We've been hearing about a 1GHz Snapdragon-based Android handset called the
HTC Dragon ever since the
HD2 came out, but now it looks like some pieces are falling into place -- apparently
this mystery HTC set we spotted over the weekend is a CDMA version of the Dragon headed for Verizon as the HTC Passion sometime in Q4. Apparently Verizon's trying to unify the hardware UI of its Droid lineup, which is why the
Motorola Droid, the
HTC Droid Eris, and the Passion share a set of buttons along the bottom edge of the screen, and some people are also claiming that the white notification bar is further sign of similarity. As for us, well, we'll wait to hear more before we start to get too excited -- and we can't help but wonder if this thing will run Sense or stock Android 2.0 when it hits, as
HTC's big new ad push is all about personalization. Still, it's looking like a hell of a year for Android (and Verizon), no?
posted October 26th 2009 12:21PM
I am the FIRST!!!! to say this is Fugly.
yep, leave it to Verizon to make the phone ugly
If it didn't have the silver part at the bottom with the trackball, I think it would be a rather nice looking phone. Unfortunately, it is ugly as shit.
@ the angry ... Dude... Do you seriously think that Verizon manufactures the phone? Yes, I didn't think so.
You guys are blind. That silver area is nice looking and adds character. If you want a bland glass rectangle with rounded corners, you know where to get that.
At mcpow: If u were talking about the iphone that same exact thing could be said about this including the one button at the bottom and how does a phone have character??
How many times have we said its not snapdragon! there are articles all over the net! Get your facts straight! It has a OMAP 3640 running at 1GHz
Alright Ladies, lets not get our panties in a knot.
but seriously its a phone not a car your not going to be showing it to your girlfriend to impress her(if you do then im sorry for you) so who actually cares if it looks "fugly" or not. Really I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion well my opinion is SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!
@TikiTeko the TV Browser application might be an app for Qualcomm’s MediaFLO which is to watch TV on mobiles. that being said, this phone might be heading to AT&T or Verizon since these 2 carriers have MediaFLO supported handsets now. This is very exciting!!! i just hope the Dragon will have some great memory and battery specs. http://bit.ly/htc-dragon-point-of-view
I wish these phones would just come out : (
...and that the frakking Verizon stores would actually carry the ones that HAVE come out so I could play with them before buying!
You can play with them before buying. You just might have to wait a few extra days.
I've been to or called 10 Verizon stores where I am for college (upstate Vermont), and 30 back in Southern Connecticut where I live, not one of them have or are going to have the Touch Pro2 on display, and they have never displayed the Touch Diamond or Touch Pro. *1* store had the Imagio on display.
I've never had any troubles finding live demo models to try out. I once had to ask someone if they had the Touch Pro (original) in the store. The manager had to find it in back and bring it out, but they had it and I got to try it.
I guess not all stores are created equal...
Me too. I'm liking the look of these new android phones a lot and I really want to play with them.
@(Unverified)
I'm in the UK and trying to play with a new phone is near impossible unless it's the iPhone. O2 and Vodaphone both stock the HD2, but is there one to play with? No. All O2's still, after what 3 years? have iPhone displays and they wonder why can't sell anything else. The sales people didn't even know that they were selling the HD2 (or even what I was talking about) even though there were reports of them shipping to customers and it was in a brochure in front of the desk that I pulled out to show them.
Sholes, "Desire", and now the Passion.
It's like the "Charlie's Angels" of Android.
Only that when you heard the name Sholes, you think of a nasty, fat, inflexible Charlie Angel :S
Names can be deceiving :D As she is slick, hot, fast, and can do the spread eagle :D
Does a phone have to be sexy? You're not gonna put your dick in it, it's a phone ffs. What little self-esteem people have that they need to buy phones that "look sexy".
You're not gonna put your dick in it, it's a phone ffs.
Obviously you don't know some engadget readers...
The phone is just ugly, but i love the word Passion.
Droid is a "google experience" phone, so Verizon won't be crippling it with their vcast crapware. Do we have any word on whether or not the Eris and/or Passion will get the same treatment?
I disagree with you. Verizon will find a way to cripple the phone in some way. Apple did not want verizon to control any aspect of the phone which is why the iphone did not go to verizon. Verizon is making some wild claims that I think will fall short. There is no way possible they are going to let google have 100% control of the software or let people 100% be able to customize and hack the phone.
I hope that I am wrong, but Verizon has yet to prove the latter.
Why would they? I haven't seen ANY CARRIER screw with Android phones, and I have yet to see an Android phone with carrier crapware on it....
