With a borrowed kernel from the Ubuntu for HD2 project, Steve managed to get the HD2 booting into MeeGo 1.1. It’s not all plain sailing, however; so far the touchscreen doesn’t work, which certainly makes actually using it as a phone somewhat tricky, and the WiFi and graphics acceleration also need to be fixed.

By installing Android’s adb daemon, Steve was able to get a shell over USB and thus load some apps, and it sounds like he’ll be working on smoothing out the other wrinkles. MeeGo’s UI is different enough to be intriguing, and with the first official Nokia device running the OS not expected until sometime in 2011, this might be the best way to get your hands on a MeeGo smartphone until then.

[Thanks Steve!]

Cotulla says that the video shows the latest results from the the DFT Team of ROM fondlers, and that there’ll be more information at a later stage.  Of course, we don’t actually see the phone being used, so it’s possible that it’s still missing various drivers.  He also asks people to refrain from asking about release dates, which is going to be hard to do since we’d love to see the HD2 running the much-improved Windows Phone 7.

[via PocketNow]

Video demo after the cut

That includes 3G, Bluetooth (HID profile aside), WiFi and GPS, along with the camera (plus flash) and all the other basic functionality.  It’s been paired with a custom UI that stands pretty distinct not only from the HD2′s original theme but what HTC are doing in general with Sense; likely to be an acquired taste, perhaps, but with the underlying code now solid we can only assume others will come along and inject some different aesthetics.

HDBlog.it put together a video demo which shows not only the new, minimal UI but all the working functionality of the HD2 Froyo ROM, including turn-by-turn Google Maps Navigation.  For the first time this looks like something we’d actually trust to put on our HD2.

[via Android Community]

Video demos after the cut

As you might expect, neither build is perfect yet.  Audio seems to be the biggest hurdle right now, with in-call sound not playing ball properly.  The Froyo ROM’s 3G data also seems to have issues, though they’re apparently not present on the Eclair ROM.

HDBlog.it shot a video demo of each ROM running on the HD2, which you can see below.  As for downloading the new firmware, check out the xda-developers thread.

Android 2.2 Froyo on HTC HD2:

Android 2.1 with Sense on HTC HD2:

[via Android community]

Standing in the way is the not-so-small matter of drivers, which will be required for everything from the phone functionality through camera, GPS, Bluetooth, graphics and more.  Still, considering the only 4.3-inch Android device on the horizon is the HTC EVO 4G, and that will come with a significant surcharge given its WiMAX connectivity, we reckon there’ll be quite a few HD2 owners keen to dual-boot between Windows Mobile and Android.

[via Android Community]

At its launch, HTC told us that the HD mini embodies their new “Hidden Power” design ethos, where the structural form of a device is embraced by its aesthetic rather than hidden away. Most obvious are the four exposed screw heads that emerge through the rubbery back cover, being not just decorative but what’s actually holding the whole phone together. The front, meanwhile, is a single pane of glass, with a 3.2-inch HVGA 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen and five touch-sensitive buttons for Call, Home, Start, Back and End. On the side there’s a volume rocker while up top a small power button doubles as the lock key; on the very bottom there’s a microUSB port.

Take off the rubberised back plate and you’ll find HTC have finished the entire rear of the phone with a bright yellow finish, complete with matching battery. It’s eye-catching, certainly, but we can’t help but wish you could see it without having to open the whole thing up. HTC expect transparent or colored aftermarket cases to show up shortly after the HD mini launches, but they’ll need to be more than just silicone skins since the antenna is embedded into the lower section of the cover. It remains to be seen whether HTC’s business market will see the appeal.

HTC HD mini unboxing:

Inside, where the HD2 gets Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon chipset, the HD mini makes do with a more mundane 600MHz processor such as you’d find in the HTC Legend. That’s paired with a Europe/Asia-Pacific friendly dualband HSPA/WCDMA 900/2100MHz radio (with quadband GSM/EDGE), WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and GPS. So far there’s no talk of a US version, so if you decide you’re desperate to use the phone in North America then you won’t get 3G speeds. ROM is 512MB and RAM 384MB, and there’s a microSD slot content with up to 32GB cards. Overall performance proved nothing to write home about, with the CPU running out of breath when trying to deal with data-heavy apps.

As for that ageing OS, the HD mini is HTC’s latest Windows Mobile 6.5 device, toting the HTC Sense interface on top. As is common knowledge now, Windows Mobile is due to be replaced by Windows Phone 7 by the end of 2010, with handsets running the new platform expected to be on sale in time for the holiday shopping season. Lacking sufficient screen resolution, processor grunt and physical controls, there’s pretty much zero chance that the HD mini will see an official Windows Phone 7 upgrade option, though of course there’ll be plenty of unofficial hacked ROMs if that’s the path owners want to take.

Windows Mobile 6.5 has been well criticised, and it’s certainly not the most pleasing OS on the market today. It does have a few strengths, however, not least the decent baked in Exchange support which makes hooking the HD mini up to a corporate network an indecently simple proposal. As for usability, just as we’ve seen on the HD2, HTC’s Sense system goes a long way in improving matters. The regular homescreen is replaced by a finger-friendly UI that allows you to flick between different task-specific tabs, such as the preloaded Opera browser, Footprints GPS photo-tagging app and HTC’s own Peep Twitter client. It also does a decent job of hiding some of Windows Mobile’s less attractive dialog boxes and settings pages.

