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I originally started my love affair with Windows Mobile in my early teens when I received a Compaq Ipaq for which I had no real need for at the time. I then progressed to an Artemis (XDA Orbit), later a Touch Cruise (XDA Orbit 2) and finally last year a Rhodium (Touch Pro 2). While aware of Android's rise, and almost purchasing a Hero at the time I bought my Rhodium, I stuck to what I knew best.
At the time I believed my choice to have been the correct one. While the Hero looked pretty cool, I couldn't leave behind WM. I thought the TouchFlo 3D/Sense was beautiful (weather animations!), if only skin deep, and apps such as Coreplayer and FPSCE reinforced my belief that WM was still a relevant OS.
That was until I started playing around with the XDAndroid Port.
It was then I saw the potential of Android. The highly customisable interface, social network/google account integration, the awesome apps on the market and the speed of the webkit based browser! Everytime I returned to Windows Mobile I felt underwhelmed. I was never a fan of the iPhone however understood it had changed the game in regards to smartphones. Android was the best of both worlds, open source with a great community, fully touch UI with a growing appstore gaining support from major brands/developers.
While the Rhodium port was gathering pace, it was suffering from power management issues, backlight/wifi problems and most importantly, no sound. I knew from experience with the Touch Cruise that the progress was going to be slow but how long before a fully working port was available was anyones guess (Still not there!). It was then that I decided my days with Windows Mobile were coming to an end. Google had recently released the Nexus One which for me was perfect and after a few weeks of deliberating I made the jump and have never looked back.
Now I was always a vociferous defender of Windows Mobile but from the moment I got my first real taste of Android, I saw it for what it was. It hadn't really changed since that Compaq Ipaq and was so out of date it almost smelt off! I still have a soft spot for it, hence my lurking around the old boards seeing how you're all getting on. Since I heard about the breakthrough regarding the HD2 Android Port i've been looking on with great interest. It's fun reading through the threads and seeing people going through the same process that I did only a few months before.
Now I've seen a few posts where people have already stated that they are now seriously considering selling their HD2 and moving on to a "real" Android phone. My question is, how many more of you are there? Have any other people had the same change of heart now they have seen the possiblities?
Regards.
From the title of this article, I thought you meant the iphone 4!!
WM still does it for me - a mobile office, not a silly teenager's tweeting toy, it's still good, and I will use my remaining WM 6.x gadgets as long as they hold out.
When that happens which is probably in a year's time, I'll see what the market looks like, right now, it looks like it will mean a move to Android, but you never know WP7 might come through.
You never know, the iphone 4 may turn out to be a good phone.
rjstep3
I probably will. I like stability and if Android can stop my soft resets I'll be happy. Plus, I miss the apps. Even though it's infuriating to download the most popular task manager in the market place and to discover it has ads. Then you download the next one down and it also has ads.
I may be a little blind but Im sitting on the fence as Im sure many others are-
At the moment I have an unlocked HD2 for AT&T. This present me the following options:
1. Hold onto it for its beautiful screen, sexy home page, and accept the clunky deeper interface that is wm6.5 (Not trying to bash, its just not meant for finger friendly, and im also one of the users who suffers from slow texting issues and quick battery drains. Yes, ive tried the roms. Moving on.) The fact that I follow the Android for HD2 thread religiously shows that I am in the Android fan corner for HD2. This fact alone is one huge reason for staying power. Android on HD2 would extend the life of the HD2 dramatically. Meanwhile, WM6.5's screens past the homepage arent going to be getting any prettier.
2. Sell my HD2 Buy a Samsung Captivate since its AT&T's first true Android Smartphone and is getting rave reviews. Use my phone upgrade to get an Iphone4 for cheap, turn right around and sell it for 600 bucks (Yes, two have just sold in Phoenix for this much as well as on eBay). Be happy with my new Android phone and some extra spending cash for apps
3. Hold onto my HD2 until WP7 arrives and determine if I will use my upgrade for a new WP. If WP7 turns out to not be my cup of tea (But come on, XBOX Live and Zune integration? Im pretty much sold on that alone ) with any of the phones offered, then I shall resort to either option 1 or 2 above. I am still a huge fan of Windows Mobile, and I realize WP7 will be more akin to Apple in terms of closed source, but WP7 is what Windows needed to do. They needed to redo the deeper menus and make WM more finger friendly. Its the right step and I just hope they nail it.
