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I'm pretty much looking for a long term phone, looking forward to watching movies, playing games, surfing the net, etc. I've used Xperia X1 (was great for a while, but little to no official support), the iPhone 3g (quick, way less laggier than the X1, great for mindless games to kill time)
Guess what I am asking is, is HTC HD2 worth the buck? $500 SGD (About uhm 250 Euros) for the phone (incl 2-year plan)
As you can see from my signature I've had a LOT of phones in my time, but never been very happy with one for very long.
Finally , at least for me, the HD2 will be something I'm going to own a very long time to come. It really does everything you could want in a phone/media player/comms/office/game device...all be it with a good bit of the expected modding and tweaking that comes with WinMo And if you can get it as cheap as €250 then I wouldn't think twice, go for it.
But remember my analogy for having a HD2/Leo. It's like having a child.
You have the painful labour pains of paying for it (€700 in most places). The joy of holding it for the first time (unboxing it)
Then like a child, you need to teach it how to work properly (modding and reg editing). Also like a growing child, you need to put up with it's little annoyances now and then (the odd bugs that need fixing). After that, you need to teach it to be interesting, (add apps, themes etc) Basically if you're willing to put in the work it's going to be worth every penny/cent
Thanks for the quick response! Appreciated! Yup, one thing I love about WinMo devices is the huge community(Actually the HTC Community) which allows me to pretty much customize the phone Another question, is there any major bugs/flaws that I might be concerned about? Because I've wanted this phone ever since the rumours surfaced and the hype made all the more irresistable lol
Yes, the HD2 is worth every penny!
There are a few flaws out of the box yes. Some have speaker issues, screen over/under sensitive, pinkeye camera, and a few more, all of which can be fixed with some reg edits and a few cab files. You can find all the fixes and tweaks Here.
The only as yet unfixed problem is the SMS issue. Some people (not me) who have over 200 or so SMSs (why don't people use the delete button?) notice a slow down when replying. But who uses SMS anymore in this modern age of emails, twitters, Google wave, Facebook and what not Anyways for the SMS issue I think there is a workaround until HTC come up with a patch.
jagnet said:
As you can see from my signature I've had a LOT of phones in my time, but never been very happy with one for very long.
Finally , at least for me, the HD2 will be something I'm going to own a very long time to come. It really does everything you could want in a phone/media player/comms/office/game device...all be it with a good bit of the expected modding and tweaking that comes with WinMo And if you can get it as cheap as €250 then I wouldn't think twice, go for it.
But remember my analogy for having a HD2/Leo. It's like having a child.
You have the painful labour pains of paying for it (€700 in most places). The joy of holding it for the first time (unboxing it)
Then like a child, you need to teach it how to work properly (modding and reg editing). Also like a growing child, you need to put up with it's little annoyances now and then (the odd bugs that need fixing). After that, you need to teach it to be interesting, (add apps, themes etc) Basically if you're willing to put in the work it's going to be worth every penny/cent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
700 euros in most places??.. no way
But to stay on topic.. imagine when it is summer.. how will you carry your Leo with you?.. so I find that a better case in the package would have been absolutely no luxury!
Then you have the software flaws.. device.exe sometimes crashes the phone totally.. the htcmessage performance.. the camera... seems to me that Leo had to be released..
seems to me like a business decision.. release it now albeit with software flaws and fix them later.. it turned out to be not a bad decision
but.. if you use Leo with navigon (my preferred navigation software) then you will be in for a real treat.. the same if you use it to browse websites.. so as always it depends
on your usage..
Like Jagnet, I've owned a rather odd collection of phones in my life. I've never been keen on Smartphones as I was rather disappointed by them during my little spree of owning them during 2003/04 and was put off since. I went as far as considering "a phone is just a phone, nothing else" and swore by living in the dark ages by avoiding Smartphones (even though I was working as a promoter and technical adviser for Windows Mobile back in 2003/04 >.<).
The HD2 was something that caught my eye earlier this year and is the first phone that I've waited patiently for, it certainly was worth the wait! Apart from the odd niggles you get from the phone such as the SMS bug and the odd lag, the phone works great (lets be honest here, there are always minor niggles with any phone you get, even my Nokia 8800 Arte, retailing at £1100 at the time I got mine had awful bugs which took over 8 months to fix and there are still bugs that remain).
Much fun can be had with the HD2, the great community behind it (you are looking at it now ) and modding. I've spent endless hours customising it to meet my needs. After a few weeks of playing about with registry / system files and hard resetting, I've now got a phone that does everything I want, customed to how I like and works flawlessly...
apart from the bluetooth compatibility issues...
and the battery life incomparable to non-smartphones (however, the HD2 does very well compared to most smartphones on the market)...
and the marketplace which is in need of some love...
and having to change my handset due to a dodgy touchscreen within the first 4 days.
On the games front, you will be disappointed when comparing it to the iPhone but there are a few good games around. On the apps front, if you ignore the Windows Marketplace and Google around, there are plenty of places to buy good apps from. It's just the iPhone has a good app store that consolidates all apps into a nifty marketplace for you to browse.
Windows Mobile needs you to put the effort in ownership, but in many ways, I see it as a good thing. You get the flexibility to do what you want, on phones such as the iPhone, you are controlled to what you can or cannot do unless you "jailbreak". The iPhone is user friendly, everything is setup for you and for those looking to get a phone that does everything the minute you take it out of the box, it is a product for you. The HD2 fairs well with HTC Sense and it's a good starting point for HTC and Windows Mobile, there is still the horrid Windows Mobile 2003 look lurking in the background though.
