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Hi everyone,
I've been browsing the forum for a while and thought I'd sign up to ask a few questions that I couldn't find answers to. I was reading one post from a guy asking if he should get the iphone or Touch HD. I was in a similar situation but I really want to have to customization options. Sorry if some of these options seem basic, just need some advice..
1 - What is the difference's between the ROM's? Are all of the HD's the same, and the different ROM's can just be flashed with different software?
2 - Is it possible to set the e-mails to be checked every "x" number of minutes?
3 - Whats the camera quality like at night? I currently have a C905 and the camera quality is pretty good, with a good flash. But if i was ever in a pub/club, what would the quality be like?
4 - Is it possible to set longer tones for sms, my current tones are limited to 10 seconds, which is fine, just curious. Also can you set different tones for sms and email?
5 - I was reading in the quickest way to send an sms about going to the contacts, if i had an sms off the person that i wanted to send one to, could i just click that and click reply?
6 - Is the screen on the Touch HD a lot better than the iphone? I haven't seen a touch HD in real life, and quite liked the iphone that a guy i know has, but never had chance to use it. The iphone looks nice, but i guess i like to mess around with my GUI and make it my own.
Also, everywhere i seem to read about the phone lists one of its down sides as not being as user friendly as the iphone (though i did see a video on youtube where a guy installed software which made it look just like the iphones user interface) and that its a big phone (but looking at it it doesnt seem that big to me, being thinner than my C905, and only a few mm wider and taller...). Whats peoples views on that?
Thanks guys, and i hope things like this haven't been asked again and again and again
evildead4eva said:
Hi everyone,
I've been browsing the forum for a while and thought I'd sign up to ask a few questions that I couldn't find answers to. I was reading one post from a guy asking if he should get the iphone or Touch HD. I was in a similar situation but I really want to have to customization options. Sorry if some of these options seem basic, just need some advice..
1 - What is the difference's between the ROM's? Are all of the HD's the same, and the different ROM's can just be flashed with different software?
2 - Is it possible to set the e-mails to be checked every "x" number of minutes?
3 - Whats the camera quality like at night? I currently have a C905 and the camera quality is pretty good, with a good flash. But if i was ever in a pub/club, what would the quality be like?
4 - Is it possible to set longer tones for sms, my current tones are limited to 10 seconds, which is fine, just curious. Also can you set different tones for sms and email?
5 - I was reading in the quickest way to send an sms about going to the contacts, if i had an sms off the person that i wanted to send one to, could i just click that and click reply?
6 - Is the screen on the Touch HD a lot better than the iphone? I haven't seen a touch HD in real life, and quite liked the iphone that a guy i know has, but never had chance to use it. The iphone looks nice, but i guess i like to mess around with my GUI and make it my own.
Also, everywhere i seem to read about the phone lists one of its down sides as not being as user friendly as the iphone (though i did see a video on youtube where a guy installed software which made it look just like the iphones user interface) and that its a big phone (but looking at it it doesnt seem that big to me, being thinner than my C905, and only a few mm wider and taller...). Whats peoples views on that?
Thanks guys, and i hope things like this haven't been asked again and again and again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Unofficial roms are customised for speed etc and often include new improved features. It's best to try a few and see which you like most, or if your happy with the stock rom keep it.
2. It is possible. It's also possible to use push services so email is delivered to your phone straight away.
3. Useless. It doesn't have a flash and even day time pictures aren't of good quality. I came from a nokia n82 which had an amazing camera and the Touch HD is really let down by it's camera.
4. Im not sure on this as i use the default tones. But i think it might be possible to use whatever tone/song you like regardless of length.
5. Yes you can reply to texts by going into the message and typing your reply. Texts are displayed in threaded mode so it's just like a IM conversation.
