Database Users

X1 vs Touch HD

I'm nearly at the end of my contract for my T-mobile vario II. It looks like my next phone will either be the X1 or the touch HD. I read a lot of ebooks and web pages so the bigger screen is going to be great.
I like the fact that the X1 has a slide out keyboard and dpad. These should help when writing emails or playing games. However the simpler package of the Touch HD does look very nice.
One thing that sucked about the vario II was the sluggish interface - from the few videos I have watched the HD seems a bit slicker than the X1 - am I right?
If possible I would like to install android on my next device - is this more likely to be possible on the HD?
So what are your views - which is better?

Mercedes or BMW.
Two similar but quite different animals.
Need the keyboard... X1
Need no keyboard .. T' HD
It's simply a choice only. Some point or other.. a HardSPL and cooking of roms will be well underway.. along with a vast choice of rom shape and size, along with inbuilts. The only thing that will not change is the Hardware shape. (guts are the same)
The Touch HD is not even out properly, and the HD manilla is already available and installable on the X1. the Sony panels will no doubt hit the Touch HD.
I have bought 2 X1's..along with an Omnia... Will get a HD also.. but this is because i'm a picky sod.. and have money to pee away.
Please don't tell my wife!.

Well the Touch HD is technically using HTC's "2nd" version of TouchFlo3D, after Diamond/TPro, so understandably they've put some effort into getting it to run more smoothly. SE's panels will debut on the X1 so it's probably buggy just like TouchFlo3D was when the Diamond first came out.
That said, XDA got even the stock Diamond interface running really well, so there's no reason they can't do it with the X1's panels. It's not a question of if but when.
I think if you're going to reading most of the time, the HD will be the better choice (bigger screen, and you dont "need" a hardware keyboard to read). But I must say if you do a fair amount of messaging, a real keyboard is second to none -- there's just no going back after you've used one (imo).
As for Android, only time will tell. My guess is yes for both, but it might not be fully functional for some time. There are just too many unknowns right now for there to be an easy answer.

harvsingh said:
Mercedes or BMW.
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For me the answer to that one was BMW!
harvsingh said:
I have bought 2 X1's..along with an Omnia... Will get a HD also.. but this is because i'm a picky sod.. and have money to pee away.
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If you are so flush with cash feel free to mail me one of the X1's!
fhseih - I do read a lot and the physical size of the screen on the touch hd would be very nice for that. However the actual resolution of the X1 is the same so it should be almost as good in that respect. As you say, once you get used to the keyboard you never go back. I have got used to having a keyboard on my vario II. I love the way that you can type without wasting screen space on a virtual keyboard.
Maybe what I really want is a Touch HD Pro - any rumors that we will see one of these soon?

-Matt- said:
For me the answer to that one was BMW!
If you are so flush with cash feel free to mail me one of the X1's!
fhseih - I do read a lot and the physical size of the screen on the touch hd would be very nice for that. However the actual resolution of the X1 is the same so it should be almost as good in that respect. As you say, once you get used to the keyboard you never go back. I have got used to having a keyboard on my vario II. I love the way that you can type without wasting screen space on a virtual keyboard.
Maybe what I really want is a Touch HD Pro - any rumors that we will see one of these soon?
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Click to collapse
Even though i have capital... and enough to buy a handset i want when i want it on the network i choose to be with.. i am certainly no charity.. so i'm sorry.. if the second x1 goes anywhere its back to supplier... and get a HD instead.
I think getting a Touch HD pro is pointless.. HD is such because its not bulky. Its slim and basically a screen with a send and end key.
Adding a keyboard to it = not a Touch HD Pro but a X1.
Lack of G-sensor on X1 is the thing i think when it comes to using different roms and software. Hardware apart from this and keyb is the same. (except screen size...res is the same)
I think... i will keep one x1 and get a HD...
that way.. i'm covered.
Really wish the DX900 Glofiish had been released... 2 sim cards... one phone with VGA/GPS/WIFI/Bluetooth/3G/HSDPA .. but as yet.. its just due... due .. and due....
who could want more?

Blackstone or Raphael? Thoughts...

The time has come to relegate my trusty Hermes to the nearest bin. This means - upgrade time.
Now, unlike some of you, I do not have the luxury of trying out both of these to make up my mind. So, I'd like to hear some thoughts on those of you who has had to give up their Touch Pro keyboards for the more clumsy Touch HD on-screen text input.
Getting the Touch HD is a no brainer in every way, except one. I can't imagine giving up my sliding keyboard. Yes, I'm currently leaning towards getting the Touch Pro.
Thoughts? rants & raves? and shuttefu%^&up about iphones please.

