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Leaked Sense ROM with landscape mode looks wider than it is tall
Landscape orientation: a bastion of width-lovers everywhere. Indeed, hearts have to be melting on news that the leaked T-Mobile USA-branded HD2 ROM -- which has somehow made it onto some Touch Pro2s thanks to xda-developers' usual black magic -- seems to have revealed a new landscape mode for Sense, the beautified WinMo skin formerly known as TouchFLO. Though this makes a ton of sense for devices like the Touch Pro2 that actually need to be used sideways when the keyboard's deployed, we think it'll find plenty of use on slates like the HD2, too. Won't it?
New HTC HD2 ROM makes YouTube debut, T-Mobile USA branding along for the ride
So there's a fancy new HD2 ROM making the rounds on YouTube that shows a rather interesting new feature -- live document preview from the Sense tab bar -- and it seems to work surprisingly well despite a dizzying array of fancy animations, a true tribute to the power of a well-clocked Snapdragon core. For Americans, though, that's not a big deal -- the real news would be that magenta "Stick Together" box up there, an irrefutable sign that T-Mobile USA's hands have been all over this thing. It certainly wouldn't be the first time we've heard this rumor, but at this point, it's looking like a straight-up lock barring some disaster in testing. And no, you can't have the one on the video that you'll find after the break -- it says right there that it's "Test Only not for sale," silly.
T-Mobile bringing HTC HD2 to the States? All .nbh files point to 'yes'
You know those times when you're sifting through an undercooked ROM, dumping .nbh files right and left, asking yourself: "is this even worth it?" Well, the folks at WMExperts can answer with a resounding fist pump after digging up references to T-Mobile US in an HTC HD2 prerelease ROM that was recently leaked their way. At this point we're looking at a new 2.01 version of the HD2 software in the T-Mobile version, a big jump from the 1.61 seen in previous leaks, which maybe will smooth over some of those performance woes we experienced with the device. WMExperts also claims a March 2010 release date, which seems a while to wait, but somebody told us once about "good things" coming to "waiters" or something like that, so we're cautiously optimistic. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC rolls out 'digital picture enhancement' update for HD2
We like cheery, pink-hued pics as much as the next guy, but let's be honest: when you're snapping a candid shot from your phone, you want that cherished memory to be preserved in color that's as accurate as possible. Fortunately, HTC has cut an update for its afflicted HD2 that solves the camera issues it's been having -- which is especially good news considering the dreadful theories that it might be a hardware issue -- and we've never seen language as flowery as this to describe a bugfix: "This update for HTC HD2 delivers clear digital picture quality like never before. Living up to the name of "HD" this phone and its twin LED flash will take beautiful pictures for you to cherish your memories. Displayed in brilliant vibrant colors on its 4.3 inch screen, HTC HD2 camera will delight you." Indeed, HTC. Indeed. [Thanks, Mikey]
Vodafone reportedly ditching the HD2 as iPhone launch looms (update: nope!)
Here's an interesting one. Vodafone, which is one of the few carriers in the world right now with access to HTC's HD2, is reportedly not going to stock the handset any longer once its current supply evaporates. The reason? Why, that's a fantastic question! According to a company spokesperson, there has been a "massive amount of interest" in the big-screen mobile, with initial stock "selling out quickly and subsequent deliveries used to fulfill backorders." Call us crazy, but it seems a wee bit foolish to can a product that's selling well -- unless, of course, Voda has a certain amount of iPhones that it'll be required to sell just a few months from now (or else buy 'em itself). Whatever the case, we're told that the operator "will not [be] re-stocking the HTC HD2 for general consumer sales once current stock runs out," so if you're jonesing for one, ten minutes ago would've been a great time to buy. Update: Here's the latest from Vodafone: "We haven't recalled or stopped selling it, at the moment we have simply ran out of stock. When our next batch of stock arrives, this will be used to fulfill our outstanding back orders but we won't be taking any additional orders via Telesales." Update 2: HTC pinged us directly and apologized for being unclear. Here's the bottom line: "[The] HD2 will continue to be available on Vodafone, even after the iPhone launches." Update 3: Wow, this is a train wreck. Now we're hearing that it'll only be available for "business users," making both Vodafone and HTC correct thanks to tricky wording. Sheesh.
HTC HD2 capacitive stylus just around the bend?
Ah, ha! Remember that curious patent application that popped up from HTC back in mid-August? You know, the one dealing specifically with a "capacitive stylus?" If UK e-tailer Clove is to be believed, one of those very devices will soon be shipping for the wide-faced HD2, though little else about the product is known. In fact, we're told that "price, specification and availability" are still being confirmed, although a preliminary asking price of £15 ($25) is posted. So, anyone already getting hot and bothered just waiting for this, or what?
