When it comes to Windows Phone, Nokia controls nearly 90% of the OEM marketshare. Samsung, HTC, and Huawei make up the remaining manufacturers producing Windows Phone devices. Microsoft just agreed to purchase Nokia for 7.2 billion dollars, so what incentive do other OEMs have to continue producing devices? It looks like HTC might get a pretty sweet one to continue producing high-quality handsets. Some might even run both Android and Windows Phone. Details below.

According to Bloomberg, Microsoft and HTC are in preliminary talks that could see the licensing fee for Windows Phone dropped. The talks are obviously private, but sources claim that last month Terry Myerson asked HTC to load Windows Phone as a second option on handsets running Android. You’ll remember that Terry Myerson was recently given the role of EVP of Operating Systems, the group manages the software of Windows Phone, Windows, and Xbox.

It’s not clear if the loading Windows Phone as a second option means giving users the choice to boot between Android and Windows Phone. Or if instead, HTC will consider putting Windows Phone on all their current and future Android devices, like the HTC One. We need to stress that talks between the two are preliminary and no deal has been made. The talks involve either cutting or removing the licensing cost that OEMs like HTC have to factor into every Windows Phone device they make. While devices running Android don’t see licensing fees going to Google.

It’s also not clear if Microsoft is looking to make deals like this with other OEMs. Both HTC and Microsoft are in tough situations when it comes to the mobile landscape. When the deal between Microsoft and Nokia finalizes, it could create further alienate any potential Windows Phone OEMs. HTC just announced a $101 million operating loss for Q3 2013 and continues to face stiff competition in the Android market against Samsung.

Renegotiating the licensing fees between Microsoft and HTC could benefit both companies. You’ll see strong, compelling hardware from an OEM that isn’t from Microsoft/Nokia and it could help improve the financial bottom line for struggling HTC.

Should Microsoft reconsider the licensing fees for Windows Phone in order to attract more OEMs like HTC? Would you like Windows Phone 8 on a device like the HTC One? Sound off below.

Update: Over at Android Central, they are hearing from sources that HTC has indeed been looking into the engineering cost of making a device dual-boot Windows Phone and Android. How far along that project progressed isn’t known at the moment. Thoughts?

Source: Bloomberg

Microsoft China has been sending out invitations (see above) to the media for their upcoming Windows Phone "Tango" launch event. The launch event, set to be held in Beijing on March 21st, will mark the introduction of the emerging markets version of the mobile OS.

HTC has already launched the HTC Triumph (TITAN MK I), which reportedly runs the latest version of Tango. This also slots in nicely with Stephen Elop's announcement that the first batch of Nokia Windows Phones will be available in China on March 28th, not to mention the upcoming China Telecom CDMA "Lumia 800c" also uses a later version of Tango with newer firmware.

The Marketplace is still closed but developers can submit apps through AppHub. We expect it to be available to consumers soon after the official launch from Microsoft. What's next? The burning question as to when will "Mango" users receive all the improvements found in "Tango"?

Source: LiveSide

Although we've seen plenty of devices on AT&T and T-Mobile on sale for a penny at AmazonWireless, this is the first for the Sprint HTC Arrive.

Not a bad deal if you're up for a contract renewal or were thinking of switching to Sprint (we're big fans of both the device and service). Of course, make sure you read the fine print, but our experience with AmazonWireless has been great in the past.

To catch up on the Arrive, here's everything we have on it and remember, it gets it's 7392 Security update in the next few days as well.

Source; AmazonWireless; via SimpleMobileReivew; Thanks, Chris

More Verizon news. Relax, this isn't another wild Verizon Trophy rumour, well... not so much. Costco is apparently stocking the device with the above capture from the warehouse stock system. The device will plan to be sold at the price tag of $149.99 (contract), while Best Buy will sell it without contract for $599.

Today's the 19th everyone, one of the rumoured dates, just to further hype the wait. Still excited, or have you become extremely frustrated?

Source: PocketNow

For those who don't follow Android news, about a week ago the HTC Wildfire became official. One cool trick that HTC added was the ability to jump to different screens in Sense via multi-selector screen, instead of sliding all over the place. (See Tracy & Matt's hands on at 0:42)

And anyone who's used Sense 2.5 on WinMo can know the feeling of having to slide the tabs all over the place to just find that one you're looking to use right now. It can be frustrating.

Well combine those two ideas and you have HomeScreenJump from XDA member dotcompt!

Simply install the HomeScreenJump.cab and tap the icon to run and there you go.  Want to go the extra step? Install two more .cab files and now you can map it to your Start button as a long press.  Now you can call it up wherever, whenever.

Our thoughts? We highly recommend this mod. And do map it to the Start key. This method makes it very fast, efficient and darn it all it just works well. You now have quick-access to your Home, People, Messages, Mail, Weather, Twitter and Programs tabs.

[XDA forums via PDA.pl]

We pretty much new HTC was a major contender in the smartphone industry and now, they've got the revenue numbers to prove it.

HTC's revenues for April 2010 is being reported as NT$18.01 Billion ($571.9 million US Dollars), bringing revenue for 2010 up to NT$55.71 Billion (or $1.75 Billion US Dollars) for the year.  The 57.93% increase on the year is a record for the Taiwan-based company and puts them on an easy pace to top its second quarter revenue projection of NT$50 Billion.

HTC's success is being attributed to the company's aggressive marketing of new devices running both Windows Mobile and Android.

While life is good over at HTC, challenges are on the horizon. New phones are due to be released later this year from competing manufacturers such as Apple and RIM.  Plus there is still questions on when HTC will have a device to add to the Windows Phone 7 lineup. Speaking of Apple, HTC still has that pesky patent lawsuit lurking in the shadows.

Regardless of all the hurdles HTC is facing, if the success of the HTC HD2 is any indication on what the future will bring, things should stay brilliant for some time to come.

[read: Digitimes.com]

T-Mobile apparently has a trade-in program that may help those who can't decide what to do with that old iPhone. From April 1 through May 19, you can trade in an iPhone for up to $350 credit towards a new HTC HD2.

Participating T-Mobile dealers will be authorized to give a minimum of $100 credit (max $350) to those trading in their iPhones. The iPhone must be functional and in working condition; screen not broken, damaged or leaking; and no liquid damage or corrosion present. According to the details, activation is not required with the credit being applied to the fully priced HD2.

The HD2 is already priced extremely well and for those who have an iPhone lying around collecting dust (we're looking at you, CrackBerry Kevin), the trade-in program makes the HD2 even more attractive of an offer. [via tmonews]

While the Sprint Touch Pro 2 ROM update, featuring Windows Mobile 6.5 and Sense 2.5, has turned out to be a pretty big hit amongst users, there is one little nagging issue that has changed with the new configuration: no more LED alerts.

