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BlackBerry Application Suite leaks, ready to corrupt a perfectly good WinMo phone
We'd figured that RIM's ambitious (if not questionable) project to port the juiciest morsels of BlackBerry OS to a virtual machine running atop Windows Mobile was abandoned long ago, and for all we know, it has -- but the half-baked remnants of the undertaking are finally available thanks to the good folks at xda-developers. BlackBerry Application Suite, as its known, has finally found a proper home in a CAB file that's making the rounds on the forums, and it's apparently been bolted together with enough duct tape to work on an AT&T Fuze. Well, "work" is a relative term -- you've apparently got to be on a BES server for it to work, you need to generate a valid PIN, and actuating the touchscreen requires a double-tap, but when you're ready to stop punishing yourself with this craziness, the cold comfort of WinMo is just a couple clicks away. If you think you need this, odds are you really just need a Storm2, but hey, feel free to ruin your weekend trying to get this to work.
AT&T's HTC Tilt 2 coming October 18? (updated)
AT&T's official press materials might coyly say that the HTC Tilt 2 will launch "in the coming weeks," but we just noticed that an official Windows Mobile 6.5 PR blast we got from Microsoft lists Blue's take on the Touch Pro2 as launching October 18. Sounds about right, we'd say -- anyone planning to grab one? Update: We were just sent an internal AT&T memo that says the Tilt 2 is actually being stocked and sold to business customers as of today, but that it won't go widely on sale until the 18th. So, our question stands, with an addendum -- anyone planning on pretending to a businessperson today in order to grab one?
Verizon: Touch Diamond, Touch Pro now $99 with contract
Looks like Verizon's up to something (and we're not talking about Sholes). A quick trip over to VZW's site has confirmed that $99 -- and a two-year contract -- will land you just about any smartphone that they offer (one notable exception being the Samsung Saga), including HTC's Touch Pro and Touch Diamond. Could this mean that the new Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2 are soon to rear their pretty little heads? We'd be down with that.
T-Mobile announces HTC Touch Pro2 for August 12 availability
Sure, the Touch Pro2 from HTC is available from a variety of carriers around the world at this point -- but you won't find many (read: none) that are offering it in the US right now, which makes T-Mobile's launch especially notable. As expected, it'll be hitting on August 12, bringing a 3.2 megapixel camera, AWS 3G, GPS, a glorious 3.6-inch WVGA display, WiFi, and that unique Straight Talk tech that should make the phone one of the best speakerphones you've ever used (frequent conference callers, take note). Pricing hasn't been announced, but expect it in the lovely shade pictures above, which is being termed "mocha" (your choice of vocabulary may vary).
HTC Touch Pro2 unboxed with tempered excitement
It's time for HTC's Touch Pro2 to join the ranks of every other modern phone in getting its own unboxing video. An enthusiastic PocketNow has the honors, and even goes so far as to utilize the infamous "smell test" to confirm it is in fact a genuine leather case included. Sized up to the original Touch Pro, it's got a more spread out keyboard, larger screen and thinner form factor -- all welcome additions, if you ask us. We can't imagine it being a deal breaker, but just so you know, the slide-out tilt doesn't go as extreme as its predecessor in that form factor, HTC's Titan. Living vicariously through video can be accomplished after the break -- it's not yet available stateside, but if you can't wait, there's always import.