Nonetheless, in comparison to the flexibility of Android or the intuitive nature of webOS, Windows Mobile 6.5 feels clunky. Sense might pull in Facebook, Flickr and other information into your contacts, and link together different communication records – all emails, SMS, calls and other contact – per individual, but other platforms simply do a slicker job of it. The HVGA display also falls short, and while it’s color-rich it’s also noticeably grainy in comparison to the (WVGA) screen on the HD2. That undermines media playback, and it makes for frustrating web-browsing too, demanding plenty of panning and zooming if you want text to to be readable. The onscreen keyboard, meanwhile, does a decent job of auto-correcting errors and predicting words, but we prefer the experience on the Legend which, despite having the same size and resolution display, we found we were more accurate on.

Photos from the HD mini’s 5-megapixel autofocus camera are passable, if nothing outstanding. There’s no hardware shortcut, just as on most HTC phones, but at least when you finally get to the camera app it loads relatively quickly. Images demand more light than we’ve found on other recent handsets from the company, and there’s no LED flash (though, to be fair, we generally aren’t impressed with their performance anyway). Once you’ve snapped a shot you can upload it with relative ease to Facebook or Flickr.

As a phone, we experienced some issues with the HD mini’s call quality. Both us and the people we were calling experienced static and audio drop-outs, and the audio performance generally fell short of what we’ve come to expect from HTC devices. We weren’t alone in our disappointment, either; we know other reviewers who have found the HD mini falls short in this department. Hopefully this is a pre-production flaw that will be ironed out by the time the handset ships.

Battery life, meanwhile, was certainly enough to get through a full day, even with push email turned on and regular Twitter polling. HTC reckon you’ll see up to 435 minutes of GSM talktime from the 1,200mAh battery, or alternatively up to 500hrs WCDMA standby (340hrs GSM), up to 8hrs video playback, or up to 12hrs audio playback. With more casual use we reckon you could see your way through a couple of days, in fact, which given we’re used to nightly recharges (or even mid-evening top-ups for some greedier devices) is a serious plus for the HD mini. HTC preload their excellent WiFi Router app – which allows you to share the phone’s 3G connection with WiFi devices like a netbook or iPad – but be warned that sucks down power considerably.

There’s no disguising that we’ve been impressed with the recent HTC smartphones to cross our desk, but we need a little extra convincing with the HD mini. It’s not so much that it’s a bad device – though we hope the call quality issues are addressed before production models go on sale – but rather that it lacks that all-important spark. Where the HD2 has enough hardware-wow – the speedy processor, the huge display and the fulsome multimedia handling – to offset the lacking appeal of Windows Mobile 6.5, the HD mini’s more mundane specs can’t quite manage the same.

If you’re wedded to a particular app that demands the current Microsoft smartphone platform – and it’s worth noting that Windows Phone 7 breaks backward compatibility with Windows Mobile 6.5 titles – or you want their solid Exchange support, the HD mini might still appeal; we’d point you to the company’s own HD2, however, which while more expensive offers a far more impressive user experience. Had HTC released the phone this time last year, the outlook for the handset could be very different; faced with a significantly more appealing OS right around the corner, and a wealth of tempting rivals running different platforms on shelves today, the HTC HD mini doesn’t offer enough to warrant buying into Windows Mobile 6.5.

Most striking was the difference in size between the iPad and the Mini 5, the former having a 9.7-inch display and the latter 5-inches.  It’s certainly noticeable in-person, and while the browsing experience on the iPad benefits from all those extra inches, the Mini 5 gets its own back thanks to Android’s native multitasking support.

Finally, just for a little scale, we threw in HTC’s HD2 and HD mini, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and Google’s Nexus One.  Thanks to Richard and Andy for bringing along their gadget-models!

First, we’ll run through a quick recap. The EVO 4G is the brother to the HTC HD2. They’ve both got the 4.3-inch, capacitive screen, and the supremely thin body. It’s got the same 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood, and they’re both rocking HTC’s Sense User Interface. However, there’s one big difference: the HD2 runs Windows Mobile 6.5, and the EVO 4G is set to run Android 2.1. Oh, and let’s not forget that the EVO 4G is a WiMAX-based device.

Now, for the meat and potatoes. Engadget mobile just got word that a lot of “upper management” types inside Sprint are throwing around a June 6th, or June 13th release date for the WiMAX powered handset. The other big news is the price for your 4G connectivity. It’s been stipulated that 4G connections are going to cost more, and it looks like that may be true. According to the wording, 4G could cost up to $10 to $20 more a month for the privilege. However, in the same article, it seems that some people are saying that the $10 to $20 increase is just for the 4G hotspot service, and not the ability right on the device. We’ll have to wait and see how it turns out. We’re hoping we get to save some money in the end.

[via Engadget mobile]

CTIA Day -1: Arrive in Las Vegas a full day and a half early, as the day before the show is often full of trade shows and meetings. Not this year. I looked into moving to a later flight and spending another day with my family, but the flights were all overbooked. Discover that there are people coming to this town for vacations. Really? Who knew. Car rental place promises eternal damnation if I don’t take the extra insurance. Don’t take the extra insurance anyway.

