What do you get when you mix HTC, Android, and Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon mobile processor together? No, it’s not the amazing (recycled from an old Snapdragon post) image above…but it’s close. According to the rumor mill, this mythical combination will yield…the HTC Dragon.
Based on the tip / leaked screenshots (below) over at DroidDog, all we know so far about this fantasy device is that it’s ‘model number’ is HTC Dragon. Supposedly, this work-in-progress could include a mighty 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, run Android 2.0 with HTC Sense, have a 480×800 capacitive touch screen display, and is expected to be a “GAME CHANGER” for HTC (and presumably Android as well).
Just imagine an incredibly thin device with a giant 4.3″ capacitive touch screen display (like the HD2) and all of the benefits of Android 2.0 and a powerful 1Ghz processor. Throw in solid battery life and multiple carrier options, and there is no question that the Dragon would be a force to reckon with. You got this, HTC. Bring the Dragon to life!
[via PhoneArena and Phandroid]
This. This i what ive been waiting for ever since Android was announced. Unless some Tegra Android phone comes out earlier, this is def my next phone.
Why isnt the HTC HD2 Android powered :(
I am saddened by that as well, I think that HTC was trying to jump onto the bandwagon with the brouhaha over WM 6.5. That said, I don’t really see why this is just rumor because they already have the sense UI implemented on the Hero so wouldn’t it be easy for them to port it onto Android and the higher resolution? Maybe they just want to get some mileage out of the Hero before they upstage it with this gem. Either way, the HD2 and the Dragon are extremely compelling and exciting devices!!
I doubt HTC will use WM 6.5. They’ll probably wait till WM 7. If it contains anything other than Android or WM 7, the HD2 is damned. But if it has Win 7, and it’s the first, and Microsoft can actually do something awesome w/ WM7, I would prefer it over an Android powered phone.
Because the CEO of HTC stated that he had to support windows mobile also.
Why bother… SonyEricssons Experia X10 will be better than this one.
No keyboard = Fail IMHO. I can type rings people on a real keyboard vs. a virtual one.
You type ring people? Nice.
Yea, he’s magic… kinda like Sonic the Hedgehog.
Ha, maybe you should work on the ol’ computer keyboard conundrum first though eh?
Thank God we are getting his Honest opinion as opposed to his dishonest opinion!
IMHO=In My Humble Opinion
Meh, I disagree. I’m sure I could still type at your speed on my virtual keyboard. Also, virtual keyboard means custom key layouts.
I agree. Give me a real keyboard, dammit! Virtual keyboards are not the same thing. That’s just a small step up from T9 typing.
I would rather have a smaller/lighter phone than having a effectively-unusable physical keyboard
not sure if anyone said it yet, you make no fucking sense at all.
Really?
Translation:
“Having no keyboard is a ‘Fail’, in my humble opinion. Using a physical keyboard, I can type rings around people who are using a virtual keyboard.”
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/844.html
Any details on the quality of camera that this phone will ship with?
Doubt it, since all they got are the “product number” screens
Oh gosh, finally an Android phone with some decent processing power! My Vodafone branded Magic is only just acceptable when it’s overclocked at max!
great, you can type rings around people. Good luck as a secretary.
Google just bought a voip firm, correct? I wonder if they would ever upset the market by introducing a phone that solely operates on voip at ultra low rates and utilizes a google voice integration? Doesn’t that seem a logical evolution?
Wouldn’t that mean Google would have to get into leasing towers or providing cell service?
Not necessarily. They could sell GSM unlocked phones that work if you have ATT or T-Mobile (in the USA or example) and a lot of others worldwide (Claro in Brazil and Puerto Rico for example).
No. Google doesn’t provide the data. You would sign up for *ONLY* a data plan with your provider. AT&T already does this with windows mobile and maybe blackberry (not sure). With the recent announcement by AT&T that VOIP calls can now be made over 3G, this seems like a logical step for google. Not saying a data-only Google phone would be on AT&T, but if it was on Verizon it would be restricted to ONLY the US, since we are the only idiots using CDMA. A data-only phone would most likely be GSM – if not AT&T, then t-mobile.
I don’t see how bloody hard it would be to make 2 models of the same phone (one with GSM & one with CDMA). Phone manufacturers have been doing this for over a decade.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/18/the-google-phone-may-be-data-only-voip-driven-device/
Looks like it could be a real challenger to the iPhone, seems like so far nothing has been. Will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled!
this might be the one for me, but i type about 80-00wpm via T9 2thumbs no querty-keyboard and i’ll seriously miss the tactile feedback of BUTTONS.
This looks like a great phone. I am a tester and would love to get my hands on one of these.
This is exactly why I haven’t gotten the Droid yet… but how is this phone going to compare to the phone Google’s coming out with?
“It is model number”? ;)
Just imagine if Google had won the spectrum auction…
i want this. plain and simple. i want it so bad, with all of my being.
The article says Android 2.0 but the screenshot says 1.5.
firmware is different than software version.
Now it just has to work with carriers in countries XY (yes, there is a world outside US). And it should have a good camera.
Then, this is not going to be my next mobile phone, it is going to be my LAST mobile phone because it just has it all.
Am I the only one out here desperate for my next phone to have real Xenon flash? This is a definite clincher for me…
This is the same thing as SonyEricsson Experia X10 that will come out soon. Only the thing that SonyEricsson will be better. It will probably have a much better camera for instans..
The Experia X10 will probably be delayed, like all Sony Ericsson high end phone. Like other Sony Ericsson it will probably be bugged too.
On the other hand HTC have good chances to really put out a game changer. their software is ready -they have been making Android phone since the OS came out-. And their hardware is ready too, as the Dragon is basically a HD2 running Android.
BTW, they should hurry. The HD2 have already been released in Europe, so it’s only a matter of weeks before someone on XDA Developers cook us an Android 2.0 Rom for it.
given HTC release history a phone with a keyboard will probably follow. But on recent phones like the droid the keyboard is so flat that it’s not much better than a on-screen keyboard anyway.