HTC Desire HD (Ace) spotted in the wild with Android 2.2 Froyo

The HTC Desire HD, also known as the Ace, was outed by retailer SuperETrader last month. With the customary leaked introduction out of the way, we can now turn our eyes to potentially the first spy shot of this rumored handset. The surprisingly clear photo is consistent with the leaked specs of the Desire HD and reveals an Android handset that sports the touch-sensitive buttons of the Incredible and the super-sized form factor of the EVO 4G.

For those keeping track, the Desire HD is expected to be a modest upgrade from the original Desire and is rumored to include:
4.3 inch WVGA Touch Screen
8 Megapixel Camera
1 GHZ Qualcomm Processor
Android 2.2
HD 720p Video Capture
Xvid Video Playback
SRS Surround Sound
Adobe Flash 10 Support
4GB Internal Memory (up to 32GB)
Uni-Body Aluminium Design

This hot, new handset is expected to launch in October in the UK and will replace the original Desire in HTC’s successful Android handset lineup.

While the folks in the UK can jump for joy, those in North America can remain somber as there is no indication that the Desire HD will launch anytime soon. Unlike the UK where the Desire has been available for months, the Desire is a relative newcomer to the marketplace in North America. The Canadian version hit the shelves of Telus on Friday and the US variant is pegged for an August launch on both Cellular South and US Cellular. Though consumers may be disappointed by this possibility, HTC would not defy conventional wisdom and release the Desire HD so soon after the launch of the Desire.

Confirmed: HTC Droid Eris will not get Froyo

We've suspected it for months, and I can now confirm what we'd feared all along: Verizon's HTC Droid Eris will not receive the Android 2.2 upgrade.

The Eris, launched alongside the original Motorola Droid last fall, took a back seat to higher profile devices from day 1. Verizon did update the Eris to Android 2.1 this past May -- it had originally shipped with 1.5 -- but the carrier has told me without a shred of doubt that the phone will not be bumped up to Froyo.

HTC Droid Eris: No Froyo

Droid Eris

Things started looking particularly bleak for the Droid Eris when Verizon stopped selling the device earlier this summer. It appears the phone's discontinuation is at least part of the company's reason for denying it the Froyo upgrade.

"We will not be updating the Eris to 2.2 because our device portfolio evolves and changes constantly," a spokesperson tells me.

Disappointing news, Eris owners -- sorry to be the bearer of it. On the up side, at least your phone isn't oddly locked to Bing like Verizon's latest Android offering, the Samsung Fascinate. We can only hope the carrier's questionable decisions will end here.

Rumored dual-core processor for upcoming HTC HD3 gets debunked

And just like that, our hopes for a dual-core 1.5 GHz HTC HD3 are shattered.  Qualcomm has just announced that their dual-core 1.5 GHz chips will not ship until very late in Q4 which means that they will not make their way into consumer products until late 2011.  The 1.2 GHz processors from Qualcomm will be showing up a lot sooner, though early Q1 of 2011 is most likely the soonest we will see them on the market.

At this point, it’s hard to say what processor the rumored HTC HD3 will feature.  There are other dual-core processors available from other manufacturers, but based on HTC’s history of using Qualcomm processors in their phones, it’s highly unlikely that they will be changing that relationship any time soon.

HTC Holding a Big Party On September 15, Android Tablets In the Offing?

Good old HTC is holding an event in London next week where they will probably show off the HD3, a 4.5-inch OLED WinPho 7 device and/or a new version of the Nexus One. There could also be a tablet in the works, although nothing is pointing to this odd turn of events.

Sale price of the T-Mobile G2 gets leaked

Some new information has come to light, revealing the price of the T-Mobile G2.  Leak screen shots show that the G2 will be selling for $199.99 for customers who choose to sing a new two year agreement with T-Mobile.  Those already on T-Mobile Even More Plus plans will be asked to hand over a cool $499.99 for the G2.  The price of the T-Mobile G2 is isn’t surprising at all since the majority of the higher end Android handsets have made their debut at the $199.99 mark.  We still don’t have any word on when T-Mobile plans to officially announce the G2, but the expected launch date of September 29^th is only four weeks away from today. 

