Database Users

Already stable enough for daily use?

Hi everyone!
I maybe want to get rid of my G1 with Biffmod 2.1 (and RAM Hack) for something more up to date.
Please let me hear your honest opinion:
Is a HD2 with WP7 (and Android in Dual Boot) already stable and good enough for daily use? Everything running (even Xbox Live and Games)?
I don´t want to spend 500 Euros or more on a new device. There are separate other things that i would know to do with that amount.
Thanks!

I am using my HD2 for approximately 1 month with android, after wp7 came out, i wasn't sure if it's a operating system that you really wan't to use, because android is open source, which is a big plus, but after testing it only 10 minutes, i fell in love with this os. It's simple and that's the thing that makes wp7 so unique. and if has nearly all these functions, that android also has. i would say for ~200€ or less a used HD2 with WP7 is more than a fair price... It's the deal of the decade!
The only thing you have to remember is, that you better buy an expensive class4 or better sdcard, because the sdcard is used with the internal memory as a raid system, and if you use compute-intensive applications you will recognize how a cheap sdcard slows the system down. But that's all
I would say start your new life with WP7

Silberpfeil3110 said:
I am using my HD2 for approximately 1 month with android, after wp7 came out, i wasn't sure if it's a operating system that you really wan't to use, because android is open source, which is a big plus, but after testing it only 10 minutes, i fell in love with this os. It's simple and that's the thing that makes wp7 so unique. and if has nearly all these functions, that android also has. i would say for ~200€ or less a used HD2 with WP7 is more than a fair price... It's the deal of the decade!
The only thing you have to remember is, that you better buy an expensive class4 or better sdcard, because the sdcard is used with the internal memory as a raid system, and if you use compute-intensive applications you will recognize how a cheap sdcard slows the system down. But that's all
I would say start your new life with WP7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, it seems quality class 2 cards work better than class 4, 6, or 10 cards... especially sandisk class 2. The modifications that a lot of manufacturers do to get high write speeds on higher class cards sometimes cause the random access speed to slow, and random access speed is whats important for wp7 to run smooth. I used a class 4 kingston and I was getting lags when scrolling and bad battery life... when I switch to sandisk class 2, smooth as butter and much better battery. Sandisk class 2 seems to be the best choice right now. Not saying other cards won't work, but looking through the forums, sandisk c2 seen to be consistently successful with everyone.

I would say..."most definitely able to use as a daily OS!" I've been using it now for nearly 2 weeks and I love how buttery smooth it is on our HD2. Then again, our phones are a beast themselves with just the hardware specs. Android is great and user customization is almost limitless, but the interface in WP7 has a lot to like. It's simplicity at its best. And there are a lot of apps that are quite interesting and useful, and the gaming is second to none with the XBOX feature. Even the regular games are getting better with each day that passes. Needless to say that the app store seems to be growing at a fast rate from what I can tell. And did I mention that it runs silky smooth and quick on our phones.
So, if you're asking whether it's worth it...if your an HD2 owner, it sure as hell is. And unlke any other phone we can have our cake and eat it too. Android and HD2 can both be on the phone now. So, you can literally switch OS's whenever you feel like it...and both run awesome on our phones.
But after trying WP7 and finally unlocking all features. I don't think I'm going to run Android anytime soon.

IMO the classy design of the HD2 is perfectly bonded with the classy modern design of the Metro UI on WP7, too lazy to go back to android now, though the battery is a tad disappointing and the volume needs to be fixed.

zarathustrax said:
Actually, it seems quality class 2 cards work better than class 4, 6, or 10 cards... especially sandisk class 2. The modifications that a lot of manufacturers do to get high write speeds on higher class cards sometimes cause the random access speed to slow, and random access speed is whats important for wp7 to run smooth. I used a class 4 kingston and I was getting lags when scrolling and bad battery life... when I switch to sandisk class 2, smooth as butter and much better battery. Sandisk class 2 seems to be the best choice right now. Not saying other cards won't work, but looking through the forums, sandisk c2 seen to be consistently successful with everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with your statements, zarathustrax. Just like you i was using a Kingston class 4, and while wp7 was ok to use, market was slow, shutting down took a while etc. Since i switched to class 2 sandisk, total difference! Still testing battery life though. But this would be a great sd card to use with wp7.

sotong said:
I totally agree with your statements, zarathustrax. Just like you i was using a Kingston class 4, and while wp7 was ok to use, market was slow, shutting down took a while etc. Since i switched to class 2 sandisk, total difference! Still testing battery life though. But this would be a great sd card to use with wp7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i used the sandisk c2 16gb card,, it was slow,, after then i changed to the transcend c6 8gb card, everything fine then.
I think card might not be the problem,,sometimes reinstall the wp7 could be a good idea before we claim xx card is incompatible to wp7 in hd2

wp7 in hd2 is stable now,, hope it last and survive in the coming update

Well, thank you guys for sharing your experiences! Now i definitely want a HD2
Today i´ll start looking at Ebay Germany for a mint used one. As the possibility to install everything you want on a HD2 is not so well known to the public, HD2s are still quite cheap to have at the moment
So this SD card might be alright?
http://www.amazon.de/SanDisk-microS...AJKI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296030373&sr=8-1

Careful
WP7 on the HD2, a few things to think about...
1) Will DFT continue to update the build
2) Camera has issues with HD2
3) Multi Touch is not as well supported on the HD2 as with HD7 or native WP7 devices
4) If number 1) is updated, then you would have to wait a while before any updates Microsoft introduce can be used on our HD2
The only reason buying an HD2 over an HD7 would be if you want a jack of all trades but not quiet a master of any one. The HD2 will never be a native Android HD or an native WP7, but a very good alternative to try both

