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Well, I was thinking about buy a Kaiser and then I started to look at the specs and the Im really really thinking about getting 7501. I have few questions for people that own it.
1) First how is it as a phone ??/?
2) Is it posible to cary on belt, the belt clip case ?
3) How is the internal GPS ?
4) How is the camera quality ?
5) is it worth it ?
Thanks in advance.
1) It works great as a phone... if you're willing to use a bluetooth headset. Along with voice dial, I rarely need to actually touch the device for phone functions. Speakerphone is very good if you don't mind everyone hearing your business.
2) There is only one know belt clip case, and that had problems, I think. Updated model is "Coming soon!" (I hope)
3) GPS works well. Slow cold startup with some programs. Very convenient after years of carrying a hockey puck.
4) I find the camera good for a phone camera, some people have reported some color issues. I ahve not experienced that.
5) For me, yes, it is worth it. It is big... but I am in love with that gorgeous screen where I can actually see spreadsheets, web pages, etc. Wouldn't type the next great novel on it, but keyboard is fine for writing shortish messages. Workmanship is solid. The mag attachment of the keyboard actually works pretty naturally, although backlighting on keyboard would have been a plus. Probably not possible. Also nice sans keyboard as a lovely video player.
If you can afford it, don't mind comments about "your phone is HUGE", and like to have something that is more functional overall than the usual PPC phone, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, Kaiser might suit you better.
yozh said:
Well, I was thinking about buy a Kaiser and then I started to look at the specs and the Im really really thinking about getting 7501. I have few questions for people that own it.
1) First how is it as a phone ??/?
2) Is it posible to cary on belt, the belt clip case ?
3) How is the internal GPS ?
4) How is the camera quality ?
5) is it worth it ?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PS: Great support network on this board as well.
wgary said:
PS: Great support network on this board as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THanks for a great explanation. THe belt part is really a killer for me. I really love to have such a nice screen. I would love to see it in person and try it out for my self. Video reviews are great, but until you see it, its not the same. Thanks again for the comments. Anyone else with some comments ?
The best one i ever had... never fell the same before... this is the best...
Nice screen, great functionality.. Perfect storage size... etc
Just recommended!!!
Belt clip
yozh said:
THanks for a great explanation. THe belt part is really a killer for me. I really love to have such a nice screen. I would love to see it in person and try it out for my self. Video reviews are great, but until you see it, its not the same. Thanks again for the comments. Anyone else with some comments ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am actually using the t-mobile HP 6315 belt case for the phone and it works perfectly. Its a pretty tight fit for the phone and keyboard but if you are of with just carrying the phone, it would not be a bad option!
cornelius said:
The best one i ever had... never fell the same before... this is the best...
Nice screen, great functionality.. Perfect storage size... etc
Just recommended!!!
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Click to collapse
Sounds like LOVE to me! And I know just how you feel. My wife says I love my phone more than her. No comment.
You do raise an excellent point -- not constantly running out of memory is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
wgary said:
1) It works great as a phone... if you're willing to use a bluetooth headset. Along with voice dial, I rarely need to actually touch the device for phone functions. Speakerphone is very good if you don't mind everyone hearing your business.
2) There is only one know belt clip case, and that had problems, I think. Updated model is "Coming soon!" (I hope)
3) GPS works well. Slow cold startup with some programs. Very convenient after years of carrying a hockey puck.
4) I find the camera good for a phone camera, some people have reported some color issues. I ahve not experienced that.
5) For me, yes, it is worth it. It is big... but I am in love with that gorgeous screen where I can actually see spreadsheets, web pages, etc. Wouldn't type the next great novel on it, but keyboard is fine for writing shortish messages. Workmanship is solid. The mag attachment of the keyboard actually works pretty naturally, although backlighting on keyboard would have been a plus. Probably not possible. Also nice sans keyboard as a lovely video player.
If you can afford it, don't mind comments about "your phone is HUGE", and like to have something that is more functional overall than the usual PPC phone, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, Kaiser might suit you better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(1) - (5) Agreed. As to size, I have never felt the ameo is too big. I rarely carry the keyboard (not that that adds much. It fits neatly into a pocket (suit, jeans, short) and you never have to put it to your head, using a BT headset. I always felt slightly worried with my Uni to my ear).
Finally, the crowning glory - the screen. I upgrade every year but could never go back to a smaller screen. That applies even when not running in VGA.......
Love? Probably.
I love it but I disagree about the size.
It is too big as a phone. The need for a bluetooth headset is such that one should have been included.
Although calls with bluetooth headset are PERFECTLY convenient it still means you have to have the device on your person: while this is fine for work or home it does mean that you need to take a second phone out if you fancy some leisure.
Yes the device can happily be used without the keyboard, but I never liked the idea of carrying £500 worth of technology in my jeans without some kind of hard protection over the screen, much as it did feel 'nicer' without the keyboard attached.