As an owner of both I say get the HD. I loved my Raphael so dont get me wrong. I do a decent amount of typing and the HD keyboard seems very responsive. If you are doing a ton of typing there is really no substitute for a hard keyboard but the HD isnt far off. Out of the box the HD runs much better than the raphael did but there are plenty of custom ROMs out there that solve this for the raphael so not really an issue. One plus abotu the raphael is that there are tons of customizations but youc an expet that from the HD cookers out there in the coming weeks.
Again, i say get the HD. Its hard ot beat the screen on it and typing is actually pretty easy. I like the power button and volume buttons more on the HD as well. you dont accidently press them the way you will on the raphael. The other buttons on the HD are really nice as well because they do not actually press like the raphael does. It gives a little vibrate when you press them which is a suprisingly great feature. Oh yeah, don forget about the 5mp camera. It takes wonderful pics as long as you are in decent light.
Lastly, everyone that has seen my HD is blown away. When they saw my raphael they mostly said "thats nice, a little too think for me but nice"

mallman said:
As an owner of both I say get the HD. I loved my Raphael so dont get me wrong. I do a decent amount of typing and the HD keyboard seems very responsive. If you are doing a ton of typing there is really no substitute for a hard keyboard but the HD isnt far off. Out of the box the HD runs much better than the raphael did but there are plenty of custom ROMs out there that solve this for the raphael so not really an issue. One plus abotu the raphael is that there are tons of customizations but youc an expet that from the HD cookers out there in the coming weeks.
Again, i say get the HD. Its hard ot beat the screen on it and typing is actually pretty easy. I like the power button and volume buttons more on the HD as well. you dont accidently press them the way you will on the raphael. The other buttons on the HD are really nice as well because they do not actually press like the raphael does. It gives a little vibrate when you press them which is a suprisingly great feature. Oh yeah, don forget about the 5mp camera. It takes wonderful pics as long as you are in decent light.
Lastly, everyone that has seen my HD is blown away. When they saw my raphael they mostly said "thats nice, a little too think for me but nice"
Click to expand...
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WOW the most usefull review of all
thx again, and when my back account allow it , I might buy HD

I've still have my Touch Pro. I opted to buy the Touch HD for one big reason...Screen size bigger than the iPhone on a WM device! I'm tired of dealing with the limited space of a 2.8" screen. I've always been a fan of hardware keyboards, but the Touch HD has a nice virtual keyboard and with a program like gyrator 2 or gsen you can rotate your HD into landscape and stretch out the virtual keyboard for more room.
Also the GPS performance is better on the Touch HD.....the Touch Pro and Diamonds performance is crappy..its lags way too much and takes longer to get a fix. Now the AT&T Fuze may have this solved, but unless you have AT&T and live in the US its not really an option.
I think for any one who has been lusting over the idea of having an iPhone, but would never give up Windows Mobile can now rest at ease.
Just my two cents.

I have also used both, and I can say , on any given day , I would take HD.
HD screen is the best thing and the keyboard is also very good on it.Once , the custom roms comes from the likes of senior people like Dutty , Panosha and others, I am sure the HD will fly like a rocket.
Go for HD. I sold my rapheal already.

utvol06 said:
I've still have my Touch Pro. I opted to buy the Touch HD for one big reason...Screen size bigger than the iPhone on a WM device! I'm tired of dealing with the limited space of a 2.8" screen. I've always been a fan of hardware keyboards, but the Touch HD has a nice virtual keyboard and with a program like gyrator 2 or gsen you can rotate your HD into landscape and stretch out the virtual keyboard for more room.
Also the GPS performance is better on the Touch HD.....the Touch Pro and Diamonds performance is crappy..its lags way too much and takes longer to get a fix. Now the AT&T Fuze may have this solved, but unless you have AT&T and live in the US its not really an option.
I think for any one who has been lusting over the idea of having an iPhone, but would never give up Windows Mobile can now rest at ease.
Just my two cents.
Click to expand...
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Now that you have the HD could you compare the GPS performance with Touch Pro?
Give us numbers.... How many seconds to get a fix and the GPS "lag".

speed200 said:
Now that you have the HD could you compare the GPS performance with Touch Pro?
Give us numbers.... How many seconds to get a fix and the GPS "lag".
Click to expand...
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I'll report after testing this afternoon.

utvol06 said:
I'll report after testing this afternoon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, all of us will be awaiting for it.
Best regards.

In the last 3 months, I have owned a Diamond, Raphael and an HD. The Diamond came first and was lovely to use but the screen was too small to type effectively. So I bought a Raphael - which i used for work but it was just too thick - it ruins the cut of a suit!
Then along came the HD. The screen is just beautiful. Crucially, it is also large enough to type effectively. Don't get me wrong, it is not as effective as typing on a keyboard (such as on the Raphael) but unless you're doing a lot of typing, that doesn't matter. I still do a reasonable amount of email and the screen keyboard on the HD is large enough to cope.
The HD also runs more responsively than the Diamond or Raph. It doesn't suffer the Raph's GPS lag (I never had lag on the Diamond). And did I mention that screen???!!!
Disappointments with the HD? Not many yet. The camera is unquestionably way too slow and nowhere near as good as, eg, the N95 (which my wife has). The lack of D-Pad takes a bit of getting used to but all it really means is getting used to a different way of working as we're all so used to the DPad. I haven't yet found any software where it causes a major problem.
My final answer? Both my Raph and my Diamond are on ebay right now.

