Related
Just want to see if the design engineers at HTC read these forums...
The universal is pretty much perfect for what I use it for.
- video
- music
- ebook
- Internet (including streaming youtube over UMTS, nice!)
- a bit of gaming (scummvm is great with it's bigger screen)
I don't use it as a day to day phone as it's too big to carry in most occasions. I prefer to carry a small phone and use it as a phone!
My feature wish list for the Universal successor is:
-The look of the Omni rendered picture (perhaps thinner)
-Don't make it too much big than Universal please!!!
-3.5 to 4.0 (absolute max!) inch screen (I think 3.7 is ideal)
-VGA to WVGA resolution (VGA is good enough, iphone only has half-VGA!)
-HSDPA (should be easy)
-Full size SD slot (I don't understand why they keep using micro SD, you don't save much space on a 4.0 inch PDA!)
-3.5mm stereo audio (no 2.5mm, no USB!)
-Built-in GPS
-wifi and bluetooth (should be standard anyway)
-Physical Keyboard (obviously)
-Half decent cameras will do
-USB host
- Video out (maybe, not a big deal)
- Make sure it doesn't need a different cover for extended battery please! (should see how Toshiba e800 does it)
So basically, just a bit better than Universal, not exactly hard, is it?
With that, why would I (and people who like to use their pda to the fullest potential) want an iphone, even if it has 3G radio next year???
Just imagine with a couple of SDHC cards, you have the ultimate mobile and entertainment device!
I do hope HTC read these forums from time to time...
Although I doubt it will happen, I'm still looking forward to the Universal successor.
Now, What I thing should be changed? Lots of things:
Built in GPS: prefferably SiRF Star III
256MB storage/128MB of RAM: /me drools
WiFi b/g support, bluetooth 2.0 support
2/3MP camera
MMC/SD slot: with decent transfer speeds
WM6 or 7: fully integrating the Uni's features, videocalling for example
However, there are some things that I'd like to keep from my precious Uni. Those are:
Looks: I believe the Uni's shape, colour (black) and size are perfect
Screen: Present screen size and VGA are fine imho
(in a few words I'm looking for a VGA version of Kaiser inside the Universal mold )
just my 2c
akpidis said:
Although I doubt it will happen, I'm still looking forward to the Universal successor.
Now, What I thing should be changed? Lots of things:
Built in GPS: prefferably SiRF Star III
256MB storage/128MB of RAM: /me drools
WiFi b/g support, bluetooth 2.0 support
2/3MP camera
MMC/SD slot: with decent transfer speeds
WM6 or 7: fully integrating the Uni's features, videocalling for example
However, there are some things that I'd like to keep from my precious Uni. Those are:
Looks: I believe the Uni's shape, colour (black) and size are perfect
Screen: Present screen size and VGA are fine imho
(in a few words I'm looking for a VGA version of Kaiser inside the Universal mold )
just my 2c
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OH, and yah, quad band GSM or at least a version that works in North America's region! I use the 1900 PCS band here in Canada, but I lose coverage where 850 has better signal than 1900
I love the Uni the way it is otherwise, but more RAM would definitely be a plus. And I vouch for the SD rather than Micro SD. It gets to a point where small is too small. I have no problem with the size of the Uni itself except that it's hard to find a suitable belt holster for it.
Oh, a more power friendly too would be nice. That or make the standard battery last longer.
My Universal has only SD slot.. are there some models with MicroSD?
My Wish list
- I also want the new Windows Mobile to be able to edit numbers in the call history before dialling
- 256MB RAm with 1GB storage
- support for 8GB SD Cards SIO
- inbuilt FM Radio
- 3MP Camera (at least)
- more buttons in front (where the screen is) maybe 4
- longer battery life
I do get relative good battery life out of my Universal in comparison to other gadgets like ipods, MP3 and MP4 players. No complaint at all.
With standard battery:
Music: 14-16 hours (with screen off)
Video: 4-5 hours
Reading ebooks: 9-10 hours
I have a second standard battery and that's quite enough for a long train of flight journey.
I hope HTC doesn't cripple the "Universal successor" with just a micro SD slot. I need full size SD slot! I can imagine 16GB SD will be at a "reasonable" price in a year's time. I can then a whole series of Heroes, 24, Lost, etc. with me. ;-)
Tbaba said:
My Universal has only SD slot.. are there some models with MicroSD?
- 256MB RAm with 1GB storage
- support for 8GB SD Cards SIO
- inbuilt FM Radio
- 3MP Camera (at least)
- more buttons in front (where the screen is) maybe 4
- longer battery life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm, what do you mean the Universal has "only" SD slot?! A full sized SD slot like the Uni has now is far better than those tiny MicroSD on other phones!
- We don't need 256MB RAM, 128MB should be plenty. Because any increase in RAM size uses more battery power, and you are very unlikely to notice the difference between 128MB and 256MB on any Windows Mobile device.
- The Uni already supports 8GB SDIO cards! In fact it also supports 16GB SDIO cards, you can get these right now from eBay!
- An FM radio would just be a waste of space IMO, using valuable battery life and circuitry which could be used for much better things. You can have FM radio on your Uni already over the internet with UMTS!
- I agree about camera. We need 3MP+, with a very powerful flash led, something like the Luxeon Rebel. It should also be able to capture smooth video in at least 640x480 at 25fps+ with decent quality sound.
- Why more buttons? Already the Uni has more buttons than most other phones! I think it has enough now
- With ALL mobile phones, you can only get really longer battery life by getting an extended battery. You can get these for the Uni now, they are very cheap, but of course they are much larger. It is always a trade-off between battery size and battery life - you cannot have both!
- And Uni needs built in GPS (SurfStar chipset), and HSDPA (much less important, 3G is already mostly fast enough). Then it is a perfect device
i doubt they read what is written in forums
i think Athena is the product they wanted to tak
over for universal
the reason why i doubt they read it and even if they did
then this is an enthusiast forum and PM's who deside what products
are developed not engineers have to think about how big a market
there is and enthusiast market is not that big
sl9 said:
Erm, what do you mean the Universal has "only" SD slot?! A full sized SD slot like the Uni has now is far better than those tiny MicroSD on other phones!
- We don't need 256MB RAM, 128MB should be plenty. Because any increase in RAM size uses more battery power, and you are very unlikely to notice the difference between 128MB and 256MB on any Windows Mobile device.
- The Uni already supports 8GB SDIO cards! In fact it also supports 16GB SDIO cards, you can get these right now from eBay!
- An FM radio would just be a waste of space IMO, using valuable battery life and circuitry which could be used for much better things. You can have FM radio on your Uni already over the internet with UMTS!
- I agree about camera. We need 3MP+, with a very powerful flash led, something like the Luxeon Rebel. It should also be able to capture smooth video in at least 640x480 at 25fps+ with decent quality sound.
- Why more buttons? Already the Uni has more buttons than most other phones! I think it has enough now
- With ALL mobile phones, you can only get really longer battery life by getting an extended battery. You can get these for the Uni now, they are very cheap, but of course they are much larger. It is always a trade-off between battery size and battery life - you cannot have both!
- And Uni needs built in GPS (SurfStar chipset), and HSDPA (much less important, 3G is already mostly fast enough). Then it is a perfect device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was refering to the other post where da guy said his universal had microSD
So the 16gb supported cards dont have to be partitioned to 4GB parts? The new Universal shouldnt support the cards as 1 partition.
About the FM radio, I beg to differ. In MANY places where there's no UMTS or its very expensive, havng an inbuild radio would be good. And I know a whole bunch of other devices with radios that dont affect battery life that much.