I have heard mention of belt cases but I couldn't bear the reaction from my girlfriend/friends if I had to unzip a big pouch strapped to my waist to send a text.
The camera is superb, maybe not as responsive as a Cybershot camera phone but very impressive in terms of clarity and sharpness. I suspect the Kaiser's camera will be identical to that of the Ameo, although the Ameo does have a very bright LED light compared to any other phone I've seen.
The build quality of the Ameo is superb. A really well-built little machine and I LOVE using it. I NEVER use it as a phone but a lot of people manage to, so it's probably more my easily-embarassed nature that stops me doing so.
Oh and you can plug gadgets into it!
The long and short of it is that despite the impressive spec of the Kaiser the QVGA screen still puts me off. I didn't used to be too bothered but the Ameo has changed my mind.
Yes I like it and I think everyone should get one, though you might want to keep your old phone if you've got a stag do or a birthday party looming on the horizon!
Leo, what gadgets do you plug to it?
yozh, you HAVE to look at the device in person. Everytime I saw a review on the x7500 I passed it by because I thought it was BIG and it never interested me. I went today to a local store were they import phones and I was about to purchase the nokia e90. I told the guy as I was getting ready to pay for it that I would just like to take a quick look at the x7500. He opened it and I said WOW WOW WOW. Love at first sight, I pushed the nokia to the side and told the guy to ring me up for the x7500!
Btw, I spent 2 hours reading reviews and some forums to make sure the nokia was for me. Than I finally gave in to buy it. But with the x7500 I had no clue what it was and what it did and just bought it that quick. I did know it was a ppc and that it had 3g support (which works great in chicago) and I was sold. Than when I saw the screen as he turned it on for me I was a happy camper. Than he tells me it also has GPS! And than he said it has 8gb on board! And a 3mp camera and ......... I went home with empty pocket and a smile in my face.
It is one GREAT device! OH, with a2dp,3g,wifi and if you want better battery life you can switch to just use gms,edge. You cannot go wrong. Just need to buy a BT headset that vibrates when phone rings.
Know what you mean!
I had a similar experience to you. Altho ive used alot of Windows Mobile based Pocket PCs and Smartphones, I wanted a decent high spec device to check emails, surf the net, wifi and 3G were both a big plus for me.
I wandered into my local T-Mobile store and asked to have a look at the Ameo, didnt even think id own one. But i took the plunge, travelling another 30-40 miles the next day as my local T-mobile didnt have it, so they called up another store and made sure that stock was available.
Ever since then ive been more than happy with it.
Yeah its huge, and yeah its cumbersome in terms of size in your pocket. Maybe its a substitute for the size of my manhood, hehe! we'll never know! (when i get the phone out usually i receive the response - 'look at the size of that!!!!!')
The point is:
1. Huge screen - Great in VGA mode, but also great in standard, out the box mode to. Watching movies on the Ameos generous sized screen is a joy. Ive never been able to do that on any other phone for lengthy periods of time.
2. 8gb Storage! wow! What more can i say!
3. GPS - as long as the frequent updates are applied, getting a GPS fix is quick and works like a dream
4. 3Million Megapixel Camera. Just got a seperate Canon camera for serious shots, but when abroad on holiday, the Ameos camera was fine.
5. Heavily used as an mp3 player, can use my Bluetooth headset OR standard 3.5mm headphones, a great little touch! (thats what I like, USB charging, standard headphone socket - shows that HTC arent greedy!!!! take note, Samsung / Sony etc etc!)
6. Mini SD memory! Cheeeap! Get a 4gb card! 12gb total storage! Now thats useful!
7. Wifi, rapidly available in most places now.
8. 3G - Sooo speedy, ive found its actually faster than Oranges 3G!
9. Internet Sharing - Use this when theres no Wifi for my laptop, great little feature which works really well.
10. Windows Live - Another application that uses the size of the screen to an advantage! This is the best Messenger yet!
This device is built for T-Mobiles Web'n'Walk plans. No worring about surfing the net, anywhere, anytime! Its great, complete data freedom!
Now when i look down at my device and the little G or 3G symbol has appeared, no frantic panic'ing trying to close the apps down and close the internet connection.
All i would say is that since the Apple iPhone, i really hope the Windows Mobile interface continues to improve. Rather that being the slightly dull business style interface, should be more like SPB Mobile Shell and Wisbar.
Roll on fancy interfaces, i mean, the quality screen would look amazing with a decent UI! Its only a matter of time.
Yeah its big, but who cares! Its not the size that matters! Its what it does that counts! and there are wayyyyyy to many plus points having this phone! (as i hope ive illustrated!)
I cant help thinking how the next device will improve on this one???? Better VGA Screen? Bigger Storage? Slightly smaller overall size? Mmm! Its gonna be tough!
Well seem as there are endless threads with people moaning how much they dislike the HD2 I thought it was time to have one for people that are actually happy with it, because in fairness it’s by far the best phone I’ve ever purchased.