Park in my usual spot in the Hilton’s North parking garage. Yes, I’m here often enough to have a usual spot. Strikes me that this is really sad. Laugh at the couple walking hand-in-hand trying to figure out what entertainment the Hilton offers (answer: none. They killed the Star Trek Experience and even Barry Manilow pulled up shop to moved to a rival venue). Check into hotel and start writing a report under embargo on Palm’s Pre Plus and Pixi Plus coming to AT&T. Make mistake of turning on TV, get nowhere on the report.

CTIA Day 0: Spend most of the day holed up in the hotel catching up on email and non-CTIA-related reports. Shut down in late afternoon to head to the Bellagio for a Motorola dinner. Walk about a mile inside the hotel (literally) trying to find the right ballroom. Discover later that there was a much shorter route – and I’ve been to the ballrooms in this hotel at least a dozen times before. The dinner was basically an informal way to introduce the Motorola i1 Android phone for Sprint’s iDEN (Nextel) network. The i1 could be mistaken for the CLIQ XT at T-Mobile – I had one on hand for comparison – though it has been ruggedized somewhat. Pouring water on it did no damage, but I was asked to refrain from dunking it in the water cup (take a note: analysts make terrible dinner companions). The i1 should do fairly well; there are still a lot of people on the iDEN network who are looking for something other than the single RIM BlackBerry Sprint offers.

Left the dinner early to head to the Renaissance for ShowStoppers. Discover I missed meeting Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe at Motorola. Oh well. Showstoppers is one of two evening events geared towards press and analysts; it’s a large room with vendor tables staffed by senior PR execs and product managers, and can be the best way to see a lot of products and build relationships with the companies. Unfortunately, building relationships was all I did at this particular event, as there wasn’t much new to see.

From there I drove over to the Venetian and followed the giant deceptive billboards to the Tao (it’s just a regular nightclub; I have yet to see the bare-backed woman in the ads) for Verizon Wireless’ low key party. At the Fall CTIA party I had a terrific conversation with Verizon CEO Lowell McAdams without any PR handlers around, but this time I spent most of my time talking to the PR handlers themselves.

Back to the hotel and a few more minutes of writing the Palm report before heading to bed.

CTIA Day 1: With my staff attending the keynotes, I headed straight to carrier meetings and press conferences at the convention center. After meetings at one end of the convention center, walked to the other end of the convention for Samsung’s gala Galaxy S launch. I can’t describe how happy I was to find that the wacky dance troupe from Barcelona was not back for an encore; instead, a troupe put on a multimedia play showing a day in the life of a Galaxy S user that was surprisingly effective. The Galaxy S has an amazing screen, but perhaps more amazing is that the software Samsung is adding to Android 2.1 actually appears to enhance the overall user experience, something I can’t say for TouchWiz on the Behold II. After getting some hands-on time with a unit and coming away impressed, I walked to the other end of the convention for a T-Mobile presentation on its HDPA+ network.

T-Mobile had a small room and no chairs because analysts and journalists like walking and standing all day. T-Mobile claims that its HSPA+ network will be able to download files as fast as rivals’ 4G networks, and it is just a software upgrade for its existing base stations, unlike WiMAX or LTE. They showed off a nice little data stick and a Dell netbook with HSPA+ capabilities. I have two problems with T-Mobile’s message here: 1) it’s great that HSPA+ is just a software upgrade, but just like its competitors, it hasn’t been broadly deployed yet and there are no handsets that take advantage of it, 2) I get the feeling that consumers aren’t going to buy a marketing message that goes, “our 3G network is faster than their 4G network for file downloads” because 4 is a bigger number than 3, and who really cares about file downloads? Are people really downloading files all day to their phones?

I then walked all the way back to the other end of the convention center again for Sprint’s big press conference. First thing you notice: no chairs here, either. Then the music hits ear-splitting levels because event people seem to believe this will pump you up and make you more receptive to the message to come. In actual fact, it makes it harder to hear the message to come because you have been temporarily been rendered deaf. Sprint’s message was worth hearing, and boiled down to, “our 4G network is faster than their 3G network, and we’ve got an insane phone, HTC’s EVO 4G, that can use the network to do cool things, like watching YouTube in HD.” (Of course, if you want to download files for some reason, you can do that, too.) Sprint did a great job showing how the combination of high end hardware and a fast network can create a unique user experience, and the EVO 4G launch was clearly the high point of the show.

However, the show was not yet over, and it was time to walk halfway back to the other end of the convention center again, this time for a quick meeting with an OS vendor and then on to moderate a panel discussion about why we have a dozen mobile operating systems. Goes well.

Out for a quick dinner, and on to Pepcom’s Mobile Focus, which is a lot like Showstoppers only with more handset vendors. I had missed a Kyocera analyst event while I was doing the panel, so I stopped by their table for some quick hands on time with the new Zio (an undifferentiated Android phone, but one that could cause RIM some trouble in the prepaid market). I then moved to Dell’s table where an Aero was sitting on the table next to Dell’s new Android phones for Brazil and China. Unfortunately, Dell wouldn’t allow the Aero to be powered up, so here’s what I know: It’s a thin, plastic device running Android [unknown] version with an [unknown] user interface overlay with [unknown] features and is coming to AT&T at [unknown] date at [unknown] price. When a client asked what my analytical option was, I replied with [unknown] insights.