6. In my opinion the screen is miles better than the iphone. The resolution is great for browsing, viewing photos and watching movies.
your questions are not really blackstone spc but general windows mobile spc
1
roms are updated by operators once in awhile to fix bugs or to introduce features
and custom roms can be based on any rom version and include and exclude any feature and or program depend on the rom
2
yes thats std behaviour of email box you change it in setting of the outlook for pocketpc
3
personally i never come across a cmos chip based camera which all phones use which could hold a candle to a real ccd chip that digital cameras use
4
don't know of any time limitations of those but think only wav files are supported as non ring-tones
5
yeah thats called threaded sms's and is the default sms handling
it works kinda like im in many respects
6 well it's bigger and got
320X480 iphone
480 X 800 blackstone
a pixel or 2 more
The youtube page that i was reffering to it looking like an ipod interface has comments on the bottom and it seems like two people arguing over the ipod and htc touch hd, and it refers to this....
"colour difference as much as you will notice the screen resolution difference..
" (DJDa9L)
Iphone color amount 300 X stronger
HD resolution only about 2 X more
(840/480 vs 480/320)
Result:
-> All in all better Appearance on Iphone
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Click to collapse
Now I assumed that the HD touch would have had a much nicer display, but got a little confused by this...
Also, in comparison to the ipod 3G is the phone much bigger in its actual dimensions (phone specific rather than operating system based lol )
evildead4eva said:
The youtube page that i was reffering to it looking like an ipod interface has comments on the bottom and it seems like two people arguing over the ipod and htc touch hd, and it refers to this....
Now I assumed that the HD touch would have had a much nicer display, but got a little confused by this...
Also, in comparison to the ipod 3G is the phone much bigger in its actual dimensions (phone specific rather than operating system based lol )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually when I compared it to my friends iphone the HD is a sliver shorter AND the screen is noticeably larger
Ideal
I really like the idea of customization, and the ability to carry round pretty much a minature PC (obviously not with all the features, the only games i really play are classic lucas arts ones) and the main software is windows based. Would be nice to be able to take some ok snap shots, like with my current phone, and have some nice apps that are a bit different to mess about on. I like to have my emails though, and also MMS. Think the touch HD would be ideal
" the only games i really play are classic lucas arts ones"
there is a perfectly good scrumm client for pocketpc which makes it possible
to play all old lucas art games on a windows mobile
Awesome!
I'll be the envy of all my mates!
One last question.... The Touch (in the UK i believe...) is locked to the orange network. From looking on ebay, the outside doesn't seem to be branded. Are they easy to unlock, or is special software required? I'm guessing a rom flash is all thats required to change any branding in the software?
Also, I'm guessing that you can because of the rest of the spec, if i changed over to T-Mobile, would the HSPDA work ok... And would it work as a usb modem? lol
Thanks for all your help so far!
You can buy an unbranded model, as far as i know the orange ones are locked and you have to pay to get them locked, there hasn't been a free solution here on the boards yet.
Do remember that the screen isn't going to be as sensitive as the iphones, the resolution is great, but you're talking about two entirely different screen technologies.
passive (hd) vs capacitive(iphone)
Never had any experience on touch screens other than an old ipaq that i used to have. So never really played with the touch screen on a ipod. Only touch screen i have tried was on a Samsung Tocco but I'm not sure what type of screen that is...
the ipaq's screen would be passive.
It should be fairly easy to use with one hand i hope (for texting). It seems like the ideal phone.
Is the screen easily damaged? It'll be carried around in my jeans pockets and i dont want to add a BIG case, other than the protective slip case that it comes with, as dont want something massive in my pants..... If you'll pardon the way that sounds. lol
Hello all my first post here
I wanted to buy HTC TOUCH HD to replace my N95 8GB since i like WM phones but i have some questions before doing this:
1_How is the overall build quality of this phone ?
2_How is the audio quality in both headset and loudspeaker ? for example compared to devices like my N95 ?
3_How is the screen sensitivity?
4_Is it upgradeable to windows mobile 6.5?
i've many reviews but i wanted to ask the people who own this phone
Thanks
build quality is outstandind
touchscreen is wonderful, can even be tuned with a 3rd party program (hdtweak).
I have myself been running a custom made wm6.5 for about 3-4 months already, but it's everyone's choice if you want to use custom made or stick to stock.
can't really say or know if htc is going to release a stock 6.5 for touch hd or not.... those who know are not allowed to say - those who don't know have grown bored to continually to ask that
abe
thanks and how is the sound quality ?