I’ve owned an iPhone and yes there are things that I miss like the great 3D games and apps in the App store, an integrated music store and most of all the genius playlist feature in the music player. All this is just software features though, and by the sounds of it WM7 will integrate them.
You think how much revenue Apple make through the iTunes music and App store you really think Microsoft are going to miss out on that opportunity? (Well okay there is the Marketplace but let’s face it, it was slapped together in 5 mins and that’s how it looks!)
Rumours of Zune integration have been mentioned several times and what a perfect way to introduce Zune into the European market. (You noticed how it’s been integrated on the Xbox in the past few months...)
Just a bit if patience is all that’s required. Have a feeling WM7 will cover all Windows Mobiles short comings.
However enough of what missing – now the good bit - the hardware kicks ass!
The screens amazing (My iPhone screen looks so tiny and low res when I use it now) and I love how responsive it is... everything’s instant and smooth. The phone looks amazing, love the brushed metal back and that slightly rubbery feeling black plastic, it feels expensive and looks great.
SenseUI is a joy to use. The weather background is a really nice touch and actually useful. More so I love how it uses the GPS and always knows where you are! Music player is good, love the cover flow art (yes they blatantly nicked that idea but least it looks great and works just as well)...
Internet is by far the best on a mobile. The large screen really shines through; it’s not far off a desktop experience and very useable.
Mine also came with CoPilot installed which I purchased (£27 with European map – bargain!) which works brilliantly... as good as a proper sat nav.
Lots of little things finish it off, the screen doesn’t just come on, it smoothly brightens... if someone calls me who isn’t in my phone book it asks me after if I’d like to save that number for future use... the ringer quietens when I pick the phone up... the list goes on...
I’ve had it 3 months and still love it as much as day one.
Okay it has frozen up on me a few times (It runs Windows, I mean come on a version of Windows that didn’t crash? Well that wouldn’t be right would it?) Since the firmware upgrade it’s actually been very stable (so far). Do still get the odd freeze when sliding to unlock which can be annoying. Nothings perfect and it can all be solved with software updates. (Oh and the battery lasts one day, I know, but some of us sleep at night and therefore find time to charge it!)
Anyway that was an essay but thought it was time that maybe we focused on all the great things for a change. Makes you wonder if people dislike it so much they don’t just exchange it? Most networks give you 14 days to swap (Well Vodafone did, I'm sure others do). Its funny how iPhones short comings always seem to get ignored isn’t it? It was launched in 2007 and software wise it was groundbreaking but its 2010 and little has changed... the HD2 makes it look, well... very 2000 and late
Glad to hear this against the backdrop of all the whining and distraught posts
"HTC SCREWED US!" lol.
+1, like this love my hd2 too
+1 love my HD2 really sweet and getting better by the day.
+1 love my HD2
I actually love my wife...
but HD2, I like quite well, too.
Lol... my girl friend has been complaining about me ignoring her and spend most of my free time on my HD2. (she asked me to hug the HD2 to bed! ) but that had changed though..
Love my girl friend first.
then the HD2..
+1 me too, absolutely love this beautiful beast of a phone, especially with the new 1.66 rom its amazing!
Agree
Agree with everything you say, i"ve had many mobiles and PDAs over the years including the iPhone 3Gs but nothing comes close to the HD2 at the moment, Fantastic Screen, Powerful Processor and very Fast and Responsive. Has everything i need. but more Apps will be great.
I had an HTC Diamond before I got my HD2. Its such a big step up.
Loving the GPS Never owned a GPS device before, and it sure is handy.
I love GOD, my wife, my family and I love my HD2!!!! Its "Fantabulous"... the best thing since sliced bread. )
I have to agree with all of the above.
I am somehow new to the smartphone mobile world ... had owned a N73 (nokia was my first love), an HTC Diamond (beautiful phone, also very customizable) continued with an Iphone 3g (very good for a while by my history with the Diamond made me miss it's overall liberty of choice and flexibility. The HD2 brought together all the things I loved about the previous phones; N73 camera (good camera for it's time, same with the hd now), Iphone's capacitive screen (we must admit, they started it) and the Diamond's screen quality, high resolution suitable for the screen size, the customization level (i must thanks MS and XDA).. and more, great hardware (with nice surprises, see the RAM discoveries).
Conclusion: I love this phone with all of its occasional lock-downs
+1.....Fantastic phone and more....Sure there's bugs.....but since the introduction there already have been some new Official ROM updates from HTC, so I guess that they are indeed listening to the people roaming around this place, and I'm sure that more Official ROM Updates will follow the next couple of months, which make it possible for the wonderfull cooks at XDA to perform their magic
I for one, will not be changing to another Mobile device for a long time !!!
I loved it with 148 and love it even more with 166, smooooth
I love my HD2 also.