They should also include better Power amangement in the universal to improve life amidst all these addtitions
I personally would prefer more buttons so manipulating the device without opening the keyboard could be possible... playing games... accessing menues... running programs etc. Basically you should be able to leave you Universal in portrait mode forever...
I definitely agree wit the inbuilt GPS
Ciao!
if one really want a fm radio you can buy headsets to use for the pda
which also have fm radio build in
Some companies build personal video/media players. Some other companies build mobile Internet surfing devices. The Universal can do both very well with decent battery life. It's also a PDA and a phone!
After 2 years, I still use my Universal heavily. I always feel good about just having to carry one device for all the entertainment I need. When I am bored with what I've got on my SD cards, I can watch the full youtube (not just the subset catered specifically for mobiles) over 3G! Also, you can't beat the keyboard for online chat and text messaging.
Is there not a market for something like the HTC Omni? A pocketable mobile Internet device with rich multimedia functions.
Is there really a market for the 5 inch Athena. Who are the target consumers?
"Who are the target consumers?"
Andre the Giant
skng said:
Is there not a market for something like the HTC Omni? A pocketable mobile Internet device with rich multimedia functions.
Is there really a market for the 5 inch Athena. Who are the target consumers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Prolly the same as with Nokia's Internet Tablets.
(BTW, the Athena sales are pretty lowish - MUCH lower than any current HTC models. No wonder, I'd say - they contain, in addition to a very bad thumbboard, already outdated hardware. For example, the old, ppower-hungry and not multimedia-friendly PXA-270 instead of the PXA-3XX)
Menneisyys said:
Prolly the same as with Nokia's Internet Tablets.
(BTW, the Athena sales are pretty lowish - MUCH lower than any current HTC models. No wonder, I'd say - they contain, in addition to a very bad thumbboard, already outdated hardware. For example, the old, ppower-hungry and not multimedia-friendly PXA-270 instead of the PXA-3XX)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you're right. They should have equipped the athena with much reliable flash drive of 8GB too for that price. Also, HTC, please do away with those magnets(if plan for Athena II)! They formatted my friend Laptop's HDD too(the way it did for Midget_1990)
freaking magents. Just due to the magnets, microphone and HDD, I did not get the athena, otherwise, its such a nice device. They could have lowered the screen size to 4.0' and put-in a microphone too. May be then, most of the universal owners would have jumped to it
Rudegar said:
"Who are the target consumers?"
Andre the Giant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nah.. its Great Khali now. Andre is dead guy now
I've been buying HTC devices every year since the very first XDA came out. It seems to get harder each year to choose a device as more choice becomes available. I don't think the Athena was out last year (or only just out and a bit out of my price range) so it wasn't really a consideration.
Anyway I went for an Orbit/Armatis which I've really enjoyed, it has just about everything I need. Perhaps the only improvements I would make is 3G, VGA, more memory, faster processor and I do like the sound of the tv-out. So sounds like the Athena is still on the cards.
I'm just a bit worried I've missed the boat. What I mean is, is it a bit outdated now? Will they bring out a smaller/lighter version soon?
Other questions you could answer for me are as follows..
How have you all coped with the size?
For those of you using them as phone (rather than a umpc) how have they stood upto being in your pocket (without the case/keyboard)
I've heard they're not too good playing Divx movies (700mb variety). Is this true. Will the Roms available here correct this?
Any more advice great fully received.
Many thanks
DannyBoy
Now is good many peoploe are looking for something new Umpc's, Asus eee or shift type things and a few going on ebay mine will be gone soon i expect but its a great device if ur using as a phone a lot get a good BT headset like LG Style-i
Id recommend it, as long as you wanted a mini-pc, rather than a phone. The internet features, harddisk, screen, and connectivity options really tick all the boxes, and the enhanced roms really improve the product.
If you want to use it as a phone, be prepared to use a BT headset or the wired option, or the speakerphone. I can't fault it on sound quality, but if you're a pub regular, you'll feel like a bit of a tit having it on your belt or in your pocket. Either that, or face swapping your sim out to another more portable phone. Luckily I've got a work mobile as well, so I can take that out with me.
The TV out is pretty good as is the VGA, provided you're not putting it on too large a screen (only 640x480 res). But is ok on my work monitor, watching last nights telly programme that I missed, or a film. One thing to be wary of, is that you MUST run the movies off the Microdrive (or memory). If you try and play it off a USB keyfob, its just too slow to support it. MP3's are ok (although can take a fair few seconds to load).
All in all, it comes down to if you want a mini-pc, or a phone with PDA functionality.
the size took quite a bit of getting used to but once u get the feel of its awsome w/the 5" touch screen.i use my jabra bt8010 and its probably the best bluetooth stereo headset for the athena coz its got a caller ID and vibrate.i usually keep the athena in a pouch or in my pocket.i dont use the case since it makes it fatter and kind of akward to hold.playing divx,xvid,flv..etc videos are great on the athena.there are specific settings to be made in TCPMP and once they are set ur good to go.ive never had any problems playing videos after making the settings.just make sure u go look for a demo or someone with on and test it out for a while and try to get a feel for it.hope this helps
If you're mainly looking for a phone, I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you want internet on the move, this is just about the only device in the market currently. The smaller screens may be VGA, but the're too small to run REALVGA program. REALVGA is one of the greatest improvements to WM6's useability. If I have access to a notebook, I would of course prefer to use that to surf internet. But on the road, do I want to carry a ASUS eee with me just to surf internet or would I prefer to just carry an Athena? The answer is clearly Athena. But please don't expect the speed and functionality of a full web browser like some do.
Besides the large VGA screen, the presence of harddisk AND MicroSDHC is also brings about benefits that no other devices AFAIK can offer. By installing all your programs in the Microdrive, you give yourself the ability to swap the MicroSDHC (currently 8GB each max) in and out. I place all my musics, pictures, and videos on MicroSDHC. This means I have UNLIMITED storage capacity. Currently I have close to 80 applications on my microdrive, and uses less than 10% of microdrive's capacity.
GPS works great on screen of this size, although it looks good enough on smaller screen.
Another application of mine that works great on this 5 inch screen is Meta Trader 4, which displays chart of shares, currencies, commodities. The ability to know what's happening to your investments anywhere anytime is just fantastic.
Carrying it around has not been an issue for me. I have a home made belt pouch with velcro flap. I carry the device without keyboard, as a software keyboard called Tengo is far better than the hardware keyboard anyway.
I don't have any issue using the phone even without bluetooth headset, but others prefer to use it with one. Someone just posted a wristwatch styled headset which should complement this device perfectly. Google "bluevision watch" and you will be able to read more about this.
I don't have any issue with playing videos. It looks excellent from my perspective (always smooth and clear), although some think that it is crap, something I could never never understand. I don't compare that with my home theatre system's quality.
Next comes the camera. Its quality under bright daylight is excellent, but in indoor situation it is a bit lacking.
MP3 plays very very well on this device. Battery life is reasonably long. Depending on the use, about a quarter of people polled in another thread run it down in less than one day, a quarter in one day, a quarter in two days.. something like that.
In summary, this is the best convergent device in the market with the most ideal size imaginable. HTC SHIFT has got the size completely wrong IMHO. It is too big to be carried around 24/7 whereas Athea is not.
I've been a very very satisfied owner for about 9 months now. If I lost it today, my next phone is still going to be Athena, of course, unless they come up with a skinnier and lighter version, with FM radio, TV tuner, and infra, without reducing the size of the screen.
Thankyou for giving such detailed opinions guys. It is much appreciated.
I think i'll get one but probably second hand rather than start a new contract.