At HTC’s table, they confirm that an HD2 is on the way to my house. That’s great, but I could really have used it at the show – it comes preloaded with the Transformers movie, which I have not seen but it has to be better than the terrible drama Continental is showing on the West-to-East route on the way home. At Sony Ericsson’s table, get hands on time with all the phones launched last month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona; I missed the launch event there because Samsung scheduled its Wave press insanity at the same time. I already have an XPERIA X10, so it was a bit of a shock to see the X10 mini. This isn’t a smaller version of the X10, it’s a Honey-I-Shrunk-The-Phone version of the X10. I wonder if any of the X10’s user experience can translate to such a small form factor. Even the full size phones aren’t necessarily that big – the Vivaz is a wisp of a phone that does not look like it is big enough to have HD video recording capabilities.

I skipped further evening festivities to return to my room, attempt to write that Palm report again, and pass out.

CTIA Day 2: I skipped a breakfast meeting where Samsung talked LTE and instead actually finished the Palm report, then started writing up the EVO 4G before heading over to the convention center for late morning meetings. The first one was with a silicon vendor in the meeting room area, which is at the absolute back of Central Hall. Next, it was halfway back to the North Hall for AT&T’s annual press and analyst lunch. You know what’s great about lunch meetings? No, not the food – I keep strictly kosher and don’t eat at most of these events – but you’re pretty much guaranteed to have chairs. AT&T switches things up and doesn’t talk about the speed of its network at all, focusing instead on devices: it has the highest smartphone penetration rate of any carrier in the world, and the rest of its lineup has been overtaken by “QMDs,” which sounds like a weapon stockpiled by dictators, but is actually AT&T’s term for QWERTY featurephones. AT&T also showed off a tablet not made by Apple, and AT&T is making a serious push into connecting every device you can buy at Best Buy. Seriously, that’s Glen Lurie’s goal for his next performance review. Good luck, Glen!

Unfortunately, I had to leave early to make my next meeting with a handset vendor whose booth is way in the front of Central Hall. While walking the half mile or so, AGAIN, it occurs to me that this is the first time I have set foot on in the Expo at all. I didn’t actually have a chance to see any of the booths at that point because that meeting was followed by two others with a regional U.S. carrier and a distributor. On my way out to get dinner I was waylaid by representatives from two clients; we catch up, they ask for a recap of the show so far, and we tell funny stories to each other until my brain points out that if I get dinner I will not collapse from hunger. And, as a bonus, I will get to sit down.

After dinner, it’s off to a 3 hour Nokia strategy event for analysts where Nokia does a credible job of explaining its Symbian roadmap but doesn’t inspire confidence that the company will be a force in North America any time soon.

After this, several members of my team head to AT&T’s party, but I go back to the hotel to do more writing and pack up for the return flight.

CTIA Day 3: Scramble to edit staff reports on Samsung’s Galaxy S and Kyocera’s Zio before heading to the convention center for one last meeting. Look at my automatically-generated boarding pass and realize that my flight boarding time has been pushed up, so I cancel my morning vendor meeting. Then Continental delays the flight. The meeting is back on, but I don’t want to risk missing the flight in case the delay is reduced, so I run the entire way to the convention center and back. Get to the airport fairly quickly (if you use I-15 and ignore the signs to the airport, you can cut the drive to the rental car return area significantly) and encounter no hassles returning the car, which is mildly miraculous. Security lines are long, but I’m through with plenty of time to sit for hours with Eric Zeman of Phonescoop while Continental finds a plane that flies properly. The 4:50 flight boards before our 2:20 flight. Once on board, the flight attendant asks us to turn off all BlackBerries, blueberries, strawberries, boisenberries, and Halle Berries. Cute. I tweet, “Cue Sheryl Crow – I’m Leaving Las Vegas” and shut down.

The hack is the handiwork of a team of Russian tinkerers over at htcpedia, who have managed to get the WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth all working and pretty much everything else.  Still causing issues, however, are the graphics drivers, and the device is showing some unwanted lag.  We’re guessing work is being done on optimizing the code for the HD2, and that lag should get brought down.

Video demos after the cut

The new ROM is yet to see a public release, and the team are apparently looking into downgrading solutions to put Windows Mobile 6.5.3 with HTC Sense back on the smartphone for those who may want to try Windows Phone 7 but not necessarily live with it forever.

As for those troublesome buttons, one of the reasons Microsoft gave for the HD2′s upgrade ineligibility, so far two are operational: Start and Back.  They’re now working on getting a third mapped to Search.

[via SlashPhone and via Redmond Pie]

This is not the first time I’ve traveled sans laptop. I’ve taken day trips and even a European trip with no PC. But those trips were all made safe in the knowledge that I’d need nothing more than email access. In this case, this was hardcore travel, with deadlines and serious meetings. My only ground rules were no PC use. That meant no borrowing colleagues laptops or using business center PCs. This was phones only. Here’s what I learned.

