Windows Phone 7 is the big new operating system of the month and Microsoft is certainly pulling at all stops to make the launch as big as possible. Many are already hooked on the new layout and the dynamic user interface and HTC is no exception.
The phone brand whose name is almost synonymous with the Android operating system has also had a long history of partnership with Microsoft during the earlier Pocket PC days, and now with the launch of the WP7, HTC shows off that Windows expertise once again.
The biggest handset on the new HTC lineup is obviously the HTC HD7. As the name suggests, HD is the big keyword for this phone as it packs a nice big 4.3 inch WVGA capacitive touch screen display. It is able to record videos in 720p and of course, supports playback in high resolution as well. The phone runs on a 1GHz CPU and has an 8 mega pixel camera.
New to the HTC lineup is the HTC 7 Surround. The surround in the name stands for surround sound as the new phone brings in big speakers in a slide out compartment. While this is not exactly the kind of form factor we expected from HTC, it is an interesting surprise. The screen is smaller than the HD7 at 3.8 inches but it is definitely more media based than any other handset on the list.
The HTC Mozart is sticking true to its original spec sheet with its 3.7 inch touch screen display, 8 mega pixel camera and 1GHz CPU. This HTC handset has been seen a lot in leaked images.
Lastly, the HTC 7 Trophy –this device basically stands as the most basic device in the entire set. In terms of hardware it fits the minimum spec requirements given by Microsoft, but aside from that, there is nothing else particularly noteworthy about the device.
Posts Tagged ‘Windows-Phone-7’
HTC WP7 Device Round Up: the Quick Summary
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010The Quick List: All the News in a few Moments
Monday, September 27th, 2010
If you are having a busy day but would still want to stay on top of the latest updates, here’s the quickest wrap up of everything you would need to know about this week’s events.
First off, delays! There are plenty of announcements regarding delays. First off, the Nokia N8 is due to pop out sometime in the first week of October. Sony Ericsson XPERIA users are all lamenting the lack of an Android OS update to version 2.1 Éclair –it is expected to arrive next month.
But with delays, there are also some interesting releases. Like Vodafone’s announcement regarding the availability of the BlackBerry Torch 9800. The device is already being offered for free on a 40 Pound monthly tariff for two years or an 18 month plan cost 55 Pounds monthly.
Moving back to Android devices, the HTC Desire HD has shown that the new Sense user interface is indeed a lot better and more stable than the old one. It even boots faster too. Users of the HTC Desire will be happy to know that the UI updates will also be available on their devices as well.
As with any week in tech news, there are always leaks. This time around, we all got treated to a sneak preview of what the BlackBerry Storm 3 might look like. Though there are still no confirmations as to the specifics of the device that was shown. Its close resemblance to the Storm 2 is pretty convincing however.
LG has also confirmed the LG E900 Windows Phone 7 handset. While some are already calling the device as the “Optimus 7” as a tip off to the WP7 platform, it is still too early to determine that decision.
In new technology, it appears that Marvell might have the fastest CPU for mobile phones. The new Armada 628 CPU is clocked at 1.5GHz.
Smart Phone News: Leaks and Rumors
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
Just recently, a leaked video of the Samsung Cetus i917 handset has been spreading around the web. While the phone’s specs are pretty much predictable (or at least, what the minimal specs would be), it is still impressive to see WP7 in action. Microsoft’s product manager, Charlie Kindel was demonstrating the handset off in the video.
So far, it seems that the device has not changed so much since it was first leaked weeks ago. The Cetus still sports a 5 mega pixel camera and a 4 inch WVGA capacitive touch screen display. Those who are excited to try out this new handset from Samsung will have to wait until October when Windows Phone 7 officially launches.
In other Windows Phone 7 related news, it seems that O2 Germany already has price plans for the upcoming HTC HD7. According to a leaked document, the upcoming handset will be price at a very expensive 559 Pounds. While the phone’s hardware features are certainly going to be impressive, this will make it hard for the HD7 to compete with Android devices later on. The contract costs of the handset are much easier on the budget with the device costing a nice 70 Pounds at a 20 Pound Monthly tariff.
With Windows Phone 7 due to come out in a matter of weeks, we can all expect to see more leaked videos and demonstrations of the various WP7 handsets that are going to launch alongside Microsoft’s new OS.
Lastly, it seems that Facebook is being plagued by rumors that the social networking site is going to release their own mobile phone. This is mostly due to exaggerated reports about Facebook’s devs working new apps and features for smart phones. Representatives of the social networking site have officially debunked the rumors about the FB smart phone –much to the dismay of some expectant fans.
HTC HD7 Confirmed in Germany, Facebook not Making a Smartphone
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
It seems that the HTC HD7 is certainly headed for consumers this coming October when the Windows Phone 7 OS finally launches.