Before I had a Qtec 2020i with 2003SE. Now the HD2
WinMobile is good and give you still some freedom. Freedom is something that you cant find by Apple. What I like most is the sync with a pc. The agenda and contacts works fine.
Together with a program Pocket Controller Pro, I can remotely type sms and other stuff. It is true that in some cases you need to search for a solution and it is not simple for some of us. But finding the solution give you even a greater satisfaction. The HD2 is not cheap but you get a lot for your money.
I agree too, Best phone i have ever had, definatly gets better every day, customised perfect for my needs, Excellent !
Can I just add to this:
I love God, my wife, my cat and the HD2.
In terms of instant gratification, however, I prefer the HD2. Mind you, the cat comes close.
rjstep3
Upgraded from an LG Secret myself, hell of an upgrade.
+ 1 Happy HD2 owner
love my hd2...check
love my pregnant missus....check
despise all religions and everything they stand for....check
can I still play with only 2 out of 3??
samsamuel said:
love my hd2...check
love my pregnant missus....check
despise all religions and everything they stand for....check
can I still play with only 2 out of 3??
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Click to collapse
...a bit harsh on the wife Sir, I shall pray for your soul.
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
noofny said:
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
too subjective a question....for every person on here that says get it, there will be one that says don't get it.
the final decision must be yours....nobody here can make your decision for you. Make a list of the important things for you in a phone, then find the phone that matches those needs the best.
for example, I think the iphone has a much nicer interface, more apps, better screen (touch interface, not size or clarity), but for me it just doesn't handle business functions very well and that made me choose the HD2 since this was my primary need.
if you do the same process you might find the ideal phone for you
I got mine on Sunday just gone, was an upgrade from a Diamond. I loved my diamond, but as soon as I had setup my HD2 with contacts and apps etc I was loving this even more. Each time I use it I find something new, like facebook linking, then seeing in a contact card all communications with that person.
I'm yet to use the footprints, but look forward to trying it out.
The main thing for me was the screen size, I always had problems with the tiny diamond screen, but this is so crisp, easier to use and much easier to keyboard with.
Also the damn speed of the device is amazing, so fast, the OS loads so quick. I soft resetted it and put it down to expect a few minutes wait like on the diamond, but was rebooted so quick!
The one thing I would love to see is a facebook tab, like the twitter tab, shame they didn't implement that!
The specs that come with this phone are truely awesome, and that was the overall selling point for me, as I knew how good HTC phones were I just had to have something with the specs that this phone comes with.
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I admit to loving the phone...with one exception...the sensitivity of the screen is a complete disaster for me. it's very difficult to type on, someones it responds to the slightest touch, other times it doesn't. accuracy is also an issue (that was to be expected on a screen with high resolution I suppose)
and yes, I've tried all the tweaks going before anyone suggests it (currently running v3.3 of the tweak with sensitivity on)
I think if I had come straight from my HD then I would have been impressed, but I come from an iphone where the screen was a delight to use.
however, the rest of the phone makes up for that small failing.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you will find more people venting than praising any device on this forum, as people only seek help when they have problems.
I must admit, I personally think it is the best device I have ever used.
For a quick overview from me (in comparison to the X1, but most comments are applicable):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5667230&postcount=6
I stumbled on this video on youtube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-3Bi-Eg2gQ
...and love his brutal (albeit bias and sometimes naive) honesty, it helps you make a decision because it's not a rant. So far you guys are proving some intelligent feedback also - so thank you and let's keep it coming!
I got the HD2 the day it was available in my country (one of the first in europe) and despite all the fixes and xda-dev recommendations i couldn't have it for more then 1 weekend. I sold it on monday morning.
I hated typing (i did try the keyboard cab which should lower the sensitivity), loading sms with some exchanged texts already (loading was awful for such powerful device), visibility outside was horrible, battery,..
Maybe my rant will be understanded better if i mention i'm a blackberry user that likes to try out new "hot phones" (no matter which brand or type of usage).
I've also tried the Nexus One and would say i liked it a tiny bit better then HD2, but still couldn't have it for more then a week.
So, why am i writing this.. After MWC last week, i've kind of wanted to give HD2 another shot. For the following reasons..
I've came across some nice taskbar buttons (which make it look so much better..), I saw there is a fix for sms loading time, i guess i could always install a different keyboard,.. and most imortantly i got a very nice (cheap) offer for a brand new HD2. Yesterday i even ordered a nice case (didn't like the one that comes in the box) and a screenprotector (which might reduce the fingerprints, which i hated so much and a visibility outside,.. hope i'm not too optimistic).
If i somehow manage to be happy with HD2, i might even go for the exnteded battery. And i'm kind of feeling the hype for WinMo7 rom for this device.. Don't know if it will be any better or worse, i just know there is some excitement about it
Hope my rant / "long mess" didn't bore you too much
+1 to buy with eyes closed.