HTC EVO 4G & Samsung Epic 4G Available Now Online [HTC EVO 4G Back in Sprint’s Online Store; Samsung Epic 4G Starts Selling Too] Read: HTC EVO 4G & Samsung Epic 4G Available Now Online [HTC EVO 4G Back in Sprint’s Online Store; Samsung Epic 4G Starts Selling Too]

Sprint has today not one but two WiMAX-ready Android smartphones in its online store, the HTC EVO 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G. The first one has been selling for a few months now and has just been made available online again, while the latter one is on its first day on the job and has some big expectations to meet.

The HTC EVO 4G has been officially announced as back in stock but the device might not be available for much longer. It looks like HTC is still having problems when it comes to making this device so go grab one while you can. I wonder if they’ll have enough HTC Desire HD units to go around when the phone gets launched.

The Samsung Epic 4G on the other hand is launching today, and since Samsung sold 1 million units in the USA, and 1 million more in South Korea, I don’t think they’ll run out of stock on this one as Samsung launched the Galaxy S in multiple markets about the same time and we haven’t heard anything about stock issues so far.

So what handset should you buy? Well, Sprint came out with its own video in which it compared the EVO 4G and the Epic 4G. The comparison was just a little biased towards the Epic 4G, and while it’s understandable why they’re very interested in selling that smartphone model, I’d still argue that it’s pretty difficult to choose one of the two.

The HTC EVO 4G has a great 4.3-inch touchscreen display, a built-in stand and Froyo already running the show. It costs $199.99 with a new 2-year contract. The Epic 4G comes with a smaller 4-inch display and a full QWERTY keyboard, which makes it a better messaging tool, and only Android 2.1 on board, at least for now. It costs $249.99 with a 2-year contract although it might still be available from Amazon for $199.99. Oh, and don’t let the screenshot above fool you; they’re both Android devices although just one is marked as one.

Does that help you choose your next 4G smartphone? Of course if your area hasn’t been covered with WiMAX love then getting a 4G device isn’t really necessary, is it? Anyway, like always, it’s choosing time: the HTC EVO 4G or the Samsung Epic 4G?

Verizon bound EVO-like HTC handset shows its face

We certainly were not expecting to finish off a Friday like this.  Images of an unnamed HTC handset have just hit the web which show off a handset which looks strikingly similar to the HTC EVO 4G, but with a little extra style.  The HTC handset is expected to launch on Verizon’s network and will include a 4.3 inch display, 3.5mm headphone jack, an 8 megapixel camera with dual-led flash, a kickstand, and a front facing camera. 

Basically, it looks like Verizon’s going to be getting its own version of the HTC EVO with a highly modified exterior shell.  We’re not sure what version of Android will be loaded onto this handset when it hits store shelves, but the words “with HTC Sense” embedded into the kickstand give us enough confidence to say it will not be running stock Android. 

A few new rendered images of the T-Mobile G2

Two new “official” renderings of the upcoming T-Mobile G2 have just hit the web.  There’s really nothing more to report besides the fact that Cell Phone Signal is claiming that the G2 will only be available in silver.  The fact that the G2 will only launch with one color option isn’t a shocker to any of us, but it is a little odd considering that all the other HTC phones on T-Mobile have had multiple color options.  Though the leaked ROM showed no signs of HTC Sense, we’re pretty sure that quite a few Android purists are happy to see the T-Mobile G2 renders confirm that the handset will be running a vanilla build of Android 2.2. 

HTC's dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider with 1.2GHz CPU headed to Verizon in 2011?

It's not expected to land at Verizon until sometime in 2011, but it's never too early to take a look at an unannounced Android slider with specs like this. Leaked by Androidswag, the device is purportedly hiding a 1.2GHz processor (would that be dual-core?) beneath that 4-inch display -- the sweet spot for size and pocketability. The prototype pictured above was apparently sporting a Vodafone SIM card making this a pretty bodacious CDMA / GSM worldphone by the time it lands for retail. Of course, anything, or everything, could change by the time this pup is ready for launch and we'll be here covering every step of its journey. Two more shots after the break including a size comparison with the EVO 4G -- a few more at the source link below.