THUDUK said:
Careful
WP7 on the HD2, a few things to think about...
1) Will DFT continue to update the build
2) Camera has issues with HD2
3) Multi Touch is not as well supported on the HD2 as with HD7 or native WP7 devices
4) If number 1) is updated, then you would have to wait a while before any updates Microsoft introduce can be used on our HD2
The only reason buying an HD2 over an HD7 would be if you want a jack of all trades but not quiet a master of any one. The HD2 will never be a native Android HD or an native WP7, but a very good alternative to try both
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed... I wouldn't buy the hd2 just to run wp7 off of, just like I wouldn't buy it just to run android off of. The hd2 will never run wp7 as good as a native device... we don't even know if wp7 will work on our phones after Microsoft updates wp7. The hd2 doesn't have as many colors as wp7 devices and will never have more than 2 point multitouch, which will make some apps that use multitouch incompatible with our phones. If you want to run wp7, get a wp7 device. Only get the hd2 if you want a phone to tinker with, and can accept that the phone will always have issues and bugs running these OS's that weren't meant for it. The hd2 can run a lot of OS's, but the only one it will ever run 100% is wm65. If you're looking to run a specific os, get a native phone.
Sent from my HTC bravo using XDA App

Ryoukou said:
Is a HD2 with WP7 (and Android in Dual Boot) already stable and good enough for daily use? Everything running (even Xbox Live and Games)?
I don´t want to spend 500 Euros or more on a new device. There are separate other things that i would know to do with that amount.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HAHA I am in same boat, ie a new phone OR upgrades to my gaming PC.
I want to stick with my HD2 dual booting WP7 and CM7 Gingerbread.
So far it works well, only had one issue where my live id was longer able to purchase apps from market. I have switched to a different live id. this is looking increasingly like an issue at MS' end though.

Sure a native WP7 device would be much better, but there is a price difference of at least 300 Euros. Is this difference really worth it? Can´t believe it...

Ryoukou said:
Sure a native WP7 device would be much better, but there is a price difference of at least 300 Euros. Is this difference really worth it? Can´t believe it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you go with the HD2, you run a chance of WP7 not being functional on the HD2 in the future once microsoft updates it... and we probably won't get updates right away, if we even get them at all... and when updates happen and the HD2 can't update, it's possible market and live services may not work anymore. If you want it only for WP7, I would definitely say a few hundred dollars would be worth it. You wouldn't want to spend a couple hundred dollars on the HD2 only to have WP7 be made unfunctional in a month.
Now it may work fine... the devs may be able to release updated builds soon after MS releases updates... but I think it's just as likely that we will either be stuck with this version and not get any MS updates, or not getting updates and ms updating the market and live services to not work with phones that don't have the updates, rendering our wp7 build basicly a test build that can't do much.
Also, certain apps will never work on our phones correctly because we don't have the same multitouch native phones have... and we don't have all the colors native phones have.
Now, the HD2 is a good phone in itself even if WP7 isn't functional in the future since we can run android well and winmo 6.5. But if you only want it for wp7, realize that you are taking a risk with the HD2. I would personally spend the extra money for a native phone if I just wanted wp7. Just want to inform you of the situation before spending a lot of money on a HD2.

zarathustrax said:
Well, if you go with the HD2, you run a chance of WP7 not being functional on the HD2 in the future once microsoft updates it... and we probably won't get updates right away, if we even get them at all... and when updates happen and the HD2 can't update, it's possible market and live services may not work anymore. If you want it only for WP7, I would definitely say a few hundred dollars would be worth it. You wouldn't want to spend a couple hundred dollars on the HD2 only to have WP7 be made unfunctional in a month.
Now it may work fine... the devs may be able to release updated builds soon after MS releases updates... but I think it's just as likely that we will either be stuck with this version and not get any MS updates, or not getting updates and ms updating the market and live services to not work with phones that don't have the updates, rendering our wp7 build basicly a test build that can't do much.
Also, certain apps will never work on our phones correctly because we don't have the same multitouch native phones have... and we don't have all the colors native phones have.
Now, the HD2 is a good phone in itself even if WP7 isn't functional in the future since we can run android well and winmo 6.5. But if you only want it for wp7, realize that you are taking a risk with the HD2. I would personally spend the extra money for a native phone if I just wanted wp7. Just want to inform you of the situation before spending a lot of money on a HD2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering that the HD2 internal hardware is pretty much identical to the HD7, I would give DFT much higher than 50-50 odds that they'll be able to successfully port all updates to the HD7. Microsoft seems ambivalent as to whether that happens, and have signaled a commitment to continue allowing homebrew development. Those are the primary ingredients.
Given that the touchscreen and the camera focus are the only current bugs (especially this early in the game), I suspect they can also be remedied. From my testing, HD2 multitouch is not so finicky in the latest WM6.5x ROMs (you don't need to put both fingers down at the same time, for example). A homebrew camera replacement could easily accomplish touch-to-focus and speed up the snapshot lag.
I've gotta say, my doubts about this stuff are no greater than my doubts that WP7 will turn out to be a better OS than Android... which is why having the option to jump ship (or dual boot!) is pretty great. Let's wait and see if all current WP7 devices actually get the next two OS updates in a timely fashion.
So far, HD2 has got ADC while the Dell Venue Pro (for example) does not. If I had to bet on xda-devs putting their best foot forward on any device, it would be this one.

