Verizon’s HTC Whitestone garners FCC approval

HTC’s making some serious moves in North America at the moment — not to say that’s necessarily anything new — and the Touch Diamond2 and Pro2 are both getting love from every angle. That’s a good thing, we figure — and the parade of high-end Windows Mobile hardware continues with the Whitestone, a presumed Diamond2 variant with a 3.6-inch WVGA display and 5 megapixel cam. Test documents confirm that it’s CDMA / EV-DO, though we’re not seeing any evidence of GSM; that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not there since the FCC doesn’t care to test non-US bands, but we definitely expected to see a full report on EDGE 850 / 1900. Now that the approval’s in, Verizon, it’s your move — let’s get the ball rolling, shall we?

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Verizon’s HTC Whitestone garners FCC approval originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC’s Leo-bound TouchFlo 3D 2.6 lovingly demonstrated

HTC's Leo-bound TouchFlo 3D version 2.6 lovingly demonstrated
No, that’s not a Hero up there. That’s an image of the latest version of HTC’s TouchFlo 3D, destined for inclusion on the company’s next Windows Mobile smartphone — likely the fabled Leo we’ve been hearing about oh so much over the past few days. pocketnow.com has posted a walkthrough of the UI, which looks lovely and clean and is a solid step up over previous revisions. It even runs quite well on this Touch Diamond2 it’s been installed to, meaning performance should be incredibly snappy on the Leo if its hardware is as solid as is rumored. There’s still no confirmation from HTC about any new hardware, but until that comes (it shouldn’t be long, now) you can enjoy the enthusiastic video after the break.

[Via MobileTechWorld]

Continue reading HTC’s Leo-bound TouchFlo 3D 2.6 lovingly demonstrated

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HTC’s Leo-bound TouchFlo 3D 2.6 lovingly demonstrated originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile G1 won’t see any Android updates beyond 1.5 (update: maybe it will)

Pioneering T-Mobile G1 owners have been enjoying the spoils of Android 1.5 (or Cupcake, as it’s known ’round these parts) for months now, but it looks as if that very treat will be the last taste of confectionery goodness that the smartphone gets. According to Android software engineer Dave Sparks, a time is soon coming when devs “wont be able to fit the latest [Android] release on the G1’s internal flash,” and yet another engineer has chimed in via Twitter to say that he “can’t promise” that any update after 1.5 will fit. For whatever reason, HTC gifted the G1 with an incredibly meager amount of internal flash, and considering that no Android phone will support app storage / loading from a microSD card, there’s no way to free up room for Donut, Eclair or Flan. You’ve been a real champ, G1, but without 2.0+, we just can’t give you the love and devotion you truly need. Go on, call us fickle — we deserve it.

[Via Electronista and jkOnTheRun]

Update: We’ve received a statement directly from T-Mobile on the matter, saying “We plan to continue working with Google to introduce future software updates to the T-Mobile G1. Reports to the contrary are inaccurate.” It’s unclear whether those are just going to be security and stability updates to 1.5 or whether we’ll see wholesale new versions like Donut and beyond, but for the sake of G1 owners everywhere, we’re hoping it’s the latter.

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T-Mobile G1 won’t see any Android updates beyond 1.5 (update: maybe it will) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone graced with HTC’s Sense UI theme, beauty ensues

Sure, Taiwanese HTC Magic owners might be happy today, being promised Hero’s Sense UI via official channels, but thanks to the hard work from Redmond Pie deviantART member Justflikwalk, this very stylish skin has jumped species and landed on the iPhone. A jailbreak is required, but once past that hurdle, you’ll get a new home page with the ever-so-classy time and weather widget — which isn’t always 73 degrees and sunny, we might add — a quick launcher for apps / contacts, and of course some modified icons. All pertinent files for the theme and step-by-step instructions are available via the read. Care to gaze upon the awesomeness using the power of moving pictures? Video after the break.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading iPhone graced with HTC’s Sense UI theme, beauty ensues

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iPhone graced with HTC’s Sense UI theme, beauty ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest HTC Leo render seemingly confirmed by leaked ROM

Remember those weird “Pro.Three”-branded Leo renders that leaked a few days ago? The ones that seemed improbable at best? Well, a ROM appears to have dripped out of the HTC sieve recently that miraculously confirms those renders as having some basis in reality, thanks to an animated start sequence that matches up pretty tightly with the previous leak. We can’t confirm the Pro.Three name specifically from this, but if the Leo turns out to be the WinMo superphone everyone’s hoping it is, does the name really matter? Follow the break for a video of the ROM in action (on a Touch Diamond2, sadly — not a Leo).