First, there’s something truly liberating about not traveling with a laptop. Yes, there’s the 4.5 pounds it saves me, I wish losing 4.5 pounds were that easy going to the gym. It’s quite fun, far more than it should be, going through security without having to take out your laptop (although, on one leg of the trip, I had to PROVE that there was no laptop in my bag *Sigh* ). When all is said and done, that’s the primary advantage, not having to carry the extra weight and the ability to move through TSA screens faster.

The downside, however, was huge. If you’re planning to leave behind your laptop, here are some issues you’ll have to deal with.

1. Battery life. All my phones failed me at some point. At SXSW, running from early morning to late night proved too much for every device I carried. The Pre Plus and HD2 barely lasted the better part of a day. The iPhone 3GS fared much better, thanks to the Mophie JuicePack Air that let me get through the harshest of days. Even then, topping off now and then helped quite a bit. When you’re constrained to one device, you tend to use that device a lot more. So in addition to phone calls, email and general mobile tasks, I was writing and editing reports, reviewing presentations and spending a lot more time with email in particular as it was my only way to stay connected. Tip: Turn off 3G and rely on EDGE when possible to save battery life. WiFi also uses less power than 3G if there’s a hotspot open. Likewise, turn off Bluetooth and dim the screen as much as possible to eke out more time.

2. Size matters. The biggest issue I kept running into related to screen size. Phones are just too small for content creation (at least for my 40+ year old eyes). Even with the HD2’s larger screen and resolution, creating content was a nightmare. At best I could work with text. Numbers were virtually impossible for me to manipulate. The lack of multiple windows proved time and time to be a frustration. While most of mobile activity does not involve content creation or editing, those with that need are best to avoid the phone. I’m not saying it can’t be done, it just can’t be done well. Likewise, the iPhone’s virtual keyboard is fine for casual email but for real text entry, nothing beats a full sized keyboard. This is where the Stowaway Bluetooth came in handy with the HD2. It would be very nice to see Apple support for BT keyboards in iPhone and iPod Touch soon.

3. Apps Matter. When it comes to content creation, nothing beats Microsoft Office or iWork. While both Docs to Go and QuickOffice worked well enough for casual use, neither was up to the task for real work on the go.

Bottom line? Leaving your laptop is fine for short trips, where the focus will be email, light content viewing and very minor editing. For now, the phone, no matter how good simply can’t supplant a real personal computer when it comes to getting work done. For those that suggested a netbook, to me that’s the same as a PC for all intents and purposes. Now, if only there were some device that lived between the PC and Phone that could replace the PC for heavy business travel. But that’s a topic for another column, after April 3rd…

Still, the HD2 has plenty of charms to bring to the table.  HTC Sense makes its appearance, tidying up the underlying Windows Mobile 6.5.3 OS, and there’s WiFi b/g, 3G, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and that all-important 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with HTC’s baked-in system wide multitouch support.

We’ll have our review of the T-Mobile specific HD2 up very soon, but as you might have guessed it differs very little from the European HTC HD2 we reviewed all the way back in November 2009.  T-Mobile USA are offering their HD2 on an Even More plan for $199.99, or a contract-free Even More Plus plan for $449.99.

HTC HD2 video demo:

Given the HD2′s 4.3-inch WVGA display, that doesn’t seem too great a surprise.  T-Mobile will be preloading each handset’s bundled 16GB microSD card with a copy of Transformers and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

Meanwhile they’ll also be trying to lure buyers into bundle deals, pushing their other recent smartphones – the Android-based Motorola CLIQ XT and the Nokia Nuron – as part of a “smart family”.  The HD2 will be priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement, or $449.99 outright; you can check out our review of the European version here.

T-Mobile have launched a new, HD2-specific mini site with more information about the smartphone.  Still, most of the key specifications are well known by now: the 1GHz Snapdragon chipset, the 4.1-inch multitouch-capable capacitive touchscreen and the HTC Sense UI on top of the underlying Microsoft OS.

Some of the HD2′s sheen has been taken off in recent weeks with the news that owners won’t be able to update the device to Windows Phone 7 later in the year.  Still, as we found in our review of the HD2, it’s a pretty impressive handset in its own right.

HTC HD2 hands-on demo:

For a start it’s built for x86 processors – after all, it comes from the emulator not a phone ROM – and lacks the necessary drivers and other elements needed to control phone hardware.  Even if we had all that, there’s more to the HD2′s incompatibility than just the number of physical buttons.

Microsoft have axed support for external memory cards and all Windows Phone 7 devices will have to come with large chunks of internal flash memory.  That means the HD2′s internal memory is simply too meagre, so until someone hacks the OS to recognize cards as onboard storage it’s a no-go.

Still, we’re expecting interesting things from the developer community with this in-depth access to the underlying code.  The absence of true multitasking and the locked-down Windows Phone Marketplace for app distribution are both frustrations that many users would like to see “jailbreaks” for.

[via IntoMobile]

Bringing you a brief reminder on specs (for those who haven’t memorized them by now); the HD2 is equipped with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a gorgeous 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen supporting multitouch at 800 x 480 WVGA, WiFi, Bluetooth and HSPA.  It runs Windows Mobile 6.5 with HTC’s own Sense-inspired UI on top, and has a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash.