benjaminries said:
Considering that the HD2 internal hardware is pretty much identical to the HD7, I would give DFT much higher than 50-50 odds that they'll be able to successfully port all updates to the HD7. Microsoft seems ambivalent as to whether that happens, and have signaled a commitment to continue allowing homebrew development. Those are the primary ingredients.
Given that the touchscreen and the camera focus are the only current bugs (especially this early in the game), I suspect they can also be remedied. From my testing, HD2 multitouch is not so finicky in the latest WM6.5x ROMs (you don't need to put both fingers down at the same time, for example). A homebrew camera replacement could easily accomplish touch-to-focus and speed up the snapshot lag.
I've gotta say, my doubts about this stuff are no greater than my doubts that WP7 will turn out to be a better OS than Android... which is why having the option to jump ship (or dual boot!) is pretty great. Let's wait and see if all current WP7 devices actually get the next two OS updates in a timely fashion.
So far, HD2 has got ADC while the Dell Venue Pro (for example) does not. If I had to bet on xda-devs putting their best foot forward on any device, it would be this one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be right, and I agree the fact that the ability to boot multiple os's in case wp7 fails as an os makes the hd2 a great phone.... I wouldn't trade my hd2 for anything right now. I'm just saying for people only wanting wp7, we don't know for sure what will happen with wp7 on the hd2 in the future, and it may be worth it to get a native wp7 so you're guaranteed updates when they come and you'll have a guaranteed working wp7. But obviously if you want to dualboot and can accept the risk and fact it may not get updates or work 100%, the hd2 is a great phone and well worth it.
Sent from my HTC bravo using XDA App

I will give it a try. Hey, no risk, no fun!
Even if there will be no more WP7 updates in the future (which i cannot believe, MS still needs every WP7 user to increase their market shares), a HD2 still will be a much superior Android device than my G1 now, for just a small amount of money (if i have a little bit luck at buying/selling)

I use my HD2 a lot each day
It only runs Windows Phone 7
/nuffsaid

LOL. The HD2 is so much fun that it's simply the phone of all times already. I really would't trade it in right now and I'm happy I didn't sell it a few months ago as I usually do with my phones. It's the first phone to make it over a year in my pocket for the last 5 years and it will surely stay there for the months to come.
WP7 is surprisingly stable and bugfree and is my current first choice OS for the HD2. I am also pretty confident that all WP7 updates will be available to the HD2 users one way or another. It's not really that critical if you have to wait a few days after the official release. I'm also anxious to give MeeGo a try once it's in a usable state
Of course this is all true only if the prowd HD2 owner is:
1. Ready to accept the risk that he may not have any WP7 updates.
2. Ready to accept the risk of bricking his beloved phone at any time.
3. Ready to read alot about how to get all the fancy stuff working.
4. Ready to spend a night or day repartitioning SD cards, flashing a new Radio that could potentially give him 2 hrs more battery etc.
If you are not prepared for all this and more it's much better to get a native phone with your desired OS

Ryoukou said:
I will give it a try. Hey, no risk, no fun!
Even if there will be no more WP7 updates in the future (which i cannot believe, MS still needs every WP7 user to increase their market shares), a HD2 still will be a much superior Android device than my G1 now, for just a small amount of money (if i have a little bit luck at buying/selling)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly... if you like android too, the hd2 makes a great phone, cause you can have wp7 on internal memory, and partition your memory card so you can also run android from the sd. I have a 32gb card with 21gb for wp7 and 8gb for android... and I just got a second 32gb card to keep a couple android builds on, and ubuntu and wm65 when it comes out for sd booting.
Sent from my HTC bravo using XDA App

[Q] Getting an HD2, is it worth it?

Hi!
I know this question was probably asked here lots of times,
and I apologize in advance, because I still haven't found the answer to my question
I have an option to buy a practically mint condition HD2 from a friend (he got a Desire HD, lucky him, I don't the money), he can sell it to me cheaper.
He says he installed Android on it, but as an app, (I still have no idea what ROMs, Flashing and all that means) not as a self loading OS, and the phone is still running WM.
So the question being, is it really worth my while getting the phone, fiddling around with it, installing Android and/or WP7 (I heard that's possible) and losing on battery time?
Is the battery time the only problem affecting daily usage?
How difficult/risky is it to install android/wp7 on the HD2?
Or should I just get a simple android phone (desire, legend, wildfire etc...)?

The HD2 is a beast of a device, and as long as you read, flashing isn't really all that hard at all. May I suggest my guide in my signature?
The HD2 can indeed run Android and WP7 directly from NAND, and most Android builds on the HD2 are actually faster than "real" decicated Android devices.

Thanks,
The guide is very interesting,
but turns out I'm a bigger noob then I thought,
Where can I find a guide on the basics (what is NAND, ROMs, Flashing etc...)?

I'm a little reluctant to reply but I'll give it a go.
It's not difficult to flash a ROM but before you do anything you MUST READ THOROUGHLY about whatever it is that you are doing.
Firstly, it is possible to put Android onto an SD card and run it without making any changes to your phone. You have to boot into Win Mo then switch Android. When you re-boot the phone it will boot back to Win Mo. This is what this whole section of this forum is about. http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=735
If you want to change your phone permanently then you have to flash a ROM and it is the slightly risky element. READ all the ROM flashing guides here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713977
You can also Flash Android to your phone so that it replaces Win Mo. This is what this whole section of this forum is about. http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=928
To put Win Phone 7 or Win Mobile 6.5 on your phone you have to flash it like an Android NAND ROM.

If you can buy it cheap, then yes go for it.
It's highly addictive and most of all very impressive device.
I wouldn't say that the battery is still an issue now since it lasts at least a full day and USB to charge is everywhere nowadays.
Like Bouncypete wrote you will have to read alot on the go.
The safest bet is to use the standard WinMo and start Android from the SD-card.
If you like that you can always go to a Nand version which replaces the actually WinMo version inside the HD2.
You can always go back to WinMO incase you don't like Android (or WP7) or warranty purposes.
Most Nand and probably other SD versions have a good tutorial in the thread itself on how to get it on the device, or there are the stickies.
We are also not un-human so if you need something do a search, read, read again and then ask. No person will shoot you if you have searched and don't know what to do.
Now if you don't like the HD2 you can probably resell it for the same price you bought it for.

