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Hello fellas and ladies!
My brother got an iPhone a few weeks ago and of course I have been testing it and comparing it to my first love (universal), which is still up for sale if anyone is interested !!!
I would like to mention the following (based on my comparison with my Uni) and ask you a question!
Pros:
3G/wifi internet is faster on the iPhone
- On Uni I have tried with Opera 9.5 and IE
Games are so much more advanced and flawless especially with the accelerometer!
Battery with heavy use on the iPhone lasts a little over a day! The Uni lasts much less with heavy use!! The battery on the Uni is terrible...
Cons:
No SD slot
Battery is not easily accessible
I hate iTunes
practically no cracked/patched soft/games <----- Huge downfall!!
At the moment I can't think of much else.
I can't wait for Omni any longer, they've been promising it for over a year and nothing yet.
So my question is: Would you consider switching from the Uni to the iPhone, and why?
serjay said:
Hello fellas and ladies!
My brother got an iPhone a few weeks ago and of course I have been testing it and comparing it to my first love (universal), which is still up for sale if anyone is interested !!!
I would like to mention the following (based on my comparison with my Uni) and ask you a question!
Pros:
3G/wifi internet is faster on the iPhone
- On Uni I have tried with Opera 9.5 and IE
Games are so much more advanced and flawless especially with the accelerometer!
Battery with heavy use on the iPhone lasts a little over a day! The Uni lasts much less with heavy use!! The battery on the Uni is terrible...
Cons:
No SD slot
Battery is not easily accessible
I hate iTunes
practically no cracked/patched soft/games <----- Huge downfall!!
At the moment I can't think of much else.
I can't wait for Omni any longer, they've been promising it for over a year and nothing yet.
So my question is: Would you consider switching from the Uni to the iPhone, and why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never!! never!!
I just have too much reasons to not buying an Iphone never in my life......
Read here to find out more: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=314455
orb3000 said:
Never!! never!!
I just have too much reasons to not buying an Iphone never in my life......
Read here to find out more: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=314455
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have respectfully read and agreed with most points in that thread!
However! my main reason for getting the iPhone would be internet access and battery life. Yes! I said it! battery life! my Uni will not last 5 hours internet browsing + video + music + games + work (word, notepad, calc, txt, mail, camera and so on) And I don't want to get an extended battery as its bulky as it is.
As much as we all want to hate the iPhone (me included!), we can't deny its internet browsing speeds both on WiFi and 3G (which is at the moment my main interest) Also GPS, accelerometer (fun!) and the crisp LCD! + more of which I can't think of right now.
I also have a problem with my Uni losing signal quiet often, and I get complaints that I'm unreachable!!! and I have tried many ROMs and Radios to fix this.
I don't know if its the hype of the iPhone or my frustration with the Uni that I'm considering it.
I guess, I just want a phone that works and capable of browsing 3G speeds...
But I will miss all the necessities that PPC offers!
Why can't someone on this forum flash the iPhone with WM6.1???!!!! Now that would be sweet!
I don't know what to do, I'm in dire need of battery life + 3G speed + 3.5 LCD (and above) + compact and accelerometer lol
Any thoughts?
I had an Iphone and sold it....as a gadget is nice specially for its multimedia features, but as a convergence device falls short in many ways..I wouldn't even consider trade it back for my HtC tilt much less for the Uni.
Could you buy/check in your country Samsung i900 Omnia? Much more features than iPhone, everybody speaks very good about it, and in Italy even cheaper than iPhone.
If I had to choose between Omnia and iPhone no doubt for Omnia, but I still have my Universal and it still works so good (even better with all the ROMS here )
asolano895 said:
I had an Iphone and sold it....as a gadget is nice specially for its multimedia features, but as a convergence device falls short in many ways..I wouldn't even consider trade it back for my HtC tilt much less for the Uni.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with you and I'm not even thinking of it as a replacement of my beloved Uni no matter how many times my Uni losses signal. I've even considered carrying them both in my two pockets, and yes I am joking!! but the thought did cross my mind!
But wouldn't you confirm that the battery life is better, 3G/WiFi is faster, and undoubtedly we'll see some development as far as hacks and manipulations with the ROM... I'm really hoping that someone can flash it with WM6.1 now that would be an awesome phone!
dagosjt said:
Could you buy/check in your country Samsung i900 Omnia? Much more features than iPhone, everybody speaks very good about it, and in Italy even cheaper than iPhone.
If I had to choose between Omnia and iPhone no doubt for Omnia, but I still have my Universal and it still works so good (even better with all the ROMS here )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We do have the i900 up here, but I don't want to downgrade to a smaller screen if anything I'd like a larger one. Aside from the screen size it's a very impressive phone!
I don't understand why manufacturers do this moronic.... THING!!!! its absolutely frustrating why would you compete (i900) with the iPhone which has a 3.5" lcd with a 3.2"!!!!???? if only i900 had a larger screen I wouldn't even turn my head in iPhone's direction....... uuuuhhhhggggghhhhhhh
Why not get a touch diamond or touch pro? I have gone from the XDA Exec (Universal) to the diamond and am happy.
The on screen keyboard is tricky at first but my diamond flies and gets over a day so far when using GPS / Wifi etc. I would have gone for the pro as I am very used to the unis keyboard but in the end I couldn't justify the £150+ on top of what I got my Diamond for to go with the Pro just for the keyboard, card slot and extra memory. Try one out you might be surpised how nice they are and what they offer
AndyChecker said:
Why not get a touch diamond or touch pro? I have gone from the XDA Exec (Universal) to the diamond and am happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish it was that easy, but I can't seem to settle with a smaller screen size than the one I have now.. I simply can't.
I appreciate your recomendation but the screen size is stopping me from moving past this obsession with the iPhone! Also, the speed of the 3G/WiFi as I mentioned above is what pushing me to get the iPhone...
All the people I know who own an iPhone not only are they happy with it but with every passing day they enjoy it even more.
The iPhone is far from being a good phone for buisiness use. You have limitations with e-mails, you don't synchronise easily with Outlook, the contacts are not accessed as easily as on WM6 and that is a very important aspect, if you have many contacts in your list.
The iPhone will make you scroll much more through the list, which is time consuming.
I tried the browsing, but the lack of keyboard is frustrating. The browser might be quite good, but it is not THAT much better.
iTunes is too annoying for me - I don't want to synchronize my musics, I just want to copy my mp3 songs. I HATE iTunes and would NEVER buy an iPod unless they change that.
Then you get a completly locked device, no memory expansion, no SDK, no freeware,...
I know - there now is a free SDK, but it is limited (cannot access all funtions) and developers have to pay to publish it, which means there won't be freeware.
All in all, I would say, the iPhone looks good, is a nice gadget and suits a normal user fine.
I however like to have something more powerfull: great screen, keyboard, lots of software and emulators. Hell, on the Universal you can even run DOS!
Cheers,
vma
vma said:
The iPhone is far from being a good phone for buisiness use. You have limitations with e-mails, you don't synchronise easily with Outlook, the contacts are not accessed as easily as on WM6 and that is a very important aspect, if you have many contacts in your list.
The iPhone will make you scroll much more through the list, which is time consuming.
I tried the browsing, but the lack of keyboard is frustrating. The browser might be quite good, but it is not THAT much better.
iTunes is too annoying for me - I don't want to synchronize my musics, I just want to copy my mp3 songs. I HATE iTunes and would NEVER buy an iPod unless they change that.
Then you get a completly locked device, no memory expansion, no SDK, no freeware,...