[via SlashPhone]

In fact, the HD2 comes in at $199.99 after an (unspecified) rebate, presuming you’re willing to sign up to a two year agreement.  Contract-free, the T-Mobile HD2 is $449.99.  Opt for a data plan and there’s no need for a rebate, either, which is a nice touch.

As for the Motorola CLIQ XT (aka the QUENCH), that will apparently be $129.99 with a new contract or $329.99 without (again, no rebate required if you take out a data plan).  Finally, the Nokia Nuron is $69.99 with contract or $179.99 without.

Of course, the recent news over the potential – or lack of it – for official HTC HD2 Windows Phone 7 upgrades may put a dampener on enthusiasm for the smartphone.  That’s a shame; we certainly liked it when we reviewed it last year, but it seems the delay in rolling out the US-spec version may have undermined sales now that Windows Phone 7 is on the horizon.

The buttons Kwan refers to are the Home, Back and Search keys that are mandated for all Windows Phone 7 devices.  Instead, the HD2 has Call, Home, Start, Back and End/Power controls.  Microsoft have allowed handset OEMs some flexibility in adding in extra keys – such as volume rockers or camera shortcuts – but none when it comes to the basic three on the front panel.

It may not solely be buttons holding the HD2 back, however.  ”There are some hardware components that the HD doesn’t have” Tony Wilkinson, Business Operations Director for Microsoft Australia, suggested to APC, though given we won’t find out the full hardware profile for WP7 devices until MIX 2010 later this month we’ll have to wait a while to see exactly what those shortcomings might be.

[via WMPowerUser]

The HD2 will get support for Barnes & Noble eReader, Blockbuster on Demand movies, MobiTV, Paramount Pictures movies Transformers and Transformers: revenge of the Fallen will be pre-loaded on the memory card for the handset, and the device will be Gogo in-flight internet ready. That is certainly enough to keep users of the device entertained.

We already know the hardware features of the phone, but I will run them down again. The handset has a 4.3-inch LCD, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and runs the Windows mobile 6.5 operating system. The handset also has GPS, ships with a 16GB microSD card, and features a 5MP camera with autofocus and dual LED flash. The handset will land on T-Mobile this spring.

Over that there’s a semi-flexible back cover, and HTC expect aftermarket vendors to offer transparent or translucent replacements.  When we met with HTC prior to MWC 2010 for a hands-on prebrief, the finish reminded us a little of a businessman’s suit: sober on the outside, but with a garish lining. Connectivity includes 3G – with 900/2100 European 3G support – and WiFi, along with Bluetooth and GPS/AGPS.  There’s also a 5-megapixel camera, though like the HTC Legend there’s no Flash Lite 4 support.

HTC also told us that there’s no chance that the HD mini would ever see an update to Windows Phone 7; that’s presumably because the display resolution and processor don’t meet Microsoft’s minimum specification requirements for the new platform.  Still, seeing as how you’d lose Sense in the process, we don’t think those who are considering the HD mini would be too swayed by that fact.

HTC say the HD mini will go on sale in April 2010, across European and Asian markets.  No word on pricing, though Vodafone is confirmed as one of the carriers.  We’re headed off for some hands-on time with the smartphone, so expect live video and photos soon!

Press Release:

HTC HD MINI PROVIDES HTC HD2EXPERIENCE IN COMPACT DESIGN BARCELONA, Mobile World Congress – February 16, 2010 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today introduced the HTC HD mini, an HTC Sense-based Windows Phone focused on delivering the popular experience of the HTC HD2 in a more compact design. “The demand for the HTC HD2 has exceeded our expectations, and the HTC HD mini fulfills a desire from some customers to bring the capabilities and experience of the HTC HD2 to a more compact design,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. “The integration of HTC Sense and Windows Phone on HD mini and HD2 gives customers an additional choice for an advanced Windows Mobile phone that is sleek, well crafted and easy to use.” The HTC HD mini sports a high degree of usability along with its own unique and beautiful design. Precision fasteners used to assemble the phone are externally visible, displaying a high level of craftsmanship rarely found in mobile phones. And the strong design ethos continues under the battery cover where a bright yellow internal structure, offers an unexpected surprise when the phone is opened. The HTC HD mini utilizes HTC Sense, a user experience focused on putting people at the centre by making the phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were developed by observing and listening to how people live and communicate. These core tenets of Make It Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected continue to be the key to the new HTC Sense experience. Like the HTC HD2, the HTC HD mini continues the same focus on people-centric communication with complete Outlook integration. It helps you stay close to the important friends and colleagues in your life by providing a single contact view that displays individual communication snapshots of your conversations regardless of whether it was a call, text, status update or email. HTC’s Windows-based Twitter application, HTC Peep, enables you to tweet and follow your twitter stream. HTC HD mini includes capacitive touch for viewing, zooming and resizing websites, Microsoft® Office files, PDF documents and pictures with just a pinch of your fingers. Leveraging its 3G broadband connectivity, the HTC HD mini also offers personal Wi-Fi anywhere for your computer or other devices. The HD mini can also be further enhanced to reflect your needs and style by downloading a variety of applications from the Windows® Marketplace for Mobile. Availability The new HTC HD mini will be broadly available to customers across major European and Asian markets beginning in April.