Before under 'Sounds and Notifications', the user was able to enable/disable whether LED alerts would be used for email, text, voicemail, missed calls, etc. In addition, you could specify how long the duration for said blinking shall occur. This feature was a recent change found on many HTC devices and was something that we all greatly appreciated.

So why did Sprint/HTC decide to disable the feature with the latest update? Improve battery life? Make everything more "simple"?  They simply made a mistake? No one knows but it is quite annoying.

Luckily, MightyMike and Mr.X have found a solution, all packed up in a simple .cab file. Just download, install and soft reset and those LED alerts will now be available to enable and configure. You can get the download and read more about it here or scan the MS Tag below.

[MightyROM.com]

One of the many creative minds over at XDA Developers may has come up with a way to turn your HTC HD2 into a metal detector. XDA member 6Fg8 has created an application, Metal Detector 0.2.0.0, that works under the premises that the built in compass on the HD2 relies on the earth's magnetic field to calculate the deviation from magnetic north. If you put a piece of metal near the compass, it deviates from the natural deviation.

There are still a few bugs to work out in the application but for the most part, it performs as advertised. Yet somehow I don't see scanning the beach with an HD2 looking for buried treasure.  However, if that screw you dropped blends in too well with the carpet, this application might be of some use. [via 1800pocketpc.com]

Phil is joined by Dieter and Kevin as we talk about the news at CTIA 2010. There was just a smidgen of Windows Mobile (the HD2 on T-Mobile), but plenty of Android. Listen in!

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe on your Zune
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Listen to it here with the flash player above.

The News

• AndroidCentral: Hands-on with the Motorola i1 iDEN Android phone on Sprint
• AndroidCentral: Finger-on with the 32GB Sandisk microSD card
• AndroidCentral: Hands-on (mostly) with the new AT&T Android-powered Dell Aero
• AndroidCentral: Hands-on with BlueAnt's Bluetooth headset Android app [AC at CTIA]
• AndroidCentral: Quick Hands On with the EVO 4G from HTC and Sprint
• AndroidCentral: Sprint and HTC Announce the HTC EVO 4G
• AndroidCentral: Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S
• AndroidCentral: Samsung announces Android Galaxy S, with 4-inch Super AMOLED screen
• AndroidCentral: CTIA Day 1 keynote
• AndroidCentral: Sprint announces more cities to receive WiMax 4G this year
• AndroidCentral: Zagg Leather Skin for the Motorola Droid
• AndroidCentral: Groundbreaking new device announced tomorrow?
• AndroidCentral: Motorola announces i1, the first Android push-to-talk device on Sprint
• AndroidCentral: Android Central at CTIA Wireless

• CrackBerry.com: CTIA 2010: Ed Hardy Booth Revisited - Awesome Video (but not what you expect!)
• CrackBerry.com: CTIA 2010: RIM's BlackBerry Booth!

• PreCentral.net: AT&T Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus: First Hands-on!
• PreCentral.net: Pre Plus and Pixi Plus to hit AT&T in 'Coming Months'

• WMExperts: T-Mobile HD2 available today; we go hands-on at CTIA

The T-Mobile HD2 is finally available today for $199 on contract, and we got our hands on it Tuesday at CTIA. Obviously the star of the show is the hardware, but you've already seen that from our hands-on and full review of the European version.

T-Mobile has loaded its version with a major video partner -- namely with the Blockbuster app. You can download or stream movies at will. And speaking of movies, Transformers 1 and 2 come preloaded on the HD2. And, really, watching Megan Fox on an HD2 is a small price to pay for a two-year contact, don'tcha think?

Check out our video hands-on after the break.

Want the new T-Mobile HD2?  Live near a Wal-Mart and don't mind dropping $500? You may want to swing by your local Walmart and see if you can grab yourself one today and see if you can beat the official sell date of March 24.

Seems as a few people are having luck doing this trick and while they are paying the full-retail price, they get the joy of having what is no doubt one of the best Windows Mobile 6.5 devices to grace this planet.

Your best bet is to call ahead and just see if they have it available, then go down and see if you can find a store employee who is hopefully unaware of the launch date.

And if you want to vicariously experience unboxing the darn thing, you can check out these related videos of someone who did the above.

[Thanks, Jeremy, for the tip!]

Late last night, HTC took the time to release an official statement in response to the Apple lawsuit recently filed.

Sounding a bit like an old Family Guy episode, HTC respectively disagrees with Apple's claim that it has infringed on its patents:

Of course HTC was not going to address the content of the claim specifically (save that for the courts) nor were they going to go "ya got us!" either, so in a lot of ways, this is no news.

Still, after rehashing their admittedly impressive track record of innovation in the smartphone business, this is just the beginning of the ordeal and we're sure it'll get more interesting in a few months.

Anyone ready to see Phil reporting from outside a court room? Full press release after the jump.

[via AndroidCentral]

HTC DISAGREES WITH APPLE’S ACTIONS

Seattle – March 17, 2010 – HTC Corporation today outlined its disagreement with Apple’s legal actions and reiterated its commitment to creating a portfolio of innovative smartphones that gives consumers a variety of choices. Founded in 1997 with a passion for innovation and a vision for how smartphones would change people’s lives, HTC has continually driven this vision by consistently introducing award-winning smartphones with U.S. mobile operators.

“HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. “From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA

The O2 XDA by HTC was the first 3.5-inch color touch screen smartphone in the world in 2002. and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition The T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition by HTC was the first 3.5-inch color touch screen smartphone in the United States in 2002., our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then.”

The industry has recognized HTC’s contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company’s 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review’s 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the “Best Phone of 2009.” Some of HTC’s technology firsts include:

• First Windows PDA (1998)
• First Windows Phone (June 2002)
• First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)
• First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)
• First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)
• First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)

In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense. HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the center by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience was fundamentally based on listening and observing how people live and communicate.

“HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. “It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world’s most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs.”

For more information on HTC’s history of innovation, please visit:www.htc.com/history.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

For all of you who have kept on us about the Sprint Touch Pro 2 Windows Mobile 6.5 update, well, good on ya. We now may finally (FINALLY!) have an answer, courtesy of a post at ppcgeeks. What you see above purportedly is an internal Sprint memo that points to March 19 as the day of days. "Sense UI enhancements" are mentioned, but it's still anybody's guess as to whether we're talking Sense 2.5 or what. So stay tuned, folks. [ppcgeeks]

The HTC Imagio just received a seat at the kitchen table to enjoy some home cooking. Home cooked ROM's that is.