OK, this will be quick because I'm supposed to be doing something else right now but anyway...
I've just sent my HD2 back because of a problem with the microphone so if anyone should be telling you to think of other alternatives - it should be me.
But I can't because I love the phone. It's fast, responsive, it's got most of the features that you could ever want (minus USB host), the screen is gorgeous and the interface is pretty damn usable.
It's not perfect however... Customising it is more trouble than it should be. There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
So to resume, if you don't mind spending some time on it and you're not completely obsessive about things being absolutely perfect (I am and I can still get to sleep at night) then you should be very happy with an HD2.
NeoGreendawg said:
There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
rp-x1 said:
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm sorry but the HTC hotfix did slightly improve the issue but it certainly didn't resolve it in my case. I love the phone believe me but I somehow doubt that anyone who isn't employed by HTC or affected by Daltonism could honestly claim that it has completely solved the issue.
Edit : Not trying to be rude or make out that it's a deal-breaker but I know that as a potential buyer I'd want to know about it.
I've had the HD2 for three weeks and use it every day. I also end up resetting it every day. I've come from a Nokia N96 and before that the N73, so I'm comparing it to the N96. I am very pleased with the speed of the phone and how operations take way less than a second to perform, instead of several seconds a la N96.
The phone itself is a bit too big. Perhaps a 4 inch screen would have been enough. Even though I have big hands, it's just too big to walk around and hold the phone with one hand. I'm scared of dropping it. The headphone port's on the bottom of the phone - it causes the cable to tangle up around the phone when in a pocket.
I have found plenty of bugs in the stock O2 1.43 firmware and know how to deal with the main ones.
I didn't realise the phone had an FM tuner until I found it after a few days on the Start menu - I used the N96 FM tuner almost every day. Unfortunately the tuner on the HD2 is really poor. It is unable to obtain a good quality signal. Sound dips out. There's an awful lot of interference in places where the N96 would have relayed a good quality signal. In places where the N96 got a poor signal, the HD2 has static. BBC Radio 1 has the most powerful signal in my area, yet the HD2 fails to get consistent reception. There's just too much interference and I often just shut the radio off. A huge let down; I wonder if it's hardware or software at fault.
The N96 music player was very well featured, but incredibly (pathetically) slow. In contrast, the HTC Music app has no such delays, is very fast but somewhat basic in comparison. A lot of cool N96 features are missing; there's no way to call up the keyboard to locate tracks, track details can't be edited, tracks can't be deleted, backing out of an album takes you to the top of the album list and not to where you were. There's no hardware buttons to change tracks when the phone's in a pocket (a swipe up/down on the lock screen to change tracks would be nice). Volume control has too few stages so is either too loud or too quiet; volume within the Music tab has more stages but doesn't always work (error in Services.exe). General audio quality is rather poor - even the iPod classic 5G sounds better! Occasional unexplained sound dips and audio which lacks in bass and treble. The oddest thing is the shuffle feature tends to replay swathes of tracks that have already been played.
Video playback is very impressive because of the screen size. Can't fathom why the Windows Mobile OS cannot play WMV. Get quite a few dropped frames and put that down to the poor quality 1.43 ROM and perhaps not-fully-developed decoders. Video viewing in general is very nice, although an afterthought within HTC Sense, as the video playback has essentially just been tacked on to HTC's photo viewing app.
I do like the phone, it is good enough to stop me wanting to go back to my last phone. I'd get one, but the HD2's not quite the tech lover's wet dream that some of the big review sites make it out to be. Having bought it from the O2 network, I'll seriously doubt I'll ever be able to officially upgrade the firmware (HTC isn't even listed on their software upgrade pages), so I'll have to learn alternative methods one of these days to see if I can iron out some of the bugs!
Wish they would just whack a snapdragon and capacitive screen in a HD and re-release it....think that would satisfy a lotta folks. Cheers all for your input, it's really helping me to set realistic expectations.
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
i am currently contemplating to switch from HD to HD2....is it worth it?
Buy it!
I come from the HD. The HD2 is what the HD should have been from the first instance.
Fantastic:
- speed (and I am using a stock French Orange ROM based on 1.43!)
- screen
- usability
As far as precision is concerned: I need a phone to check and type (even long) emails, and read documents. XT9 works just great, but even in ABC mode in landscape the accuracy is pretty good (and I type fast!).
If you need to play around with programs using stylus-based input, yes, then it gets really annoying (try to edit your registry in Total Commander and you'll get crazy).
In summary: if you want to tweak it like crazy all the time or intensively use older programs with small menus, then consider buying an alternative with a resistive screen and a stylus. But if you actually want to USE your phone with the standard applications, just buy it and you'll get the best of the market today imo!
to buy or not
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Mastoid said:
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you do realize that there may eventually never be a WP7 release for the HD2?
rottttman said:
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U'd better search for infos about the phone after buying it
So i have had the nexus 6 for 3 days and flashed a rom after 2days, and here my gripes !
