Hasta La Gadget!

Verizon’s matching AT&T tit-for-tat in the race to get the first Windows Mobile 6.5 devices out of the door with the launch of the HTC Imagio, a phone that essentially amounts to a more deluxe version of the Touch Diamond2 with a larger screen, 3.5mm headphone jack, combo CDMA and GSM radios (both with 3G) for global roaming, and a FLO TV tuner to support Verizon’s VCAST TV service. We’ve had just a few brief moments to play with the Imagio so far, but after coming from the Pure — the AT&T-branded model that we used to compile our initial impressions of WinMo 6.5 — it’s a real treat. It looks and feels like a higher-end device thanks to a proliferation of soft-touch plastic (as opposed to the Pure’s glossy cover) and the kickstand is a cute touch, perfect for when you’ve got a few minutes to kill and you want to fire up the FLO-powered tube.

Follow the break for video and more impressions!

Continue reading HTC Imagio for Verizon unboxing and hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Imagio for Verizon unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A few columns ago, I wrote how folks shouldn’t dismiss Windows Mobile. This week, Microsoft released Windows Mobile 6.5 and it’s further proof that this OS is very much a serious contender in the mobile OS platform wars. What makes Windows Mobile 6.5 work isn’t so much the OS per se, but rather the Windows Phones that are the basis for the ecosystem.

Despite Steve Ballmer himself apologizing for the delay of Window Mobile 7 a few days ago, there’s a lot in WinMo 6.5 that Microsoft should be proud of. Overall the OS itself has been tweaked a lot for performance — I’ve tried devices that were running WM 6.1 and were upgraded to 6.5 and there’s a dramatic difference in speed. Microsoft has also worked hard to make the new OS much more finger friendly, with UI elements that really required a stylus in the past much more usable with a finger instead. There’s also some nice integration with new services such at the marketplace for mobile applications and MyPhone synchronization.

That’s all well and good, but it’s one device that I’ve had the chance to use for just a few minutes that’s really affirmed my view of Windows Mobile viability, and it has me very excited about the platform. It’s the new standard for Windows Phones and it’s pretty much the device that every other Windows-powered phone is going to need to live up to. It’s called the HTC HD2 (code named Leo) and it’s a game changer in my opinion.

Continue reading Entelligence: The HTC HD2 and the future of Windows Mobile

Filed under: Cellphones

Entelligence: The HTC HD2 and the future of Windows Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had a chance to give HTC’s newest darling device — the Windows Mobile 6.5-sporting HD2 — a more thorough hands-on today, and we wanted to share our impressions. Firstly, we must say that HTC has done perhaps its most ambitious skinning job ever here. So while this does run atop Windows Mobile 6.5, you rarely see the OS poking through the gorgeous new Sense user interface the company has created. If you’re used to TouchFLO 3D (or Sense on Android), this should seem old hat to you, but keep in mind there are some major changes here that dramatically affect the Windows Mobile experience. As you probably already know, the Snapdragon-based device sports a 1GHz MSM8250 CPU, a massive, 800 x 480 capacitive display (with multitouch functionality thanks to more tinkering from HTC), a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flashes, a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM tuner, and GPS chip on-board.

We were frankly blown away with how slick this phone is. Mind you, WM 6.5 still shows its not-so-fresh colors here and there, but the general experience of using the device is handled mainly through the Sense interface, and it blows the hinges off of any other Windows phone experience we’ve had. Ever. From the lag-free gestures which get you around the device, to image pinching and zooming with that aforementioned multitouch, the hesitation-free jumps in and out of applications, and typing on the sprawling, HTC-ified onscreen keyboard, using the HD2 is a joy. There’s no getting around the fact that the phone is still very much anchored to Windows Mobile, but what HTC has done here is nothing short of a revelation. Why Robbie Bach didn’t bring this up on stage today at Microsoft’s open house event is anyone’s guess — though we have to imagine that when your OS is this heavily gutted (HTC has even completely removed stock apps like calendar and contacts and replaced them with its own versions, and the company had to hand-roll the capacitive / multitouch interfacing), it might not be the best example of what you’ve done. We’ll be waiting with bated breath till we get more hands-on time with this phone, but until then, we can all enjoy some lengthy video of the device in action… so check it out after the break.

Update: Second video is up!

Continue reading HTC HD2 hands-on and impressions… on video!

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC HD2 hands-on and impressions… on video! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kempler & Strauss (who just the other day unveiled an epically cool watchphone) have just announced the imminent arrival of its newest Windows Mobile handset, the touchscreen Billionair 6. This 3G HSPA devil has a 624MHz ARM processor, boasts GPS and WiFi, and has a micro SD slot for up to 4GB of storage, plus a 3 megapixel camera. The B6, as it’s affectionately called, runs a custom interface over WinMo and boasts an accelerometer to boot. The B6 runs $260 and it’s available now.

Continue reading Kempler & Strauss launch Billionair 6 WinMo phone

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Kempler & Strauss launch Billionair 6 WinMo phone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By all accounts, HTC’s shooting to create the be-all, end-all king of the Windows Mobile dominion with its mighty Leo / HD2 / Touch HD2 / whatever it’s called — and a comprehensive list of specs published over on xda-developers would certainly back up that statement. Notable items on the list include the previously known 1GHz MSM8250 (that’s a Snapdragon, by the bye), full HSPA with up to 7.2Mbps on the downlink, a stunning 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive display (allegedly with multitouch support so that it can be upgraded to Windows Mobile 7 down the line), an integrated FM radio, 5 megapixel autofocus cam with dual LED flash, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sadly, it seems the phone’s just set up for 900 and 2100MHz 3G, continuing the original Touch HD’s bunk tradition of leaving North America out in the cold. Separately, rumors are swirling that T-Mobile UK could be joining O2 in offering the beast, and CoolSmartPhone has landed some sort of a promo shot of an HD2 branded as the “Touch HD2” in full T-Mobile livery, so we’d say that’s a pretty strong indicator. Too bad this is all falling on deaf ears over at T-Mobile USA, eh?

[Via pocketnow.com and wmpoweruser.com]

Read – Specs, additional pictures

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC Touch HD2 gets spec’d, rumored for T-Mobile UK originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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