wanting to get an hd2 - HD2 General

Hey guys, I am hoping you can help me make a decision here on a new phone. First off, my first real smartphone was a Dash from years ago, then i had a wing for a little bit, but went back to the dash. I have had plenty of experience with win-mo and understand the amount of tweeking it needs (which i love to do) One thing i really loved about my dash was that everything i needed for it was free and available on the net, and tons of support for win-mo, but this was before android.
I have had a G1 since the day it came out and love using android, but my g1 is painfully outdated and so slow. I was interested in the my touch slide, but i feel that its kinda underpowered, and not going to hold up very long to what may come out.
I have been considering the hd2 and going back to win-mo, it has a nice interface and i would think that it will be a good performer for a while based on its specs. What im worried about is the future support, and if in say a year i still have a supported (by the community) phone.
I have been reading up a lot on the phone and it seems like a good choice, but i want to make sure before i step back over to win-mo (which some would say a step back)
Anyone have any major issues that cant be easily fixed with some tweeking? BTW sorry for the long post, just wanted to get the details out there.

well I wont tell you yay or nay or tell you how much I love the hd2 but I will tell you this. Look at cookies home tab look at bsb tweaks. xthack. even cleanram. Also search for Diniks work he has made customizing the hd2 amazingly easy and fun. He has everything from keyboards to icons to weather and menus

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Htc hd2 , should i go for it ?

Ok so I really like the htc hd2 and I need a new phone .
So my choice was the HD2 .
But now , I've read soooo manny problems about it , and it's not the problem , that's keeping from buying it .
But my dad is going to pay for it , and if after a couple of days or weeks something comes up with it , my dad will be maaad at me .
And I don't know what to do :S
And I suck at decision-making
Please help
My view: Every piece of technology will have some flaws, but HTC does seem pretty responsive to its customer base. I'd say, go for it. This is the best resource on the net to find solutions to whatever issues you might encounter with your HD2.
My HD2 is working just great. I strongly recommend it - this is the best phone on the market!
The downside to any forum like this is that the posts you get are usually concentrated negativity.
After all, if your device is working perfectly, what reason do you have to post asking for solutions and/or advice?
Personally, myself and my girlfriend both bought matching T9193 HD2s, flashed the same ROM, and neither of us have had problems...we both love them.
Layman's POV
Try and find someone who has one and ask for a go on it, or see if it's in the store. See if you like the ease of use, and of course the aesthetics. The intenet facility on it is outstanding.
Some people don't like the battery life, but it's no hardship to charge it at night or at work through your pc.
SMS has a few issues, but for me that was ironed out a couple of weeks ago through a hotfix (I hope).
The radio could have been clearer, but the latest fix appears to have sorted that out, and it wasn't a big deal anyway, just not absolutely perfect.
In 8 weeks, the screens crashed about the same amount of times, no hardship to restart the device.
I'm sure there's loads more (technically), but nothing really hinders the phone, just makes it not perfect.
But even the Persian rugs were made with deliberate flaws, as not to try and compete with Allah...
I've found that most problems can either be resolved or worked around from the online quran that is this forum
i suggest the hd2. right now i own the nexus one and i would do anything to trade up for a hd2 anyday. soo go for it!
the htc hd2 is a quality phone as long as you install a few bits and bobs and do some tweaks , you have so many choices of lil tweaks to get the phone how u want it, i had a 2g iphone and i really wasnt that impressed with it , what iphone has htc is the app store but 90 per cent of the apps are stupid like drinking the pint of beer lol pointless and fun for 5 mins , htc is the way to go
For Web browsing, movies and reading get the HD2
For communications and social networking get a Blackberry Bold with BIS or an E72.
To be able to do the most varied and functional stuff get an iphone.
My advice is that if you're sure you want an HD2 you should buy it and you'll love it; but if you're not sure, you should buy something else. It's a great phone for a certain type of user. If you're the sort of person who enjoys spending weeks tracking down tweaks and customisations and fine-tuning things, you'll like it. If you just want a phone that works properly, you'll hate it.
Go for it and be sure to install the 1.66 ROM for your country. After you are used to that you can play around with flashing. You won't be disappointed!
If you want something that works perfectly out of the box (with the limitations it has) you should buy an iPhone. If you don't mind spending the time on finding and installing cab's and tweaking the registry, then you should get the HD2.
The iPhone has limited customization options unless you jailbreak it, but in the 2 years of owning them I never had to reset/turn it on/off even once. The HD2 has almost unlimited customization option and this forum is the perfect place to find solutions for most of the issues you will encounter. My HD2 I have to soft reset/turn on/off on a regular basis. Being fair, the new 1.66 ROM seems to have improved stability and SMS is also working for me now.
Best regards,
Jacob
Thank you guys !
I went for it !
It's awesome , didn't have any problems except for that pink spot issue
Really nice device !

With a HEAVY HEART I feel I have to give up on the HD2 (TMOUSA)

This is TMOUSA (sorry for not being more clear)
I want to say, I love the HTC HD2 (when it worked) When I bought, at 10am EST on release day, I was in awe! The beautiful screen, all the great apps preloaded on it. I was in heaven.
But................
Here I am 2 weeks later, I'm on my 2nd HD2 (the 1st one wouldn't hold a data connection, so the tech told me to return it) and this one seems more buggy than the 1st one I had.
I want to say I know absolutely ZERO about flashing and ROMs, but I really shouldn't have to for the machine to simply work out of the box.
I again say with a heavy heart I am on my way to the Tmobile store to return it. I love the phone, just wish it would have worked properly out of the box.
Going back to my HTC TP2....maybe one day I will try the HD2 again after all the bugs are worked out.
this is not the kind of post i wanted to read about this phone. has anyone else had this kind of trouble with this handset?
ITZAWORK said:
I want to say, I love the HTC HD2 (when it worked) When I bought, at 10am EST on release day, I was in awe! The beautiful screen, all the great apps preloaded on it. I was in heaven.
But................