TDB!
The HD2 is still the best pda on the market. For anybody who wants anything just a bit more than a phone/media player, windows mobile still has the the largest and most flexible range of apps with the most options. I'm booting winmo 6.5 with Android 2.2 running from sd and there's nothing I see on the market at the moment which could begin to tempt me away from it. All the preceding of course subject to the all embracing "IMHO"!

patcooke said:
The HD2 is still the best pda on the market. For anybody who wants anything just a bit more than a phone/media player, windows mobile still has the the largest and most flexible range of apps with the most options. I'm booting winmo 6.5 with Android 2.2 running from sd and there's nothing I see on the market at the moment which could begin to tempt me away from it. All the preceding of course subject to the all embracing "IMHO"!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, the range of free and custom apps is what keeps me on WM. I have several preferred applications that I use. And I like the fact that there is (was) such a large developer community for the device. It encouraged innovation. I think there is less such activity when one is forced to deal with an "App" store that is monitored by the OS manufacturer.

OP,
Just make sure that you are indeed getting it for "cheap".
While the HD2 is a great device, it does not change the hard reality that it is an antique by today's tech standards.
You need to know how long your friend has owned the device, how much calls has been made on it.
I ask this because the longer he has owned the device, the greater your risk of having the physical buttons eventually fail on you. As much as I love my HD2, I am aware that the buttons will eventually fail. Please consider this.
Cheers.

just my 2c as the guyz above have given you tremendous input.
I have an option to buy a practically mint condition HD2 from a friend (he got a Desire HD, lucky him, I don't the money), he can sell it to me cheaper.
-> just check how "mint" the condition is. screen scratches, button usage (are they still springy or dull), etc.
He says he installed Android on it, but as an app, (I still have no idea what ROMs, Flashing and all that means) not as a self loading OS, and the phone is still running WM.
-> android is installed in the microsd of the phone. the hd2 is essentially still running windows 6.5 but you can launch android and use this as your os. the advantage being is if android crashes...and that's IF given the stability of the roms developed by the rom-Gods here....your phone is still fine as it was originally in windows. if you want to get android up and running again, you simply have to reformat your microsd and reinstall a new android build
So the question being, is it really worth my while getting the phone, fiddling around with it, installing Android and/or WP7 (I heard that's possible) and losing on battery time?
Is the battery time the only problem affecting daily usage?
-> battery life will probably be your first problem as you get into android. but as you go along, i would recommend that you "sample" the other roms and find out which one gives you the optimal results. the way you set up your phone is also vital. as i mentioned in another thread regarding battery usage, i'm quite pleased with my current set up. i normally unplug my unit from charging at around 10pm. in the morning when i get up, the battery shows 97% remaining. not bad considering that was an 8-hour standby and i'm also using live video wallpaper. again, it'll depend on the set up
How difficult/risky is it to install android/wp7 on the HD2?
-> installing android is EASY as everything is in the microsd. if you want to boot up via android then as the chaps recommended, you have to do further reading.
to answer your question, i would say yes it's worth getting the phone. the hd2 is an awesome device. it's a great way to get started if you want to have android or wm7 or other operating systems
some things to consider if you do decide to get the phone:
-upgrading the rom itself (the windows rom)
-upgrading the radio
although not essential to run android, upgrading these will definitely give you better stability when running the os. again, the guides are all there and the chaps are happy to help out.

With reading, the HD2 can be a very fun device. But if you have the mentality of unwilling to search, read, try out, then I'd say you should stay away from this phone. The HD2's isn't marketed to people who want something that just works, it's marketed to people who like to tweak, tinker, play around with or hack their phones.
So if you're unwilling to go read, understand, etc and just want something that works "perfect" out of the box, then I suggest you get a WP7 phone or iPhone.

Kailkti
You touched a nerve there, I'm currently using (or better say, being abused by) a Nokia 5800 with the latest firmware, and just 10 minutes ago, during a call it just froze up, wouldn't let me close the call, so I restarted it, and it took 3 minutes to connect to the network, what the hey?!
on one hand I love twinkering, but as long as stuff works, and gets better,
not twinkering for basic usability, which is kinda what's in store for me if take the HD2
regarding the condition of said phone, it was bought about a year ago, for my friend's father (being the largest screen available) and he never got around to use it much, just some skype calls from abroad, and a little of regular calls here and there
didn't leave the house much, so it's about as mint as they come.
price wise, how much does an HD2 cost nowadays?

Eugene_N said:
Kailkti
You touched a nerve there, I'm currently using (or better say, being abused by) a Nokia 5800 with the latest firmware, and just 10 minutes ago, during a call it just froze up, wouldn't let me close the call, so I restarted it, and it took 3 minutes to connect to the network, what the hey?!
on one hand I love twinkering, but as long as stuff works, and gets better,
not twinkering for basic usability, which is kinda what's in store for me if take the HD2
regarding the condition of said phone, it was bought about a year ago, for my friend's father (being the largest screen available) and he never got around to use it much, just some skype calls from abroad, and a little of regular calls here and there
didn't leave the house much, so it's about as mint as they come.
price wise, how much does an HD2 cost nowadays?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New ones are between 450 and 500 on ebay. Used ones generally go around $300 - 350.
But be careful of those cheaper "New" ones on ebay: many of them are in fact replacement phones sent by the carrier as warranty fixes - and my be refurbished, not actually new.

Eugene_N said:
...price wise, how much does an HD2 cost nowadays?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asking price on CL here in the Bay Area is generally $200-$300.
I picked a pretty clean used one up Saturday for $150.
Got it running the unofficial CM7 nightlys now.
Bit of a learning curve but not bad.
I hadn't really touched anything but Nokia devices for several years.

Eugene_N said:
Kailkti
on one hand I love twinkering, but as long as stuff works, and gets better,
not twinkering for basic usability, which is kinda what's in store for me if take the HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HD2 running WinMo has been VERY stable and useful for me regardless of all the crap people say about WinMO. To me it sounds like the HD2 would be a good choice for you as you can tweak WinMo as much as you like and have Andriod on SD and play with that as well.