I know - there now is a free SDK, but it is limited (cannot access all funtions) and developers have to pay to publish it, which means there won't be freeware.
All in all, I would say, the iPhone looks good, is a nice gadget and suits a normal user fine.
I however like to have something more powerfull: great screen, keyboard, lots of software and emulators. Hell, on the Universal you can even run DOS!
Cheers,
vma
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completly agree mate, well said!
In that case I would prefer to try HTC G1 with the new Android, but Iphone never!
Cheers
vma said:
...I HATE iTunes and would NEVER buy an iPod unless they change that.
Then you get a completly locked device, no memory expansion, no SDK, no freeware,...
I know - there now is a free SDK, but it is limited (cannot access all funtions) and developers have to pay to publish it, which means there won't be freeware.
...lots of software and emulators. Hell, on the Universal you can even run DOS!
Cheers,
vma
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are the reasons as to why I still haven't committed to an iPhone.
It would be very hard to go from a Uni to something so "LOCKED" and "ONE DIMENSIONAL" But I do need a fast internet browsing device and a better battery life without the bulk, and not to mention the ability to receive calls in a home's basement which my Uni is not capable of doing.
Perhaps I'll wait until the G1 comes out as orb3000 said but than again I've seen it and its hideous!
I don't know... I just need a phone that works with fast browsing abilities, but then again I'll miss all the things that the Uni and WM represent!!
Honestly try a touch pro or diamond for a few hours - get one and send it back if not happy? I think you will be surprised
AndyChecker said:
Honestly try a touch pro or diamond for a few hours - get one and send it back if not happy? I think you will be surprised
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'll go back to the mall and play with the diamond again... but I need someone to come with me so that I can be held away from the iPhone!! any volunteers?
vma said:
the contacts are not accessed as easily as on WM6 and that is a very important aspect, if you have many contacts in your list.[/QOUTE]
ahhh...Not true, with the latest firmware you can search through your contacts like in WM6
[QOUTE]
The iPhone will make you scroll much more through the list, which is time consuming.[/QOUTE]
Again, this is not true; for alphabetically arranged stuff in a list you can use the Alphabet row on the Right hand side to quickly scroll, otherwise IMHO scrolling is a lot easier with the new Multi-touch vs taking out the stylus and using it to scroll.
[QOUTE] tried the browsing, but the lack of keyboard is frustrating. The browser might be quite good, but it is not THAT much better.[/QOUTE]
Again, safari is miles ahead of internet explorer, using NF or opera reduces the margin by a fair margin, but guess what, all the sites that have been "optimized" for the iphone really fit seamlessly with the entire UI, and that is what makes safari a joy to use. Actually if you have an iphone (or can beg, borrow or steal one) try going to web sites like google, yahoo, amazon, facebook and see the difference yourself
[QOUTE]iTunes is too annoying for me - I don't want to synchronize my musics, I just want to copy my mp3 songs. I HATE iTunes and would NEVER buy an iPod unless they change that.[/QOUTE]
with the new itunes and the 2.0.x firmware , you can drag and drop your music into your iphone.
if you don't want to sync your PIM to outlook, you can forgo itunes completely and use a "FREE" winamp plugin"
going a bit off topic i simply HATE active-sync.(i may be a bit biased here as i owned a palm pilot and simply loved the simplicity and stability of Hot-sync
[QOUTE]Then you get a completly locked device, no memory expansion, no SDK, no freeware,...[/QOUTE]
Again, when we got our devices (UNI in our case) did we not have to worry about CID unlock, SIM unlock ???
How is jailbreaking and unlocking the iphone any different than what we did??
As far as an memory expansion slot is concerned, HTC is coming out with more and more devices without expansion slot, so why just blame apple??
[QOUTE]I know - there now is a free SDK, but it is limited (cannot access all funtions) and developers have to pay to publish it, which means there won't be freeware.[/QOUTE]
1)Yes, the SDK is free but is limited
2)Search for open toolchain to know how to get complete access
3)since you don't use iphone/itunes you have NO CLUE about the amount of free ware available through itunes. And did i mention that most of the software on the installer app and CYDIA is FREE.
talking bout "limited access", did the CORE player guys ever get access to the nVidia graphic accelerator in some HTC's??
[QOUTE]All in all, I would say, the iPhone looks good, is a nice gadget and suits a normal user fine.[/QOUTE]
very true
[QOUTE]I however like to have something more powerfull: great screen, keyboard, lots of software and emulators. Hell, on the Universal you can even run DOS![/QOUTE]
1)Uni's screen is CRAP. on a mildly sunny day, at max brightness the screen is completely washed out and unreadable.Yes it does have a VGA screen but the color reproduction, contrast is really really bad.
the iphone's screen on the other hand is FANTASTIC. with the sun beating down hard, the thing is still very readable!!! not to mention the contrast,brightness and colour reproduction is very good.
BTW when will HTC realise that it is time to R.I.P for the 65k screens???
2)leaving the 3g stuff apart, the iphone is way more powerful than are UNI (which is to be expected as the UNI is almost 3 years old)
3)if you can run DOS on the UNI, i can run UNIX bash on the iphone
4)there are loads of free QUALITY softwares and emulators available for the iphone (free and paid)
P.S- i made the switch from my uni to the iphone last year in oct. and have not regretted the decision even once.
heck its been more than 3 months since i last charged my UNI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you fallenczar for the quality information as you are a previous Uni owner, thus you can create a relation between the two and provide a none biased opinion.
Thank you!
serjay said:
Thank you fallenczar for the quality information as you are a previous Uni owner, thus you can create a relation between the two and provide a none biased opinion.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not a problem at all.
however bear in mind that your choice should be decided on what you intend to do with your phone.
if you REPLY to lot of emails/ need PUSH-email/edit documents / then stay away from the iphone.
if on the otherhand , you only read emails (or only occasionally reply) and want a good, simple and stable phone with excellent multimedia functions, go for the iphone.
on a side note, i felt that my UNI was never a good "phone", i always had problems with signal strength, people complained that my voice was to 'muffled' or choppy.
after switching over to the iphone, i have not experienced these problems, now it very well may be that my cell service provider has upgraded there equipment or installed a new tower in my vicinity, but i have reason to think otherwise
Never get rid of my Uni
Yes, I'll never get rid of it! It's a great device!
I laugh at those who carry around their laptops and cellphones. I have it in my pocket... Running WM, linux or Dos - trying to run Android, what would you want more...
hey guys just got my iPhone...
Would like to point out that so far I'm not impressed but I am loving the fast internet speeds. YouTube quality is absolutely horible; I am very disapointed with its quality very choppy but is still watchable.
I'm enjoying the fact that I can post using my phone, hoever entering text is very difficult and uncomfortable but I'm sure I can get used to it.
I will try to compare it to the Uni and report back
serjay said:
hey guys just got my iPhone...
Would like to point out that so far I'm not impressed but I am loving the fast internet speeds. YouTube quality is absolutely horible; I am very disapointed with its quality very choppy but is still watchable.
I'm enjoying the fact that I can post using my phone, hoever entering text is very difficult and uncomfortable but I'm sure I can get used to it.
I will try to compare it to the Uni and report back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
choppy video...
how fast is your internet speed???
Sorry I haven't been home enough to make a comparison to my Uni...
What I found out is that the streaming video quality of the iPhone is as much pixelsted as on any other device, so I take back what I said above.
The 3G speeds are well beyond what I expected and a significantly faster than on my Uni.