Here I am 2 weeks later, I'm on my 2nd HD2 (the 1st one wouldn't hold a data connection, so the tech told me to return it) and this one seems more buggy than the 1st one I had.
I want to say I know absolutely ZERO about flashing and ROMs, but I really shouldn't have to for the machine to simply work out of the box.
I again say with a heavy heart I am on my way to the Tmobile store to return it. I love the phone, just wish it would have worked properly out of the box.
Going back to my HTC TP2....maybe one day I will try the HD2 again after all the bugs are worked out.
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Click to collapse
you say buggy....how? im using the stock rom/radio i got when i bought mine, works perfectly, its only my own stupidity that breaks it
quasi_mojo said:
you say buggy....how? im using the stock rom/radio i got when i bought mine, works perfectly, its only my own stupidity that breaks it
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because he has TmoUS...not TmoUK. The OP returned his phone because of crappy TmoUS network.
Sorry to hear that.
Windows Mobile has never been known as an OS that works perfectly out of the box. This is accentuated further by all the resource hogging crap t-mobile loads on the phone before it ends up in your hands. Flashing the ROM certainly helps things run smoother IMO.
I don't think flashing ROMS is too difficult....no harder than updating the official firmware on my iPhone....Its really just a matter of downloading a few files, syncing up your phone, and running a piece of software. Done.
Jailbreaking an iPhone.....now that is a tough job.
lude219 said:
because he has TmoUS...not TmoUK. The OP returned his phone because of crappy TmoUS network.
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Click to collapse
ahh! ok,
I Have had mine a week and the device,especialy loading web pages is sooo slow. My orbit2 is much faster and user friendly. I am even considering switching back to it. So much for snapdragon.
Sorry to hear about the problems you are having...
...I on the other hand am loving my TmoUS HD2. I got mine 9:00am on release day as well and have had zero problems that were not easily fixed.
(The 2nd or 3rd day...I wcould not access the internet....although I did have data...wierd, but that was fixed simply by changing the APN)
My phone is crazy quick (stock ROM and radio / cookies home tab / and a few other simple mods) and I have yet to have a single crash (my rooted android phones...G1, MT3G, and my N1 crash all the flippin time...yet they bash winmo for this).
anyhow...again im sorry...just wish you would give it a bit more time (though I understand that you probably want to make it within the 14 day return period
Stock Rom user with no problems
I don't understand what the original post is complaining about?
I use the stock rom on the HD2 and I still haven't encountered a single problem...
If you don't understand how the phone functions then you will have problems because of your own mistakes... learn about the phone before you buy it...
Unlike the iPhone.. this is not a toy for kids to play with .. you have to know what the heck you are running on the phone and what applications are open .. anyways I don't want to make this a tutorial post...
All I can say is that know the phone before buying it...mine works perfectly fine with stock rom because I manage opened applications properly...
Sorry to hear. I've had mine since release day and loving every minute of it. I have had none of the major issues that people have complained about. Even so, I flashed my ROM to Kumar's Premium 1.5 and it runs even better on it.
The ONLY thing that I know was an issue for me was the HTC/Sense messaging app. If I happen to open that to read or write a message, my phone would start lagging and eventually, freeze up. But if I stayed out of it, the phone ran like a champ. So, I've simply disabled the HTC/Sense messaging and use the Windows text messaging app instead, and so far, so good.
I'm waiting for Kumar to come out with his Titanium ROM so I can try the device without HTC/Sense at all and maybe even try out the SPB Mobile Shell on it. This phone has a TON of potential, but alas, you do have to want to tinker with it to get it to sing the song you want it to sing.
This is one of the reasons I love the HD2 with WinMo. I'm not locked into how the manfacturer or carrier wants the phone to work or look like. There are great chefs here who have really good ideas on how to make a WinMo device run.
In any case, the phone is definitely not for everyone.
Yeah, I gotta say though even out of the box to a total winmo noob this stock rom is very solid. I haven't even bothered to flash yet, just did some registry tweaks that sped up sense a bit, really no problems crashing/freezing and that is with 9k contacts and many games added. A LOT probably comes down to tmo service if changing carriers to get the phone for some people. In my area, though, tmo is slightly better than att and cheaper.
Mine rocks!
I have had my HD2 for about a week now and everyday I LOVE IT MORE! Seriously I was coming from a Wing so I guess I had a little experience with winmo phones. I am using it straight out of the box with a few games added. A lot of music and a few movies. Only thing I have done to it was cookies home tab + editor and a reset app. Best phone I have ever seen thus far! Obviously there are things that you need to get used to...but for me its worth the effort!
np231 said:
I don't understand what the original post is complaining about?
I use the stock rom on the HD2 and I still haven't encountered a single problem...
If you don't understand how the phone functions then you will have problems because of your own mistakes... learn about the phone before you buy it...
Unlike the iPhone.. this is not a toy for kids to play with .. you have to know what the heck you are running on the phone and what applications are open .. anyways I don't want to make this a tutorial post...
All I can say is that know the phone before buying it...mine works perfectly fine with stock rom because I manage opened applications properly...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offense bro, but dont talk to me like Im a child. This has nothing to do with me trying to "play games with a toy" (even though TMoUSA does market the thing as "entertainment on the go"). When the damn thing doesn't come out of sleep mode without pushing the button 30 times, there is a problem, when I have to slide to unlock back and forth, back and forth for long periods of time before it will unlock, there is a problem, when the HTC Sense refuses to load mins after restarting, there is a problem. I am very aware of of what is open and how to close them (on a mind numbing constant basis mind you). I don't see how you can arrogantly assume this is all in human error and not the machine's. Please explain to me how I am supposed to be "aware" of what I'm doing, when the damn thing barely turns on?
I came on here to express that I was upset that I was forced to return the phone, not to be talked to like I was an idiot...I apologize that we all cant be so high in your IQ group that we actually need something we pay a lot of money for to work properly (without having to worry about putting it in direct sunlight and feeding it after midnight)
I am ecstatic for you that you have not experienced any problems with your device, I wish I was that lucky. All I am saying, is that I wanted to love the phone...but... it simply wouldn't work (TWICE). I did not install any 3rd party apps, I did not alter anything in any way, I always killed the tasks almost immediately after finishing with them (the proper way with the task manager).