PPCGeeks member cmonex has released a Hard-SPL that will enable custom ROMs to be installed on the Imagio.  And it didn't take long for a cooked ROM to surface.

NRGZ28, a popular chef in the cooked ROM community, has already released a Beta version of his popular EnergyROM for the Imagio. The Rom is based of of Windows Mobile 6.5.5 with the option of Sense 2.1 or 2.5.

While custom ROMs aren't for everyone, being able to customize the ROM on the Imagio will only add to this very nice Windows Phone.

[via: wmpoweruser.com]

We've had a chance to sit down and read both the lawsuit and International Trade Commission (ITC) complaint that Apple has filed against HTC. In a nutshell, Apple is accusing HTC of manufacturing, importing and selling technologies developed by Apple and protected by their patents without a license to do so. The claims involve twelve HTC products which includes seven Windows Phones; the Touch Pro, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro 2, Tilt2, Pure, Imagio, Touch 3G and the HD2. The remaining five phones are Android based phones (Nexus One, Dream, Hero, Droid Eris).

For more on Apple's claim's, read on past the break.

Apple's main complaint against phones running Windows Mobile is that these phones infringed on Apple's patents involving digital signal processing functionality. The complaints against the Android phones becomes a little more complicated and numerous.

For example, Apple contends that HTC infringed on their patent entitled "System and Method for Performing an Action on a Structure in Computer-Generated Data".  Reading from the ITC complaint Apple describes this patent as generally relating "to a computer based system and method for detecting structures and performing computer-based actions on the detected structure.".

Apple continues by giving this example, "the system may receive data that includes a phone number, highlight it for the user and the, in response to a user's interaction with the highlight text, offer the user the choice of making a phone call to the number."

In reading Apple's claims one would believe that they hold the patent on touch screens, slide-to-unlock, multi-tasking, power regulation and the smartphone design in general.  But it's not so much the functionality that is the issue but rather the code or software driving that feature. How the software is written (both in the patent and HTC device) will likely determine if HTC infringed on Apple's patents.

In the ITC complaint, Apple is seeking relief in the form of a permanent limited exclusion order prohibiting the questioned devices from being sold, manufactured, distributed or stored in the U.S. The Federal lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Delaware, is requesting a Jury Trial and seeking a similar exclusion order plus damages, attorneys fees, cost, and other expenses.

Our friends at Android Central have heard from an HTC representative who offered:

"We only learned of Apple's actions based on your stories and Apple's press release. We have not been served yet so we are in no position to comment on the claims. We respect and value patent rights but we are committed to defending our own innovations. We have been innovating and patenting our own technology for 13 years."

This has the makings for a long, drawn out legal battle between Apple and HTC.  It wouldn't surprise many if at some point Google and Microsoft may be pulled into the fray as well.

There is a remote possibility that the Federal suit could be dismissed by way of a motion for Summary Judgment. Basically, this is a motion HTC may file with their response to the claims asking the Court to dismiss the litigation because it lacks merit. I'm not familiar with ITC's investigative procedures but a similar mechanism could be in place to end that complaint as well. Regardless, I'm sure this isn't the last we'll hear on this issue.

For those wanting to read the full text of the ITC Complaint and Federal lawsuit you can find both at Digital Daily. As things develop on the Windows Phone front of these complaints, we'll keep you updated. For the Android and Apple angles, check for updates over at Android Central and TiPb (The iPhone Blog).

HTC announced the HTC HD Mini just a few weeks ago at the 2010 Mobile World Congress and it is now surfacing on Amazon.com's UK site. The listing is for pre-orders of the Windows Phone at a price of 369 pounds (about $556US). The listing indicates the HD Mini is due to be released on April 14, 2010.

As an added bonus, if you happen to live in the United Kingdom, Amazon is also throwing in free shipping.  Still no indication on whether or not the HD Mini will head across the pond to U.S. Markets.

Via: Engadget.com

We've known that the HD2 is headed to T-Mobile for some time now and have recently learned the pricing information.   But the "when" has been a bit of a mystery.

The BoyGeniusReport has stumbled upon an out of focus events list that might bring the release date into focus.  The second entry on the sheet indicates a "Dark Handset" will launch on March 24, 2010.

"Dark Handset" is reportedly double-knot spy code for the HD2. All of this goes along with the rumors we heard last month about the release date.

Now if only the other carriers could come up with thier own code words for the HD2 and leak release dates!

The FCC has passed a new HTC phone that supports AWS 3G bands. The phone is identified as the HTC PB81120 and it is unknown if this is a Windows Mobile or Android phone. The FCC Test Report refers to the equipment as a Pocket PC Phone which makes many lean towards this being another Windows phone.

Could this be the HTC Trophy? Or could it be the HTC Bravo, an Android phone?  The FCC Test Report doesn't give us much to go with asides from the frequency performances so at this point, it's anybodies guess what the HTC PB81120 is.

Read: cellphonesignal.com

File this under confused.

Verizon user QMeli907 got his third Touch Pro 2 replacement and immediately noticed some changes to the housing:

He's also running a rough version of Android (no radio function though), so don't let that distract you from the housing changes.

So what's up with the change?  It seems to be a mistake as kern417 notes:

Yeah, all of that raises more questions than answers.  Anyone else with one of these? Care to shed some light in the comments?

As much as we loved the idea of Manila 2.5, the "no landscape" and slowness of the messaging app has kept us at arms-length from it.

Of course the no-landscape issue was addressed a few weeks ago, but things like Twitter still only took half the screen; clearly it was not finished (and perhaps there were ulterior motives for that leak).

Well, as you can see above, in build 2011 the Twitter in landscape feature is fixed. There are probably some other enhancements, though it remains to be seen what those are specifically. Though at lest according to one who is using it, "It is as fast, if not faster than Sense 2.1!" which jives with the idea that it comes from a "shipped Topaz ROM", meaning this is final baby.

Expect your favorite ROM chefs to start rolling this out soon.

[Thanks, tek818, for the tip & screenshots!]

HTC and T-Mobile have announced a "Year of Rewards" program that will run from January 20th to March 23, 2010. While the program's eligibility window falls way short of being an actual year, the rewards and discounts being offered aren't too shabby.

When you buy and activate an T-Mobile Shadow, Touch Pro 2 or Dash 3G you can receive up to $500 worth or discounts and rewards. New and existing customers are eligible. Once you upgrade or activate a new line customers simply go to www.yearofrewards.com and register. Then for the next twelve months (that's where the "year" comes into play) you will receive notification on how to claim your reward.

Rewards range from a $25 dining certificate from Restaurant.com to discounts on accessories at HTC.com. You can find all the details and fine print over at T-Mobile.com

Via TMoNews

Since our big story on Seven a few days ago, leaks and information have continued to come forth.

