|
|
With a Desire to be Zealous
T-Mobile in the USA has leaked the upcoming codenamed HTC Desire Z handset, under their official name of the T-Mobile G2.
Images have appeared on T-Mobile’s stateside website to the successor of the very first Android handset from 2008, the T-Mobile G1.
T-Mobile has yet to produce a webpage displaying these images, but sources linking to technology site Engadget have obtained the URLs to where the images reside on the actual T-Mobile website.
T-Mobile G2, or the HTC Desire Z has been reported to have all the trimmings of the original Desire only with a Qwerty keyboard. HTC has ventured down this route before, with the Touch Pro being a slide out keyboard version of the HTC Touch Diamond.
Recently, HTC announced they will be moving away from using AMOLED screens, in favour of the Super LCD variant - where this handset could be the very first mobile phone of theirs to contain an 3.7-inch display of that style.
The original Android handset, the T-Mobile G1, was developed for T-Mobile in the USA as a Sidekick-esque mobile phone, only running the newest and most promising operating system for mobile phones at that time.
HTC is holding a press event in London on the 15th of this month, where we suspect the HTC Desire Z will be made official.
Link
Google OS 2.1 arriving next week
Orange has forwarded on to the media an apology from HTC surrounding the massive delay to Android 2.1 arriving on their HTC Hero, whilst confirming at the same time the update will start rolling out next week.
Version 2.1 of the Google mobile phone OS has been appearing on handsets for some time this year, where it has taken quite a large part of 2010 to be ported across to older phone models.
In America, the mobile phone network Sprint has the update to their HTC Hero available to download and install since mid-May, where it’s taken some considerable time to be qualified by both HTC and Orange for the UK iteration of that very handset.
The HTC Sense overlay to Android might be partly responsible for the delay, as that overlay is deeply interwoven around the platform itself where Orange in addition has their own software installed on top of Android too.
The statement from HTC mentions: “We apologise for the delay in Orange Hero customers receiving their Éclair update. Testing the update across European markets took longer than anticipated. However, we hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week.”
As with most updates of this nature there will be an Over The Air (OTA) notification message, although it’s much wiser to download the firmware update from Android 1.5 over WIFI as it could be as large as 118MB in size - if the USA update is anything to go by.
Switching from Samsung to Sony displays
HTC has announced it will stop using AMOLED screens on their mobile phones, in favour of the Super LCD displays in upcoming handsets and also on the HTC Desires and future Nexus Ones. This news comes a week after Google stopped selling the Nexus One phones directly, which could mean the mobiles will still continue to be made by HTC only for other vendors and mobile phone networks.
AMOLED displays that are currently within the more recent HTC handsets are manufactured by Samsung where rumour has it the demand is high and the supplies are running low, where the AMOLED screens are also plagued with poor visibility in sunlight as we’ve seen on One Mobile Ring.
The Super LCD (SLCD) displays are manufactured by Sony, where they are on a similar par to the AMOLED screens only LCD doesn’t traditionally suffer from the same sunlight-washout issues.
Super LCD’s will improve on battery life, as they don’t have the same drain on power resources as the AMOLED currently do in the HTC Desire. HTC also believe the viewing experience is comparable to that of an AMOLED display, with better possible viewing angles.
This new display technology is due to appear in handsets arriving on the shelves later this year, within the new models in addition to the updating the current range of phones which will be unknown to the end user.
On-line store closed for good
Google has sold out of their own branded Nexus One Android handsets, where the webstore selling the mobile phone has also closed up shop.
Earlier this week we brought you news that Google will no longer be retailing its own SIM free and unlocked mobile phone, after the current shipment arriving this week runs out - well, now that has happened.
The HTC handset made for the Internet search engine giant is no more, with no more being ordered or requested by Google.
Vodafone in the UK is still selling the handset on a contract, but when those supplies run out they will be in the same proverbial boat as Google’s own webstore and will close up shop on retailing the phone too.