So is this my human error? Please tell me oh great one...since I obviously do not have your intellect.
I can't stand people like np231. I had to return mine also, the phone lags and going to MUSIC caused it to freeze, scrolling through the album arts is not as smooth as on the iPhone. This is supposedly the 'entaintainment' device that Tmo claims and it can't do the simple things right.
I returned mine also. I bought it on day 1 and used it for almost 2 weeks. The biggest factors for me were the lack of a physical keyboard, terrible battery life and the total abandonment of 6.5 by MS and developers. I also hated the capacitance screen. I went back to my TMO TP2. While at the store I used my upgrade and bought my daughter a Cliq XT.
The HD2 has a beautiful screen but the screen was not big enough for me to type with reasonable speed and accuracy compared to the TP2 keyboard. It was also very susceptible to pocket dialing. When HTC comes out with an android with a decent keyboard I will probably try that.
wiggindude said:
I can't stand people like np231. I had to return mine also, the phone lags and going to MUSIC caused it to freeze, scrolling through the album arts is not as smooth as on the iPhone. This is supposedly the 'entaintainment' device that Tmo claims and it can't do the simple things right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
guy did come out and sounded like an ......
sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your phone. i was considering one but i would like to us at&t. t-mobile is cheaper than the telstra and tempting to buy. i have a sony xperia x1a on a at&t prepaid and it works great and i think they have the best prepaid, data plan. i rarely ever get any calls and so this is my be solution for me.
Think twice about your decision.
I had a lot of the same problems you are experiencing. Thanks to the brains in these forums I have pimped the heck out of my HD2 and my release day excitement has returned. If you want to know how to flash the rom / hack the phone, drop me a line. I can give you the straight forward dumbed down version. I may even write a noob's FAQ that's a little less intimidating than the jumbly ones in here. It's really much easier than it seems. All the posts in these forums can tend to be a bit overwhelming. I am a former iPhone 3g user. I learned how to unlock and jailbreak my phone. That was a chore!! This is much easier. Its no different than owning a Windows PC. Out of the box there is a bunch of crap the company pre-installs on your computer. You just have to learn how to tweak a bit. Don't be intimidated by the brains in here. They are really quite helpful. Now, If we can just figure out how to get Adobe Flash 10 to work on our phones. That would be sweet.
-JZ
too bad you had such issues. the Hardware on this phone does make it the best on the market. while it's true that things should work perfectly out of the box, life isn't always as it should be.
it's understandable to be frustrated when you pay this amount of $$$ for a phone, but with some research & time you can completely customize this phone like none other.
phinphan said:
I returned mine also. I bought it on day 1 and used it for almost 2 weeks. The biggest factors for me were the lack of a physical keyboard, terrible battery life and the total abandonment of 6.5 by MS and developers. I also hated the capacitance screen. I went back to my TMO TP2. While at the store I used my upgrade and bought my daughter a Cliq XT.
The HD2 has a beautiful screen but the screen was not big enough for me to type with reasonable speed and accuracy compared to the TP2 keyboard. It was also very susceptible to pocket dialing. When HTC comes out with an android with a decent keyboard I will probably try that.
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Click to collapse
that's exactly the only problem that I had with my bro's Tmobile HD2. The touch screen keyboard is even worst than the iPhone because of my small fingers and hands. Even worst, the battery is so small, and the OS needs to be developed more than what it is now.
All of this agreed aside from the capacitive screen.
P.S. I think the keyboard sucks not because the screen is small but because you don't have a good physical keyboard like the Touch Pro2.
I tride my friends iphone. The keyboard works just as good as his. It is different for the layout, so maybe that is why you dont like it.
And for those that blame WM for everything. It ain't because of that. If it was, I would have all the issues he has and I don't. Most of the problems I have is either something I didn't know about the new software, or something I added.
Battery life is on par with phones like this. Another friend ownes a Android One. Battery last about a day or so. My old Touch Pro lasted just as long.

HD2(tmobile) anyone comming from android?

Hi everyone Im just wanting some opinion on the HD2. right now I have a G1 and im looking to upgrade my phone in june and Im wondering if i went to a HD2 instead of a N1 would I regret it? I have never used a newer winmo phone in my life & im only familiar with android on a smartphone.
anywho any advice,tips are all appreciated.
Hey there, I had a G1 for about a year and I love Android personally. I might still have it but I lost it so I traded up for a Touch Pro 2 which was awesome. I had WinMo before Android so I was already familiar with it but the HD2 is the best WinMo phone out and one of the best on the market to be honest.
The N1 is a great phone as well so it really boils down to what OS you prefer, WinMo takes a learning curve and there may be some things that will frustrate you but this phone more than makes up for anything lacking in WinMo. Plus it's even more open than the open source Android platform so modding and personalizing is even easier.
WinMo is not as app centric as Android or Iphone due to no central location for apps (Marketplace & Omarket notwithstanding) but there are thousands of WinMo apps spread across the net so you just have to look a little harder.
So out of Tmo's lineup the HD2 is the best choice right now but that's my opinion, I would go to a store and spend some time playing with it. Really give it a good test drive so you can see for yourself
I had a G1 and then most recently a MyTouch 3G and upgraded to the HD2 the morning it came out.
My biggest reason to upgrade aside from the obvious graphical and asthetic improvements, is the ability for it to sync up with Exchange which Android doesn't do nearly as well as Windows Mobile.
Sure the apps are a plus, but as already said, there isn't an app out there for Android that I haven't been able to find for this phone. The customization of this is endless and I don't even think the developers and folks out there who build the ROM's have even scratched the surface.
