Android Home Phone, Binatone iDECT iHOME / Motorola HS1001 - Android Software Development

There doesn't seem to be a thread on XDA Dev for this exciting home phone, so I thought I'd create one. Quite weird actually, the first Android powered home phone and no ones talking about it!
I first caught wind of this just before Christmas 2010 and I thought WOW this looks cool! It does sound cool right?!
When I looked into it I thought it could have a bit better specs, but it's the first one out so I can only guess they are just publically testing the concept. Around November/December last year there were a lot of sites talking about it, but no one really had a hands on review, I though I'd wait till the new year, around January/February time till people have had a good mess around with it, but that time has been and gone, and a quick search on Google reveals no new news on it since early January
I don't actually have one myself but I would really like to get one just to try it out. But for £100 it's a tad to expensive for me at the moment. Its sold at Argos, Homebase used to sell it, but they don't list it on their website anymore.
If anyone has one please speak up!
Here are the quick stats:
-Android 1.6
-256MB internal memory
-SD Card Slot
-2.8" resistive touch screen (320x240)
-Wi-Fi
Argos link (+reviews): http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...5|Digital+phones+single+handsets|14418986.htm
Amazon link (+reviews): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binatone-iH...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1299183948&sr=8-1
Binatone link: http://www.binatonetelecom.com/products/android-products/ihome-phone
From what I gather the Motorola HS1001 is practically the same phone.
There are some videos on youtube of the HS1001 in action.
Now I'm no Android expert but I'm no dunce either, so this question goes out to the real hardcore Android hackers out there:
When you get a brand new device and you want to 'open it up' to get different ROMs on there etc, what the first thing you do?
Do you find out how to get in the bootloader?
Do you hook it up to your PC and run ADB or Fastboot or some other tool?
Or something else altogether?
I'd guess it's easier if its a new HTC device or another well known manafacturer as you would assume it's quite like the HTC devices that have come before it, but what about if it's a new device from a newish manafacturer? Would you see if anyones hacked any devices that company have made before? I'm guessing it's also easier if the company releases the source for their phones version of Android.

Lol, I think the lack of response answers a few of my questions
If there are any devs browsing this topic, I would still like some answers regarding the 'What do you do with a totally new device' questions.
I am looking at getting one of these phones eventually, and it looks like I will be the only one with it, so I'll be doing all the dev work myself from scratch

Thanks for the info.
I never thought an "Android" "housephone" existed!
since im all go for converting the world to Android I would seriously LOVE to own one.
there is one left in the argos near me, but as you rightly stated £100 is a lot of money.
if i do invest in one i will post further information, just dont hold your breath!!
Thanks again.

I bought one of these phones last night and first impressions are pretty good! Its a little slow, but I'm comparing it to my SGS2
Is there anyone else out there with this phone?
Whats the deal with Binatone not releasing the source code like the big phone companies do? I thought it was a requirement of the GPL?

Related

When do you think the G1 will reach its end of life?