dito
yeah, my tilt and fuze have both sold on Ebay, I like my Touch HD. I am looking forward to using a different onscreen keyboard than the one provided in the stock ROM. I don't like that they wasted space by putting directional buttons on the right hand side. There is one available on a particular ROM downloaded from this site, but i suspect there will be more WVGA keyboards. I used to have a 6600 which had like a 3" screen or something, a wee bit larger than the tilt and that was a really nice phone actually, it just lacked the new juicier hardware. The Touch HD really brings out the sexy in HTC. No overweight short, fat, ugly phone, its tall and sleek and slim and sexy, lol! Just another thought: The Touch Pro can be had for about $500 without a contract and even FREE with a contract if you pull the right strings! However, the Touch HD is nearly $800 and there is no ifs ands or buts about it. You gotta pay for the best and its not really supported by AT&T or the retailers that sell it here in the US and is only barely supported by HTC in US. And, the insurance companies dont know much about it. All this makes for a riskier investment especially considering that some peoples HD vibrate breaks and they have to send it back . (moment of silence please). Yeah its a little scary for me right now. I think I might have it under control! If I were you and I had wee bit of money, I would go for the HD, its what the really cool people have, lol
Just a few thoughts,
Levi

I had a very cherished Tytn II (kaiser) before the recent HD.
I was really excited about the huge screen and higher resolution but the lack of a hard keyboard really put me off. Another huge aspect that put me off was the fract that straight out of the box you cant rotate to landscape mode. I've had my tytn ii in landscape mode permenantly for ever a year now and thats how I like it. The optical layout is very similar to wide screen TVs and monitors. Any how, I found a way to keep it in landscapde mode (look for my thread called landscape view +solved+.
I tried typing in full qwerty and compact qwerty mode in portrait screen but it just wasnt the same (or even close) to a large keyboard. So I resorted to trying to type in landscapde mode using full qwerty and it was just as good as the tytn ii keyboard. Snailslug's wonderful app called touch response made it even better. His app added little vibration feedback (haptic I believe is the term) to touching the screen. So using the virtual keyboard is much more predictable if you can imagine.

.VIBE said:
The time has come to relegate my trusty Hermes to the nearest bin. This means - upgrade time.
Now, unlike some of you, I do not have the luxury of trying out both of these to make up my mind. So, I'd like to hear some thoughts on those of you who has had to give up their Touch Pro keyboards for the more clumsy Touch HD on-screen text input.
Getting the Touch HD is a no brainer in every way, except one. I can't imagine giving up my sliding keyboard. Yes, I'm currently leaning towards getting the Touch Pro.
Thoughts? rants & raves? and shuttefu%^&up about iphones please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tested both and I can say, being a Universal Super keyboard user, that HD is almost perfect but the lack of physical keyboard stop me to buy it, a Physical Kb will never be beaten for any fantastic on screen virtual Kb.
So if I had to decide for any of those being the only options I would choose Touch Pro because the Kb, even with that fantastic super screen of the HD.
Or dreaming a little bit I would wait for the upcoming HD touch Pro....
Iphone? Never in my life!!

I've had both on hand: Touch PRO and HD. And now i am really satisfied with HD compared to what I've been with Raphael. I've been considered so much before change from Raph to HD. I'd been with Raph for a month and swapped with many ROMs and radios (only Raphael radio) before making a decision to switch to HD... Beyond all of Raphael's pros is its crappy BATTERY LIFE
It only lasts for a day with full charge on my usage (compared to the same usage with HD). The GPS is so bad, could not fix as fast as my Polaris.
I have to say I'm really disappointed with Raph as I thought it could be another king replaced for the Kaiser...
Go to HD then you will have no regret and waste !

as a TyTN owner.. i thought of getting a raphael.. but looking at them.. they dont have many differences.. ok the vga screen.. the looks etc.. overall though its the exact same device pumped up..
besides.. im a more of a techie gadget guy.. the raphael doesnt come close to the HD from my point of view.. the raphael is a more bussiness man type of device rather the HD is the more
show off device.. get the HD you wont regret it!
cheers!

I too have upgraded from a Kaiser to the Touch HD.
Bit of a no-brainer for me as I found I hardly ever used the slide-out keyboard on the Kaiser. The basic WM keyboard has always been a fast method of entering text for me, particularly with the help of predicitve text and gesture recognition.
Spb Keyboard is meeting my needs for basic text entry on the HD. If I need to do a serious amount of text entry the stylus comes out and I use the standard WM keyboard again. With practise I think this is a pretty fast and accurate way of entering text.
Just in case it hasn't sunk in (!), the screen on the HD is FANTASTIC! Web browsing is excellent. The extra screen space and resolution is also fantastic in Pocket Informant agenda view. And mobile shell is great on the bigger screen.
As someone's said above, lack of D-pad is an issue to start with but only because you have to re-learn how to use your favourite programmes. After a while it's fine.
Setting up haptic feedback is a good thing.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what WinMo developers will do next year to tweak their software for the HD. It's good at the moment but could be more finger-friendly in places. Eg I know the next version of Pocket Informant will be more finger-friendly. Hopefully other developers will head in this direction too.