I am very pleased with it right now and I can't wait to jailbreak it. I wish we had a section for the iPhone on this forum...
I'm posting using the iPhone, and the texting i'm getting used to so no issues with that!
Overall very pleased!
P.S. I've yet to try out the games..
Hi,
I currently have the iphone 3G, but am soon due for an upgrade and considering the HD2. I must say that I love the iphone, I think it works flawlessly. The obvious choice for an upgrade would be the 3GS, but there is just not enough difference from the 3G to warrant me spending over £200 upgrading to it.
After searching around I came across the HD2, and I must say it looks an awesome phone. My concerns though are that I might be disappointed coming from the iphone and wanted some honest opinions. In an ideal world I'd go and have a play with a HD2 in store, but everywhere's sold out and I can only get in from the online store.
One of the major things I like about the iphone is the touchscreen, it is truly a wonder. I have not come across a touchscreen yet that comes anywhere close to the iphones as far as fluidity, responsiveness, and its ability to do just what I want it to. No pressing the wrong link on the internet, no having to tap an icon again as the screen didn't pick up on my touch the first time etc. I know this is a HTC forum so opinions will be biased, but it the screen as good as the iphones? I've used the HTC touch diamond in the past and thought it was appalling.
How quick is it. I know it has a 1GHz processor etc, but what does that mean in the real world? For example, if I want to open an app or program is there any delay or does it open instantly?
I've looked at some videos on you tube and when people use the menu slider on the bottom they always hslide it across to get to the function that they require rather than just tapping the icon they want to use as there are a few on the display at any one tie. Is that just preference or can't you tap directly on the icon?
From reading other threads on problems with the HD2 it seems as though a lot can be fixed using cabs, what are these?
How are text messages displayed, do they come in conversation style as on the iphone, or as individual messages? I've read a lot about problems with the SMS on the HD2, what are these problems and is it something that is likely to be recified in the near future?
Can you customise ringtones and message alerts? I know it's not a biggie but one thing that really annoys me with the iphone is the crappy message alert tones that come with it, and then the fact that you can't use your own.
Cheers
From your words about your requirements & expectations, it's better for u to go with iPhone3GS.
Iam afraid HD2 has its own plus points but not in those areas you prefer.
One of the major things I like about the iphone is the touchscreen, it is truly a wonder. I have not come across a touchscreen yet that comes anywhere close to the iphones as far as fluidity, responsiveness, and its ability to do just what I want it to. No pressing the wrong link on the internet, no having to tap an icon again as the screen didn't pick up on my touch the first time etc. I know this is a HTC forum so opinions will be biased, but it the screen as good as the iphones? I've used the HTC touch diamond in the past and thought it was appalling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, we have to differentiate a bit here.
The hardware of the touchscreen is the same. It's not the resistive technology they used before, e.g. in the Diamond, but the capacitive touch technology that's also used in the iPhone.
That means: The touchscreen is just as responsive, doesn't require pressure, has the same high quality feel and doesn't allow for fingernail/stylus input - same as the iPhone.
The software is different, and this is a bit hard to explain:
On one hand, Windows Mobile runs very very fast on the 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Most of the time, it's as fast or even faster than the iPhone 3GS.
But, at times, it is not as fluid, because there are no 'beautiful' animations and sometimes, things can get laggy. However, with the ultra fast processor, this happens very rarely, compared to older WM devices.
Conclusion: I wouldn't claim that it's faster than an iPhone 3GS, because while it probably is faster most of the time, it may lag sometimes, depending on what you do with it (e.g. heavy multitasking),
However, it will definitely be MUCH faster than your current iPhone 3G.
How quick is it. I know it has a 1GHz processor etc, but what does that mean in the real world? For example, if I want to open an app or program is there any delay or does it open instantly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I've explained this above. To sum it up: It's fast. VERY fast. Almost everything opens instantly, like on an iPhone 3GS or even faster.
I've looked at some videos on you tube and when people use the menu slider on the bottom they always hslide it across to get to the function that they require rather than just tapping the icon they want to use as there are a few on the display at any one tie. Is that just preference or can't you tap directly on the icon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You CAN tap directly on an icon.
Of course, you don't see al icons, just those who are located next to the tab you are in. But you can create your own shortcots for each tab, e.g. you can create a shortcut to the music tab on the homescreen if you don't like sliding across to get to the music tab.
From reading other threads on problems with the HD2 it seems as though a lot can be fixed using cabs, what are these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.cabs are the equivalent to installers on Windows. You copy them to your phone (or download them directly from your phone) and open them to install them.
When someone finds a fix/tweak, he often creates a .cab and makes it available here on the forum, so that other people can easily apply the fix/tweak to their phones as well.
If you buy/download applications, they also come as .cab files.
How are text messages displayed, do they come in conversation style as on the iphone, or as individual messages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Conversation style, as well as within people's contact cards, so that you can easily see all the conversation you had with someone (SMS, mail, calls, ...)
I've read a lot about problems with the SMS on the HD2, what are these problems and is it something that is likely to be recified in the near future?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people have trouble sending SMS. The SMS just remain in the outbox and don't get sent. Some also can't receive SMS.
HTC is working on a fix and it should be provided with a ROM upgrade, soon.
In the meantime, disabling HTC Messaging is a possible workaround (among others that may or may not work).
Can you customise ringtones and message alerts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
It's a Windows Mobile phone, which means you can customise pretty much anything.
skr_xd said:
From your words about your requirements & expectations, it's better for u to go with iPhone3GS.
Iam afraid HD2 has its own plus points but not in those areas you prefer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I agree with this... From what I understand the iphone keyboard is (a bit) better although it's still personal preference, the htc screen is great but has it's quirks... I still misclick every now and then. About the icons, you can click those visible directly but by sliding you also reach the ones just outside the screen. Sliding is also more fancy looking of course
It's fast, at least for a winmo device. Apps open quickly but it also depends on how heavy the app is (tomtom for example, it doesn't open instantly but still very fast... especially compared to touch pro).
It's heavily customizable, using cabs amongst others. Cabs are simply some sort of installation files. You usually put them on your phone (memory card) and run them to install applications, apply changes to registry, etc. Ringtones can be set to whatever you want. Without cabs.
If you're totally fond of the iphone I don't know if the HD2 is for you. It's fine as it is but you have to like tweaking and playing around with it imo, especially to reach it's full potential.
snerkler said:
One of the major things I like about the iphone is the touchscreen, it is truly a wonder. I have not come across a touchscreen yet that comes anywhere close to the iphones as far as fluidity, responsiveness, and its ability to do just what I want it to. No pressing the wrong link on the internet, no having to tap an icon again as the screen didn't pick up on my touch the first time etc. I know this is a HTC forum so opinions will be biased, but it the screen as good as the iphones? I've used the HTC touch diamond in the past and thought it was appalling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is great. Really. It's capacitive, so the feeling is closer to what you get from an iphone than what you got from any previous winmo phone. It may be a tiny bit less responsive than an iphone.
How quick is it. I know it has a 1GHz processor etc, but what does that mean in the real world? For example, if I want to open an app or program is there any delay or does it open instantly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's really fast. Most of the apps open instantly, the biggest ones will of course need a few seconds.
I've looked at some videos on you tube and when people use the menu slider on the bottom they always hslide it across to get to the function that they require rather than just tapping the icon they want to use as there are a few on the display at any one tie. Is that just preference or can't you tap directly on the icon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can tap it, but the slider doesn't show all of the icons, so you'll have to slide it to reach some of them. You can however change the order to access your favourite ones with one tap.
