The great thing about the
HD2 is that it remains one of the most gorgeous pieces of smartphone hardware ever released -- but as long as it's saddled with the dead OS walking known as
Windows Mobile 6.5, its stature in the power user community is perpetually stuck in first gear, no matter how pretty HTC has managed to make it. To that end, some of those very same power users have been working tirelessly to salvage the beast and shoehorn Android on there, but they've been tripped up by some errors involving the phone's Snapdragon core and the so-called HaRET tool used to boot Linux from Windows CE-based devices that have made a proper port seem all but impossible. Those hurdles have been overcome in the past couple days, though, which means a marginally consumer-friendly Android build might finally be within reach -- and considering that there's no proper
EVO 4G equivalent from HTC in Europe yet, this project could have an awful lot of value.
[Thanks, Aaron H.]
posted June 25th 2010 5:41PM
Damn that looks equally as secksi.
@ThatDudeSolo yes! made it to engadget. maybe that will get some more eyes and ears on this project :)
@ThatDudeSolo Truths. That shoop makes me druel.
@ThatDudeSolo
Xda ftw.
@ThatDudeSolo
The hd2 is byfar the best looking phone on the market
@DefPoet I love The HD2's back vs the Evo's. It's got that classy brushed look.
Then again anything looks better than my retired samsung moment aesthetically at this point *throws at wall in disgust*
@ThatDudeSolo
Seems to be the only way to get an Evo (not exactly 4G) in Europe.
Definately great news.
my dad got this phone over the n1(i wanted him to get the n1).
This is perfect so now he can stop asking me why his phone doesn't have good apps like mine(sprint hero)
@Darkroom that is not actually googles job as Android isnt owned by google but by the open handset alliance members. Google is technically just one of the main Android developers that has no interest in specific hardware platforms in reality so it is up to the public or manufacturers to put Android on devices.
making it the gsm EVO!
@ThatDudeSolo
If you're impressed, this project needs support to make it happen:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=vGPl4JGZyMzToR42GmRcyoIdjXgf886jSZVxOWZ8hfIwnlHvR0kuqQD0u-W&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f22d2300ef60a6759516e590e949da361e9502e138eefdd27
@Darkroom
Close enough?
http://www.gadgetsdna.com/how-to-install-android-2-2-froyo-on-iphone-3g/3501/
@Armchaircritic
That link's not working! Where else can we donate for it?
@ThatDudeSolo But the evo is the same why would they do this unless you accidentally bought the brick hd2
if this happens, what the heck will i do with my EVO? : )
@ThatDudeSolo
4 realz. I almost gizzed in my pants when I saw Android on the HD2 ^_^
@vlad786
If you put android on a HD and then put a ATT sim in it, won't that make it a EVO No-G?
@Armchaircritic
I went to post up $100, but I got a fatal failure when clicking the link. Fail. No do-overs.
@GeneralThade You can use this link
http://forum.xda-developers.com/donations.php
The guys at xda are doing some really great work, in my eyes they are really helping move the whole Android OS forward even more
I have been setting up my new HDTV, so I was looking at the TV when I saw this article. I had to rub my eyes... this is a very good day.
@SolidSnake
Seriously... I don't think people realize how VITAL xda has been to the Android community. They are Epic.
@TjK
+100
thx for bringing it up. the world needs to know how amazing they are and what they do for the smartphone market. this project needs love (ive given a lot and wish i could give more). everyone that holds HD2s, please help.
@spawn782 This is the link for the Android on HD2 project leaders paypal... https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NF3YYSMALGXUJ Donate Here, not xdas donation page. The devs on XDA do not get money from xda. It's not the website that does the work, its the members that do these projects and deserve the donations.
@GeneralThade This is the correct link to donate to the project. The other link posted earlier is just to donate to xda website, but that doesn't help the developers on this project. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NF3YYSMALGXUJ
@TjK
And hands as well. I'm sure there are many talented people here who would love to contribute to this project!
It's like kim k with herpes, android is the cure
@MattsZ : Lol, are you saying Windows Mobile 6.5 is comparable to herpes? Obviously you haven't used it extensively if at all.
@Quikboy Yes if he had used it, he would know its probably more like AIDS
@Quikboy You're right, because while herpes stays around, 6.5 is vanishing like Clamidia.
Yes, I used it for a week or two before.
@Quikboy I bought a Sony X1. I'ts slow, non-responsive, glitchy and most actions are buried in annoying menus that you can't click because the icons are to damn small. Almost all of this is due to WM. No matter what Microsoft does; I will NEVER by a WM phone again. I feel at least as shafted as if someone gave me herpes.
@Waksman What about a Windows Phone phone?
@WilliamNighthawk He said "Windows Mobile" so technically he still has the option to buy "Windows Phone" without breaking his self made promise...
@MattsZ
I have to ask, has anyone on engadget ever used WM6.5 with sense? I put a custom rom on my phone (very easy) and the phone is always responsive, I get 2 days of battery out of it as well.
True power users use windows mobile. We edit our registries to make our phone truly ours, we change our ROMs, and theme our phones the way we like, not the way Google intended. We rely on ActiveSync, Exchange e-mail, and Office for work.
And when I'm not at work I can play PS1/N64 games on my phone at 60fps. Android can't do that. There are many things android can't do, like play xvid/divx files and stream full movies over 3G/WIFI from your computer. Switching from Android to WM you see what you've been missing, and I don't think I could go without those things. I would enjoy dual boot though :)
Flipping awesome. The HD2's rear looks significantly better than the Evo. But, the Evo supports 4G.. I'm happy with it.
@liquidkernel yeah in a minor set of locations, but nonetheless it's the first time it's done and it's impressive +1
@liquidkernel If you are in an area with TMO HSPA+, then your getting the same bandwidth as our EVO toting brethern. so really all were loosing out on is the camera and HDMI port
exactly.. and tmobile doesnt charge you extra for it
We Euros seem to prefer smaller form factor phones. It's just one of those things.
@MarkAnderson
That's what she said.
@MarkAnderson
America and Russia like things big
@DefPoet
in soviet russia big things like YOU
@Psyclotr0n
Sorry but i sleep on my back. ;√p
why didnt htc just go with android in the first place, no real benifit to having winmo on the hd2
@uwish2804 For business users who need access to Word, Excel, PPT etc on their smart phone. There's also plenty of software out there that was written for WM being used by businesses that has yet to be ported to Android.
@uwish2804
Hmm, perhaps they were thinking of customers like me that wanted a WinMo device. Just a thought.
@shawndoc
Exactly. However, I don't understand why they freaked out at their own gorgeous screen real estate and instead of using it all to display useful stuff they made up some visual bloat such as paper pile view for e-mails etc.
i will welcome HD2 users to android. Join the party theres plenty room.
We welcome apple users also.
@neeko18 when they port froyo and winpho7 to the HD2 im buying another one so i can live in the best of both worlds... or if the world is a fair place ill be able to dual boot...
Still waiting for a GSM/non 4G EVO for Europe!!
Isnt that "sort of" the point of the Evo? An HD2 like device with android and a few more features?