@Jsocontrer
I have to refer you to the BGR review...
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/23/motorola-droid-preview/
I specifically remember reading that Verizon will not in any way be modifying the stock android installation on the Droid. I'd copy and past the exact text from the article, but... they launched a new version of their site today and nothing is loading anymore. Be patient if you follow the link.
Page finally loaded. The BGR quote...
"Verizon hasn’t and won’t touch or control any functionality on the Droid. GPS is 100% open, there’s Wi-Fi, Android Market, etc."
Oh my God!! Heaven forbid Verizon would put an icon on a device that lets you choose if you want to use VCast or not. I hate when people give me choice. I want to be told what to do and think.
Wow... really Dorf?
I don't want Verizon's icons on my phone precisely because I don't want to be told what to do or what to think. Just like on my PC, I'd like to choose what broswer/antivirus/cd-dvd burning software/office package/application launcher I want to use rather than have an inferior one installed and auto-launched for me.
That's why the first thing I do with a new PC is format and install windows without all the bloatware that comes from Dell, HP, Acer, or any other brand.
I've got years of experience on Verizon phones, I know there vcast software is not what I want. All I'm asking is, will I have to remove it, or can I simply buy the phone without on there to begin with.
Next time, think through your argument before posting.
Jesus, then delete the icon. How hard can that be? Most of the carrier stuff (on Verizon anyway) isn't installed. For example, the icon for VZ Nav on the Omnia 2 is just a link to a Verizon page where you can download it if you want. If you don't want to download it, don't. Delete the link if you want. That's cool. It's not preinstalled so why do you care. They don't muck with the interface on smartphones, so I could care less about a link that will give me a choice if I want to install something or not.
It's a million times better then some devices that don't even give you a broswer choice.
This is freak'n sweet!
Perfect time to be a Verizon customer..
If this comes to Verizon and has the Sense UI, I'm definitely getting it. I was planning on getting the Hero/Eris/Desire/whatever it's called, but snapdragon's where it's attt. Now to just be patient..
Judging by this screenshot, it's going to be running stock Android. Every phone I've seen with Sense has a black notification bar, this one has the standard white.
hoping this would be on tmobile
oooooo, do want.
I'm gonna have some tough choices to make in 2010.
why would you blur out the time?
probably had the date too.
the main block of blured out crap in the middle of the screen was a unique identifyer, specific to that phone. so that one is pretty obvious.. as for the top bar blur.. a bit more perplexing. oh well.
and seriously.. do we need that huge chin for just one trackball/button?.. :/ hate the color too.
The middle part had the number to identify with the phone.
The blog that first put out this photo blocked that along with the time just to be safe it wouldn't be tracked back to the 'ninja'
They wasted all that space at the bottom of the phone for one button? Jeebus. Move that button to the side and make the LCD occupy the whole face.
The screen is supposed to be on par with the HD2...what more do you need, lol
@arcasinky they do have to fit all of the internals into this thing, they cant just make the screen bigger at the touch of a button. plus, the screens already 4.3 inches, bigger than anything in the US right now.
of the Christ?
....of the Droid.
On a side but somewhat related note, does anybody else find it odd that you have to touch the Android to begin?
We need to go back numbering phone models. All these names are getting ridiculous!
I am curious as to why they blurred out the time in the top right, I guess just so people can't "guess" their time zone. =P Anywho, Verizon is just starting to throw out some android devices, and you would think for a 1 GHz processor, that Verizon with there heavy campaigning would have at least mentioned some sort of hint that this Android device would be going to them. To be the first carrier to carry a phone like this I don't see why they wouldn't want to campaign it. IF it is for Verizon I don't think it would come out this year.
From when the pic was first leaked, they blocked out everything so it couldn't be traced back to the leak.
Yes...see, I was kind of shaky on going to Verizon. But this just solidified it.
Unless T-Mobile comes out with some mighty fine Android sets by time 2010 rolls around...I know where I'm going.
$400 deposit and all, lol.
Bah, false, that phone is not the HTC Dragon nor the HTC Passion....
What is it then?
that is the same picture PhoneArena has been using to spread rumors about the HTC Dragon, HTC passion, and a "rumored phone" for AT&T.... they should at least make it look different a bit...
So what does the dragon or passion look like. Oh, You dont know thought so. How do you know what this is. People make outrageously stupid claims with no proof to back it up.
I am sticking with T-mobile no matter what for now. I like the phone I have currently, and just being grandfathered into my current plan if I switched with all 5 lines I have then it would just kill me in price difference. *sigh* Lets see what happens with this phone, whether it really is the HTC Dragon or not.