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ITG xpPhone 2 hands-on: Windows 7 on a smartphone
We got a little worried when ITG missed its January unveiling for the xpPhone 2, but yesterday, this Windows 7-powered smartphone finally made its debut public appearance in Guangzhou, and we happened to be there to scoop up a demo unit. Since we last came across the second-gen xpPhone, its ambitious Chinese manufacturer has dished out more detailed specs: the 17.5mm-thick device comes with a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 LCD made by Sharp, multitouch input, an Intel Atom Z5xx series processor up to 2GHz, up to 2GB of RAM, up to 112GB of SSD made by Silicon Storage Technology, microSD expansion and a multipurpose HDMI Micro socket (not HDMI Mini as we mistakenly said in our video after the break) that takes care of video, audio, data (USB 2.0) and power. Read on to find out what we think of this weird creature.
ITG xpPhone 2 to get some Windows 8 love, starts living large in January (updated)
Let's be honest: with the size of a brick and a relatively short battery life, it's no surprise that ITG's xpPhone hasn't quite dominated the smartphone market since its launch back in November. In fact, we haven't even seen one in the wild, and we certainly wouldn't have missed it if there ever was one on the street. That said, ITG hasn't given up, as the company's just announced its second-generation Windows-powered smartphone. The reason? Well, interestingly enough, ITG prefers Windows' greater range of compatible software compared to those of mobile OSes, namely Android and iOS. Let's just leave it at that for now. Simply dubbed the xpPhone 2, this beast of a QWERTY slider packs a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 chip, along with 2GB RAM, up to 112GB of SSD storage, 4.3-inch display and compatibility with both Windows 7 and Windows 8 -- obviously the latter OS will depend on its final release date. Not only has battery life been bumped up to around 18 hours of call time or 46 days on standby, but the phone's also been slimmed down to 140mm x 73mm x 17.5mm, which is a huge improvement compared to its bulky predecessor. With the touch-friendly Windows 8 on board along with a non-underclocked CPU, we have a feeling that the xpPhone 2 will at least fare much better than Fujitsu's F-07C; as for the rest, we shall see when it comes out in January next year. And no, it probably won't run Crysis. Update: Looks like we were misled by the company's other promotional photos and thus mistakenly thought the xpPhone 2 will have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. This would explain the slimmer body then. Update 2: ITG just clarified that the phone will be unveiled in January rather than launched. %Gallery-137785%
ITG xpPhone on sale at long last!
Feel like stretching the very definition of "phone" for the sake of functionality or sheer bravado? You get to be friends with us. We've always had a soft spot for ITG's bizarrely conceived xpPhone, which does indeed run Windows XP, albeit the Embedded version, and the monstrous thing is now on sale after almost two years of teasing. It's running for a mere $798 PayPal Bux in its 3G incarnation, $732 for 3G-free, and $666 (yes, that 666) for the 3G-less version with DOS instead of Windows. We could go on all day listing specs for this thing, so we recommend you hit up that source link and feast on them for yourselves -- just make sure to have your PayPal login handy for when the irresistible nerdery of this thing reaches out and grabs you and never ever lets go. [Thanks, Eman Z]
ITG xpPhone functioning at Computex, we go head-on (video)
We've been hearing about / poking fun of ITG's xpPhone since June of last year, but amazingly enough, we'd yet to actually see one in the flesh until today. Slyly stuck in the back corner of Microsoft's Computex booth were a trio of xpPhones, at least one of which was shockingly functional. As the story goes, the company has decided to axe Windows XP in favor of a much more lightweight version of WinXP Embedded, and responsiveness seemed suitable enough given the circumstances. And by "circumstances," we mean "the outrageous size." You see, we've no qualms making and receiving calls on an ultra-sleek Dell Streak, but this bad boy was pushing a solid inch in thickness. Sure, there's a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, optical sensor and integrated Bluetooth, but that hardly makes it viable in a world where smartphones are thinner than wallets and full-fledged laptops are rolling in at under 10mm. During our time with the device, we found the display to be surprisingly crisp, and while our finger presses were easily recognized, the omission of an accelerometer, the tremendous size, inexcusable weight and the tremendous size kept us from falling head over heels. We will say, though -- it'd make a darn good weapon should someone pull a fast one in the alley, and we'd probably buy one for kicks at under $150. Comedy ensues after the break.