Amiri,
The phone's build quality is sturdy. The only point is that it creeks once in a while when it is at a certain angle in the central part of the back cover due to the empty hollow space between the back cover and the battery. Slipping a piece of folded paper will be able to fix this issue easily if it bothers you that much.
The screen sensitivity is fine. However, due to the nature of resistive screens, the corner of the screens are not as sensitive as the center portion of the screens. In reality, we're talking about a 20 ~ 30 % difference in pressure required. Will you notice this? Yes. Will it bug you? Unlikely.
And no, the TouchHD will not be getting the -official- 6.5 upgrade. However, I'm sure rom cookers will get theirs in. If you want the stock upgrades, go with TouchPro2 or TouchDiamond.
Cheers.
thanks well i like TOUCH HD more than Pro2/Diamond2 because of bigger screen also i like its design more,
but u guys didn't talk about the audio quality,how is it ?
MaziarAmiri said:
thanks well i like TOUCH HD more than Pro2/Diamond2 because of bigger screen also i like its design more,
but u guys didn't talk about the audio quality,how is it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TC,
I'm sorry but I don't know much about the headjack quality as I don't use it much. However, the speaker is pretty hollow and low on the bass. Nothing to yell about. My w800i has a much better speaker.
I'm sure the headjack output will be good if you used quality earphones.
Cheers.
the sound quality through the headphone jack is outstanding !
i have the nokia N95 as well and i can tell you that it is much better and much louder (the n95 was not that loud, at least compared to the HD).
i don't know about the speaker quality though. it's good for calls but no clue about music...
by the way, the stock earphones are good enough (at least for me, but i'm not a music whore)
~sekibun
hey mate, congratulations on making your mind for the move!
I too had changed from nokia n95, first time going for a windows mobile, and here are my thoughts..
about the build, it seems solid, compact and no squeezes what so ever.
touch screen sensitivity is alright i guess, i find it to be sluggish a bit when trying to browse through programs, its a bit glitchy. But then again, this is my first windows mobile, so am not sure how it performs compared to other similar devices.
About sound quality, having had a nokia n95, it is utterly disappointing, you have to say bye to the beautiful stereo sound of the n95. when you set a ringtone and receive a call, it sounds like an old radio ( the one with one speaker and a big knob to tune). headphone quality isnt a whole lot better either, definitely inferior to n95. You will have to sacrifice sound quality for functionality...and i must say, its worth it so far i am loving this phone, apart from the continuous paranoia of scratching the screen, and the constant wiping of fingerprints of the screen, this phone is truly brilliant!
One more thing...you will be a little disappointed with battery life, its 2-3 days max if you use it ONLY as a phone lol.
Good luck
alien79 said:
hey mate, congratulations on making your mind for the move!
I too had changed from nokia n95, first time going for a windows mobile, and here are my thoughts..
about the build, it seems solid, compact and no squeezes what so ever.
touch screen sensitivity is alright i guess, i find it to be sluggish a bit when trying to browse through programs, its a bit glitchy. But then again, this is my first windows mobile, so am not sure how it performs compared to other similar devices.
About sound quality, having had a nokia n95, it is utterly disappointing, you have to say bye to the beautiful stereo sound of the n95. when you set a ringtone and receive a call, it sounds like an old radio ( the one with one speaker and a big knob to tune). headphone quality isnt a whole lot better either, definitely inferior to n95. You will have to sacrifice sound quality for functionality...and i must say, its worth it so far i am loving this phone, apart from the continuous paranoia of scratching the screen, and the constant wiping of fingerprints of the screen, this phone is truly brilliant!
One more thing...you will be a little disappointed with battery life, its 2-3 days max if you use it ONLY as a phone lol.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to add to alien79's comments:
One thing the HD (and other windows mobile devices) has over the N95 is the ability to add additional software, tweaks, new OS, etc etc. If you search and read threads in this forum along with the wiki you'll notice that you can completely flash a new rom with tweaks for speed, smoothness and stability as well as fixes for sound quality, stuttering etc. All you need to do is search, read, ask questions and you'll find that almost everything you seek is awaiting you!!
