If this is the future of “dumbphones,” then sign me up. I love my Android, but the plain install I’ve got lacks panache. This HTC Touch.B is running on Qualcomm’s Brew platform, so it’s going to be missing all those apps and such, but it’s nice to see a featurephone not bogged down by an ugly D-pad-based UI.
[via WMPowerUser and Engadget]
Remember that leaked Android 2.1 ROM for the GSM HTC Hero from a few days ago? Looks like there was more to it than meets the eye. Tucked deep inside the ROM was a list of around 20 Android-based handset codenames, nearly all of which have never been seen.
If you’re the owner of an HTC Hero, you’re probably pretty tired of waiting for the update treatment. While other handsets have been bumped up to Android v1.6 and others have hit the shelves with v2.0, you’re still stuck way back at v1.5. Well, the time to upgrade has come – as long as you’re down to do some hackery, that is.
The always incredible guys over at XDADevelopers have managed to get their hands on the 2.1 ROM, work out the kinks, and now have it up and running on all Hero’s that come looking for an upgrade. The process is a bit intense (Step 2 tells you to flash the radio, for example – know how to do that off the top of your head? Cause I sure don’t), but most of the steps can be worked out by spending a few minutes looking around XDADev. Don’t dive in until you’re ready – but once you are, it’s probably worth the jump.
[Thanks Dave!]
HTC Hero owners, we feel your pain. Just months ago, you had the hottest Android device in existence. While it’s still one damned-slick piece of mobile on the hardware front, the software — now two builds behind — is beginning to show its age. You wouldn’t believe how many requests I get in the tips line asking if we’ve got any details on when the Hero’s getting the update treatment.
We still don’t know when, but it looks like we’ve now got a good idea of what the next Hero update will be: Android 2.1.
The HTC-built DROID ERIS will go on sale tomorrow at Verizon stores for $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and two-year contract agreement. Equipped with HTC’s “Sense” user interface, the ERIS “offers customers the opportunity to customize a seven-panel wide home screen with a wide variety of widgets designed to bring the most important information to the surface.” On sale tomorrow at Verizon’s retail stores and website.
mocoNews ran an interesting article this morning about the massive marketing campaign HTC is plotting.
Apparently, the Taiwanese mobile handset maker is about to launch a multi-million dollar advertising campaign over the next 6 months with the aim of becoming a household name in the United States. The company’s Executive Director of Marketing, Steven Seto, formerly head of Starbucks’ global brand strategy, tells mocoNews that the campaign is designed to put the HTC brand will be in front of 95 percent of adult cellphone owners in the U.S.
Chalk this one up as a rumor, but it’s looking like Droid is going to be an army, rather then a lone warrior. There’s been some rumblings that at least other handset manufacturers are creating their own Droids as well.
HTC, formerly known as High Tech Computer Corporation, has become quite a household name over the past couple years, what with all its high profile WinMo and Android-powered phones saturating the global mobilesphere.
It comes as no surprise, then, that HTC has decided to update its company catchphrase from the old ‘ HTC Innovation’ to a new, better representation of its quick rise to the top: HTC Quietly Brilliant. That’s right folks. HTC. Quietly. Brilliant. Bam.
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.
We’ve seen a few different Android devices that seem to be VZW-bound over the last few weeks, but Verizon hasn’t said anything about the handsets or platform until now. The company has a webcast scheduled for later today but released a preemptive press release that outlines the basics.
Verizon and Google have formed a strategic partnership that will “leverage the Verizon Wireless network and the best of the Android open platform to deliver leading-edge mobile applications, services and devices.” Apparently the new dream team has plans that involve co-developing several Android-based devices that will come pre-loaded with innovative applications from not only Verizon, but also 3rd-party developers. Read More
Phandroid just found a mention on the Sprint Android Dev Network for the HTC Hero, everyone’s favorite Android phone. Don’t get that excited just yet. The phone won’t be officially on the network until late October and probably won’t be for sale until December.
Announcing the HTC Hero, which will be the first Android device running on the Sprint network.
By the end of September, the Sprint developer program will deploy an Android development section that will highlight some resources, value added services applicable to all android developers. FYI, you start developing now by downloading the Android 1.5 SDK
Register to attend our upcoming 2009 Open Developer Conference, where Sprint and our ecosystem partners including HTC will be talking Android:
- Technical overview sessions on Oct 26
- Android hands on coding labs the evening of Oct 26
Oh, BTW we have some BIG announcements coming by the end of the month that will be of great interest to all android developers…we promise it won’t disappoint.