ITG xpPhone gets a price, more pretty pictures
If you're China-based and you think there might be an xpPhone in your future, we've got some news for you: according to an email from ITG, the device will cost from 3,000 - 4,500 Chinese RMB (or about $400 - $650), depending on options. Funny how the world works -- put Windows XP on a laptop and it's yawn city, then you go and put the same OS on a handset and the thing is a bona fide curiosity. We also have a few new shots of the thing, and now we're we won't be stingy with 'em. Take a look below to get your Ya-Ya's out. %Gallery-83385%
ITG xpPhone seen powering up on video
ITG has managed to keep its xpPhone in the news ever since firing up its pre-order page back in September. Just a day after seeing the Windows XP-based MID / phone / whatchamacallit in the wild, we're now looking at the first known video of it booting up. Granted, the device shown after the break is just an "engineering sample," but hey, progress is progress. Go 'head, take a peek -- ain't no shame in the game.
ITG xpPhone shown off in green, and yes, you can have a different color
This isn't the first time we've seen what would appear to be an xpPhone dummy in the wild paired with a mocked-up display; that honor would go to a Computex debut earlier this year. What these new shots of ITG's Windows XP-powered wonder do demonstrate, though, is what a MID-turned-smartphone looks like with a lick of moss green painted around the edges. It's not really our style, to be honest -- and fortunately, it seems that ITG will be offering the production device in white, red, black, or silver (on top of a limitless array of 3G options, display sizes, and operating systems), but heck, we'd be happy taking it in ochre if they'd just promise a reasonably-priced release in the next century.
ITG's xpPhone gets options for larger screen and Windows 7, loses sense of identity
It makes sense to release your mostly-theoretical (so far, anyway) desktop OS-based slider handset with the world's newest and best version of Windows, but when your slider handset is dubbed "xpPhone" things become a bit more muddled. But that's the word from Pocketables, who's been in touch with ITG and learned that the MID / phone will not only ship with a Windows 7 option, but also be available in 4.3-inch, 4.8-inch and 7-inch screen sizes. There's also rumors of price ranging from $500 to $700, but what we'd really like at this point is a bit of a demo of this thing in action -- especially now that there's a similar ViewSonic-branded device breathing down its neck.
xpPhone teased with specs and pictures, makes Windows XP young again
Don't panic, we haven't gone back in time. What we're looking at here is the world's first but still-yet-to-be-released phone that runs on Windows XP, and its Chinese maker has just released some juicy specs and interface images to tease us all. The ITG xpPhone will be blessed with the chutzpah-filled AMD "Super Mobile" CPU, coupled with either 512MB or 1GB RAM. Storage options range from 8GB SSD to 120GB HDD (probably 1.8-inch) and everything in between. While the sheet confirms both GSM and CDMA support, ITG's pre-order page -- which looks more like a newsletter sign-up page at the moment -- is still vague on the phone's availability and price. For now we'll just continue to gaze at the interface pictures until something happens. %Gallery-76906% [Via Gizmodo]
ITG's Windows XP-loving xpPhone now accepting pre-orders worldwide
It's been awhile since we last saw the xpPhone, a quick, quiet demonstration at Computex that left us doubting whether the thing would ever see the light of day outside a packed showroom floor. It seems our doubts are about to be put to rest as ITG, creator of the thing, has thrown up a pre-order page on the phone's website. There's no mention of a price, and indeed you won't be asked to plunk down any cash right now (it's not much of a pre-order), but what's interesting is that it asks you to choose between 3G modules for Vodafone, Orange, or AT&T. That means ITG seemingly has aspirations of a global release for this thing, and while we're not sure how many people are going to want to lug around a MID-sized monster celly with a "super big" 4.8-inch LCD and a weight of nearly a pound, surely some nation in the world has pockets big enough for this. [Via Pocketables]