Yes the most reason that i'm getting a winmo phone is because of its customizations but i really need a phone that has a good audio quality,i'm getting mixed results here one say its better than N95 the other guy says its worse my only concern is the phoens audio quality now,and i am getting mixed answers
MaziarAmiri said:
Yes the most reason that i'm getting a winmo phone is because of its customizations but i really need a phone that has a good audio quality,i'm getting mixed results here one say its better than N95 the other guy says its worse my only concern is the phoens audio quality now,and i am getting mixed answers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You remind me when i decided to buy this phone and had sleepless nights thinking if it was a right decision , dont worry though, its a forum, getting different responses is anticipated, as people have different opinions, and different music taste. Ofcourse having a good headphones is going to improve the sound quality, and as Fallen star mentioned (not that i have tried yet, as am still a noob) maybe different roms and tweaks can improve sound quality. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about the phone`s speaker...you will have live with it, and having such a great phone in my opinion, makes it easy to ignore this minor slip....
lay back, relax and think microsoft
So loudspeaker is bad? strange because gsmarena.com gave "Excellent" to TOUCH HD's loud speaker:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_hd-review-300p4.php
MaziarAmiri said:
So loudspeaker is bad? strange because gsmarena.com gave "Excellent" to TOUCH HD's loud speaker:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_hd-review-300p4.php
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Click to collapse
that is a decible scale, solely to measure the "loundness" of the sound, nothing to do with quality. Bear in mind that an airoplane as around 120 db sound scale, that aint pretty sound eh
So if the phones audio quality isn't good i guess i have to wait for a better model from HTC
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
noofny said:
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
too subjective a question....for every person on here that says get it, there will be one that says don't get it.
the final decision must be yours....nobody here can make your decision for you. Make a list of the important things for you in a phone, then find the phone that matches those needs the best.
for example, I think the iphone has a much nicer interface, more apps, better screen (touch interface, not size or clarity), but for me it just doesn't handle business functions very well and that made me choose the HD2 since this was my primary need.
if you do the same process you might find the ideal phone for you
I got mine on Sunday just gone, was an upgrade from a Diamond. I loved my diamond, but as soon as I had setup my HD2 with contacts and apps etc I was loving this even more. Each time I use it I find something new, like facebook linking, then seeing in a contact card all communications with that person.
I'm yet to use the footprints, but look forward to trying it out.
The main thing for me was the screen size, I always had problems with the tiny diamond screen, but this is so crisp, easier to use and much easier to keyboard with.
Also the damn speed of the device is amazing, so fast, the OS loads so quick. I soft resetted it and put it down to expect a few minutes wait like on the diamond, but was rebooted so quick!
The one thing I would love to see is a facebook tab, like the twitter tab, shame they didn't implement that!
The specs that come with this phone are truely awesome, and that was the overall selling point for me, as I knew how good HTC phones were I just had to have something with the specs that this phone comes with.
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I admit to loving the phone...with one exception...the sensitivity of the screen is a complete disaster for me. it's very difficult to type on, someones it responds to the slightest touch, other times it doesn't. accuracy is also an issue (that was to be expected on a screen with high resolution I suppose)
and yes, I've tried all the tweaks going before anyone suggests it (currently running v3.3 of the tweak with sensitivity on)
I think if I had come straight from my HD then I would have been impressed, but I come from an iphone where the screen was a delight to use.
however, the rest of the phone makes up for that small failing.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you will find more people venting than praising any device on this forum, as people only seek help when they have problems.
I must admit, I personally think it is the best device I have ever used.
For a quick overview from me (in comparison to the X1, but most comments are applicable):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5667230&postcount=6
I stumbled on this video on youtube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-3Bi-Eg2gQ
...and love his brutal (albeit bias and sometimes naive) honesty, it helps you make a decision because it's not a rant. So far you guys are proving some intelligent feedback also - so thank you and let's keep it coming!
I got the HD2 the day it was available in my country (one of the first in europe) and despite all the fixes and xda-dev recommendations i couldn't have it for more then 1 weekend. I sold it on monday morning.
