Our friend Drita at Engadget Spanish was lucky enough to spend some extended moments with HTC's just announced HD2 -- also known as the Leo. It's got exactly the same specs we just heard about: a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive display, a 1GHz MSM8250 Snapdragon processor, integrated FM radio, a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. They found this Windows Mobile 6.5 baby to be elegant and light feeling in the hand, the touchscreen to be responsive and quick, and HTC's Sense UI beautiful. The phone's also quite snappy, and we have to say we can't wait to get our hands on one ourselves. As far as availability goes -- well, we know it's going to run €649 it will and be available in November on Vodaphone in Spain (we've also heard it's headed to T-Mobile UK), with additional carriers following after December. Check out the gallery, and head over to Engadget Spanish for a fuller hands-on experience.
From everything I've read about this phone so far, HTC has only set it up to work with European 900 and 2100MHz 3G networks. That means it doesn't look like we've got a snowball's chance of seeing this phone released in the US without some serious hardware changes. Even if it did, with the US economy doing so poorly we'd probably see it available for upwards of $500+ even with a carrier subsidy. Hell, if we can't get US buyers to buy the TP2 for $300 how can HTC expect an even more loaded HD2 to sell for an additional $200 even with all the goodies packed into it? Most Americans either can't afford it or simply are too cheap to pay that for ANY phone. We've been too spoiled by all the subsidies built into everything we buy and that has undercut the market on everything. Ask any American how much their phone cost and I guarantee you they won't have a clue what their "true" cost is. For most of them, cheaper is better - just give me something with a lot of flash and not much substance beneath the hood.
Too bad, I'd love to get my hands on one of these babies. Guess I'm going to have to settle for either a TP2 or TD2 instead.
I've said it before and i'll say it again.. When doing a demo video... Demo the damn browser! We know how crappy WMP is and how much manilla tries to improve on WinMo's lacking OS.. but I think at this stage its all for naught. Manilla hasn't changed much. The only thing we want to see is the performance increases. Until a WinMo phone has the hardware to support smooth.. (and i mean iphone f%cking smooth) scrolling in all apps, especially web browsing... then send it to the scrap heap. That has become the number one criteria to match now. Skyfire, iris, opera.. all attempt to smooth the process but all suffer the same fate of choppyness and running out of memory and performance when trying to load browser pages or scroll through one with lots of content.
But still thanks for the vid. But WinMo is dead to me. Hopefully Android or Pre can make me happy.
You never run out of memory and have mobile safari crash? I've had 2 iphone 3g's and they both do that at least once a day. Pages also scroll choppily and lock up for up to over a minute while pages load sometimes. Do you have the 3gs?
I've never owned an iphone.. im on sprint.. i've been trying and trying with each winmo phone to like it... and while HTC has done a great job with manilla, its just not enough to hide winmos flaws... and especially the slowness. I've only used friends' iphones but in playing with it, I never had any real problems.
But I'm looking towards the Pre or the Hero.. of course I'd "like" an iphone.. but not enough to be on At&ts crappy network
@Michael (3rd from the top) I don't think it is a matter of ALL of us being cheap. I want the Touch Pro2 or the Nokia N900 I am just waiting to see if T-mobile subsidizes the N900. It isnt a matter of being cheap I just want a phone that I know my carrier supports. Maybe that doesnt make any sense but no one has ever told me otherwise.
I would love this phone to be usable on T-Mobiles 3G
Just for the record, all the people that complain about demo videos, go shoot them yourself. No point in calling anyone out specifically (DssTrainer) but lets be honest. YOU aren't shooting the videos and gathering the info. So, great job Engadget crew granted you know yall (pardon the texan in me) are throwed and got yall's ish together. /and yes ish is a word/
The phone looks A1. Can't wait to see what the android version is gonna look like. 1ghz?...mmmm 2 please =)
Guys, this is nothing new. HTC and every other company always releases their new models in europe and asia first, then the US. Not sure why they do this, maybe it has something to do with marketing...whatever...I think it sucks. Some models like the i8910 from samsung or the samsung lourve NEVER see the light of day in the USA...really pisses me off because all we are left here to use is the lame ass iphone.
of course! Asia and Europe spend most of their money in gadgets, especially phones. You will be surprised a third world country Philippines has one of the highest sales in smartphones in the whole world. And people there changes their phones each time a new one comes out and most of them buy these phones without the subsidy from the carriers. Same as well with Europeans. It's all about Market targeting....go for the big market! Why would they launch it here along with Asia and Europe when most of the people here would just settle for free phones. HTC comes from Asia, it would definitely make sense to launch it to neighboring countries first.
I really wish it would come with a larger sized ROM. That way, a 16GB ROM with a 32GB SD card...amazing for music. Plus Windows Mobile 7 incorporating the Zune "experience"...! :)
If this comes out on T-Mobile USA (I have seen some internal advertising somewhere...) I DO NOT care how much it is, I will get one. I mean, I doubt it will be above the 649 EU price so that's like, what, $750 USD? Totally worth it! Then again, it'll probably be like 349.00 or 399.00 with subsidy if that be the case and even then, that is fine.
Me+TMO HD2= Happiest nino on the planet! That's truth :)
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posted Oct 6th 2009 10:00AM
So is it going to be available in the US?
Thanks
Highly unlikely...