If you like to explore and tinker, then feel free to get this fun device. It can entertain you in many ways.

So, I got it for a trial run,
It's awesome!!!
So I'm using an SD Android, with some sense features, dunno what it's called. But it's a bit sluggish and the screen freezes up from time to time, used a more stockish SD Android before, worked better though
But the battery times are lousy, after 4-5 hours with WiFi on, without 3g (no dim inside) I have to recharge it,
Is it normal? Or is the battery dead?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

I've owned a number of devices over the last 8+years and the HD2 is the best so far.
I dropped my HD2 last year and had the option to sell the insurance replacement or keep it. I kept it.
I probably won't upgrade from my HD2 until there is a dual core phone on the market with both cores running at 1 Gig.
RAM ? I have plenty on the HD2, make it a LOT faster and I'll upgrade.
ROM ? Ditto.
Micro SD expansion ? Again, haven't used the whole 16Gb I have on this device.
What else is there ? Retina type display like on the iPhone (spit) ? Yes please.
HDMI Out ? I don't use HD content in that way preferring VLC or DLNA
Android ? Already doable but Android is still in beta, too, and it's still a bit rubbish
Is the HD2 worth it ? For me, the HD2 is the first fully converged device I've had and
it does everything I need it to do reliably, in a decently sized package without fuss.

@ eugene
If you're browsing the web, you can expect that amount of battery usage, especially if you're watch videos.
With normal use, and I mean say just about 2-4 hrs of on screen time, and the rest stanby, you can expect the battery to last two days.

buy it now!!!!!!!!!!!

I will add my two cents if i may...
terms ROM ( which can either be WM6.5, WM7 or Android)
HSPL ( a secondary boot-loader that should be flashed first to safeguards us noobs bricking our phones)
RADIO ( the software that talks to the hardware )
KERNEL ( don't know what this does as yet or how to upgrade it)
I bought mine only two weeks ago...
1. i read alot....from the HTC leo section
2. I flashed first MAGLDR v1.13 (HSPL) to safeguard against any major mishaps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10197474&postcount=1
3. and then flashed a NAND android rom ... this we not so smooth as the phone kept on rebooting without notice
4. I upgraded the radio to as xx.50.xx.xx
5. I downgraded again to WM6.5
6. then back up to a nand CMYLXGO's BlueTopia HD(2)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916707
It is bascially that simple......run as smooth now as a baby's bottom

[Q] Worth upgrading to?

I used to have a touch pro 2 but my screen died from a fall. Now I'm using a slow G1, and miss my touch pro 2. I can land a used HD2 in mint condition from 150 to 200. Would it be worth it? I'd also be most likely using android on it.

100% Yes.
For your money you will basically get a HD2,HD7 and a DesireHD, all basically same spec and you get choice of all 3 OS's aswell as ubuntu/meego etc.
The HD2 is was way ahead of its time in specs and still stands up their with the newer phones today so if you want a great and versatile phone for good price get a HD2 and have allot of fun trying all the different OS's/ROMs etc

ryohazuki said:
I used to have a touch pro 2 but my screen died from a fall. Now I'm using a slow G1, and miss my touch pro 2. I can land a used HD2 in mint condition from 150 to 200. Would it be worth it? I'd also be most likely using android on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HD2 is most deffenitly worth buying. If yout liked Win Mo on your Touch Pro then you will really enjoy the HD2.

Okay last question..
Is android on it good / stable enough for it for daily use if Win Mo doesn't satisfy me anymore? Cause I know WP7 still has a few kinks on it, but i'm curious on how android will run it such as battery life wise and stability. Will it last me a full day and what not.

ryohazuki said:
Okay last question..
Is android on it good / stable enough for it for daily use if Win Mo doesn't satisfy me anymore? Cause I know WP7 still has a few kinks on it, but i'm curious on how android will run it such as battery life wise and stability. Will it last me a full day and what not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Andriod run great on the HD2. I run mine from SD card cause I love being able to choose wich one I want Win Mo or Andriod. The SD card builds are for the most part great but some require you to manually set up your APN whilel in Andriod to get a data connection astablished and most of all of them still have data drop problems but nothing that toggling airplane mode on and off will not cure. Also each build has it's on one or two things that are still not functioning right but nothing really that will hender day to day use. Things like the led not working for messages and missed calls and the camera not being as good of a quilty as in Win Mo these problems are being slowly worked out though.
I have not tryied a NAND Andriod ROM yet so I can not speak from personal experience. The people that I have read post from here on XDA and in the T-Mobile fourms is all good. They say e erverything works in the NAND builds. They also say they are lightning fast. There is some talk of the NAND Andriod ROMs putting a little more stress on the mainboard and screen but nothing comfimed yet.

T-Macgnolia said:
Yes Andriod run great on the HD2. I run mine from SD card cause I love being able to choose wich one I want Win Mo or Andriod. The SD card builds are for the most part great but some require you to manually set up your APN whilel in Andriod to get a data connection astablished and most of all of them still have data drop problems but nothing that toggling airplane mode on and off will not cure. Also each build has it's on one or two things that are still not functioning right but nothing really that will hender day to day use. Things like the led not working for messages and missed calls and the camera not being as good of a quilty as in Win Mo these problems are being slowly worked out though.
I have not tryied a NAND Andriod ROM yet so I can not speak from personal experience. The people that I have read post from here on XDA and in the T-Mobile fourms is all good. They say e erverything works in the NAND builds. They also say they are lightning fast. There is some talk of the NAND Andriod ROMs putting a little more stress on the mainboard and screen but nothing comfimed yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds good to me. Gonna do a little more research on nandroid and probably choose from there. It looks like i'm most likely gonna go on to the HD2. It's such a beast of a device with all the different options you have, and I love it. I love tinkering with my phone all the time and just messing with it in general.