I hated typing (i did try the keyboard cab which should lower the sensitivity), loading sms with some exchanged texts already (loading was awful for such powerful device), visibility outside was horrible, battery,..
Maybe my rant will be understanded better if i mention i'm a blackberry user that likes to try out new "hot phones" (no matter which brand or type of usage).
I've also tried the Nexus One and would say i liked it a tiny bit better then HD2, but still couldn't have it for more then a week.
So, why am i writing this.. After MWC last week, i've kind of wanted to give HD2 another shot. For the following reasons..
I've came across some nice taskbar buttons (which make it look so much better..), I saw there is a fix for sms loading time, i guess i could always install a different keyboard,.. and most imortantly i got a very nice (cheap) offer for a brand new HD2. Yesterday i even ordered a nice case (didn't like the one that comes in the box) and a screenprotector (which might reduce the fingerprints, which i hated so much and a visibility outside,.. hope i'm not too optimistic).
If i somehow manage to be happy with HD2, i might even go for the exnteded battery. And i'm kind of feeling the hype for WinMo7 rom for this device.. Don't know if it will be any better or worse, i just know there is some excitement about it
Hope my rant / "long mess" didn't bore you too much
+1 to buy with eyes closed.
OK, this will be quick because I'm supposed to be doing something else right now but anyway...
I've just sent my HD2 back because of a problem with the microphone so if anyone should be telling you to think of other alternatives - it should be me.
But I can't because I love the phone. It's fast, responsive, it's got most of the features that you could ever want (minus USB host), the screen is gorgeous and the interface is pretty damn usable.
It's not perfect however... Customising it is more trouble than it should be. There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
So to resume, if you don't mind spending some time on it and you're not completely obsessive about things being absolutely perfect (I am and I can still get to sleep at night) then you should be very happy with an HD2.
NeoGreendawg said:
There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
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Click to collapse
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
rp-x1 said:
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm sorry but the HTC hotfix did slightly improve the issue but it certainly didn't resolve it in my case. I love the phone believe me but I somehow doubt that anyone who isn't employed by HTC or affected by Daltonism could honestly claim that it has completely solved the issue.
Edit : Not trying to be rude or make out that it's a deal-breaker but I know that as a potential buyer I'd want to know about it.
I've had the HD2 for three weeks and use it every day. I also end up resetting it every day. I've come from a Nokia N96 and before that the N73, so I'm comparing it to the N96. I am very pleased with the speed of the phone and how operations take way less than a second to perform, instead of several seconds a la N96.
The phone itself is a bit too big. Perhaps a 4 inch screen would have been enough. Even though I have big hands, it's just too big to walk around and hold the phone with one hand. I'm scared of dropping it. The headphone port's on the bottom of the phone - it causes the cable to tangle up around the phone when in a pocket.
I have found plenty of bugs in the stock O2 1.43 firmware and know how to deal with the main ones.
I didn't realise the phone had an FM tuner until I found it after a few days on the Start menu - I used the N96 FM tuner almost every day. Unfortunately the tuner on the HD2 is really poor. It is unable to obtain a good quality signal. Sound dips out. There's an awful lot of interference in places where the N96 would have relayed a good quality signal. In places where the N96 got a poor signal, the HD2 has static. BBC Radio 1 has the most powerful signal in my area, yet the HD2 fails to get consistent reception. There's just too much interference and I often just shut the radio off. A huge let down; I wonder if it's hardware or software at fault.
The N96 music player was very well featured, but incredibly (pathetically) slow. In contrast, the HTC Music app has no such delays, is very fast but somewhat basic in comparison. A lot of cool N96 features are missing; there's no way to call up the keyboard to locate tracks, track details can't be edited, tracks can't be deleted, backing out of an album takes you to the top of the album list and not to where you were. There's no hardware buttons to change tracks when the phone's in a pocket (a swipe up/down on the lock screen to change tracks would be nice). Volume control has too few stages so is either too loud or too quiet; volume within the Music tab has more stages but doesn't always work (error in Services.exe). General audio quality is rather poor - even the iPod classic 5G sounds better! Occasional unexplained sound dips and audio which lacks in bass and treble. The oddest thing is the shuffle feature tends to replay swathes of tracks that have already been played.