What about US 3G on ATT...
blacksage said:
...its not really supported by AT&T or the retailers that sell it here in the US and is only barely supported by HTC in US....
Just a few thoughts,
Levi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the service manual (http://mikechannon.net/PDF%20Manuals/HTC_Blackstone_Service_Manual.pdf) the US ATT 850 and 1900 HSDPA/UMTS bands are supported.
The original specs showed no support for these bands -- but now????
Are you getting 3G speeds in the US???

HTC Touch Pro 2, or HTC Touch HD?

Hey guys new member of the forum i will soon be getting a new phone and it will be either the Touch Pro 2 or the Touch HD. I'm not sure which one to get as i can live without a hardware keyboard which makes the device slimmer and easier to hold, but the question is what is the difference between the 2 phones? are they running the exact same software with the same features etc etc? if they operate exactly the same the HD looks nicer in my opinion, this will be my first time owning a windows mobile, will both phones get the same updates/custom roms. Other peoples opinions on these phones would be a great help, thanks in advance.
Sorry if this is not the correct section to be posting this.

If it was me, I'd maybe hold out for the HTC Leo, the HD's successor
Another thread which is kinda similar regarding people asking what to get after the HD maybe worth a read

thanks for your reply i will have a read of that, the issue is my contract runs out soon and the Leo doesn't yet have a release date and will be getting a new phone the day my contract runs out as i can't get through the day without my phone lol.

Isn't much difference apart from the qwerty keyboard, screen size, D-pad and camera. Generally everything else is similar. Check both the specs and read the wiki for both devices, have a look at the rom forums on both to see whats available.
It would most likely come down what you want, or what your looking for in a device. Basically personal opinion.

TP2 every day in the week.

thanks for the feedback guys. Well i prefer a slightly bigger screen and a slimmer looking phone and find the TP2 to be a little bulky, but if the software is the same this helps a lot as i like the look of the software from the TP2 which will be the same on the HD.
ArtieQ said:
TP2 every day in the week.
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Click to collapse
could you maybe give some reasons on your view on why this would be the best choice? Thanks

The HD .. Huge screen .. and um... rather slim and cute looking .. I have a black silicone suround for it and mirror suraface.... and a huge screen with a huge resoultion .. did I mention that?

dgattenb said:
The HD .. Huge screen .. and um... rather slim and cute looking .. I have a black silicone suround for it and mirror suraface.... and a huge screen with a huge resoultion .. did I mention that?
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Huge screen, but huge screen means less pixels = less quality. TP2 got a huge advantage when it comes down to screen resolution vs. HD. And the TP2 got a keyboard and 4 hardware buttons you can actually feel.

ArtieQ said:
Huge screen, but huge screen means less pixels = less quality. TP2 got a huge advantage when it comes down to screen resolution vs. HD.
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Click to collapse
You're kidding, right? TP2 and HD both have WVGA - you're not seriously telling me that the pixel density on the HD is not high enough? I doubt you could even tell the difference between the two concerning DPI!
And I'd rather have a larger screen than a smaller one - even if the higher DPI would make a difference... What's the use of having a higher DPI on a smaller screen?

Hd is better in music as it has 3.5 mm audio jack which means better sound quality and also hd is higher in price (the only issue is that hd will not get wm6.5 officially from htc ) but i think it will but htc does not announce that to sell alot of the recent devices

hoss_n2 said:
Hd is better in music as it has 3.5 mm audio jack which means better sound quality and also hd is higher in price (the only issue is that hd will not get wm6.5 officially from htc ) but i think it will but htc does not announce that to sell alot of the recent devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Touch HD, although it is in for repairs at the moment, and would consider the TP2 but the lack of a headphone jack is killing me. I live in the US and have not had a chance to play with the TP2. I have AT&T which I am assuming will not have the headphone jack like the Sprint and Verizon (CDMA) model has, Lucky Bastards!!! Anyway, that is what will probably stop me from getting the TP2.
I am sure there will be other options with a headphone jack in the future since HTC has made it clear that most future devices will have them. TP3?? I think they are a little sore from the lashing they took for not putting it in the TP2 which is clearly a great multimedia device. Kida like buying some of the original flat panel tv's that didn't have a TV tuner or speakers. Kinda defeats the purpose.

Well I personally recomend the Touch HD (not only for the reason that I have it and I love it ) when I was choosing my device I was looking for the bigest screen on the market as I like browsing the internet a lot and let me say this BIGGER IS BETTER when we are talking about PPC's nothing can change that also you get a cool design that gets the "WOW" effect from anyone and your pants will not fall to the ground when you are carying it in your pocket.It really depends on the person but for me if I have two phones with almost equal specifications I'll go for the bigger screen even if it is 0,1 inches bigger than the other one.Leo is probably my next device but I heard great things about TOSHIBA's TG01 4.1 inch monster with 1ghz proccessor that's only 10mm thick if you can get your hands on that (it's available in some areas) I would recommend that.

If you are only using one phone I would get the TP2. As I already have the E71 for emails etc I ordered the Touch HD yesterday as a semi tablet.

if it were me, id let my contract run out, continue using the service with your old phone until Leo is released, then upgrade if your carrier runs with the leo, if it doesnt id then upgrade to the most expencive phone they offer then leaving it in its box id flog it on ebay an use the money to buy the leo...
just my thoughts

Anyone upgraded to HD2/Leo from HD/Blackstone?