Looking forward to playing with the Rom's in here. they look great.
The athena is a cracking device, but for me it was a case of it falling between two devices and not doing either as well as they could be done.
too small to be a laptop and too big to be fone
so i have gone down the separate small fone and small laptop route.
i found after a while the phone function just became a pain in the bum and i actually wanted XP and not WM6 functionality
spacecat said:
The athena is a cracking device, but for me it was a case of it falling between two devices and not doing either as well as they could be done.
too small to be a laptop and too big to be fone
so i have gone down the separate small fone and small laptop route.
i found after a while the phone function just became a pain in the bum and i actually wanted XP and not WM6 functionality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I'm the opposite - I want a machine for instant email access and web access with GPS etc which I can carry. I ahve a computer at work and at home.
The truth is, I'm afraid, you're going to have to make up your own mind! It is a big device but very usable (especially with a bluetooth headset). Everyone has their own opinion of it / uses for it but they may not match yours.
if you use the GPS function in a car its a no brainer, as its nearly as a cheap as a decent satnav and can do a lot more.
otherwise ..like he said
spacecat said:
if you use the GPS function in a car its a no brainer, as its nearly as a cheap as a decent satnav and can do a lot more.
otherwise ..like he said
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS in a car does not meet my need. Only a mobile one allows me to find direction after parking my car. You don't have to drive to enjoy the benefits. I use it to find points of interest such as restaurants . I use it while walking downtown to get to unfamiliar places rather than carrying a heavy streets directory.
Only a mobile one lets me play golf with a golf GPS software, telling me how far I'm from water hazards, from green, from trees, etc.
Only mobile GPS allows me to bring it overseas.
Also, after trying out a few 'dedicated' GPS, they are just inferior to mobile ones in terms of functionality.
Sure you can tell me that there are dedicated mobile GPS around which can satisfy my needs. But how many devices do you want to carry? For me, I want to take with me only one convergent device. I don't want a dedicated phone, another dedicated GPS, another dedicated web surfing subnotebook, another dedicated mp3 player, another camera, another video recorder. I'm sure there are people who fervently wants the best equipment dedicated to every single task, but that's their choice. I'm very happy to have made the Athena choice and sticking with it until a better convergent device comes along.
eaglesteve said:
GPS in a car does not meet my need. Only a mobile one allows me to find direction after parking my car. You don't have to drive to enjoy the benefits. I use it to find points of interest such as restaurants . I use it while walking downtown to get to unfamiliar places rather than carrying a heavy streets directory.
Only a mobile one lets me play golf with a golf GPS software, telling me how far I'm from water hazards, from green, from trees, etc.
Only mobile GPS allows me to bring it overseas.
Also, after trying out a few 'dedicated' GPS, they are just inferior to mobile ones in terms of functionality.
Sure you can tell me that there are dedicated mobile GPS around which can satisfy my needs. But how many devices do you want to carry? For me, I want to take with me only one convergent device. I don't want a dedicated phone, another dedicated GPS, another dedicated web surfing subnotebook, another dedicated mp3 player, another camera, another video recorder. I'm sure there are people who fervently wants the best equipment dedicated to every single task, but that's their choice. I'm very happy to have made the Athena choice and sticking with it until a better convergent device comes along.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
? im referrering to the GPS system in the Athena
Let's not forget I've had it built into a device literally half the size of the Athena for a year so its not really a selling point for the Athena.
Have you seen this? ...7501!
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3153290&Sku=H224-1010
As an ex Clie pda user, I have ditched the little keyboard and use the WM6 version of graffiti text input, and have never looked back at the keyboard again. With the supplied leather case, it improves portability so much it can fit into the back of my jeans pocket.
Haven't loaded gps, but will in the coming year.
A must is the Jabra bt8010 for stereo bluetooth, and phone use, so you don't have to pull out the athena everytime. Otherwise you are using the speaker phone to talk to people, not the best.
I would have to say, if you want the screen size, the Athena is hard to beat when you look at the spec sheet. Most UMPC's don't have a cell phone built in. Most cell phones don't have a big screen that give you pda functionality.
I would say the only other alternatives is the HTC Touch, if you can live with the smaller screen size.
My only gripes on the Athena:
Video performance @30fps is BAD
Occasional A2DP stereo bluetooth skips, A2DP is so good I would never use an iPhone or iPod or any phone without it again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If they come out with an Athena2, this is what I would like to see:
Solid State Hard Disc of at least 32GB
Solid video performance
Drop the keyboard - it scared away a lot of people with the gimmicky magnet attachment and small useless size.
To sum up, if you like the large screen of the PDA's (480x320), and love pda functionality, then you will like the Athena. It lets me carry only one device.
DON'T FORGET THAT THE CES SHOW IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY, there could be a new device that manages to top the Athena there, lets hope it is the Athena 2!
keithwwalker said:
As an ex Clie pda user, I have ditched the little keyboard and use the WM6 version of graffiti text input, and have never looked back at the keyboard again. With the supplied leather case, it improves portability so much it can fit into the back of my jeans pocket.
Haven't loaded gps, but will in the coming year.
A must is the Jabra bt8010 for stereo bluetooth, and phone use, so you don't have to pull out the athena everytime. Otherwise you are using the speaker phone to talk to people, not the best.
I would have to say, if you want the screen size, the Athena is hard to beat when you look at the spec sheet. Most UMPC's don't have a cell phone built in. Most cell phones don't have a big screen that give you pda functionality.
I would say the only other alternatives is the HTC Touch, if you can live with the smaller screen size.
My only gripes on the Athena:
Video performance @30fps is BAD
Occasional A2DP stereo bluetooth skips, A2DP is so good I would never use an iPhone or iPod or any phone without it again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If they come out with an Athena2, this is what I would like to see:
Solid State Hard Disc of at least 32GB
Solid video performance
Drop the keyboard - it scared away a lot of people with the gimmicky magnet attachment and small useless size.
To sum up, if you like the large screen of the PDA's (480x320), and love pda functionality, then you will like the Athena. It lets me carry only one device.
DON'T FORGET THAT THE CES SHOW IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY, there could be a new device that manages to top the Athena there, lets hope it is the Athena 2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with your wishlist. I'd add to that TV tuner, FM radio, infra. Would also be nice to shed some weight and thickness.
I hope there is an Athena 2 soon. This is a wonderful size for a convergent device.
Just a reiteration here, but it is about personal preference. I tried to get along with the athena with pks rom, and although it was noticeably better than before it still didn't quite do it for me. I had constant complaints about the quality of voice calls using the speaker phone, and although a bluetooth headset worked fine, for me it still wasn't as practical as i would've liked. I went back yesterday to an n95, and bought a nokia n800 for portable browsing and email (although the n95 is more than capable here anyway). The two combined cost me about the price of an athena, and for my personal needs they work together to give a superior experience. The n95s gps locks on much quicker than the athena's so is in many ways a more practical device to use for personal navigation - especially with google maps' integration of the internal gps. The browser on the n95 is also better than pocket internet explorer, but when required i have the unbeatable os2008 browser to hand with the n800. Nokia have also just released a firmware update for the n95 which makes everything snappy and enjoyable - how it should have been all along really! The only thing i really miss about the athena is texting on a big screen. For some reason i really enjoyed that. The wmwifirouter app was useful too, though that's not exclusive to the athena. I think among the current fold of handsets the only thing that sets the athena apart is the screen size. There is nothing else on the device that can't be seen elsewhere. It just didn't cut the mustard for me as i had to persevere too much and it was a little embarrassing to use, but as they say - each to their own. One final point i will make is that i DON'T THINK the athena is a good convergence device. It provides no more than a big screen. Video performance is often shoddy, browsing does not offer full internet, the camera is pretty crap and usb host is only really of use for hid and playing music\photos. Aside from the large screen, usb host and touchscreen the n95 8gb offers: better multimedia playback (multi codec with coreplayer), a far superior camera, with shockingly better video recording functionality, integrated gps which locks on quicker than the athena and a quicker browser which allows effortless access to all but flash sites (soon to be remedied. With flash lite 3.0).. If the athena is a convergance device then the n95 8gb is just as good, particularly given it's size. You can even use a bluetooth keyboard with it. P.s. I typed all this on an n95 and it was a piece of cake!.