Considering its limited memory, I was wondering when everyone thinks the G1 is likely to reach the end of its usefulness.. especially as android develops and requires better hardware to power it.
Any ideas?
I know for certain this topic has been discussed in this subforum atleast two times. Maybe you could join the discussion in those threads?
I know you weren't looking for an answer like this but I suppose it depends on the actual user of the phone, when I had my LG Vu (I know its not a smart phone) I loved it for about a week and absolutely needed a new phone, while my father has his LG Vu and uses it all the time and doesn't even think about getting a new phone since his does the job.
To me this phone will be good for a year or two before I decide to move further, unless I'm influenced to get a different phone which I probably would be
I'm hoping that Android in develop and improve in such a way that it will optimize the use of the current hardware. Optimize the hardware drivers, improve the coding, etc.
Considering that the Dream, Magic, Hero all have the same CPU, I do hope they make more progress on optimizing it for the CPU.
As long as there's a single dev still doing something for G1, it will not die. And after that it will still take some time.
Just go to the forums of some of the really old devices - they're still active.
Karolis said:
As long as there's a single dev still doing something for G1, it will not die. And after that it will still take some time.
Just go to the forums of some of the really old devices - they're still active.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I still visit the Tmobile Shadows forum on this site and there are still roms being cooked for it.
I change phones almost every year if not 2 times a year....but havent changed my phone since I got the G1 because...and it still impresses friends almost every week....
Karolis said:
As long as there's a single dev still doing something for G1, it will not die. And after that it will still take some time.
Just go to the forums of some of the really old devices - they're still active.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is so true. I first found this site when I got an HTC Wizard. When I got it the model had long since been discontinued, but the developers here were still active. With what I got here it managed to put an old phone on par with many new models.
Personally until an android phone comes out with a significantly better processor, screen, camera, and with a physical keyboard, I'm probably not going anywhere.
G1 will die when someone releases a phone with twice the processing power, hardware-accelerated 3D, a decent camera (5+ MP, autofocus, flash) true multitouch screen, and at half the power consumption.
it may never truly die
Just Google "nanoloop" to see how long a cult object can outlive its perceived consumer life cycle. I see the G1 as having great potential for achieving cult status, due in part to its homely chin.
Like those above have said i honestly don't see this ever dying out. This was and is the first Android phone and for the fact i see it always being around being worked on.
The G1 will die:
1. After the iPhone dies
2. After all the devs stop developing <- highly unlikely
3. When T-Mobile makes a huge mistake
Just my two cents.
Cult Status probably not but long lifetime
The G1 in my opinion does not have that much of a cult status potential since today the lifecycle is wa quicker than in 1989. I mean the GB was produced for like 8-10 years! Mine still works and would never sell it or give it away.
I know that I will want a new phone in probably a year (or whenever the next nice android device WITH a hardware keyboard and a better camera + batterylife) will come out. But even then I will keep my G1 as second navigation device? GPS dataloger? Mobile Router? Remote Control?....
there is so much great softwware that works great on the G1 hardware and unless you dont want to run som stupid 3D UI or game on it I dont see a reason to get rid of it.
with all my respect to all those who love their G1: i would like to give my opinion;;;;;
this phone (G1) is a complete crap, it does not worth a penny, and it is a BIG failure for Tmo, Google, and HTC. it is nothing but a piece of sh***. they should have done a lot more development and testing before they released it to the public. they did not give it to us for free,, we paid a lot of $ for it. and it DOES NOT WORK.
sorry for the language but honestly i consider my G1 as the worst purchase i have made in my whole life. it is a FRAUD and is AREADY DEAD.
ajarmeh104 said:
with all my respect to all those who love their G1: i would like to give my opinion;;;;;
this phone (G1) is a complete crap, it does not worth a penny, and it is a BIG failure for Tmo, Google, and HTC. it is nothing but a piece of sh***. they should have done a lot more development and testing before they released it to the public. they did not give it to us for free,, we paid a lot of $ for it. and it DOES NOT WORK.
sorry for the language but honestly i consider my G1 as the worst purchase i have made in my whole life. it is a FRAUD and is AREADY DEAD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man." Haha. But on a serious note and I mean no offense by this but if you have so much hatred for the G1 why are you on this forum? Some people pay way more for a phone that does less and is way worse than you believe this phone to be. Granted everyone is looking for different things. Perfect example a co-worker bought a blackberry bold and hated it with a passion, his son however loved it (me I would never consider paying more for what I deem an inferior phone). So it is all personal preference, but I don't see this phone dying anytime soon unless another phone with better specs and a full keyboard comes along.
dear BSDADON and all:
Iam here on this forum trying to find solutions and fixes for things and issues of the G1 that should NEVER have been issues to begin with. example: apps2sd;;;;; how come Tmo and Google sell the phone without this feature and with almost no internal memory????? and what is more funny is that they give you the market app??? where are we expected to install apps????
another example is the email client: they shipped the phone with email that does NOT work with exchange servers,,,,, and even when you find a server that is supported (POP3), then the only way you can empty the trash is to uninstall the application.... WTF ?????? isnt that a FRAUD????
the basic functionality of the G1 is compromised FOR NOTHING..... there are many times when the phone fails to wake up on incoming calls....
all the things that people are looking for here are things that should have been supported by the first release of G1.....
ajarmeh104 said:
dear BSDADON and all:
Iam here on this forum trying to find solutions and fixes for things and issues of the G1 that should NEVER have been issues to begin with. example: apps2sd;;;;; how come Tmo and Google sell the phone without this feature and with almost no internal memory????? and what is more funny is that they give you the market app??? where are we expected to install apps????
another example is the email client: they shipped the phone with email that does NOT work with exchange servers,,,,, and even when you find a server that is supported (POP3), then the only way you can empty the trash is to uninstall the application.... WTF ?????? isnt that a FRAUD????
the basic functionality of the G1 is compromised FOR NOTHING..... there are many times when the phone fails to wake up on incoming calls....
all the things that people are looking for here are things that should have been supported by the first release of G1.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man... you should probably pop a valium or something. It's a phone, not genocide.
- internal memory. This is obviously a weakpoint, but it doesn't affect everyone equally. For example I only keep about a dozen apps installed at any given time. My guess is most users who have hundreds of apps installed are not using them all on a frequent basis.
- exchange email. First, you have to understand that the G1 is targeted firstly as a consumer device. Most consumers do not need exchange mail access. That said, there is nothing keeping Android implementers from adding exchange support if they wish, which is exactly what we're seeing HTC do now on some of their self-branded phones.
- incoming calls. I've never had my phone fail to wake or ring on an incoming call. Perhaps this is a network issue or you have a custom android build installed? Generally speaking the "stock" builds are very responsive to incoming calls. There is a thread in the dev subforum that roughly compares various builds and their incoming call alertness.
ajarmeh104 said:
dear BSDADON and all:
Iam here on this forum trying to find solutions and fixes for things and issues of the G1 that should NEVER have been issues to begin with. example: apps2sd;;;;; how come Tmo and Google sell the phone without this feature and with almost no internal memory????? and what is more funny is that they give you the market app??? where are we expected to install apps????
another example is the email client: they shipped the phone with email that does NOT work with exchange servers,,,,, and even when you find a server that is supported (POP3), then the only way you can empty the trash is to uninstall the application.... WTF ?????? isnt that a FRAUD????
the basic functionality of the G1 is compromised FOR NOTHING..... there are many times when the phone fails to wake up on incoming calls....
all the things that people are looking for here are things that should have been supported by the first release of G1.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too bad you have so many issues with the G1.
How many apps do you have installed and how many do you actually use? I doubt most people have more than 30-40 apps installed that they used more than a few times. It has enough space for at least that many and probably more.
Not all phone support Exchange, in fact most don't. Even iphone didn't for a long time. Android does have the ability to use Exchange now if you have the right official or custom build. It is not 'fraud' when a feature is missing or overlooked. If you go overboard with how you describe issues, people won't take you seriously.
I have not read any issues with G1 being unresponsive on receiving calls on the official build. If you are having unresponsive functionality while using a custom build or any app that may be conflicting, then it is not a problem with the G1. I've experience slowness when I used the overclock app, but I had underclocked it to 128mhz. That was MY fault. If you are having problems with the official G1 build with no apps installed, than maybe it's time to talk to T-Mobile and get it replaced since nobody else has that problem.
In an ideal world, everything would be perfect on the first release. It's almost never that way. There are very few exception to this, but they are probably never always perfect either. I suppose NASA or Dept of Defense could get the first release to be perfect.. but DoD has over $700,000,000,000 budget. Also the phone would cost more than what most people would want to pay.. also it would take a long time to before it got released..
For me, as long as the is still workin its useful until something else catches my eyes.. but nothin haven't yet and there so much u can do with the g1.
EDIT- yea if there is atleast one dev still grindin the g1 will never die
I'm not going to answer certain inane rantings (see above), I only feel the need to say the following.
Look at the forum for the HTC wizard. It has seen very little traffic since 2008. On the other hand, I would advise people to keep their wizards rather than buy a newer phone, because of what we do here on XDA. It's making the software do incredible things that makes hacking what it is. It's what makes open source glorious. Personally, continually buying new things just because the hardware is better only supports the standard microsoft/apple/ibm/everyotherestablishedcompany method of releasing new hardware with primitive software implementations. Just look at what we've done with the dream so far:
Apps to SD
Media to SD
Root Access
Full CPU Scaling
VPN Access
Themes
Scripts
Volume Hacks
Faster Charge Times
Better WIFI and Bluetooth system integration....
the list goes on. And as long as the Dream remains the easiest android phone to root, it's going to keep extending.

want to come over to the HTC world from Blackberry...but..

