HTC Vision headed to T-Mobile in new spy shot, dubbed G1 Blaze?

While high-end QWERTY sliders loaded with Android aren't nearly as uncommon now as when HTC's Vision first leaked onto the scene, it appears this particular handset may be destined for T-Mobile with its (alleged) 1GHz processor, spacious keyboard and 3.7-inch WVGA screen. Of course, we'd heard that the Vision would appear on T-Mobile before, and our worries are the same as then -- there's no telling whether the phone will actually land stateside, or if it's destined for T-Mobile Europe instead. Either way, our tipster tells us it could arrive with a different moniker: T-Mobile may call it the "G1 Blaze."

[dbieon12 Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:48PM]

Looks like the old AT&T Lancaster that never got out.

[corylulu Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:51PM]

@dbieon12

I have been waiting for this since I got my G1,
Keyboard FTW!.

[ryan420 Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:08PM]

@dbieon12

Now this is what I've been wanting forever (Newer nexus one with keyboard)

[Dredayxi85 Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:13PM]

@dbieon12

I think the keyboard is too short. Makes it look old.

[wbeardell Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:18PM]

@dbieon12: it sports the engadget color scheme

[Plazmic Flame Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:27PM]

@dbieon12

Make it 4.3 inches...

[Pickaxe Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:32PM]

@Plazmic Flame That's what she said...

...during the sex change operation.

[corylulu Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:40PM]

@Plazmic Flame

I would be okay with 4 inches or 4.1 inches.

[HoldenMccrotch Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:41PM]

@Dredayxi85
i thought that, sure looks stunted ;P
oh well, if this is on tmo europe it looks like the phone for me :P hate on screen keyboards, my fingers arent exactly slender :P

[skyblaze Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:55PM]

@dbieon12

the G1 was my first android phone... hell it was my first smartphone altogether! and the name... it's like HTC had my face plastered across the wall when they were making this! my nexus has everything i ever wanted except for a keyboard. my dreams have come true :D... day one for me

[MicrosoftOwns Posted Jul 25th 2010 6:29PM]

@dbieon12


why was the g1 rated 8/10 by engadget if we can all agree it had the worst design of all time, the right side of the keyboard with the chinw as extremely awkward, the OS was so ugly it was unusable, hardware was slow, and everything felt cheap

[The Dark Knight Posted Jul 25th 2010 6:33PM]

@Dredayxi85

I agree. At least T-mobile now has a powerful Android from HTC!

[skyblaze Posted Jul 25th 2010 7:02PM]

@MicrosoftOwns

i wholeheartedly disagree to every one of those claims... i loved the thing. but to each his own i guess. im sure there's a design better fit for you out there somewhere

[tad604 Posted Jul 25th 2010 7:20PM]

@corylulu I think I can live with out a physical keyboard. My G1 now has 3 different keys that stick and it's a pita.

I wanta 4 or 4" plus sized screen. I want two cameras and a flash. I want hspa+ (on tmobile). I would prefer no alterations to the stock android UI.

[playmakkr Posted Jul 25th 2010 7:42PM]

@corylulu That's what she said!

Sorry, couldn't resist

[Blackflag486 Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:09PM]

@dbieon12
This may be the only reason I will stay with T-Mobile... The lack of any REAL predecessor to the G1 has haunted my dreams... Sure I could go with the MyTouch3G Slide, but I want something powerful! I was about to up and switch to Verizon.

[JeremyBenthem Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:11PM]

Why the hell can't they just call it G2, isn't the number there for a reason? How many Ones does Android need anyway

[Celz Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:23PM]

@MicrosoftOwns Because at the time it was one of the top three phones out.. What are you like 18?? You cant think back a few years..

[Nintendoftl Posted Jul 25th 2010 9:20PM]

@The Dark Knight nexus one

[Wjackson25 Posted Jul 25th 2010 11:11PM]

@Nintendoftl
make it a five row and we have a deal. 4 row is just meh

[tapedeck Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:11AM]

@tad604 all that and make it an HTC phone is the perfect phone for me.

[bjsguess Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:38AM]

@dbieon12

Couldn't fit a dedicated number row on this thing? Something I really use a lot on TP2.

[corylulu Posted Jul 26th 2010 1:27AM]

@Celz

Don't worry, just be like everyone else and downrank MicrosoftOwns whenever you see his posts.

He basically just plagues the site with him saying the same remarks about how all Android phones are cheap and plastic regardless of how they are so good they are or not.

He will only back the Windows Phone 7 phones and those aren't even out yet. So pretty much, hes an idiot.

[beersurfing Posted Jul 26th 2010 2:51AM]

@dbieon12 They killed the best part of the original G1 - the 5-row keyboard is almost completely unique to smartphones these days, and it's a dream (no pun intended) to type on one.

The Touch Pro 2 would be a perfect successor if only HTC loaded it with Android...