We'll just summarize them all here since nothing is conclusive yet, but there are lots of interesting tidbits:

• Windows Mobile 7 session at MIX 2010 announced: Evidently Microsoft is going to host a session on how to make apps and games for Seven in March at the big MIX '10 conference.  Looks like that Mobile World Congress debut is quite likely. (via MobileTechWorld)
• Twitter comments are coming from some Microsoft/Danger employees. Mention WinMo7 team, doughnuts, private testing, and milestones. Tweets originate not from a Sidekick client but from Microsoft. Project Pink lives? (via EngadgetMobile)
• Part II: List of those tweeting from Danger/Microsoft: Carlos Picoto, Director of program management at Microsoft; Jeff McKean - Senior Product Planner at Microsoft; Bruno Silva - Director of Development at Microsoft Corp., Zune; Daryl Welsh - Director of Test -Premium Mobile Experiences at Microsoft; Michael Ducker - Program Manager, Premium Mobile Experiences at Microsoft; Namrata Bachwani - Release Manager at Microsoft (Thanks azimmerm)
• Our leak of the HTC Obsession gets backed up by another anonymous source at WMPU, who says that it is really the Diamond 3, which seems kind of obvious. Also AT&T may grab it too. (via WMPU)
• Our own source reveals to us that Seven is backwards compatible with WM6.x applications (contra an earlier rumor), but it is limited to resolution restrictions. A security warning pops up on launch, but the program will work.  That info leads naturally to...
• ...the idea that Seven is based on WinCE 7 aka Chelan, which our man with the knowledge Conflipper confidently states.
• Finally, commenter drphysx, mentions this article from a few months back, which we think dovetails nicely with our big post.  It seems to fill in the background info on decision making. It's all theory, but we think its well thought out.

We're sure that's just the tip of the iceberg and we're expecting a lot more info to come forward in the next few weeks.  Stay tuned!

If you are rockin’ an HTC Touch Pro2 (or one of the many carrier variants), chances are you are a power user when it comes to Windows Phones. For myself, the Touch Pro2 is the perfect form factor for a Windows Phone. The massive high- resolution screen, spacious QWERTY keyboard, in a fairly thin phone is the perfect balance of features and portability.

When it comes to power users, there is one feature that we can’t seem to get enough of no matter what the specs are; and that is battery life. Traditionally, the quest for an extended battery meant compromises when it comes to portability because larger battery capacity meant larger physical size. Seidio’s Innocell Extended Battery comes in an OEM form factor that gives you extended battery life without adding bulk or requiring a replacement battery door for your device.

For the full review of Seidio’s Extended Battery, hit the jump.

Build Quality

I’ve used a number of Seidio products over the years and I haven’t found a single one that suffered from poor build quality. The Innocell battery feels perfectly solid, with no flexibility or give to it at all. The battery fits perfectly inside the Touch Pro2, and doesn’t require any fiddling or extra pressure to get it installed.

Performance

From a pure specification standpoint, the Innocell battery is rated at 1750mAh; compared to the standard HTC battery at 1500mAh. How much extra time the 250mAh gives you isn’t an exact science, and will depend almost exclusively on how much you use and abuse your device. My own testing resulted in inconclusive hard data (the numbers were very close, but reproducing identical test scenarios was very difficult). Personally I gained around an extra hour or so when switching to Seidio’s battery. My usage is fairly heavy throughout the day and I work in an area that is on the fringe of 3G coverage.

Conclusion

Personally, at $49.95, I found Seidio’s Innocell Extended Battery to be a little on the expensive side; but I’m sitting at a desk for the majority of my time. On the other hand, if my primary battery were to fail, I would definitely spend the extra cash on the extended battery as it did give me a fairly significant boost in battery life.

If your phone always seems to be stuck on empty, or your battery just can’t keep up with your habits; give Seidio’s Innocell Extended Battery a look.

Rumors abound in regards to Windows Mobile 7, HTC's HD2, and Microsoft's purported Chassis 1. Speculation stems from the story that Microsoft has a "reference chassis" for Windows Mobile 7, and the fact that the HD2 is the only device which qualifies based on the rumored hardware requirements.

The latest round of conjecture is based on an XDA post detailing the response that he received when he asked HTC about Windows Mobile 7 for his HD2. The core of HTC's response is as follows.

Overlooking the underwhelming English skills, let's break this down. First of all, HTC does indeed release ROM updates from their website. Windows Mobile 6.5 was released in October, so this is more or less true. The statement that Windows Mobile 7 has not been developed is probably not true, but we can be fairly certain that it is not a finished product at this point. The statement about November is very noncommittal, and doesn't seem to come from anyone with actual knowledge of the timeline. The final statement, that it will be a free download once it is released, is simply in line with HTC offering free updates for their devices. While you could read into the response and take out that HTC is committed to bringing Windows Mobile 7 to the HD2, the response doesn't actually say that in so many words.

My personal prediction is that the HD2 will get Windows Mobile 7, at least unofficially. Until Microsoft shows Windows Mobile 7 to the world, speculation about what devices will get the upgrade is simply speculation. Stay tuned for news out of Mobile World Congress next month.

[via RedmondPie]

Those of you in the UK looking to pick up an HTC HD2 can now do so with Virgin Mobile for free with its 24-month £30 tariff. Up to this point the Snapdragon toting beast has been available unlocked, on O2 and T-Mobile.

Have any of our British mates been lugging an HD2 around recently? What carrier are you rocking? Regale us with tales of your device superiority in the comments.

[via CoolSmartPhone]

Wow, look at that.  Not only did the Ozone get its official update, but so didn't the Verizon Touch Pro 2.

That sort of came out of nowhere!  We like it.

Changes include:

1. OS Upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5
2. Updated drivers to support Global VZ Navigator
3. TouchFLO 3D Enhancements

Get your download on right here!  And big thanks to Biglcny for noticing!

Update: Yes, this does have Sense 2.1 w/ the Weather clock.

We try to remember our U.K. friends form time to time, and this is one of those times. Tracy & Matt have noticed that the HTC Touch Diamond 2 already is available for pre-order from British dealer Clove for 360 pounds, or about $500 U.S. That's without the British Value Added Tax, which increases the price to 414 pounds, or closer to $600.

That's all sans carrier contract and subsidy, which is the norm many places outside the United States. Clove notes that it expects to have the Touch Diamond 2 in stock in mid- to late-March. If you're tempted to import one of these guys, do note that it's lacking the U.S. 3G bands, as did the original Diamond when first released.

As for a U.S. release? We're sure willing to bet it's coming, just not when and to which carriers. Though if we could snag it unlocked for $500, that'd be nice, too.

