Keepin’ it real fake: EVO 4G Shanzai edition

Shameless isn’t even the word for it. While some companies try to get away with calling themselves Nokla or BlockBerry, these Chinese KIRFers have no qualms about copying HTC’s EVO 4G in its entirety (externally, anyhow). Yes, that includes the Sprint insignia and the promise of 4G, both of which are, of course, amusingly untrue. Not only do you not get that supersonic WiMAX radio, you also miss out on Android, as this EVO rides the WinMo 6.5 gravy train. There’s also no 8 megapixel camera, no 720p video, and no mini-HDMI output. But you still get a 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 screen and one of the best copy-and-paste KIRF jobs we’ve seen to date. See the back of this skilled imitator after the break.

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake: EVO 4G Shanzai edition

Keepin’ it real fake: EVO 4G Shanzai edition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC starts selling phones in China under its own name

It’s long been the case that if you wanted a HTC handset over in the world’s most populous nation, you’d have had to look for its rebadged variant under the Dopod brand. But, as of today, that is no more. The prolific Taiwanese phone maker has decided that its name is now recognizable and valuable enough in China to be put on its own hardware and is kicking off a campaign with four own-branded phones. The Wildfire and Desire we’re all familiar with already, while the Tianxi looks like a mildly tweaked HD2 and the Tianyi is a mix-and-match of design elements from the rest of HTC’s portfolio. The company’s also announcing a partnership with China Mobile to bring these puppies to market, so it’s looking like smooth sailing ahead. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading HTC starts selling phones in China under its own name

HTC starts selling phones in China under its own name originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kin skin for Windows Mobile 6.5 leads to more questions than answers

How would we like to replace the UI on our Windows Mobile 6.5 phone with the Kin UI? Well, we never really thought about it, we suppose… and frankly, we’re not sure why anyone else did, either. Alas, KinLauncher is here, delivering a pretty authentic Kin-esque home screen but not much else — as soon as you touch anything, you’ll be dumped back into the cold comfort of WinMo (or Sense, as the case may be). It’s available for download, if you’re really into that sort of thing — but if you’d rather enjoy the carnage from a safe distance, there’s a video after the break.

Continue reading Kin skin for Windows Mobile 6.5 leads to more questions than answers

Kin skin for Windows Mobile 6.5 leads to more questions than answers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bing turn-by-turn navigation for Windows Mobile gets taken for a test drive

Microsoft certainly added all the right features to its Bing navigation app for Windows Mobile, but does it actually deliver the goods in real world use? It does according to the folks at PocketNow, who have put the app through its paces and kindly provided a quick demo video of it running on an HTC HD2. While there’s nothing too shocking or surprising, it looks like the voice input works well, and the turn-by-turn directions seem to be at least up to par with your average navigation device — it even has a few nice touches like being able to tap on the screen to repeat the instructions. Head on past the break to check it out the video and, if you’re still unsure, you can always take the app for a spin yourself — it is free, after all.

[Thanks, Keenan I]

Continue reading Bing turn-by-turn navigation for Windows Mobile gets taken for a test drive

Bing turn-by-turn navigation for Windows Mobile gets taken for a test drive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Office Mobile 2010 released, free upgrade for WinMo 6.5 users (update)

After having gone to public beta late last year, Office Mobile 2010 is now available in conjunction with the retail release of the full desktop version of Office 2010, bringing comprehensive Word, Excel, and PowerPoint editing capabilities to the pocket — on Windows Mobile 6.5, that is. Yes, granted, Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s biggest mobile news this year, but there’ll be a huge legacy base of 6.5 users out there for a long time to come, and they’re pretty much the core audience for the sorts of features that Office Mobile 2010 is offering: SharePoint integration for grabbing documents from the office, a nifty Bluetooth controller mode for PowerPoint presentations, and so on… you know, suit-and-tie stuff. The download is available today from Windows Marketplace for users of 6.5 devices with an older version of Office Mobile installed — so go on, Tiger, whip up the hottest quarterly reports the world has ever seen. We know you have it in you. Follow the break for Redmond’s full Office 2010 press release.

Update: Curious what Office 2010 will look like on Windows Phone 7? Get a glimpse into the not-so-distant-future in Microsoft’s video presentation, and fast forward to 52:45 for the good stuff. [Thanks, Kamara B.]

Continue reading Office Mobile 2010 released, free upgrade for WinMo 6.5 users (update)

Office Mobile 2010 released, free upgrade for WinMo 6.5 users (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Current T-Mobile customers having hard time upgrading to HTC HD2 (updated with statement)

First, the good news: T-Mobile’s HD2 is in stock online and apparently at many corporate-owned retail locations. Now, the bad: the carrier seems to be putting these things on lockdown right now, only offering them to new customers signing up for a fresh contract. This is a tactic T-Mobile has applied in the past, so we’re not terribly surprised to see them do it here, too — but it’s still a disappointment, especially considering that the phone has been out for a few weeks now. Just goes to show you that a net add is worth considerably more than a loyal customer is (particularly one who’s still under contract), but in the meantime, might we recommend the iHTC HD2?

