WinMo Wrap: WM6.5 Second Edition; HTC HD2 da Bomb
The week marches on and today being Saturday means it is time to recap the recent happenings in the world of Windows Mobile. Microsoft only recently released Windows Mobile 6.5 to the masses, but rumors have a “second edition” of the OS getting prepared for release. The refresh is expected to bring new onscreen keyboards to 6.5, and to improve the way the OS works with capacitive screens. Improvements are always welcome in the smartphone world, but I have to wonder why these improvements didn’t make it in the initial 6.5 release.
Reviews of the HTC HD2 are painting the HTC HD2 to be the Windows Mobile phone of choice. The phone is available in the EU now, and is expected in the U.S. early next year. The Snapdragon processor and giant 4.3-inch screen have reviewers gushing over the HD2. It is the first WinMo phone with a capacitive touch screen.
HTC is planning to release some accessories for the HD2, notably a special stylus that works with capacitive screens. These screens do not work with traditional styli as found on other Windows phones, and require a special model that can duplicate a precise touch on the screen. The stylus for the HD2 will not be cheap at $25. HTC is also planning to release an extended battery for those who need extra time away from the outlet. This battery will be a whopping $75, so it almost makes sense to just get a second regular battery.
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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Beware of HTC’s large screen phones.
Any force applied to them, even taking off a screen protector, is enough to produce “newton rings” and the screen stops responding to touch.
Not much use for a touch screen phone.
HTC refuse to cover this by warranty and refuse to negotiate. expect to shell out up to $500 to repair it. With no guarantee that the next screen won’t do the same thing.
Design or Materials fault but they won’t cover it by warranty.
It is impossible to produce newton rings on the HD2. The HD2 has the same screen technology that the iPhone uses: A scratch-resistant capacitice glass touch panel.
And by the way: You can’t produce newton rings on older HTC models with resistive screens either – save you somehow let water come between the layers of the touch panel.
Uh yeah actually you can. Turn on the GPS and Bluetooth, run a gps app, and have the thing charging on a car charger for a few hours while navigating. The heat alone is enough to separate the digitizer from the screen. This has now happened twice to me so before you offer advice, please be advised this is a known HTC defect especially with the screen in the Diamond/TouchPro
Perhaps you can shed some light on the issue and resolution(?) of the reported camera problems this phone may have?
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=10559
The latest news is that HTC are working on a software fix. Not all phones have this problem though. I’m not having any problems.
I have no issues with the HTC HD2 camera either. I know some of the earlier models did have issues – but on this phone – that camera produces crisp, clear and colourful pictures
I believe the camera module in the HD2 is the same used on original HD, Diamond2, and Touch Pro 2. It does work well for well-lit static scenes. However, the small aperture, basically just a step up from a pin hole, means that it’s very slow. Add action, a dimly lit scene, or a situation were that phone can’t be held perfectly still, and the camera performs poorly.
The HD2 does have an LED “flash.” The two LEDs do enable something to be recorded in some situations where otherwise, nothing would be. However, when paired with the slow lens they’re not a substitute for a true flash. I find them more useful as a flashlight.
For HTC, the pixel count marketing ploy has played itself out. What is needed now is a re-design, one that incorporates a faster larger aperture lens and vibration reduction.
Strange things going on with Vodafone in the U.K. I have been told today (30/1109)by two of their reps that Vodafone are no longer going to supply the HTC HD2. Due to software issues. I can however find nothing on the web from Vodafone to confirm this is the case.
I’ve been using the HD2 for over three weeks now in the US and arguable it’s the best Windows Mobile phone ever. With that said, it has it’s faults, enough I fear that will prevent it from becoming a best seller or WM’s savior.
First, many HD2 owners will welcome a capacitive stylus. My biggest issue so far is older applications designed for a resistive touch screen and a stylus. The buttons can be very small even on the HD2′s large screen and difficult to select with a finger; difficult but not impossible.
As to the fragility of the screen; over Thanksgiving the HD2 accompanied me on hikes in Utah and Arizona in temperatures that reached the low twenties. The HD2 is tough and the screen came through undamaged even after be compression packed. I recommend a screen protector though even with the screen is glass.
The biggest plus is the big screen. I used OCN8 for road navigation, BackCountry Navigator for off-road navigation, and Software Bisque’s TheSky for navigating the sky at night. The large screen makes these apps a joy to use. And yes, when traveling, I always bring a charged second battery, and when backpacking, a Sanyo battery bank. Otherwise, I find HTC’s battery life estimates fairly accurate and I get 2-3 hours continuous GPS use.
Ah, but there are negatives:
The camera protrudes awkwardly beyond the back of the phone and the edges around the phone aperture are unnecessarily sharp; sharp enough to scratch a soft surface. When laid flat, the HD2 rests on the camera and rocks annoyingly when using the touch screen. If laid on a hard service, there’s the possibility of scratching the camera aperature.
Accessories? Accessories? I don’t need no stink’n accessories! At least that appears to be HTC’s take on the HD2. There are five accessories I feel are critical for any new phone: spare battery, screen protector, case, desktop cradle, and car mount. I purchased the first two, HTC includes a surprisingly serviceable pouch-type case in the box, but the last two are missing from the introduction. HTC’s car mount won’t be available until late January/early February of next year and cheap desktop cradles are only now trickling onto the market. HTC has to do a better job of making accessories available at a phone’s introduction.
Finally, on the HD2, Sense and WM6.5 is a shotgun wedding at best. There’s the interesting omissions like the excellent HTC Task Manager (can be restored with a third-party app), Solitaire (it’s there but the link has to be manually set up), and the new IE (it’s there too but HTC has decided to continue to go with Opera front and center.) And how many launchers do I need? At the Today Screen I can:
1. Launch Microsoft’s poorly designed launcher selecting the on-screen Windows icon,
2. Launch a variety of things with HTC’s launcher (Note: these buttons are huge on the HD2′s screen! HTC needs to scale them to the screen size),
3. Launch a smaller variety of things with the Sense Task Bar,
4. Press the Windows button to again get to Microsoft Launcher.
Duplication, clutter, and confusion. Fanboys will put up with it, the average consumer will look for another smartphone. HTC needs to decide who’s wearing the pants in this relationship …
after reviewing the HD2 I still would suggest the Toshiba TG01….the design is better and it is about 30 gramm lighter…..its not much but trust me you will feel it! And TFT resistive screen is still better than capatitive because you don’t need here a special stylos or to take off your gloves in the cold winter :)