ryohazuki said:
Sounds good to me. Gonna do a little more research on nandroid and probably choose from there. It looks like i'm most likely gonna go on to the HD2. It's such a beast of a device with all the different options you have, and I love it. I love tinkering with my phone all the time and just messing with it in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the HD2 is deffinitly a phone you would like cause there is no other ohone out tbere that you can tinker/tweek as much as the HD2. Buf make sure to read therowly about any process, procidure, or tweek you want to preform to it before you do it.
What kind of HD2 are you looking at buying. Is it a european HD2 or a T-Mobile HD2?

just a quick add on to this. i used to have a touch pro 2 as well till it got stolen...good thing i had property and contents insurance. but anyway, once you get the hd2 the first thing you "might" miss is the physical keyboard and/or the stylus. for me it took about a week or so to adjust when i got my hd2. but you'll get the hang of it and pretty soon you're good to go. you might consider getting a bigger keyboard application though (one in android or wm6.5).

android is smooth on my hd2 and i am using it daily
however, winmo 6.5 sometimes give me hiccups.

[Q] Should I buy a HD2?

Hello! I've currently got an HTC Desire and I'm not that happy with Android. I'm tired of the laggy, inconsistant and boring UI of both Sense and stock Android. I've had an iPod Touch and I've got an iPad and I'm a big fan of iOS, but I want to try something new.
I've been reading about WP7 a lot and it looks very interesting, I've also tried different WP7 phones in stores and I fell in love with the smoothness and consistant Metro UI.
The phone that I'm thinking of at the moment is the HD2, I think that it would be a good choice for me because it is able to run a various number of platforms (I like modding my phone and trying new stuff). So I've got a few questions about the phone:
The phone is almost 2 years old, is it hardware good enough to meet todays and tomorrow's requirements?
How is the screen of the HD2 compared to the Desire's (WVGA, 3,7", AMOLED)? Does multi-touch gestures work well? Is it dual-touch or does it support more than two fingers?
Is Spotify available for WP7 yet?
Are any key features missing in the WP7 port for HD2 (such as camera, headphone jack or WiFi not working?)?
What other platforms than Android, WM 6.5 and WP7 does the HD2 run? I saw that there are sections for Ubuntu and MeeGo here at XDA, are those platforms stable enough for daily use? How well does Android run?
Should I buy a used one or a new one?
How is the battery life?
What are your opinions? Would you buy a HD2 today? Opinions and recommendations about other phones are welcome as well!
Thanks in advance

1. I'd say yes. It might get a little more outdated when two core or even quad core processors roll out. One the other hand, there is no operating system that could use more power than HD2 has.
2. Screen is the weakest part of HD2, AMOLED technology is a lot better in terms of picture quality as well as power saving. I'd say it is just OK.
3. No idea.
4. No idea.
5. HD2 can currently run WM6.5, WP7 and Android - all stable and all working. Meego and Ubuntu are rather proof of concepts and not useful for daily use.
6. Now this is up to you. If you're short of money, go for used one. If you can afford a new one, get a new one.
7. Depends how much you use the phone, what operating system you're running etc. I managed to get about 4 days of standby(stock battery!) on Android with automatic internet connection and mail syncing every 30 minutes and 3G off. I consider it pretty good for a smartphone.
However, the most important thing about this phone is the number of supporters here at XDA. There are hundreds of ROMs to choose from, you can try a new one every day And well, I do not think there are many phones that can multiboot two systems(there are some that can handle different systems, but each change requires reflash).
I am a person who can afford any phone any time. If someone told me that there is a HD2 with amoled screen, quad core cpu and 4 gigs of ram and (it still can multiboot) for $2000, I'd buy it right away. Back to reality - in my opinion there is no better phone out there.

Well, it's hardware is now pretty old compared to most of the phones out there. But it still works I haven't seen any place where I'd be like oh crap I wish I had another phone this is just too slow.. Never.
Screen = Big Let Down. You won't be all that happy with the screen rest assured
Multi-touch works well but not so well in WP7. I believe it is dual touch.
Spotify is available on WP7 last I checked it will take you a spotify wp7 google search.
Meego, Ubuntu not for daily use development has as far as I remember become extremely slow.
Key feature missing in WP7 for HD2 is camera gives green tint when used with flash. And imo camera quality is never as good with android or wp7 than with WM6.5 for hd2.
Take a used one from craigslist. Should be good enough.
Battery life not as good due to the aforementioned screen and 1250 mAh battery.
But, I still personally love my HD2 and won't part with it till the development from this community stops and I honestly believe WP7 would surely work perfect on the HD2 in the near future. Peace

Thanks for the responses! The only thing that makes me doubt atm is the screen.. Really love the blacks on the Desire's AMOLED display, but I guess that I'll get used to the HD2's display.
Anyone done the jump from AMOLED/S-LCD/S-AMOLED to LCD?

Kinda.. My bro has a Galaxy S another has a S2 a friend has Sensation.. So seen many pretty nice screens must admit my hd2 looks pretty sad in front of those displays.. But, when I show them Android CM7, Sense, WP7 and all.. They all say please tell us how to do it

Go get an hd2 it will be the best thing that ever happened to you cell phone wise

I won't make another topic for the same question, so I just reply to this one. I hope it won't call as digging up...
After XDA threads answering 90% of my questions, I still have one:
I will be able to afford an HD2 in March-April 2012. That said, I don't want to end up thinking "Gosh, why did I buy it?" after 3-4 months; is this phone still able to survive another year of support here, at XDA? I don't have enough cash to buy another $400 phone after half a year, so it is quite important.
Thanks in advance.