Freezey said:
Hi everyone Im just wanting some opinion on the HD2. right now I have a G1 and im looking to upgrade my phone in june and Im wondering if i went to a HD2 instead of a N1 would I regret it? I have never used a newer winmo phone in my life & im only familiar with android on a smartphone.
anywho any advice,tips are all appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first of, don't think about android if ur willing to try hd2. these are essentially two different mobile os. winmo targeted mostly business oriented people, using office mobile and such.
i still have my g1 because i like android and i switch to either one from day to day since i got my hd2. or i just carry both around. i like showing off my hd2 tho haha people go, hey what phone is that?
My only experience with smartphones was a G1 and I was nervous about making the transition as well, but I haven't had any problems. The biggest difference of course is the app market. The WM market is nothing like it, but if you're resourceful, you can find all the apps you need.
HD2 is definitely NOT an easy phone to get along with.
I've had my frustration during my first 2 weeks with the phone.
It's much harder to get used to than iPhone, G1, Blackberries I've come to across.
Now that i've pretty much tweaked this phone to exactly how I like it, everything seems too perfect. I do miss the voice recognition from google, but hey, I can easily type them on the google search on my internet tab.
If you're willing to get HD2, you should really read up on flashing with custom ROM.
Check it out in the store first for a while. Take a couple of visits and use it like you would normally use it
I also had a G1, though I did have some WM experience before. I miss the Android notifications, which are much better integrated. I miss Android gtalk, I barely use it WM now (bad integration and not good UI).
I do find myself doing more reading of websites and ebooks now, also videos. These were my goals for the HD2, so I'm happy with my decision. The bigger screen helps a lot and the physical size is barely taller than the G1 and a bit wider, but also thinner.
These forums can help out a lot if you have patience and the ability to read and follow steps.
I also have a G1 and have been considering getting the HD2... my only hesitation is that it's running WM. I had 2 prior Windows mobile phones (Wing and Touch pro) and really hated them. Just didn't really like anything about the mobile Windows. About 2 months ago I needed to get my G1 replaced and broke out my old Touch Pro to use while I waited for the replacement and forgot how much I hated Windows Mobile but to be honest the Touch Pro wasn't a great phone, lots of lag running 6.5 but still seemed halfassed finger friendly.
Windows Mobile, just like Android or Apple isn't for everyone. They all have their good point and flaws and each will appeal to different users for different reasons while being utterly unappealing to others. Go to the T-mobile store and play with the floor model... go beyond the home screen, check apps, look at the layout, setting options...etc to really get a feel of it and whether you can deal with it. I'm going to wander over myself soon to do that.
I'm excited by the future of Android and looking forward to the updates to the OS where this phone will always be stuck running WM 6.5.x.
I know WM7 will eventually be unofficially ported over to this phone but I have zero desire to use WM7.
Still... the phone is soooo nice and some third party software may make it usable for me and I can use the installment plan with it and keep my family plan together... if I could do that with the N1 I would jump at it.
I had a g1 (rooted) and mytouch (rooted) and sold them both for an HD2
Its been a learning experience, the HD2 has its pros and cons, some of the things I like
The video recording is way better and you can pick the format, same for taking pics, the video player supports several formats at least , twitter , youtube and the basic apps are nice
Beyond that is the problems, the biggest downer for me was no turn by turn gps, and I have no idea where to find one that works (either pirate or buy it, no idea where to get one)
Also the GPS is not real gps, its AGPS only I think? meaning no gps in offline map mode if you lost data signal (correct me if im wrong)
The options on the phone are crazy, most of the good things are hidden in the registry and not turned on (clear type, other video /photo options, etc)
Opera is decent, IE is horrible, I ran it once and the fonts were huge, I just gave up on it
The market sucks, no decent apps at all, and im not sure where to find good apps, luckly on the net I was able to find skype, and it does work
I installed duttys task manger, its a life saver
So for me, really, other than the gps it mostly has the same options as the hero phones/roms
just with a lack of apps and no free turn by turn, I am still impressed by the big screen and graphics, watching transformers on it is cool and youtube is nice
I am using it unlocked with ATT , sometimes it has trouble when I am not on wifi, the apps don't reconize my connection (google maps) which is an upset, I installed the media net cab file
Prophet621 said:
I also have a G1 and have been considering getting the HD2... my only hesitation is that it's running WM. I had 2 prior Windows mobile phones (Wing and Touch pro) and really hated them. Just didn't really like anything about the mobile Windows. About 2 months ago I needed to get my G1 replaced and broke out my old Touch Pro to use while I waited for the replacement and forgot how much I hated Windows Mobile but to be honest the Touch Pro wasn't a great phone, lots of lag running 6.5 but still seemed halfassed finger friendly.
Windows Mobile, just like Android or Apple isn't for everyone. They all have their good point and flaws and each will appeal to different users for different reasons while being utterly unappealing to others. Go to the T-mobile store and play with the floor model... go beyond the home screen, check apps, look at the layout, setting options...etc to really get a feel of it and whether you can deal with it. I'm going to wander over myself soon to do that.
I'm excited by the future of Android and looking forward to the updates to the OS where this phone will always be stuck running WM 6.5.x.
I know WM7 will eventually be unofficially ported over to this phone but I have zero desire to use WM7.
Still... the phone is soooo nice and some third party software may make it usable for me and I can use the installment plan with it and keep my family plan together... if I could do that with the N1 I would jump at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the TouchPro was a great phone. I've liked all the WM phones I've had. But I also loved my Dell Axim and 2 Ipaqs before that, too. Anyways, if you couldn't stand any of your previous WM phones, I wouldn't recommend getting the HD2. It's not gonna be much different from your other WM phones if you hate using WM.
though i love the hd2's hardware... i cant go back to winmo... i'm eligible for an upgrade so i'm just going to get the hd2 for the 2yr contract price and sell it, then use that money to buy an n1 from google. so there's another alternative.
Had N1 with Tmobile and now HD2 with T mobile...Same signal issues. 3g then all of a sudden HSPA then Edge. I thought with GSM you could use 3g service while on phone. Haven't been able to do that on either phone.. I like HD2 because i can watch Divx. I like N1 because of navigation and all the apps that are available. The internet is faster on N1 then HD2. Plus you have apps that cater towards different websites so much easier. But then again you don't get a 4.3 inch screen. All in all if i didn't have t mobile as a carrier i think i would enjoy both phones.