HTC Touch Pro battery goes rogue, lights up an otherwise fine pair of pants
Just a note to everyone who carries around a spare smartphone Li-ion in their rear pocket: buy thicker underwear. The scene you see above was all caused by an obviously volatile HTC Touch Pro battery, one that the pants-wearer claims is an authentic HTC cell and not a cheap-o alternative from eBay. As the story goes, a foul odor led him to a laundry pile, where he uncovered eight moist socks, a torched battery and a ruined pair of pants. Look, we're glad this guy's okay and all, but seriously, can you imagine what this testy little thing would've done when tossed into the dryer? It's a blessing in disguise, kiddo.[Via phoneArena]
HTC Touch Pro2 gets thoroughly handled overseas
While we still don't have an official release date for HTC's Touch Pro2 here in the states, the folks at Russian site Mobile-Review have managed to get some extensive hands-on time with the unit. Props go to the quality of the voice calls and especially the QWERTY keyboard, noted via the machine translation as one of the most user-friendly in modern mobile devices. The same is not said here, however, for the plastic casing and steep pricing. They also don't really touch on TouchFlo 3D 2.0.XX -- that's apparently coming later in another article -- but hit up the read link for a plethora of pictures and a video of the updated UI in action.[Via WMPoweruser]
T-Mobile-branded HTC Touch Pro2 appears in the wild
It's really no secret that the Touch Pro2 is destined to arrive in the States on T-Mobile, but this is the first time we've seen the T-Mo edition not, uh, drippings with goo. And yes, that's a US-spec keyboard and the "fewer dots" US T-Mobile logo, so this looks like the real thing -- hopefully that means a launch is imminent. Hit the read link for a bunch more shots.[Via Pocketnow]
HTC Touch Pro comes to US Cellular
It's pretty hard to get excited about a device introduction when its successor has already been announced -- but alas, the original Touch Pro is still a pretty awesome phone, and we're sure it'll do pretty well for US Cellular. The regional has caught up with Sprint and Verizon in launching HTC's VGA display-equipped landscape QWERTY slider, bringing a 3.2 megapixel cam, 288MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM (meeting Sprint's specs and exceeding Verizon's), WiFi, and all the TouchFLO 3D you can handle for $249.95 on contract after mail-in rebate. Just avoid casting envious gazes toward the Pro2 over in the GSM realm, and you'll be all set.[Via MobileBurn]
Unlocked HTC Touch Pro2 to retail for $880, Touch Diamond2 for $725
HTC's been pretty coy with pricing on the Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2, but now that units are starting to trickle out overseas, the numbers situation is getting slightly clearer. HTC's just announced that an unlocked Pro2 will set Singaporeans back S$1,328 ($887), while a Diamond2 will hit 'em up for S$1,088 ($726) -- a little more than in Taiwan, but probably close to what we'll see off-contract in the States. A little rich for our blood, though -- let's hope T-Mobile cleans the goo off soon.[Via Unwired View]
HTC throws firmware update at Touch Pro, now even more "betterer"
Well here's some welcome news, HTC released an update for the Touch Pro to help band-aid a few minor quibbles a couple days ago. Listed are fixes for auto-focus not auto-focusing at times, preview screen going wrong after taking a pic, TouchFLO 3D crashes, and "The display of TouchFLO 3D sometimes may appear cracked." gets in there, too. This patch seems to be carrier agnostic and as such comes with warnings about wiping your provider's customizations, so it may be wise to wait til your local gets it out to you. Failure to back your set up, read the instructions carefully or to tap your heels three times while upgrading may make us point and laugh at you, so consider yourself warned.[Via pocketnow]
HTC Touch Pro2 is awesome in ways the Touch Pro never could be
So, how do you make HTC's Touch Pro -- already near the top of the WInMo heap -- an even beefier device? For starters, you can throw out that nasty VGA screen of yesteryear and up it with a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 replacement. Next, add a dedicated touch-sensitive zoom slider that works overtime to take maximum advantage of said screen, then throw in a few key carryovers: 512MB of ROM, 288MB of RAM, microSD expansion, and a 3.2 megapixel cam. Meet the Touch Pro2, the official follow-up to HTC's popular series of QWERTY sliders that introduces so-called "Straight Talk" technology for "seamlessly" transitioning conversations between email, single-line calls, and party calls. It'll also automatically switch to the crazy high-performance, full-duplex speakerphone simply by flipping the phone over, so it's clear that this bad boy was meant for business. It'll launch early in the second quarter in parts of Asia and Europe with other "major global markets" following in early Summer.
BlackBerry Connect support comes to smattering of HTC devices
Looking for a bit of BlackBerry love on your new (or old, as the case may be) HTC handset? Fret not -- so long as you're the proud owner of an HTC TyTN II, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro or Touch HD -- as your phone has just picked up BlackBerry Connect support. The read link directs you to a download where you can suck down the necessary bits and bytes and proceed to installation, but we'd make sure everything was backed up before forging ahead. Give it a go and report back, will ya?[Via phonescoop]
Milestone release of Firefox Mobile "Fennec" goes live on the Touch Pro
Have a Touch Pro? Like surfing through cyberspace? Well golly, partner, have we got some news for you: Fennec is finally waiting for you on a silver platter. The mobile version of Firefox is still very early on in its development process, but an official pre-beta release is now ready for download -- so if you can put down IE Mobile for just a couple second, have a go at it. Odds are you won't be using it for your day-in and day-out browsing just yet, but it's nice to see what's coming down the pike.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
BlackBerry Application Suite coming to S60, too?