Update: Tilt Mobility notes that the Touch Pro 2 also is up for pre-order. 450 British pounds ($639 U.S.) before the VAT, 517.50 pounds ($735 U.S.) after.

Same bird. Same honeycomb. Only much larger pics this time, and in Chinese, from 592ppc.com (page translated here). And we see what looks like a games folder. (Or should we call it a cell?) This was running on a Dopod HTC Touch Pro. Any Chinese readers see anything else?

The (expected) unveiling of WM6.5 at Mobile World Congress just can't come soon enough.

HTC announced at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show that they will be introducing the S743 to U.S. Market later this year. The S743 is a Windows Mobile Standard device with a slide-out keyboard and who's non-U.S. cousin is the popular S740. While there was some concern over the future of WM Standard the announcement of the S743 might be the spark needed to breath new life into WM Standard. Windows Mobile Standard is a fantastic operating system for those who want the power of Windows Mobile but don't necessarily want to worry with all that's going on behind the scenes. While the S743 isn't available for review yet, HTC was kind enough to provide us with a test model of the S740 during last Fall's Mobius Conference. To give us a little insight on what to expect from the S743, we decided to take the S740 out for a test drive. Read on after the break to see how it handled the test track.

First Impressions

As you read this review, keep in mind that this review is for the S740 which is essentially the same device as the S743 except it isn't compatible with the U.S. 3G networks. Again, big thanks goes out to HTC for providing us with this test model and while there might be some minor differences between the S743 and S740 we think looking at the S740 will give us a good measure on what to expect out of the S743.

The S740 comes with a sync cable, charging adapter, earphones and the model I tested came with a nifty mesh/cloth case. If I had to choose one word to describe my first impression of the S740 it would be "slim". Measuring 4.57" x 1.69" x .65" and weighing only 4.9 ounces, this is a slender, sleek Windows Mobile device. Compared to another very popular Windows Mobile Standard device, the Motorola Q9h Global, the S740 is similar in height as the Motorola but almost half its width. Compared to it's big brother, the HTC Touch Pro/Fuze, the S740 is considerably narrower, thinner and taller.

One nice design feature that stands out with the S740 is the rubberized battery cover. While I'm still not a fan of the "diamond" cut and would rather see a flat back, the rubberized cover is a refreshing change to the shiny black, fingerprint magnet cover the Touch Pro, Fuze, Diamond has. The matte black rubber finish not only deflects fingerprints but gives the phone a little grip. I wouldn't get upset one bit if HTC decided to make this a standard design feature.

The S740 is powered by a 1000mah battery, which is a bit of a concern knowing that the S740 is Bluetooth, WiFi compatible and has built in GPS. No specs on the U.S. Version's battery but maybe it will have a little more juice to it. Underneath the S740's hood you'll find a Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz processor, 256mb ROM and 256mb RAM. Memory storage can be expanded through the microSD card slot which is found underneath the sliding keyboard, which is also the location of the SIM card slot. The S740 performed nicely opening, closing and processing applications. This isn't unusual for a Windows Mobile Standard device but the S740 seemed to have a little more bounce in it's step.

The S740 is also fitted with a 3.2 megapixel camera. The camera has a dedicated shutter button on the right side of the S740 to allow you to use the camera holding the phone horizontally. You can also activate the shutter by pressing the center control button.

The S740 is fitted with a 2.4" 320 x 240 screen with QVGA resolution. I had no problem in reading the screen indoors or outdoors. The S740 has a light sensor that helps compensate for your ambient light. Beneath the screen you'll find the answer/end keys, soft keys, and a numerical keypad that can be used to dial as well as enter text. You also have the center control button, home and back keys. The answer/end keys are raised to help find them and the keypad is backlit. The numeric keypad is an interesting alternative to the front facing QWERTY keypad devices such as the Samsung Blackjack II. With the slide-out keyboard, the S740 can get away with the numeric keypad and in doing so, afford the slimmer form factor.

Compared to the HTC Fuze's keyboard, the S740's keyboard is noticeably narrower. It is a four row, QWERTY keyboard that incorporates similar functionality as the HTC Fuze's keyboard does. There are keyed shortcuts to applications such as SMS Messaging, Email, Communications Manager and your web browser. The narrower keyboard takes a little getting used to especially if you have large hands. The keyboard extends about as far as it can while remaining sturdy (proportionally similar to the HTC Fuze). Above the top row of keys are two soft keys needed to navigate around WM Standard. While I would like to see an additional row of keys on the S743, this may be a difficult task given the narrower form factor of the phone.

When I was ready to install my SIM Card and micro-SD card, out of instinct I removed the battery and started looking for the SIM Card slot and micro-SD card slot. I started to get a little nervous when the card slots were not there! I looked for slide out trays, slots and anything that slightly resembled a receptical for the cards. It wasn't until I looked under the keyboard that I found the card slots. At first, I thought this was a nice change to the more traditional, under the battery location. That is until I tried to fit the cards into their carriers. The microSD slides into a metal carrier that holds it in place. Then you slide the SIM card in it's metal tray and it folds down on top of your microSD card. While I like the card slots underneath the keyboard, I'm not sure if I like the SIM card lying on top of the microSD card or that the microSD card isn't hot swappable.

Additional features of the S740 include Bluetooth, WiFi (yes, WiFi on a WM Standard device), GPS, and a FM radio. The S740 uses the same proprietary headphone jack (mini-USB) and syncs/charges through the same mini-USB port. Slightly raised volume keys are located on the upper left side of the S740 with the power button resting at the top of the device.

Performance

The S740, with respect to being a phone, performed well. Audio quality and signal reception was on par with other quality phones such as the Motorola Q9h, BlackJack II, Samsung Epix, HTC Fuze, etc. It is a Windows Mobile Standard device and being so, utilizes soft keys and the center control button for navigation instead of a touch screen. It doesn't have TouchFlo but does have the WM Standard sliding panels, including a HTC version of the sliders that adds a weather panel into the mix. In clicking on the Weather Panel, you are sent to a five day forecast for your selected City.

To briefly touch on the software, the S740 has the typical Windows Mobile applications installed including the Mobile Office apps, AGPS, voice and video recorder, as well as a few utilities (placed in the Accessories Folder) including the "Clear Storage" app that is essentially a hard reset application. It is our understanding that the S743 will be initially released un-branded (no carrier tie in) so we don't expect much change in the software configuration.

You have the standard Windows Mobile Standard Quick List that is accessible by pressing the power button. There is one profile setting that I can't say that I've notice on the other Windows Mobile Standard devices I've owned. The "Automatic" profile switches between the "Normal" and "Vibrate" profiles when the calendar indicates the current time is busy. A cool feature that hopefully HTC keeps in place. As customary you can also access your Task Manager and Communications Manager through the Quick List as well as changing the Profiles.