Edit - Oh and i have to soft boot the HD2 quite often. "I ran all Rom's" Apps just like to freeze HD2
HD2
Hello all,
My last 3 phones were Android powered. G1, Mytouch and Cliq.
Even rooted, with custom roms non were anywhere near as fast or have the multimedia power of the HD2. I have yet to flash a custom rom, cause the stock rom on the HD2 is quite good the way it is.
I have to agree, that the HD2 is a "grown ups" phone. It does what it does well, with no problems or freezing straight out of the box
fhaines
I have 2 rooted G1's and had an N1 for a couple of months. I sold my N1 (it was a TMobile band phone) and was going to buy the ATT version N1 but I thought I would try the HD2 first. I'm just setting it up and slowly getting it how want it so I can't give a comparison to the N1 yet. I suspect I will go back to the N1, I love the Google navigation and voice search on the N1.
You will miss apps from Android Market, and customized home screens. Other than that, it's a nice upgrade.
digitallysick said:
Beyond that is the problems, the biggest downer for me was no turn by turn gps, and I have no idea where to find one that works (either pirate or buy it, no idea where to get one)
Also the GPS is not real gps, its AGPS only I think? meaning no gps in offline map mode if you lost data signal (correct me if im wrong)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TMobile US version includes TeleNav free trial ($10/mo after that). But I suggest CoPilot. It's $30 one time fee. Better than Google Nav because the maps are on your SD card and as long as you can find a GPS satellite it doesn't matter if you have data. And it's just a standard Nav system. If you have a car dock it's no different than any other Nav device. Which is nice.
The GPS is one of the most accurate I have ever used. You can turn on and off AGPS (Settings...Other...AGPS). I find i works fine with it on. BUT in Google Maps you have to hit MENU and choose Enable GPS or it is just using cell tower triangulation and it is WAYYY off.
I just got and HD2 this past Monday and I am coming from a G1. The HD2 is very disorganized compared to the G1 IMHO. my G1 was rooted, had Custom Rom, themed (I did some of the theming to my phone), fast and reliable. As for the person who said the WinMo is a grown up's phone you juts are not using the G1 correctly and the G1 does do exchange EXCELLENTLY!!. I could use my G1 to manage my home network and Web server while on the road, seems pretty safisticated to me. I don't have that ability with the HD2, that I am aware of at this point. The HD2 has a nice screen but it is only doing a 16K color depth so there is no real HD but the video is still better than the G1. I am having issues at this moment with data not working over WiFi, For example I could connect to the WiFi on the G1 and still get my Exchange email push out as it arrived to my phone and get my Gmail. With the HD2 I cannot get gmail but I get exchange email, hmm.... Siound fishy. Apps that require data some work on wifi and others don't but everything works on edge and/or 3G and/or HSPA.
I will be going back to the Android OS, picking up the Samsung Galaxy S or TMO Branded Samsung Vibrant when it is released July 21st
[EDIT] I did root and custom rom the HD2 that seems to help performance some a little
I have an N1 and an hd2 prior phone was a G1 both android phones rooted and hd2 stock HD good for buisness a differnent animal all together I use the hd2 duing the week and my N1 on the weekend. Hell of a learning curve.
like many others, i also came from a g1. had the hd2 for about 2 weeks. its a great phone. but it is not an Android. there are a lot if free apps. but you're gonna spend a lot of time searching for them, especially if you want free ones. thered no refunds once you purchase. but it is faster, the screen is beautiful, just takes a while to get use to. but i do wish tmo when with the Evo... i would go for the n1 if i could afford it. no family plan upgrade. plus you get cyanogen. that guy is awesome!
Windows mobile takes a while to learn and set up the way you want, but once you do it is a lot more capable and versatile than android. I've used WinMo since 2003, and android since 2008, so I know both very well... I much prefer WinMo right now, but like I said, I've used it for 7 years. It is much more like a full computer os. You have to understand, too, that WinMo was designed originally as a PocketPC OS, and phone capabilities have been worked in since. Android was designed as a phone OS to begin with. Also, Android is still new and is actively developed, so in a couple years I'm sure it's capabilities will catch-up and surpass WinMo.... but for now WinMo is much more versatile, just not as user-friendly. It's not for the average phone user. I wouldn't suggest it to any new users at this point... especially ones used to android or iphone os.

First 4 days with an HD2 - Upgrading from G1

Read a lot on these forums and finally decided to take the plunge. Went to a Sam's Club to pick up my HD2. Initially I asked to add to my existing line as an upgrade. I had called T-Mobile earlier and they had told me that I will be able to use my existing $25 a month data plan for the G1 and will not have to upgrade to the $30 plan.
The Sams club CSR could not upgrade me on my existing $25 data plan so she called T-Mobile. They said No-Go, I have to bump to the $30 plan. I wasn't too sure if I'll like the phone so wanted to try it for a few days. But the catch is that, if I don't like it, and want my androind data plan back, I cannot get the $25 plan again, I'll be put on a $30 plan. So I started a new line of service, added to my existing family plan (just to try out the phone).
Got it on Friday evening, and here are some pros and cons:
Things I miss:
Android Market
Tap and hold for context menu on everything
Smaller form factor (easy to hold and tap anywhere on the screen with my thumb). On the HD2, I cannot access at least one of the corners of the huge screen without adjusting my grip.
No finger prints (My G1 still had the original screen protector that came with the phone and did not smudge at all).
Google Maps Navigation
Slideout keyboard
Things I don't miss:
Bulkiness of the G1
3.2" screen
Things I love:
The Screen Size
Sense UI - I think its a very nice implementation.
Camera - Takes really good (clear) pictures and videos. Compared to the G1, its more than a 100% better
Ease of getting loads of apps off of anywhere on the net.
The amount of control I have on the phone.
Ability to install apps on the SD card (I haven't tried this yet as 1Gig is a lot of memory to play with, compared to the G1).