leoni1980 said:
Just a reiteration here, but it is about personal preference. I tried to get along with the athena with pks rom, and although it was noticeably better than before it still didn't quite do it for me. I had constant complaints about the quality of voice calls using the speaker phone, and although a bluetooth headset worked fine, for me it still wasn't as practical as i would've liked. I went back yesterday to an n95, and bought a nokia n800 for portable browsing and email (although the n95 is more than capable here anyway). The two combined cost me about the price of an athena, and for my personal needs they work together to give a superior experience. The n95s gps locks on much quicker than the athena's so is in many ways a more practical device to use for personal navigation - especially with google maps' integration of the internal gps. The browser on the n95 is also better than pocket internet explorer, but when required i have the unbeatable os2008 browser to hand with the n800. Nokia have also just released a firmware update for the n95 which makes everything snappy and enjoyable - how it should have been all along really! The only thing i really miss about the athena is texting on a big screen. For some reason i really enjoyed that. The wmwifirouter app was useful too, though that's not exclusive to the athena. I think among the current fold of handsets the only thing that sets the athena apart is the screen size. There is nothing else on the device that can't be seen elsewhere. It just didn't cut the mustard for me as i had to persevere too much and it was a little embarrassing to use, but as they say - each to their own. One final point i will make is that i DON'T THINK the athena is a good convergence device. It provides no more than a big screen. Video performance is often shoddy, browsing does not offer full internet, the camera is pretty crap and usb host is only really of use for hid and playing music\photos. Aside from the large screen, usb host and touchscreen the n95 8gb offers: better multimedia playback (multi codec with coreplayer), a far superior camera, with shockingly better video recording functionality, integrated gps which locks on quicker than the athena and a quicker browser which allows effortless access to all but flash sites (soon to be remedied. With flash lite 3.0).. If the athena is a convergance device then the n95 8gb is just as good, particularly given it's size. You can even use a bluetooth keyboard with it. P.s. I typed all this on an n95 and it was a piece of cake!.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I disagree that web browsing and emailing experience is even practical at all with N95. The device is just too tiny for such purposes. I went to the shop and asked the assistant to demo it. It is way way too slow for once. The screen shows a small portion of that Athena would have shown. The input with the keypad is completely unacceptable and unpleasant.
I hate to say this, while I understand your desire to find a better browser and email client on Athena, I don't think N95 is a better one.
eaglesteve said:
Sorry, I disagree that web browsing and emailing experience is even practical at all with N95. The device is just too tiny for such purposes. I went to the shop and asked the assistant to demo it. It is way way too slow for once. The screen shows a small portion of that Athena would have shown. The input with the keypad is completely unacceptable and unpleasant.
I hate to say this, while I understand your desire to find a better browser and email client on Athena, I don't think N95 is a better one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that was too polite.
Leoni, you can't seriously be suggesting that a buggy S60 phone with a tiny screen and a gimmicky media player is even close to the Athena. My other half has an N95 and even she (a gadget hater!) thinks it is a dysfunctional version of the Iphone (now that is quite an insult, coming from her!). The only good think about it is the camera.
Leoni is right, it is about personal preference. But iof you want decent browsing, decent email, decent screen size, decent satnav, the N95 is most certainly not the way to go. Sorry.
a viewty and an EEE pc thats the way to do it
spacecat said:
a viewty and an EEE pc thats the way to do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my brother just got the viewty, nice camera but the rest sucks lol
Is there any device in market or coming soon similar to Athena?
Important features included:
large screen (5" or above)
under $1000
long battery life
instant on
wifi, gps
weight about 1 lb
It should have more than one in this market segment.
Thanks!
Where have you been? Look at it's successor HTC Advantage X7510: http://www.digitalburn.com/index.php/2008/05/21/review-of-htcs-x7510-advantage/
...
alui said:
Is there any device in market or coming soon similar to Athena?
Important features included:
large screen (5" or above)
under $1000
long battery life
instant on
wifi, gps
weight about 1 lb
It should have more than one in this market segment.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good question. I'm looking for it too. I was hoping that 7510 was going to be it, but no. It was a step backward instead of forward, from my perspective and based on the way I'm going to use it.
I would add FM radio, support High Capacity external memory cards, 5MB camera, fluid video recorder, television, more rounded and thinner than 7500/7510.
I would like it to maintain the existing aspect ratio and not move toward 480x800 for the sake of software compatibility. No thanks, I don't want a 2.8" screen.
As you can see, there is none in the market that meets my dream list. So I guess I'd be using my Athena for a long long time to come still.
alui said:
Is there any device in market or coming soon similar to Athena?
Important features included:
large screen (5" or above)
under $1000
long battery life
instant on
wifi, gps
weight about 1 lb
It should have more than one in this market segment.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
question: All the things you've mentioned are included in the Athena, so why are you looking for something else????
Or if you don't mind a small screen and the absence of a keyboard, check out the Samsung Omnia: http://samsungomnia.com/
To be honest, if this had a better screen size, I would not consider saving up for the X7510, but nothing beats the screen of the Athena and Advantage as of now.
...
cktlcmd said:
Or if you don't mind a small screen and the absence of a keyboard, check out the Samsung Omnia: http://samsungomnia.com/
To be honest, if this had a better screen size, I would not consider saving up for the X7510, but nothing beats the screen of the Athena and Advantage as of now.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed. You'd really appreciate Athena's (big) size when you're using e-reader program, pdf file viewer, SoftMakers (when in 92dpi especially), and internet browsing. You can see those otherwise too tiny fonts.
eaglesteve said:
Indeed. You'd really appreciate Athena's (big) size when you're using e-reader program, pdf file viewer, SoftMakers (when in 92dpi especially), and internet browsing. You can see those otherwise too tiny fonts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am dying in waiting here... for the X7510. On The Go Solutions will have it in stock by tomorrow. I keep holding back because I am waiting for the price of the X7500 (brand new) to drop to at least $900. If I can't control myself, I'll be buying the X7510 by next week. But before I order, I still want to know that they have it in stock, because the release date keeps moving back.
I even purchased ahead of time the following: Brando Workshop's Ultra clear screen protector, LG HBM 700 BT Communicator, heck... I even ordered a customized belt holster from Nutshell in Horizontal Style that houses both the case and the X7510 with keyboard. I had to make sure I didn't messed up on the size specifications I provided, so I waited for some reviews to confirm it. I guess we'll know in a few days.
...
For my the Athena is the best device today even compared with with the newer devices about to be released, HTC had the chance to get out a much better device with the 7510 but they didn't deliver.
In my opinion the only better thing is they doubled the amount of memory to 16gb and that is solid state rather than a hard disk, so what (8GB micro SDs cost peanuts this days and 16gb will soon be out there) but not joypad or buttons.