I currently have a touch HD/Blackstone and I love it to bits, but the prospect of having a capacitive multitouch screen and much faster responses when navigating round the phone/opening/running apps etc is starting to tempt me very strongly to the HD2/Leo.
Have any of you Leo owners upgraded from the Blackstone? If so, please can you let me know your thoughts on whether it was a good move, what the pros & cons are etc, and whether the new phone really is super fast and slick like the reviews I've read say it is.
If I get one I'd probably want to be running SPB shell on it, which from looking through here I assume it works, but will most apps for the blackstone also work on the Leo?
I know there's no stylus with the Leo for instance, but for fiddly stuff does the screen accept the use of a fingernail for 'precision' (ish!) stuff like checkboxes & small menus, or does it have to be skin contact or a real capacitive stylus etc?
Regardless of whether you upgraded from a Blackstone, are you very pleased with the way the phone works in terms of performance and 'slickness'?
Last questions are - what's the video performance like on the Leo, ie does it have all the problems the HD has in terms of poor out of the box performance with video playback?
And is the bluetooth stuff still hardcoded for the HTC music player (like the blackstone), or would I be able to properly use my sony bluetooth headset to control the likes of coreplayer?
Sorry for all the questions - I really want to upgrade to the Leo, but it will cost me a lot and I don't want to make a mistake.
Many thanks for any useful replies!
Jim

After having the Touch HD for 2 month I really loved it. Everything was running as I wanted it to be ... But then HTC announced the HD2 and I decided to switch to it after watching lots of videos in youtube an other sites. I would do it again ...
I don't have any problems using the OS without a stylus. In fact I wasn't using the stylus or my fingernails on my Touch HD either. I only needed to adapt to the higher screen responsiveness, but that was it.
HD2 pros compared to the Touch HD:
+ MUCH higher build quality. The Touch HD always felt somehow cheap, except it actually wasn't ...
+ Everything is just faster. I wasn't too thrilled with TouchFLO 3D on the Touch HD, as it slowed down the device too much. No problems on the HD2, although the new version of TouchFLO 3D (Sense ...) grew in so many aspects and is now pretty well integrated into the OS.
+ The bigger screen. Didn't thing its a big deal, but the screen-difference between the two devices is astonishing. Its much more fun to use multimediacontent on the HD2.
+ Pinch to Zoom.

I had a HD for nearly a year now and loved it - yes, TF3D ran slowly but it also was more "form than function" and I stopped using it in favour of simple SPB Diary with multiple tabs.
Now having a HD2 for over a month I do love the high speed and slick operation and I even stick with TF3D (or HTC Sense, whatever it's called).
But, there are apps from HD that don't run well on the screen as they expect the precision of a stylus. One example is SPB Finance that I used to record all my expenditures on an almost daily business. This just does not work with a big fat finger !
But, but others work great - CoPilot works really nicely. I tried Route66 on the HD2 as this was a fully legal working purchase on the HD but on the new HD2 it's not good. Nice surprise is the new CoPilot works really well and super fast. Even indoors near a window I can get enough satellites for a 3D fix and moving next to the window gets 7 or 8 sats. HD never achieved that.
My build quality on the HD was fine. On the HD2 you get a real solid feel from the metal battery cover where you naturally hold the device.
HD2 is super quick but the capacitive screen is a weakness. However, this is because most applications have not yet caught up. Many exist that are great with fingers like Resco explorer but others expect a stylus and are hard to use.
As a year long HD user I doubt very much that I won't move back after having got the HD2. My old HD is sitting in a box and I have not been tempted to get it out !

Thanks for the replies guys - I like what I hear!
I think the only thing that might delay me upgrading to an HD2 is the difference in value between selling HD and buying HD2 but we'll see....
Can you clarify a couple of things I'm still not sure about though?
Dave - you said you can't use certain apps from the HD because of the capacitive screen as you don't have a stylus with it (and can't use a normal one I believe), but is it possible to use these apps with a finger nail if you really need to?
I know it might be awkward or not very practical, but I want to know whether it's actually possible at all, ie if the screen will physically work like that, or if it's literally impossible to do?
Secondly (don't get me wrong here) whilst I don't want an iphone, is the responsiveness of the HD2 screen the same kind of thing? Local shops here don't have one I can try so I have to go by what others tell me, and I'd like it to work as smooth as the iphone screen, ie no actual pressure etc.
I know it's capacitive so it should be like that but I don't know if there are differences aside from that to how the screen responds. Hope that makes sense!
Last question - I believe the screen is glass on it? Is it toughened in any way? Presume the fact that it's glass will mean that it's much harder to scratch than the HD screen and also means a clearer, brighter display by not having a resistive layer?
Thanks for the replies - I appreciate the info!

I'll try again but I don't think finger nails work ...