While I didn't have 3G capabilities, I was able to enjoy WiFi speeds. It was a welcomed addition to WM Standard to have Wifi capabilities. Reception can be spotty at my house so having the ability to jump onto my home wireless network to access the internet, download files, etc. can be a useful. GPS performance was a little on the sluggish side. I'm not certain if the lack of 3G access effected the GPS performance but it took a noticeably long time to get a satellite fix.

Overall Impression

After using a touch screen device for the past sixth months, I found myself instinctively tapping on the non-touch screen of the S740. Once I overcame that impulse, I found the S740 to be an enjoyable, reliable, stable device. The S740 represents the HTC lineup well in being a solidly constructed device and I really like the matte black, rubbery finish on the back. It's not perfect but the S740 is a very good WM Standard device.

While some may find the screen a little on the small side, I had no problem viewing emails, contacts, or web pages. HTC might have been able to squeeze out a 320x320 screen but I'm afraid it would have made the phone feel too boxy. The slender form factor has a certain appeal and the screen "fits" the feel really well.

The front facing numeric keypad was a nice addition and made dialing convenient and makes the S740 more "one handed operation" friendly. I liked how the answer/end keys are slightly raised to distinguish them from the rest of the keys. My only nit on the keypad is that I couldn't find any control settings for the backlighting. I would have liked to have seen some control over the duration of the backlight or maybe even the ability to turn it off.

The slide-out keyboard and WiFi were welcomed additions to the WM Standard design. While the keyboard was a little on the narrow side, once you became accustomed to the layout, it rivaled the outstanding keyboard of the Motorola Q9h. It would have been nice to have had a fifth row of keys but that had to be sacrificed for the required softkeys. The more I used the S740 the less I came to like the SIM/microSD card slots. To access the microSD card you have to disconnect the SIM Card, shutting down the phone. I like the location but the microSD needs to be hot swappable.

While Windows Mobile Standard does a good job of power management, I would like to see a larger battery appear with the S743. The 1000mah battery performed well over the few days I used the S740 but for the most part, the usage was lighter than usual. I'm a little concerned that with a heavier workload, the S740 will be finding the charging cable nightly. The Motorola Q9h does well (not spectacular) with a 1170mah but doesn't have WiFi (plus the Moto Q has the 1640mah extended battery). The Samsung BlackJack II enjoys a 1700mah battery, which doesn't look any larger than the stock battery of the S740, so we may see larger aftermarket batteries crop up.

All in all, I was impressed with the S740 and if it's any indication on what to expect out of the S743, Windows Mobile Standard fans will have something to cheer about. If you've worn out your BlackJack II or worried that the Motorola Q will no longer be around, based on the S740, the HTC S743 will be worth a strong look.

As it did the year before, the Smartphone Round Robin needed to go into overtime again this time around -- but we're finished now!  If you haven't been following along, here's what you missed:  Each of the editors of our five Smartphone Experts sites swapped phones for a week or so, reviewing and leanring what it's like to wear another smarphone user's shoes.  The result is the entire series of articles you see linked on this handy page, the Smartphone Round Robin of 2008.

What will you learn there?  You'll learn that there was no single smartphone that 'won' the Round Robin -- but that's by design.  There's no perfect smartphone out there, but there just might be the perfect smartphone to fit your needs.  If you're looking to get a new smartphone soon, think about what you need it do to and then hit up these articles -- you'll find that depending on what each of us care about, we'll give you a useful perspective on whether a given smartphone matches up. 

Actually, we explain it all pretty well on this page. Oh, yeah, one more thing, we are giving away fabulous prizes:

• From Android Central, the T-Mobile G1, the BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Headset, and SPE Screen Protectors
• From CrackBerry.com, the BlackBerry Bold, Spare Battery, and Case-Mate Second Skin
• From The iPhone Blog, the iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset
• From TreoCentral, the Treo Pro, Case-Mate Clear Armor, and Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset (original)
• From WMExperts, the HTC Fuze and the Celio Redfly Mobile Companion

Find out who the winners are, after the break!

Smartphone Round Robin Winners!

Here are all the winners for the 2008 Smartphone Round Robin, chosen randomly in accordance with the contest rules:

From Android Central, winning the T-Mobile G1, the BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Headset, and SPE Screen Protectors, we have:

From CrackBerry.com, winning the BlackBerry Bold, Spare Battery, and Case-Mate Second Skin, we have:

From The iPhone Blog, winning the iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset, we have:

From TreoCentral, winning the Treo Pro, Case-Mate Clear Armor, and Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset (original), we have:

From WMExperts, winning the HTC Fuze and the Celio Redfly Mobile Companion, we have

Congratulations to all of our winners!  You can expect an email from Dieter (aka me) over the weekend.

A special thanks goes out to the sponsors of the Smartphone Round Robin, without whom we couldn't have possibly pulled it off:

Well, the Smartphone Round Robin has been a ridiculous amount of fun (and an equal share of work and shipping fees!) and we loved doing it.  We hope you loved following along and learned as much as we did along the way. 

We'll bring it back again, of course, later in 2009.  Here's a promise: this year we'll actually bring in some Nokia/Symbian action and heck, we might even deign to include a Windows Mobile Standard device.  Oh yeah, and there's that whole Palm Pre/webOS thing to look forward to as well.

The smartphone world is going to rock in 2009, and Smartphone Experts will be there to cover it all for you.

While we reported earlier this month the HTC's revenue was up 29% for 2008, HTC is now lowering their expectations for 2009 revenue growth. Taiwanese based  Commercial Times is quoting HTC CEO Peter Chou as saying that HTC expects double-digit 2009 revenue growth as smartphones gain popularity globally even amid a global downturn. Chou continued, "The visibility in 2009 is extremely low, so things could be a bit worse in the short term. But we still expect to maintain double-digit growth (this year)." Back in October of last year, Chou predicted 20% growth in 2009. While not providing a specific number for projected revenue, HTC seems to be optimistic with the positive reception they received at the 2009 CES. Looking at the leaked HTC lineup one could easily understand HTC's optimism in predicting "double digits," we just hope it's closer to 20% than it is to 10%.

[Read: Reuters and Electronista.com]

Well looky here!  Evidently Sprint is getting ready to release a significant ROM update for the HTC Diamond.  Official "leaking" seems to be standard practice these days as you folks serve as great beta testers ;-) 

This is just breaking so not many have tried it yet. One big change appears to be the inclusion of the new Mobile Internet Explorer 6.  Huzzah!