The extended battery adds some extra juice, as well as some bulk to the gorgeously slim HD2, and the kickstand, well, does what a kickstand usually does.

The shipping date’s set for March, and there’s also a nice surprise – a price drop to £35 ($55, from originally $85).

In the process one HD2 owner has dismantled his smartphone to check the parts inside, and others have been thinking up more imaginative ways to test the memory.  For instance, XDA-developers’ Brandi attempted to use up as much of the RAM as possible with running apps, and reports that he was able to use more – 444MB – after installing the leaked ROM than prior to that.

It’s unclear why HTC would purposefully undermine the original HD2 in such a manner, and you can bet we’ll be asking them about it (and probably getting a “no comment” reply back, frustratingly).  Until then, this puts the whole Windows Mobile 7 upgrade question on a completely different footing.

[via PocketNow]

Talk of the HD2 being the only current-model handset from HTC’s range to be in line for a Windows Mobile 7 update has proliferated over the past few months.  However it now looks possible that only the updated, faster HD2 might be in line for that update; the original version doesn’t meet the unofficial Microsoft specifications for a WM7 device, which calls for at least 1GB of ROM.

Now that doesn’t mean anything conclusive – and indeed it doesn’t mean the T-Mobile USA HD2 will be getting WM7 either – but it’s a potential disappointment to European early-adopters nonetheless.  According to HTC’s site, US buyers will also get a 16GB microSD card, rather than the 2GB card supplied as standard in Europe.

[via WMPowerUser]

Some users have complained that SMS messages get stuck in the HD2′s outbox and refuse to send, and despite the company’s best efforts there are still owners unable to use text messaging reliably.  We didn’t experience any issues with our HD2 review unit, it has to be said, but this is obviously a frustrating situation for owners of HTC’s Windows Mobile flagship to be experiencing.  Let us know in the comments how the update goes for you.

[Thanks Ollie!]

One of the coolest accessories will be the CU S400 Car Upgrade kit expected to arrive in early April. An extended battery is set to ship in February that has a built-in kickstand for standing the device up while you watch movies and video. The battery will sell for £45 and the car kit will set you back £55.

Clove also lists more stock for the Desktop sync cradle due in early February and the S511 flip case will be back in stock next week. A ST C400 capacitive stylus is set to launch in February as well.

Update: Antony points out that this update has been around for a while – Thanks!  However HTC have also pulled the recent SMS update for the HD2, which users had mixed results with.  No word from the company as to their reasons for doing so.

There are different versions of the ROM for the UK, Greece, Russia, Norway, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, France, Czech Republic, Poland and Italy, all with version numbers kicking off from 1.48.4xx.x.  It’s obviously worth checking to make sure you’re actually running an earlier ROM right now, and make sure to set aside 30 minutes for the update to take place.

[via SeidiMobile]

Meanwhile there’s the Motorola Zeppelin is another Android handset – no word on release date or specifications as yet – while on March 17th Nokia’s 5230 complete with AWS support is expected.  A Garmin “Columbus” handset is tipped for May 5th.

Finally a Dell device is also suggested for the T-Mobile network, though TmoNews’ tipster reckons it’s not a cellphone like the Dell Mini 3 for AT&T.  That’s prompted speculation that the carrier may be offering a 3G-integrated netbook from Dell’s Mini range, though right now there’s no confirmation either way.

[via Android Community]

HTC ‘s  HD2; for those who don’t know – has a capacitive touchscreen that doesn’t work with a normal plastic stylus.  It only works by measuring a change in capacitance, (electrical charge) in your fingers or with this special stylus.

The phone itself doesn’t offer a place to actually store the stylus, and if you end up losing it, it’s $28 for a replacement (well, at least it’s cheaper than replacing your digits).  It should also work with any phone with a touch capacitive screen, i.e. any iPhone, Droid, or even the recently released Nexus One.

Dear Toby

Thank you for your enquiry about HD2
What we do it ROM Upgrades from our website, however 6.5 windows mobile has only been out 2 months and windows mobile 7 hasn’t even been developed. This wont be out until next November at the earliest. But when it is available it will be a free download.
If these steps have not helped, please let me know by responding using the link provided and I will be happy to check again for you.

Best regards,
Terry Snelling
HTC customer support team
HTC Corp. Global Service Division
http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx

Of course, that’s kicked off a discussion at xda-developers about the likelihood not only of an official ROM but whether a hacked, unofficial WM7 ROM for the HD2 will be possible.  Such ROMs rely on compatible drivers culled from official devices that share the same hardware as the older models, and it remains to be seen what components used in the HD2 will still be in play by the time the first WM7 handsets arrive.

We first heard talk of Windows Mobile 7 on the HD2 back in November 2009, when an unnamed source tipped an official upgrade was on the drawing board, and then HTC tweeted – and promptly deleted – similar information themselves in December.  As we said last year, you should only ever buy a device because it fits your needs now, not for what it may or may not do X months down the line.

