The latest on smartphones (and other gadgets)

The HTC HD2 remains one of the favourities for fiddling with. The phone launched in late 2009 as a WinMo device, with world beating hardware specs. I think it was the first 1GHz device at the time, as well as having the biggest screen at 4.3inches. Now, a year and a half later, its hardware capabilities are still very good.

Now, if you want to make your HD2 sing with the latest version of Android, namely 2.3 aka Gingerbread (Android 3.0 is out I know but is for tablets), then read on. The modding community has been working on various Android incarnations for the HD2, many of which I have experimented with, but for the first time now I think the state of the art is good enough to be used on a permanent basis. Forget about WinMo. With Android Gingerbread your HD2 will be as good, if not better, than the new HTC Desire HD. The latter is essentially an Android remake of the HD2, but runs Android 2.2 only, ha ha.

Take a deep breath and then follow these steps:

1. Backup and format the sd card in your phone.

2. Install Hard SPL (SPL3) a custom bootloader available on XDA. HSPL is required to update the radio and flash custom ROMs to the phone. It is safe to install and can be uninstalled by rerunning the program setup file.

3. Next update to a new radio. Radios and installation instructions can be found at XDA. Be sure to use a compatible version. 2.15.50.14 is a good one.

4. Install MAGLDR bootloader. MAGLDR serves as a second bootloader, which runs after HSPL, and can be used to Flash Nandroid ROMs to the HD2. Download MAGLDR from the forums at XDA.

5. To install Gingerbread on the HD2 first download any of the recent Gingerbread Nandroid ROMs from the XDA HD2 Android NAND Development forum to a PC and extract it. I recommend NexusHD2-Gingerbread V2.5 [Android2.3.3][Kernel: tytung_r8.3].Then perform a soft reset while holding down the power off button until the MAGLDR boot menu appears. Select the “USB Flasher” option and connect the HD2 to a PC using a USB cable. Once the USB connection is established run the Android installer EXE file that came with the NAND ROM to complete the installation.

And there you have it. You are now running Android Gingerbread, recently released by Google for use on the Google Nexus S. RIP Windows Mobile.

You will have to tweak some of the phone settings to get the best battery life. I use the following:

1. SetCPU changes the phone’s CPU clock speed automatically. Get the paid version from the Android Market. If you live in a country that has not yet been enabled by Google for paid apps, check this post of mine on how to enable paid apps. Pay with your credit card. Otherwise google the free version.

2. Ultimate Juice Defender, also available from the Market in paid and free guises, will switch various juice sucking features off and on, e.g. data connection, wifi.

3. Reduce the number of accounts that sync automatically, under Settings -> Accounts, or even disable automatic background sync if you are happy to manually sync your emails.

4. Set the radio to 2g only under Settings -> Mobile Networks

5. Don’t use a live wallpaper

HTC GOES BIG WITH MICROSOFT; LAUNCHING FIVE
NEW WINDOWS PHONE 7 SMARTPHONES

HTC brings its trademark innovation and design to a fresh, new Windows Phone 7 portfolio – HTC 7 Surround, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, HTC 7 Pro and HTC HD7

NEW YORK – October 11, 2010 –HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones and long-time Microsoft partner, today unveiled five new Windows Phone 7 smartphones: HTC 7 Surround, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, HTC 7 Pro and HTC HD7. This strong and diverse family of phones features Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 platform and embodies the stand-out design and innovation for which HTC has come to be known. Each new phone includes a variety of cutting-edge technologies and a series of unique HTC applications that can be accessed through the new HTC Hub that complements the Windows Phone 7 Hub and Tile experience.

“Windows Phone 7 is an entirely fresh mobile experience, on which HTC is excited to be going big. We see tremendous customer opportunities with the integration of Microsoft’s most popular services like Xbox LIVE and Zune,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The value Microsoft is bringing to mobile customers around the world sets a new benchmark for the industry. HTC will be introducing five new HTC Windows Phone 7 smartphones at launch to support our customers with a broad variety of choice.”

“HTC has been a partner with Microsoft since we launched our first phones nearly a decade ago, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey with the launch of Windows Phone 7,” said Andy Lees, President of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. “Windows Phone 7 characterizes a new direction for Microsoft and its partners, and HTC is stepping up to support this in a significant way by bringing five new Windows Phones to market.”

Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7 has been carefully crafted to help people get more done in fewer steps with a unique Hub and Tile interface. The Windows Phone 7 Hubs offer quick and easy access to a person’s latest and most valuable information and include People, Pictures, Games, Music & Video, Office and Marketplace content. Windows Phone 7 also integrates with many popular Microsoft consumer services such as Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Bing and Zune.

HTC Windows Phone 7 portfolio
HTC has brought its innovative design and creativity to its new Windows Phone 7 smartphone portfolio by embracing distinctive materials and unique design elements while providing an exciting set of cutting-edge features and technologies. With the new HTC Hub, HTC is providing an exclusive series of applications and utilities that include a new weather and stocks application and a new photo enhancer that enables a person to apply special effects before sharing photos with friends.

HTC 7 Surround
Whether it be gaming, movies or music, HTC 7 Surround is the ultimate multimedia device. With a unique slide-out speaker and integrated kickstand with integrated Dolby Mobile™ and SRS WOW HD™, the HTC 7 Surround delivers high-fidelity audio and virtual surround sound that enable people to share their favorite music and videos with their friends in style. No longer are they forced to use headphones for a great surround sound experience because the HTC 7 Surround speaker makes the listening experience natural and comfortable.

HTC 7 Mozart
Crafted from a single piece of anodized aluminum, the HTC 7 Mozart feels great in the hand and takes HTC’s unibody design aesthetic to the next level. The slim, solid and smart HTC 7 Mozart sounds as good as it looks and integrates Dolby Mobile™ and SRS WOW HD™ for high-fidelity, virtual surround sound. With Microsoft Zune integration, people can synchronize the HTC 7 Mozart with their PC, enabling them to take their music and video library with them wherever they go.

HTC 7 Trophy
HTC 7 Trophy harnesses the power of Xbox LIVE. Gamers will enjoy the speed and responsiveness of fast action gameplay supported by the phone’s high-performance 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and controlled through the vivid WVGA 3.8” touchscreen. High-fidelity, virtual surround sound – through SRS WOW HD™ – brings a rich audio experience whether the user is playing a game, watching a video or listening to their favorite music.

HTC 7 Pro
The development of the HTC 7 Pro was inspired by power users who want to combine the ultimate in business efficiency with the ability to take full advantage of their leisure time. The sleek handset slides opens and tilts to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard for fast, comfortable typing, while productivity features such as the ability to sort, scan and manage Outlook email, open and edit the latest Office documents on the phone and keep track of the markets with HTC’s stocks application, offer new ways to maximize the business day.

HTC HD7
HTC HD7 owners can enjoy their favorite videos and movies in cinematic-style thanks to the large 4.3” high-resolution screen, while its kickstand allows them to sit back and enjoy the action handsfree. For those who refuse to compromise on their mobile gaming experience, the HTC HD7 realizes the power of Xbox LIVE, bringing gameplay to life in a way that takes console gaming beyond the home.

Availability
The five new HTC smartphones will be available through mobile operators and retailers across major European, Asia-Pacific and North American markets from late October.

North America

HTC 7 Surround will be available exclusively in the United States with AT&T as the HTC Surround.
HTC HD7 will be exclusively available in the United States with T-Mobile.
HTC 7 Pro will be available in the first half of 2011 with Sprint.
HTC 7 Surround will be available exclusively with Telus in Canada.
Europe

HTC HD7 will be available from Telefonica O2 in Germany and exclusively in United Kingdom and Ireland. HTC HD7 will also be available with Telefonica Movistar in Spain.
HTC HD7 will be available from Bouygues Telecom in France.
HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available in France, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Spain with Orange.
HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available in Germany with Deutsche Telekom AG.
HTC 7 Mozart will be available in Austria with Deutsche Telekom AG.
HTC 7 Mozart will be available in Austria with Orange.
HTC 7 Trophy will be available exclusively in Germany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland with Vodafone.
HTC 7 Mozart and HTC HD7 will be broadly available in Italy.
Asia-Pacific

HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Telstra in Australia.
HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Singtel in Singapore.
HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Maxis in Malaysia.
HTC HD7 will be available with Taiwan Mobile in Taiwan.
HTC HD7 will be available in Hong Kong with CSL, 3 and China Mobile.
HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available with Telstra in Australia.
HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available with Starhub in Singapore.
HTC 7 Mozart will be available in Hong Kong with CSL, 3 and China Mobile.
HTC 7 Mozart will be available with Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan.
HTC 7 Trophy will be exclusively available with Vodafone in Australia and New Zealand.
HTC 7 Trophy will be exclusively available with M1 in Singapore.
About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

The HD2 is a fantastic piece of hardware. It has a 1GHz processor, still the fastest processor available in mobile phones. It has a humungous beautiful 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen. It is thin enough to fit comfortably in my pocket despite the big dimensions of the screen. There is only one problem with it – it runs Windows Mobile, which is old, not suited to touchscreen devices and defunct since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7. Luckily for us ordinary mortals the geekgods at XDA-Developers have been working an porting Android to the HD2. This has not been an easy process, apparently some issues relating to the SnapDragon processor, but recently a major breakthrough was made and since then in the last few weeks, one after the other builds have appeared. The latest ones are starting to be fairly stable. They are not ready for public consumption and daily use, as major bits of functionality are still missing, such as no audio through the microphone or speaker when making a call, but they are beginning to show that the HD2 will be a fantastic phone soon. Check out this video of Android running on the HD2 and if you are feeling adventurous and have an HD2 in your collection, head over to the forum thread at xda-developers.com. The installation procedure is not complex and not really risky at all, as it does not flash your phone’s rom. These early Android builds run from your phone’s SD card, and to get back to Windows Mobile you simply have to restart your phone.

Do you own HTC’s monster-sized HD2? Do you really like the hardware, but wishes that HTC didn’t stick Microsoft’s now defunct Windows Mobile software on it? Are you brave? Are you willing to run the risk of bricking your phone? If you are, you will soon be able to enter the much more modern and alive world of Google Android. Read on at Engadget for the good news.

And here to follow the development thread at xda-developers.

There has been a lot of talk about the Palm Pre Plus’ ability to operate as a wireless router/hotspot, but if you happen to own HTC’s Winmobile swanwong the HD2, you can also provide a wireless hotspot for your laptop or other wifi enabled equipment in the vicinity looking to access the internet. You will find it in the Communications Manager app -> select Wi-Fi Router, put in a WEP key of your choice, select the desired 3G connection, and you are set. Pretty cool, not? Have a lookie at the images below:

I used to think my Motorola Milestone was big. That was until my brother in law lent me his HD2. He went back to his Blackberry Bold as his wife only chats to him via BB Messenger. Hear that RIM? Guess it is exactly what RIM wants. Anyway back to the HD2. That thing is big man. Could have its own zipcode it’s so big. An SA Airlink pilot can land a plane on it it is so big. But it is surprisingly thin and light, so not too uncomfortable in your pocket.

The second thing you notice after the size, is the screen, which fills the entire front of the device. It is a 4.3 inch screen which I think makes it the biggest mobile phone screen out there. And with 800 x 480 resolution it is a thing of beauty. Brilliant for watching youtube videos. Don’t need no reading glasses for this one gramps. To top it off the screen is capacitive not resistive like Windows Mobile touchscreens have been since the iMate Jam. The capacitive screen coupled with the superfast 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (which is as fast and snappy as it sounds) makes the HD2 very responsive. Scrolling through your mailbox is a pleasure and applications can be launched in a blink of an eye. It must be the fastest mobile phone available today. Certainly the fastest I have used. It begs the obvious question, why now only. This is the type of hardware that Windows Mobile has been lacking – a fast processor and a fast screen. Actually makes Windows quite usable, especially in its HTC Sense disguise. Too late now. Microsoft is bring Windows Phone 7 out soon, so Windows Mobile is basically dead.

Unfortunately as with all its Windows predecessors the battery is not really up to the task. I had Lotus Notes Traveler running on it the first day, in full push mode which kept a GPRS connection live all the time, and by lunchtime the HD2 was ready for bedtime. Switched Traveler to manual sync mode, installed Bandswitch to auto drop the GPRS connection when idle, which helped somewhat. Still if you are going to buy an HD2 you may want to invest in a long life battery. Like this one:

And Windows being Windows you are still going to have to manually switch off the wifi and bluetooth to stretch that battery.