I upgraded from the Blackstone and for me, it was definitely worth it.
First thing you notice is the amazing speed if the device. I just saw that I had TomTom (among a couple of other programs) running in the background for several days and I didn't even notice it.
The HD2 is really insanely fast. I sometimes take my old Blackstone in order to try new WM builds, but its slowness makes me sick after some minutes of using it.
Next big thing, for me, is the camera. The light sensitivity has been greatly improved and the flash works stunningly good for an LED flash.
It takes really great pictures for a smartphone, much much better than the HD, finally I have a phone that lets me capture the important moments
(btw. the 'red tint bug' is present but not noticeable on most pictures)
Third thing is the screen. It''s capacitive, that means you can NOT use your fingernail, and no stylus. But I really like the sensitivity, it's much more comfortable to use. And it feels a lot better, it's not the 'cheap' feel of the resistive panel's plastic layers anymore.
And this brings me to the fourth and last point: Build quality. I've never ever seen such a high build quality and high quality materials on a phone. It looks and feels just amazing, even the iPhone feels like a cheap toy in comparison.
Video playback is of course a lot better and it plays high quality video without stuttering.

Well actualy you can use stylus without problems, you just have to buy a special one (whitch buy the way also works on the iPhone)
http://cgi.ebay.com/2x-DAGi-Stylus-...wItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item414b467e4a
Like they other says there are applications who can be a bit of a hassel with using with the finger...
But I suspect you would love it... I could newer go back to my HD after being used to the buitiful racer the HD2 is, and i absolutely love the screen to.

Hi,
I've spent 1 week with the HD2 after a year on the HD. Mobile Shell 3.5 on both.
The main difference is speed. HD2 is soooo much faster. Didn't notice the HD was particularly slow whilst I was using it, but going back to it now is PAINFUL.
I struggled a bit initially with the capacitive screen, found it a bit hit and miss. In particular I found the HTC keyboard a nightmare, way too sensitive. Installing the .cab that decreases screen sensitivity has improved things greatly, and installing Spb Keyboard has also helped. It's improving with practice, there are still times when I do something and it doesn't register, but overall I'm starting to like it. There's a definite knack to it: much lighter touch, smoother motions. So there's a learning curve here + a need to tweak. And I'm sure the experience will continue to improve as third party software is adapted for it.
Mobile Shell has a few minor compatability issues but nothing to worry about (screen brightness control doesn't work, voicemail indicator widget doesn't work, a few other minor things). Spb are generally good at updating for significant new hardware releases, same thing happened with the HD when it was first released and they fixed everything quickly. I tried the Sense interface for a day or two to see if I could get used to it, it IS very pretty. But went back to Mobile Shell, I find it much more functional.
The HD2 build quality is excellent vs good for HD. And the additional screen size is a significant plus too. I was initially worried it would be a step too far in terms of the overall size of the device, but no. As soon as I laid eyes on the actual device + picked it up I knew it wouldn't be a problem.
Browsing in Opera is fantastic. Fast and the big screen helps. Still not comparable to a desktop browsing experience but very usable and way better than the HD due to the speed.
Overall it's a big step forward from the HD and highly recommended. Like I said, I find going back to the HD to dig out a few files I need to be surprisingly painful...

Cret said:
Secondly (don't get me wrong here) whilst I don't want an iphone, is the responsiveness of the HD2 screen the same kind of thing? Local shops here don't have one I can try so I have to go by what others tell me, and I'd like it to work as smooth as the iphone screen, ie no actual pressure etc.
I know it's capacitive so it should be like that but I don't know if there are differences aside from that to how the screen responds. Hope that makes sense!
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I tested the HD2 besides both, an 3G and 3GS, and really couldn't find any real difference in the screens responsiveness. You don't have to do any pressure on the HD2's screen ... I have to say, that I had a problem with the high sensitivity at first, but when playing around with an Nokia N900 last week, I noticed how fast I adapted to the capacitive screen of the HD2. The N900's screen was a pain in the ass (although its actually quite good for a resistive screen), because slight fingerswipes and tips didn't to anything ...
When browsing the forums you will notice, that most ppl here have/had a problem with the keyboard of the HD2. Besides the bugreporting here (I don't have any of these problems), I imagine that most of the problems with the keyboard just come from the unfamiliar sensitivity. By lifting the fingers a little higher when typing, I managed to type pretty accurate.
I don't have a Touch HD to compare side by side, but had the possibility to compare the HD2 to an iPhone 3G ... the 3G was very slow compared to the HD2 ... So wouldn't really go back to a last-gen phone ...