From reading other threads on problems with the HD2 it seems as though a lot can be fixed using cabs, what are these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cabs are the installer files on winmo.
How are text messages displayed, do they come in conversation style as on the iphone, or as individual messages? I've read a lot about problems with the SMS on the HD2, what are these problems and is it something that is likely to be recified in the near future?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Conversation style, but no comic bubbles. There are two main problems. First one is a huge lag when opening conversations with lots of messages. The second one is that when you want to send a message, it will sometimes take a few hours before it's actually sent. I personally never experienced the second one, however.
Can you customise ringtones and message alerts? I know it's not a biggie but one thing that really annoys me with the iphone is the crappy message alert tones that come with it, and then the fact that you can't use your own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. It's winmo, you can customise everything.
snerkler : I would recommend you to check this review
http://pocketnow.com/hardware-1/another-spin-on-the-htc-hd2
and second part
http://pocketnow.com/software-1/another-spin-on-the-htc-hd2-part-2
Some general thoughts, in addition to my answer above:
The hardware of the HD2 is better, hands down. However, the software is quite different. I think none of the operating systems, Windows Mobile or iPhone OS, is better or worse, but they are very different and have very different strenghts and weaknesses.
I can give you some thoughts that may help you decide:
The iPhone is very easy to use, fluid and most of the time, 'just works'. However, this comes at a price: It is also very limited, in order to achieve its ease of use.
As long as you don't reach the limits, you're fine.
But when you reach the limits
(e.g. you want to have information on the home screen, you want to multitask, send something via Bluetooth, use it as USB storage, costumise ringtones and so on...)
then things get complicated on the iPhone. You either can't do something at all, or you need to hack/jailbreak it or find workarounds for the shortcomings.
With Windows Mobile, you get everything out of the box. It can do pretty much everything and has all the basic and advanced features that the iPhone lacks.
However, just like the iPhone's ease of use, Windows Mobile's feature-richness comes at a price as well: It definitely is more complicated and doesn't always work instantly, if you want to install/change something.
Sense tries to make the basic things as easy to use as on the iPhone, and I have to say it does that quite well. But it's still not THAT easy.
On the other hand, if you want to go beyond the limits that Apple set on the iPhone, things often get MUCH more complicated than they are on Windows Mobile.
Conclusion:
If you don't reach the limits of your iPhone, i.e. if you're not missing anything that the iPhone can't do, then it will probably the better device for you, because then it's more easy to use and 'just works' for you.
If, however, you miss a bunch of features and you try to work around them on the iPhone (e.g. by jailbreaking it), then a Windows Mobile device, particulary the HTC HD2, is probably the better choice, because though not everything is as easy, you get everything out of the box. And you also get the better hardware.
The HTC HD2 also has a special place among the Windows Phones. Sense/TouchFlo has evolved over time and now the basic things (i.e. everything that the iPhone can do) are almost as easy on the HD2.
There are still exceptions, like installing software, but it has come so close that I
personally think that the HD2 is the better choice for almost everyone, except for those who really never reach the limits of the iPhone.
Because, for giving up a bit of ease of use, you get tons of additional features, as well as the better hardware:
- 4.3" screen, much better camera, faster processor, more RAM...
- multitasking
- maximum customizability
- no iTunes required, you can connect it as storage device
- file explorer
- better notifications concept
- more professional, customizable home screen
- Bluetooth file transfers
- good Emulators like Morphgear
- and much more
Whether this is enough to make you accept the loss of ease of use compared to the iPhone is your choice.
Previously, the gap in ease of use has been much greater, that means you had to sacrifice a lot more in order to get all the features of Windows Mobile, but with the HD2 HTC has come so close that I think it's really the better choice for lots of people now.
However, everyone still has to decide for him/herself. I hope I could help.
IMO For your needs go with the 3GS mate.
Ive had all the iphones 2g, 3g and 3gs. The 3gs is much better then the 3g. For me...i started to hate the iphone for is ONE Dimensionalness (is that a word) I wanted somehting more and that was the HD2. Personally I hate the iphone. So my opinon is basised... ive been with it it since 2007 and trust me the HD2 is pure joy. I agree with others on this forum and If I were you I would get the 3GS is a much better device then your crappy 3G.
Thanks for all the replies. The HTC does sound more and more interesting. I know I said I like how the iphone just works, but I am feeling like I need a new challenge. What I meant about the iphone 'just working' is not necessarily that it is easy to use and everything is straight forward, but more the interface I guess. The way that you navigate around the touchscreen. I am a bit of a gadget freak and do like playing around with stuff, which is why I've been looking at the HD2. I am finally feeling left wanting a bit more with the iphone now. I've gone through all the free apps etc, and while some are great fun initially, I never use them anymore. I play solitaire now more than anything else. I need something a bit more taxing, like I said, a new challenge
If the touchscreen is up there with the iphone then maybe I need to give this phone some serious consideration.
Just out of curiosity is the problem sending SMS on a particular network or any network?
snerkler said:
Thanks for all the replies. The HTC does sound more and more interesting. I know I said I like how the iphone just works, but I am feeling like I need a new challenge. What I meant about the iphone 'just working' is not necessarily that it is easy to use and everything is straight forward, but more the interface I guess. The way that you navigate around the touchscreen. I am a bit of a gadget freak and do like playing around with stuff, which is why I've been looking at the HD2. I am finally feeling left wanting a bit more with the iphone now. I've gone through all the free apps etc, and while some are great fun initially, I never use them anymore. I play solitaire now more than anything else. I need something a bit more taxing, like I said, a new challenge
If the touchscreen is up there with the iphone then maybe I need to give this phone some serious consideration.
Just out of curiosity is the problem sending SMS on a particular network or any network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have sms problems with any of the ROMs I have used for HD2.
From default 1.43 to latest 1.61 turkey ROM.
So, it seems to vs certain operator specific.
Check in the sms issue thread for any user from your country/operator and see.
snerkler said:
Thanks for all the replies. The HTC does sound more and more interesting. I know I said I like how the iphone just works, but I am feeling like I need a new challenge. What I meant about the iphone 'just working' is not necessarily that it is easy to use and everything is straight forward, but more the interface I guess. The way that you navigate around the touchscreen. I am a bit of a gadget freak and do like playing around with stuff, which is why I've been looking at the HD2. I am finally feeling left wanting a bit more with the iphone now. I've gone through all the free apps etc, and while some are great fun initially, I never use them anymore. I play solitaire now more than anything else. I need something a bit more taxing, like I said, a new challenge
If the touchscreen is up there with the iphone then maybe I need to give this phone some serious consideration.
Just out of curiosity is the problem sending SMS on a particular network or any network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been through all the iphones as well (2g, 3g, 3gs, and got 3gs for many family members including the wifey). The 3GS is a MUCH better device than the 3G and worth the upgrade in my opinion simply because the speed just makes it feel more fluid.
In the same way the HD2 makes WinMo actually feel usable and more enjoyable to use (especially with touchflo), but it's not a little faster as the 3GS is to the 3G... it's a LOT faster. That's just because the old WinMo phones are slow (my last was the Touch HD), but I wouldn't say it's REALLY fast as some of the reviews do... it's just very usable now. However, I'm comfortable with the WinMo OS so the HD2 is a joy to use for me.