Schocker1 said:
I won't make another topic for the same question, so I just reply to this one. I hope it won't call as digging up...
After XDA threads answering 90% of my questions, I still have one:
I will be able to afford an HD2 in March-April 2012. That said, I don't want to end up thinking "Gosh, why did I buy it?" after 3-4 months; is this phone still able to survive another year of support here, at XDA? I don't have enough cash to buy another $400 phone after half a year, so it is quite important.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be honest, it is a guess at this time. i mean in 6 months from now, there might be some new amazing things on the market. i would just come back and check in 5 months or so. and nicely done, not starting a new thread!

If i were u i wont even think of getting this phone.
Ya in 6 months from not there will be more new stuff out there. So talking of the current market i think compared to other newer phones the HD2 is really good. 4.3 inch display, capability to rum multiple OS's. And it's blazing fast in wp7 and android
BUT...
Just google the number of HD2 users suffering with the same fault it has. I'm a victim of the same and i feel like dashing this crap on the floor. I'm sick and tired of this. Even after performing a mtty still it restarts.
So..
Either u have to be really like others to get a good phone without any faults or you too will be suffering like the rest of the HD2 owners. WHY TAKING THAT CHANCE? IF I WERE YOU I WOULD NOT EVEN IF IT CAN RUN 1000 OS's..

I am really happy with my HD2 & it has been faultless for me on my personal setup WM6.5.x, but if you are likely to be going Android you are better looking at newer devices that are native Android.
Most hardware failures & bugs are on those users running Multi OSs or Nand Droid/W7 .

Thinking of Buying an HD2?
Thinking of Buying an HD2?
Read here,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1284389
and here,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1271507
Those of you suffering WP7 restarts/freeze etc, get yourselves a new SD Card. There's plenty of data on this in the WP7 forum.

Thanks for answering, it really means a lot to me.
Ok, time to explain my history (which is a long and complicated one):
I am 15 years old, so I just have to rely on my parents' money. I got my first mobile when I was... 9? Something like that. I remember, how everyone in the school was excited by color screens! And l was proud of having a camera, even though the quality of the photos was pretty bad. But, hey, it was a camera! In the mobile!
In 2007 I got my first "smartphone". It was Nokia 6120 classic with Symbian. But I was scared about losing the warranty, so I didn't do much with it (that is, I didn't "hack" the Symbian, which is still nothing compared to modding Android). Still, I was happy with it for 2 years.
But then comes 2009 and "touchscreen time". God, how the prices of those phones dropped then! I bought a Samsung Corby. Yeah, it was a downgrade from Symbian, but at least I was able to get used to the touchscreen. I sold it in March 2011 for an acceptable price.
And here comes the "smartphone age". I bought my Galaxy Spica in July 2011. I know, probably You haven't heard of this phone, but in Poland and Russia it is quite popular. I bought it simply because of the mods - right now it is considered "The slowest phone ever" on some Polish Android forum, but, guess what? I am happy with it. It is running CM6 right now and is currently lying on my left, charging happily.
If I'm happy - why should I replace it? Well, first of all, the battery got klilled. One day I can go through 8 lessons and the phone will still be at 100%, and next day, without even touching it - bam, drops to 52%. I know, replace the battery and so on, and so on. But it really sometimes makes me mad when I have to do a "battery reset" for the third time, because it won't unlock...
I remember how I was scared before the first root of my Spica... And it went great, start to finish! Everything goes great when You follow the guides, that's what I learned in the past few months. No phone can be compared to HD2 when it comes to modding (at least IMHO), and it gives you the "WOW" factor among your friends, hehe! Nothing better then coming to a group of people showing off their 199$ Android phone and showing them the HD2's dual-boot!
What really made me excited about the HD2 is not only a modders paradise it offers, but also the wonderful support here. Heck, the HD2 Android board has more posts than most other phones section added up! And more, and more posts are coming up everyday. I would really like to have, like, 4 smartphones in my house - Android, iPhone, WP7 and probably another Android... But I just don't have the money for it. (*blames his country for its poor wages*) I do not demand every new version of Android or WP7 being ported to HD2 (because it's just too much), but I'd be happy with, let's say, one-two next major versions of Android and the next major version of WP7.
In one sentence: I definitely enjoy modding everything, I love the big choice of ROMs available here and I just hope the development doesn't stop on Mango and Gingerbread - if it's so: HD2, here I come!
If You really read the whole story (written in a very poor English - sorry, I'm a native Polish speaker), then congrats, and I hope You will be able to answer my question: Will HD2 as a multi-OS phone satisfy my needs, which are not connected to display or dual-core, but tot the software only? And sorry for the chaotic post, I shouldn't have replied in the midnight. ^^

Get one. I broke mine and am currently looking for another HD2. I could go get the new GSII but I don't really want it.

stepthehen said:
Thinking of Buying an HD2?
Read here,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1284389
and here,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1271507
Those of you suffering WP7 restarts/freeze etc, get yourselves a new SD Card. There's plenty of data on this in the WP7 forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, that is enough for me, I am going for it... After I get the money of course.
BTW: @stepthehen: I've read the second story before and that's why I asked - if this phone has gone through two years and can mean so much for people...

It is a great phone & if the price is right then still a trenendous bit of kit.
The flip side : if you are not likely to want WM6.5.x or multi-boot & are paying high end price then it is not the best option.

Mister B said:
It is a great phone & if the price is right then still a trenendous bit of kit.
The flip side : if you are not likely to want WM6.5.x or multi-boot & are paying high end price then it is not the best option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mum says it is quite expensive, but, hey! Many phones nowadays have similar, if not worse, specs, but they are being sold with a higher price tag, simply because "they're new".
And I do want the multi-boot and I do want to play with OSes. Actually it's my #1 reason. ^^

[Q]- What Makes Hd2 This Special...?

i bought a hd2 last week, since the i have tried like 20 different roms both wp7 and android ones, and i m loving it,, but i m curious to know that how come this is the only phone that can do this, i mean wat is in it ( or not there in it) , that makes it support different operating systems.

