It's only been a few days, but the Hero cleared the FCC with a number attached to it, promising some kind of change was in store for the previously European-only device, once it launched here in the States. And if these images we're seeing, brought over from Chinese website 080.net are to be believed, there's quite a change in store for HTC's (and more so Android's) Hero.
Are you on one of the CDMA networks out there? Here in the States, that boils down to Sprint or Verizon, and it means that you're probably wishing you could be doing a few things here and there. Like talking on the phone and surfing the internet at the same time on your Palm Pre or BlackBerry Tour on your 3G connection. Well, if the CDMA Development Group (CDG) has any say in the matter, you're one step closer to getting that dream realized.
Verizon Wireless announced today the upcoming release of the AD3700 global USB modem from ZTE. Locally, the device will utilize Verizon's EV-DO Revision A network, but globally it will open up its network capability and access EV-DO, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSPA, and UMTS, allowing Verizon wireless customers to use their new device in 175 countries.
Palm's big news for today was it's announcement of the GSM Palm Pre and the exclusivity deals the company has carved out with O2 in the UK, Ireland and Germany, and Movistar in Spain. We had the opportunity to sit down with Palm and O2 today, and talk about what changes they've made to the smartphone, how they see it sitting in a range dominated by the iPhone 3GS, and why European customers will have to wait until the Christmas holidays before they can pick one up.
UK carrier Orange may not have secured the Palm Pre, but from the sound of it they don't really mind; their next high-end device is far more unusual than a simple slider smartphone. The carrier has revealed that it will be exclusively offering LG's GD910 Watch Phone in the UK this August, complete with capacitive touchscreen and integrated video calling.
Video demo after the cut
Hot on the heels of Palm's Movistar GSM Pre sighting comes confirmation from carrier O2 that they'll be offering the smartphone "in time for the Christmas holidays". The handset will go on sale in the UK, Ireland and Germany on O2, with Spanish buyers getting the GSM Pre on Movistar. As expected, the only hardware change has been switching to support HSDPA/UMTS.
The GSM Palm Pre has made its first official appearance, on the company’s Spanish site. Unveiled as an exclusive to carrier Movistar, the Spanish network owned by Telefonica, the announcement lends further weight to the rumors that O2 – also a Telefonica carrier – will make some GSM Pre announcement this week.
We're due to sit down with Palm UK next week and - hopefully - find out all the details about the GSM Pre's launch, but according to The Guardian news of the smartphone's official UK carrier is already ready for prime-time. The paper has reported that carrier O2 have clinched Pre exclusivity, adding the new smartphone to a line-up that already includes the Apple iPhone 3GS.
A GSM Palm Pre has been spotted in the wilds of Vietnam, presumably because that’s where the company has outsourced manufacture of the device. The handset shows the same SIM layout as the pre-production model we caught sight of back in February.
Video after the cut
Verizon Wireless have announced the HTC Ozone, their counterpart to Sprint's Snap. The QWERTY-blessed Windows Mobile 6.1 phone has EVDO Rev.A support, VZ Navigator for audible turn-by-turn directions and a 1,500mAh battery. It's also a global-roaming phone, and comes complete with international power adapters.
Details of Verizon's upcoming Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone, the HTC Ozone, have leaked, detailing not only the handset's full specifications but pricing and other tidbits. The Verizon Ozone XV6800 will have a 2.4-inch QVGA non-touchscreen display and full QWERTY keyboard, and not only access the carrier's EVDO Rev.A network but have globalphone quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity for roaming use.
We’re gearing up to cover HTC’s press event this coming Wednesday, where the company is expected to unveil their third Android-powered device, the HTC Hero. That’s now looking even more likely, after the Global Certification Forum (GCF) reportedly approved the smartphone as the HERO100.