From everything I've read about this phone so far, HTC has only set it up to work with European 900 and 2100MHz 3G networks. That means it doesn't look like we've got a snowball's chance of seeing this phone released in the US without some serious hardware changes. Even if it did, with the US economy doing so poorly we'd probably see it available for upwards of $500+ even with a carrier subsidy. Hell, if we can't get US buyers to buy the TP2 for $300 how can HTC expect an even more loaded HD2 to sell for an additional $200 even with all the goodies packed into it? Most Americans either can't afford it or simply are too cheap to pay that for ANY phone. We've been too spoiled by all the subsidies built into everything we buy and that has undercut the market on everything. Ask any American how much their phone cost and I guarantee you they won't have a clue what their "true" cost is. For most of them, cheaper is better - just give me something with a lot of flash and not much substance beneath the hood.
Too bad, I'd love to get my hands on one of these babies. Guess I'm going to have to settle for either a TP2 or TD2 instead.
I stand corrected:
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-hd2-gets-official-hands-on-video-0659275/
"HTC CEO Peter Chou has confirmed that HTC will be offering a US 3G version of the HD2 in Q1 2010."
Wow. Me in the US wants one.
Any word on a qwerty phone with the snapdragon processor?
Does it have the glass screen?
In italy Telecom Italia Mobile announced yesterday that they'll sell it for 599€, can't wait.
A US carrier better man up and get this phone made for their network. Verizon, Sprint and T-mobile can use a phone like this in their line up.
The official specs list:
GSM: 850/950/1800/1900 MHz
Doesn't that include AT&T 3G?
"and HTC's Sense UI beautiful"
Isn't Sense the Android UI only? This must be TouchFlo...
Even when Sense UI was introduced, HTC was aiming for it to be across all their phones. Makes sense, as Sense UI = revamped TF3D
Yo Quiero!!!!
I still want a "Pro" version with a keyboard...but that might not be an absolute dealbreaker.
Regardless, top priority for me is that it gets released by a U.S. carrier in less than 6 months -- the Touch Pro 2 took WAY too long.
I've said it before and i'll say it again..
When doing a demo video...
Demo the damn browser! We know how crappy WMP is and how much manilla tries to improve on WinMo's lacking OS.. but I think at this stage its all for naught. Manilla hasn't changed much. The only thing we want to see is the performance increases. Until a WinMo phone has the hardware to support smooth.. (and i mean iphone f%cking smooth) scrolling in all apps, especially web browsing... then send it to the scrap heap. That has become the number one criteria to match now. Skyfire, iris, opera.. all attempt to smooth the process but all suffer the same fate of choppyness and running out of memory and performance when trying to load browser pages or scroll through one with lots of content.
But still thanks for the vid. But WinMo is dead to me. Hopefully Android or Pre can make me happy.
You never run out of memory and have mobile safari crash? I've had 2 iphone 3g's and they both do that at least once a day. Pages also scroll choppily and lock up for up to over a minute while pages load sometimes. Do you have the 3gs?
I've never owned an iphone.. im on sprint.. i've been trying and trying with each winmo phone to like it... and while HTC has done a great job with manilla, its just not enough to hide winmos flaws... and especially the slowness. I've only used friends' iphones but in playing with it, I never had any real problems.
But I'm looking towards the Pre or the Hero.. of course I'd "like" an iphone.. but not enough to be on At&ts crappy network
@Michael (3rd from the top) I don't think it is a matter of ALL of us being cheap. I want the Touch Pro2 or the Nokia N900 I am just waiting to see if T-mobile subsidizes the N900. It isnt a matter of being cheap I just want a phone that I know my carrier supports. Maybe that doesnt make any sense but no one has ever told me otherwise.
I would love this phone to be usable on T-Mobiles 3G
Just for the record, all the people that complain about demo videos, go shoot them yourself. No point in calling anyone out specifically (DssTrainer) but lets be honest. YOU aren't shooting the videos and gathering the info. So, great job Engadget crew granted you know yall (pardon the texan in me) are throwed and got yall's ish together. /and yes ish is a word/
The phone looks A1. Can't wait to see what the android version is gonna look like. 1ghz?...mmmm 2 please =)
would be more appealing if it wasn't running windows. :-( bad experiences.
Guys, this is nothing new.
HTC and every other company always releases their new models in europe and asia first, then the US.
Not sure why they do this, maybe it has something to do with marketing...whatever...I think it sucks.
Some models like the i8910 from samsung or the samsung lourve NEVER see the light of day in the USA...really pisses me off because all we are left here to use is the lame ass iphone.
of course! Asia and Europe spend most of their money in gadgets, especially phones. You will be surprised a third world country Philippines has one of the highest sales in smartphones in the whole world. And people there changes their phones each time a new one comes out and most of them buy these phones without the subsidy from the carriers. Same as well with Europeans. It's all about Market targeting....go for the big market! Why would they launch it here along with Asia and Europe when most of the people here would just settle for free phones. HTC comes from Asia, it would definitely make sense to launch it to neighboring countries first.
Dude, clip your fingernails...unless you aren't a dude.
I really wish it would come with a larger sized ROM. That way, a 16GB ROM with a 32GB SD card...amazing for music. Plus Windows Mobile 7 incorporating the Zune "experience"...! :)
If this comes out on T-Mobile USA (I have seen some internal advertising somewhere...) I DO NOT care how much it is, I will get one. I mean, I doubt it will be above the 649 EU price so that's like, what, $750 USD? Totally worth it! Then again, it'll probably be like 349.00 or 399.00 with subsidy if that be the case and even then, that is fine.
Me+TMO HD2= Happiest nino on the planet! That's truth :)
Love it!
Can the touch keyboard be changed to smaller to fit more keys on it like my current HTC (AT&T Tilt)?