The tricky thing about printed catalogs is that they require some preparation, and that generally puts them into plenty of peoples’ hands. One such leaky person has handed over an upcoming O2 catalog to Engadget, with the first official listing of the HTC HD2 (aka the HTC Leo) we’ve seen so far.
Continued »
Android developers with one of HTC's distinctive Dream-based Dev Phone devices should head over to the company's support site, where they can find Android 1.6 ready and waiting to be installed. The new build of Google's open-source OS adds support for non-HVGA screen sizes and a new text-to-speech engine, among other things.
Windows Mobile 6.5 may not be provoking all that much interest compared to rival platforms, but one device which is certainly perking up attention is the HTC Leo, aka the HTC HD2. Tipped to arrive in October, the 4.3-inch flagship smartphone’s prize is its 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor; now one beta tester has released some benchmarking for the handset, and it’s looking to be a real stormer. The HD2 ousted HTC’s Touch HD in 3D graphics performance by around 300-percent.
What looks set to be HTC’s new flagship, the HTC HD2 – aka the HTC Leo – seems even closer to release, at least according to a slide dropped into Pocketnow’s inbox. The slide, in Dutch, suggests that the Leo will indeed be branded the HTC HD2, while their tipster confirms that it will arrive in the Netherlands at the end of October.
Continued »
Pinch of salt time, but one of Engadget's "trusted tipsters with a proven past" has been in touch to say that the HTC Leo has been spotted on carrier O2's intranet site. Listed as the HTC HD2 - as the branding has suggested in recent leaked photos - the Snapdragon-based smartphone is apparently tipped to arrive on October 12th.
Having seen the HTC Leo frolicking with the HTC Touch Pro2 and the Diamond2, it only seems fair that HTC’s Android-powered Hero should get a turn in the leaky spotlight. Over at xda-developers, a purported beta tester of the Leo has been sharing some first impressions and the images to go with it.
Vodafone UK have confirmed their second Android smartphone, the HTC Tattoo, which will arrive on the network come October. The Tattoo is HTC’s most recent Android-based device, and is being positioned as an entry-level model with a focus on customization; to that extent it has a 2.8-inch resistive, rather than capacitive touchscreen, but features the HTC Sense UI and replaceable covers.
One of the most vocal opponents to the practice of giving major carriers like AT&T and Verizon exclusive handset deals is a smaller regional carrier called Cellular South. The carrier was one that complained to the FCC that exclusive deals meant smaller providers can’t compete with larger national chains. Cellular South may not be able to get devices like the Pre or the iPhone, but it is getting a new Android handset.
Lovers of the European HTC Hero’s chin who were left disappointed with the Sprint model’s stylings will be pleased to hear that the distinctive design may make a reappearance. That’s the word from Claude Zellweger, partner at the One & Co US design firm HTC acquired back in December 2008, who has been talking to Forbes about HTC’s design future. That future will seemingly lean heavily toward a design and brand identity, which gives users a “sense of coming home again” when they upgrade to another HTC device.
The latest DigiTimes rumors are in, and this time they don’t seem all that unlikely. According to industry sources in Taiwan, Acer’s F1 and HTC’s Leo – both using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz chipset – will each drop in Q4 this year, complete with Windows Mobile 6.5. They also finger ASUS and Inventec as developing Snapdragon-based smartphones, though those are unlikely to hit full-scale production until the first half of 2010.
JP