I want my next device with a proper graphics chip and the most sensitive gps chip out there and a camera that actually deliver even in poor light conditions
I want the OS and applications as good as those made by Apple or better and for gods sake Athena it is a VGA device, I want VGA working out of the box.
a little more ram will hep too ( for speed) and the phone function should work flawless at all times.
transflective LCD screen any one?
those are the issues that if solved will make a difference to my, and yea they can be solved the proof is this forum and excelent roms and apps.
Is anybody from HTC reading this?
said this I still convinced than Athena+XDA develoers hard work is the best device out there even after a year.
right, I feel much better now
oh yea good try with the new keyboard but not good enough.
i was reading this thread... and i had the urge to bump it up.
lol.
ciao!
HTC SHIFT? A bit Bigger... but loses some of the mobile capabilities and batt life?
Three months later and the answer to this thread is still the same - the 7500 or 7501 are still the best on the market. 7510 gives up too much, and nothing else on the market has the screen size, battery life, instant on, wifi, bt, etc.
For me, the replacement model is the HTC Touch HD.
Touch HD
I am also intrigued by the Touch HD, but I can't see on its spec page if it has VGA out. I use my Advantage to hook up to a projector and run PowerPoint. (Maybe I need a pocket sized projector that takes an SD card instead?)
touch hd lacks the hardware keyboard and gps, right? but atleast maybe they already fixed the graphic card issue in touch hd.
jetherson said:
touch hd lacks the hardware keyboard and gps, right? but atleast maybe they already fixed the graphic card issue in touch hd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have not only gps but also A-gps.
Thank goodness there is no keyboard.
Athena screen size attracted me most, though its a little bulky.
Xperia X1 is my prefer choice, if it is 1 inch more.
eaglesteve said:
They have not only gps but also A-gps.
Thank goodness there is no keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see, i must have misread that gps thingy somewhere.
While Touch HD is the best replacement today, I'm still waiting for a 4.5 inch minimmum screen, with FM and TV and joystick. I don't mind not having the other hardware buttons but I really really want the joystick.
I prefer no keyboard personally. Just want the same form factor as the Touch HD.
I'm intrigued by the t-mob G1
http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/19/g1-appears-on-t-mobiles-site/
black--rider said:
HTC SHIFT? A bit Bigger... but loses some of the mobile capabilities and batt life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"a bit" bigger. nah, it is like several times bigger, i can take and post comparison photos
the truth is, while the shift is really small for a vista pc, the athena is incredibly small. (just don't compare it to normal phones )
What kind of device would it take to make you leave touch HD and switch to something new?
I've been looking at some of the latest generation devices popping out (from various manufacturers) and I have to say I have not been not one bit tempted to make the switch.
So, for some future imaginary HTC device, here's what I'd like to see addressed:
Hardware related:
1. Illuminated hardware touch sensitive keys. I really hate this isn't present on Touch HD. A tinly LED would solve this and make the device much more usable in the dark.
2. More hardware keys. Perhaps a camera button, or simply few "blank" buttons that users can customize. A scroll wheel would be awesome.
3. A better visual indicator of received / missed calls and messages. That tiny LED on power button is hardly noticeable. They should've placed it on front side.
4. More easier way to soft-reset and swap memory cards. Perhaps dual memory card slots.
5. Make the device slightly more responsive, either by increasing memory / processor speed, or optimizing the bundled software. If ROM chefs can do it, I guess HTC can too.
6. FLASHLIGHT LED (This should've been the first on the list )
7. Add multi-touch.
8. Video output would be nice.
9. Make an accessory that would serve as a small portable and detachable Bluetooth keyboard. I can't figure out why HTC doesn't offer this. Is it so hard to rip out the keyboard from say new Touch Pro 2 and put a battery and Bluetooth chip inside that would work as a HID interface device?
SOFTWARE RELATED
1. Proper drivers that support hardware video acceleration.
2. Complete overhaul of Touch Flo 3D. Make it skinnable, make it highly user-configurable, integrate it even deeper over ugly WinMo.
3. Fix the annoying bugs.
4. Add default Divx and Xvid support. For a device with word "HD" in it's name, and such a big screen, this really should've been done long ago.
I'll leave other ideas to you
I like where you are going with this. However we all know that the "perfect" device will never be made due to the fact that people will then have no reason to purchase anything new unless hardware tech increases.
They aren't going to bundle everything you have said in there due to the compromise they would have to make between power/battery life/useability.
However I'd almost like to see a cut down version of this...iPhone like I suppose. Only offer 10 features or so (good overlay of SMS, Email, web browsing layers) but do it almost seamlessly without the need for using WinMo standards (such as SMS etc..). Get those right and provide a sleek, slim, portable, and cheaper device.
The one thing I hate is the fact that I have a front camera on the touch hd but hardly any software to take advantage of it in terms of video calling....renders it useless.
Wiggz said:
I like where you are going with this. However we all know that the "perfect" device will never be made due to the fact that people will then have no reason to purchase anything new unless hardware tech increases.
They aren't going to bundle everything you have said in there due to the compromise they would have to make between power/battery life/useability.
However I'd almost like to see a cut down version of this...iPhone like I suppose. Only offer 10 features or so (good overlay of SMS, Email, web browsing layers) but do it almost seamlessly without the need for using WinMo standards (such as SMS etc..). Get those right and provide a sleek, slim, portable, and cheaper device.
The one thing I hate is the fact that I have a front camera on the touch hd but hardly any software to take advantage of it in terms of video calling....renders it useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you in some aspects. Yes their will never be a perfect phone as everyone has different opinions on what the perfect phone is. So what may be perfect to you, may be no where near perfect for me etc. Thats why there will always be a wide variety of phones.
I disagree with you on manufacturers bundling everything into phones as that is what is currently being implemented by all manufacturers. Phones nowadays aren't just a phone they have cameras, radios, mp3 players, navigational apps like tomtom, tv tuners, personal organisers etc. Why have one of each when you can have one in all. This is what the customer wants and the manufacturers are realising this and are already producing devices with this already built in. With time the quality of these devices will improve.....but there will always be room for improvement. This is why we will never be happy IMO. For example. If you go out and buy a 50 inch plasma tv. Next year a better model will e available and you will want it instead etc etc etc.
Thats my 2 cents anyhow!!
Happy to say that people share the same thought. at least it is one step closer to be perfect.
Wiggz said:
I like where you are going with this. However we all know that the "perfect" device will never be made due to the fact that people will then have no reason to purchase anything new unless hardware tech increases.
They aren't going to bundle everything you have said in there due to the compromise they would have to make between power/battery life/useability.
However I'd almost like to see a cut down version of this...iPhone like I suppose. Only offer 10 features or so (good overlay of SMS, Email, web browsing layers) but do it almost seamlessly without the need for using WinMo standards (such as SMS etc..). Get those right and provide a sleek, slim, portable, and cheaper device.
The one thing I hate is the fact that I have a front camera on the touch hd but hardly any software to take advantage of it in terms of video calling....renders it useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure a "perfect" device will never be made. There were some in the past that would pretty much fit into "perfect" category, based on their market position and "features vs. price vs. usability".
Also, I do not advocate putting everything into every device, but as you know, Touch HD is sitting pretty much at the top of the food chain when it comes to Windows Mobile devices. So, it's logical that it's feature pack will be bigger then the devices placed lower. I don't even want to throw in the average mobile phones in here.
My ideas are mostly very easy to implement / improve. For example, lets take a look at the Touch HD camera. They packed inside a 5 megapixel camera that takes rather ****ty photos even in perfect conditions, and they left out a LED flashlight. Wouldn't you rather have a LED flash and 3 megapixel camera that takes decent photos? Not to mention that the flashlight can also be used as a torch light in everyday situations.