Either way, Ive got my choices and am still completely on the fence. I just played around with the Captivate today and its quite an amazing and speedy phone. Not nearly as sexy as the HD2, but the functionality out of the box just felt great.
Im sure many of you are on the same fence as me and I wish you all the best in making your choice.
My contract runs out in Oct for my HD2 and I'll probably switch. Thats unless Navionics release their seachart app on Windows Mobile. if they do I'll just change to a sim only deal.
I bought the HD2 a few days ago on ebay. So far I've really enjoyed HTC sense and some other features
but the one thing I don't think I can live with is the crappy email program that comes with the phone. I absolutely hate it.
Generally speaking, I was impressed with winmo and found myself liking it despite all the negative reviews.
But I think I might switch over to the iphone.. plenty of apps, works pretty well with gmail... Otherwise I'll get some other android phone with HTC sense since thats really is a big thing for me. that and the led flash
I'm going on a 3 week trip to Europe... I guess I'll check out how far along the ports have come and then make my final decision then.
I disagree ... I was playing with Verizon's Droid X which is coming out soon - practically HD2 with Android (like EVO) and I'll tell you what: Android is one choppy OS - transitions wise iPhone wins all the way - I have HD2 and I am happy with it... it simply has better transitions then Android and what that means to the end user is most of the phone... If there is customization but the choppy one - no one will stick with it... And if 1GHz is not enough to make it smooth - I do not know then what is needed to make it smooth...
Great feedback guys! Just want to make it clear that in no way am I bashing the HD2 or WinMo, I just want to gather how many people who are using the Android port are now considering making a permanent switch. Obviously if a stable daily use ROM becomes available you won't have that problem (and I may even consider switching to HD2!!), but I succumbed to my impatience once I found myself using the unstable port more than my native WinMo OS.
Thanks for the response.
Android on HD2 isn't stable yet and won't be for a while.
I already had an Android phone before the HD2. I'm not really into the 'apps' scene or into social networking apps or games on my phone, so there isn't really much in Android for me. The google apps were better and it didn't slow down on txt messages.. but that's about it.
Android wouldn't play many video formats.. not sure if it could access my file server.. the pdf reader was poor quality.. the browser would forget all my tabs when memory ran low (probably not an issue on HD2..).. apps still crashed..
Despite WM's lack of polish in the UI and other things, I think I still like WM more. I'll probably still use WM more even if I install Android.
Just got 3 hd2's for the family. Wanted the highest spec'd winmo phone to give wp7 a chance. I haven't been that impressed with Android, apps still crash and with cht and max sense, I don't see what an android phone can do that my hd2 can't. Would never switch to at&t.
already made my choice and win mo and the hd2 won
why?...
i had a desire and hd2 for a week to trial both and although the desire was impressive i found the hd2 to be better for what i used a "phone" for...
video - more options (xvud, avi's etc) and better quality on hd2
camera - clearer and more detailed
apps - yes the android market has lots of apps but like iphone most of them are crap!, the only thing id use that winmo doesnt have is layar. winmo still has fpsece and a few more pieces of software thats unique (loving Meteor at the minute)
i also took the gamble that we'd have a decent working android port at some point anyway, are we likely to get some porting winmo on an android device? lol - not likely, so i figured that with the hd2 id got the best of both worlds and therefore more choice...
seriously, go back 2 years and you wouldnt have had the choice of different OS's on the same device. its a good job theres so many clever people in this community, they've really made a difference!
skilty said:
seriously, go back 2 years and you wouldnt have had the choice of different OS's on the same device. its a good job theres so many clever people in this community, they've really made a difference!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too true. Whilst I really like my HD2 and most of its features suit what I do, WiMo (in my opinion) is now over looked when it comes to new apps. I already mentioned the Navionics seacharts app that i really want and having decided to try Skype, I go to the site to find thats dropped for WiMO. I can't wait for fully functioning dual boot WiMo/Android on my HD2. That would be phone heaven
skilty said:
already made my choice and win mo and the hd2 won
why?...
i had a desire and hd2 for a week to trial both and although the desire was impressive i found the hd2 to be better for what i used a "phone" for...
video - more options (xvud, avi's etc) and better quality on hd2
camera - clearer and more detailed
apps - yes the android market has lots of apps but like iphone most of them are crap!, the only thing id use that winmo doesnt have is layar. winmo still has fpsece and a few more pieces of software thats unique (loving Meteor at the minute)
i also took the gamble that we'd have a decent working android port at some point anyway, are we likely to get some porting winmo on an android device? lol - not likely, so i figured that with the hd2 id got the best of both worlds and therefore more choice...