HTC HD2 review
When Microsoft finally launched Windows Mobile 6.5 earlier this year, there may have been lots of fanfare, but there was little honest excitement. After a tepid showing at MWC in Barcelona followed by the proper launch this October, no one was exactly up in arms over the OS, though support from the big M's partners was characteristically plentiful. Still, there was nary a ray of light to be seen in the otherwise bleak and basic landscape of handset offerings... until the HD2 came along. In August of this year, HTC showed off what seemed to be one of the few Windows Mobile devices capable of generating honest enthusiasm. The massive, full touchscreen device boasts impressive specs: a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a generous 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive WVGA touchscreen display, a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, and lots of other bells and whistles. But the centerpiece here isn't the hardware, it's HTC's totally revamped user interface, Sense, which doesn't just hide Windows Mobile 6.5 -- it all but zaps it out of existence. Sadly for Microsoft, that's the most enticing part of this equation. So, is the HD2's new face enough to quell the bad vibes of Windows Mobile and make the platform seem viable again, or is that a challenge which takes more than just a coat of paint? We've taken a hard look at the phone... so read on to find out. %Gallery-77279%
HTC HD2 can be coaxed into doing 802.11n, if you know how to sweet-talk it
Even though Broadcom, Atheros, and Qualcomm have all been sampling phone-ready draft 802.11n chipsets for some time now, you're still not seeing the tech swiftly overtake 802.11g in the mobile arena -- in fact, we dare you to find a single phone in your carrier's store that can do it. Odds are you can't, but HTC HD2 owners can win a few quid off their skeptical (non-Engadget-reading) friends by enabling support after the fact. Looks like draft-n support got buried in the company's WinMo monster -- a fitting device to add such a rare display of raw, savage wireless power, if we do say so ourselves -- but it got turned off in the shipping firmware for some reason, possibly concerns over increased battery draw, flakiness, or a stark realization that the benefits of 802.11n might not be fully appreciated in a device hamstrung more by a crappy browser than by slow WiFi. If you want to live on the edge anyway and flip the switch, xda-developers has the registry hack you need -- and if you're using an HD2 in the States without 3G right now, let's be honest: you kinda need all the speed-boosting wireless hacks you can dig up.
HTC HD2s exhibiting camera weirdness?
Sure, HD2 owners probably spend the overwhelming majority of their time staring at that jaw-dropping 4.3-inch WVGA display, but you figure that they're probably going to make use of the 5 megapixel cam every once in a while, too -- and therein lies the rub. It seems that a whole bunch of HD2s in the field are having issues with pink auras around the center of the image, which can simply appear to the casual observer as weird white balance in a busy scene; there are intermittent reports that newer devices have squashed the problem, while older units may need to be swapped out to get it fixed. We'll keep an eye on this to see if firmware can magically make this go away, but in the meantime, is anyone out there noticing this on their unit? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC HD2 ripped to shreds, probably in the name of science
Hello there, HD2. To be honest, it's a bit soon in our relationship to be seeing all your inner workings -- not that we mind. The folks on the xda-developers forums have done the duty of tearing down HTC's impressively skinned Windows Mobile 6.5 device. Not much to glean from the snapshots, but if you do harbor some strange technologically-inclined curiosity and would never consider ripping up the phone yourself, hit up the read link for more pictures.
HTC's HD2 has landed at Engadget (hands-on)
That's right... the HD2 has landed. Actually, we took the phone over to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the other day, but didn't get a chance to show it off, so here we are. Sure, you've seen this guy in action in earlier videos... but it's still nice to get a look at this monster up close. We're still blown away by the fact that this is a Windows Mobile 6.5 device -- the skinning job that HTC has done here is nothing short of a miracle. So far we've found the phone to be snappy and responsive, but we're currently putting it through its paces. We'll have a full review shortly, but for now, feast your eyes on the photos below -- and start saving for that imminent US launch. %Gallery-77279%
HTC HD2 officially coming to US, out in Europe and Asia today!