Here's what different/new:

• CE OS 5.2.20764 (Build 20764.1.4.3)
• MSIE 6.0 (New Internet Explorer?)
• Radio: 1.11.00F
• Opera 9.5 build 15306
• new audiobooster
• new audio manager
• new camera
• new dshow
• new ezinput
• new fullscreen player
• new random access
• new stream media
• new rsshub
• new youtube

Don't get us wrong, but when we saw the low-end Touch Viva announced, we were a twinge afraid that it might come to the states and take up precious retail space that might be better served by higher-end Touch devices.  Doesn't look like that's in the cards, as the Viva has arisen as the Euro-only T-Mobile MDA Basic.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, of course, even a "Basic" Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro phone these days gets:

• 2 mp camera
• Quad-band EDGE
• WiFi
• GPS
• MicroSD slot
• TouchFlo 2D
• 8 hours of talk time(!)

Best part, if you pick it up on-contract, you're looking at a nominal 4.95 Euro for it.  We're doubting anybody's clamoring to import the thing, but we are liking that these are the minimum specs on a WinMo device these days. [T-Mobile Germany via Engadget Mobile]

HTC, everyone's favorite Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, has released its 2008 numbers, and Digitimes breaks it down for us.

No mention of straight profits. Fourth-quarter revenue was up about 21 percent over Q4 of 2007.

The Touch Diamond-series phones and T-Mobile's Android-based G1 are cited as movers and shakers on the year. For 2009, HTC plans about 10 new Windows Mobile and Android devices and is looking to grow revenue 20 percent.

HTC Rumors galore, Motorola Drama Redux, and your emails.

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Listen to it here with this flash player:

News

• Live Search rebrand?
• Touch Diamond in CDMA
  • Touch Diamond to hit Sprint Soon
  • some sketchy details
  • Telus on Aug 14th
• New Moto CEO
• Motorola Alexander
• Sprint, oh Sprint
• Download HTC ROMs more easily
• Redfly Available, Expanded compatibility

Tips and/or Software

• Fix up WMP
• Sneaky SkyFire Reg
• 1 Click to email

• Redfly Forums and contest

Credits

Thanks to the WMExperts Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!

• Swim below as Leviathans by Fireproof Babies
• Drop by Raga Flow by Killbotz
• Midnight by Paradox
• GONE by djsociopath
• Purple Schlep by Whip Snapper

Mal and Dieter answer a boat-load of listener emails, chat about weird mix of device rumors this week, and take a quick look at the BlackBerry Storm. Listen in!

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Listen to it here with this flash player:

News

• No US Touch HD
• Pantech Duo Gets 6.1
• Xperia X1a, Epix and Fuze
• Moto Q11 Official
• Omnia
  • Review from George
  • Name Wackiness
• Samsung i770
• BlackBerry Storm

Tips and/or Software

• Street View
• Fring

Thanks to Gabriel, Mystery Man, Sunshine, Cadman, Jempen, Tom, and Taylor for contacting us!

Credits

Thanks to the WMExperts Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!

• Swim below as Leviathans by Fireproof Babies
• Drop by Raga Flow by Killbotz
• Midnight by Paradox
• GONE by djsociopath
• Purple Schlep by Whip Snapper

We're back again, baby. This week Dieter and Malatesta discuss the continuing HTC video drama, unlimited plans, the Treo 800w, and their favorite registry edits.

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Check out Microsoft's Getting Started with Podcasts article
• Just listen to it here with this flash player:

Be sure to email us -- podcast@wmexperts.com -- we want to talk about what you want to hear about. You can also leave us a voicemail to be played on-air: 866-904-5882 x222.

Read on for the show notes

News

• HTC Rumor and confirmation that software updates are coming
• Everybody's Unlimited
• Device news
  • Samsung Ace
  • The XPERIA X1 is awesome again, uses WM6.1 (rumors of 6.5?!), microSD
• Treo 800w - is it delayed or not?

Tips and Software

• Go on and read HobbesIsReal's Great Reg Edit Article.
• Dieter's favorite registry edits:
  • Disable SMS sent message notification
  • Change your system font
  • Remapping hard-coded buttons (it's different for every device, you'll just need to do some searching. ;)
• Malatesta's faves: Hey Mala - throw them in the comments, hey?! :p

From the WMExperts Store

Great Accessories for the Sprint Touch:

• Mobi Holster for Touch
• Seidio Super Slim Rubberized Hard Case for Sprint Touch
• Seidio OEM-sized Extended battery

Community

Email from Nick:

Start with How To: Buy a Windows Mobile Phone

Then we address his q's specifically in the podcast. Threads:

• Leaked Opera Mobile 9.33 - seems alternately awesome and horribly buggy
• make reg edits into cab installs
• Treo 500v cuts off after 33 minutes WHA?

Credits

Thanks to the WMExperts Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!

• Swim below as Leviathans by Fireproof Babies
• Drop by Raga Flow by Killbotz
• Midnight by Paradox
• GONE by djsociopath
• Purple Schlep by Whip Snapper

Tune in next Friday for a mini-review of the BlackJack II!

This week Malatesta and Dieter talk about the new Mogul ROM update, the effects of the iPhone Enterprise and SDK news on Windows Mobile, and read your emails.

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Check out Microsoft's Getting Started with Podcasts article
• Just listen to it here with this flash player:

Be sure to email us -- podcast@wmexperts.com -- we want to talk about what you want to hear about. You can also leave us a voicemail to be played on-air: 866-904-5882 x222.

Read on for the show notes

News

• Mogul Update!
• iPhone Enterprise, SDK -- effects on WinMo World, Got Multitask?
• I-Mate: FAIL, Not even using HTC as OEM
• Moto Q9M Firmware Released, nothing to see here
• Moto Q10
• Sprint: Moar FAIL

Tips and Software

• Customize SBP Mobile Shell, Review thereof

From the WMExperts Store

Great Accessories for the BlackJack II

• Samsung OEM Headset Adapter
• Mobi Holster w/ belt clip
• Spare Battery, 1700 OEM

Community

Thanks to Nick, Dawid, Mike, and Eric for writing in!

• iPhone SDK: Why it still fails (Yes, we just discussed this in the TreoCast too)
• The PPC-6800 Official GPS Thread BOOM!
• Rev.A / GPS Software Update Official

(Also: Mal and Dieter are big big fans of Zero Punctuation)

Credits

Thanks to the WMExperts Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!

• Swim below as Leviathans by Fireproof Babies
• Drop by Raga Flow by Killbotz
• Midnight by Paradox
• GONE by djsociopath
• Purple Schlep by Whip Snapper

Tune in next Friday for a mini-review of the BlackJack II!

image credit

Heading back in the time machine, you may recall a problem with some HTC devices lacking hardware video acceleration. Some people got fired up, threatened a law suit and starting furiously hacking their devices.

