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O2 Xda Flame to redefine Pocket PC high end?
Call us fickle, but if the rumored specs on this thing are even close to accurate, we're quite ready to put the whole Nokia N97 debacle firmly behind us. In fact, this so-called "Xda Flame" for O2's networks (read: not us poor, smartphone-starved Americans) has us salivating uncontrollably to the point where we're embarrassing ourselves. Skeptical? Check this: a 3G radio (HSDPA, we're guessing), 2GB of internal storage, 802.11b/g, a 2 megapixel cam, surround sound, TV out, and an XScale PXA270 clocked at 520MHz, all paired up to a 3.6-inch VGA (yes, we said VGA) display powered by an NVIDIA GoForce 5500. Breathtaking, is it not? Sounds too good to be true, in fact -- but we should know some time next year when this thing's allegedly lined up to hit store shelves. Now go back to your 8525s, folks, and we'll let you know when you can buy one of these suckers.
FCC spills beans on O2 Xda Graphite
If we were to play a game of word association and you said "Windows Mobile," we'd be likely to blurt out "HTC" in response. That appears to be just the kind of attitude ASUS is looking to adjust -- at least in Europe, anyway. After the VDA IV popped up via the FCC a few days back, its O2-branded sibling followed hot on its heels, bringing all that same 3G Windows Mobile Smartphone joy in a candybar form factor. Stand-out features include 128MB of Flash with 64MB of RAM (a lot of modern Pocket PCs get by with those kinds of numbers), a legit 3.5mm audio jack, front-facing cam for video calling, and of course, those UMTS data speeds. Hey ASUS, any chance you folks would mind investing in some 1700MHz radios?[Via CoolSmartPhone]
ASUS goes Hermes style with Mars II
If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, HTC must be turning beet red right about now. The Mars II from ASUS follows the HTC Wizard / Hermes formula down to the letter, featuring that fabulous side-opening QWERTY keypad we'd now be lost without, an Intel Xscale PXA270 core making haste at 520MHz, 128MB of ROM, 64MB of RAM, UMTS, 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0, 2-megapixel shooter, and a 2.8-inch QVGA display (why no love for the VGA?). As you may recall, we were able to correctly call all the specs out last month with the exception of the name and the ODM, which we'd heard would be HTC -- and given the Hermes-esque dimensions and feature list, who could blame us? Look for the Mars II to grace O2's networks before too long as the "Xda Zinc," but thanks to the old-skool tri-band GSM radio sans 850 support, we're going to be putting our import plans on hold.[Via phoneArena]
O2 Xda Stealth in the flesh
We're still smarting from the thought that O2's sexy little Pocket PC slider has virtually no shot of ever gracing US shores, but that doesn't stop us from torturing ourselves with an endless onslaught of fabulous visual stimuli. PhoneDaily's quick take on the Gigabyte-manufactured Xda Stealth is a bit tricky to translate (we suggest spoon-feeding paragraphs into Google Translate one at a time), but let's be honest -- pics are what we're all here for. As a reminder, the diminutive Windows Mobile device packs 802.11g and a healthy 192MB of ROM on board, which'll come in handy when you're making use of the 2-megapixel cam. If you're capable of subjecting yourself to photo after beautiful photo of a great-looking device that'll never find its way here, click through for the full spread.[Thanks, Dida]
More deets on O2's Xda Stealth
Perhaps we failed to adequately emphasize one key feature of the Gigabyte-sourced Xda Stealth when we outed its FCC filing yesterday: its diminutive size. At 110 x 53 x 22.5mm, it bests the HTC Wizard in all but length (where it clocks in just 2 millimeters longer), putting it nearly in dumbphone territory. Granted, the Stealth lacks a full keyboard, but everything's put into better perspective when remembering that it manages to stuff Pocket PC Phone Edition power (and specs to match) into a package on par with some Smartphones on the market. Though there's no 3G radio aboard the handset, we take solace in its 802.11g support; in fact, the only thing raining on our parade is the triband GSM support, which leaves parts of the world unhappy pretty much any way you slice it -- let this be a lesson to Gigabyte that they've got some American sales waiting in the wings as soon as they want to tack GSM 850 onto this thing.Update: MTekk reports that the Stealth will be finding its way to Australia post haste, officially launching before the end of the month for around $940 Australian ($707 US).
FCC reveals O2's Xda Stealth
If you like your O2 Xdas with a few less keys than what the Cosmo's packing, news of the Gigabyte-designed "Stealth" might just get your heart racing. The FCC's spilled the beans on the triband GSM (sorry, Yanks) slider, revealing 802.11g, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 192MB of flash with 64MB of RAM, and a respectable 2-megapixel shooter. Without GSM 850, a US release is out of the question, and frankly we're not quite sure what bearing FCC approval has on it dropping in the European marketplace, but we reckon it mustn't be long.[Via phoneArena]
O2 Xda Cosmo among the first of HTC's Excaliburs
By now we're all pretty well versed in what we can expect from HTC's Excalibur in the many incarnations it's due to begin taking, but it looks like O2 Germany will be among the first to have the honor. Dubbed the Xda Cosmo, this slim if bulbous looking portable doesn't yet appear to have a date affixed to O2's intentions for release in Deutschland. It does look like the marketing materials are well underway though, so we hope it shouldn't be too much longer before you'll pull this sword from the stone.