seriously, go back 2 years and you wouldnt have had the choice of different OS's on the same device. its a good job theres so many clever people in this community, they've really made a difference!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noticed a few posts regarding the video playback options so thought i'd inform you all that Android now has just as many, if not more playback options than WinMo. That was the biggest single issue for me when I made the switch. I used TCMP and Coreplayer for years. Being a Usenet/Newsgroup subscriber, I download all of my content in xvid/x264 and being able to simply drag the files across to my phone rather than convert to .mp4 was a killer feature for me. I somehow JUST mangaged to get by converting the odd film or two for long train/coach journeys!
Luckily in the past month or so, a new media player has arrived called RockPlayer, which is the first legitimate xvid/wmv/x264/mkv/mov/asf etc. player on Android. The performance is great and the UI clean and simple. It may lack the deeper options of Coreplayer, however I only ever found myself playing with the rendering options etc. when I encountered laggy playback, albeit on less powerful devices than the HD2.
Anyway, video playback should no longer be a worry for anyone considering Android. However, if like me you are outside the US, there is no Android screen as large as the HD2 (No Evo 4G ) and for that reason, I look back at you guys with envy!!
Thanks again for the great response, it's great to see the range of opinions on the matter!
Regards.
Never gonna give it up never gonna let it down ! Win 6.5 HD 2
naaaah... I'll stick to hd2. I am just a winmo man I guess... maaaan... I love this device. who needs all those fart apps? the ONLY two apps I might miss are Plants vs Zombies and Rebirth (gotta love dat synth music ).
other then that - leo... a true king of the smartphones. lol
I can't wait for a flashable android rom for the hd2. tbh, i'm just bored with minmo now and everyone seems to be making apps for iphone or android these days.
The android port for the hd2 is what made me want to go back to android. So the other day I picked up the samsung vibrant lol. I still love my hd2 though still keeping it
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Maybe im just different but why not have both? I am a tech guy who likes all platforms. I own 4 symbian phones, 2 winmo phones, and for games I own a ipod touch. I thought about android many times and was always waiting for the hardware to catch up and there are finally phones running android that have the specs I would like but they all went with cdma versions. So I will see what comes out in the future for a top spec gsm android. Another thing is I dont ever buy phones on contract and firmly believe that the carrier and phone you use should have nothing to do with each other. I bought my HD2 because I wanted a new winmo phone and there is no denying that the HD2 is the top choice for winmo. Remember no one phone will fill all your needs and manufactures do that for a reason, so you buy more phones... but this is where the consumer gets confused and think if they want new features they need a new phone, just have both! In the end though I will most likely stay away from android and go with a meego device for my linux phone kicks, as I am questioning why google feels the need to be around me 24 hours a day, in my search engine, in my web browser, in my computer OS, in my TV, in my phone? Call me old school but thats to much for me to give one company all my info, I like to keep it deverse among many companies so no one company knows everything about me. Again, maybe im just different?
Now I've seen a few posts where people have already stated that they are now seriously considering selling their HD2 and moving on to a "real" Android phone. My question is, how many more of you are there? Have any other people had the same change of heart now they have seen the possiblities?
Regards.[/QUOTE]
Having owned the Iphone2 I returned to HD2 because in my opinion Apple delivers outdated technoloy, tries to control even media content and the information value of the Apple "Today" screen is exactly zero.
A great toy for "in"-people. After two days your tired of the fancy applications and start using apps which make sense. All of these you can get for WM. Since I have not used Android I wouldn`t dare to comment. But looking at pictures of the GUI it seems to be not very different from the HTC-Sense GUI.
All in all I see no need to think about anything else than HD 2 ! I´m afraid that WM 7 will rather be a step back in the direction of Apple. Lets hope for high value software development for WM 6.5.XXXXX
I´ll keep my HD2 for another generation, I´d say. I´m perfectly fine with this
brilliant device. The apps, mods and tweaks for Manila/Sense are what I would
miss, Android does not come with that much office related stuff I use and need.
In a year or so, we´ll see an updated iPhone 5 (or whatever they´ll call it),
we´ll know more about WP7, and HTC will have HD3 and other nice devices for us.
I´ll never again buy Samsung, their products are never really close to 100%,
they just make too many half-finished products at mediocre quality.
Motorola? Nokia? SE? No way. Therefore, no options for me.