i was wondering who in here has come over to this phone from a blackberry.
likes? dislikes?
i have been reading some on here about the "lag" with the HTC HD2. is this true? all the reviews i read say nothing about it. and i do not like a laggy phone. and disabling Sense makes no "sense" to me...
also, is there alot of customizations that can be done? how about updates? are they common like on a blackberry? will win7 mobile be able to be run on this? hows the battery life compared to the iphone? (that is why i dont have an iphone any more, i cant stand the battery life)
i LOVe the looks of that phone...
Thanks all!
I jummped the Blackberry ship for the HD2 last week.
I wont be able to answer ALL your questions 100%, but I will be able to help.
Lag, If you use your task manager and close the unused programs, then you *shouldnt* have any lag. I am still using the stock phone settings from T-Mo. and I am not seeing any lag at all just by closing the app/programs this way.
Customizing, The phone is still new, and the devs here are working hard to push out new stuff all the time. But the phone is VERY customisable. If your comfy working with DLL and CAB files you can change the layout/colors/buttons/exctra of the dif screanes and apps.
WP7, As of right now.. No. But the devs here are working on it, as well as the Droid os.
While Blackberry has updates offten, it still upto the provider to push em out to the end users, and T-Mo, is the worst at doing so. But you can get all the updates/mods/apps from the devs here.
Batterie life can be awesome, or it can be the bane of your phone. lol. If you keep task manager clean, the batterie will last for wat feels like for ever. I ran both of the Transformer movies from start to credits, played on the internet a bit, and made a few calls, and still had a lot of bat strength left. but if you run a lot of apps in the back ground, and dont keep your task manager clean, you will charge your phone 2x a days.
Over all im loving this phone. I have a ton to learn about it still, but it is a great phone.
My $.02
Wolfee
Thank you so much for your reply. that helped alot.
i just sold 2 of my BB's, so i am looking now at buying one i cant wait
I have to say with my blackberry experience with the one I carry around for work, a Nextel 8350i. being the network admin for the company I work for, and I also work with the BES server software. they can get pretty laggy as well at times. especially when there is alot of background data transfer going on to the BES server.
In the end i prefer my HD2 to blackberry. I consider the BB a good platform for someone who wants something that just works, and arent very technically minded like the people I work with. I can already imagine the issues Id run into trying to introduce the WinMo platform there.
WinMo is good for technical users that like to tweak and customize and can live with or work around the occasional bug, and are able to figure things out for themselves or with the help of a support forum like this
I would never recommend WinMo for someone that requires hand holding with anything technical/computer related. it just becomes too much of a hassle and waste of time for me having to support them.
great post...that makes me feel better to. i feel the same way, i have owned alot of blackberrys and they do lag alot more.
and i am one who LOVES to tinker with things..so i am thinking i might like this better...are there ways to recover if you play TO much and brick your phone?
also i cant seem to find any screen shots of what the sms inbox looks like? was wondering. is it threaded messages?
IF you successfully install HSPL, the chances of really "bricking" your HD2 are pretty low. The worst thing you can do "brick" a TMOUS HD2 is to flash an incompatible Radio (one with ...51... in the identifier string). As long as you stay with T-Mobile compatible Radios/ROMs, you should be fine.
dvigue said:
great post...that makes me feel better to. i feel the same way, i have owned alot of blackberrys and they do lag alot more.
and i am one who LOVES to tinker with things..so i am thinking i might like this better...are there ways to recover if you play TO much and brick your phone?
also i cant seem to find any screen shots of what the sms inbox looks like? was wondering. is it threaded messages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it has threaded sms messages. And there are almost always ways to recover your phone from bricking it, unless you flash the wrong radio, like he said in the post above. Just don't flash ones with .51 in them and your fine. Odds are you won't even need to flash your radio, so it's nothing to worry about. Good luck with your new HD2. Its the most versatile, powerful phone when you learn to use it well.
Yeah, I was a fellow BlackBerry user. I've had 2 in past... and my most recent device was the BlackBerry 9700.
I certainly miss the days where I'd manage to squeeze 70 hours out of a single charge cycle.
But nevertheless, I am absolutely in love with the HD2. Plus, I've owned countless HTC products, and I'm always left satisfied and smiling...
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!
(I couldn't help myself...)
i JUST got it! walmart had one left and i had a gift certificate. omg i love it alreay, and i have not even started to play with it. Guys i need your help...
what do i do first? updates? how do i know what updates to do? are there any tutorials in here i can read about noobs? i want to make sure mine is up to date for sure...but so far i love it. what a nice screen and feel...
LOVE IT!
I just upgraded from a Blackberry curve, and from an IT professional's standpoint, I love this phone. The ability to tinker, the software community here, multimedia capabilities, and the tools built in (wifi access point, slacker, etc.) are a welcome breath of fresh air to having a smart phone.
i have been looking and reading, but im getting a little confused. where do i go to find any updates for my phone? i cant seem to find any on the HTC website?
dvigue said:
i have been looking and reading, but im getting a little confused. where do i go to find any updates for my phone? i cant seem to find any on the HTC website?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this:
http://www.htc.com/europe/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=297&act=sd&cat=all
But, I am not sure whether they are for EU or US versions.
EDIT: Just realized the link is for the EU version...here is the link for the US version....no updates ATM but keep an eye out
http://www.htc.com/us/support/t-mobile-hd2/downloads/
oh ok, that is what i wondered...so there are NO updates for the tmobile version? is that becasue i already have a newer ROM with all those updates on it? my rom is Dated 2/22/10 and is version 2.10.531.1 (82076) WWe
is this because the tmobile version just came out?
dvigue said:
oh ok, that is what i wondered...so there are NO updates for the tmobile version? is that becasue i already have a newer ROM with all those updates on it? my rom is Dated 2/22/10 and is version 2.10.531.1 (82076) WWe
is this because the tmobile version just came out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For this to be a smooth transition you must realize this is a completely different experience. There will not be a lot, if any, official updates. What there will be is unofficial/leaked updates that are implemented in custom (cooked) roms. Some of these will be leaked from Microsoft and some will be released from HTC but TMobile USA will most likely not leak any. Don't panic though, because this is why we love XDA Devs so much.