1. The camera app from stock, IS worse than the N5 ever was ! It focuses re focuses, randomly under exposes / over exposes - frankly its a roulette
2. There is still no EQ ! Out the box
3. Both speakers are NOT used for speaker phone !
4. Volume gradient is terrible, first 2/3rds is acceptable thennits just plain ear drum bursting.
5. The handset has the properties of soap, unless you have a case or textured skin / case.
6. The stock keyboard is horrific, key boundarys seem to overlap and you really have to be accurate to type anything longer than 1 or two lines !
7. The screen really does go all kinds of pink / yellow / off shaded dependant on what brightness your set to.
8. The QI coil really could do qith being closer to the rear case centred, rather than off centre ( this would make more chargers work and work better with cases ! )
It really does feel like an android silver device that was botched into a nexus and they spent more time on the OS than making the package work as a whole, the nexus 5 / 4 have better out the bix function than the N6, it feels rushed and unfinshed software wise.
However its not too big, its well built and solid, the finishing touches are just not there
I'll take it if you don't want it, I could use a spare.
The only gripe I have is the camera UI - otherwise this device and software bests the M8 (previous device) in every category except for the boomsound speakers. I honestly do not think that I will ever go back to a skinned android experience - Vanilla android on this device is buttery smooth, and I really enjoy all the features 5.0 has incorporated that previously only skinned versions of android had
TheEmpyre said:
The only gripe I have is the camera UI - otherwise this device and software bests the M8 (previous device) in every category except for the boomsound speakers. I honestly do not think that I will ever go back to a skinned android experience - Vanilla android on this device is buttery smooth, and I really enjoy all the features 5.0 has incorporated that previously only skinned versions of android had
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am the opposite. I will never go to pure android again. I missed out on so many features like the m8 has. So long beta testing.
I agree , I feel like google rush android 5.0 out the door.
I totally disagree with all of this. Mine is basically flawless. The camera is the best I've ever had. The keyboard works way better than past devices, probably because of the size so I rarely hit 2 letters at the same time anymore. The VTT is better. THE OS is the bomb. All the apps I use, I have in here, all the ones I never would use, I didn't have to remove, but hey, if you need Amazon, 3 different lame game demos and some cruddy navigation app, go get a Note 4. I hear it may get Android L..... someday
This is just silly. Can people stop creating troll threads designed to get people arguing? Most of your points aren't even true of the device. Camera is great (ui could be better) eq can be done in app but these would great stock (I spend a lot of time doing pro audio work), volume transitions fine, you can install a different keyboard, screen only goes pink at lowest brightness. How it feels is relevant, but the rest are just making stuff up.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Dang it I can finally get all the negatives off my chest;
1. The Nexus 6 will not allow me to fly, I really though it would, but nothing.
2. I hate the way it does not call who I want when I think really really hard about that person, I mean it was so freaking expensive and all.
3. When I read the initial reviews, I know I read somewhere it said it would make me independently wealthy, crap, I'm still kind of just middle class, POS.
4. Wasn't it a 3D 4K screen? WTF???
5. When I hold it I don't transcend this reality and walk with the angels, that was the last straw really, I think I'm going back to my ..... (your better phone here)
Its a freaking cell phone and I'm not sure anyone but your family gives a crap if you like it or not and I doubt even they care. My god, if you don't like it, go get something else and go complain there.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
hutzdani said:
So i have had the nexus 6 for 3 days and flashed a rom after 2days, and here my gripes !
1. The camera app from stock, IS worse than the N5 ever was ! It focuses re focuses, randomly under exposes / over exposes - frankly its a roulette
2. There is still no EQ ! Out the box
3. Both speakers are NOT used for speaker phone !
4. Volume gradient is terrible, first 2/3rds is acceptable thennits just plain ear drum bursting.
5. The handset has the properties of soap, unless you have a case or textured skin / case.
6. The stock keyboard is horrific, key boundarys seem to overlap and you really have to be accurate to type anything longer than 1 or two lines !
7. The screen really does go all kinds of pink / yellow / off shaded dependant on what brightness your set to.
8. The QI coil really could do qith being closer to the rear case centred, rather than off centre ( this would make more chargers work and work better with cases ! )
It really does feel like an android silver device that was botched into a nexus and they spent more time on the OS than making the package work as a whole, the nexus 5 / 4 have better out the bix function than the N6, it feels rushed and unfinshed software wise.
However its not too big, its well built and solid, the finishing touches are just not there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. try using it the right way, instead of letting it behave how it want to behave. you have to touch to focus. this will bring into focus what you want focused on, and itll adjust the light properly.
2. sure there is. its in the settings of google play music.
3. no, you are right. you did notice, congrats!
4. viper4android. root your phone, install viper4android. sound will never be better.
5. well, not really. im not big, 5'7", and my hands arent big, yet they manage to grip the n6 rather well, in the southern brooklyn winter/late fall.