I have tried most of the Android versions over the past few months and have donated a coffee for several of my favorites, but Android just isn't for me.
I have an idea most of the participants in the Android forums already are chomping at the bit for NAND, but I wonder how many closet WinMo users still lurk.
I almost never have to deal with Reboot android...whereas in Winmo...a constant battle...
I'm lovin' Android, and it's only getting better, but I'm eagerly waiting WP7 on HD2. I really hope that day comes because WP7 and Android 2.2/3.0 on the same phone is INSANE!!
Because I have nothing but sarcasm to say I will simply say no.
Sent from my HTC HD2 Decepticon using XDA App
Our HD2's hardkey won't last long
To the contrary, I am growing more and more fond of android. Rarely do I miss WinMo. Android meets all of my business needs and has allowed my to completely remove WM from any use at all. I am looking forward to a NAND flash and to future developments on the Android platform.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
I trew the tower
I bought another phone already.
I couln't wait any more for NAND, I went for the G2, last saturday, I kinda miss my big screen. but I like the battery life in the G2, so far 2 days and it keeps going.
The reason I left the HD2 is because i was spending too much time trying to make android work 100%.
There is so many reasons I won't ever use Winmo again. I could write a book.
Even a simple things like set a password if the phone is not used for 1 hour are not correct, the device ask and ask the password every time it wakes up in any Rom.
I'll still wait for Android Nand, and will donate more when it is done.
Best regards
-Rober
by they way now that I have another phone, I'm trying to check the standby time of the HD2. I'll let you know guys,
yes, android on HD2 is broken and I don't think even NAND will fix it. I really don't want to downgrade screens but if the mytouch comes out and android is still unusable then i'll probably switch.
Android broken on HD2? I have a premature flash which is fixed from what I understand, and blurry MMS, which also has a fix. Just waiting for the next build. Otherwise, not broken.
Winmo? Froze every hour on the hour. Even with flashed ROMS. SBP shell lasted a few days till it slowed to a crawl.
Froyostone 3.1
ChuckyDroid latest.
2.12 radio
TMOUS
J
I came from preordering the G1...to the MT3G...went to an iPhone 3G (sorry...had to see what the buzz was about)...to a Nexus One...to the HD2
I am very comfortable with Android and what it can do (though I never got into the development part...my career is testing software) I would say that I have seen much more incomplete software than the Android that we have.
The only reason I stood in line in March to buy my HD2 was because I knew that it would have Android sooner or later.
I never even really used my HD2 until early July when Darkstone first put out a Android build that didnt greenscreen after 2 minutes...I always used my Nexus as my daily driver. I could never get the hang of WinMo...even using good cooked ROMs like NRG and Kumar...along with CHT and SPB MS, it still felt very uncomfortable to move around in.
Am I tired of it? No way...I have not booted into WInMo since Darkstones first Desire build (except to upgrade ROM/Radio stuff), my Nexus has now taken its place in the closet and my HD2 is now my daily driver.
The only thing I'm sick of is the touchscreen freezes so I've had to completely remove all my sensors files to stay sane, fortunately other than that I'm content with Android at the moment and I'm one of the many who can't wait for NAND.
no offense but screen turn on lag one every build + data connection drops along with the occasional complete cell signal drop = broken and unless the devs can fix these things the HD2 will never go a single day without causing the user a headache in Android. BTW lol at t-mo and HTC bending the consumer over by rereleasing the HD2 as the HD7... slick move. That along with not releasing a 4.3" screen phone with android to compete with the HD7 is some great business practice.
The reason I sold my Android based Galaxy S was because I knew the HD2 and XDA developers was the ultimate team...
90% of the time I run Android now as it allows complete cloud syncing with my google account, facebook and online usage with flash is easy and nice to use.
the small remainder of the time I will use Windows mobile now for some of the applications in particular older apps like memory map navigator, pocket birds guides and the rest of the series and the camera is still better in Windows mobile.
I like the fact I have two devices in one, and later on XDA are bound to bring us Windows 7 on the HD2 which I will test also, what with NAND, Windows 7 and more updates and builds to test than any other device, the HD2 for me is the only device to own.