Hardware wise, my wife picked up my HD2 when I got it and wanted to play with it since I couldn't stop talking about it for weeks until I finally got one. she LOVED the hardware, and being a non-geek (fashion background) I was surprised when she started commenting on the build quality and she compared it to her iPhone 3GS similar to our new new LED backlit LCD TV vs. our old SD tube television!
She really enjoyed playing with it for a while and going through the tabs in touchflo and thought it was BETTER than her iPhone. Then she moved to the audio player tab... which crashed on her. Disappointed, she continued onwards as she really liked the phone. Then she moved to the settings tab. She looked at it for a few seconds... put down the phone and decided to continue using her iPhone instead.
Even though we've been in 3 countries since I got it, it's automatically set itself up and I've had data access in every country... where her iPhone can't even be set-up to use the network data (needs proxy settings in APN), I've been able to tether, create adhoc networks, take much better pics, read pdfs more clearly, keep up with my tweets, modify excel spreadsheets, review powerpoints, watch television shows downloaded from the net, etc... she decided the iphone was better for her since she didn't have to look at settings and it easily synced to her MacBook so she could show off her pics to family, and as you said... it just works.
She also loves her MacBook and I love my Thinkpad.
CanEpia said:
Then she moved to the settings tab. She looked at it for a few seconds... put down the phone and decided to continue using her iPhone instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha ha ha, that's brilliant! That to me really sums up why the iphone is the better choice for some people and why the HD2 is the best for others. I love being able to fiddle with settings and customise and change things which is why I will get the HD2 and would never consider the iphone, as good as it is at the things it can do.
snerkler said:
Just out of curiosity is the problem sending SMS on a particular network or any network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't had the SMS problem, so it isn't across the board.
creed said:
Ha ha ha, that's brilliant! That to me really sums up why the iphone is the better choice for some people and why the HD2 is the best for others. I love being able to fiddle with settings and customise and change things which is why I will get the HD2 and would never consider the iphone, as good as it is at the things it can do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly why I'm looking at this phone, I like to fiddle and tweak stuff (and I'm referring to gadgets here )
Eoinoc said:
I haven't had the SMS problem, so it isn't across the board.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, not that I usually keep as many, but I intentionally kept about 300 SMSs to test this problem and there is a minor few milliseconds slowdown, but nothing you'd really notice. I also use the FPU enabler, not sure if that makes a difference to SMS though.
Incidentally I don't have any other problems with my phone, works 100% since unboxing.
Hi all, New guy here. So I'd been waiting a good couple of months for the HD2 and thought it would be an awesome 'consumer' phone.
I got it Monday 11th January and i'm not blown away by this phone. Dissapointed in fact.
But why though. I see alot of enthusiasts for the HD2 on here but I'm just not getting it. Basically Its alot phone and alot of money, with pretty much, not much substance or not much cool stuff on it.
What is getting you guys excited about it?
So this threads asks you to put my faith back in the phone.
The problems I have are this: -
The HTC UI/Skin I don't like much. Is there an alternative out there that isn't Windows Mobile 6.5 Default Skin?
Can you add more Widgets to the HTC UI Slider??
The only cool app is the pre-loaded game 'Teeter', Other than that there isn't much.
I can't use the Exchange Feature as I don't have an Exchange outlook mailbox to connect to, so that feature is wasted
Does anyone know if Windows Live will fully sync with WinMo 6.5. I refer to the calendar on Windows Live?
Do I keep this phone, and wait for WinMo 7 in the hope '7' is going to be something special and amazing to look forward to that would be on par with Iphone/Android?
========
Now If I was using this as a Business Phone, it would undoubtedly be brilliant, cos its WinMo! But it's not, its for personel use.
Should I just send it back and just wait for the Nexus One?
Thanks
or you can do your homework BEFORE you make a purchase...
hd2 like previous HTC phones is all about the potential for you to customize to exactly what you want. you can literally do anything you want with your phone as long as you search enough. i don't think that's the same with the iphone etc. there's a lot of apps out there you just have to find them.
thing is most non-techie people won't be able to or won't bother do this hence why i never recommend it to some people
HTC HD2 is eating iphone and omnias for breakfast!
is that convincing enough?
What is getting you guys excited about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me personally? The screen. The design. The functionality. The blistering speed. The screen. The ability to stand out from the crowd and lord it over iPhone sheeple. The Sense UI. The prospect of XDA chefs releasing cooked roms and increasing the phone's functionality and performance. Did I mention the goddamn beautiful screen?
I bought the HD2 to do the following:
(a) watch movies & tv (DID I MENTION THE 4.3" SCREEN?)
(b) play music
(c) browse the internet
(d) play games
(e) use it as a personal organiser/wordprocessor
And I can say with absolute certainty that this phone has met and exceeded my expectations in all respects. I. Love. This. Device. Maybe you don't. That's fine. But if none of the above has enlightened you then take it back and get something else.
Thank you, come again.
or you can do your homework BEFORE you make a purchase...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had done my research and was impressed by the video reviews I've seen. Perhaps I didn't drill down hard enough.
doodles123 said:
hd2 like previous HTC phones is all about the potential for you to customize to exactly what you want. you can literally do anything you want with your phone as long as you search enough. i don't think that's the same with the iphone etc. there's a lot of apps out there you just have to find them.
thing is most non-techie people won't be able to or won't bother do this hence why i never recommend it to some people
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh, I hear you on the customizing thing. I was just wishing it worked sraight out of the box. Guess theres a fair bit of customizing to do before you perfect it in your own eyes.
H2D2 said:
For me personally? The screen. The design. The functionality. The blistering speed. The screen. The ability to stand out from the crowd and lord it over iPhone sheeple. The Sense UI. The prospect of XDA chefs releasing cooked roms and increasing the phone's functionality and performance. Did I mention the goddamn beautiful screen?
I bought the HD2 to do the following:
(a) watch movies & tv (DID I MENTION THE 4.3" SCREEN?)
(b) play music
(c) browse the internet
(d) play games
(e) use it as a personal organiser/wordprocessor
And I can say with absolute certainty that this phone has met and exceeded my expectations in all respects. I. Love. This. Device. Maybe you don't. That's fine. But if none of the above has enlightened you then take it back and get something else.
Thank you, come again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what he said
(you sound like a nokia man)
(you sound like a nokia man)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got two phones. One is my company phone which is a Samsung WinMo, does the job beautifully.
Personal phone was a Samsung Tocco. I'm not a fan of Symbian one bit!
Im using my HD 2 as a data collector, so the phone options are secondary though reception in fringe areas is exellent
Ive used WM devices for data collection for over 6 years now: hx4700, trimble nomad. and the HD 2 is the best yet
Using Oziexplorer for gps navigation and VectorLink for data collection, The HD 2 is faster and more responsive then the Nomad.
The built in gps is no slouch either almost as good as our globalsat BT-338,s.
Just waiting for the extended battery to complete the unit.
well... from the looks of it iphone 3gs should suit op bit better. more entertaining out of the box, lots of eyecandy and sweet simplicity.
see... hd2 is like a pc when iphones are more of a gaming consoles. they do have a sort of raw power, but no multitasking and access to the system. hd2 out of the box is more or less empty device and if You don't have a clue what to do with it at this point, then more likely You should sell it.
my hd2 works as a gps satnav, ebook reader, audio and video player when bored away from home, web browser, email client, im communicator, organiser, gaming console (psx emulator when lonely and don't feel like reading), phone (!) and lots of others. basically - same as all my previous winmo devices, but faster, on bigger screen and with multitouch. how cool is that??