You will need to read MSkips tutorial on flashing HardSPL. HSPL will allow you to flash these custom roms and a few other things. These custom roms will often be cutting edge so read which ones you really want because some will simply be going for speed, others looks and others stability. There are some great cooks around here who actually combine all three.
I write this because you are already panicking on a lack of updates. That's just not how it works here so you have to let it go. You don't find the same OS version on every model like in BlackBerry or Iphone over here. Older models are having roms cooked for them that include what only the new ones have out the box because many of the older phones here don't have the memory or are simply out of the loop for the carrier and HTC. My 8525 was like that. I'm just explaining so you understand the landscape better.
The best way to succeed here is to search and ask questions once you can't find the answers. Most of the stuff you have questions about has been asked and answered before (most but not all). Make sure to read in this forum and the other HD2 forum because the phones aren't that different. If you have a question or concern about a specific program or rom make sure you ask the question in that thread and not create a new thread.
Welcome to WinMo and XDA Devs. Also our TMo USA HD2's do have the latest official updates.
Hope your htc hd2 blows up! The starter of this thread is a joke! He bothers me for two days texting me as early as 5am saying he wants the phone please dont sell, as he's waiting for the money. We make a deal after going back and fourth on text messages. He tells me a few hours later he's not buying because he bought it locally at walmart. WHAT A PATHETIC JERK!! I ^&%^ wasted my time taking pix to send him just for him to take this whole thing as a JOKE! I lost out on another potential deal because this idiot agreed on buying it. BE AWARE of this LOSER!!!
addicus said:
For this to be a smooth transition you must realize this is a completely different experience. There will not be a lot, if any, official updates. What there will be is unofficial/leaked updates that are implemented in custom (cooked) roms. Some of these will be leaked from Microsoft and some will be released from HTC but TMobile USA will most likely not leak any. Don't panic though, because this is why we love XDA Devs so much.
You will need to read MSkips tutorial on flashing HardSPL. HSPL will allow you to flash these custom roms and a few other things. These custom roms will often be cutting edge so read which ones you really want because some will simply be going for speed, others looks and others stability. There are some great cooks around here who actually combine all three.
I write this because you are already panicking on a lack of updates. That's just not how it works here so you have to let it go. You don't find the same OS version on every model like in BlackBerry or Iphone over here. Older models are having roms cooked for them that include what only the new ones have out the box because many of the older phones here don't have the memory or are simply out of the loop for the carrier and HTC. My 8525 was like that. I'm just explaining so you understand the landscape better.
The best way to succeed here is to search and ask questions once you can't find the answers. Most of the stuff you have questions about has been asked and answered before (most but not all). Make sure to read in this forum and the other HD2 forum because the phones aren't that different. If you have a question or concern about a specific program or rom make sure you ask the question in that thread and not create a new thread.
Welcome to WinMo and XDA Devs. Also our TMo USA HD2's do have the latest official updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great info....i really enjoyed your post...I cant wait to strart learning more and more about this phone. I really lucked out. My local walmart had only 1 left, and i had a gift card so i got it at a good price. I have had the iphone and this is so much better....i cant wait to start to customize it...
Thanks gang!
jain75 said:
Hope your htc hd2 blows up! The starter of this thread is a joke! He bothers me for two days texting me as early as 5am saying he wants the phone please dont sell, as he's waiting for the money. We make a deal after going back and fourth on text messages. He tells me a few hours later he's not buying because he bought it locally at walmart. WHAT A PATHETIC JERK!! I ^&%^ wasted my time taking pix to send him just for him to take this whole thing as a JOKE! I lost out on another potential deal because this idiot agreed on buying it. BE AWARE of this LOSER!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really don't know what to say about this. Did I talk with him about buying his phone yes, did we talk back and fourth all day about it? yes. Isn't that what craigslist is all about? bartering, making deals etc? it was at the last moment when i found out a local walmart had one HD2 left at the same price he was selling it at, and i had a gift card so it was even cheaper, and it was 5 min from my house (for returns etc) so that is why i backed out. I am in no way a "scammer" because of this. sorry, im not.
I apologized multiple times, and he wont accept, so there is no more that I can do. I even tried a few contacts to see if they would buy it from him. I cant do any more...
on a positive, Jain75 was Very good with communication, and answered all my questions i had about the sale. he did take multiple pictures for me like i had asked. I had asked for all of that, because i was sending someone 450 dollars whom i did not know, so i wanted all the proof that the phone was legit that i could get. and he did give that all to me.
again, i feel really bad, but what else can i do? i have had MANY MANY people say "yeah ill buy that, let me get back to you" and i never hear back. at least i told him the truth,....
I just recently came over from a blackberry storm 2 to hd2 April 1. Let me say that the HD2 is a totally different experience from blackberry. I loved how the blackberry managed my business OTOH it sucked for pleasure. With the HD2 you get both business and pleasure.
HTC blows blackberry out of the water to me, at least this hd2 does. By that I mean large screen, plenty of themes, apps, etc. Not the same old tired interface as blackberry. It has NO LAG WHATSOEVER. This phone has all my needs met and more.
Only thing about windows is you have to find roms,apps, etc instead of it being in a central location.
I will be using this phone for awhile, t-mobile is crappy in my area so I unlocked to at&t.
I carry a BB Tour and a HD2 right now.
The only two things I like about the BB over the HD2 are the battery life of the BB and the keyboard. I HATE the HD2 on screen keyboard. Even swipe blows.
But if you are anything like me, it's all about the Apps (quality Apps, that is). The HD2 is my media phone, hands down (better than my iPhone). The BB is the work horse and back up music player.
HotShotAzn said:
I carry a BB Tour and a HD2 right now.
The only two things I like about the BB over the HD2 are the battery life of the BB and the keyboard. I HATE the HD2 on screen keyboard. Even swipe blows.
But if you are anything like me, it's all about the Apps (quality Apps, that is). The HD2 is my media phone, hands down (better than my iPhone). The BB is the work horse and back up music player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate the onscreen keyboard too lol. I have been trying to find another input keyboard that somewhat resembles blackberry.
Actually this HD2 can do it all. Give it a try. I use it for my business and media. I plug my phone up to my car everyday for media and it charges it as well.