Oh yes and it runs Android slicker and smoother than my Samsung Galaxy S ever did...
steven1234 said:
no offense but screen turn on lag one every build + data connection drops along with the occasional complete cell signal drop = broken and unless the devs can fix these things the HD2 will never go a single day without causing the user a headache in Android. BTW lol at t-mo and HTC bending the consumer over by rereleasing the HD2 as the HD7... slick move. That along with not releasing a 4.3" screen phone with android to compete with the HD7 is some great business practice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about desire hd 4.3" and Android :-s
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
I guess I've been spoiled for months. I've never been happier with my hd2. Im getting 12hrs of heavy use. No freezing, or drops in data. Nothing. The only time I need to restart is if I'd like to try something new. Android on my HD2 is perfect and not broken. Never been happier and couldn't possibly think about downgrading to something else.
Sent from my HTC 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. ^^
i bought a hd2 last week, since the i have tried like 20 different roms both wp7 and android ones, and i m loving it,, but i m curious to know that how come this is the only phone that can do this, i mean wat is in it ( or not there in it) , that makes it support different operating systems.
One word DFT!
OK so I guess it is actually three Dark Forces Team. A group of devs including Cotula that dove head first into the phone once we found out that Micro$oft was going to leave us high and dry when it cam to WP7. They and all of the other devs that flocked to this phone, mostly because of its top of the line specs at the time and even still for the most part, are why this phone is still a beast!
Really all our phone doesn't have is a front facing camera, better screen resolution, and higher ram. And truthful the last one is really not that far behind what is out in the "top of the line "phones coming out today, and none are true deal breakers
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA
yes i totally agree,its still not far behind in terms of performance, i tried out Shadowgun game in galaxy s2 and was amazed by its graphics, but then i tested it on hd2 ics 4.04 , i was surprised to see that it gave me almost same graphics as s2 , and ran really smoothly..
And wen i thought of reason exactly same reason struk my mind that, this was an awesum device getting ruined on wp6.5, so i order to have wp7 in it all this development happened..
But wat i want to know is if some developers gives his everything to some other phone , like they gave everything to hd2 , can some other device of today replace hd2 in terms of multiple operating systems support....
I really don't have high hopes for any other phones following the course of the HD2. People now are really one way or another (either love android or WP7 not both and most "hate" the opposing OS). Heck if I knew how to do it I would love to see IOS and the new BB10 on here just to prove once again HD2 is king!
The reason I think we got all of this was the fact that when they found out wp6.5 was dieing they wanted to get something that would be supported for longer. Android was in the beginning of its boom and WP7 was still in development at MS so some devs got together and got Android to boot on SD using HARET. People fell in love and DFT started working on nand. During this time devs started using the base we were given to get Linux and Windows running from SD. DFT got nand working with magldr then WP7 dropped and I have a feeling Cotula really likes it (since that seems to be the bulk of his posts lately) so he reformatted magldr to be able to run both. Then meego came out and development sounded promising but never got the attention from the right devs plus it was dropped by nokia (I think) so I don't see that going anywhere.
I think the main reason we have all this is that the SPL was torn down and fully understood meaning that they were able to turn the phone into a blank slate with the ability to control every aspect of it with the right code (magldr) . Leaving it possible to do whatever they wanted. Plus the open source nature of android helps!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA
@tobiascrystal
thanks for the mini-history of our HD2, i too was wondering like amitoj about the HD2. I guess coz it was the last line in the wp6.5 series with still so much power in it that it became what it was now.
I was also searching the net for a similar phone that can run magldr & other bootloader but found none or a few is in development. I was thinking since a lot of other phones out there have similar spec as the HD2 can't they do the same for those?
I would say that anything is possible with enough time, brain power, and motivation (and maybe some cash) . All these newer smartphones are nothing but mini computers and could, in theory, all do the same thing as the HD2 but like I said you have to have someone(s) that is really devoted. If I remember correctly it took over a year of coding for DFT to get magldr ready for the masses. I am not sure what the next super phone is going to be that catches that kind of developer attention. I tell you one thing though, the day I hear about it I don't care if I have to pay full retail I will be next in line to buy it!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA
Indeed, I fear the time when my HD2 will die and I will be forced to use new phone with stock roms Hopefully till this time, some phone will get as much attentions as our beloved leo.
@delwing
i guess, other phones do accept custom roms , but not of a totally different operating system.
We are lucky that this device got so much attention from developers , but really after using it , i dont think ill ever like any phone more than this. and i guess hd2 is gonna be one of a kind for years to come. But i really wish that there comes a phone which is as beautiful as HD2 and which can match high end specs of today's phones. At present its specs are more than wat are required , but in an year or two we will need some phone like this with better specs.