Google has made it clear they will continue to support the Nexus One, along with its partner mobile phone companies that have sold the handset but for how long, and through how many generations of Android is unclear.
Either way the first ever Google branded handset was seen as a success by the company, where its own CEO called it just that and they were pleased with the way things have gone.
Perhaps there will be another Google phone on the horizon, although we will have to waiting until Las Vegas’ CES in January or Barcelona’s Mobile World congress 2011 to find out.
Link
The company HTC has been around since the late 1990s, producing devices and handsets for many companies, although you might not have been aware you were using their products as they didn’t carry the HTC name. Instead, those devices carried names such as iPaq under first Compaq, and then Hewlett-Packard when the companies merged.
HTC has been synonymous with the PDA and mobile phone market for all those years. Many may have used their smartphones on the Orange network under the rebranded SPV handset range, or Xda with O2 all throughout the last decade.
In 2007, they stood up on their own two feet and came out from under the shadows of their OEM clients, to produce the first HTC Touch handset that beat Apple’s iPhone to market for some time in the UK.
Since then they have gradually grown to the market presence they now have and with a distinctive quality of devices, with their latest flagship HTC Desire being a testament to that very fact.
These days, many associate HTC with the Google Android OS for mobile phones, where they produced the first handset running the platform in 2008 with the HTC Dream or T-Mobile G1. To date, HTC has produced a dozen different Android models worldwide and the majority of them in use today.
Their origins can be traced back to Microsoft Windows Mobile run devices, with the iPaq’s and SPV handsets all running versions of that very operating system. HTC has had a lot of ‘firsts’ in its history from the first colour screen palm sized PC in 1999 to more recently, the first 4G Android phone in the USA with the HTC Evo.
Windows Mobile has featured heavily in their success along with their OEM partnerships. This was first seen with the original colour screen palm sized PC running the Microsoft Palm-size PC 1.2 Color OS, on a device for Compaq known as the Aero 2100 that launched January of 1999.
Their partnership with Compaq and subsequently HP went on from there to the first PDA running the Microsoft Pocket OS in 2000, with the Compaq iPAQ H3630 and then progressing to the first Microsoft Wireless Pocket PC device with the Hewlett-Packard iPAQ H1910, only two years later.
From then on a number of the HTC phones were found in the UK under the Orange SPV series or the O2 Xda range, with the first Microsoft powered Smartphones arriving as the initial O2 Xda and Orange SPV models. Some notable milestones within those rebranded handsets came from the first 2.8-inch LCD screen model with the O2 XDA II mini and Orange SPV M500. Then came along the very first 3G Microsoft Windows 5.0 phone, with the Qwerty keyboard based Orange SPV M5000 and O2 XDA Exec.
HTC has also made phones for other well-known companies such as the Treo 750 for Palm in 2006, where HTC produced a few handsets for them around that time. More recently, HTC made the Xperia X1 for Sony Ericsson although that partnership bore little more fruit after that phone.
2007 saw the first phone of theirs under the HTC name with the HTC Touch, a full touch screen handset running Windows Mobile 6 and their own TouchFlo overlay on top of that OS. Since then HTC haven’t looked back and have gone on to produce a veritable range of touch screen devices running Windows and Android, all to suit many markets from budget to the more ‘flagship’ expensive handsets.
New Android versions for Hero and Nexus 
HTC has begun to roll out updates to their handsets running the Google OS, these are on the HTC Hero and the HTC phone made for Google – the Nexus One. These firmware updates bring the mobile phones up to Android 2.1 and also ‘Froyo’, or version 2.2 on the Nexus.
The HTC Hero initially shipped with version 1.5 of Android, where the Over The Air update will bring the current version of 2.1 to the device. However, the update only appears to be for unlocked or SIM free handsets at present, with the individual mobile phone networks rolling out the new Android version over the next few weeks.
HTC’s mobile phone made for the Internet search engine giant Google will be the first mobile to be updated to the very latest 2.2 ‘Froyo’ version of Android. The Google Nexus One will also receive an Over The Air update message, although running the update over WIFI would be preferable due to the firmware’s size just as it would be with the Hero.