to buy htc trophy or stick with android?

i posted this in wp7 general chat also
ok so i have been a faithful android fan since the first droid, then i got incredible on verizon, loved them both but hated battery life of inc, hated slow updates but i fixed that with cyanogen mod. so i hate the skins the manufacturers add to the phone cause it slows them down and makes them slower to get updates, i love android stock expierience, but verizon doesnt really offer a decent phone with that. the problems i have with android are the lack of polish and overall not the greatest user expierience and inconsistant behavior in the os lol. i changed to a iphone because a lack of good android phones and i like the consistant aproach apple took even tho i dont like apple or the iphone all that much. so ive been eyeing wp7 for a while. i like the ui, but verizon is just now getting its first wp7 phone the htc trophy, not the best phone, but is wp7 worth it? give me some advantages and stuff i would like, to help me decide if i should get it. also i just bought a dx2 and talk about a buggy and inconsistant phone, i cant handle the constant freezing and unsmoothness feeling of the overall os on the phone, so im gonna return it, just trying to decide to get a wp7 or a dif android phone. thanks fellas
I'll be honest with you, all current WP7 devices are the same, the basic specs are the same, some might have a keyboard, larger screen or something else but, the CPU and performance/features are the same between all current models.
If you have done you homework and it seems like you have, give the Trophy a shot, you can't go wrong, you could always return it in the VZW 15 day return window if you don't like it.
It all depends on what you really love about Android, can you replace it on WP7, or can you live with out it ?
trophy,smoother interface and fast,had no probs with freeze etc etc etc,,not as good as android if you like to mess about a lot installing customized roms ,free COUGH games
I am sorta in the same boat, excpet I know I am gonna switch to wp7. I have had the incredible since launch day and it has been an awesome phone. I came from wm6.5 on the tp2. I loved how easily you could customize wm6.5 but it was a dying os, alas I went to android. I also got android knowing that the same sorta hack/customizing scene was taking off. Well, I just don't have time anymore to spend fiddling and customizing my phone multiple times a week. I have been running cyanogen 7 rc something for a while now, its been smooth, but I just don't have the time to keep up.
So long story short, aside from customizing android, I don't find it all that appealing. maybe the only thing i'll miss is "google maps." I have demoed multiple wp7 phones in at&t and sprint stores. And like DavidinCT said, they all felt/performed the same. I even almost jumped ship to sprint, but the keyboard was the deal breaker, hate phones with physical keyboards. anywho, i also (with every ounce of engery) despise apple, so iphone is outa the question.
another thing that sealed the deal for me is I have an xbox360 and zune hd. having both of those integrate with my phone will be awesome.
so all in all. every wp7 phone I have demoed have run buttery smooth, I dig the snappy ui, I am already used to the ui (thanks zune hd), and I look forward to xbox live integration. it is already enough to make me drop android and give it a shot, and its only going to get better (mango, and future updates). plus i look forward to a phone I don't have to strip down and customize to get it to run smoothly, oh, and hopefully better battery life. ok, I am done...hope that helps a little
I'm on the same boat as well and it's torture. I have an HTC Touchpro2 and I'll likely go with WP7 but I'm not ruling out Android just yet. I'll think about it for a week.
I changed from Android (Dell Streak) to my current Trophy, and I don't regret it.
I dropped my Streak, tried to replaced the damaged screen, and broke the phone more, so had to get something new. Thought I would give WP7 a try (As no one I know had used it at all, and I like to be different) and to be honest I think it was a good decision.
As mentioned, its not as 'customizable' as Android by any means, but I love the way it works and looks. Its a new OS, and to be fair its jumping forwards pretty quickly!
No lagging problems, good battery life (couple of days including playing about with it), no quibbles with updates, would be nice if I could stick in a memory card, but realistically who puts more than 8GB of stuff on their phone? I haven't met anyone who needs more than that yet!
Personally I reckon it'll easily be on par with the others once the Mango update appears at the end of this year.
Tarquin76 said:
I changed from Android (Dell Streak) to my current Trophy, and I don't regret it.
I dropped my Streak, tried to replaced the damaged screen, and broke the phone more, so had to get something new. Thought I would give WP7 a try (As no one I know had used it at all, and I like to be different) and to be honest I think it was a good decision.
As mentioned, its not as 'customizable' as Android by any means, but I love the way it works and looks. Its a new OS, and to be fair its jumping forwards pretty quickly!
No lagging problems, good battery life (couple of days including playing about with it), no quibbles with updates, would be nice if I could stick in a memory card, but realistically who puts more than 8GB of stuff on their phone? I haven't met anyone who needs more than that yet!
Personally I reckon it'll easily be on par with the others once the Mango update appears at the end of this year.
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Click to collapse
agree,the mango update looks good,only a few months to wait and as for the memory card you can IF you dont mind voiding the warranty
well i just got my trophy today. right now it is charging. coming from an htc incredible, and was pleased to see that the battery was identical to the trophys. yay, two batteries now...
i do love android, but i have high hopes for wp7. i'll let ya know my first impressions tomorrow
MrGoodCat said:
well i just got my trophy today. right now it is charging. coming from an htc incredible, and was pleased to see that the battery was identical to the trophys. yay, two batteries now...
i do love android, but i have high hopes for wp7. i'll let ya know my first impressions tomorrow
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Click to collapse
It's been a couple days... I hope it's because you've been having so much fun with it.
WP7 the worse mobile OS ever!!
My experience with WP7 is the worst ever! You can't do anything smart with this phone!
Ohh great, you can play music,games and chat on facebook.That's it!
No flash web pages, no bluetooth file transfers, no GPS software, stupid email attachment system, NO file management: you can't put your files where ever you want because of the new sandboxing system, no customizations for ringtones and alarms, you can download almost nothing with internet explorer,no multitasking yet,no USB mass storage for real, no way to install your own apps.
Now for a very few of these there is a fix with chevron's patch but still it's not a great thing to buy a phone, and be so dmn limited . My advice get an Android or if you have enough cash$$ an iPhone.
Cheers
mmuntean2 said:
