trophy
Latest
HTC Trophy spotted in the wild, sporting Verizon logo
If you had any remaining doubts whether the HTC Trophy would be playing for Team Red, you can leave them at the door -- a tipster just sent us a high-res version of the above image, and says it's running the latest version of Windows Phone 7, complete with copy/paste support. Our anonymous source says it seems exactly the same physically as the European version we reviewed in October, save for a last telling tweak -- instead of the orangish-yellow innards, it's got red highlights around back. [Thanks, Anonymouse]
Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in March, starting with HTC 7 Trophy?
With Sprint starting up its Windows Phone 7 adventure on March 20th with the HTC Arrive, Verizon is now said to be matching its CDMA competitor with its own offering, the HTC 7 Trophy. We already knew this particular handset would be coming to this particular network in "early 2011," but now WinRumors has narrowed that down to a launch at some point in late March. Verizon's announcement is expected as early as February 28th, this coming Monday, and we're hearing the NoDo update -- the one with copy and paste -- should be preloaded on the device from the start. Should this solid-sounding rumor bear out as foretold, Microsoft should finally be on all US carriers by the start of April. [Thanks, Mike]
HTC Trophy with Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in 'early 2011'
It's unclear whether Verizon will ever get HTC's 7 Pro, but it's a lock that Big Red will eventually have some manner of Windows Phone 7 gear in its lineup -- and now we've got one in the flesh. Looks like HTC will be remixing the Trophy for use on CDMA networks, featuring a 3.8-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel cam, 16GB of storage, and 802.11n, and Verizon is circulating a brochure for Microsoft employees saying they'll be able to buy the Trophy in "early 2011" for $199.99 at launch when they renew their contracts now (they'll also get a leather case and a car charger for free, but hey, they're Microsofties). Oh, and that's not the best part: the Trophy is also identified as being a "quad band global phone," meaning you'll be able to roam on GSM networks when you leave the US behind -- a feature Verizon seems to be pushing pretty hard across its smartphone lineup now. Follow the break for a bigger version of the pamphlet. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
HTC Trophy review
Why yes, yes it is another Windows Phone 7 device review. Not that we're complaining. It's not everyday that a new mobile operating system this polished arrives at our doorstep. Having already gone in depth with Microsoft's entirely new OS and half dozen or so other WP7 devices, it's now time to dive deep into the life and times of the HTC Trophy (codenamed, Spark). And it's about time. We first saw the words "HTC" and "Trophy" on the same page in a roadmap leak all the way back in 2009. Several of the leaked handsets eventually launched -- but not the 3-inch portrait QWERTY Trophy running Windows Mobile 6.5. Perhaps that original design was scrapped along with WinMo's relevancy to the consumer smartphone market. We don't know and we may never know. What we can tell you is what it's like to live with a production HTC Trophy for a week -- an average speced touchscreen slate offering anything but a middle-of-the-road experience. This review is primarily of the HTC Trophy hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.%Gallery-106244%
Windows Phone 7 now on sale... in New Zealand
Well played, New Zealand. Hobbit-infested scenery, Flight of the Conchords, the first in the world to get iPhone 3Gs... and now this. What you're looking at is purportedly the first person to purchase a Windows Phone 7 device, and even if that's not quite the case, it signals the launch of the phone for the island country, which would make it the first region in the world to put the device on sale. Have patience, non-Kiwi friends. Update: After the break, a shot of a Vodafone NZ HTC Trophy, purchased at Aotea Square in Auckland. Thanks, Jonathan! [Thanks, Stephen]
HTC HD7 costs €599 unlocked at Amazon.de, 7 Trophy priced at £430 in UK
Looks like Amazon isn't sleeping on this whole Windows Phone 7 launch shebang. The online retailer has unveiled its pricing for a pair of HTC handsets so far, with the 4.3-inch HTC HD7 costing €599 ($835) in Germany and the 3.8-inch 7 Trophy setting UK buyers back £430 ($685). The Trophy in particular is coming in at slightly below the typical Android handset pricing, whereas the HD7 seems to carry a reasonable premium for its jumbo dimensions and flagship billing. Alas, neither the UK nor the DE portal will let you purchase or pre-order a handset just yet, but considering that the Trophy is expected on November 8, maybe that's not such a big deal. Europe-wide availability for Windows Phone 7 handsets is coming on October 21, so the best strategy might well be to use these numbers as price guides and wait till the store doors open next Thursday.