[Deed Posted Jul 26th 2010 6:32AM]

@Celz I take offence to that statement. I'm eighteen and I recognise that the G1 was a breakthrough at the time.

However, I don't think that it's aged so well.

[Dinochicken Posted Jul 26th 2010 5:21PM]

@dbieon12

Ah yes, my new phone! Finally a keyboard, here's hoping it comes without the blight known as Sense.

[reinnier Posted Jul 27th 2010 5:12PM]

@JeremyBenthem Because the T-Mobile G2 already came out. It's the HTC Hero

[JeremyBenthem Posted Jul 28th 2010 8:40PM]

@reinnier
not in the US it didn't

[MiketheVee Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:49PM]

add 1 more row on that keyboard and it would be much more interesting....

[corylulu Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:53PM]

@MiketheVee

Number rows are useful, but I have found on my G1 that I hardly use them.

I wont say I dont, cuz i sure as hell do. But I would mind double tapping a ALT key to lock the number pad toggle.

[skyblaze Posted Jul 25th 2010 6:02PM]

@corylulu

my username for a ton of sites has numbers at the end... alot of my passwords have numbers too... so it gets pretty annoying for me sometimes. course it's a small price to pay for finally getting to have a hardware keyboard

[corylulu Posted Jul 25th 2010 6:05PM]

@skyblaze

Yeah, but I just don't think that pressing ALT would be that much of an issue, I do it all the time to punctuate my text anyways.

[MiketheVee Posted Jul 25th 2010 6:15PM]

@corylulu
I actually would like a keyboard that is like the touchpro's layout, specifically AT&T's Fuze layout. one of the best layouts i've had so far

[skyblaze Posted Jul 25th 2010 7:03PM]

@corylulu

you have a point... maybe im just lazy :P

[gophergun Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:30PM]

@MiketheVee I'd have to agree about the number row honestly. It's not a huge deal, really, but I use the number row quite a bit, and even if you don't, the option is never a bad thing. I just hope they're competing with the 4-row Droid 2 instead of the 5-row Epic 4G.

[reinnier Posted Jul 27th 2010 10:14PM]

@MiketheVee i like the layout on the Touch Pro 2 or AT&T Tilt 2

[ObsceneJesster Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:49PM]

I am getting this phone!!

[manifest3r Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:55PM]

Sprint, you should get this toooooo!

[deliteguy Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:31PM]

@manifest3r
You do know they have the epic right?

[manifest3r Posted Jul 25th 2010 6:02PM]

@deliteguy yeah, but it's not HTC :(

[dansus Posted Jul 25th 2010 11:51PM]

@ObsceneJesster

Just look at that HTC qwerty goodness. I nearly made a mess when i saw Tmobile in the title.

[TareG Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:50PM]

It's the Nexus Enterprise (a few months too late)... I'll wait for the Emerald Project with Gingerbread....

Oh, and the EPIC dances circles around this...

[corylulu Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:56PM]

@TareG

Ehh, all the Samsung phones look a bit to last gen style for my taste. HTC (imho) is much better at designing phones. I think from this shot it looks amazing.

But I don't think the practical use for beyond 1GHz will be relevant for at least a year from now anyways, thus I am done waiting to upgrade :D

[sinistersai4d Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:47AM]

@TareG How is the Epic better? The Epic is uglier, but has a front facing camera. Otherwise this is perfect for those of us who want to stay below 4inches and want a slider. This thing looks sexy as hell and has comparable specs to the EVO so far. As long as the 1ghz and ram stays up there then it should fly.

[TareG Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:58AM]

@sinistersai4d

Here's how IMHO, the Epic is better. Feel free to debate my points, though...

1) 4" Super AMOLED Display (4" strikes the sweet spot, and Super AMOLED, is well... not over hyped at all.)
2) Front camera, as you said.
3) 5-row keyboard. This is a huge one. In addition to that, the keyboard just looks amazing.
4) Hummingbird processor
5) The phone looks better IMO. The Vision is a mess, it seems like a blend of Desire, Nexus, and Touch Pro2, and not in a good way.
6) 4G... notice the ordering.

[corylulu Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:33PM]

@TareG
What i take out of it is a (not to sound elitist) crappy UI, last gen as far as looks go, and the way it looks when the keyboard is out is just ugly.

But for all your other points, they are solid. I do think that the 4inch screen is a plus, etc, etc.

[ObsceneJesster Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:51PM]

Wonder why it's using a "alt" key and not a "FN" key like every other HTC keyboard?

[corylulu Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:54PM]

@ObsceneJesster

The original G1 used ALT keys, so I think they are using the same platform.

[fortunzfavor Posted Jul 25th 2010 7:13PM]

@ObsceneJesster The TMo TP2 used alt. I think it must be a TMo thing.

[zerbmaster Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:52PM]

i'm not a fan of sliders but this one looks pretty nice!

but i'm still happy with my htc desire - though it really needs to get froyo!!