My experience with WP7 is the worst ever! You can't do anything smart with this phone!
Ohh great, you can play music,games and chat on facebook.That's it!
No flash web pages, no bluetooth file transfers, no GPS software, stupid email attachment system, NO file management: you can't put your files where ever you want because of the new sandboxing system, no customizations for ringtones and alarms, you can download almost nothing with internet explorer,no multitasking yet,no USB mass storage for real, no way to install your own apps.
Now for a very few of these there is a fix with chevron's patch but still it's not a great thing to buy a phone, and be so dmn limited . My advice get an Android or if you have enough cash$$ an iPhone.
Cheers
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Click to collapse
So let me get this straight... you bought a new smartphone with a new OS off the shelf without test driving it or even getting some information on how it functions ? Do you even remember what Android or iOS were like when launched ?
WP7 is not for everyone and clearly you are one of them... go back to Android or iPhone, you'll be happier.
On a side note, just wanna drop a link to this post, concerning WP7.5 list of features announced so far:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1084161
mmuntean2 said:
My experience with WP7 is the worst ever! You can't do anything smart with this phone!
Ohh great, you can play music,games and chat on facebook.That's it!
No flash web pages, no bluetooth file transfers, no GPS software, stupid email attachment system, NO file management: you can't put your files where ever you want because of the new sandboxing system, no customizations for ringtones and alarms, you can download almost nothing with internet explorer,no multitasking yet,no USB mass storage for real, no way to install your own apps.
Now for a very few of these there is a fix with chevron's patch but still it's not a great thing to buy a phone, and be so dmn limited . My advice get an Android or if you have enough cash$$ an iPhone.
Cheers
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately you seem to be one of the usuals who expects everything from day one. How long have Android and iOS been around? Now how long has WP7 been out?
It takes time to do all of this stuff, and while we all complain when updates are dropped back etc, its a waiting game.
As previously stated, you're clearly not a WP7 person, so go follow all the other sheep and buy an iPhone so that you can start slating everything else. (Hey, at least you tried something else, most iPhone'rs have never used another OS yet spend all day *****ing about how crap the rest are!)
Tarquin76 said:
Unfortunately you seem to be one of the usuals who expects everything from day one. How long have Android and iOS been around? Now how long has WP7 been out?
It takes time to do all of this stuff, and while we all complain when updates are dropped back etc, its a waiting game.
As previously stated, you're clearly not a WP7 person, so go follow all the other sheep and buy an iPhone so that you can start slating everything else. (Hey, at least you tried something else, most iPhone'rs have never used another OS yet spend all day *****ing about how crap the rest are!)
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Click to collapse
I'm actually leaving my tbolt for the trophy. I've become bored with android and I'm ready to give wp7 a shot! Lets do this!
Sent from my ThunderBolt using XDA Premium App
ethan.r.besbris said:
I'm actually leaving my tbolt for the trophy. I've become bored with android and I'm ready to give wp7 a shot! Lets do this!
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Click to collapse
Give WP7 a test drive before you commit (a shop, friend or a demo phone somewhere), make sure it has at least the mininal apps and functions you can't live without and if not, that you are at least patient enough to wait on Mango.
I do alot of research before I commit to a new smartphone and WP7 was no different... and loving it.
Hm i thing that the modern user is very spoiled.
You pick a gadget and expect from it to be Number One .... iOS and Android were soooo limitated when they were out. How many years were needed for them to become mature .... Let's say you buy WP7 as a system for your phone ... at the moment, it's actually working, and quite well too. Limited ? Yes ! A young system ? Yes .... several months later You have one major update and in several months ahead a nearly new Release.
If You are no enthusiast, this system is not for You. For something to move forward it needs time and users. Demand will move the things forward much faster. If the shiny, little messy, look of Android with all it's unapproved and tested applications is the best for You, than You have it, just use it. The decision is very personal, only You can choose. If WP7 seams pretty limited to You, stay away from it for now. Return after one Year to see a grown, well build and competitive product. If you look closer You will see how fast the operating system gains speed ...
I played around with it for over an hour in store. itll be here tomorrow.
I want to like it, but every time I play with it in store, I'm underwhelmed. Additionally, I can't even access the Marketplace from the Verizon store model which is pretty disappointing. I went to two Verizon stores today and neither allowed me to access the Marketplace to look around.
porkovich said:
Hm i thing that the modern user is very spoiled.
You pick a gadget and expect from it to be Number One .... iOS and Android were soooo limitated when they were out. How many years were needed for them to become mature .... Let's say you buy WP7 as a system for your phone ... at the moment, it's actually working, and quite well too. Limited ? Yes ! A young system ? Yes .... several months later You have one major update and in several months ahead a nearly new Release.
If You are no enthusiast, this system is not for You. For something to move forward it needs time and users. Demand will move the things forward much faster. If the shiny, little messy, look of Android with all it's unapproved and tested applications is the best for You, than You have it, just use it. The decision is very personal, only You can choose. If WP7 seams pretty limited to You, stay away from it for now. Return after one Year to see a grown, well build and competitive product. If you look closer You will see how fast the operating system gains speed ...
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Click to collapse
I don't agree with this at all. Just because a phone OS is new to the market doesn't mean it should be lacking features that have been in other phones for years before. It happened with iphone, it happened with Android, and its happening with WP7. What if a new OS doesn't have a redial feature? Would that be okay since the first mobile phone didn't have it?
People are quick to excuse manufacturers for not including basic things like copy pasting or video recording, when they could have easily implemented them from the start without having to break their development budget.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
So you're not happy with your purchase then?
I like my phone, but I don't think I would have when Android first came out.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