Had a Touch HD for a year until i bought my HD2 last month.
I Had Dutty's Leo rom running since he started releasing those, so I felt completely at home with my HD2 when i had it in my hand. (For those not knowing : Leo rom for Touch HD is just that. Winmo 6.5 running HTC Sense, just like the HD2)
A few things felt wonderfully different tho :
Screen is beautifull. The glas type used is almost impossible to scratch. I have my phone in my pocket unprotected. Even accedently slipped my keys in with it a few times. Not a mark on it! What is this screen made of ? Diamond ??
Speed. Wow! This phone is fast. I ran the weather demo simultaniously, side by side with the Touch HD. And the difference makes the Touch HD look like a joke. (it's not, but compared, its sloooow)
Pinch zoom. OMG now i know why Iphone has been the king of mobile browsing. HAS been! HD2 is now the new king! Opera + capacitive screen with multi touch AND a 1 ghz processor ? It is a match made in heaven. Mobile browsing is EASY and fun now. Thank god i have an internet sub on my simcard...
Camera. Remember how a big hazzel it was to take a pic with Touch HD ? I mean, the moment is GONE, before the camera is ready to take the picture!
With HD2 and a shortcut on the Sense start screen , it takes around 1 second(!!) from press on camera icon till your ready to take the picture!. The flash LED (Which can blind a man btw) makes it possible to shoot in the dark, FINALLY!
Well those things was EXACTLY why I upgraded, and I have not been dissapointed.
Some had a huge problem with the sensitive screen. Not me, I adapted quickly, and the keyboard I was used to from leo rom on the Touch HD, so i guess it's a matter of taste, or fat fingers .
Also
There are a LOT of the tweaks and programs for Dutty's leo rom that works great with the HD2, like BG4all etc.

rd2000 said:
The flash LED (Which can blind a man btw)
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yep, fortgot to mention the LEDs. I love them. Not to take pictures, but for everydays things. Really missed a LED on the Touch HD.

I got my HD2 a week ago, and I'm loving it, other than the rather short battery life (may be a temporary issue, some people do not have this issue).
It's definitely faster than the HD. Going through the Windows folder in File Explorer takes 2 seconds, rather than 6-8 seconds on the HD. Going through tabs in TouchFlo 3D (Sense) is fast, and tab contents are displayed lightning fast.
TomTom works great on the HD2, haven't tried CoPilot because they do not have maps that I could purchase for my region yet (which is funny, since I can download the map while trialling the software). TomTom is rather smooth on the HD2, the position cursor does not jerk forward when moving. With valid QuickGPS data, getting a GPS fix is faster than on the HD.
The speaker is a little worse than the HD in my opinion, although it's somewhat louder than the HD.
Moving from Resistive (HD) to the Capacitive screen in the HD2 may take some time to get used to it. Drawing/scribbling notes can be hard, so is selecting the directory/folder you want to go to in File Explorer. Maybe it's me, I have large fingers.
Reception compared to the HD, Nokia N82, N95 8GB.
The 3G network I'm on is rather bad in my room.
Nokia N82 and N95 8GB - 4 of 7 bars (estimated equivalent on the HD2 would be 3 of 4 bars)
HTC Touch HD - 1 of 4 bars
HTC Touch HD2 - 3 of 4 bars, sometimes full signal.
The signal bars on the HD2 tend to fluctuate at times, while holding the phone in landscape mode and browsing the internet, the signal may drop to no bars, disconnect from the network, then come back on with 1 or 2 bars.
Camera is great. Autofocus seems to be 'continuous', focusing when the camera is moved or after a few seconds. Shutter lag is much shorter than on the HD, but taking moving subjects may still result in a blurr (cranking up the ISO setting doesn't help much). Sharper than on the HD, and the automatic white balance is definitely better than on the HD under certain lighting conditions. LED Flash works OK for objects further than 30cm most of the time, using it for close ups may sometimes result in a bright, white mess.
I'm using the 1.43 ROM, so some of these issues may be fixed in the updated ROM. There are some issues in TouchFlo/Sense, but they are easily corrected by taking a trip down the Tips & Tricks Post in the Leo Forum.

tbela
I'd used Blackstone for some monthes, and overall I was satisfied. (I'd used Xanny Grid Leo rom)
I've a Leo for a week, and now I'm not simply satisfied but I'm happy with it. The speed, the huge screen and the build quality are fantastic. It's very rear, when I have to fight with small old-fashioned windows controls, but with some patience and practice it is also manageable. Nail-touching definitely doesn't work. Althogh, you can buy capacitive-compatible stylus on ebay.
Only disadvantage for me: fring doesn't work, but I hope it will be fixed soon. Temporarily I use Nimbuzz for chatting.
Overall I can highly recommend the upgrade. If you can do, DO IT!

Thanks very much for all the replies guys. The fact that most of you have written wuite a bit tells me you're very enthusiastic about the phone!
I want one for sure now. The only thing is the cost - I can't renew my contract and there are very few Leos on Ebay and around £500, but only maybe £250 sale proceeds from my HD, so it's quite a hit to take.
If I can get a few quid together to help ease the difference then I'll definitely get one.
Thanks for the comments

Same here, had the HD for about a year and liked it in many respects, the HD2 is a much nicer experience though and if you can afford it at some point I highly recommend to get it.

Well I've made my mind up to get one for sure. The only question really is when.
I'll have to buy an unlocked one on Ebay I think and there are very few on there at the moment because the phone is so new. This is obviously therefore keeping the prices really high.
I'm dying to say 'sod it' and get the credit card out but I know I ought to wait a month or two to see if they get a bit cheaper once more are being sold.
I've read reviews on it and most things I see say that this is basically the best piece of hardware on the market in terms of phones, but that it's "let down/ruined" etc by having winmo on it. I like winmo and have used it for years, so for me, that's a plus!
Having said that, I'd kill to see/have winmo7!