Video playback is very impressive because of the screen size. Can't fathom why the Windows Mobile OS cannot play WMV. Get quite a few dropped frames and put that down to the poor quality 1.43 ROM and perhaps not-fully-developed decoders. Video viewing in general is very nice, although an afterthought within HTC Sense, as the video playback has essentially just been tacked on to HTC's photo viewing app.
I do like the phone, it is good enough to stop me wanting to go back to my last phone. I'd get one, but the HD2's not quite the tech lover's wet dream that some of the big review sites make it out to be. Having bought it from the O2 network, I'll seriously doubt I'll ever be able to officially upgrade the firmware (HTC isn't even listed on their software upgrade pages), so I'll have to learn alternative methods one of these days to see if I can iron out some of the bugs!
Wish they would just whack a snapdragon and capacitive screen in a HD and re-release it....think that would satisfy a lotta folks. Cheers all for your input, it's really helping me to set realistic expectations.
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
i am currently contemplating to switch from HD to HD2....is it worth it?
Buy it!
I come from the HD. The HD2 is what the HD should have been from the first instance.
Fantastic:
- speed (and I am using a stock French Orange ROM based on 1.43!)
- screen
- usability
As far as precision is concerned: I need a phone to check and type (even long) emails, and read documents. XT9 works just great, but even in ABC mode in landscape the accuracy is pretty good (and I type fast!).
If you need to play around with programs using stylus-based input, yes, then it gets really annoying (try to edit your registry in Total Commander and you'll get crazy).
In summary: if you want to tweak it like crazy all the time or intensively use older programs with small menus, then consider buying an alternative with a resistive screen and a stylus. But if you actually want to USE your phone with the standard applications, just buy it and you'll get the best of the market today imo!
to buy or not
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Mastoid said:
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you do realize that there may eventually never be a WP7 release for the HD2?
rottttman said:
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U'd better search for infos about the phone after buying it
Leaning towards getting a TD2. Currently have a broken TD1, which in general have pleased my needs. Would love if some TD2-owners with TD1-experience could help me with some information.
1) How is sound-quality; a) ear-speaker b) speaker c) headphones connected with help of usbmini/3.5mm-adapter. (I find that there is always some noise, or hissing sound, on the TD1. Would be disappointed if the TD2 have same problems)
2) Screen quality; colors, touch responsiveness?
3) WiFi, GPS, cellular radio connectivity?
4) Coreplayer performance? (considering TD2 have more pixels but same processing power, compared with TD1)
In general, I very much welcome any input comparing the TD2 with the TD1 (I have googled for information on this but have had trouble finding good sources).
Thanks a lot in advance!
mpe0426 said:
Leaning towards getting a TD2. Currently have a broken TD1, which in general have pleased my needs. Would love if some TD2-owners with TD1-experience could help me with some information.
1) How is sound-quality; a) ear-speaker b) speaker c) headphones connected with help of usbmini/3.5mm-adapter. (I find that there is always some noise, or hissing sound, on the TD1. Would be disappointed if the TD2 have same problems)
2) Screen quality; colors, touch responsiveness?
3) WiFi, GPS, cellular radio connectivity?
4) Coreplayer performance? (considering TD2 have more pixels but same processing power, compared with TD1)
In general, I very much welcome any input comparing the TD2 with the TD1 (I have googled for information on this but have had trouble finding good sources).
Thanks a lot in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not owned a TD1 and am quite happy with my TD2 having had it for 10 months but surely there are better phones around now? I guess they are mostly Android phones but the HD2 also looks mighty impressive with a capacitve screen, flash, 3.5 mm phones jack, more RAM, bigger screen (ok maybe too big) and the snapdragon chip. I personally would be inclined to go for the Desire or HD2 right now but maybe they're not available to you.
I think in a year's time you will be envious of these snappy lag free phones. Sense, whilst improved on the very latest ROM, is a bit laggy such that I use titanium.