[Q] Planning on buying one...

Hi. So i've been thinking about buying and HTC HD2 for a while, and finally decided that i will buy one.
I'm looking on Amazon at the moment and after looking at the reviews, the only problem seems to be that they are shipping T-Mobile USA versions of the phone instead of International. Which i'm completely fine with since i live in the USA and T-Mobile USA is my carrier.
The price is $299.99. I"m wondering if this device is worth that price considering that it came out like 1-2 years ago.
Would this be a good purchase? or would it be better to just look around more on ebay or something like that.
Thanks for the help .
i love this phone. i live and breathe it (for good or bad) but paying 300 bucks just might be worth it. i mean it is great. but you are paying for a WM phone to put wm7 or android (assuming you don't want WM). seems like you could get a lot of phone for that kind of cash. now the fun factor is worth it, but i see a lot of android native phones and happy people. personally, i would look around, check out native devices and the tweaks available here and go from there. now, it isn't a bad choice for a phone, but it ain't no spring chicken.
I already have an Android device. I was gonna get the HD2 back when i upgrade in November. I don't know why i didn't lol.
I figured $300 might be worth it. I've never used a Windows Mobile device before. I know it isn't exactly an amazing operating system. But if i don't like it i could stick Android or Windows Phone 7 on it. Which is another reason I kinda want to get this because I was thinking my next device would be a Windows Phone 7 device anyway. And it's not like i'm wasting an upgrade with T-Mobile anyway so I could still upgrade to a newer device later down the road.
I might just do it. According to Amazon i can return cell phones within the first 30 days of purchase. So i could probably just get a refund if I have problems with it or something.
I bought one for 380 about 3 or 4 months ago, and I definitely thought it was worth it.
There's so much you can do with this phone. Take off wm6.5 and put android on there. And at least 6 different really good versions of android. And it's so easy to switch from one android rom to another.
And after you've found the one you really like, then you can customize the hell out of it.
I'm a student in graduate school and this phone is the primary way I study. I installed studydroid, and this is 90% of what I do to study for an exam. If I had known how helpful this phone would be in my day to day activities, I would have bought it a year early for twice as much.
It has a calender, note taking, syncing contacts with google, very decent camera, mp3 player, and you can make the phone look very pretty.
If my HD2 broke right now, I would probably buy another for 300 usd immediately.
zackdroid said:
Hi. So i've been thinking about buying and HTC HD2 for a while, and finally decided that i will buy one.
I'm looking on Amazon at the moment and after looking at the reviews, the only problem seems to be that they are shipping T-Mobile USA versions of the phone instead of International. Which i'm completely fine with since i live in the USA and T-Mobile USA is my carrier.
The price is $299.99. I"m wondering if this device is worth that price considering that it came out like 1-2 years ago.
Would this be a good purchase? or would it be better to just look around more on ebay or something like that.
Thanks for the help .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be really Honest..once you start using Windows Mobile after using Android there is a 99% chance you wont like it. Its just lack of support thats all. I however still use WM cos it fulfills my basic needs.
1) SMS
2) Internet(Opera Mini)
3) Watching Movies
4) Making Calls
5) Battery Life (its amazing...I have 3G off and use automatic brightness and at the end of the day after nominal use my battery meter is around 70%)
So I am sure you will feel like putting Android/WP7 on it but since you already have an android phone you would go for Wp7
if thats the case
i would advice you to rather go buy the HD7 cos no matter how much of tweaking they do to the WP7 on HD2 it wont be as good as native Wp7 on HD7 ( is what I feel...battery issues...driver issues...magldr issues)
so yeah...go for a HD7..its an amazing phone...sleek and better display than HD2 (more colors) !! and i think an Android port will be soon there for the HD7 tooo !!!
Thanks everyone for the input. I just ordered it, it will be here friday .
Zackdroid,
Congratulations on your purchase! Just my 2 cents: while it's fashionable around these parts to knock the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS and for (well-meaning) people to advise you: "just take that off and install Android", let me just say that:
If we're talking about stock WinMo + stock Sense as the phone comes out of the box, then yes-- it's crappy. Considering that Microsoft is very good at building things with potential, but ultimately releasing them half-assed and half-brained, it's no wonder. But thanks to the incredibly smart, dedicated, creative, and inventive folks here on XDA, you can skin, stabilize, and mod WinMo into an entirely different beast (or install a custom ROM that does it for you). I started off like most people, whining about Windows on the HD2 and wanting to do something about it. However, unlike many others, I had to keep WinMo because I have need for several apps that have no Android equivalent (including a few that I wrote myself). So for me it started as necessity. But now, I'll say to anyone who'll listen, that a custom WinMo6.5 running the new Cookie's Home Tab Suite (with Editor, GUI, and Loco) is an entirely different experience. It's like the OS that Microsoft should have built, but didn't. In reality, it's not really even a mod but a bona fide re-write of the operating system (and it certainly blows the newer Windows Phone 7 out of the water). Truthfully, I love WinMo + CHT so much that when I'm in Android I can sometimes feel guilty that I'm not using CHT (and btw, I LOVE Android). So before you dismiss WinMo out of hand, give that some thought.
I cant say I really understand a lot of the advice here like "when you get your phone wipe Windows and install Android". This is NOT because of my previous statement defending WinMo, but rather because:
if its strictly Android you're after, there are newer (and cheaper) phones that have Android already installed, or that you can root and install your own custom flavor, but most importantly...
one of the most beautiful things about the HD2 is its unique status as a powerful, versatile, multi-OS phone. This thing is just not meant to run one OS!
NOTHING beats somebody asking me,
"Hey, what kind of phone is that?"
It's an HD2, I say.
"Oh, what is that, Android?"
Well...yes...I run Android. And a custom version of Windows Mobile. Oh, and Ubuntu as well. Yep. 'Matter of fact, if I wanted to I could run MeeGo, Win 95, and a few others I can't think of.
And then I can watch their jaw drop. I have had hardcore geeks practically foaming at the mouth in envy after I give them a quick multi-boot custom ROM demo and tally off all the relentless hacking I've done to this phone. It's awesome.
The bottom line is most of us here installed other stuff on our phone because we weren't satisfied with the stock phone, and could do something about it, because of the people and tools present here on XDA. But we already owned an HD2. I'm not sure I would go out and buy an HD2 if I was just going to turn it into a run of the mill phone like all the rest... get me?
RDionysus said:
Zackdroid,
Congratulations on your purchase! Just my 2 cents: while it's fashionable around these parts to knock the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS and for (well-meaning) people to advise you: "just take that off and install Android", let me just say that:
If we're talking about stock WinMo + stock Sense as the phone comes out of the box, then yes-- it's crappy. Considering that Microsoft is very good at building things with potential, but ultimately releasing them half-assed and half-brained, it's no wonder. But thanks to the incredibly smart, dedicated, creative, and inventive folks here on XDA, you can skin, stabilize, and mod WinMo into an entirely different beast (or install a custom ROM that does it for you). I started off like most people, whining about Windows on the HD2 and wanting to do something about it. However, unlike many others, I had to keep WinMo because I have need for several apps that have no Android equivalent (including a few that I wrote myself). So for me it started as necessity. But now, I'll say to anyone who'll listen, that a custom WinMo6.5 running the new Cookie's Home Tab Suite (with Editor, GUI, and Loco) is an entirely different experience. It's like the OS that Microsoft should have built, but didn't. In reality, it's not really even a mod but a bona fide re-write of the operating system (and it certainly blows the newer Windows Phone 7 out of the water). Truthfully, I love WinMo + CHT so much that when I'm in Android I can sometimes feel guilty that I'm not using CHT (and btw, I LOVE Android). So before you dismiss WinMo out of hand, give that some thought.
I cant say I really understand a lot of the advice here like "when you get your phone wipe Windows and install Android". This is NOT because of my previous statement defending WinMo, but rather because:
if its strictly Android you're after, there are newer (and cheaper) phones that have Android already installed, or that you can root and install your own custom flavor, but most importantly...
one of the most beautiful things about the HD2 is its unique status as a powerful, versatile, multi-OS phone. This thing is just not meant to run one OS!
NOTHING beats somebody asking me,
"Hey, what kind of phone is that?"
It's an HD2, I say.
"Oh, what is that, Android?"
Well...yes...I run Android. And a custom version of Windows Mobile. Oh, and Ubuntu as well. Yep. 'Matter of fact, if I wanted to I could run MeeGo, Win 95, and a few others I can't think of.