BlackBerry Application Suite is the ghost of the RIM world, making an occasional appearance as a fuzzy leaked pic -- but to the chagrin of WinMo and BlackBerry fanatics the world over, never actually getting announced or released. Boy Genius Report claims to have more details on what exactly BAS is and how (and where) it's going to work, and for the most part, it's a depressing read -- only the Touch Pro, Fuze, and TyTN will be compatible initially and it's only running BlackBerry OS 4.2 -- but there is one bright spot: Symbian compatibility. Presumably, this means S60 devices will have a crack at the package, and seriously, can you imagine this action humming along on an E71? Sorry, Curve 8900, but your title of "hottest BlackBerry" is in serious danger here.[Image via BerryReview]
Firefox Mobile "Fennec" browser to debut on HTC's Touch Pro next week?
You may remember the Alpha 2 release of Fennec, well, the folks involved with Firefox Mobile have updated their Wiki with news of a milestone release in the first week of February. So, we have to ask, are you an HTC Touch Pro user? If not this release really isn't for you, as the platform of choice for this release is rather narrow: one set. Of course if you don't have a Touch Pro, you can always hope somebody comes along and tweaks this release to broaden its install base. We'll definitely be keeping a close eye on this as it unfolds, but feel free to wander the read link to see the things they covered in the meeting yesterday -- like installers, bug fixing, CAB creation, and such.[Via WMExperts]
HTC's Touch Diamond / Pro, how would you tweak 'em?
Once again, this week's How Would You Change over at Engadget Classic pertains to the Mobile realm, so we're pleading for your sure-to-be-insightful input on the matter. The question is quite simple, really, so head on over to read it and toss in your two pennies.
How would you change HTC's Touch Diamond / Pro?
HTC's Touch Diamond and QWERTY-packin' Touch Pro have run into some stiff competition here in the US of A, but as Adam Smith would certify, all that competition is only for the best. Now that you've seen what these two can do, not to mention their rivals, we're wondering how you would change whichever handset it is (of these two, obviously) that you own. Implement a Touch HD-style display? Load it up with Android? Round those edges a bit more? Add a bigger battery at the expense of style? Say it loud, say it proud, say it down in comments below.
Fuze, X1, and a couple Touch Pros: the ultimate WinMo smackdown
2008 was, to say the least, a banner year for Windows Mobile hardware. Windows Mobile software... well, that's another story; we're still patiently waiting for the same thorough overhaul we'd hoped for years ago, but in the meantime, manufacturers have done an absolutely stellar job of taking the platform to its limits and packaging it in ways that could make any smartphone envious. For this first time, VGA screens (and beyond) have come to market en masse, and -- unlike the 8525s, Tilts, Moguls, and XV6800s of yesteryear, the latest batch of QWERTY sliders look like they've actually got a lick of intelligent industrial design in their DNA.So these puppies are similar, yes, but they're not the same -- so let's take a quick look at what separates the Sprint Touch Pro, from the Verizon Touch Pro, from the AT&T Fuze, from the Sony Ericsson X1 (whew!).%Gallery-38766%
Leaked Rogers slides make us want to move to Canada
We're not really sure where to begin with this one, because the awesomeness is so thorough and so intense that we're basically at a loss for words; we'll see what we can do here, though. In brief, a HoFo poster has thrown up what appear to be slides from a Rogers event detailing the carrier's release plans for the better part of 2009, and seriously, if you name a badass handset, odds are it's here. Samsung will apparently be bringing the 8.1-megapixel Pixon, for starters, and Sony Ericsson will be throwing its name into the huge-cam hat with the C905. Turning our attention to Windows Mobile, the X1 is scheduled for release "around August if not sooner," Motorola brings the lowly Q11, and HTC adds the Touch Pro, the Touch Viva (an unusual choice considering HTC's intention to send it to emerging markets), and possibly the Touch 3G. Nokia will be offering the 5800 XpressMusic in the middle part of the year, Moto will be bringing a pair of 5-megapixel phones in the VE66 and ZN5, and finally, it seems RIM is signed up to bring the all-GSM 9520 Storm with WiFi -- a feature sorely missing from the Verizon and Vodafone versions -- and a 3G remix of the 8200 Pearl series flip that'll have a front-facing cam for video calling (yeah, no joke, they offer it up there). So look, AT&T, you have two options here: either crib off this presentation and make it happen, or we hope you get bought by Rogers. Your choice.[Via Engadget Spanish]