Windows Phone 7 launch guide
Windows Phone 7. We came, we saw, we took lots and lots of photos. Today, Microsoft unleashed its global domination plans on the world, and we wanted to give readers some insight into what happens now, what happens next, and what the more distant future holds for Redmond's smartphone play. As we saw today, the WP7 push is going to happen in multiple countries (more than 30), on multiple carriers (more than 60), and involve lots and lots of hardware. Ten devices to start -- all announced today -- and a slew of others likely to follow. Overall, the first approach of Windows Phone 7 into the marketplace looks strong. Microsoft has built a surprisingly solid new OS (which we previewed in-depth back in July), has a strong set of carrier relationships in place, and is introducing hardware that if not revolutionary, is certainly competitive. So, where are the holes in the plan right now?
HTC 7 Trophy first hands-on (update: video!)
Here's yet another HTC handset from the WP7 launch today: the 7 Trophy. Features like the 3.8-inch WVGA LCD, 1GHz Snapdragon and the 5MP camera certainly sound familiar; even the phone's battery cover has taken a design cue from the Desire -- same peel-off method, and same matte texture. Not all that exciting, really, but the OS was running pretty smoothly except for the buggy HTC Hub and browser. For now, help yourselves with our hands-on shots below. Update: Video added after the break.%Gallery-104779%
Purported HTC Spark Windows Phone 7 ROM leak suggests Vodafone home, Trophy doppelganger
It's been decades, in internet years, since we caught wind of a 4.3-inch, 1.3GHz HTC Mondrian via a leaked Windows Phone 7 ROM. The sun rises, the sun sets, life returned to normal, and yet... here we are again. This ROM comes care of a purported Vodafone leak and sports the name (so much as the filename hints) HTC Spark, a render of which bears striking resemblance to the Trophy we espied last week. Spark itself popped up as recent as early August on a sheet that claimed a 3.7-inch 480 x 800 display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB RAM, and a 5 megapixel camera. Can all these loose threads tie together to form one cohesive smartphone sweater? Not yet, but it's getting there.
HTC HD7 schematic illustrates our Windows Phone 7 future
First thing's first: there's no way to verify that the above image is a legitimate HTC doc. The tipster seems reliable, having provided WMPoweruser with the HTC Mozart video yesterday, but until we witness Peter Chou holding the damn thing up in front of an audience struggling to get a WiFi signal, we'll remain cautious. Anyhow, what we're looking at above is the claimed first visual of that ephemeral HD7 from HTC, replete with a dedicated camera button and what looks like a dual-LED flash, along with a MicroUSB data/power port and headphone jack at the bottom (identical to the HD2 and Desire HD). It's reassuring to see much of the glorious HD2 heritage being carried over into this successor atop HTC's Windows phone line, though if you're not all that keen on jumping on what looks like yet another superpowered 4.3-inch slate, there's always the rumored Trophy handset as well.
HTC Trophy with Windows Phone 7 caught in the wild?
HTC Trophy isn't an entirely new name 'round these here parts -- in fact, we've seen it twice now on two documents that have propagated the internet before their respective time. But this is the first claimed sighting of such a device, and according to Pocketnow, what we're looking at is indeed the Trophy itself, packed with Windows Phone 7. And that's about all we can say here, as there's no indication of price, release date, or if this is actually one of the many other WP7 devices HTC has cooking. At any rate, have no fear, the manufacturer's all but guaranteed to bring you numerous options from which to choose. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows Phone 7 device roundup: LG E900 earns GCF certification, HTC Trophy meets Vodafone
You might remember that a huge roadmap document leaked out of HTC late last year; though many of the devices in it never materialized, the fact that the Legend, Bravo, and Photon turned out to be legit (as the Legend, Desire, and HD Mini, respectively) lends credence to the belief that all of the phones in that slide deck were at least on HTC's drawing board at one time or another. One of the more interesting MIA handsets -- the so-called Trophy with WinMo 6.5 and a portrait QWERTY keyboard -- looks like it may have been repurposed as a Windows Phone 7 model thanks to some new shots out of Vodafone Germany's inventory system, which is pretty awesome considering how difficult portrait QWERTY devices are to come by, generally (though it would've had to get a redesign with a higher-res display and faster processor to meet Microsoft's spec guidelines). Along the same lines, LG's well-leaked E900 has recently gotten its blessing from the Global Certification Forum where it's listed with 900 / 2100MHz 3G (HSPA, we're sure) alongside quadband GSM. Certainly going to be an interesting fall, isn't it? [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
TUAW's Daily App: The Incident
The Incident makes for one of the best reasons to be a gamer and own an iPhone -- it's a purely indie affair, with excellent pixel graphics and game design by Neven Mrgan and Matt Comi and terrific chiptunes by Cabel Sasser. And it's a wacky little concoction that doesn't sound like it will work, but of course does, and well. You play a little guy who, standing in the street one day, is suddenly assaulted by falling objects from above. There's a little bit more to uncover, but that's really all you need -- you can tilt the iPhone back and forth to move your guy around in 2D, and tap on the screen to jump out of the way of falling objects above, marked by a warning flash on top of the screen. It sounds strange, and it is, but it works. The controls are responsive, the graphics are colorful, and the game perfectly captures that "one more try" feeling as you ascend through the seven levels, climbing up on the fallen objects all the way to the top of the sky. There are lots of coins, med packs, and extra lives to collect as you go, but the tough part is just staying out of the way -- three hits on the noggin costs you a life (and gives you a trophy to remember what wacky object killed you). There are many, many objects in the game, too, and you'll undoubtedly be surprised by what falls on you next. It's a great game, worth every cent of the US $1.99 they're selling it for in the App Store. Terrific little indie games like this are what make the iPhone platform really shine.