Thanks for the replies fellas, appreciate it I am getting my HTC HD2 in a couple of hours, and I hope I won't be disappointed I'm pretty much looking forward to unboxing my 'child' (like how jagnet put it Most of all, I'm looking forward to WM7, though from what I've read it might take a while, but as long as it is worth the wait, I'm cool with it...
It really is like a new baby, because you will breast feed it every 2 hours.
Hi Ive had my HD2 for a few days and to be honest its been a difficult transition form my iphone 3GS which was very simple and easy to use but the 3gs is very basic and doesn't allow for real working integrations.
Its been buggy, very slow compared to the 3gs, the keyboad for some weird reason is of center which is a nightmare to type on compare to the 3gs.
The phone isnt as simple to use as the iphone but for some weird reason i still want it and still want to get use to its quirks.
I have another 10 days left to see if i am going to commit to an 18 month contract, just wish i new what the new iphone was going to be like when released in june.
Its like anything personal choice your will either love it, grow to love it (as hopefully i will) or hate it.
Good luck
Worth it?
If you owned an xperia then you have something to go on.
Leo is WM but with the HTC hardware & shell.
I used to own a Ducati.
My experience was, it was sensational to ride, no other bike comes close, but it had to be kept in tune and maintained. Riding it in the traffic to work would put it out of whack and it would need a nice long blat on a country road to make it right again. High performance and superlative handling made it a unique experience.
Where am I going with this?
Oh yes, performance and usability.
Clearly this is the fastest and highest performing pda phone you can get.
This, and the sense ui make it a great experience.
It is not such a good analogy as heavy usage doesn't put it out of tune so much as excessive poor quality 3rd party apps and too many untested mods.
This is partly why the though of an iphone full of crapstore junk turns my stomach, because if it could multiask, it would choke on the garbage it was running.
Sense iu means I can access what I need in a minimun of steps, but with wm6.5 underneath, I can reach down and tune it to do what I want.
Contrary to my analogy, the stock rom on Leo is pretty good, with a few fixes needed, nothing as serious as having to take it back to the store.
As a stock phone it is great, but it can be modified(tuned) to push the performance envelope and make it even more usable.
As a Ducati rider, I found it very hard to step down to anything else, and as a Leo user I'm the same.
The promise of simplicity makes me cringe as it translates to settling for mediocrity.
Mobile phone hand held computers were pioneered by HTC.
This is the latest evolution.
I love the Leo.
@Xaddict; Well said, I just got my HD2 and I'm loving it so far, knowing this community, I am looking forward to the the custom roms/apps that will be available to everyone soon (I hope) And regarding Ducatis, love em, especially the 948
knightrider66 said:
Hi Ive had my HD2 for a few days and to be honest its been a difficult transition form my iphone 3GS which was very simple and easy to use but the 3gs is very basic and doesn't allow for real working integrations.
Its been buggy, very slow compared to the 3gs, the keyboad for some weird reason is of center which is a nightmare to type on compare to the 3gs.
The phone isnt as simple to use as the iphone but for some weird reason i still want it and still want to get use to its quirks.
I have another 10 days left to see if i am going to commit to an 18 month contract, just wish i new what the new iphone was going to be like when released in june.
Its like anything personal choice your will either love it, grow to love it (as hopefully i will) or hate it.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will always be a newer, nicer phone 7 months down the line....you have to commit sometime or you will never own anything!
jagnet said:
There are a few flaws out of the box yes. Some have speaker issues, screen over/under sensitive, pinkeye camera, and a few more, all of which can be fixed with some reg edits and a few cab files. You can find all the fixes and tweaks Here.
The only as yet unfixed problem is the SMS issue. Some people (not me) who have over 200 or so SMSs (why don't people use the delete button?) notice a slow down when replying. But who uses SMS anymore in this modern age of emails, twitters, Google wave, Facebook and what not Anyways for the SMS issue I think there is a workaround until HTC come up with a patch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, firstly there are NO current fixes for the loud call volume or call distortion problems. None whatsoever.
Neither are there any fixes for the over-sensitive keyboard. Yes there is a CAB floating around and it helps to a very small degree with text input but it also makes the screen less sensitive in EVERY app and every screen. This isn't helpful.
Secondly, SMS is still the most popular form of mobile communication....by a country mile....so to try and cover up the fact that the HD2 is severely crippled in this area is laughable!
We need some balance here folks. Yes the HD2 is fantastic for web browsing and video but it is shocking for calls and texts - the mainstay features of a mobile phone. Hopefully HTC will address these problems but it is in no way guaranteed that they will!
theredundant said:
I'm pretty much looking for a long term phone, looking forward to watching movies, playing games, surfing the net, etc. I've used Xperia X1 (was great for a while, but little to no official support), the iPhone 3g (quick, way less laggier than the X1, great for mindless games to kill time)
Guess what I am asking is, is HTC HD2 worth the buck? $500 SGD (About uhm 250 Euros) for the phone (incl 2-year plan)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, no phone is perfect. But IMO, the HD2 is THE device that comes closest to being perfect.
It has some small bugs that will get fixed soon or can be fixed manually, there's different opinions on the keyboard and call quality (some say it's the best ever, some hate it) and Windows Mobile, just like any other OS (iPhone OS, Android, Symbian...) has its flaws as well.
But compared to the problems/shortcomings of other devices, the HD2 has very little issues, great hardware, great software - the closest you can currently get to perfect, IMO.
So yes, it's worth it.
Oh, and don't take sunking101 serious. He's a troll and a whiner, spreading FUD against the HD2 since the first day he entered the forum.
definitely (but i don't have the sms problem and i can charge my phone at work)....
maati said:
Well, no phone is perfect. But IMO, the HD2 is THE device that comes closest to being perfect.