Other HTC handsets such as the Legend, Desire and Wildfire are due to receive the 2.2 update at the start of July we’ve been informed, with the HTC Sense overlay to Android being credited for the slight delay as it’s heavily wrapped around Android.
Google
A mobile phone that warrants its name 
HTC’s latest flagship mobile phone arrives carrying the appropriate name of Desire, where the uptake for the device merits its moniker – if sales are anything to go by.
The Desire looks and feels very much like another of the company’s recent handsets, the stateside Google Nexus One. The HTC Desire is running the current version of Google’s Android OS, although version 2.2 on its way very soon. Desire has a very fast 1Ghz processor, with a large 3.7-inch 480×800 AMOLED capacitive touch screen which is very responsive and great to use. Although the AMOLED screen isn’t that great in bright sunshine, where the older LCD TFT screens can show more detail if placed side by side with the Desire – indoors it’s a whole different story.
HTC runs its own UI on top of Android called HTC Sense, which first appeared on the Hero handset and now battles with Motorola’s MotoBlur and Sony Ericsson’s User Experience on features. Sense has a much more easy-on-the-eye user interface than the basic Android OS, with seven customisable home screens as opposed to the standard three. It’s a decent overlay to Android, but those other mobile manufactures offer more functionality than HTC, where after a year not much really has changed since the Hero’s version.
Sense comes with HTC Friend Stream, which rolls up all the Twitter and Facebook updates into one column. The Motorola MotoBlur with its Happenings and TimeScape by Sony Ericsson has the same social networking abilities, only they are much better worked into Android and therefore come across much more thoroughly integrated. The Desire does have the multi-touch ‘pinch-to-zoom-to-in’ feature, also it has the natively ability to view Flash content which isn’t on many mobile phones around today, such as the Apples’ iPhones.
The address book on the HTC Desire is one of its better features, as it pulls in all the contact information automatically from the likes of Facebook, Gmail, Hotmail and Twitter then thoroughly integrates them all together in an intelligent way. This is thanks to both Android and HTC Sense, working in partnership to achieve the integration that works really well.
Battery life isn’t the strongest feature of the Desire, where the phone doesn’t really make it through a normal 8 hour day with all the social networking features enabled. HTC has used a 1400mAh battery instead of a 1500mAh version, which isn’t expected on the larger flagship handsets where you will see the red battery warning level appear more frequently than not.
Bottom line
The HTC Desire is a name-worthy mobile phone with a very responsive touch screen that is both large and bright, although viewing in direct sunlight lets it down. Also letting it down is that HTC Sense overlay is now looking a little dated, as compared to MotoBlur and the battery life can be bothersome too – although you can limit the features, allowing the phone to last to the end of the day. The new Android 2.2 version is arriving on the phone soon, which hopefully could bring better features to HTC Sense.
Latest HTC and Samsung phones are now available on the network
Vodafone has announced a trio of new Google OS driven devices for their network, with prices attached for the first time as they go on sale today. The new handsets are from HTC and Samsung, along with a Vodafone branded Huawei mobile phone.
Samsung’s latest flagship model the Galaxy S 16GB, with their TouchWiz 3.0 overlay, is exclusive to Vodafone and is on sale from today. This handset will be free at £35 per month, on a 24 month contract which includes 900 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of mobile data. There is also a time limited inclusion of a free Vodafone McLaren Mercedes rucksack with every Samsung Galaxy S.
HTC’s budget Wildfire mobile phone also appears from today on the network, which arrives gratis on £20 per month, over a 24 month period which includes 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of mobile data. This model is effectively the replacement of the HTC Tattoo phone and now sits below their main HTC Desire handset, whilst offering a less quality 3.2-inch TFT LCD screen as compared to the 3.7-inch AMOLED display of the Desire.