And then I can watch their jaw drop. I have had hardcore geeks practically foaming at the mouth in envy after I give them a quick multi-boot custom ROM demo and tally off all the relentless hacking I've done to this phone. It's awesome.
The bottom line is most of us here installed other stuff on our phone because we weren't satisfied with the stock phone, and could do something about it, because of the people and tools present here on XDA. But we already owned an HD2. I'm not sure I would go out and buy an HD2 if I was just going to turn it into a run of the mill phone like all the rest... get me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much the main reason I wanted to buy this phone is because of all of the OS's. I've heard people say that Windows Mobile is a horrible OS but honestly it doesn't look as bad as people say. I'm deffinantly not just buying this just to put Android on it considering I already have a rooted Android phone lol. I've always wanted to mess around and use Windows Mobile. And it's a device that could probably last me a while. I really can't wait until it gets here . lol.
EDIT: I also forgot to put on here that I think some of the Windows Mobile ROMs are pretty cool and nice looking.
I had my share of WM devices over the years and find HD2 simply amazing. When presented with a choice, I went for HD2 due to various OS ports available and options/customisations presented. In fact, I am in the process of parting with every other phone in my collection, bar HTC Universal, but I am keeping that one for sentimental reasons.
So yeah, i'd part with $300 if I had to replace mine. I am looking for a main board to stick into another HD2 I have, just so that I can have 1 set up and operational for daily use and another for flashing and playing around. Anyone wants to part with their broken, yet still alive HD2 - give me a PM.
As a matter of fact, I might have to shell out for a new HD2 myself. After a year and a half my phone has developed some reception/antenna problems, which if I cant figure out how to resolve it (like, by cracking open the phone and seeing if there's something "obvious" I can fix) I will have to retire the phone.
At that point, it will be tempting to grab something from the new crop of sweet Android-only phones, but I know for sure I'd be jonesin' for some multi-platform action and my HD2.
I'm starting to look now; I just hope I can find one for the right price.
RDionysus said:
As a matter of fact, I might have to shell out for a new HD2 myself. After a year and a half my phone has developed some reception/antenna problems, which if I cant figure out how to resolve it (like, by cracking open the phone and seeing if there's something "obvious" I can fix) I will have to retire the phone.
At that point, it will be tempting to grab something from the new crop of sweet Android-only phones, but I know for sure I'd be jonesin' for some multi-platform action and my HD2.
I'm starting to look now; I just hope I can find one for the right price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks :/. When I was looking around ebay i saw some for cheap prices. I figured i should play it safe by buying off of amazon though so that's what i did. I paid $299US for it.
Meanwhile, if you are looking at newer Android devices, and you're on T-Mobile USA, and don't mind keyboards, I would wait untill the myTouch 4G Slide is released. And HTC is supposed to be unlocking the bootloader on the Sensation 4G so that's another choice .
enigma1nz said:
I had my share of WM devices over the years and find HD2 simply amazing. When presented with a choice, I went for HD2 due to various OS ports available and options/customisations presented. In fact, I am in the process of parting with every other phone in my collection, bar HTC Universal, but I am keeping that one for sentimental reasons.
So yeah, i'd part with $300 if I had to replace mine. I am looking for a main board to stick into another HD2 I have, just so that I can have 1 set up and operational for daily use and another for flashing and playing around. Anyone wants to part with their broken, yet still alive HD2 - give me a PM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I went for the HD2. My other choice was gonna be the Touch Pro2 since it was cheaper and you can put Android on it. But i think the extra money will be worth it.
zackdroid said:
That sucks :/. When I was looking around ebay i saw some for cheap prices. I figured i should play it safe by buying off of amazon though so that's what i did. I paid $299US for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, there's a lot of phones on Ebay, but many are of questionable quality. You'll pay more on Amazon, but I'm assuming you got a warranty, so that's piece of mind.
Meanwhile, if you are looking at newer Android devices, and you're on T-Mobile USA, and don't mind keyboards, I would wait untill the myTouch 4G Slide is released. And HTC is supposed to be unlocking the bootloader on the Sensation 4G so that's another choice .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I hadn't given any thought to the myTouch. And obviously the Sensation is the new "it" phone, but honestly, apart from the excitement factor, it's served me well not to jump on the latest stuff, preferring to let the real early-adopters see what kinds of flaws and bugs are present and whether they can be fixed. I've avoided quite a few lemons this way (although you can't always avoid them all ) There are some grumblings RE the Sensation which I'm keeping my eye on: possible "deathgrip" flaw (which may turn out to be a red herring), wide swings in reception-quality on the TMOUS network (which the HD2 also suffered from!), so we'll see....
In the meantime, a few of my friends are taking any opportunity to rave (which can get a bit annoying) about their T-Mo G2X's, so that's a prospect if I go the non-HD2 route....
RDionysus said:
Yeah, there's a lot of phones on Ebay, but many are of questionable quality. You'll pay more on Amazon, but I'm assuming you got a warranty, so that's piece of mind.
Thanks, I hadn't given any thought to the myTouch. And obviously the Sensation is the new "it" phone, but honestly, apart from the excitement factor, it's served me well not to jump on the latest stuff, preferring to let the real early-adopters see what kinds of flaws and bugs are present and whether they can be fixed. I've avoided quite a few lemons this way (although you can't always avoid them all ) There are some grumblings RE the Sensation which I'm keeping my eye on: possible "deathgrip" flaw (which may turn out to be a red herring), wide swings in reception-quality on the TMOUS network (which the HD2 also suffered from!), so we'll see....
In the meantime, a few of my friends are taking any opportunity to rave (which can get a bit annoying) about their T-Mo G2X's, so that's a prospect if I go the non-HD2 route....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you sir, are a fountain of wisdom
Thanks DPMAce, I have my moments
But really, any wisdom comes from listening to and learning from all the folks around here who are smarter than me
RDionysus said:
Yeah, there's a lot of phones on Ebay, but many are of questionable quality. You'll pay more on Amazon, but I'm assuming you got a warranty, so that's piece of mind.
Thanks, I hadn't given any thought to the myTouch. And obviously the Sensation is the new "it" phone, but honestly, apart from the excitement factor, it's served me well not to jump on the latest stuff, preferring to let the real early-adopters see what kinds of flaws and bugs are present and whether they can be fixed. I've avoided quite a few lemons this way (although you can't always avoid them all ) There are some grumblings RE the Sensation which I'm keeping my eye on: possible "deathgrip" flaw (which may turn out to be a red herring), wide swings in reception-quality on the TMOUS network (which the HD2 also suffered from!), so we'll see....
In the meantime, a few of my friends are taking any opportunity to rave (which can get a bit annoying) about their T-Mo G2X's, so that's a prospect if I go the non-HD2 route....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. It's not always the best to jump in to new devices. I'm trying to force my self to wait to get the Galaxy S2 whenever it gets launched in the US. lol. I got really lucky getting the myTouch 4G almost right after it launched. A lot of devices were shipped with bad screens and bad emmc chips. The G2X looks nice although i've heard it has rebooting problems and stuff like that. But considering it's currently out of stock on T-Mobile's website, they're probably working on fixing it.
UPDATE
UPDATE: It came in the mail today . Everything seems to be fine. It's the T-Mobile USA version. The only odd thing was that it came in a myTouch 4G box...lol. But I got the device and that's all that really matters.
zackdroid said:
UPDATE: It came in the mail today . Everything seems to be fine. It's the T-Mobile USA version. The only odd thing was that it came in a myTouch 4G box...lol. But I got the device and that's all that really matters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol that's funny.
First thing is flash HSPL2.08 and get Android/WP7 on that bad boy!!!
orangekid said:
lol that's funny.
First thing is flash HSPL2.08 and get Android/WP7 on that bad boy!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna do some reading first. I want to try the Android on SD Card thing first. It only came with a 512MB SD Card though and my other SD card is being used for my other phone. So i'll have to go out and buy one.
zackdroid said:
I'm gonna do some reading first. I want to try the Android on SD Card thing first. It only came with a 512MB SD Card though and my other SD card is being used for my other phone. So i'll have to go out and buy one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty weak.
This is hands down the best ROM you can use on your SD card.
once you get your card just download the ROM, extract it, move it to your SD card (the Android subfolder).
then you just click CLRCD and then Haret and you're running Android!
http://www.multiupload.com/M92WB5L9V3

[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. ^^

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