It has some small bugs that will get fixed soon or can be fixed manually, there's different opinions on the keyboard and call quality (some say it's the best ever, some hate it) and Windows Mobile, just like any other OS (iPhone OS, Android, Symbian...) has its flaws as well.
But compared to the problems/shortcomings of other devices, the HD2 has very little issues, great hardware, great software - the closest you can currently get to perfect, IMO.
So yes, it's worth it.
Oh, and don't take sunking101 serious. He's a troll and a whiner, spreading FUD against the HD2 since the first day he entered the forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gosh, I actually thought you were making a sane and rational post until I got to the last sentence.
The OP is asking the pros and cons of purchasing an HD2. Therefore all pros and cons are relevant.
As for the HD2 being "the closest you can currently get to perfect" - that is your opinion. Not fact.
sunking101 said:
As for the HD2 being "the closest you can currently get to perfect" - that is your opinion. Not fact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And so is all your whining.
On topic: yes, the HD2 is worth every sigle dime. And yes, it has some shortcomings (which phone doesn't these days with the speed they are propelled into the market). The only problem I have with the HD2 is the speaker volume which is too loud. But, I have to admit that, it got much better after upgrading to the 1.48 ROM.
Off topic: Maybe it's best not to reply anymore to the contributions member sunking101 delivers to this community. Saves a lot of time and yes/no discussions.
It's well worth the price .
Ok so I really like the htc hd2 and I need a new phone .
So my choice was the HD2 .
But now , I've read soooo manny problems about it , and it's not the problem , that's keeping from buying it .
But my dad is going to pay for it , and if after a couple of days or weeks something comes up with it , my dad will be maaad at me .
And I don't know what to do :S
And I suck at decision-making
Please help
My view: Every piece of technology will have some flaws, but HTC does seem pretty responsive to its customer base. I'd say, go for it. This is the best resource on the net to find solutions to whatever issues you might encounter with your HD2.
My HD2 is working just great. I strongly recommend it - this is the best phone on the market!
The downside to any forum like this is that the posts you get are usually concentrated negativity.
After all, if your device is working perfectly, what reason do you have to post asking for solutions and/or advice?
Personally, myself and my girlfriend both bought matching T9193 HD2s, flashed the same ROM, and neither of us have had problems...we both love them.
Layman's POV
Try and find someone who has one and ask for a go on it, or see if it's in the store. See if you like the ease of use, and of course the aesthetics. The intenet facility on it is outstanding.
Some people don't like the battery life, but it's no hardship to charge it at night or at work through your pc.
SMS has a few issues, but for me that was ironed out a couple of weeks ago through a hotfix (I hope).
The radio could have been clearer, but the latest fix appears to have sorted that out, and it wasn't a big deal anyway, just not absolutely perfect.
In 8 weeks, the screens crashed about the same amount of times, no hardship to restart the device.
I'm sure there's loads more (technically), but nothing really hinders the phone, just makes it not perfect.
But even the Persian rugs were made with deliberate flaws, as not to try and compete with Allah...
I've found that most problems can either be resolved or worked around from the online quran that is this forum
i suggest the hd2. right now i own the nexus one and i would do anything to trade up for a hd2 anyday. soo go for it!
the htc hd2 is a quality phone as long as you install a few bits and bobs and do some tweaks , you have so many choices of lil tweaks to get the phone how u want it, i had a 2g iphone and i really wasnt that impressed with it , what iphone has htc is the app store but 90 per cent of the apps are stupid like drinking the pint of beer lol pointless and fun for 5 mins , htc is the way to go
For Web browsing, movies and reading get the HD2
For communications and social networking get a Blackberry Bold with BIS or an E72.
To be able to do the most varied and functional stuff get an iphone.
My advice is that if you're sure you want an HD2 you should buy it and you'll love it; but if you're not sure, you should buy something else. It's a great phone for a certain type of user. If you're the sort of person who enjoys spending weeks tracking down tweaks and customisations and fine-tuning things, you'll like it. If you just want a phone that works properly, you'll hate it.
Go for it and be sure to install the 1.66 ROM for your country. After you are used to that you can play around with flashing. You won't be disappointed!
If you want something that works perfectly out of the box (with the limitations it has) you should buy an iPhone. If you don't mind spending the time on finding and installing cab's and tweaking the registry, then you should get the HD2.
The iPhone has limited customization options unless you jailbreak it, but in the 2 years of owning them I never had to reset/turn it on/off even once. The HD2 has almost unlimited customization option and this forum is the perfect place to find solutions for most of the issues you will encounter. My HD2 I have to soft reset/turn on/off on a regular basis. Being fair, the new 1.66 ROM seems to have improved stability and SMS is also working for me now.
Best regards,
Jacob
Thank you guys !
I went for it !
It's awesome , didn't have any problems except for that pink spot issue
Really nice device !
Hi everyone Im just wanting some opinion on the HD2. right now I have a G1 and im looking to upgrade my phone in june and Im wondering if i went to a HD2 instead of a N1 would I regret it? I have never used a newer winmo phone in my life & im only familiar with android on a smartphone.
anywho any advice,tips are all appreciated.
Hey there, I had a G1 for about a year and I love Android personally. I might still have it but I lost it so I traded up for a Touch Pro 2 which was awesome. I had WinMo before Android so I was already familiar with it but the HD2 is the best WinMo phone out and one of the best on the market to be honest.
The N1 is a great phone as well so it really boils down to what OS you prefer, WinMo takes a learning curve and there may be some things that will frustrate you but this phone more than makes up for anything lacking in WinMo. Plus it's even more open than the open source Android platform so modding and personalizing is even easier.
WinMo is not as app centric as Android or Iphone due to no central location for apps (Marketplace & Omarket notwithstanding) but there are thousands of WinMo apps spread across the net so you just have to look a little harder.