HTC HD2 hands-on:

[via jkOnTheRun]

“This update for HTC HD2 messaging lets you reach out to your friends and family with instant notifications. Keeping in touch has always been very important, and this update delivers just that: fast and reliable SMS messaging.”

A previous hotfix released in mid-December was meant to sort the problem, but some users have reported continuing delivery failures even after updating their HD2.  It’s worth noting that you’ll need a Windows PC in order to install the new software; if you’ve been having SMS issues and this update address them (or, conversely, fails to), let us know in the comments.

[Thanks Sergej!]

T-Mobile’s coup hardly comes as a surprise, however, since we’ve already seen the carrier’s introduction ROM running on the HD2.  Even earlier than that, ROM-tinkerers spotted various T-Mobile specific content in a leaked software build.

No pricing or specific availability has been mentioned as yet, but we don’t expect the HD2 to be particularly cheap given the high specifications.  Full details – plus our opinion – in the conclusive SlashGear HD2 review.

HTC HD2 highlights:

[via Twitter]

Video demo after the cut

The new ROM also brings with it live document previews in a new tab, and the music library gets a UI make-over.  According to the previous rumors, T-Mobile USA will get the HD2 in March 2010, though so far HTC themselves have only committed to a “major carrier” in early 2010.  Check out our review of the HTC HD2 here.

[via BGR]

Going by the contents of the External Packages folder, the US HD2 will run the Leo ROM 2.01 and Windows Mobile 6.5 build 21869.  It will have Opera 9.7.0.35627 and Teeter 2.0, along with the TMOUS_Manila_Core 2.5.1921401.  Obviously there’s all the regular HD2 goodness onboard, including HSDPA/HSUPA, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, GPS and a 4.2-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with multitouch support.

WMExperts tipsters are whispering about a March 2010 launch, right at the end of that Q1 window.  Not sure what all the HD2 fuss is about?  Check out our review of the Windows Mobile 6.5 device here.

HTC HD2 highlights:

All of the expected features are there, including HTC Peep – the Twitter client – and Footprints, their photo geotagging app.  The hacked ROM is the handiwork of Rodrigo from the MoDaCo forums, and you can see it demonstrated in the video below.

A Vodafone official has stated that the stocks of the HTC HD2 are now depleted and that the handset will not be stocked again for the general consumer. Presumably, that general consumer caveat means that the business user can still get the phone, but that it unclear.

IBTimes reports that a company source told it that the HD2 was removed from the general consumer line because the smartphone was facing software glitches that harmed the user experience. Vodafone competitors O2 and T-Mobile are still selling the HD2. Perhaps Vodafone is just clearing the way for the iPhone a bit.

No specific details are given in the update description, beyond some HTC marketing-speak about how the HD2 “delivers clear digital picture quality like never before”.  We’d be interested to hear from HD2 owners as to whether their camera performance really is improved; let us know in the comments.

[via SeidiMobile]

Video comparison after the cut

According to Xmoo, build 1.48 is a lot faster than 1.43 NLD as installed on his other HD2.  The calendar bud – which was stopping some users from browsing past the end of the year – has been addressed, and emails open as they should.

Perhaps most importantly, overall speed is increased; we never really had an issue with the speed that the HD2 ran at, thanks in no small part to the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, but anything that ekes out some more speed is always welcome.  There’s no sign of an official update at HTC’s site, but forums such as xda-developers will likely have the goods.

[via wmpoweruser]

Video demos after the cut

The API supports two-fingered multitouch, and offers support for gestures rather than simply pinch-zooming (as can reasonably easily be hacked into the HD2 across the board, extending HTC’s own pinch-zoom system).  Instead it offers true two-point positioning information that software can use to recognize gestures, movement and the like.

The two videos below – from wmpoweruser – show the system in action, and l3v5y is apparently working on an art app for the HD2 that will allow you to paint with two fingers at once.  If you’re familiar with C++/Win32 development then he says you should find integrating multitouch relatively straightforward.

[via pocketnow]

Video demo after the cut

In comparison, the iPhone 3GS looks pretty darn small, being both shorter and slimmer than the X10.  The benefit of the Android handset, of course, is that you get a significantly larger display – 4-inches running at 480 x 854 resolution – and the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset under the hood.

We’re still waiting to hear exactly when the XPERIA X10 will be on shelves, with Sony Ericsson first confirming February 2010 and then backtracking to merely Q1 of next year.  Our prediction is a full launch at Mobile World Congress in February; we’ll be at the show, so expect all the details then.

The stylus isn’t expected to drop until early in 2010, and details – including images – are currently unavailable.  It’s possible that the technology used tallies in with HTC’s recent stylus patent, which used a magnetically-equipped tip that could be registered by a capacitive touchscreen display.  Alternatively it might be a simple sponge-tip affair, similar to what’s supplied with the Dell Mini 3i in China.

As for the extended battery, it too isn’t expected until early in the new year, and nor is its specific capacity known.  However it’s believed to come with a replacement back panel – we’re expecting it to protrude out from the back of the HD2 – with an integrated kick-stand that works in both portrait and landscape orientation.  Retailer Clove has the stylus up for preorder, priced at £15 ($25) and the battery at £45 ($75), both excluding VAT.