1.2ghz, 4 inch, 4-inch, 4Inch, android, cdma, dual mode, dual-mode, DualMode, gsm, htc, leak, prototype, qwerty, rumor, slider, verizon, worldphone

HTC Desire Tips n Tricks - Cellphone News

HTC Desire, the flagship smartphone of the Taiwanese manufacturer is one of the most versatile Android-based devices launched on the market. It can be customized in so many ways, rooted and unrooted, as long as you know a few tips and tricks.


Here are some of these tips that will make your experience with the Desire more enjoyable.

The often use of the optical track-pad can make your life easier when browsing the Internet, sending an email or simply editing a text.

Even though many people think that the track-pad is useless and that HTC could've made the screen larger instead of including this item, I still think it saves a lot of time when it's used for specific tasks.

For example you can easily use it for precise cursor placement when you're editing a text. Also, it's perfect for going back to correct a block of text.

To select a certain text in text editing, just place the cursor where you want to start your selection and long-press on the optical track-pad to bring up the context menu.

Then tap “Select text” and use the optical track-pad to fine tune your selection. Further, you will then be able to cut or copy the selection, by long-pressing on the optical track-pad to bring up the context menu and choosing one of the actions.

While in the browser you can use the track-pad to jump between links, which is very useful in case the links are very small and hard to pinpoint with your finger.

There's also an interesting feature that enables you to open the link in a new window, when you long-press on the optical track-pad and choose the action you need from the context menu that it displays.

Feel free to add more of these tips, especially if you're an advanced Android user.

T-Mobile G2 test Android build gets leaked

You know it’s going to be a fun day when a file named “PC10IMG_Vision_TMOUS_1.12.531.0_ Radio_12.18.60.05P_26.01.00.17_M2_test_144460.zip” shows up on the web.  Our good friends over at AndroidGuys spotted a new post on 911sniper which was titled “Test rom for HTC Vision / T-Mobile G2 (Android-Froyo 2.2)” and simply couldn’t pass up taking a peak. 

The zip file contained .img files and an excel document with details about the test build.   The spreadsheet verifies that the build belongs to the upcoming T-Mobile G2 and that it features support for T-Mobile HSPA+ network.  The file also references PC10100, the name of the handset that hit the FCC’s website yesterday.  We still have about a month before the T-Mobile G2 will hit the streets, but when new information gets leaked on a regular basis, time simply flies on by. 

Droid Incredible to get Android 2.2

A leaked internal screen capture reveals that the Droid Incredible will get the upgrade to Android 2.2 starting Friday, August 27, according to Droid-Life. The update was originally expected to come out on August 18, but Verizon quickly squashed those rumors. Chief among the changes the new OS will bring is Flash 10.1 support.

The software will otherwise bring with it 720p HD video recording, the ability to use the handset like a 3G hotspot for up to five Wi-Fi devices, and let the screen rotate at up to 270 degrees in order to be more user friendly. Verizon should preload the VZ Navigator app as an alternative for turn-by-turn directions, although it's unlikely to be used given free Google Maps Navigation.

HTC Desire now available through U.S. Cellular

The HTC Desire finally makes its long-awaited American debut today through U.S. Cellular. The carrier has been promising to bring the smartphone to its network for a few months as it plans to bolster its Android offerings. The Desire runs Android 2.1 and has a 3.7-inch Super LCD, a 5-megapixel camera, and the ever-popular 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The phone costs $199.95 with a two-year service agreement and a $70 mail-in-rebate.

The Desire marks the second of five Android phones U.S. Cellular promised to release in 2010, following the exclusive release of the Samsung Acclaim. October will see the launch of its Samsung Galaxy S class phone while two LG handsets will follow shortly after.