!
No matter how talented some people at XDA are, none of them can port a closed-source OS to undocumented hardware. It is not going to happen.
There are a couple stand out cases such as the HTC Blue Angel. That never got an official upgrade to WM5 but it was used as a development platform for WM5. Some early builds of WM5 for the Blue Angel were leaked. The people at XDA took the kernel from that and have been able to use it all the way up to 6.5.3.
If the HD2 doesn't get an official upgrade, the only hope of getting it to run WPS7 is if it is being used as a development platform like the BA for WM5 and a ROM leaks. Hopefully that is the case because it was one of the early (only) WM phones running a snapdragon processor.
@Eric AHAF
Dude...that's 3 buttons. Can't you count?
@Nitesh
The problem that seems to be overlooked is that Windows Phone 7 Series costs 39.99 (or so) to license, and 6.5.3 doesn't.
So, Microsoft would have to figure out a way to get the HD2's upgraded and still make their new licensing fee. It's all about the benjamins, sadly enough.
@Tes I suppose he is including the keyboard
Whiney article is whiney.
@hq
Since MIX is only like 2 weeks away, just ask them face to face.
Not sure what this post would accomplish.
@hq
Whiny poster needs a whambulance.
Props to Paul, I know I want to know.
@hq I, too, am wondering if there is a special reason why Engadget go so over the top for this single stupid phone (this probably is the third or so post about this particular topic).
Anyone who buys this phone now, expecting to be able to upgrade later is a bit stupid -- otherwise, if Mobile 6.5 fits your use case, then it is probably a great buy. Where's the drama? Could it be so hard to hold out on buying a new phone for a half year?
I wonder... the only red flag is the button config... but did they ever say that more than the 3 "required" buttons isn't a possibility? You have back, home, and search... but if a handset manufacturer wanted to throw 2-3 more buttons on there, does that invalidate it as a WP7S candidate? If not, HD2 all the way!
@technogecko6
I think it has more to do with the fact that there's no specific "Search" button.
Though maybe, if we all put a Search sticker over our Home/Send keys Microsoft will give us WP7S for our HD2s! :P
@TT Don't forget that the HD2 has the Windows key in the middle. That can be remapped to be MS's oh-so-precious Bing key.
And like I have been saying since November, I have yet to see anywhere that MS has said that WP7S phones will have ONLY three keys.
I still say that it would be cutting out a segment of users who pass on a WP7S phone because they don't see the familiar (and has been used for 15 years) red "end call" key and green "make call" key.
I don't think it wise for MS to force on consumers a device with which they may not be familiar (three key only devices).
I agree. I think paying half a grand (UK or USD and trust me, a new unlocked version was that price not so long ago...) for a product to be shelved so easily and the product lifeline to be cut so short so soon is absolutely disgusting. I was going to reply to the "What would you change about the HD2 post" but I'm still finding problems every day. HTC still haven't fixed the SMS conversation loading bug. Why? What on earth is going on. Get it sorted MS and HTC - bring WP7 to this brilliant piece of hardware and do your users some justice. Oh and whilst I'm ranting along here, give everyone a free way to chuck apps into the almost empty Marketplace for the love of bagels.
.... still fuming.
@asw
^This
@asw You know, your phone won't magically break when Phone 7 comes out. Trust me. Everything will work just as before.
@asw
the SMS bug is fixed at least on my phone after the last bugfix update
O.K................
What's even more aggravating is paying over $80 a month for a smart phone plan. People bitch about health insurance costs....
@Wallyum I hope one day god will bless america, so all people there can be healthy
@Wallyum So a cheap smartphone contract can make you to get well? Awesome.
@Peter Pan
>god will bless america
yeah.....
@Peter Pan....Universal Health care will not make people eat healthy, excercise more, and do less risky activities. Also doesn't increase a shortage of doctors and nurses.
@mschmidler Swing and a miss....
Buy HD2 for what is not what it would be. It is a great piece of hardware and I like wm6.5 better for now...
who cares what MS does. We all know that XDA will have both Windows Phone 7 and Android running on this beast by the time WP7S hits.
@JXCGunrunna Yeah that's good, but wouldn't it be better if this came supported by the manufacturer and MS? Then XDA can spend more time doing better things?
@JXCGunrunna
Whiney article IS very whiney, but nevertheless, t-mobile picked a really crappy time to launch the HD-2...too bad they couldn't have got it in november like the rest of the world. Stupid USA carriers are usually a few months behind, but this time they are really paying for it. Microsoft really f'd them when they announced WP7S at MWC hahaha. No one will want to buy this phone NOW. But maybe I am overexagerating -- it will be quite some time until WP7S comes out and the HD2 is still probably one of the best winmo phones ever made, so I guess it's not all bad -- but these kind of tactics are definitely NOT helping winmo increase in popularity _at_all_.
@JXCGunrunna
Don't bet on it. The OS core is completely different. See the reply to the first post above. XDA can do wonders, but they can't port closed source code and that's what an upgrade from 6.5.3 to 7 would require.
Worse come to worse just wait for HD3
@farsideoff Yea, I agree. With the way its looking I was going to say. Don't buy it at all, or wait till the next version comes out. But I still think that this is dumb on MS part. Just allow the damn thing to be upgraded. Everyone can win!
@EagleyeSmith
Nope. They don't allow it be upgraded; Microsoft and HTC win. You buy a new phone when 7 comes out.
It's probably gonna be a year anyway, HD2 will be old news
If MS/HTC came out and said that the HD2 was getting WP7S, I for one would put it on the front of my radar to buy one as soon as Tmo drops it... and I bet others would to. I feel them giving us a "Yes" would only serve to DRIVE the sales harder. However, giving us a "No" will probably hinder them quite a bit...
QQ
What a stupid, whiney article. Buy the phone for what it is. If you want a W7 phone wait and buy one.
@mike71
That's not even the point...
@mike71
Paul has a totally valid point. The HD2 is physically the BEST phone available anywhere, yet it is crippled with the WORST smartphone OS available anywhere.
If the HD2 is destined to get 7series, then a lot of people would surely buy the phone now and put up with WiMo for a few months. If that's not going to happen because MS is too stubborn, then they need to own up and admit it so people can go shopping for something else.
@Chip
Right now it is the best phone. What is to say there won't be a better phone out by the time W7 is released?
This is how technology works and why you always buy for what a product CAN do and not what it MIGHT be able to do.