I do believe this is a first: not only has someone at Vietnamese mobile site Tinh Té managed to get their hands on an HTC Click before it’s even official, but it looks like they’ve had it for long enough to laser etch a bunch of crazy crap onto the back. Fortunately for us, they’re not just sitting around basking in the exclusive warmth of their unreleased phone. Instead, they were nice enough to give the Click a 5-minute video rundown.
Last time we saw the HTC Hero grace the labs of the FCC with its presence, it was swimming chin deep in GSM 850/1900Mhz territory – otherwise known as AT&T’s turf. Things got interesting when, just a few weeks later, a product page for a Sprint-branded HTC Hero popped up. Sprint and AT&T use two totally different radio technologies; where was this one’s FCC entry?
Just lagging behind a bit, it seems. EngadgetMobile just spotted the Hero floating around the labs for a second time, this time with mentions of CDMA plastered all over it. It’s absolutely undeniable now: be on the look out for a Sprint HTC Hero – and soon, we hope.
We love the HTC Hero to pieces around these parts. Really. Even after spending a few days tearing it apart for our review, the only bad thing we could find to say about it was that the sporadic lag on the homescreen harshed our buzz.
Well, now HTC has gone and fixed that. Paul of MoDaCo managed to get his hands on a pre-release copy of an upcoming Hero ROM update, and sure enough: the lag is gone. Paul jumps from homescreen to homescreen, breezing around the interface like he was ice skating on frozen butter. We’re still not sure when this thing is coming to a stateside carrier – but when it does, expect the interface to be damn near perfection. Check out the silky smooth video after the jump.
Good news for HTC! The Magic, also known as the MyTouch 3G, has sold a million units, according to Digitimes. I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, anyway.
I like my G1, but don’t think I wasn’t tempted by the Magic’s increased internal storage and sleeker form factor. I just love me some physical keyboard, okay? By the way — if you’re one of the million people with a myTouch/Magic, you might consider rooting it to get the most out of it.
[via Electronista]
We’ve heard real good things about the HTC Touch Pro 2. The 3.6-inch WVGA screen is good, the slide-out keyboard is apparently awesome and HTC once again shipped a great skin for Winmo 6.1. It’s just too bad that at $349, it’s the most expensive handset available at T-Mobile just like we feared.
What do we have here? The new hotness? mhmm. The HTC Touch Pro 2 is still a while away from being launched but somehow it was placed in front of a camera lens. Overall, it looks great with a clever eatching of the world on the backplate, a 3.5mm jack on the bottom, and a sleek design when it’s closed. Hopefully the keyboard works as well as it looks. According to the tipster, Verizon will probably have the phone sometime in early September. Check the video after the jump.
Huzzah! Verizon knows what’s up. The prices of its smartphones have been slashed, cut, and discounted down to iPhone 3G levels. Every single smartphone – expect for the new BlackBerry Tour and Samsung Saga – can be had for $99 or less on-contract. This means that the HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, and Samsung Omnia are now only $99 straight up. It’s like Verizon is talking right to those feed up with AT&T’s shenanigans.
We know it was coming but so soon!
To recap it’s a WinMo 6.1 phon with WiFi, 3.6-inch touchscreen, and 3.2-megapixel camera. It will, as rumored, be available in mocha.
T-Mobile USA Debuts HTC Touch Pro2 in the U.S.
New Tilting Touchscreen Device Available to T-Mobile Customers in mid-AugustBellevue, Wash. — July 29, 2009 — T-Mobile USA, Inc., and HTC Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of the HTC Touch Pro2™, a powerful, stylish device with an intuitive touch screen and user interface that enables customers to simplify their communication and mobile Internet experience while staying connected, informed and in control of work and life. The device will be available in a mocha finish to T-Mobile customers beginning Aug. 12.
It’s been nine months since I first dabbled in the world of Android. It wasn’t a pretty picture then, but a lot has changed in those short nine months. The platform has grown and become more stable. The Market is filled with useful and enjoyable apps. Cupcake has had the biggest impact thus far but we eagerly await what Donut has to offer.
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