I am in the Philippines and am currently using htc One X. But I have been searching for a brand new HTC HD2 for a long time now and I can't seem to find one I miss this beast of a phone. This is the first time I have used android by the way. Call me old school, but I like WM6.5 better. Even better than WP7.5. Personally I think the possibilities in customization on HD2 is endless. hehehe..of course hardware wise it got left beind but still...anyone know where I can get a bnew one?
Thailand still has them available including new boxed TMOUS models ...
WM6.5 is the king of customization & good settings, only software development made Android popular, the actual OS is ****e ...
there will never be an HD2 again, the market is so diluted with *cough-****e-* cough that developers and would be developers are spread out to thin.
The HD2 was king simply because it was THE phone to have, there was very little similar to it, and the power within its S1 SoC was way ahead of anything else, thus we ended up with a situation where the HD2 was the place to be. The fact that soft SPL then hard SPL was done quickly followed by Android booting from within WM cemented its fame, the final rise to power was MAGLDR, allowing pretty much anything to be done. Live it up guys, as sure as bears crap in the woods, this will never happen to a device again so long as they keep pumping out so much crap in to the markets and doing everything to lock them down.
very simple answer to the question.
it can only run
wm 6.5, wp7, all the versions of Android, meego and Ubuntu
enyaj said:
I am in the Philippines and am currently using htc One X. But I have been searching for a brand new HTC HD2 for a long time now and I can't seem to find one I miss this beast of a phone. This is the first time I have used android by the way. Call me old school, but I like WM6.5 better. Even better than WP7.5. Personally I think the possibilities in customization on HD2 is endless. hehehe..of course hardware wise it got left beind but still...anyone know where I can get a bnew one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ebay HK still have some new ones & they ship worldwide, give it a search
G.O.A.T.
I have been waiting to see the HD2 in the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of OS's on one Phone.
I am just as pleased or more so today as I was when I woke up early to be at T-Mobile when the doors opened to be the first to have one. I work for AT&T and I see lots of new phone come and go. As best I can tell most people love their OS. Unlike most of us HD2 owners here who love our phone.
I would also like to thank the developers for their hard word and staying ahead of the pack. For Example, I was running a stable version of ICS months before the newer phones received their updates or pre-installs appeared in the work place.
I truly believe that the HTC-HD2 will be looked at as one of the G.O.A.T.. (Greatest of all Time)
its been almost a year since Ive last visited this forum but I noticed that the HD2 is STILL on the forum list! makes me really glad I bought my HD2 (which Im still using). I wonder for how much longer before its considered "legacy". Ill be sure to return to mourn that day.
What has contributed to its longevity? What makes this phone so attractive compared to the many superior options spec wise?
Meteo said:
its been almost a year since Ive last visited this forum but I noticed that the HD2 is STILL on the forum list! makes me really glad I bought my HD2 (which Im still using). I wonder for how much longer before its considered "legacy". Ill be sure to return to mourn that day.
What has contributed to its longevity? What makes this phone so attractive compared to the many superior options spec wise?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that it's a great phone for it's price tag and also it's time. It was launched in 2009 and for those who had Windows Mobile 6.5 on it has for sure thrown their device long time ago.
I think there was definetly some error on microsoft's part there. the HD2 was the device that basically stood in the middle of the transition of the old smartphones to the newer generation of smartphones, you know, the goods, Cortex A9, 1ghz, 4.3 incher, capacitive screen, etc.
It was the first to feature a very large display and be available on most networks at the same time.
It had amazing hardware at the time, but the operating system didnt not make good use of it, so hence people decided to port android to it.
Fast forward a bit, and you'll find out that it's the device that microsoft developed their first generation windows phone 7 on, making it 100% compatible with it and adding another operating system to the plethora of stuff the HD2 can do.
Other projects such as windows 95/98, ubuntu and meego also popped up, but none of them managed to get that momentum going and become a daily driver rom.
Yeah, long live
I simply can't name ANY other phone with that much care and attention from developers. It's amazing.
This is the third year i'm using the my hd2. and i think its appropriate to call this phone legendary!
Definitely a great phone. I'm still on WM.
While I'm slowly finding Android apps that could replace my few and favorites in WM, I have NOT found any good Android phone that has the same size as the HD2.
You'd think that by now, 2012, 3 years the HD2 was released that they would have a phone that has a 4.3" display and less bezel. All the new phones (at 4.3") are much taller than the HD2's 122mm. It's disappointing..
I'm still using my HD2 on it's original WM and it's great and dependable.