Update: We’ve received an official statement from T-Mobile on the matter, and it sounds like they’re “giving priority to existing customers” with new inventory coming in. Sweet! Here’s the full verbiage:

“T-Mobile understands the inventory challenges for the HTC HD2 and continues to work diligently in order to supply our customers with this highly popular product. As we receive additional inventory of the HTC HD2, we are giving priority to our existing customers. However, the demand for the device is still exceeding our supply.

Depending on the location, some T-Mobile retail stores may still have some HTC HD2 inventory available. We suggest that interested customers contact their local T-Mobile store via phone before visiting to see if they have the HTC HD2 available. If they do not have the HTC HD2 available, some stores are taking names and contact information, and will be able to notify customers once that location has product available.”

Current T-Mobile customers having hard time upgrading to HTC HD2 (updated with statement) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin’ it real fake: HTC HD, too

If you’re going to rip off one of the more memorable Windows Mobile devices ever made, you’d think you’d want to at least clone its most notable feature — but seriously, what do we know about the KIRF business? Yeah, well, this little number manufactured by a firm doing business as “iHTC” (no relation to HTC, we’re sure) looks an awful lot like the HD2, but lacks that all-important 4.3-inch display, instead trading down for a more pedestrian 3.6-inch unit. On the upside, it’s still WVGA and packs the latest and greatest Windows Mobile 6.5.3 (if “latest and greatest” really applies there) plus a 5 megapixel autofocus cam — not bad specs for a device that eats copyrights for breakfast. Seems you can hunt one of these puppies down for about 1,580 yuan ($231), so start saving and packing for your Chinese adventure — and in the meantime, follow the break for a comprehensive video demo of the finest technology iHTC has to offer.

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake: HTC HD, too

Keepin’ it real fake: HTC HD, too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 00:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qi Smartbook U2000 gets WinMo 6.5 upgrade, retains its wide berth

When dealing with Chinese products that have yet to cross the pond (and are unlikely ever to), you spend a lot of time looking at translated docs, trying to figure out what the hell it is exactly they’re trying to pitch to you. For instance, the Qi U1000 that we caught wind of last September — or its successor, the U2000, pictured above. Looks like a MID, acts like a smartphone, yet someone (or, more likely, something) insists on calling it a “Smartbook.” What we do know is that it’ll run you 2,680 Chinese yuan (roughly $390), and it sports Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, a 624MHz Marvell CPU, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and a whopping 5-inch touchscreen. What do you think: Can you handle this much phone?

Qi Smartbook U2000 gets WinMo 6.5 upgrade, retains its wide berth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba K01 goes official as IS02 in Japan

Talk about a globetrotter. Toshiba’s K01 has made the journey from the American FCC to a Japanese carrier in the space of just one day. AU, part of the KDDI group and one of Japan’s big three network operators, has picked up the phone and promptly renamed it the IS02. Coming with a 1GHz Snapdragon core, a 4.1-inch capacitive touchscreen of the AMOLED variety, and that indispensable (for some) QWERTY keyboard, this WinMo 6.5 handset will be available to our Japanese comrades in the latter part of June this year. Given the long waiting times both for this and its brandmate, the IS01, we have to wonder what’s up with Japanese carriers. Have they developed an aversion to the cutting edge or what?

Toshiba K01 goes official as IS02 in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba’s QWERTY-equipped K01 slides through the FCC

If you’ve yet to lose faith in Windows Mobile 6.5, or if you’re holding out hope for community-made Windows Phone 7 patches magically upgrading your OS, here’s another handset for your consideration. Toshiba’s K01 comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon inside and a QWERTY keyboard plus 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen (capacitive) on the outside. Its stroll through the FCC today revealed support for 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/EDGE frequencies, meaning you may get a choice between AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks. So now that we’ve narrowed down the carriers a little bit and certified this WiFi- and Bluetooth-equipped beastie, all that remains is to wait and see if the pricing is sufficiently alluring to entice all those starry-eyed T-Mobile subscribers who keep giving the HD2 lusty looks. Not long to go now. FCC label pictured after the break.

Update: Looks like this one is headed to Europe and Asia with test reports indicating support for UMTS Bands I and VIII and some expensive 1900MHz data while roaming North America.

Continue reading Toshiba’s QWERTY-equipped K01 slides through the FCC

Toshiba’s QWERTY-equipped K01 slides through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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