[Via MobileTechWorld and pocketnow.com, thanks Casimir]

Continue reading Latest HTC Leo render seemingly confirmed by leaked ROM

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Latest HTC Leo render seemingly confirmed by leaked ROM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC to offer Sense upgrade for Magic in October, might be free? (update: free, only coming to Taiwan so far)

The spec gap between the Magic and the Hero is mighty small — other than the entirely revamped Sense UI, the Hero’s 5 megapixel camera is about the only thing the newer model has over the original, physical design notwithstanding. That gap is on the fast track to getting even smaller, too, now that HTC has issued a press release detailing a Sense upgrade for the Magic (assuming you haven’t already nabbed it off xda-developers, that is). It looks like current owners will get hooked up some time in October for NT$1,500, which works out to about $46; what we don’t know, though, is which Magics will be eligible for the upgrade. Just like HTC’s WinMo wares, we’re guessing that subsidized units are going to be at the mercy of their carriers, which means that T-Mobile, Rogers, and Vodafone customers (among others) should take a somewhat pessimistic view of this announcement until they’ve heard otherwise. Hey, we’re just looking out for your mental health here.

[Thanks, Steve G.]

Update: Depending on how you interpret the press release, HTC could be saying that the upgrade is valued at NT$1,500, but will actually be free. We’re working to get a clarification.

Update 2: Alright, we’ve gotten the skinny on this straight from HTC. The update will be free — thing is, it’s only coming to Taiwan’s Chunghwa so far. The fate of Magics on other carriers remains unknown, but we do know that so-called “with Google” versions will definitely be left out (that includes you, myTouch 3G).

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HTC to offer Sense upgrade for Magic in October, might be free? (update: free, only coming to Taiwan so far) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Leo rendered again — maybe by HTC, more likely by fans

So here’s what we know about the Leo with some certainty: it’s going to be awesomely high-end. Other than that, though, the sky’s the limit; no spec is too wild, no physical design too outlandish until we actually get some official information (or at least some really solid leaks). We wouldn’t call these latest renders “solid” by any stretch — in fact, we’re willing to bet it’s the result of a daydreamer with some graphic design background — but we want to believe, especially since the front is basically consistent with what we’ve seen previously. Imagine a rounded-off Touch HD with WinMo 6.5, a 1GHz Snapdragon, and a 5 megapixel cam accompanied by two high-output LEDs. We love the stylish “Pro.Three” branding (and we guess we’re going to forgive the “lorem ipsum” gibberish beneath it since this is a rough, unbranded render), but there are a few holes in this story: for one, we still don’t know how this dovetails with Firestone; two, the Touch Pro2 just came out, so we’re not sure why they’d release a device with the conflicting “Pro.Three” name so soon thereafter, particularly in a different form factor; and three, this might make more sense as one of HTC’s inaugural WinMo 7 devices. Given the rumored pie-in-the-sky October availability date, we’ll get this sorted out soon enough.

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HTC Leo rendered again — maybe by HTC, more likely by fans originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC files patent for capacitive stylus with resistive accuracy

Though capacitive displays are generally regarded as the easier-to-use technology for mobile touchscreens, their finger-friendliness comes at a dear price: accuracy. Because capacitive tech is incompatible with traditional styli, you’re stuck fudging things with your fat digits or settling for a high-tech finger alternative that arguably creates as many problems as it solves. Don’t worry, though — HTC feels your pain, and it seems like they’re looking to keep the classic stylus in the game as the company’s lineup makes the inevitable transition to capacitive over the coming years. A new patent application describes a stylus with some sort of magnetically charged tip — at first, we thought that sounded suspiciously like what Wacom does for its tablets, but unlike Wacom’s tech, this would function with a traditional, seemingly unmodified capacitive display. It’s funny how we’ve all written off styli in the past couple years and now we’ve got HTC over here doing everything it can to save ’em — but hey, if this means we’re going to get the best of both worlds, we’re all for it.

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

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HTC files patent for capacitive stylus with resistive accuracy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G gets rooted, Questlove unavailable for comment

T-Mobile's myTouch 3G gets rooted, Questlove unavailable for comment
Looking to run the latest and greatest homebrew wares on your myTouch? Just a week after release the Android handset has been set free of its corporate restrictions, the most private sections of its kernel unlocked for you to mess with. Full instructions (and we do mean full) are available at the read link, so proceed with caution — and don’t come crying to us if you wind up with a shiny merlot brick.

[Thanks, Scott]

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T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G gets rooted, Questlove unavailable for comment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC reportedly moves a million Magic smartphones, boogies down at midnight

These days, the whole “I shipped a million!” claim is becoming more and more common, but it’s still worth pointing out that HTC has managed to move a whole bundle of its Android-based myTouch 3G (or Magic, as it were) since debuting in April. Or, that’s the story, anyway. According to a dangerously brief blurb over at Digitimes, the outfit’s head honcho quipped that the Magic has “surpassed one million units,” and he also noted that it would begin to focus more on the mid-range market as opposed to always dealing devices at the high-end. So, raise your glass high for this one folks, and let the countdown to a million Hero handsets begin while you’re at it.

[Via InformationWeek]

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HTC reportedly moves a million Magic smartphones, boogies down at midnight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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