Fast forward a few months and the issue sort of died down, what with the Touch Pro and Diamond being released world-wide. These devices were promised by HTC to have better video performance and while it some aspects they do, in other areas evidently they fail.

Update: Ok, this is getting long. Join us after the break!

Over at XDA, member branko.savic & DSF did some intense side-by-side testing between the Samsung Omnia, HTC Universal and HTC Touch Pro. The test involved a video file encoded at 480x640 resolution, 25 FPS and 574 kbit/s and benchmarked via CorePlayer. The results were astonishing:

Omnia: Raw framebuffer: 442.74% (!)

Universal: Direct Draw: 165.28%

Touch Pro: QTv display: 152.44%

Furthermore, a bunch of comparisons between a Nokia N82, Dell Axim x51v and Touch Pro/Diamond were demonstrated using Quake 3 Arena. Once again, the stuttering of the new HTC device compared to the quite old Dell Axim is clearly evident.

(Watch x51v) (Watch Touch Pro)

So much ado about nothing or a big disappointment? Seems as if a lot of the graphic improvmenst on the new HTC devices come from a beefier 500+ mhz processor instead of solid direct draw/openGL hardware support. Yet devices like the Samsung Omnia and even Treo 800w both seem to have more advanced video support. What say you?

Big thanks to DSF for the details! You can also find more on this story at wmpoweruser.

Update: Below is a pretty incredible video -- an HTC Toronado clocked at 180MHz (right) puts the smackdown on an HTC Touch Pro clocked at 528MHz. YARLY.

...Now for some caveats: it's always difficult to say for sure why one WinMo device might perform better than another, so don't take any of the above as conclusive evidence that there's an issue here. On the other hand, it definitely looks like it merits more investigation.

Aram pinged us to let us know that the Verizon Touch Pro is already out of stock at the Verizon Wireless site and sure enough, that looks to be the case. Strangely it seems to be showing as available for certain zip codes (like WMExperts home town of Inverness, FL) while it's definitely listed as out of stock in others (like Boston, MA).

Is it out of stock for you? Bottom line: if you were assuming you'd be able to wait until Black Friday to pick up a Verizon Touch Pro, assume no more. They appear to be flying off the shelves.

One side note: it does seem pretty clear that the Verizon Touch Pro has 192mb of RAM, not the 128 listed on the specs page at Verizon. wmpoweruser brings the screenshot with the proof and it looks like TouchFlo 3D leaves a paltry 45mb of Program Memory free after a reset. Verizon Touch Pro: Out of Stock in some places and apparently likely to be Out of Memory quite often.

Thanks, Aram!

Ever wonder about the stark contrast between HTC's last generation devices and their new Diamond/Touch themed ones? Did you notice how the Diamond's design is "...both modern and clutter-free to allow a strong focus on the innovative interface"?

Turns out there was an open secret that many of us were oblivious: HTC worked with San Francisco design studio One & Co. on the ground-breaking Diamond's aesthetics.

Granted, HTC gets the credit for execution, delivery and that quite popular TouchFlow3D interface. But it never hurts to get the input of some schmancy artists sportin' some black turtlenecks and speaking (inexplicably) with Swedish accents.

So next time you stare down at your purty HTC Diamond and you think to yourself, boy the "...rich materials and diamond-like surfacing convey its power and sophistication", you can thank One & Co.

[Via I.D Magazine; Thanks Darren]

We'd originally put out a BOLO on the Alltel Touch Pro for Nov. 14 or so. Obviously that's passed. Now we're being told to look for it this Thursday, Nov. 20.

Still no official word on pricing, though we'd previously been told around $300. But it could well be more, given that Verizon, which as we all know has swallowed up Alltel, reportedly will sell its Touch Pro for $350.

Update: OK, the Alltel Touch Pro's now available for pre-sale at Best Buy for a whopping $999. That better be a typo. Other pricing is as follows:

• Two-Year Price: $379.99, with a $100.00 mail-in rebate, resulting in a final price of $279.99
• One-Year Price: $439.99
• Non-Contract Price: $599.99
• Prepaid Price: Not available for prepaid

More pics after the jump.

And thanks, Brandon, for the heads up!

Excuse us while we take a minute to wrap our minds around this one.

First we had TouchFlo 3D on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.  Now it appears turnabout is fair play as the X1 panels have been ported onto HTC

We haven't forgotten all you Alltel customers out there in the recent release of HTC devices. (See Touch Pro on Sprint and the Touch Fuze (this week, we hope) on AT&T.)

The Touch Diamond has been available for a couple of days now. You'll pay $249.99 after the usual contract discount and mail-in rebate. And with the Verizon-Alltel deal getting the go-ahead from the Justice Department — provided Verizon sells off some its assets first — you'd probably better pick this up before the Big V does some of its famous device neutering.

We're also still expecting the Touch Pro. A little birdie tells us it should be released on or about Nov. 14. Price reportedly could be $100 higher than the Diamond, but that'd leave it $50 more than Sprint is asking for the Touch Pro. So we'll wait and see on that one.

Well, look at that. We'd heard rumors that there was a white HTC Touch Diamond roaming the waters of Europe, and it looks like someone's managed to capture the elusive beast, albeit chained to a display.

Dutch site jouw Mobiel (translation) has the lowdown on the Touch Diamond Ice White, which is said to be on sale in the Netherlands next month. Specs are said to be the same as the traditional black diamond.

And there's an added bonus.

If you're over in the NL and pick one up, you'll also be greeted by a voucher that lets you "Pimp My Diamond." (Xzibit probably not included.) You send the voucher back to HTC and get your choice of a gold, silver or pink back cover that has Swarovski Crystals inlaid.

Let it never be said again that Europeans don't care what their phones looks like.

Via coolsmartphone

If you're a fan of unlocked phones as clean as virgin snow, devoid of carrier branding or crapware, look away now.

A post at XDA Developers has a couple of small pics of what appears to be the AT&T-branded Fuze, which is its version of the HTC Touch Pro. On the left is the basic Windows Mobile security unlock screen. On the right as a panel of apps on the Fuze.

We recently ran down the specs:

• WM 6.1 Pro
• Qualcomm 7201a, 528MHz Processor
• 2.8“, 640x480 Touchscreen
• Slide-out keyboard has a Start and OK button (yes, it matters)
• 850/1900/2100 3G bands, Quad-Band EDGE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
• 3.1mp camera
• 1340 mAh battery which can get you up to 8 hours (really?) of talk time under ideal conditions (read: EDGE and nothing else going on)

We're still looking at an Oct. 23 release, for $299 after the usual contracts and rebates.

WM Power User (via Engadget Mobile)