One word DFT!
OK so I guess it is actually three Dark Forces Team. A group of devs including Cotula that dove head first into the phone once we found out that Micro$oft was going to leave us high and dry when it cam to WP7. They and all of the other devs that flocked to this phone, mostly because of its top of the line specs at the time and even still for the most part, are why this phone is still a beast!
Really all our phone doesn't have is a front facing camera, better screen resolution, and higher ram. And truthful the last one is really not that far behind what is out in the "top of the line "phones coming out today, and none are true deal breakers
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA

yes i totally agree,its still not far behind in terms of performance, i tried out Shadowgun game in galaxy s2 and was amazed by its graphics, but then i tested it on hd2 ics 4.04 , i was surprised to see that it gave me almost same graphics as s2 , and ran really smoothly..
And wen i thought of reason exactly same reason struk my mind that, this was an awesum device getting ruined on wp6.5, so i order to have wp7 in it all this development happened..
But wat i want to know is if some developers gives his everything to some other phone , like they gave everything to hd2 , can some other device of today replace hd2 in terms of multiple operating systems support....

I really don't have high hopes for any other phones following the course of the HD2. People now are really one way or another (either love android or WP7 not both and most "hate" the opposing OS). Heck if I knew how to do it I would love to see IOS and the new BB10 on here just to prove once again HD2 is king!
The reason I think we got all of this was the fact that when they found out wp6.5 was dieing they wanted to get something that would be supported for longer. Android was in the beginning of its boom and WP7 was still in development at MS so some devs got together and got Android to boot on SD using HARET. People fell in love and DFT started working on nand. During this time devs started using the base we were given to get Linux and Windows running from SD. DFT got nand working with magldr then WP7 dropped and I have a feeling Cotula really likes it (since that seems to be the bulk of his posts lately) so he reformatted magldr to be able to run both. Then meego came out and development sounded promising but never got the attention from the right devs plus it was dropped by nokia (I think) so I don't see that going anywhere.
I think the main reason we have all this is that the SPL was torn down and fully understood meaning that they were able to turn the phone into a blank slate with the ability to control every aspect of it with the right code (magldr) . Leaving it possible to do whatever they wanted. Plus the open source nature of android helps!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA

@tobiascrystal
thanks for the mini-history of our HD2, i too was wondering like amitoj about the HD2. I guess coz it was the last line in the wp6.5 series with still so much power in it that it became what it was now.
I was also searching the net for a similar phone that can run magldr & other bootloader but found none or a few is in development. I was thinking since a lot of other phones out there have similar spec as the HD2 can't they do the same for those?

I would say that anything is possible with enough time, brain power, and motivation (and maybe some cash) . All these newer smartphones are nothing but mini computers and could, in theory, all do the same thing as the HD2 but like I said you have to have someone(s) that is really devoted. If I remember correctly it took over a year of coding for DFT to get magldr ready for the masses. I am not sure what the next super phone is going to be that catches that kind of developer attention. I tell you one thing though, the day I hear about it I don't care if I have to pay full retail I will be next in line to buy it!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA

Indeed, I fear the time when my HD2 will die and I will be forced to use new phone with stock roms Hopefully till this time, some phone will get as much attentions as our beloved leo.

@delwing
i guess, other phones do accept custom roms , but not of a totally different operating system.
We are lucky that this device got so much attention from developers , but really after using it , i dont think ill ever like any phone more than this. and i guess hd2 is gonna be one of a kind for years to come. But i really wish that there comes a phone which is as beautiful as HD2 and which can match high end specs of today's phones. At present its specs are more than wat are required , but in an year or two we will need some phone like this with better specs.

I am in the Philippines and am currently using htc One X. But I have been searching for a brand new HTC HD2 for a long time now and I can't seem to find one I miss this beast of a phone. This is the first time I have used android by the way. Call me old school, but I like WM6.5 better. Even better than WP7.5. Personally I think the possibilities in customization on HD2 is endless. hehehe..of course hardware wise it got left beind but still...anyone know where I can get a bnew one?

Thailand still has them available including new boxed TMOUS models ...
WM6.5 is the king of customization & good settings, only software development made Android popular, the actual OS is ****e ...

there will never be an HD2 again, the market is so diluted with *cough-****e-* cough that developers and would be developers are spread out to thin.
The HD2 was king simply because it was THE phone to have, there was very little similar to it, and the power within its S1 SoC was way ahead of anything else, thus we ended up with a situation where the HD2 was the place to be. The fact that soft SPL then hard SPL was done quickly followed by Android booting from within WM cemented its fame, the final rise to power was MAGLDR, allowing pretty much anything to be done. Live it up guys, as sure as bears crap in the woods, this will never happen to a device again so long as they keep pumping out so much crap in to the markets and doing everything to lock them down.

very simple answer to the question.
it can only run
wm 6.5, wp7, all the versions of Android, meego and Ubuntu

enyaj said:
I am in the Philippines and am currently using htc One X. But I have been searching for a brand new HTC HD2 for a long time now and I can't seem to find one I miss this beast of a phone. This is the first time I have used android by the way. Call me old school, but I like WM6.5 better. Even better than WP7.5. Personally I think the possibilities in customization on HD2 is endless. hehehe..of course hardware wise it got left beind but still...anyone know where I can get a bnew one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ebay HK still have some new ones & they ship worldwide, give it a search

G.O.A.T.
I have been waiting to see the HD2 in the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of OS's on one Phone.
I am just as pleased or more so today as I was when I woke up early to be at T-Mobile when the doors opened to be the first to have one. I work for AT&T and I see lots of new phone come and go. As best I can tell most people love their OS. Unlike most of us HD2 owners here who love our phone.
I would also like to thank the developers for their hard word and staying ahead of the pack. For Example, I was running a stable version of ICS months before the newer phones received their updates or pre-installs appeared in the work place.
I truly believe that the HTC-HD2 will be looked at as one of the G.O.A.T.. (Greatest of all Time)