Things that I don't like:
Some of the windows menus haven't changed since my last owned windows device (MPX200 - Windows Mobile 2002)
Bad battery life. My G1 gave me at least 2 days, if not 3 when I initially bought it. This one lasts just about 24 hrs.. But I haven't really made any changes to the HD2 preserve battery life (my brightness is still Auto and its pretty bright all the time).
Other things I've noticed:
No freezing for me.
I installed the Cookies Home Tab mod last night and love it. But the device did seem a tad slow after the install (on the home and weather pages of sense). Also, I did not know that the Cookies Home Tabs is just a regular install and not a Rom... Somehow I was under the impression that I'll have to install HSPL etc just to get more app shortcuts on Sense Home.
Other stuff:
I don't message a lot, Actually I haven't sent any yet, but received a few from T-Mobile.
I haven't setup my mail accounts. I primarily use Hotmail and have 30+ folders and some 5000+ emails total in all folders. So I'm not sure how this will react on the phone.
I'm using the sim card from my G1 and the data works just fine. Haven't seen H, but I do get 3G where I used to get on my G1.
Bottom line:
I might keep the phone but I'll be trying it out for another 2 weeks at least. Sense UI has give me all the basic stuff and made it look really good. Other members are adding onto that and making my phone better.
I think I can get most of the stuff I need for the phone from just this forum and so unless Android comes up with something really out of the world, I think I'm going to keep this phone. Iphone is just out of the question, there is no way I'm buying one of those.
I am a .net developer so might just create an app or two for my phone.
Hopefully you like you HD2 like Most smart phones they need alittle tweaking Im using spb shell i find the phone less buggy but i do miss the attractive sence UI
Spb mobile shell
I think down the road...if I get tired of the sense...which I dont think i will. I am definitely going to get that spb mobile shell. I had that on my wing and it rocked!
I just bought my hd2 last Thursday and I have mixed feelings about... The phone itself is great, but WinMo is a dying OS. I have gadget lust and have thus owned a nokia 3650, nokia 6680, tmo dash, BB Curve, 1st gen iphone, MT3G, and a G1 just to name a few. Android is probably my favorite phone OS to date. I really wanted a Nexus One, which I probably will get when I get the cash. HTC did a good job with sense on this phone. The camera is great, and there is a lot that can be done to enhance the phone. I love that I can play avi files with no conversion right out of the box. Time will tell how I feel about my hd2 in the weeks to come.
Things I miss = Actually having apps to use my overpriced data plan on my phone
at least android has apps, useful apps. I have searched and searched and don't even come close to being as functional on winmo as I could be on the g1
digitallysick said:
Things I miss = Actually having apps to use my overpriced data plan on my phone
at least android has apps, useful apps. I have searched and searched and don't even come close to being as functional on winmo as I could be on the g1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you cant find apps for this phone then you need to check out this new thing called the internet. Being on xda how can you not find apps for this phone? Install omarket there is a ton of apps in there. Sure theres not like 5000 fart apps but there are some really nice apps for this phone. Most I have found run better and more polished than Android.
This is the perfect thread for me, cause I too just upgraded from a G1. I'm no where close to being a Developer like a lot of you here, but I will say that I was struggling between going forthe N1 or the HD2. After stumbling on this forum, and spending a few days here, the HD2 won.
I wasn't very app heavy with my droid, but a functional app or two are always good. I'm looking forward to increase my technical acumen when it comes to tweaking and modding this thing, and I plan on using the search button plenty.
NO FREEING YET (FINGERS CROSSED). I've gotten myself very well acquainted with the task manager.
Android 2 Winmo
I too had android i was kinda hesitant about the switch from os but as it turns out i really enjoy WM sure apps arent there JUST yet but hey thats how everyone starts right learning from experience.. so with said hope you enjoy your HD2 i know i do its a great phone
esebrown23 said:
I too had android i was kinda hesitant about the switch from os but as it turns out i really enjoy WM sure apps arent there JUST yet but hey thats how everyone starts right learning from experience.. so with said hope you enjoy your HD2 i know i do its a great phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro! After reading this thread I just downloaded the Omarket app to my phone (My very first cab file transfer), and the lack of apps argument doesn't hold up for me anymore.
I just got the Cookies Home Tab and HOLY COW!!!
I, too, came up from two android devices; mytouch and g1 (although i still have them to toy with).
i think you'll grow to like your hd2 as i have. you'll begin to realize that there are a lot of apps out there that you can toy with and a tons of mods that you can do to the phone that rival that of a rooted android device. i found that i can do things on this phone without flashing a rom to my liking; ui theme customizations and tweaks, etc.
I agree that Omarket is awesome...specially that home tab editor i also tried SPB SHELL and its also a kind of look-a-like for android but im digging the whole sense UI

So now you've tried it, how many of you are considering jumping ship?

I originally started my love affair with Windows Mobile in my early teens when I received a Compaq Ipaq for which I had no real need for at the time. I then progressed to an Artemis (XDA Orbit), later a Touch Cruise (XDA Orbit 2) and finally last year a Rhodium (Touch Pro 2). While aware of Android's rise, and almost purchasing a Hero at the time I bought my Rhodium, I stuck to what I knew best.
At the time I believed my choice to have been the correct one. While the Hero looked pretty cool, I couldn't leave behind WM. I thought the TouchFlo 3D/Sense was beautiful (weather animations!), if only skin deep, and apps such as Coreplayer and FPSCE reinforced my belief that WM was still a relevant OS.
That was until I started playing around with the XDAndroid Port.
It was then I saw the potential of Android. The highly customisable interface, social network/google account integration, the awesome apps on the market and the speed of the webkit based browser! Everytime I returned to Windows Mobile I felt underwhelmed. I was never a fan of the iPhone however understood it had changed the game in regards to smartphones. Android was the best of both worlds, open source with a great community, fully touch UI with a growing appstore gaining support from major brands/developers.