PS3 Firmware 3.30 available now
According to the PlayStation.Blog, PS3 firmware 3.30 "preps" the system for the forthcoming implementation of 3D gaming. (3D Blu-ray movie support will also be added in a future update.) In addition, everyone will be able to enjoy an enhanced Trophy collection, featuring new sorting methods to help better organize your PS3 achievements. The update is mandatory, so you should download and install the update if you plan on using any PSN functionality. (ProTip: Your download may be faster if you visit the PlayStation website and save the update to a memory card.) [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Army of Two: The 40th Day DLC fix coming soon, EA says
Has your brotainment been at an all-time low with Army of Two: The 40th Day's campaign DLC, Chapters of Deceit? Well, according to Eurogamer, EA is well aware of the issue regarding faulty Achievement and Trophy unlocks and is currently working on a fix. "There is a known issue affecting Achievements in an Army of Two DLC pack," an EA spokesperson said. "We are looking into a solution and hope to provide an update soon." In the meantime, we suggest you enjoy one of those other games that inspired The 40th Day. It's not a bad way to pass the time until you wait for "soon" to come around.
Get a 1,000 hit combo in God of War 3 the easy way
Are you working your way to a Platinum in God of War III? You may want to check out this video, which helps you net Hit Man, one of the more challenging Trophies in the game. To get the award, you must perform a 1000 hit combo. Should your fighting skills not be up to snuff, there are two easy (but time consuming) ways of getting the achievement. It can take upwards of 20 minutes of mindless button mashing, but it's a sure-fire way of making sure you get the Bronze Trophy. Check out the (rather cheap) strategies after the break. [Via N4G]
HTC's 2010 roadmap goes on display?
Those among us with minds like steel traps might recall that HTC's 2009 was leaked with shocking accuracy way back in January of this year, which lends some credibility to this already-believable series of slides we have seemingly showing off most of the good stuff we can expect out of the company in the coming months. The stuff we're privy to here was allegedly presented at a meeting in Vienna back in October, with both Windows Mobile and Android designs broken up into four target demo categories: Design / Lifestyle, Social, Performance (we like the sound of that), and Productivity -- but don't take our word for it. Follow the break for everything you need to know about this very real-sounding downpour of specs and renders. %Gallery-79710%
Trophies: Peggle
0 Platinum 1 Gold 6 Silver 8 Bronze Difficulty: Very Difficult Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 20 hours DLC Trophies? Yes* *Trophies requiring DLC are highlighted in yellow. View Trophy List Read More About the Game %Gallery-12465%
Reminder: This is how you play God of War
Just in case your God-killing skills have rusted since the end of God of War II on PS2, QA Tester Stephen Peterson has a few tricks up his sleeve. While this video from the PlayStation.Blog is meant to illustrate how to achieve the "15 Min Fight Scene' Trophy, it provides general hints that will be useful throughout Kratos' adventure. Pay attention to the weapons he chooses, and the magic he deploys. You'll see that with these tactics, a 500 hit combo goes from "ludicrous" to "entirely possible."Study this video like a textbook -- God of War Collection is only days away, and you won't want to miss out on two Platinum Trophies, right?
Trophies: NBA 2K10 Draft Combine
0 Platinum1 Gold4 Silver7 Bronze Difficulty: Very Easy Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 5 hoursDLC Trophies? No View Trophy List Read More About the Game %Gallery-68901%