6. i kind of like it?
7. i keep my brightness around 10-15%. that wsy i can see, and its good on battery. oh, and the screen auto adjusts, all by itself, even when all adjustments are disabled.
8. huh?
Powdered toast man!!!!!
My gripe is how 5.0 Lollipop handles the "Priority" of alarms and alerts.
Why I am not able to just silence my phone is beyond me?! The current implementation is a solution looking for a problem. I miss the one button click to silence the phone.
I had made the mistake of assuming that my wake-up alarm would still sound when my phone was set to "None". And why I can't have my phone silent, and still have an alarm?!
-J
Icons and fonts too small imo
Also not thrilled with the warm stock colors.. I like? The coool blue iphone5 colors
Via my NeXus™ 7FHD on XDA Premium app
jfcooley said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have it set to huge and? Its still tiny for? Me lol
Via my NeXus™ 6 on Tapatalk⁴
Dxtra said:
I agree , I feel like google rush android 5.0 out the door.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
completely disagree. with a ~5 month public beta, i think they made some great strides to making this the best OS yet. every year people say the same thing "ICS was rushed", "KK was rushed"... just because it's nearly 100% different from ICS/KK doesn't mean it was rushed.
hutzdani said:
3. Both speakers are NOT used for speaker phone !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rest of the free world does not want to hear your conversations. You are not that important.
jackpollard said:
Dang it I can finally get all the negatives off my chest;
1. The Nexus 6 will not allow me to fly, I really though it would, but nothing.
-You didn't try hard enough. Did you forget to enable it in the settings?
2. I hate the way it does not call who I want when I think really really hard about that person, I mean it was so freaking expensive and all.
-Again, you need to enable it in the settings, under Cerebral>Call Settings>Think Calling
3. When I read the initial reviews, I know I read somewhere it said it would make me independently wealthy, crap, I'm still kind of just middle class, POS.
-It takes time. Maybe do a battery pull and allow 5-9 battery cycles.
4. Wasn't it a 3D 4K screen? WTF???
-Mine is 3D and 4k just fine. Maybe yours is a defective unit.
5. When I hold it I don't transcend this reality and walk with the angels, that was the last straw really, I think I'm going back to my ..... (your better phone here)
-That feature is still in beta testing. Do a hard reset and grip it harder. You can always try ADB. I heard some people are getting to jog with Cherubs, which hey, it's good enough for my needs. and go ahead, I'm sure your iPhone 3g was miles ahead of this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to use this phone the right way, or at least look up some reviews. Many android websites teach you how to do this through videos.
PaisanNYC said:
The rest of the free world does not want to hear your conversations. You are not that important.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have a problem dude! Every time someone complain about the speakers, you say the same thing! If you don't have a solution or something to add a value to OP, please keep whatever you are going to say to yourself and stop being funny! You don't know about his situations. Maybe he has a weak hearings or something.
bassil2022 said:
you have a problem dude! Every time someone complain about the speakers, you say the same thing! If you don't have a solution or something to add a value to OP, please keep whatever you are going to say to yourself and stop being funny! You don't know about his situations. Maybe he has a weak hearings or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The item mentioned is not a "problem", it is a feature. Speakerphone was designed to use only one speaker. You can say it is a problem all you want, but it simply is not. So instead of calling me out and saying I have issues, take your own advice and keep it to yourself. Have a wonderful day.
I picked this device up as a impulse buy to replace my Note 8 and even though there was quite a lot of negative talk about this phone mostly for the software I have to say I don't regret my purchase in terms of why I bought it. I was considering the Z Fold 2, but couldn't justify wasting THAT much money for something I'd most likely break just using it (screen). Anyway, the Duo has been a great multitasking device so far. The only area I'm highly disappointed by is not so much the crappy potato camera, but the fact 1. it takes soooo long to deploy the camera ready to take one. 2. the gigantic f$%&ing delay when taking a picture vs when the camera shutter sound signifies it took a picture. I'm hoping that future updates resolve this phones issues although it sounds like there hasn't been much attention given other than this past January... At any rate, I've bought a few things to improve the usability of this phone. Magnetic usb-c cable for charging and data transfer (miss Qi charging...) and added screen protectors. Finally made some vinyl overlays for the outsides and used CF for grip although negated when the screens are folded open.