While the Rhodium port was gathering pace, it was suffering from power management issues, backlight/wifi problems and most importantly, no sound. I knew from experience with the Touch Cruise that the progress was going to be slow but how long before a fully working port was available was anyones guess (Still not there!). It was then that I decided my days with Windows Mobile were coming to an end. Google had recently released the Nexus One which for me was perfect and after a few weeks of deliberating I made the jump and have never looked back.
Now I was always a vociferous defender of Windows Mobile but from the moment I got my first real taste of Android, I saw it for what it was. It hadn't really changed since that Compaq Ipaq and was so out of date it almost smelt off! I still have a soft spot for it, hence my lurking around the old boards seeing how you're all getting on. Since I heard about the breakthrough regarding the HD2 Android Port i've been looking on with great interest. It's fun reading through the threads and seeing people going through the same process that I did only a few months before.
Now I've seen a few posts where people have already stated that they are now seriously considering selling their HD2 and moving on to a "real" Android phone. My question is, how many more of you are there? Have any other people had the same change of heart now they have seen the possiblities?
Regards.
From the title of this article, I thought you meant the iphone 4!!
WM still does it for me - a mobile office, not a silly teenager's tweeting toy, it's still good, and I will use my remaining WM 6.x gadgets as long as they hold out.
When that happens which is probably in a year's time, I'll see what the market looks like, right now, it looks like it will mean a move to Android, but you never know WP7 might come through.
You never know, the iphone 4 may turn out to be a good phone.
rjstep3
I probably will. I like stability and if Android can stop my soft resets I'll be happy. Plus, I miss the apps. Even though it's infuriating to download the most popular task manager in the market place and to discover it has ads. Then you download the next one down and it also has ads.
I may be a little blind but Im sitting on the fence as Im sure many others are-
At the moment I have an unlocked HD2 for AT&T. This present me the following options:
1. Hold onto it for its beautiful screen, sexy home page, and accept the clunky deeper interface that is wm6.5 (Not trying to bash, its just not meant for finger friendly, and im also one of the users who suffers from slow texting issues and quick battery drains. Yes, ive tried the roms. Moving on.) The fact that I follow the Android for HD2 thread religiously shows that I am in the Android fan corner for HD2. This fact alone is one huge reason for staying power. Android on HD2 would extend the life of the HD2 dramatically. Meanwhile, WM6.5's screens past the homepage arent going to be getting any prettier.
2. Sell my HD2 Buy a Samsung Captivate since its AT&T's first true Android Smartphone and is getting rave reviews. Use my phone upgrade to get an Iphone4 for cheap, turn right around and sell it for 600 bucks (Yes, two have just sold in Phoenix for this much as well as on eBay). Be happy with my new Android phone and some extra spending cash for apps
3. Hold onto my HD2 until WP7 arrives and determine if I will use my upgrade for a new WP. If WP7 turns out to not be my cup of tea (But come on, XBOX Live and Zune integration? Im pretty much sold on that alone ) with any of the phones offered, then I shall resort to either option 1 or 2 above. I am still a huge fan of Windows Mobile, and I realize WP7 will be more akin to Apple in terms of closed source, but WP7 is what Windows needed to do. They needed to redo the deeper menus and make WM more finger friendly. Its the right step and I just hope they nail it.
Either way, Ive got my choices and am still completely on the fence. I just played around with the Captivate today and its quite an amazing and speedy phone. Not nearly as sexy as the HD2, but the functionality out of the box just felt great.
Im sure many of you are on the same fence as me and I wish you all the best in making your choice.
My contract runs out in Oct for my HD2 and I'll probably switch. Thats unless Navionics release their seachart app on Windows Mobile. if they do I'll just change to a sim only deal.
I bought the HD2 a few days ago on ebay. So far I've really enjoyed HTC sense and some other features
but the one thing I don't think I can live with is the crappy email program that comes with the phone. I absolutely hate it.
Generally speaking, I was impressed with winmo and found myself liking it despite all the negative reviews.
But I think I might switch over to the iphone.. plenty of apps, works pretty well with gmail... Otherwise I'll get some other android phone with HTC sense since thats really is a big thing for me. that and the led flash
I'm going on a 3 week trip to Europe... I guess I'll check out how far along the ports have come and then make my final decision then.
I disagree ... I was playing with Verizon's Droid X which is coming out soon - practically HD2 with Android (like EVO) and I'll tell you what: Android is one choppy OS - transitions wise iPhone wins all the way - I have HD2 and I am happy with it... it simply has better transitions then Android and what that means to the end user is most of the phone... If there is customization but the choppy one - no one will stick with it... And if 1GHz is not enough to make it smooth - I do not know then what is needed to make it smooth...
Great feedback guys! Just want to make it clear that in no way am I bashing the HD2 or WinMo, I just want to gather how many people who are using the Android port are now considering making a permanent switch. Obviously if a stable daily use ROM becomes available you won't have that problem (and I may even consider switching to HD2!!), but I succumbed to my impatience once I found myself using the unstable port more than my native WinMo OS.
Thanks for the response.
Android on HD2 isn't stable yet and won't be for a while.
I already had an Android phone before the HD2. I'm not really into the 'apps' scene or into social networking apps or games on my phone, so there isn't really much in Android for me. The google apps were better and it didn't slow down on txt messages.. but that's about it.
Android wouldn't play many video formats.. not sure if it could access my file server.. the pdf reader was poor quality.. the browser would forget all my tabs when memory ran low (probably not an issue on HD2..).. apps still crashed..
Despite WM's lack of polish in the UI and other things, I think I still like WM more. I'll probably still use WM more even if I install Android.