Battery life on Touch HD is actually best out of all 2008. touch screen devices. Believe it or not, but you'll actually squeeze 30 minutes more battery out of Touch HD then out of famous iPhone, and the rest of the touchscreen gang isn't even close! I would gladly give up 10-15% battery life for an illuminated hardware keys and a flashlight and pay equally bigger end price.
Rozenthal said:
My ideas are mostly very easy to implement / improve. For example, lets take a look at the Touch HD camera. They packed inside a 5 megapixel camera that takes rather ****ty photos even in perfect conditions, and they left out a LED flashlight. Wouldn't you rather have a LED flash and 3 megapixel camera that takes decent photos? Not to mention that the flashlight can also be used as a torch light in everyday situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with you there mate, though I don't think a compromise on camera i.e. 3 MP with flashlight is the way forward. Look at Samsung for instance. They are able to provide 8MP cameras with autofocus and flashlight. Why can't HTC follow suit? Instead they keep throwing out 3.2MP with flashlight. I heard there next release is still only 5MP. Why not try and leap infront of their competitors? Its this kind of thing which irritates me
Fallen Spartan said:
Agree with you there mate, though I don't think a compromise on camera i.e. 3 MP with flashlight is the way forward. Look at Samsung for instance. They are able to provide 8MP cameras with autofocus and flashlight. Why can't HTC follow suit? Instead they keep throwing out 3.2MP with flashlight. I heard there next release is still only 5MP. Why not try and leap infront of their competitors? Its this kind of thing which irritates me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, well, the reason for Samsung offering some pretty damn good phone cameras is simple: they already have a strong photo / video department within their company. Heck, they even have an SLR photo cameras, not to mention quite decent compact cameras.
So, with that technology already being developed and implemented within the house, it's much more simpler for them to throw out devices with 8 megapixel cameras and autofocus and xeon flashlight.
HTC is (s)lacking in this area.
Rozenthal said:
Ah, well, the reason for Samsung offering some pretty damn good phone cameras is simple: they already have a strong photo / video department within their company. Heck, they even have an SLR photo cameras, not to mention quite decent compact cameras.
So, with that technology already being developed and implemented within the house, it's much more simpler for them to throw out devices with 8 megapixel cameras and autofocus and xeon flashlight.
HTC is (s)lacking in this area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes to some extent, but I think thats to easy an excuse personally. The technology is out there and easily copied between manufactuers and competitors. All you would need to do is go out and buy some camera, take it apart and learn how it worked. How long have cameras been around, and HTC is japanese. Aren't they supposed to be the best at compact electronics??
2 Years ago when I got my Prophet I thought about the same topic.
At that time I wanted a bigger screen with a higher resolution, a 3,5mm audio jack and a faster processor. When the HD came I thought it would be the perfect device for me but now I want other things.
The most annoying thing of the HD is the lack of Hardware keys and D-PAD.
I used them all the time with my Prophet and many programs need them or are much more usable with D-PAD and real hardware buttons. I've always asked myself why HTC gave the HD only 2 Hardware Keys. It may have the touch keys but they aren't usable when the screen is off and you press them sometimes by mistake and they aren't really usable at night.
They could just take a look at some old devices and see what they did better with them. For example the reset key. On my Prophet it was easy accessible without the need to remove the cover. The same with the SD card.
One good thing is that you can change the SIM while the device is running. It isn't easy because there is a pin that should prevent it but with some force you can take out the SIM without taking out the battery. So why can't they make the SIM easy changeable if possible even without the need of removing the cover.
The camera is bad but I haven't seen a really good camera from HTC yet. The only thing it can better than most other camera phones is taking videos because it doesn't use 3gp but that is everything good there is to the camera of the HD. And they could make the camera much better only by putting in a flash because without much light the camera of the HD isn't usable.
Fallen Spartan said:
HTC is japanese. Aren't they supposed to be the best at compact electronics??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC aren't Japanese as far as I'm aware. They're Taiwanese, and generally they're best @ mass producing stuff and not exactly classy innovation (just look at ASUS, Gigabyte and all the other Taiwanese PC co's....).
Anyways, my wishlist for a "perfect" device with (hopefully!) near-future avaliability (some of these may have been mentioned already):
Hardware:
1. MultiTouch. Apparently with some new software even resistive screens can be as nice as responsive as capacitive ones.
2. 3.7" WVGA screen. Yeah I know smaller than the current 3.8" on the HD, but a slightly smaller screen = better handling when only using one hand, v. important for a mobile device imho. And @ that size, it's still possible to read (just) webpages without zooming in massive amounts (unlike the X1 / Diamond2)
3. Dual-LED Flash (at least!) w/ Auto-Flash. If SE can get Auto-Flash working on the X1, so can HTC!
4. SonyEriccson W950-style backlit buttons instead of the capacitive ones they have right now. It's annoying since I sometimes accidentally press those without meaning to.
5. Lanyard hook / hole. WTH they didn't include it before, I dunno.
6. (Optional) Slide-out landscape keyboard w/ dpad (kinda like the N97, but no silly angled slide)... always nice to have a proper keyboard when typing long emails
7. 1Ghz Snapdragon or some other sort of beefy processor so we can enjoy games and other stuff @ WVGA res without slowing down!
8. At least 512mb RAM. I want to be able to do TRUE multitasking and not have to shutdown apps just because Opera is starting up. And I wanna stop getting those annoying "out of memory errors" from NFS:U!
Software:
1. More stable OS. I don't wanna have to soft-reset the device every couple of days! If my previous Symbian-based UIQ3 SE W960 could work for weeks on end without having to reset it, WinMo should be able to do the same.
+ What Rozenthal said
So many people share the thoughts on the obvious defects in HD.
Was wondering whether I should return it. But which one else could be the good substituion?
In another word, HD is the perfect device til now?
henrik.dk said:
So many people share the thoughts on the obvious defects in HD.
Was wondering whether I should return it. But which one else could be the good substituion?
In another word, HD is the perfect device til now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're going for Windows Mobile, I don't think you'll find a better device available at this moment. I would not go as far to say that it's "perfect" - as any high-tech device, it has it's downsides and annoying moments, but it is the best you can get.
Also, biggest change for me since getting my Touch HD was flashing a custom made ROM. That felt pretty much like getting a new device.
i think the HD2 is an amazing piece of hardware and its clearly better than any other competing product in the coming few months. i do however hate a few things about it:
1-the lack of front camera for 3G video calls. while i may not care a lot about video calls i imagine that many will be missing it.
2-i see no point of releasing a separate delayed hardware revision for US market. especially when you consider that the rest of the world version lacks the front camera just like every other US phone. the Acer F1(another 1 GHZ 3G phone) has been available for a while and it supports US 3G bands on the same hardware and it even has the front camera.
3- considering that its the best multimedia phone made by HTC, its lacking the TV-out and the FM-Radio transmitter and better camera(all of which are supported by the N97)
4- the included 512MB ROM is a joke. i know that it can be expanded with SD card. but extra flash on the device is always useful. the 1.5 year old Omnia had 8/16/24BG+microSD why cant this have it. adding 8 or 16 GB flash costs HTC almost nothing to add
5-lack of stylus: HTC patented the capacitive stylus but they didnt use it. i know the the screen is big enough to be very finger friendly. but its still windows mobile and some applications work need stylus (for example Pocket artist).
6- lack of hardware buttons (especially camera). i wish the added 2 or 3 buttons on the empty sides. WM will always make use of the hardware buttons
7-despite the very high specs, its still less than the minimum Windows mobile7 specs (which requires Tegra level graphics performance acceleration and bigger than integrated storage ) which means that it will not be
upgradeable to wm7.