In a recently leaked document from O2 Germany, the price for the HD7 handset will be a whooping 559 Pounds SIM free. While this might not be the same cost for the device when it comes out in the UK, at least we have a pretty good idea of the price range for the handset. So far, the tariff plans seem promising as the device is coming out at a nice 70 Pounds when linked to a 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years.
The HTC HD series of Windows devices has always been impressive. The HTC HD2 stood out for being able to bring the Windows Mobile OS to a capacitive touch screen thanks to the Sense user interface. While it was originally believed that the new HTC Windows Phone 7 handset would be named as the HD3, the Taiwan based phone maker surprised its fans by stating that the new phone will be called HD7 –to reflect the move from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone 7.
In other smart phone news, Facebook’s representatives have stated that their company is not in the process of creating a smart phone. The rumors about the social networking site coming out with a new device is not new, but has gotten pretty much spread out in the recent weeks.
While it is hard to determine the actual source of the rumors, the fact that social networking has played a key role in the growth of the smart phone industry is something that is hard to deny. In fact, since the combined emergence of social networking and better wireless technology, more and more people have made social networks a primary channel of communication.
Sense UI Video Leak Also Reveals HTC Phone
Monday, September 20th, 2010
It is going to be a few short weeks before the Windows Phone 7 mobile platform is officially launched and with all the new teasers and leaks being brought out, one cannot help but get really excited over the new operating system.
Of course, as exciting as the OS can be, there is even greater cause for excitement with all the new phones that are being offered. Microsoft will be launching the OS on several handsets from various mobile phone manufacturers. Confirmed to be present at launch date Asus, LG, Motorola and of course HTC (some reports also add in Sony Ericsson and Samsung, though that could simply be speculation).
HTC is surprising everyone with a recent video that seems to take a quick roundabout way of fitting through Microsoft’s prerequisites for a Windows Phone 7 handset. While they have been pretty strict about the hardware specs that are needed for the OS, there is only one rule for the software side: no custom user interfaces. HTC seems to have been able plenty of Sense UI elements into their WP7 platform –turning the UI into some bizarre hybrid never seen before.
Currently, there are two videos of the UI; first simply showing how the interface looks like, and the other, an actual demonstration on an upcoming HTC WP7 device.
So far, the actual specs on the handset that was revealed in the video is still unknown. Though there are some who have said that this might just be the HTC Mondrian. In any case, the video showed the OS running at full speed with no slowdowns. The animation of transitions was smooth and easy to follow while the entire UI seemed very responsive to the touch screen commands.
It would certainly be interesting to see if other mobile phone manufacturers have been able to integrate some of their custom UI features into their own versions of the WP7 OS.
Leaks on the LG Optimus 7 Compiled
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Most of the high profile smart phones tend to get leaked, and the upcoming LG Optimus 7 is no exception. The device has been featured in a couple of recent official images showcasing the device’s form factor (which is pretty impressive, no doubts about that), and the slide out QWERTY keyboard that packs beneath the touch screen display.
Initially, it was though that the Optimus 7 would be an Android smart phone (considering the fact that previous Optimus devices are Android handsets as well), it was not until the Optimus 7 was revealed to be packing a Windows Logo on the buttons did the public realize that the series is a lot more varied than originally thought.
It was confirmed that the Optimus 7 would be a Windows Phone 7 device despite the fact that later images of the product no longer showed the Windows logo on one of the keys. With the Korean phone maker confirmed to have more than just one device ready for the October launch of the platform, this is no longer surprising to know.
In terms of overall specs, LG has been pretty secretive about the new handset, though it uses WP7 is already an indicator of the lowest possible specs that it may have. The new phone will definitely be using Qualcomm based technology for the CPU –particularly the Snapdragon QSD8250 processor which runs at 1GHz.
The device will also be sporting a nice big AMOLED touch screen display with multi touch support and of course, WVGA aspect screen ratio.
Naturally, we cannot help but notice the impressive looking keyboard as well. The device has a 4 row keyboard that most phone users will be familiar with, and the device’s simple looking layout will have users easily oriented with the controls in moments.
Windows Phone 7 is Coming: What Should We Expect?
Monday, September 6th, 2010
October marks the announced launch date for the Windows Phone 7 operating system and judging from Microsoft’s recent announcements, it is unlikely for any delays or issues to push this date back at all. With the new platform heading our way, now is a great time to take a good long look at what the new platform promises to deliver and whether it would really be good to invest in this brand new operating system.
First off: WP7 offers connectivity. Sure, the older Windows Mobile platform also came out in 3G devices, and users had access to instant messaging, email and social networking. But with the new Windows Phone 7, these three features are key capabilities that are integrated throughout the entire system.
