Aircell tempts HTC HD2 owners with six months free in-flight WiFi

Now that Aircell has finished roping every major US airline into its plan for world domination providing inexpensive WiFi on most every flight, the company's dealmakers have had to fall back on, shall we say, less integral partnerships to advance their strategy. First up? If you're the owner of a shiny new HTC HD2 on T-Mobile, you get six months of Gogo in-flight WiFi, free of charge. Simply register with the company anytime before June 2011 and it's clear skies for your connection. You can consider the expiration date a bonus alarm clock -- by that time, you'll be ready for a phone with enough buttons for Windows Phone 7 Series.

[r34p3r Posted Mar 25th 2010 6:34AM]

I still don't see what the HD2 needs to be "WP7 Compatible". It has enough buttons on the bottom, does it not?

Is it a search button? What is stopping Microsoft from implementing a desktop search functionality ala Android? Why not incorporate the Bing app into the OS shell?

I think Microsoft is just making excuses so they don't have to use "old", pre-existing devices. Make the companies roll out all-new phones, and therefore your entire operation is seen as updated and revolutionary.

I'm going to miss the functionality that Windows Mobile provides once I switch to Android for the Sprint EVO. But, it seems that many of the features I know and love -- and even come to expect, no less -- such as direct-multitasking (no app pausing in memory), highly efficient copy and paste that is OS-wide (no app-specific scenarios) and other WM-centric functionality are being forsaken in the next iteration of Windows Mobile. And for that, I weep just even a little bit...

[OCEAN CLAK Posted Mar 25th 2010 6:46AM]

@r34p3r

The reason in because Windows Phone Severn Series Phone dose not support

-2 extra buttons (HD2)
-Cut, Copy, Paste
-SD Card
-File Browser
-Multitasking
-Sideload apps
-OEM custimazation and skinning
-WinMo apps
-Get App from any website that has apps

[ChrisSsk Posted Mar 25th 2010 7:00AM]

@r34p3r Yes because the best thing Microsoft can do after setting a new set of requirements is break them for the benefit of a single phone.

Also I bet the people at HTC are really disappointed about the HD2 not getting the upgrade, because why would they want people to buy new WP7 phones when they can give them the upgrade for free on their year old phones

[r34p3r Posted Mar 25th 2010 7:15AM]

@OCEAN CLAK

SD Card Support
Cut / Copy Paste
File Browser
Multitasking
Sideloading Apps
OEM Customization / Skins
App support

Are all software-specific functions. The only thing I can see causing unavoidable conflict are the lack of hardware buttons. Everything else can be remedied through software updates / OS rewrites.

[r34p3r Posted Mar 25th 2010 7:21AM]

@r34p3r

Hell, hardware buttons aren't even a limitation as they too are commanded through software functionality.

My Touch Pro 2 lacks a dedicated CTRL and TAB key, yet I found a program that allows me to rewrite the functions of the hardware keyboard. I changed my MMS key into a CTRL key, and my E-Mail key into a tab key. It effectively nullified the damn over-redundant nature of the Sprint TP2's hardware shortcut buttons -- all with a simple program.

Unfucking your device limitations:

There's most likely an app for that...

[JTips Posted Mar 25th 2010 8:24AM]

HTC HD2 is 99 at walmart.com
http://walmart.letstalk.com/cart/cart.htm

[OCEAN CLAK Posted Mar 25th 2010 6:37AM]

So this is HTC SuperSonic Jet for HD2 and Windows Mobile 6.5 Leaving Party

[TheOne Posted Mar 25th 2010 6:57AM]

Well anybody who really understand Windows Mobile will know it is the most changeable phone OS out of all of the ones on the Market you can do anything pretty much on a WM phone that with todays OS's you need a App for this and that where as in WM you can do it where ever you wanted, but this alas was also the problem most people need dumb phone's that do not require any think to use.

So WM was doomed was the other came out with dumb down OS's and the ability to charge you for stuff that at one point was a given. The old WM just did not fit today's society of we don't want to think about what to do we just want it to do it for us. I will be keeping my HD2 as a keep sake for this will be the last great phone that did not really need a App for that.

[TheOne Posted Mar 25th 2010 6:59AM]

@TheOne damn it so my mistakes we need editing functions Engadget and no I don't want a App for that.

[oscillatingfanboy Posted Mar 25th 2010 10:36AM]

@TheOne

Dude or dudette (See I'm politically correct) get over yourself already. Not everyone wants to get into the behind the scene intricacies of a mobile device's OS. A lot of people just want something that works and works well without too much modification and what not.

People these days have increasingly busy lives and commitments, sitting around rooting/jailbreaking/modding or what have you is superfluous for many. Perhaps this is why WinMob has fallen to the wayside...not so much because it isn't a good OS.

[steel Posted Mar 25th 2010 8:07AM]

Hmmm.... going after people who are obviously happy with a dead OS w/ your new tech? Maybe not the best marriage of audience and marketing.

[fast Posted Mar 25th 2010 2:36PM]

@steel You would rather they would go for feature phone lovers? The sort that are pushed by creapy old man that think turtle necks are still in?

[theefman Posted Mar 25th 2010 10:20AM]

If you engadget gits hate WM and the HD2 so much, why bother writing stories about it?

[LexSky Posted Mar 25th 2010 10:57AM]

@theefman $

[TehAndroid Posted Mar 25th 2010 11:13AM]

Would it be possible to mention the HD2 with out bashing it for not having WP7S? Obviously the HD2 is a great phone seeing as most T-mobile stores sold out of them yesterday. We get it already, you don't like Winmo 6.5, the HD2 and T-mobile.

[rampar Posted Mar 25th 2010 1:10PM]

Has anyone been able to register? I keep trying out from the Opera link but keep getting Page not Found after submitting it.