So out of Tmo's lineup the HD2 is the best choice right now but that's my opinion, I would go to a store and spend some time playing with it. Really give it a good test drive so you can see for yourself
I had a G1 and then most recently a MyTouch 3G and upgraded to the HD2 the morning it came out.
My biggest reason to upgrade aside from the obvious graphical and asthetic improvements, is the ability for it to sync up with Exchange which Android doesn't do nearly as well as Windows Mobile.
Sure the apps are a plus, but as already said, there isn't an app out there for Android that I haven't been able to find for this phone. The customization of this is endless and I don't even think the developers and folks out there who build the ROM's have even scratched the surface.
Freezey said:
Hi everyone Im just wanting some opinion on the HD2. right now I have a G1 and im looking to upgrade my phone in june and Im wondering if i went to a HD2 instead of a N1 would I regret it? I have never used a newer winmo phone in my life & im only familiar with android on a smartphone.
anywho any advice,tips are all appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first of, don't think about android if ur willing to try hd2. these are essentially two different mobile os. winmo targeted mostly business oriented people, using office mobile and such.
i still have my g1 because i like android and i switch to either one from day to day since i got my hd2. or i just carry both around. i like showing off my hd2 tho haha people go, hey what phone is that?
My only experience with smartphones was a G1 and I was nervous about making the transition as well, but I haven't had any problems. The biggest difference of course is the app market. The WM market is nothing like it, but if you're resourceful, you can find all the apps you need.
HD2 is definitely NOT an easy phone to get along with.
I've had my frustration during my first 2 weeks with the phone.
It's much harder to get used to than iPhone, G1, Blackberries I've come to across.
Now that i've pretty much tweaked this phone to exactly how I like it, everything seems too perfect. I do miss the voice recognition from google, but hey, I can easily type them on the google search on my internet tab.
If you're willing to get HD2, you should really read up on flashing with custom ROM.
Check it out in the store first for a while. Take a couple of visits and use it like you would normally use it
I also had a G1, though I did have some WM experience before. I miss the Android notifications, which are much better integrated. I miss Android gtalk, I barely use it WM now (bad integration and not good UI).
I do find myself doing more reading of websites and ebooks now, also videos. These were my goals for the HD2, so I'm happy with my decision. The bigger screen helps a lot and the physical size is barely taller than the G1 and a bit wider, but also thinner.
These forums can help out a lot if you have patience and the ability to read and follow steps.
I also have a G1 and have been considering getting the HD2... my only hesitation is that it's running WM. I had 2 prior Windows mobile phones (Wing and Touch pro) and really hated them. Just didn't really like anything about the mobile Windows. About 2 months ago I needed to get my G1 replaced and broke out my old Touch Pro to use while I waited for the replacement and forgot how much I hated Windows Mobile but to be honest the Touch Pro wasn't a great phone, lots of lag running 6.5 but still seemed halfassed finger friendly.
Windows Mobile, just like Android or Apple isn't for everyone. They all have their good point and flaws and each will appeal to different users for different reasons while being utterly unappealing to others. Go to the T-mobile store and play with the floor model... go beyond the home screen, check apps, look at the layout, setting options...etc to really get a feel of it and whether you can deal with it. I'm going to wander over myself soon to do that.
I'm excited by the future of Android and looking forward to the updates to the OS where this phone will always be stuck running WM 6.5.x.
I know WM7 will eventually be unofficially ported over to this phone but I have zero desire to use WM7.
Still... the phone is soooo nice and some third party software may make it usable for me and I can use the installment plan with it and keep my family plan together... if I could do that with the N1 I would jump at it.
I had a g1 (rooted) and mytouch (rooted) and sold them both for an HD2
Its been a learning experience, the HD2 has its pros and cons, some of the things I like
The video recording is way better and you can pick the format, same for taking pics, the video player supports several formats at least , twitter , youtube and the basic apps are nice
Beyond that is the problems, the biggest downer for me was no turn by turn gps, and I have no idea where to find one that works (either pirate or buy it, no idea where to get one)
Also the GPS is not real gps, its AGPS only I think? meaning no gps in offline map mode if you lost data signal (correct me if im wrong)
The options on the phone are crazy, most of the good things are hidden in the registry and not turned on (clear type, other video /photo options, etc)
Opera is decent, IE is horrible, I ran it once and the fonts were huge, I just gave up on it
The market sucks, no decent apps at all, and im not sure where to find good apps, luckly on the net I was able to find skype, and it does work
I installed duttys task manger, its a life saver
So for me, really, other than the gps it mostly has the same options as the hero phones/roms
just with a lack of apps and no free turn by turn, I am still impressed by the big screen and graphics, watching transformers on it is cool and youtube is nice
I am using it unlocked with ATT , sometimes it has trouble when I am not on wifi, the apps don't reconize my connection (google maps) which is an upset, I installed the media net cab file
Prophet621 said:
I also have a G1 and have been considering getting the HD2... my only hesitation is that it's running WM. I had 2 prior Windows mobile phones (Wing and Touch pro) and really hated them. Just didn't really like anything about the mobile Windows. About 2 months ago I needed to get my G1 replaced and broke out my old Touch Pro to use while I waited for the replacement and forgot how much I hated Windows Mobile but to be honest the Touch Pro wasn't a great phone, lots of lag running 6.5 but still seemed halfassed finger friendly.
Windows Mobile, just like Android or Apple isn't for everyone. They all have their good point and flaws and each will appeal to different users for different reasons while being utterly unappealing to others. Go to the T-mobile store and play with the floor model... go beyond the home screen, check apps, look at the layout, setting options...etc to really get a feel of it and whether you can deal with it. I'm going to wander over myself soon to do that.