The last model arriving on the network today is the Vodafone 845 handset, which is exclusive to the network operator and is a rebranded Huawei device. This handset is free on a £15 per month contract, over the 24 month duration which includes 100 minutes, 500 texts and 500MB of mobile data.
Visit here, for more information.
 Is this the year for everyone to think twice about the supreme dominance that is Apple? Is this yet another fairytale story featuring the glorification of the supposed ‘iPhone’ killer? A handful of ‘Palm pre’ owners nod unconvincingly. No. This time, a new challenger awaits in the form of the HTC Desire.
Firstly, it weighs in at about the same as the iPhone, but is actually smaller by just a few millimetres. The abrupt wedge end is designed to fit snugly in the hand during a call and has since been refined, now making it ergonomically superior to the Hero. It also goes out of its way to introduce the inexperienced user into the smartphone nexus by giving you several ‘real’ buttons and a touch sensitive navigation scroller, although I personally prefer the trackball from the Hero.
Most importantly, it is deep within the heart of the beast that demands a second glance. The synergy of the Android 2.1 OS and 1ghz Snapdragon CPU allows a smooth user interface that responds intuitively to your touch, thanks to the HTC Sense software. The 5MP camera has seen a remarkable overhaul, obviously in response to feedback regarding the Android’s simple ‘point and click’ limitations. The quality here cannot quite match the best of the rest, but given the correct lens would not be far off in my opinion.
Everything you could ask for is right here; 3.5mm jack, FM radio, Google maps, Wi-fi connectivity, MP3 ringtones, and so the list goes on… The 3.7 inch AMOLED screen is perfect to view images and internet pages, whilst we also see a welcome return for the ’send via Bluetooth’ option. Unfortunately, the battery life is a little mediocre and the screen awkward to use in direct sunlight, but this is surely a common problem amongst most, if not all smartphones on the market.
The iPhone has developed its own unique style of presentation. Everything is clean, smooth, and eye-catching. The Sony Ericsson X10 has a dreamy, almost hypnotic background, combined with an almost seamless fluidity. It is therefore able to bring everything from Facebook, Twitter and Spotify together into the ‘Timescape’ app, which is admittedly slightly flawed. However, the Desire seems to have missed out on this sense of flair and instead of making you the envy of your friends, distinctly lacks the ‘wow factor’ and it’s obvious that HTC are well aware of this. For example, the tab icons in contacts and messaging have been replaced by more colourful versions, whilst the settings have been compartmentalized with impressive icons that quickly define where you want to go. Unfortunately, it still suffers from the default graphite display and its rather unsuccessful ‘a to b’ functionality.
If you are content with the aforementioned flaws, you can still find everything and more that you need from a phone. What the competitors have done is made the ‘big’ apps accessible from the moment you turn on the phone. You will never need to find the big three: Facebook, YouTube or Twitter because they will already be staring you in the face!
In recent times, the Android market has been revamped, now boasting a range of apps that is starting to rival those of the iPhone. This marketplace is fast becoming a battleground for the heavyweights. Based on purely empirical evidence, this phone is surely up there with the best in the business in terms of both quality and functionality.
In conclusion, what you have in the Desire is a smart phone by its purist definition. Instead of doing what you are told, you can do WHAT you want, WHEN you want it, and who doesn’t want that?
Like the Nexus One, and then some
 Android fan blog, Phandroid (see what they did there?) report that all the UK networks have now announced plans to sell the HTC Desire.
The Desire is basically HTC’s own brand version of Google’s Nexus One. Similar looking and with virtually the same feature set, the Desire replaces the trackball seen on previous HTC models with improvements to HTC’s Sense UI. Running Android 2.1 powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon, this top-end smartphone’s availability across all UK carriers will help the popularity and uptake of the OS.
T-Mobile are likely to get it out first, with a release planned at the end of March. The other networks are harder to pin down, giving more flexible timescales like ‘springtime’ or ‘Q2’ and ‘first half’. Anyone who wants to buy one will see these as code words for ‘eventually’.
|