The HD2 comes with a good set of software including the usual Office Mobile with mobile versions of Excel, Word and Powerpoint. Not as good as Documents to Go on Android (which even has track changes if you need it), but it is free. Also comes with the free Adobe PDF reader, which is the only slow thing on the HD2, and it comes with Opera 9.5 which is a pretty good web browser. Not as good as the latest breed of Webkit browsers on Android, iPhone and Palm, but usable, and with the HD2′s monumental screen, you are unlikely to complain about the browser. And then of course there is a huge collection of Windows Mobile software available, but not via Microsoft’s Marketplace which only has a few hundred. Don’t expect new Windows Mobile apps though. The dev community has already turned its efforts to Windows Phone 7 Series.

Did I mention that the HD2 does not have a physical keyboard? It has an onscreen keyboard like many of the new mobile devices since the iPhone. It works ok, but I still prefer a real qwerty. As an interesting alternative try Swipe, which is a new onscreen keyboard app for WinMo (so much for no new WinMo apps). Allegedly lifted from a Verizon Omnia II this keyboard app lets you drag or swipe your finger over the screen instead of poking at it. People are saying that it is the best keyboard for the HD2. Going to give it a try myself. Check it here. Looks similar to SlideIT, but is free.

Unlike most of the phones I spout forth about on this blog, the HD2 is actually available in South Africa from the mobile networks on contract. So, if you want the fastest mobile phone with the biggest screen and you don’t mind that it runs a defunct and clunky operating system, go get the HD2. You will not be disappointed. If you can’t bear Windows Mobile, then go get its newer Android sibling the HTC Incredible, aka the HTC Desire. Or even the Google Nexus One. Both has excellent, but somewhat smaller than the HD2, screens. Both run the latest Android and both have the self-same Snapdragon processor. Neither are available in sunny South Africa via contract yet, but can be picked up for a song (an expensive song at ZAR9000 or US$1200) from internet retailers. Or you can wait for the HTC Supersonic, which rumour has it will be exactly like the HD2 except it will run Android.

This is what my brother-in-law had to say about his new HD2 after a few days (he changed from a Blackberry Bold):

“I have configured up the HTC and must say I am enjoying the phone. Microsoft Mobile is not better than Blackberry in all aspects and some things seem a bit clumsy to get around. Initially I missed the Blackberry but the more I get used to Microsoft, the more I like it although the Blackberry is definitely easier and more intuitive to use. The phone itself is great. In spite of the size of the screen it carry’s easily as it is thinner. It is also significantly thinner than the iPhone so it easily slips into your pocket. It is a “solid” phone with a metal case. This makes it feel heavy but is not actually a weight in the hand or pocket.

The screen is great and pretty responsive. The camera is also quite good. Typing on a touch screen is definitely more difficult than with a keypad although I find it is easier if I put the phone in landscape. The processor seems to be fast enough so I have not experienced any lag. I find with the screen and the Microsoft menu system I do sometimes dial by mistake. As with all phones there are some irritating features but the availability of aps is great, compared to the BB. There seems less flexibility around ring tones, especially on alarms etc but there may be an app to sort this out. Also, HTC have a non standard USB connection so the “normal” cables, car chargers etc don’t work. This is irritating. One problem is that access is easy and so I find myself fiddling with it while I drive-not a good thing.”

He also told me that the battery life has surprised him pleasantly, and that after a full day with the phone with wifi enabled, regular email checking and about 40 minutes of calls via bluetooth in the car, the HD2 still had around 40% of battery left. That is pretty impressive for any smartphone never mind for a Windows Mobile phone. And I had a look at the phone the other day and the battery was only 1230mAh. HTC have outdone themselves with this phone. Ironic that Microsoft kills off Windows Mobile at a time when the hardware appears to have finally caught up with the demands of its software. I was also very surprised and impressed with how light the phone felt in my hand. Felt much lighter than my Droid for instance.

The combination of a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, 4.3inch screen and a 1320mAh battery has been worrying me. Windows Mobile is not exactly known for the sparing way in which it sucks on your device’s battery. This cool-looking accessory combines anextended battery,  with double the capacity of the standard battery,  with a kickstand and promises to keep your HD2 going (or standing) for much longer.  It was spotted at Cloves the UK-based retailer and is expected to sell for around US$90 from some time during February.