HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US
Stop us if you've heard these specs before: 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) TFT screen, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 system-on-chip, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, and Microsoft's latest mobile OS on board. Yes, the HTC HD7 is almost a carbon copy of the much-loved HD2, albeit with a major upgrade to Windows Phone 7 software and an appreciated bump to 720/24p video recording. Beyond those enhancements, American buyers will be greeted with preinstalled Netflix, Slacker, and T-Mobile TV entertainment apps, along with 16GB of built-in storage.
T-Mobile gets the honor of being the exclusive US carrier, with exclusives also going out to O2 in the UK and Ireland and Telstra in Australia. O2 Germany will also distribute the phone, along with Movistar in Spain, Bouygues Telecom in France, and a choice of carriers in Italy. Bear in mind that the non-US HD7s are likely to come with a less capacious 8GB of storage. The phone is scheduled for an October 21 retail debut in Europe, to be followed by a mid-November arrival on US shelves. You'll find the full press release after the break, although you shouldn't bother if you expect it to explain why the nearly identical HD2 isn't getting a WP7 upgrade.%Gallery-104727%
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T-Mobile Introduces the HTC HD7, With the Largest Screen Available on a Windows Phone 7 Smartphone in the U.S.
T-Mobile to deliver rich entertainment experience with pre-loaded Netflix, T-Mobile TV, Xbox LIVE®, Zune and Slacker Radio applications
BELLEVUE, Wash. - Oct. 11, 2010 - T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the upcoming launch of the HTC HD7, one of the world's first smartphones using the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Pairing rich mobile multimedia features with a 4.3-inch touch display - the largest screen available on a Windows Phone in the U.S. - the HTC HD7 promises to keep customers entertained and connected on the go.
"By delivering the largest screen available on a Windows Phone, T-Mobile is offering a top-notch smartphone entertainment experience," said Paul Cole, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. "With deep integration of entertainment brands, social networking capabilities and rich Microsoft services, the HTC HD7 intelligently brings together information and experiences that matter to customers all in a bold, sophisticated design."
Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas said, "With its huge, vibrant display, high quality sound and built-in kickstand, the HTC HD7 smartphone is the ultimate device to enjoy the outstanding entertainment services made possible by Windows Phone 7. With the HTC HD7 smartphone, HTC and T-Mobile are once again coming together to deliver an outstanding smartphone experience to wireless consumers looking for both entertainment and productivity."
The HTC HD7 is the first phone from T-Mobile built on Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's new mobile platform designed to bring together what customers care about most. Instead of the common icon displays on the screen, Windows Phone 7 uses Live Tiles, which allow customers to find out what's going on, what's happening next, and what they've missed without having to open an application.
Windows Phone 7 also delivers an integrated experience on the HTC HD7 through Windows Phone Hubs. Hubs bring together a related set of applications, services and content into a single view to simplify common tasks. Your contacts, music, games and work can be shared, synced and accessed virtually wherever you happen to be.
"T-Mobile has been a strong supporter of Windows Phones and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Windows Phone 7," said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft Corp. "T-Mobile has a deep understanding of its customers, and we're thrilled to bring Windows Phone 7 to market on its network."
With the new HTC HD7, customers can access their favorite movies, TV shows, games, music and more on a large 4.3-inch screen. The HTC HD7's top pre-installed entertainment applications include the following:
Netflix for streaming thousands of movies and TV shows for Netflix members to watch instantly on the HTC HD7's large, crisp screen.
T-Mobile TV, offering consumers access to live and on-demand TV, including free programming from ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids, Azteca America, family holiday movie favorites and more.
Slacker Radio for listening to free, personalized radio with over 130 genre stations and the ability for customers to create stations of their own.
Xbox LIVE unlocks a world of games and fun, connecting customers to a global community of more than 25 million active Xbox LIVE members and offering easy access to Xbox LIVE features such as Friends, Avatars, Achievements, Messaging and more.
Zune for loading people's favorite media - music, movies, TV shows and podcasts - and taking it wherever.
In addition to rich entertainment, the HTC HD7 also keeps customers connected throughout the day with a best-in-class productivity experience featuring the largest virtual keyboard available on a Windows Phone in the U.S. The HTC HD7 includes fully integrated Microsoft Exchange e-mail and calendar as well as Office Hub, which offers customers mobile versions of popular productivity programs, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace.
Running on T-Mobile's super-fast mobile broadband network, the HTC HD7's 4.3 inch capacitive screen with built-in kickstand is ideal for watching the latest movies and other video entertainment or experiencing a large selection of games and applications. The device also comes equipped with a blazing-fast Qualcomm® 1 GHz Snapdragon™ processor for a fast mobile data experience.
In addition to the comprehensive entertainment features of the device, the HTC HD7 delivers advanced phone features including GPS functionality with access to turn-by-turn navigation from TeleNav GPS Navigator™, Internet Explorer 8, 16 GB of internal memory, HD video recording, and an advanced 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash.
The HTC HD7 is also the first device to offer T-Mobile® Family Room™, a new application exclusively from T-Mobile that helps families keep in touch and manage their busy lives. Customers can write a note on a virtual chalkboard and add shared calendar events for their Family Room group to coordinate get-togethers. Sharing pictures and interacting is easy, with real-time notifications alerting users when any family member posts something for everyone to see.
Availability
The HTC HD7 is expected to be available in the U.S. exclusively to T-Mobile customers in mid-November. More details will be available at http://htc.t-mobile.com/hd7.
In addition to the HTC HD7, T-Mobile plans to offer an additional Windows Phone 7 smartphone option in the Dell Venue Pro, a stylish full-QWERTY slider featuring a 4.1-inch screen, 5 megapixel camera and a Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. The Dell Venue Pro is expected to be available in the U.S. in time for the holidays directly from Dell and select retailers with service from T-Mobile. More details will be available at http://www.dell.com.
