Windows Mobile may lack the elegance of more modern operating systems, but some phones based on Microsoft’s mobile OS are finding new life as Android handsets.
A few intrepid smartphone users have hacked their Windows Mobile phones to run the Android operating system, creating Frankenstein-ish monsters with the body of one phone and the transplanted brain of another.
“The biggest reason I switched was because Windows Mobile was so sluggish — it would hang and take forever when you dialed a number,” says Connor Roberts, a a software engineer who, two months ago, posted a step-by-step tutorial to running Android OS on the HTC Touch. “Android is a lot faster and I get GPS navigation on my phone now for free.” The Touch, introduced in June 2007, is a pixie-sized phone with a 2.8-inch touchscreen and a 2-megapixel camera that comes with Windows Mobile 6 OS.
Microsoft’s Windows Mobile held a strong share of the smartphone market for years, particularly among business users who valued its connections with such corporate services as Microsoft Exchange. But the OS hasn’t kept up with the advances found in Android and the iPhone OS, and sales of Windows Mobile phones have been sagging. Microsoft’s next-generation phone software, Windows Phone 7, isn’t yet available.
For many users, Android on an original Windows phone opens up the ability to switch to a new OS without spending the money to buy a new device. It also offers access to new features — and to applications in the Android Market.
Sounds crazy? Not really, says Thomas Hewton-Waters, an engineering student at the University of Calgary who tried it out.
“It’s ridiculously easy to get Android running on the Touch,” he says. “You simply unlock your phone and flash the Android OS to it. If you have a good guide to go off of, you could have Android up and running in probably half an hour.”
In just under two months, Roberts’ tutorial on the message board has garnered more than 17,900 views and 213 replies. And there are now hacks available to transform most Windows Mobile smartphones into Android clones.
Handset makers and wireless carriers decide which operating system can run on a phone and customers usually have no choice in the matter. But smartphone owners who willing to get their hands dirty can play with the read-only memory, or ROM, on their cellphones, which holds the firmware. Software hackers have created custom ROMs that can be loaded on a phone to unlock certain features in a process known as “flashing.” That means phones that are not the latest in terms of hardware specs can still offer software features that would make a Nexus One or a Droid blush.
For the last few years, Roberts says he has been tinkering with the ROM on his phone to see how he can extend the functionality of the device. For instance, by changing the ROM he can increase the amount of memory available or add maps from service providers such as TomTom and Garmin on the phone.
“Custom ROMs can allow you to do anything you want with your phone,” he says. “Otherwise, the carriers try to restrict you to just talking and texting on the phone.”
Switching the operating system on a phone may not take much time, but it’s a tricky procedure that could leave your phone a nonfunctioning brick. You must make careful backups and download an avalanche of files. While there are online forums and guides to help users through the process, it can be a lot of work, says Roberts. That’s why he decided to collect all the information in a single message and post it on the XDA Developers forum, he says.
Roberts’ tutorial will work with most HTC Windows Mobile phones on almost all carriers. The only requirement is that the phone has a display with a minimum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
Saving money has been the biggest reason to hack his phone, says Roberts. Buying a new Android phone can cost up to $200 and carriers force customers to buy a data plan with their smartphone.
“The phone I had (the HTC Touch) didn’t require a data plan,” he says. “And I didn’t want to add a $30-a-month data package to my bill when I can get everything I need through Wi-Fi.”
Hewton-Waters agrees cost is a motivating factor, but says it’s not the only one. There’s also an element of DIY thrill to it, he says.
“I just really enjoy technology and love figuring things out for myself,” says Hewton-Waters. “Sure, it’d be easier to go buy one that’s already set up and working, but it wouldn’t be as fun. Plus, it makes my friends jealous.”
So far, Hewton-Waters says he’s delighted with how his phone works. “It runs faster, has better battery life, is more intuitive and everything is integrated with Google,” he says.
Wireless carriers such as Verizon are less thrilled. “Modifying a device is in violation of our customer agreement,” says Brenda Raney, spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless. That means Verizon can suspend or even end service to modified phones.
Roberts says phone users who have tinkered with their devices can fly under the radar if they don’t call Verizon for tech support.
“It voids your support warranty so you can’t call Verizon and ask them to fix your hacked Android phone,” he says, “but it’s not illegal.”
A Windows Mobile phone transformed into an Android device isn’t always perfect. Roberts says he can’t get the video capability working on his hacked HTC Touch. And moving contacts over to the “new” phone can be difficult.
Other users have complained that Bluetooth has been disabled on their phones as a result of the hack or occasionally the screen will show some weird lines of code.
“For me, it’s been worth the glitches,” says Roberts. “And it’s so easy to do, almost brain-dead. Why would anyone not want to try it?”
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Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