I'm excited by the future of Android and looking forward to the updates to the OS where this phone will always be stuck running WM 6.5.x.
I know WM7 will eventually be unofficially ported over to this phone but I have zero desire to use WM7.
Still... the phone is soooo nice and some third party software may make it usable for me and I can use the installment plan with it and keep my family plan together... if I could do that with the N1 I would jump at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the TouchPro was a great phone. I've liked all the WM phones I've had. But I also loved my Dell Axim and 2 Ipaqs before that, too. Anyways, if you couldn't stand any of your previous WM phones, I wouldn't recommend getting the HD2. It's not gonna be much different from your other WM phones if you hate using WM.
though i love the hd2's hardware... i cant go back to winmo... i'm eligible for an upgrade so i'm just going to get the hd2 for the 2yr contract price and sell it, then use that money to buy an n1 from google. so there's another alternative.
Had N1 with Tmobile and now HD2 with T mobile...Same signal issues. 3g then all of a sudden HSPA then Edge. I thought with GSM you could use 3g service while on phone. Haven't been able to do that on either phone.. I like HD2 because i can watch Divx. I like N1 because of navigation and all the apps that are available. The internet is faster on N1 then HD2. Plus you have apps that cater towards different websites so much easier. But then again you don't get a 4.3 inch screen. All in all if i didn't have t mobile as a carrier i think i would enjoy both phones.
Edit - Oh and i have to soft boot the HD2 quite often. "I ran all Rom's" Apps just like to freeze HD2
HD2
Hello all,
My last 3 phones were Android powered. G1, Mytouch and Cliq.
Even rooted, with custom roms non were anywhere near as fast or have the multimedia power of the HD2. I have yet to flash a custom rom, cause the stock rom on the HD2 is quite good the way it is.
I have to agree, that the HD2 is a "grown ups" phone. It does what it does well, with no problems or freezing straight out of the box
fhaines
I have 2 rooted G1's and had an N1 for a couple of months. I sold my N1 (it was a TMobile band phone) and was going to buy the ATT version N1 but I thought I would try the HD2 first. I'm just setting it up and slowly getting it how want it so I can't give a comparison to the N1 yet. I suspect I will go back to the N1, I love the Google navigation and voice search on the N1.
You will miss apps from Android Market, and customized home screens. Other than that, it's a nice upgrade.
digitallysick said:
Beyond that is the problems, the biggest downer for me was no turn by turn gps, and I have no idea where to find one that works (either pirate or buy it, no idea where to get one)
Also the GPS is not real gps, its AGPS only I think? meaning no gps in offline map mode if you lost data signal (correct me if im wrong)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TMobile US version includes TeleNav free trial ($10/mo after that). But I suggest CoPilot. It's $30 one time fee. Better than Google Nav because the maps are on your SD card and as long as you can find a GPS satellite it doesn't matter if you have data. And it's just a standard Nav system. If you have a car dock it's no different than any other Nav device. Which is nice.
The GPS is one of the most accurate I have ever used. You can turn on and off AGPS (Settings...Other...AGPS). I find i works fine with it on. BUT in Google Maps you have to hit MENU and choose Enable GPS or it is just using cell tower triangulation and it is WAYYY off.
I just got and HD2 this past Monday and I am coming from a G1. The HD2 is very disorganized compared to the G1 IMHO. my G1 was rooted, had Custom Rom, themed (I did some of the theming to my phone), fast and reliable. As for the person who said the WinMo is a grown up's phone you juts are not using the G1 correctly and the G1 does do exchange EXCELLENTLY!!. I could use my G1 to manage my home network and Web server while on the road, seems pretty safisticated to me. I don't have that ability with the HD2, that I am aware of at this point. The HD2 has a nice screen but it is only doing a 16K color depth so there is no real HD but the video is still better than the G1. I am having issues at this moment with data not working over WiFi, For example I could connect to the WiFi on the G1 and still get my Exchange email push out as it arrived to my phone and get my Gmail. With the HD2 I cannot get gmail but I get exchange email, hmm.... Siound fishy. Apps that require data some work on wifi and others don't but everything works on edge and/or 3G and/or HSPA.
I will be going back to the Android OS, picking up the Samsung Galaxy S or TMO Branded Samsung Vibrant when it is released July 21st
[EDIT] I did root and custom rom the HD2 that seems to help performance some a little
I have an N1 and an hd2 prior phone was a G1 both android phones rooted and hd2 stock HD good for buisness a differnent animal all together I use the hd2 duing the week and my N1 on the weekend. Hell of a learning curve.
like many others, i also came from a g1. had the hd2 for about 2 weeks. its a great phone. but it is not an Android. there are a lot if free apps. but you're gonna spend a lot of time searching for them, especially if you want free ones. thered no refunds once you purchase. but it is faster, the screen is beautiful, just takes a while to get use to. but i do wish tmo when with the Evo... i would go for the n1 if i could afford it. no family plan upgrade. plus you get cyanogen. that guy is awesome!
Windows mobile takes a while to learn and set up the way you want, but once you do it is a lot more capable and versatile than android. I've used WinMo since 2003, and android since 2008, so I know both very well... I much prefer WinMo right now, but like I said, I've used it for 7 years. It is much more like a full computer os. You have to understand, too, that WinMo was designed originally as a PocketPC OS, and phone capabilities have been worked in since. Android was designed as a phone OS to begin with. Also, Android is still new and is actively developed, so in a couple years I'm sure it's capabilities will catch-up and surpass WinMo.... but for now WinMo is much more versatile, just not as user-friendly. It's not for the average phone user. I wouldn't suggest it to any new users at this point... especially ones used to android or iphone os.