The phone is pretty much like a PC you need to set it up the way you like it and install the apps on that you like. Everyone's HD2 is going to be different, for me a great fun app I found here today is Aurora, I can't stop messing about with it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d0N2B6FrDA
Hi,
I've just come from a zPhone 3G. I'm so glad I didn't get the 3GS!
I've only scracthed the surface I'm sure but the HD2 is so much more than the zPhone.
I've got it setup just the way I want it, it'll do things the Apple won't
I was asking the same question as you last week...
Cheers,
Gavin
These days, I've seen way too many threads like "Goodbye HD2, hello Iphone", "Htc Hd2 bye bye" or "Wtf with this phone". I cant stand it. So I want to have a praise thread for our HD2, our beloved and best one, also want to share my opinions on the HD2 and Winmo generally for everyone to see and think.
Here are some type of opinions quite popular these days:
"Windows mobile 6.5 is a dead os for lack of a better term and also know that the development for apps for it is going to taper and die off at some point"
"HD2 is too buggy, laggy, errors"
"Winmo is a waste for HD2"
"Where are the games and apps?"
"Not work out of the box?"
To answer, first of all, I dont care about apps that Iphone or Android has.
I dont play games much now so that's a second point. Although they do have some very interesting like Tunewiki or Layar, that's the only thing I miss from my old 3GS and Hero. And if u paid so many money for games on iphone, why dont paid a 5 Euro more for Fpsece, to have the best experience about PS1 games on a mobile device so far.
Secondly, about basic apps, Winmo wins.
For videos: I dont have to spend hours to find a good convert program and hours to config and wait for the converted file to transfer to my phone, Coreplayer and TCPMP serve them right.
For ebooks: the most popular format is prc, Mobipocket reader wins again, I dont have to convert either.
For office: what can win over office mobile, please show me, I have no idea about this.
And u know what, Winmo has these basic things and apps for free!!!
Third, the true multitask:
Winmo has been a winner since the start. I agree that Iphone can be jailbreak then install e.g Proswitcher, but that's not so convenient like Winmo. The basic thing about Android is it never really closes an app, keeping it running in the background for quick response, but that only makes Android become slower and laggy just like Winmo. But for convenient, and with a power specs like HD2, it's so great in terms of multitask for me.
Fourth, the screen:
HD2 has a great and super beautiful 4.3 inch screen. I can never go back to a 3.2 (Hero) or 3.5(Iphone) now, I will consider for a 3.7 one. Watching photos, videos, viewing documents, surfing. It's superb with HD2. And please dont expect a device with great screen like that to have a good battery life. More than a day with normal usage is so enough. I got 1.5 days or even more than 2 days with my HD2.
Fifth, and the best one imo, CUSTOMIZATIONS
Winmo is the best world for customizations, for devs and chefs. It got history, and it's truly popular, right? I love to tweak my phone, customize it the way I one, change every weeks or even every days, so I cannot get bored with it. And look at this forum, so many manila mods have been built and definitely going on and on. From maxmanilla, cookie home tabs, GTX, all are wonderful and amazing. I cant thank them and all the chefs here enough.
Now, look at Iphone, what can u do with this easy to get bored home screen, except for changing icons?
And even android, it's not easy to customize it without rooting. And things to customize so far? Not much, I see.
For all that has errors, bugs, laggy, I think it's just u to make the phone like that, not the phone itself (if it's not a defective one). Too many report shows the phone works out of the box, count me in for that. I went with stock rom for a month at first with nothing went wrong.
Winmo to me is never a dead OS like it seems now. It's still growing strong in the world thanks to xda, yes, xda is the one that makes it strong, imo. We love to tweak, we love to customize, we love to share our knowledge and stuffs, so we are here. If u just dont feel like to tweak, u better not be here, xda is not some place where u can just complain and complain everyday for ur own faults.
Finally, HD2 is not a waste to me to run Winmo, it's best with Winmo.
Whew, my longest post so far. Guys, dont leave me alone, come and praise our HD2, I know u will.
List the best things u ever had with HD2 and show the world
P.S: it's just my opinion, but we all have private and personal purposes for using mobile in our life, so that we have personal choices on mobile, so please dont flame on me so hard, haha
1. big screen - can see web pages better than my x1a 3" screen
2. software options (still compatible with the software i use on my old phone) tomtom 7 - no need to have a data connection to use gps, slick im - use this when im on the move, option of using several different types of web browsers (ie, opera, opera mini, skyfire)
3. phone is unlocked and can use it as a prepaid phone.
Exactly mate, should have mentioned the chasing game between apple and devs, it's really annoying sometimes. And the price for an unlock iphone is really ridiculous.
You know, I have both the Nexus one and HD2, but I am really thinking of selling my HD2. I love all the things you have mentioned, but texting is kind of a big deal to me. With an HD2, the keyboard so choppy, no matter the rom I try. If I can somehow fix it, bye bye nexus. If not, well...
Just thinking would there be a phone that has a screen larger than 4.3" in the future or this is the biggest already? By the way 4.3" wide is a common size for GPS device.
gtb5 said:
Just thinking would there be a phone that has a screen larger than 4.3" in the future or this is the biggest already? By the way 4.3" wide is a common size for GPS device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The athena had a 5inch screen.... but you couldn't use it as a regular handset. You needed to use either bluetooth headsets or speakerphone. It was a cool phone, though.
You guys covered it
I agree with everything you guys said, except texting prob, I use swype, love it!! By far best phone I've ever had!! Just added, msvc, love it, just made perfect, better!!
My main reason for choosing HD2 over iphone or android devices is privacy!
I don't have to have apple and google knowing everything about me!
fantasytozi said:
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly my thoughts.
I love it because the great hardware I saw this as a newstep after the qualcomm 528 mhz. Wich was used for 3 or more years. This was a newstep for 2 years this will be a fast phone. And the freedom of windows mobile is also great.
Simply the best phone I ever had! Does everything I need and more!
I love my HD2 because it's big, it's strong, it's fast and give me the possibility to customize everything like I want.
I love my HD2 even because makes me different from all the mass of sheeps that walk around with an Iphone and use their phono to simulate a beer drinking and s**t like this.
Having an HD2, like my good old HTC Topaz, makes me feel different and like a pro.
I have always been a win mobile user. love the ability to anything! can send files bluetooth, COMPLETELY change the theme of the phone, and modify the software ANY way you see fit. suck on that iphone.
The only thing I would change would be camera hardware button
They say the HD2 will be the last in windows mobile 6.5. what a way to go out with a bang!!!
windows mobile+huge screen+fast processor= one sick device
I could probably be classified as a (very) dull business user and I have never before cared over what device was put into my hands..
I have used SE, Nokia, HTC, you name it, and even a iPhone for a while, and all worked okay and I did type an occasional e-mail on them but in reality they all fell short, some with clunky e-mail integration other with unsuitable screens for reading long texts.
With the HD2 I have hit "home", I have become truly freed from my office - I can access and work with my e-mails, read trough and review extensive attachment, surf the web, get online with my laptop without hassle trough the WiFi router. First phone I ever used that work seamless with bluetooth both in the car and with headsets.
It's a serious device and not a toy with downloaded flashlight applications.
afive720 said:
You know, I have both the Nexus one and HD2, but I am really thinking of selling my HD2. I love all the things you have mentioned, but texting is kind of a big deal to me. With an HD2, the keyboard so choppy, no matter the rom I try. If I can somehow fix it, bye bye nexus. If not, well...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah well, I agree that this is a let down thing at first, but after few months usage, I'm quite amazed at my typing speed right now
Did u try fingerkeyboard or swype?
uswe said:
I can access and work with my e-mails, read trough and review extensive attachment, get online with my laptop without hassle trough the WiFi router.
