HTC Touch.B aka Rome makes an appearance; Runs Android?

By Phil Nickinson
last updated

It is with awe and envy when we see chief Windows phone manufacturer HTC take one of its devices and convert it for the competition.

And that seems to be the case here as the rarely talked about HTC Rome, now appropriately dubbed Touch.B, takes the stage for the first time. And guess that labeling on the back is here to stay? We're okay with that.

Not much is known about the specs, so nothing to get worked up over at this time. It certainly does look nice and we suppose it's not that different from the Eris (which to us trumps Motorola's DROID).  

Still, it is odd having Android running so closely with Windows phones these days. It's like our twin sibling ...an evil twin sibling plotting to kill us.

[UnwiredView via MobiFrance]

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson

Phil is the father of two beautiful girls and is the Dad behind Modern Dad. Before that he spent seven years at the helm of Android Central. Before that he spent a decade in a newsroom of a two-time Pulitzer Prize-finalist newspaper. Before that — well, we don't talk much about those days. Subscribe to the Modern Dad newsletter!

9 Comments
  • Oooh, that's some sweet looking hardware. I am afraid there's really very little to keep a Windows Mobile fan faithful anymore. Almost every other OS out there can now do at least as much out of the box, with a better UI experience. And now they're getting their OSes wrapped in sweet kit to boot. Microsoft has puttered around way too long. By the time they get around to releasing a true UI competitor, the only WM users left are going to be the few uber-geeks who insist on being able to customize every facet of their user experience.
  • Meh, I think there's still some things to keep the WinMo fan faithful, namely the software. Despite its shortcomings, Windows Mobile just has a large amount of nice software (with only the iPhone beating it). That and, as you say, the fact that WinMo seems to be the most moddable OS around. :D I have to admit, though, I've looked at other OSes in the past hard too. The first serious ones I thought of switching to was WebOS and Maemo. Not only do they both look and function great, but they hardware they come on is so nice (Cortex A8). Unfortunately, I was never able to serious consider Maemo because of the lack of software, and WebOS fell by the wayside because I don't like the Pre/Pixi's hardware design and the lack of software is a factor too. These issues will eventually be fixed, though. Microsoft seriously needs to give Windows Mobile a big overhaul. Hopefully, Windows Mobile 7 is what the OS needs because Microsoft can't keep making people wait forever.
  • I gotta say... I don't see the point of this one. I'm not an Android hater and had some opportunity to play with Verizon's two Android offerings this past week. Bottom line: Motorola better pray Verizon keeps pushing that "Droid", 'cause the Aris is the real deal and a MUCH BETTER DEVICE overall. As far as this particular phone: I just don't see this competing against the Aris which has about the same size touch screen AND A GREAT TRACKBALL. Same OS and fewer options for interfacing with the device? No thanks. But, as much as I liked the Aris... I'm sticking with the Touch Pro 2.
  • It'll prolly compete on price, be to Android what the HTC Touch2 is to WM.
  • Hope it has 1 Ghz + Bluetooth 3.0
  • Herve Leger womens fashions at ShopStyle. Shop popular stores to find Herve Leger womens fashions on sale - all in one place. Create and share looks based
    Herve Leger
    Cheap Herve Leger
    Jewelry,Necklaces,Jewelry Necklaces,Links of London Necklaces,online sales a variety of world famous such as Links of London etc,with competitive price.
    Links of London , the leading British contemporary jeweller was founded in 1990 by jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas and her husband John Ayton.cheap Links of London jewelry at online linksgif UK store, including Links of London Necklaces, Links of London Charms, Links of London Earrings. Links of London Silver Sweetie Bracelet Medium
    Links of London Charm
    Links of London
  • This is probably HTC's "dumbphone", running a proprietary HTC operating system.
  • hmmm...looks like there's a lot of unused space where they could have had a larger screen? It does look good...but I agree with Kassad, wondering if it'll will be Android's cheap little brother to Eris.
  • Pass4sure is the best choice for IT candidates who want to pass any IT exams. Popular certifications like Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Sun, compTIA, HP, etc, ensure that customers could find the exactly one they need. Product forms at Pass4sure are various, software, hardcopy, video, E-Zine and so on.The Most Popular exams List :642-426 | 350-030 | 156-215.65 | go to pass4sure to get more information!