Read a lot on these forums and finally decided to take the plunge. Went to a Sam's Club to pick up my HD2. Initially I asked to add to my existing line as an upgrade. I had called T-Mobile earlier and they had told me that I will be able to use my existing $25 a month data plan for the G1 and will not have to upgrade to the $30 plan.
The Sams club CSR could not upgrade me on my existing $25 data plan so she called T-Mobile. They said No-Go, I have to bump to the $30 plan. I wasn't too sure if I'll like the phone so wanted to try it for a few days. But the catch is that, if I don't like it, and want my androind data plan back, I cannot get the $25 plan again, I'll be put on a $30 plan. So I started a new line of service, added to my existing family plan (just to try out the phone).
Got it on Friday evening, and here are some pros and cons:
Things I miss:
Android Market
Tap and hold for context menu on everything
Smaller form factor (easy to hold and tap anywhere on the screen with my thumb). On the HD2, I cannot access at least one of the corners of the huge screen without adjusting my grip.
No finger prints (My G1 still had the original screen protector that came with the phone and did not smudge at all).
Google Maps Navigation
Slideout keyboard
Things I don't miss:
Bulkiness of the G1
3.2" screen
Things I love:
The Screen Size
Sense UI - I think its a very nice implementation.
Camera - Takes really good (clear) pictures and videos. Compared to the G1, its more than a 100% better
Ease of getting loads of apps off of anywhere on the net.
The amount of control I have on the phone.
Ability to install apps on the SD card (I haven't tried this yet as 1Gig is a lot of memory to play with, compared to the G1).
Things that I don't like:
Some of the windows menus haven't changed since my last owned windows device (MPX200 - Windows Mobile 2002)
Bad battery life. My G1 gave me at least 2 days, if not 3 when I initially bought it. This one lasts just about 24 hrs.. But I haven't really made any changes to the HD2 preserve battery life (my brightness is still Auto and its pretty bright all the time).
Other things I've noticed:
No freezing for me.
I installed the Cookies Home Tab mod last night and love it. But the device did seem a tad slow after the install (on the home and weather pages of sense). Also, I did not know that the Cookies Home Tabs is just a regular install and not a Rom... Somehow I was under the impression that I'll have to install HSPL etc just to get more app shortcuts on Sense Home.
Other stuff:
I don't message a lot, Actually I haven't sent any yet, but received a few from T-Mobile.
I haven't setup my mail accounts. I primarily use Hotmail and have 30+ folders and some 5000+ emails total in all folders. So I'm not sure how this will react on the phone.
I'm using the sim card from my G1 and the data works just fine. Haven't seen H, but I do get 3G where I used to get on my G1.
Bottom line:
I might keep the phone but I'll be trying it out for another 2 weeks at least. Sense UI has give me all the basic stuff and made it look really good. Other members are adding onto that and making my phone better.
I think I can get most of the stuff I need for the phone from just this forum and so unless Android comes up with something really out of the world, I think I'm going to keep this phone. Iphone is just out of the question, there is no way I'm buying one of those.
I am a .net developer so might just create an app or two for my phone.
Hopefully you like you HD2 like Most smart phones they need alittle tweaking Im using spb shell i find the phone less buggy but i do miss the attractive sence UI
Spb mobile shell
I think down the road...if I get tired of the sense...which I dont think i will. I am definitely going to get that spb mobile shell. I had that on my wing and it rocked!
I just bought my hd2 last Thursday and I have mixed feelings about... The phone itself is great, but WinMo is a dying OS. I have gadget lust and have thus owned a nokia 3650, nokia 6680, tmo dash, BB Curve, 1st gen iphone, MT3G, and a G1 just to name a few. Android is probably my favorite phone OS to date. I really wanted a Nexus One, which I probably will get when I get the cash. HTC did a good job with sense on this phone. The camera is great, and there is a lot that can be done to enhance the phone. I love that I can play avi files with no conversion right out of the box. Time will tell how I feel about my hd2 in the weeks to come.
Things I miss = Actually having apps to use my overpriced data plan on my phone
at least android has apps, useful apps. I have searched and searched and don't even come close to being as functional on winmo as I could be on the g1
digitallysick said:
Things I miss = Actually having apps to use my overpriced data plan on my phone
at least android has apps, useful apps. I have searched and searched and don't even come close to being as functional on winmo as I could be on the g1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you cant find apps for this phone then you need to check out this new thing called the internet. Being on xda how can you not find apps for this phone? Install omarket there is a ton of apps in there. Sure theres not like 5000 fart apps but there are some really nice apps for this phone. Most I have found run better and more polished than Android.
This is the perfect thread for me, cause I too just upgraded from a G1. I'm no where close to being a Developer like a lot of you here, but I will say that I was struggling between going forthe N1 or the HD2. After stumbling on this forum, and spending a few days here, the HD2 won.
I wasn't very app heavy with my droid, but a functional app or two are always good. I'm looking forward to increase my technical acumen when it comes to tweaking and modding this thing, and I plan on using the search button plenty.
NO FREEING YET (FINGERS CROSSED). I've gotten myself very well acquainted with the task manager.
Android 2 Winmo
I too had android i was kinda hesitant about the switch from os but as it turns out i really enjoy WM sure apps arent there JUST yet but hey thats how everyone starts right learning from experience.. so with said hope you enjoy your HD2 i know i do its a great phone
esebrown23 said:
I too had android i was kinda hesitant about the switch from os but as it turns out i really enjoy WM sure apps arent there JUST yet but hey thats how everyone starts right learning from experience.. so with said hope you enjoy your HD2 i know i do its a great phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro! After reading this thread I just downloaded the Omarket app to my phone (My very first cab file transfer), and the lack of apps argument doesn't hold up for me anymore.