It's a serious device and not a toy with downloaded flashlight applications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are the things that I never bother or want to do with my old 3GS and Hero
Hi,
I like:
1) Screen (come on 4.3 inch MAMA MYA that’s nice step for mobile phones. I will never buy IPhone 4G if it’s less than 4.3 inch screen)
2) Design (Very slim very sexy)
3) Speed (yeah it’s really speedy)
4) Freedom (WOW the best thing. No more F jailbreak)
I don't like:
1) SMS messaging interface (Please anyone know other messaging interfaces? or at least to tell me how to disable the loading of messages as once. I rather like IPhone messaging where it loads small amount of sms in the chat area and load more history sms on request if needed)
2) Battery life (To bad to be in such great device)
zoombay78 said:
Hi,
I like:
1) Screen (come on 4.3 inch MAMA MYA that’s nice step for mobile phones. I will never buy IPhone 4G if it’s less than 4.3 inch screen)
2) Design (Very slim very sexy)
3) Speed (yeah it’s really speedy)
4) Freedom (WOW the best thing. No more F jailbreak)
I don't like:
1) SMS messaging interface (Please anyone know other messaging interfaces? or at least to tell me how to disable the loading of messages as once. I rather like IPhone messaging where it loads small amount of sms in the chat area and load more history sms on request if needed)
2) Battery life (To bad to be in such great device)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always have over 400 sms in my inbox, and it loads quite quickly, I think. No problem for me. Why dont u try the old style thread messaging from Energy rom or some other roms?
Thank you for starting this post. I was reluctant to upgrade from my Touch Pro to the HD2 for the lack of a hardware keyboard, which I used constantly. The big, beautiful screen won me over and I'm happy to report that I'm typing as fast as ever now that I'm used to my HD2.
I love the huge screen, HTC Sense (Thanks to Cookie and averyone else, not enough room in this thread), one touch dialing, programs etc, etc.
Every, and I mean EVERY challenge that I had with my phone when I first bought it has been solved by using these forums.
Every, and I mean EVERY modification that I could have dreamed of has been supplied by using these forums.
This has been the case since I started using WinMo and with every device I've owned.
These sour grapes posts by individuals who refuse to take the time to use this fine provision in order to make full use of their HD2 are a slap in the face to the hardworking developers who have brought countless hours of joy to the rest of us who deeply appreciate their work.
To the developers and contributors of this forum: I salute you.
To the individuals who are posting their "Bye, Bye" threads. Please leave quietly, and don't let the door hit you in the iphone.
Oh finally some positive thread for HD2.
So what i love about my HD2.
Speed - lighting fast
Customization - Thanks Winmo 6.5
Usefull Programs - Programs that really matters. Like Resco explorer and image viewer, FPSEce,iGO with multitouch and compass
BIG screen - The Biggest!
Open platform (flashing ROMs) - Can be really fun
Loud speakers - Well maybe too much =)
Capacitive screen with multitouch - Say yes to best gaming experience
How the phone feels in pocket (comfortable) - You dont even know it's in your pocket
But there are few bad things =(
Development - The newest games looks like ripped of java with touch support
Really old core of OS - Winmo 6.5 is quite ugly too
Reset button under Battery cover - lol at this one
KowboyBebop said:
Oh finally some positive thread for HD2.
So what i love about my HD2.
Speed - lighting fast
Customization - Thanks Winmo 6.5
Usefull Programs - Programs that really matters. Like Resco explorer and image viewer, FPSEce,iGO with multitouch and compass
BIG screen - The Biggest!
Open platform (flashing ROMs) - Can be really fun
Loud speakers - Well maybe too much =)
Capacitive screen with multitouch - Say yes to best gaming experience
How the phone feels in pocket (comfortable) - You dont even know it's in your pocket
But there are few bad things =(
Development - The newest games looks like ripped of java with touch support
Really old core of OS - Winmo 6.5 is quite ugly too
Reset button under Battery cover - lol at this one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for support at fpsece, KB
About reset button, why dont u try to install the Long Press End Key Reset? That saves me a lot from opening the battery cover
Hello everybody!!
It's been a while since I have posted.
I decided to post a little story of me using the HTC HD Mini, and the conclusion and consequences thereafter.
During the almost 7 months I have used this phone daily; intensively, I experienced a great many things of which I made a report.
I decided to write this report because I want to help people who want an opinion.
And I will give it based on a user experience and of course some people are not going to agree with me and that's that.
And that’s ok! I didn’t take an hour of my time of thinking this through for the haters, but for the people who want an honest opinion on a product that we love.
I started with windows mobile 5 and after I bought the HTC Touch HD with Windows Mobile 6.0.x I wanted a phone that was faster, had better graphics and more user friendly apps. I wanted a phone I could have more fun with!
I chose the HTC HD Mini and in the end.. I still love it.
But not all is said with that opinion!
Now this was important to me because it made me change my mind about a lot of things regarding HTC AND Windows Mobile...
A view of the Mini…
The design of the mini was striking to me from the beginning, from its small, but workable size to its practical but esthetically pleasing exterior. And don’t forget the big yellow surprise on the inside!
It is cute and looks stabile at the same time. It has a big pocket factor and for someone of my posture its quite ergonomic. ( I am a small guy with small hands and fingers).
And so the mini found the mini
Interface
* I really liked the new sence interface, easy to use and more user friendly then touch flow 3D was.
* I liked the way windows mobile 6.5 is cloaked so to speak, in a way that it doesn't bother you, nor makes things unnecessarily complicated.
* The weather animation and wallpapers really made me smile the first time. I really loved that one
* HTC Peep made me use twitter for the first time and I really got the hang of it afterwards.
Media
* I was happy with the camera performance and liked the way I could take pictures and upload them if I desired to.
* The photo gallery was very nice to look at and easy to use.
* The video quality was good and I was satisfied. Although editing really would have made my day!
* The music player and the download option for various album covers made it fun to listen music, although I later decided not to use the function too much because I have a LOT of music…
I have experienced the fact that my mini became sluggish, in overall performance after I loaded up a few gigabytes of music.
That really bugged me because I had a more than capable memory card.
*The Facebook app and YouTube app were easy to use, though I would have liked the YouTube app to have more options regarding viewing profiles, comments, etc. My feeling was that it wasn't complete in a few aspects.
Performance
* One of the most positive things I have experienced was the good use of battery life. The Mini takes a good 2 days use with use of various media, 3g connectivity and viewing video's.
* With the connectivity I had some mixed feelings. Although I rarely lost a phone call due to signal loss I was not always happy with the results while tethering, and sharing internet connections. But the overall internet experiences were good and I rarely had problems with it.
Browsing and Web usage
- I was satisfied with opera. This is a stable browser and it is easy in use.
- The overall web experience was good but "mini". I have realized that I don't mind the mini size of the phone, but eventually prefer a little bigger screen for internet browsing. Though it wasn't really a big deal in practical, daily use.
- I rarely have had problems with sites loading the media, or slow loading of sites.
Overall I am satisfied with the web experience.
Customization
Here came the real deal breaker for me....
After I bought the mini I was under the impression that with the development of this phone, a window would be opened for the HVGA format and the windows marketplace. I believe this has failed. For me, in Holland there are really not that many apps available for the Mini. I missed that for a great deal!!