Checking a contact’s information naturally gives access to all the communication commands, but this set of commands also appears in other parts of the device that have relevance to any specific contacts –be it address information on the map view or the image tags.
Gaming will also be a big new factor for the Windows Phone 7 and it will also be helping people get connected more. The Xbox Live Games Service is basically a gaming and social hub all rolled into one.
Fancy a quick round of gaming with your friends? The task is as easy to organize –the system allows you to easily pull up a list of all active and online contacts to invite to your game. Game developers will also have more resources to use with the introduction of the XNA graphics engine.
Multimedia has become a new major focus for the operating system as well. Media content is now being accessed with Zune, online videos with the new MSN player and the entire system will also be making use of Microsoft’s Silverlight as well.
Mobile 3D on Nokia and WP7 Texting Features
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
It looks like communication and connectivity truly are the key foundations of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform. A recently released video of the texting system on the OS showcases a live thread that allows the user to view text messages as if they were on live chat.
The video features the new LG WP7 handset with a slide out QWERTY keyboard (more on the hardware in a bit) and the whole device rotated to a landscape view. The messages onscreen appear as wide text bubbles which allow the user to easily keep track of who said what. While it is common for the text messages to appear in threaded view, this is one of those few rare instances where the thread is easily viewable while writing a reply.
The device on hand is a LG smart phone which sports an impressive looking keyboard. The keys seem evenly spaced though the buttons are a little flat.
In other mobile news, Nokia is coming out with the N-series N9 smart phone at the end of the year and it is possible that 3D technology might be in development for the device.
According to reports, Nokia and Intel are now working on the development of 3D video technology for mobile phones. While hardware might no longer be available for the N9 (which is due to come out this December), it might at least support some of the software features if the Intel-Nokia team up comes out with anything.
The N9 is a likely testing ground for the new project as it is the device that makes use of the MeeGo operating system which was developed by the two companies.
Speaking of the N9, the N-series is still awaiting the launch of the Nokia N8 which has been delayed constantly for the past few months. Currently, the expected launch date is early in October.
HTC’s Windows Phone 7 Device Leaked in Images
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
There are several new questions popping up lately with regards to HTC’s new Windows Phone 7 handset.
With the October launch of the mobile platform confirmed and underway, it is pretty understandable that the images and details of upcoming WP7 devices are being shown all over the internet these days. After all, considering how leaky many phone makers’ R&D labs are and how many actually like the hype being built up, it is a pretty common sight to have in the tech industry.
Anyway, focusing on the newly leaked images of the new HTC smart phones, it is somewhat surprising to see that the slide out form factor does not hide a physical QWERTY keyboard. Instead, the device is actually packing a secondary loud speaker. Of course, many of us can instantly see that the purpose of such hardware is for more than just hands free voice calls, this is obviously for media playback.
This is not the first handset to showcase a slide out speaker, but it is certainly one of the first high profile devices to do so. Does the Windows Phone 7’s media playback features warrant such an add on? Perhaps so, with the use of Zune for media and the new MSN player, there is certainly plenty of media playback going around for the new mobile platform.
HTC has also been nice enough to add a built in kickstand to the handset as well. This will allow users to easily prop up the device without any additional accessories or having to find things on your desk that would help prop the phone up.
Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s upcoming mobile platform and is due to come out later this October. It has been announced that when the OS is officially announced, several mobile phones from various manufacturers will also be launched alongside it.
Xbox Live Games on the WP7 Platform
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010To say that gaming is the big new feature of the new Windows Phone 7 operating system is very misleading; as interesting and varied as the game lineup for the platform may be, the real focus that Microsoft is adding here is the social networking function.
For those not familiar with the concept of Xbox Live, it is an online network service that Microsoft offers to their game playing clients. Originally started on the Xbox home console system, this network allowed users to create online profiles served as a gaming account which gave users access to downloadable content and the ability to message other players on the network.
The launch of Xbox Live on the Windows Phone 7 is an extension of the existing service that Microsoft offers. According to the earliest demonstrations of the new feature, XBL Games Service will support existing accounts from users who already have an Xbox or an Xbox 360 home console. Existing information such as a gamer score, profile details and other similar information will be brought over from the network’s database to the mobile phone, there will even be an app running the avatar, allowing users to bring over their avatar as well.
Casual gamers who do not have an Xbox Live Games account can easily create a new one from the Windows Phone 7 user interface. All the basic information will be included and of course, users will also be able to access the account when they go live on the home consoles.
On the mobile phone, there is plenty of focus on messaging and game invite. The new message system works a lot like push notifications while the game invites will allow users to easily coordinate with friends and contacts when it comes to arranging a gaming session with any of the WP7’s new mobile games.