Just got 3 hd2's for the family. Wanted the highest spec'd winmo phone to give wp7 a chance. I haven't been that impressed with Android, apps still crash and with cht and max sense, I don't see what an android phone can do that my hd2 can't. Would never switch to at&t.
already made my choice and win mo and the hd2 won
why?...
i had a desire and hd2 for a week to trial both and although the desire was impressive i found the hd2 to be better for what i used a "phone" for...
video - more options (xvud, avi's etc) and better quality on hd2
camera - clearer and more detailed
apps - yes the android market has lots of apps but like iphone most of them are crap!, the only thing id use that winmo doesnt have is layar. winmo still has fpsece and a few more pieces of software thats unique (loving Meteor at the minute)
i also took the gamble that we'd have a decent working android port at some point anyway, are we likely to get some porting winmo on an android device? lol - not likely, so i figured that with the hd2 id got the best of both worlds and therefore more choice...
seriously, go back 2 years and you wouldnt have had the choice of different OS's on the same device. its a good job theres so many clever people in this community, they've really made a difference!
skilty said:
seriously, go back 2 years and you wouldnt have had the choice of different OS's on the same device. its a good job theres so many clever people in this community, they've really made a difference!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too true. Whilst I really like my HD2 and most of its features suit what I do, WiMo (in my opinion) is now over looked when it comes to new apps. I already mentioned the Navionics seacharts app that i really want and having decided to try Skype, I go to the site to find thats dropped for WiMO. I can't wait for fully functioning dual boot WiMo/Android on my HD2. That would be phone heaven
skilty said:
already made my choice and win mo and the hd2 won
why?...
i had a desire and hd2 for a week to trial both and although the desire was impressive i found the hd2 to be better for what i used a "phone" for...
video - more options (xvud, avi's etc) and better quality on hd2
camera - clearer and more detailed
apps - yes the android market has lots of apps but like iphone most of them are crap!, the only thing id use that winmo doesnt have is layar. winmo still has fpsece and a few more pieces of software thats unique (loving Meteor at the minute)
i also took the gamble that we'd have a decent working android port at some point anyway, are we likely to get some porting winmo on an android device? lol - not likely, so i figured that with the hd2 id got the best of both worlds and therefore more choice...
seriously, go back 2 years and you wouldnt have had the choice of different OS's on the same device. its a good job theres so many clever people in this community, they've really made a difference!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noticed a few posts regarding the video playback options so thought i'd inform you all that Android now has just as many, if not more playback options than WinMo. That was the biggest single issue for me when I made the switch. I used TCMP and Coreplayer for years. Being a Usenet/Newsgroup subscriber, I download all of my content in xvid/x264 and being able to simply drag the files across to my phone rather than convert to .mp4 was a killer feature for me. I somehow JUST mangaged to get by converting the odd film or two for long train/coach journeys!
Luckily in the past month or so, a new media player has arrived called RockPlayer, which is the first legitimate xvid/wmv/x264/mkv/mov/asf etc. player on Android. The performance is great and the UI clean and simple. It may lack the deeper options of Coreplayer, however I only ever found myself playing with the rendering options etc. when I encountered laggy playback, albeit on less powerful devices than the HD2.
Anyway, video playback should no longer be a worry for anyone considering Android. However, if like me you are outside the US, there is no Android screen as large as the HD2 (No Evo 4G ) and for that reason, I look back at you guys with envy!!
Thanks again for the great response, it's great to see the range of opinions on the matter!
Regards.
Never gonna give it up never gonna let it down ! Win 6.5 HD 2
naaaah... I'll stick to hd2. I am just a winmo man I guess... maaaan... I love this device. who needs all those fart apps? the ONLY two apps I might miss are Plants vs Zombies and Rebirth (gotta love dat synth music ).
other then that - leo... a true king of the smartphones. lol
I can't wait for a flashable android rom for the hd2. tbh, i'm just bored with minmo now and everyone seems to be making apps for iphone or android these days.
The android port for the hd2 is what made me want to go back to android. So the other day I picked up the samsung vibrant lol. I still love my hd2 though still keeping it
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Maybe im just different but why not have both? I am a tech guy who likes all platforms. I own 4 symbian phones, 2 winmo phones, and for games I own a ipod touch. I thought about android many times and was always waiting for the hardware to catch up and there are finally phones running android that have the specs I would like but they all went with cdma versions. So I will see what comes out in the future for a top spec gsm android. Another thing is I dont ever buy phones on contract and firmly believe that the carrier and phone you use should have nothing to do with each other. I bought my HD2 because I wanted a new winmo phone and there is no denying that the HD2 is the top choice for winmo. Remember no one phone will fill all your needs and manufactures do that for a reason, so you buy more phones... but this is where the consumer gets confused and think if they want new features they need a new phone, just have both! In the end though I will most likely stay away from android and go with a meego device for my linux phone kicks, as I am questioning why google feels the need to be around me 24 hours a day, in my search engine, in my web browser, in my computer OS, in my TV, in my phone? Call me old school but thats to much for me to give one company all my info, I like to keep it deverse among many companies so no one company knows everything about me. Again, maybe im just different?
Now I've seen a few posts where people have already stated that they are now seriously considering selling their HD2 and moving on to a "real" Android phone. My question is, how many more of you are there? Have any other people had the same change of heart now they have seen the possiblities?
Regards.[/QUOTE]
Having owned the Iphone2 I returned to HD2 because in my opinion Apple delivers outdated technoloy, tries to control even media content and the information value of the Apple "Today" screen is exactly zero.
A great toy for "in"-people. After two days your tired of the fancy applications and start using apps which make sense. All of these you can get for WM. Since I have not used Android I wouldn`t dare to comment. But looking at pictures of the GUI it seems to be not very different from the HTC-Sense GUI.
All in all I see no need to think about anything else than HD 2 ! I´m afraid that WM 7 will rather be a step back in the direction of Apple. Lets hope for high value software development for WM 6.5.XXXXX
I´ll keep my HD2 for another generation, I´d say. I´m perfectly fine with this
brilliant device. The apps, mods and tweaks for Manila/Sense are what I would
miss, Android does not come with that much office related stuff I use and need.
In a year or so, we´ll see an updated iPhone 5 (or whatever they´ll call it),
we´ll know more about WP7, and HTC will have HD3 and other nice devices for us.
I´ll never again buy Samsung, their products are never really close to 100%,
they just make too many half-finished products at mediocre quality.
Motorola? Nokia? SE? No way. Therefore, no options for me.

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