O2 announces updated Xda Atom for Asia
As if Asia isn't already getting the lion's share of the world's smartphone action, O2 has used this week's CommunicAsia expo to announce the Xda Atom Exec, an Asia-exclusive update to the Atom (pictured). At about six months of age, the Atom isn't exactly an old fart, but the Exec ships with AKU2, boosts the XScale processor from 416 to 520MHz, and adds an extra 64MB of ROM for a grand total of 192MB. Otherwise, the Exec trades its predecessor's glossy exterior for a matte one, but the Atom's remaining specs carry over to the new model. If you're rocking an Atom and you're thinking that an upgrade might be in order, hold up: the roughly $844 USD O2 will be asking for the Exec might give you pause.[Via the::unwired]
O2 releases AKU2 update for Xda Atom
The folks over at O2 have been busy little beavers today, first releasing the HTC Tornado-based Xda IQ, and now posting the Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU update for Xda Atom owners to download. We're sure that we don't need to repeat the advantages of AKU2 again, but since our contracts stipulate that we rehash the deets ad infinitum, we'll remind you that this upgrade adds BlackBerry-like push email through the Messaging & Security Feature Pack (MSFP) along with an improved wireless connection manager, quicker screen orientation switches, and other minor enhancements. Atom owners also get a few device-specific bug fixes with the new firmware, most notably the elimination of the "heartbeat noise" that had apparently plagued some versions of the FM tuner app. For now you'll need your handset's serial number registered with O2 in order to access the download, but it'll probably be just a matter of time before it becomes available on one of the popular cellphone forums.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Orange launches SPV M5000 (HTC Universal) in UK, France, and Switzerland
Our lust-affair with the not-available-in-the-US HTC Universal is no secret. Now our friends in the UK, France, and Switzerland can get their sweaty anticipatory hands on it with Orange's official launch of the SPV M5000 - you know, that UMTS (3G) brick packing Windows Mobile 5.0, WiFi (now confirmed although curiously not listed on the Orange website), Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, 640x480 touch screen, 520MHz processor, 128MB of ROM, and an SD memory card slot. It will sell for about £400 (€600) and begin shipping in the UK, France and Switzerland in October - available to the network's other territories by the end of this year.
Hands-on with the HTC Universal
As promised, a gallery of HTC Universal pics to accompany our question and answer session from earlier today. If you'd like pics of something specific that we may have missed, let us know and we'll try our best to accomodate you.
You've got HTC Universal questions, we've got HTC Universal answers
It took a few days, but we're finally answering your questions about the HTC Universal. We didn't have time to answer every single question that was posted, but we hit as many as we could and we'll do our damnedest to answer more of your questions over the next few days - just post them up in the comments below and we'll try and add them to the post. We'll have also have full gallery of pics going up later this afternoon, but for now, on to the Q&A:
HTC Universal/MDA Pro hits Germany later this week
We're still fairly certain that the HTC Universal isn't going to be sold over here in the States (at least not the UMTS version), but we have some good news for any of our German readers who have been lusting after this monster of a Pocket PC Phone: starting on Thursday you'll be able to pick up the new phone, which as being sold as the "MDA Pro", from T-Mobile Germany. Retail price will be a hefty €749.95 without a contract, or between €430 and €500 depending on what kind of two year service agreement you sign up for.
The HTC Universal: What do you want to know?
Man, if there was ever one gadget we were definitely not expecting to have fall into our laps this week, it's the HTC Universal. It's definitely big for something you're supposed to use to make phone calls, but with great size comes great power, right? (There's a good chance you have the spec sheet for this one memorized: this baby has Windows Mobile 5.0, WiFi, Bluetooth, a one megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, a VGA touch screen, a 520MHz processor, 96MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, and an SD memory card slot.) Normally we'd take a week or whatever and pump out a review, but we thought it'd be more fun to just ask you guys what you want to know about. Post your questions in the comments below and we'll do our best to answer as many of them as we can in a future post. UPDATE: Yikes, that's a lot of questions! In fact, a lot more than we'd anticipated, can't guarantee that we'll be able to answer all, or even most, of them, but we promise we'll do our best. Now just give us a few days, ok?
HTC Universal review
Jason Langridge has a rather glowing review of the HTC Universal - apparently its largitude can be forgiven by its action-packed feature set. The device gets high marks for a gorgeous swivel screen (handy for preserving battery life while playing music), solid build, responsive QWERTY keyboard (using thumb-style is apparently a go, not just typing against a surface), battery life, improved Windows Mobile 5.0 phone application, easy Bluetooth pairing, and enhanced WiFi connectivity. Bonus points are awarded for the ability to place a voice call while simultaneously using the 3G data modem. Not a lot in the negative column here, kids, other than that size factor - if you can live with that, you could be about to fall in love. [Thanks, Barry]
The SPV M5000 makes an appearance on Orange's site
This one slipped by us the other day, but a bunch of people wrote in to remind us that the SPV M5000, aka the HTC Universal, finally showed up on Orange's website (something which typically, but not always, means that a launch is not too far off). Probably not going to see this one over here in the States since it rocks the UMTS and not the HSDPA, but this brick really packs it all in: the M5000 runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 and has WiFi, Bluetooth, a one megapixel camera, a QWERTY keyboard, a VGA touch screen, a 520MHz processor, 96MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, and an SD memory card slot. [Thanks to everyone who sent this one in]