Updating the mini and customer support
What really got on my nerves (I think everybody's nerves) were some of the updates... I strongly believe that there is a lot to be said about FAILED support for this device.
The very badly worked out updates that is, HTC provided us with.
A lot of problems later, and very very crappy customer service, we still experience user interface problems that in most high end phones, are shortly dealt with.
I read XDA a lot and it surprised me to see still a lot of problems, which HTC SHOULD have fixed, modified or kept working on some problems hinting to things that could have been thought out better because they are really development issues.
Just to name a few...
- Problems with notifications sound as well as LED notifications.
- Problems with the phone not waking up when it should
- Problems with proximity sensors
- Problems with memory cards
And so on.
Personal conclusion:
I really do love this Mini! I love its exterior and I love its interior.
But.....
I don’t like the way it has been treated. It deserved better in a way.
I have the feeling this is the Cinderella story of an HTC ending line of windows mobile 6.5.x phones…
It closes a chapter, but leaves a lot of things open…
HTC made my regard for them fall, I was disappointed.
Windows Mobile 6.5.x is saying goodbye in a way, now that Windows Phone 7 is operational, but it doesn’t close with a bang. It closes very silently in my opinion.
In February, my contract expires and I can get a new phone.
And after several years… I am sorry to say, I’m saying goodbye to HTC and Windows Mobile. It wasn't the phone... it was it's broken potential in a way that made up my mind.
My interest now lies with the Iphone, it’s development and continuing evolution, it’s appeal to me has a great deal to do with the expandability, where Windows mobile 6.5.0 on the Mini ends, and Windows phone 7 constricts within it’s not even fully developed capability. I chose a different way.
My mini stays for the time being. But it will probably be my last HTC phone in a while.
I hope HTC improves it customer support, doesn’t make on-the-side-phones anymore, and develop their continuing support for their existing models.
And MOST of all not to make progress for the sake of progress or money.
Because in the end the money creates the product, but the consumer MAKES the product.
Note:
I just hope some people will find this report helpfull, and I hope it contributes to XDA's motto of finetuning the user experience, because that's what it's all about isn't it? Together we grow.
Take care guys!
Joey
O yeah i forgot to add, that I probably will try to make a review of every device I own. And in medio 2011 I believe, I will be posting things on youtube.
I think this review was very biased cos I have htc hd mini and I really don't like it. Sometimes, I feel that I made a mistake buying it. If you have a friend to buy one, I will sell mine for $100 less than the market price.
I wasn't trying to be biased really, If I didn't like it at all I would have said that out front.
And giving in the fact that I did expect more, it was more the fact that I wanted more options to do something with it than it being a crappy device.
Sorry can't help you there, with selling your phone.
Take care!
I basically agree.
I bought the mini because of its size and functionality of which i heard of from someone else ... not gonna do this kind of mistake anymore. When i bought it i was satisfied .... first month.
After this month full of euphory and for me new experience with hellabuggy HTC Sense, there was bitter awakening waiting for me. The system it uses (WM 6.5-ish) was announced to be droped right after i bought this device, but well, **** happens and there gonna be new system and new ROM i told myself. Oh dear i was wrong .... the device is obviously too slow to run the new OS.
Another cold shower came with the HVGA resolution. It took me a lot of effort to make apps iam used to working on this mini device, developed by some retard who thought HVGA on WiMo will rock. When i see the insane amount of apps for HVGA Android devices and the amount of apps for HVGA WinMo devices which i can count on fingers of one hand of a guy whos working in sawmill i understood theres something wrong with the mini.
The last drop was HTC failsupport (which i was used to to be honest) and the fact that if XDA wouldnt have existed, ill be totally lost ... hence the conclusion and advice for anyone who is even briefly playing with the idea of buying this phone ... DONT DO THAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!
As for me, ill sell this "great phone" on e-bay and buy myself iPhone, which actually have support and gazzilion apps for lol prices in appstore. This way iam done with anything from HTC ... i had Touch Diamond and Trinity and i still have mini and EVO .. all i can say is HTC always lacked good support and this is not gonna change in the future anytime soon.
Well, ShammanCZ, I knew that before I bought my Mini. I knew about the HVGA and Windows Phone 7. But however I bought it. Because (with looking to the minimum specs of WP7) I concluded that a WP7-device with this dimensions won't ever come.
Second was the price, a WP7 device would be much more expensive (too because of the minimum specs).
And last but not least, I have had an iPod touch (which is actually the same as iPhone), and I didn't like it at all. Apple just limits you too much. I like the freedom you have with a WinMo device, and 'till now, I'm very satisfied of it!
Okay, HTC Support is very bad, but we can't help it. Thanks to XDA, where you can find lots of good devs and tweaks, this isn't a big deal to me.
in my opinion the biggest minus of hd mini is it's screen resolution (you can improve or eliminate the others minuses exept for the resolution ,and here i mean the fact that you can hardly find apps that fit this res) .
For me (and for the other buyers i guess) the plussez are:
-nice handy shape that fits well in every hand and every pocket
-light weight ,you dont get the heavy pocket sensation
-it has dedicated hardware phone button (answering,hanging) ,this was a thing i wanned when i was looking to buy a phone
-the signal is very good even in low signal area and better than other phones (i had an iphone 3g and the signal was much whorst than on mini)
-gps antenna is accurate and faster in finding the sattelites whithout network help,compared to other devices
-resistant case (i have it from more than 6 month now and it looks new even if i'm whering it in the pocket without protection shield except for the screen offcourse ,here i've mounted a shield)
-in conversation sound is loud and clear
THere would be some others but these are the first that came to my mind
Thank you all for your response to this all.
I agree with almost everything.
I found it interesting that there are so much differences in user experience .
As to this day I am counting off for the iphone 4.
Closed off as ios may be. It offers a more consumer friendly enviroment to my opinion. Than the stand alone feeling I get from HTC.
I had HTC universal and Raphael before , I bought HD mini just because of that dimension and that's perfect style.
but it's mean a toy for me after that two devices !
I cannot compare this one with that two ! but I think HD Mini is not such a bad thing that everyone says !
the worse thing of this device is HVGA resolution and you can find applications so hard for that resolution.
if it was VGA ! maybe we loved it ! but now.....
I agree HVGA has not been the top of game for me.
But then again.. battery life is great on my mini..
calls also.. and it remains a phone so that counts as well
Hi All.
I Think every one made a mistake by looking exterior sleek design. Even me, I bought this HD mini but not happy with this.
In the market thousands of free applications available but this phone doest support.
Even, I cannot install TCPMP player and lot of java based applications...
I dont know what to do. May be I will go for android phone.
shasman said:
Even, I cannot install TCPMP player and lot of java based applications...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a HTC HD mini fault if you're not able to: it's only yours!!
Hmmz sleek design...
shasman said:
Hi All.
I Think every one made a mistake by looking exterior sleek design. Even me, I bought this HD mini but not happy with this.
In the market thousands of free applications available but this phone doest support.
Even, I cannot install TCPMP player and lot of java based applications...
I dont know what to do. May be I will go for android phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think he has a point... And I am wondering myself, how much this has played a part in me purchasing HTC HD Mini.
I think it did play a part. Because I think it's a great design. Perhaps Shasman is right and some people perhaps, did thought only of the sleek design and did not pay more attention to the specifics.
I myself loved the design, but knew about resolution. I just expected it to pick up. When there is a new Iphone... new games come out for that iphone.
And so I thought , would it have gone for HVGA.
So that's the big bummer for me.