8-i dont understand the 320+128MB. the dedicated 128MB for the low performing graphics chip seems pointless to me. if they are going to put all this memory there why didnt they allocate it to program memory.
9- i really love how HTC managed to make the device reasonably small considering the huge 4.3" screen. i still think that its physically too big for many people. the HD was not very pocket friendly and this one is even bigger. i wish the screen was 4.0" or even 3.8". considering their recent improved and more efficient designs, im sure HTC would have been able to even make it friendly for one hand use with a smaller screen.
10- im not too big on the new standard micro-USB connector. they should have at lest included the hard to find mini-USB to micro-USB adapter with it. everybody already has several mini-USB cables/chargers but ive never actually seen a micro USB yet.
11- they increased up the specs (and power usage i would assume) significantly from the first HD but they reduced the battery size from 1350 to 1250mah!!!. luckily the early reports are suggesting "acceptable" battery life
Only thing missing for me on the device is a decent camera. I don't mean HTC standard... I mean the best of Nokia, Samsung & Sony Ericsson. The original HD took terrible pictures and videos. I don't think there is much improvement in this area from previews and videos.
TV-Out would of been great but sadly missing.
I don't care about front camera because I hardly ever use video call.
It's probably more of a business centric device but with such a large screen it could have so easily been the ultimate work and pleasure phone.
I'm leaning towards the Nokia N900 (Linux) but still undecided.
Just some thoughts for your annoyances! (I currently own an Omnia too)
THE GRIZZ said:
1-the lack of front camera for 3G video calls. while i may not care a lot about video calls i imagine that many will be missing it.
3G has been around for a while with a front video camera, but I can truly say that I don't know a single person that actually uses it. It's a gimmick IMO.
2-i see no point of releasing a separate delayed hardware revision for US market. especially when you consider that the rest of the world version lacks the front camera just like every other US phone. the Acer F1(another 1 GHZ 3G phone) has been available for a while and it supports US 3G bands on the same hardware and it even has the front camera.
I don't see the point either - bit silly if you ask me.
3- considering that its the best multimedia phone made by HTC, its lacking the TV-out and the FM-Radio transmitter and better camera(all of which are supported by the N97)
FM what? It still bedazzles me that people listen to FM radio these days. Surely most people have unlimited internet now and like I just use internet radio. More stations! As for the TV-out, again, I don't see the point really. Personally I use my netbook/laptop/pc for plugging into a tv since they can play HD. I supposed it would be nice if you want to show off photos to friends but then we all have facebook these days anyway For me, not a sore exclusion.
4- the included 512MB ROM is a joke. i know that it can be expanded with SD card. but extra flash on the device is always useful. the 1.5 year old Omnia had 8/16/24BG+microSD why cant this have it. adding 8 or 16 GB flash costs HTC almost nothing to add
I love the additional 8GB of the Omnia, but I guess they have to keep costs down somewhere. I have a 16GB micro SD, but when are 24/32 going to be available? Anyone know?
5-lack of stylus: HTC patented the capacitive stylus but they didnt use it. i know the the screen is big enough to be very finger friendly. but its still windows mobile and some applications work need stylus (for example Pocket artist).
I think you can still use a stylus but you have to set it up to do so (I saw it in another post on here).
6- lack of hardware buttons (especially camera). i wish the added 2 or 3 buttons on the empty sides. WM will always make use of the hardware buttons
There is no excuse for extra buttons down the side, although it makes it a bit more sleek I guess. But it's not like it doesn't take photos, it's just a useablitly thing.
7-despite the very high specs, its still less than the minimum Windows mobile7 specs (which requires Tegra level graphics performance acceleration) which means that it will not be
upgradeable to wm7.
I'm not sure that's right is it? In that original Leo thread in the main board, wasn't it confirmed that it will be upgradable? I think it's remains a bit of an unknown at the moment. That said, will wm7 be complete in 12 months? Given M$'s history of keeping to their planned dates, I doubt it. I think cookers will make it happen anyway and if not, in 12 months it will be upgrade time. Did someone say HD3?!
8-i dont understand the 320+128MB. the dedicated 128MB for the low performing graphics chip seems pointless to me. if they are going to put all this memory there why didnt they allocate it to program memory.
This one I have no idea about. Maybe they have something clever up their sleeves?
9- i really love how HTC managed to make the device reasonably small considering the huge 4.3" screen. i still think that its physically too big for many people. the HD was not very pocket friendly and this one is even bigger. i wish the screen was 4.0" or even 3.8". considering their recent improved and more efficient designs, im sure HTC would have been able to even make it friendly for one hand use with a smaller screen.
Well lets look at the iPhone. It's a huge seller. The HD2 is only a couple of mm's wider and taller so I don't see anyone is going to see it as an issue when they put it in their hands.
10- im not too big on the micro-USB connector. they should have at lest included the hard to find mini-USB adapter with it. everybody already has several mini-USB cables/chargers but ive never actually seen a micro USB yet.
I totally disagree here. It's the new universal format. You won't have seen many yet because devices are JUST beginning to emerge with it (ie Omnia 2). Already it's working because Samsung usually have their own proprietary connector so to see them go universal is a fantastic step in the right direction. It would be blind of HTC not to follow. So yes, bin those old Mini-USB
11- they increased up the specs (and power usage i would assume) significantly from the first HD but they reduced the battery size from 1350 to 1250mah!!!. luckily the early reports are suggesting "acceptable" battery life
I really hope it can last at least one full day of decent usage without the requirement of a charge. Surely they wouldn't make this wonderful device then shoot themselves in the foot??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway some good points there!
7-despite the very high specs, its still less than the minimum Windows mobile7 specs (which requires Tegra level graphics performance acceleration) which means that it will not be
upgradeable to wm7
I'm not sure that's right is it? In that original Leo thread in the main board, wasn't it confirmed that it will be upgradable? I think it's remains a bit of an unknown at the moment. That said, will wm7 be complete in 12 months? Given M$'s history of keeping to their planned dates, I doubt it. I think cookers will make it happen anyway and if not, in 12 months it will be upgrade time. Did someone say HD3?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is very likely WM7 will be out by mid to late next year. WM8 is already being discussed as I understand it and WM6 and 6.5 have been universally panned (and quite rightly).
So if you purchase the HD2 assuming it will be out of date in less than 10 months then all well but I suspect many will not be happy (including me). I don't mind spending extra bucks now to avoid doubling my investment by having to purchase two devices in the space of 10 months!
Do you have the link to the original "in the original Leo thread in the main board, wasn't it confirmed that it will be upgradable? "
add this to the list:
1. lack of full-fledged graphics drivers (3D)
2. lack of d-pad; or trackball like blackberrys
1) Front Camera - most people don't use them so not a big deal
2) Buy the Acer if you like it (have fun)
3) it has got an FM Radio onboard I believe
4) Memory could be better but its got an SD card so just by a 16gb card.
5) The point is you don't need a stylus - am I missing something. If you wannt a Stylus get an Omnia 2
6) The camera button could have been useful - but nobody knows if one of the front buttons cannot be used. Shall we wait till its been reviewed fully before we slag it off.
7) Its been clearly stated that the specs do not say "Tegra" only. Thats just not true. Makes me laugh that a phone with great 3d potential and dedicated memory like the HD2 is being slagged off for no reason.
8) The screen size is the best part of the phone - it can be used to watch video, surf the net, etc. So it has to be big to fit the screen - not an issue.
9) Micro-USB!! - You mean the defacto standard now.
10) Nobody knows about battery life yet so lets hold fire.