Yep. Those reviews are nonsense.
Powerful hardware like this needs a powerful OS, and WinMo really is by far the most powerful OS you can get.
It doesn't ruin anything. It's the perfect OS for a phone like this.
WinMo bashing is a current trend that you can't do anything against when sites like Gizmodo or Engadget spread the FUD. It's really sad.
I wouldn't want any other OS on the HD2.

maati said:
I wouldn't want any other OS on the HD2.
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Click to collapse
Overall I agree, But Android 2.0 would be very interesting

Well I'm sure I'll be quite happy since it's exactly what I'm used to.
Last phones I've had have been Touch HD, Omnia, XDA Orbit etc - loved them all.
Can't WAIT to get the HD2 though. Especially now I've bought one this afternoon.

Cret said:
Well I'm sure I'll be quite happy since it's exactly what I'm used to.
Last phones I've had have been Touch HD, Omnia, XDA Orbit etc - loved them all.
Can't WAIT to get the HD2 though. Especially now I've bought one this afternoon.
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Congrats to get this lovely phone. I'd wager you will like it .

Our HD is done,right?

The Leo boots android and wp7,HD boots nothing,it is done right? I can not imagine to have a new device ,I spent all my money which I earn last 3 holidays by washing dishes in a hotel I dont know why but just fell sad

What do you mean, done?
Mine is alive and kicking...

I mean ,it is dying ,like an old manwith a weak heart.My HD cost 3700 yuan ,now,here in my town you can buy a htc desire hd with 3300 yuan,or a hd with 2650 yuan,it is crazy!

I agree, having recently just purchased the HTC Touch HD, I was really looking forward to playing around with the front cam with apps and stuff.
I am somewhat disappointed how the possibilities with this device was completely missed, who's fault is it, MS for just not supporting it enough, the developers of the larger applications (Skype, etc) from literally dropping the OS.
I am happy with my phone, but I can see a huge potential just lost.
Maybe its me, but it seems the dev's of the OS just want stronger and stronger hardware, instead of using whats currently around.
Fair enough the device is getting old, but still a massive wasted opportunity if you ask me.

The problem in fact are devs following this trend. Simply abandon old phones and move on to new ones.

retsam88 said:
The problem in fact are devs following this trend. Simply abandon old phones and move on to new ones.
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Its a fact of life, new devices with better specs come out and people move on. The LEO is an exception to the rule due to its 1GB Snapdragon processor, plus it was the last real WM device released before WP7 came along. Most if not all new devices are still using 1GB processors, some even less, hence why its longevity

Speed doesn't matter that much. When it comes to portability and durability, my old HTC Orbit 2 is great! Holds battery for very long while mantaining usability(400mhz is a bit slow, but enough for 98% of apps.
HD2, well, is powerhorse, but last 1 day on average, very clumsy and fragile.
So newer doesn't always means better.

I've stopped using my Touch HD and started using my old Kaiser. It's older and less powerful than the Touch HD but it can run a very stable and fast Android. The Kaiser was lucky in having excellent xda'ers continually working on it.

I think you're right. The HD is getting a bit old, and the slow cpu @ 800x480 + not very sensitive resistive screen is kinda killing it. That's why most devs have left us I think... *wants an HD2
@Fallen Spartan
You might want to change that B into hz .

Dead? no its alive and kicking!
You can never call anything over £100 value dead!
mobiles4cash.com is the place to be!
£133 for the Touch HD
Looking for a replacement now and getting mine sent away asap!

I have a couple of newer devices [omnia II and acer S200] but still use my HD mostly, if I could only have one of those three, I would keep the HD...... despite the dreadful cpu and not very sensitive screen, I like the overall package best.
I buy WM [or used to] because I like WM, not because I want to run a less versatile and functional OS on the hardware.
The capacitive screen on the HD2 isn't a plus in my eyes, and is the sole reason why I never bought one, ever seen someone trying to use excel or remote desktop on one, it's like a circus act.......

gerryjoson said:
The capacitive screen on the HD2 isn't a plus in my eyes, and is the sole reason why I never bought one, ever seen someone trying to use excel or remote desktop on one, it's like a circus act.......
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That's exactly what i was thinking.

our hd is not dead
i had mine for 2 years
last 3 months running android
still i will not replace it for another phone

I find it odd, though, how the Touch Diamond 2 gets the official 6.5 ROM upgrade but not our Touch HD. I've gone through what I could find spec-wise of the two models; their processors seem to be the big difference (outside of the physical size, and battery), where the Blackstone seems to have the better of the two, but doesn't get the 6.5?

The Touch Diamond 2 was released not long before 6.5 was, HTC promised there would be an upgrade to 6.5 for people who bought it before it came preloaded, the HD is quite a bit older and there was no promise of any upgrade at the time of release.
There's little difference between the qualcomm 7200 and 7201a, the 7201a is a change to the 7200 in response to a legal dispute with broadcomm, the 7201a has neutered video recording as a result of something to do with this dispute, Qualcomm and Broadcomm came to some arrangement and thus the use of 7200 resumed in the TP2 and Touch diamond 2.
Personally I prefer 6.1 anyway, so the lack of an official update is lost on me.