Not sure this is the input you want but anyway
Tony
bambony said:
I have not owned a TD1 and am quite happy with my TD2 having had it for 10 months but surely there are better phones around now? I guess they are mostly Android phones but the HD2 also looks mighty impressive with a capacitve screen, flash, 3.5 mm phones jack, more RAM, bigger screen (ok maybe too big) and the snapdragon chip. I personally would be inclined to go for the Desire or HD2 right now but maybe they're not available to you.
I think in a year's time you will be envious of these snappy lag free phones. Sense, whilst improved on the very latest ROM, is a bit laggy such that I use titanium.
Not sure this is the input you want but anyway
Tony
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your comment reflects exactly why I have such a hard time deciding.
Why buy a one year old phone?
I have tested the HD2. I feel it might be too big for me, the resolution is also borderline low in my opinion, for that screen. Some sense-text even look fuzzy and unsharp. Also, I don't mind using stylus for small software buttons. And it is 200€ more than the TD2.
Yea, the desire. I've had serious thoughts about it. I have tested and looked at android videos, but I'm not sure android adds that much functionality really. I have grown to really like WinMo6.x, it does what I need in a logical and satisfactory way. Don't need thousands of useless apps.
But as you say, why pay 350€ for an old TD2 when the Desire is just 100€ more...
I have not entirely excluded the HD2 and Desire yet.
Thank you for your comment.
I welcome more comments on this difficult decision. (TD2 , or HD2, Desire)
1) How is sound-quality; a) ear-speaker b) speaker c) headphones connected with help of usbmini/3.5mm-adapter. (I find that there is always some noise, or hissing sound, on the TD1. Would be disappointed if the TD2 have same problems)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1a: Depends on headphones. I use Sennheiser CX400-ii G4me and I get incredibly good sound quality (using Pocket Music Player, AWESOME music player).
1b: Ok I guess, on high volume it gets bit distortion but it's ok.
1c: Same as 1a, I have only experienced that sound you bring up in some videos (like a wind all the time right?).
2) Screen quality; colors, touch responsiveness?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good, you can edit the registry and change the responsiveness of the screen.
3) WiFi, GPS, cellular radio connectivity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good, I have 3/5 bars where I live and we live on the country side.
4) Coreplayer performance? (considering TD2 have more pixels but same processing power, compared with TD1)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good, the only bad thing is when you watch a movie and you see raining water or fire, that will cause some minor lags but not a problem. I would suggest you downloaded an encoder and encode the movies to .mp4 and watch them with the inbuilt media player (has hardware acceleration, coreplayer doesn't).
Hope this helps
Thanks for the input ArtieQ.
Do you have experience of the TD1? I.e., should I read your reflections on the TD2 as relative to the TD1?
Yea, I've been using Pocket Music Player for the TD1. Although, I mostly listen to podcasts on the phone, therefore I think noise/hissing sound is more noticeable compared to when listening to music.
What software would you recommend for encoding movies?
I read in your signature that you are getting the HD2, perhaps you would advise me to get that as well. (a new TD2 right now ~3500kr, new HD2 almost 6000kr ... yea, I am also from Sweden )
More input always welcome.
mpe0426 said:
Thanks for the input ArtieQ.
Do you have experience of the TD1? I.e., should I read your reflections on the TD2 as relative to the TD1?
Yea, I've been using Pocket Music Player for the TD1. Although, I mostly listen to podcasts on the phone, therefore I think noise/hissing sound is more noticeable compared to when listening to music.
What software would you recommend for encoding movies?
I read in your signature that you are getting the HD2, perhaps you would advise me to get that as well. (a new TD2 right now ~3500kr, new HD2 almost 6000kr ... yea, I am also from Sweden )
More input always welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I do, I had the TD1 for like a week and I decided I wasn't happy with it when I watched Youtube reviews on the TD2. I'm not sure if you should take my answers as an experience from the TD1, but rather from the TD2. I never really watched movies and stuff on the TD1 (pain for the eyes to watch it on a screen like that, widescreen ftw now!).
I use this encoder, be sure to put the right resolution and video input
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=467112
About the advice on the HD2, I rushed to buy a new phone really, I knew the Leo (was called that at the time) was coming but I decided to buy the TD2 anyway. I regret that now and I see no reason to buy the TD2 instead of HD2 really.