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
wez_p said:
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I think you'll be disappointed straight away. You'll have to forget most of what you expect a android phone, much less a phone to be and learn how to navigate Microsoft's version of Android and a duel screen (not all Microsoft's fault and the nature of duel screens). With that said if you get comfortable enough with how they want you to do things you may start to love it more than any single screen phone and not want to go back. While I feel pretty adjusted and comfortable with using it for what it is as I was intending. With that said I've run into a few situations where the Duo will just NOT replace a phone at least a flag ship like what I was used to with my Note 8. I don't know if this good or good enough, but I can take the Duo off the charger, go to work, have the bluetooth connected to my headset, playing video, screen at around 15% brightness, be browsing the net or social media at the same time the video is playing and after my 8 hr shift be at around 10-5% battery left. Or I can do a charge for about an hr and a half? and be at around 80 - 90%? Not sure what ARCore is. Let me know if you need any info or help, although in some ways still learning myself.
blackhawk said:
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
vipfreak said:
Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, the Folds are designed to self destruct like a Mission Impossible tape... brute force not needed
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
blackhawk said:
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely agree. It's really nice hardware. Speaking of which I will watch re-runs of Star Trek TNG if it's on some times.
blackhawk said:
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My primary use case is in "Nintendo DS" view where I have a screen for video playback on top and then I'm browsing the net, social media, or games on the bottom screen. This is where I think it shines the most. My second use case is like regular phone with one screen mostly for ease of typing like replying to a text message. A cool use case that I haven't done all that much is book view where I have youtube open playing a video and doing whatever on the other screen. This view is primarily nice if I have music playing off of youtube because usually if you try to multi task and youtube will stop the music and close the app entirely. With the Duo I don't have to worry about youtube taking up the screen since I have a secondary one. Something a single screen can't do. Why don't I pay youtube? I'm cheap and part Chinese. lol...
Hi,
Well, given the massive price drop from Microsoft, I decided to go for one that I bought from the MS Store directly.
Openend the package and powered up the device. Well, first thing is you will probably have to wait for 30 minutes for the successive updates to apply... Not really nice on a device that still is 800€ after 50% rebate, but OK.
Once powered up and ready to go, the first impression is amazing. The build quality is about the best you can get. The displays despite what reviewers write, are splendid. And the "Duo" panels are just amazing. App are installed super fast (not sure what memory they used, but here is it indeed pretty fast) ; GPS is super accurate ; communnication areoud and clear and so that is all good
But unfortunately, that only last for some time... And then the problems arise :
- no Led or outter display : you don't have a watch. You'll have to grab the device and open it just to know what time it is. You got a notification ? Same thing just to see what arrived. Even worse : you get a phone call ? You have to grab your phone, open it, see who's calling... and half the times, you'll miss the call because you weren't fast enough !
- the hinges ? Superb piece of craftmanship. Honestly. They feel super solid. They have the exact balance between being stiff enough to allow the displays not to move by themselves but still not to be too difficult to operate and unfold. But once your device is open and if you display, say a webpage, in "full screen" (so on both displays) then you'll just have a gap and so some parts of the page won't be legible... I thought MS would have worked on a seamless displaying of the pages when in "full screen", but no. They went the easy route ;
- the way the dual display are working is totally confusing. When I launch an app, it sometimes will display on the left panel, sometimes the right one. Why ? No idea. But that is OKAY. A little more problematic : let's say that I am using my web browser in full screen (on both displays). I get a notification that I got an e-mail. I go to recents and check the mail, then go to recents again to go back to browser... it works, but will go back to single display, not "full screen", so I have to drag the slider again to have full screen. Maybe I would be able to live with that. But on my device, one of the displays randomly decides to power off. I have to close the Surface Duo and reopen it to get the second display back. That really doesn't fill me with confidence in durability :-(
- and then there is the battery. It's melting like snow in hot summer day. I am used to 5kAh batteries that last almost a week-end given my usage. I know MS wants to mimick some of Apple's features, but why taking the worst and choose the same battery power ? Here, playing a simple game like "Cody Cross" and I will be out of juice within 2h30...
I will not talk about other small glitches, like the MS launcher, which in the Surface Edition is simply a joke ; the fact that some apps will not work in the Surface ; the incredibly poor camera (I don't care, I don't use it but did they even gave a look at the smartphone reviews where the stupid reviewers can take away 1 full star out of 5 for a smartphone just because it's camera is not stellar ?) ; the lack of accessories (proof that it simply hasn't sold)... and some other details.
But the ones I described earlier will probably get me to send the Surface Duo back to MS.
Will wait until September 22 to do that.
Let's see what they'll release on Surface Duo 2...
Because I really would like to love it and justify spending 800€ on a smartphone !
Regards
I bought mine Amazon $419 just to play and get to know - it is a fun device - I couldn't justify the Fold 3 which I had been using contemplating. If I trade this in for a Duo 2 and get US $250+ it's all good.
It fast charges really quickly. It can get to 40C and yes it drains battery terribly.
Even SwiftKey seems buggy - whole thing is more prototype than a finished product - they should be paying us!
But I think I'll wait for Android 12 at this point. 11 is a great already a year old. Also the I like to wait 4-6 months anyway for the any issues.
Hi,
If the Surface Duo was sold in France for 400€, I'd keep it too
But best brand new price I've found here is 800€ (for 256GB model) unfortunately.
This is why keeping it is a question for me :-(