I just got the Cookies Home Tab and HOLY COW!!!
I, too, came up from two android devices; mytouch and g1 (although i still have them to toy with).
i think you'll grow to like your hd2 as i have. you'll begin to realize that there are a lot of apps out there that you can toy with and a tons of mods that you can do to the phone that rival that of a rooted android device. i found that i can do things on this phone without flashing a rom to my liking; ui theme customizations and tweaks, etc.
I agree that Omarket is awesome...specially that home tab editor i also tried SPB SHELL and its also a kind of look-a-like for android but im digging the whole sense UI
Hi folks,
in a few months I am able to extend my Vodafone Business contract and get the HD2. Currently I own a Touch Diamond and am finally VERY satisfied (after trying several ROMs for 6 months).
I still have some doubts about the HD2, I hope you can help me here:
1. Scratch-resistance of the display and the case.
I heard that the display itself is made of glass. For my diamond, I have a screen protector and a black Bugatti pouch. No scratches till now. So should I even use a pouch/screen protector, or is there no need for it? I am no big fan of those InvisibleShield solutions.
2. Availability and (especially) quality of custom ROMs.
Vodafone ROMs are made to be backed up (just in case of warranty) and then to be deleted. Any good and fast ROMs out there which basically provide an "upgraded stock experience"?
3. microSD
There is one delivered with the phone, but I could not find the size of the storage.
4. Landscape typing
Is it possible (without any greater hacks) to send SMS in landscape-mode? For the Diamond, I always use the standard portrait mode, but I once typed in landscape on an iPhone (phone itself: yuck, but the typing was great).
Thanks so far, I hope that you can help a potential HD2-owner
Regards
I use a gel case for the back, leaving the screen exposed and never had problems with scratching; nor worried about it being scratched unlike previous phones ive owned.
I believe it will be a 2GB microSD
Rotate the phone and it will allow typing in SMS screen natively.
in all honesty since you are "very happy" with your diamond, and still gave a few months to run, I'd wait and see what is around closer to the time. the hd2 is great, but its not a day to day phone, its a tinkeres delight, but as a phone its more like a work in progress. (it auto phoned my boss last friday just because I pulled the earphone jack out, it doesn't mute the fm radio when you get texts so you miss them, reception stability in standby is hit and miss..... )
if you want a great grownups toy, do it, if you want a phone, stock with what you are happy with for now.i
samsamuel said:
in all honesty since you are "very happy" with your diamond, and still gave a few months to run, I'd wait and see what is around closer to the time. the hd2 is great, but its not a day to day phone, its a tinkeres delight, but as a phone its more like a work in progress. (it auto phoned my boss last friday just because I pulled the earphone jack out, it doesn't mute the fm radio when you get texts so you miss them, reception stability in standby is hit and miss..... )
if you want a great grownups toy, do it, if you want a phone, stock with what you are happy with for now.i
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with above!
great now you guys are giving me buyers remorse...i have bought one, being shipped to me now...all I plan on doing is putting a stock ROM on there and go from there....
samsamuel said:
in all honesty since you are "very happy" with your diamond, and still gave a few months to run, I'd wait and see what is around closer to the time. the hd2 is great, but its not a day to day phone, its a tinkeres delight, but as a phone its more like a work in progress. (it auto phoned my boss last friday just because I pulled the earphone jack out, it doesn't mute the fm radio when you get texts so you miss them, reception stability in standby is hit and miss..... )
if you want a great grownups toy, do it, if you want a phone, stock with what you are happy with for now.i
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While this is true, I'm also pretty certain that HTC will not be pumping out anymore Windows Mobile devices of this caliber. Their next HD2-like successor will be running Windows Phone 7 and not Windows Mobile. This is how they'll get people to pick up the newer OS in the future.
So if you like Windows Mobile for Windows Mobile and want to stick with this OS, I think the HD2 will remain in the limelight for quite some time.
hofo_mofo said:
great now you guys are giving me buyers remorse...i have bought one, being shipped to me now...all I plan on doing is putting a stock ROM on there and go from there....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, you'll love it, dont worry
PoisonWolf said:
While this is true, I'm also pretty certain that HTC will not be pumping out anymore Windows Mobile devices of this caliber. Their next HD2-like successor will be running Windows Phone 7 and not Windows Mobile. This is how they'll get people to pick up the newer OS in the future.
So if you like Windows Mobile for Windows Mobile and want to stick with this OS, I think the HD2 will remain in the limelight for quite some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very true, the tyraosaurus rex of the 6.x line, hehe
i have now had my HD2 since it got released.. and i agree with the above. It's a great toy but not a very stable user experience i have tried every single ROM out there and still not exited about this phone:...
i have just ordered the desire wich i find to be a much better phone, but with a smaller screen im afraid
when htc evo comes to Europa i will change phone again
i have been a long time windows mobile user, but im done with that now.. i have owned almost 30 phones and have even had an iphone 3g. my favorite OS i must say is android... user experience, stability, and productivity wise, android wins in my book..
in some way i hate to say it cause windows mobile has served me good for a lot of years!
Well, thanks for all the replies!
I won't buy it right away but will do so in the next 2-3 months.
But then it has to be very reliable for the next two years, since I will be traveling a lot (Europe and USA)
For the time being, I will have a look at other phones as well.
I have the US Tmo version and I am going to return it tomorrow if they still let me (not sure if I am still within the remorse period), I tried really hard to fall in love with winmo again (was an avid Tilt user) but it just doesn't cut it for me anymore
I have a 1.66 WWE Stock ROM and 2.10 radio and I'm not having any problems at all. I don't get why people always say HD2 is unstable. The only problems I'm encountering is what to do next because my HD2 is already running perfectly.