Be still, our beating hearts! HTC has just pressed the "Go" button for European and Asian shipping of its latest object of desire, and it's served notice to American phone lovers that the HD2 is coming to them soon as well. Slated for a "major US carrier" some time "early 2010," it'll land squarely in the same time bracket as the XPERIA X10, which should lead to some really quite interesting decisions to be made, presumably by March 2010. The WinMo 6.5 device might be shipping now, but you'll have to wait at least until the 9th of November before you can spill your Euros for it, and we expect to see a flurry of pricing and contract information filling that short waiting time. Full PR after the break. [Via MobileTechWorld]
T-Mobile nabs HTC's Touch HD2, schedules release for November
WinMo folks, we wouldn't blame you for getting a bit of Android envy after last week's DROID onslaught, but if there's one thing that could make people pine for your OS it's HTC's HD2, and T-Mobile has just confirmed it's coming on November 9 -- a mere weekend after Moto's new hotness hits Verizon. Mind you, there is some confusion going on here, as the picture on T-Mo's site is of the old Touch HD, not the HD2 we met and loved, and the mention of "loads of applications to download from Android Market" is particularly perplexing. But, we've been told to go ahead and blame a bumbling marketeer rather than to expect some sort of cross-platform app marketplace love fest -- groovy as that may sound. Update: We've also just learned that HTC is going to officially launch the HD2 on November 4 ahead of a November 11 release elsewhere. We're not entirely sure what there is left to learn about the thing, but we're always game for another press event. Update 2: Just to clarify things, this is T-Mobile UK. Also, as many have pointed out in comments, we're now thinking the "09" above means 2009, not November 9, which likely points to a November 11 release. Surely you can swallow that DROID envy for another two days, yeah? [Via WMPoweruser.com]
HTC CEO says he could but won't make HD2 an Android phone, has to take care of Windows Mobile
In an interview given to Forbes, HTC CEO Peter Chou spoke pretty candidly about the widespread desire for an Android version of the HD2, and says the phone won't be finagled thusly. "Technically, we could make the HD2 an Android phone, but I have to take care of Windows Mobile," said Chou, after which we imagine popped in a stick of Juicy Fruit and didn't offer to share any with the rest of the class. Of course, this doesn't rule out a handset with similar specifications to the HD2, like the Dragon, matching DROID's push toward Android 2.0 and modern hardware, but it seems to imply that at least it won't be called "HD2," and probably won't look much like it either. Chou did admit that Windows Mobile innovation has been "a little slow" and that interest is declining, and says HTC is "working hard on these kinds of products to get excitement about Windows Mobile back." He didn't hold back on Google, however, saying that some of its actions can be "destructive" but that "we've worked with Microsoft for 13 years ... I also believe we can work with Google for a long time." [Via SlashGear]
HTC HD2 fulfills its unboxing obligations on video
You've already seen the HD2 that HTC would have you see, but now it's time to take the obligatory journey to the world of unboxings. Seen here in "not-yet-final" packaging, the WinMo 6.5-packin' handset looks sexier than ever, even in that still-to-be-tweaked green box. Hop on past the break and mash play if you're looking to get all sorts of jealous this morning.
HTC's HD2 continues to impress, reveals multi-touch web browsing
We've seen plenty about HTC's hot HD2, gone hands-on and sized it up next to everyone's most/least favorite smartphone, but there's one thing we haven't seen yet: multi-touch in IE. The video embedded below from Techblog.gr is in a language you may not quite understand, but certainly everyone can grok the snappy UI performance and the pinch zooming demonstrated at the 2:20 mark. It does look a wee bit unresponsive at this point, but HTC still has time to make things perfect before releasing it here -- though to be honest we'd rather just have it now.[Via WMPoweruser.com]
HTC HD2 turns up in purported T-Mobile USA materials
We've already had some indication that HTC's take on Windows Mobile 6.5, the HD2, would be headed to T-Mobile UK, and heard straight from HTC itself that the phone would indeed be headed to the US in next year, but it looks like we may now have one more key piece of the puzzle. If that slide pictured above is authentic as it's purported to be, it looks like the smartphone will be heading to none other than T-Mobile USA, and presumably sometime in that "early 2010" period HTC mentioned. Of course, this slide noticeably doesn't make mention of Windows Mobile at all, so the phone in question could also conceivably be HTC's rumored Android-based Dragon handset -- or... not. [Via Brighthand]
Unlocked, contract-free HTC HD2 will be available November 11 for a lot of money
We know the HD2 is hitting O2 later this month and Vodafone is getting the handset in Spain in December, but now it looks like the unlocked version isn't too far off either: UK retailer Clove says it'll be out on November 11 for £469, about $740 US. Importing will soon follow, to be sure, but though the phone is unlocked and sim-free we'll be limited to EDGE in the States until that US-specific version hits our shores next year. The question is: will we be strong enough to wait? [Via SlashGear]
HTC's HD2 gets sized up to the competition
We've already seen (and written) plenty on the HD2, and we've enjoyed our initial experiences with the device -- but now someone has finally sized up the massive, Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone with its touchscreen contemporaries... and the differences are downright shocking. Just take a look at this beast next to Apple's iPod touch (above) or the company's own Hero -- the displays on the older devices seem dwarfed by the HD2's 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 WVGA screen. There are lots of other revealing pictures in the writeup, but it's the side-by-side shots that seem most telling to us -- this is certainly the direction we're headed in for mobile devices. Hit the read link and take a full look for yourself. [Via SlashGear]
HTC HD2 gets itself a promo video and a website
We might have to wait until next year to score the HTC HD2 Stateside, but that doesn't mean we can't all enjoy this jazzy little promo video showing off the highlights of Sense. But is the music more reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country or Iko Iko by the Belle Stars? We ask the hard-hitting questions here at Engadget. Video after the break, website at the read link. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