Why are you interested in the phone if non of its main selling points you like?
because despite its "limitations" its still a lot better than the rest now.
take a chill pill dude and try to tone-down the fanboiasm. our nitpicking will make it very easy for HTC to make the HD3 a better device. also by highlighting them so early in its life, it will make easy easy for its users to deal with its potential issues
Teneka_Khan said:
1) Front Camera - most people don't use them so not a big deal
2) Buy the Acer if you like it (have fun)
3) it has got an FM Radio onboard I believe
4) Memory could be better but its got an SD card so just by a 16gb card.
5) The point is you don't need a stylus - am I missing something. If you wannt a Stylus get an Omnia 2
6) The camera button could have been useful - but nobody knows if one of the front buttons cannot be used. Shall we wait till its been reviewed fully before we slag it off.
7) Its been clearly stated that the specs do not say "Tegra" only. Thats just not true. Makes me laugh that a phone with great 3d potential and dedicated memory like the HD2 is being slagged off for no reason.
8) The screen size is the best part of the phone - it can be used to watch video, surf the net, etc. So it has to be big to fit the screen - not an issue.
9) Micro-USB!! - You mean the defacto standard now.
10) Nobody knows about battery life yet so lets hold fire.
Why are you interested in the phone if non of its main selling points you like?
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I haved discovered that it does support WM7http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=7528 states
(QCOM 8k, Nvidia “Tegra” AP15/16* and TI 3430 all meet spec)
Qualcomm 8k = Snapdragon's QSD8xxx-series chips = Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 (which is in the Leo).. so the processor should meet WM7 chassis 1 requirement.
To answer the FM radio question - the answer is YES
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_hd2-2957.php
I agree with the comments above. There is no such thing as a perfect device but you have got to congratulate HTC on the HD2 being one of the closest to it.
alecs said:
I haved discovered that it does support WM7http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=7528 states
(QCOM 8k, Nvidia “Tegra” AP15/16* and TI 3430 all meet spec)
Qualcomm 8k = Snapdragon's QSD8xxx-series chips = Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 (which is in the Leo).. so the processor should meet WM7 chassis 1 requirement.
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The processor does, but the Chassis 1 spec also specifies at least 1GB of flash (and at least 512mb fast flash).
The HD2 only comes with 512mb internal memory.
Sc4Freak said:
The processor does, but the Chassis 1 spec also specifies at least 1GB of flash (and at least 512mb fast flash).
The HD2 only comes with 512mb internal memory.
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By 1GB of flash I believe that means available storage i.e. an SD card
Memory: 256MB+ DRAM, 1G+ Flash (at least 512MB fast flash – 5MB/s unbuffered read @4K block size)
I am not sure what fast flash means but these are minumum specs and doesn't mean the device can't run WM7, it may just lag in certain spots though somehow I doubt this thing will lag even on WM7
Is the specified 65k for the screen a hardware or software limitation? I know Windows Mobile 6.5 only supports 65k effective colors, but when WM 7 launches would the device be able to display more colors?
Toss3 said:
Is the specified 65k for the screen a hardware or software limitation? I know Windows Mobile 6.5 only supports 65k effective colors, but when WM 7 launches would the device be able to display more colors?
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sure it does . they dont make "65K color display" !
Most mobile phone LCD screens are 262K colours (18-bit). (This includes many of the displays used on phones that are advertised as supporting 24-bit colour.)
manuelcalavera said:
sure it does . they dont make "65K color display" !
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But does anyone know the actual maximum bit-depth of the display?
The GRIZZ said:
3- considering that its the best multimedia phone made by HTC, its lacking the TV-out and the FM-Radio transmitter and better camera(all of which are supported by the N97)
FM what? It still bedazzles me that people listen to FM radio these days. Surely most people have unlimited internet now and like I just use internet radio. More stations! As for the TV-out, again, I don't see the point really. Personally I use my netbook/laptop/pc for plugging into a tv since they can play HD. I supposed it would be nice if you want to show off photos to friends but then we all have facebook these days anyway For me, not a sore exclusion.
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Dude theres a difference between FM Receiver and FM Transmitter. A FM Transmitter is important for those who own a car. The FM Transmitter can be used to transmit Music at a certain frequency which can be tuned to in the car using the Cars FM Radio!
The HD2 already has a FM Receiver. It might also support FM Transmission capabilities but that depends on which chip its using.
Video Out is certainly a welcome addon. Showing off Photos on a LCD is way better than telling them to login to Facebook! I for one will surely miss the TV Out.
Inspite of that, I consider these two features to be of very less importance when compared to the other feature set. This is the THE KILLER phone everyone was waiting for!
Prefer Touch HD over HD2
I agree with Grizzly on almost every point he's been making so far. Before I catch the flames too I shall start with a story...
My HP iPAQ was stolen from a payphone booth within one minute where I forgot it at an airport a year ago. This was my first real PDA and I was extraordinarily disappointed. I had racked up a lot of apps on it and and had even made the home screen sexy and easy to use with a few mods. Going from interfacing my custom cycles with the PCR machine (lab work) to playing old favourites like SimCity 2000 in lectures was great!
The next thing I obviously wanted was a PDA PHONE, so I didn't have to use a payphone booth again... so I got the Touch HD when it just came out in Oz from Telstra (who still sell it for $1500 - 215% markup). And it was absolutely perfect. Did everything, well supported by the community, and using it as a phone and an organizer that synced with outlook it worked a charm. Then last month getting a taxi back from the pub, I was left at a busway because the taxi driver who was fresh from India could not find my home as it wasn't on the GPS. Calling another taxi I got mugged for it while I was using it, snatched it from my hand. So now I was faced with having to get a new phone.
I have bought a Touch HD again. You see, the HD2 as fantastic as it is, is half way between being a traditional WM phone and an Android phone. Without the use of a stylus, how can you hand write down meeting notes? How can I use all my legacy games and applications? What's the point of having something a little zippier when the new manilla (which is a bit too busy) is going to be hacked onto the Touch HD anyway and it doesn't have the Tegra for true gaming pwnage or audiophile quality audio or a true camera replacement camera? Also the lack of 3G camera ticks me off too. I can't video call my parents in NZ which although is horrendously expensive, I enjoy doing on birthdays and so on - on special occasions we're often away from our computers.
What I am going to do is stick with my tried and tested HD and see if the HD2 has any advantage over the Dragon before I upgrade. Or even other non-HTC devices (god forbid) should they provide Audio/Graphics advantages. Because really the point of this thing is to replace the need to carry around other devices. Otherwise just get something that is only a phone, right?
I just found this vid, shows the games on it and well there is only 1 teeter! How could they cut solitaire and bubble breaker! What am i gonna waste time with now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntZQ0iXzyvc&feature=player_embedded
Its @ about 2:45
THE GRIZZ said:
our nitpicking will make it very easy for HTC to make the HD3 a better device.
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Very much so. HTC an enormous international company dedicated to producing a whole range of phones and mobile devices needs listen to random forum posters who can't even get their facts straight.
I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for helping make the HD3 into the perfect device, derailing HTC's initial plans of improving the phone by removing the screen entirely and replacing it with a bar of soap. Your factual inaccuracies are making the mobile world a better place.
Since there is no dedicated off/on hardware ringer switch, is there a way to silence the phone while it is locked?
the volume rocker is normally used for something like that
mr_Ray said:
Very much so. HTC an enormous international company dedicated to producing a whole range of phones and mobile devices needs listen to random forum posters who can't even get their facts straight.
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Please spare us your fan-boyish drivel. What I mentioned in the OP are all valid concerns