Zuzler said:
Hi folks,
in a few months I am able to extend my Vodafone Business contract and get the HD2. Currently I own a Touch Diamond and am finally VERY satisfied (after trying several ROMs for 6 months).
I still have some doubts about the HD2, I hope you can help me here:
1. Scratch-resistance of the display and the case.
I heard that the display itself is made of glass. For my diamond, I have a screen protector and a black Bugatti pouch. No scratches till now. So should I even use a pouch/screen protector, or is there no need for it? I am no big fan of those InvisibleShield solutions.
2. Availability and (especially) quality of custom ROMs.
Vodafone ROMs are made to be backed up (just in case of warranty) and then to be deleted. Any good and fast ROMs out there which basically provide an "upgraded stock experience"?
3. microSD
There is one delivered with the phone, but I could not find the size of the storage.
4. Landscape typing
Is it possible (without any greater hacks) to send SMS in landscape-mode? For the Diamond, I always use the standard portrait mode, but I once typed in landscape on an iPhone (phone itself: yuck, but the typing was great).
Thanks so far, I hope that you can help a potential HD2-owner
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with some of the things people are saying in this thread. Way too many people are attracted to the Hd2 because of the massive display, only to be disappointed because "it doesn't work" <-- Laughing at iphone users if you know what I mean.
Unless you are ready to handle a WinMo device, don't get the HD2. It requires too much tinkering in order to make it personally "YOURS" - and I'm not talking about personalization via pages upon pages of square iconic apps. *AHEM.
Regarding your questions:
1) I've used a vikuiti screen protector and have absolutely zero regrets. I am super picky when it comes to protecting my HD2 (going thru so many SP) so I hope you understand how much I crown this screen protector. Search my threads. I made a huge review about it.
2) Custom ROMS are always available- All the time. I use CleanEX mainly because gavin is an awesome and very active cook. He does a lot of the background stuff for CleanEX and when he release a ROM, ****, its awesome.
You should try it beta ROM, code named "AWESOMENESS" (all in caps)
3) Im using a 16GB class 6. Nothing but pure pleasure and speed when loading music or documents or games from the SD card. I had a 16Gb class 4. I noticed no difference in terms of speed.
4) typing in general, in sense UI can sometimes be laggy. Like you press an "A" and it does appear until a very split second later. But those laddyness are random. There have been lots of tweaks here and there to improve them. I never bothered, but they exist. I can live with the laggyness but I use SWYPE which has NO laggyness for me at all. =P
The problems I encountered were due to 3rd party software I installed or registry edits I made. After hard resetting phone and carefully choosing (and listing) the apps I install there are no major bugs to report.
Using only stock ROM so far, didn't find the need to risk a custom ROM yet.
lemonspeakers said:
[...]only to be disappointed because "it doesn't work" [...] Unless you are ready to handle a WinMo device, don't get the HD2. It requires too much tinkering in order to make it personally "YOURS" [...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was the most useful post, thanks!
Well, basically it is the same as with the Diamond in the beginning: Requires some time to fiddle out all the settings, but then works like a charm. I have the Diamond for one and a half years now and it works perfectly. I even UC'ed mine to have the old data on it faster after flashing new ROMS.
People who complain that "it does't work" should get an iPhone imho, since everything works out of the box there.
I considered getting a phone with Android or a propietary solution (e.g. Nokia), but there is hardly anything to configure (and my beloved TomTom won't run). Will try getting my hands on the HD2 in the next weeks, to get a real opinion about it.
Thanks again!
Excuse me since I will give my point of view withot reading the entire thread.
I myself had HTC Diamond before I used an Iphone for over 3 years,the experiance between the two phones(Diamond vs HD2)is from sky to earth (I sold back the Diamond after using it for couple of days),if you have the time to customize it a bit,not necessarily ROM changing,Im on stock 1.6xx,I say you can easily fall in love with it,I pretty much can do anything with it, within my interest.Most of the problem comes after installing not so much tested 3rd party applications.
BTW I use it as my daily device and I had no such problems as mentioned in some of the posts above,may be just a new WM user beginners Luck!!
hagba, it was the same when the Diamod came out: New apps striving to be tested. Bugs everywhere. Good coders everywhere, too. So the bugs vanished after a few months.
And as I said, I will wait a few months until I get the phone, so I hope the most crucial bugs will be gone until then.
Thanks for sharing your opinion!
mines got the 1.66 rom and 2.07 radio direct from HTC......very stable.
I've had many winmo phones (mda compact/m600/kaiser/xperia x1) but the HD2 is the daddy!
Get one and you'll find it does everything your diamond will do......just faster and better!
Zuzler said:
hagba, it was the same when the Diamod came out: New apps striving to be tested. Bugs everywhere. Good coders everywhere, too. So the bugs vanished after a few months.
And as I said, I will wait a few months until I get the phone, so I hope the most crucial bugs will be gone until then.
Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont mean just software-wise but more hardwarewise too,so much differance between resistive and capacitive as well as the size of the screens, however prepare your self for a pleasent surprise if you ever decide to get the HD2,more so that you are familiar with the WM and its modding process.
I have had my HD2 for 4 months now. I use it everyday for business. works flawlessly, and I'm a heavy user. lots of phonecalls, emails etc. use it as a wireless router or bluetooth PAN when I'm away on business. I have never once had the phone crash. I'm still running stock 1.66 ROM. I would definitely recommend this phone.
No crash sounds good - oh lord, what have I lost data on the Diamond based on buggy ROMs
But I will have to switch ROMs at least away from the stock one, Vodafone always has to have something special there.