News

  • Home > News

        HTC downsizes HD2, while T-Mobile USA enhances it

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Feb 16, 2010 | Comments: 1


        HTC announced its new "HD mini" smartphone, touted as offering "the impressive experience of the HTC HD2 in a compact package." Meanwhile, T-Mobile USA bolstered its planned launch of the HD2 by saying the phone's software bundle will include the Barnes & Noble eReader, Blockbuster on Demand, and MobiTV applications.

        HTC's HD2, pictured later in this story, was announced internationally in October 2009, and subsequently promised (by no less than Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer himself, in a January Consumer Electronics Show keynote) for a spring release on T-Mobile USA. The flagship Windows phone includes HTC's custom "Sense" user interface, a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, and a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

        HTC's newly announced HD mini (below) is promoted as "delivering the popular experience of the HD2 in a more compact design." Measuring 4.09 x 2.27 x 0.46 inches instead of the HD2's 4.74 x 2.64 x 0.43 inches, the HD mini has a 3.2-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels.


        HTC's HD Mini
        (Click to enlarge)

        HTC apparently hasn't retained the Snapdragon CPU for the HD mini, since it cites a 600MHz processor instead (reportedly, it's Qualcomm's MSM7227), but the device does sport a capacitive touchscreen -- still seldom found on Windows phones. Windows Mobile Professional 6.5.x and HTC's Sense run via 384MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage, and there's a microSD slot that allows adding up to 32GB, the company says.

        According to HTC, its Sense user interface provides a "people-centric" approach that makes it easy to switch between calling, texting, email, or interacting with social networks. The company touts a dedicated Twitter client known as HTC Peep, and says pictures taken with the HD mini's five-megapixel camera -- featuring autofocus and "widescreen video capture" -- may be quickly shared via either Twitter or Facebook.

        To be offered initially in Europe and Asia/Pacfic, the HD mini offers dual-band (900/2100MHz) HSPA/WCDMA and quad-band(850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM, with download speeds of up to 7.2MBps and uploads up to 2Mbps, according to HTC. Other listed wireless features are 802.11b/g wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, and an FM receiver. The mini also has a router that will allow it to share its 3G connectivity with other devices, the company adds.

        According to HTC, the HD mini has an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. Unlike HTC devices of the past, the phone -- featuring exposed screws and yellow internals (left) -- is also said to include a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a microUSB port.

        Features and specifications listed by HTC for the HD mini include the following:

        • Processor -- 600MHz (likely the Qualcomm MSM7227)
        • Memory -- 384MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage
        • Expansion -- microSD slot
        • Display -- 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 320 pixel resolution
        • Camera -- Five megapixel with autofocus
        • Wireless:
          • WAN -- HSPA/WCDMA (900/2100MHz), GSM (850/950/1800/1900MHz)
          • LAN -- 802.11b/g, with integral router
          • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.1
          • GPS
          • FM receiver
        • Other I/O:
          • Micro-USB port
          • 3.5mm headphone jack
        • Battery type/life:
          • 1200mAh
          • Talk time -- up to 435 minutes
          • Standby time -- up to 500 hours
          • Video playback -- up to 8 hours
          • Audio playback -- up to 12 hours
        • Dimensions -- 4.09 x 2.27 x 0.46 inches
        • Weight -- 3.38 ounces (110g)
        T-Mobile USA's HTC HD2

        Would-be U.S. purchasers of HTC's HD2 (below) have been getting teased for months, but are at least being awarded for their patience. For starters, T-Mobile USA and HTC revealed last month that American buyers will get more memory and storage than those elsewhere in the world.


        HTC's HD2
        (Click to enlarge)

        Where the rest-of-world HD2 includes a 512MB ROM, the T-Mobile version will include 1GB of flash memory. Meanwhile, RAM is up to 576MB, and a 16GB microSD memory card will also be bundled with the system, HTC says.

        Today, T-Mobile USA additionally announced that HD2 purchasers will receive a variety of preloaded entertainment applications, plus several pre-loaded movies. Apps will include the Barnes & Noble eReader, On Demand software for downloading new releases from Blockbuster, and a client for MobiTV, a service that offers mobile viewing of MTV, NBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, and other TV channels. (A 30-day free trial subscription is included for the latter, the company says.)

        According to T-Mobile USA, its HD2 will also include software for Aircell's GogoGogo inflight Internet, with six months' worth of service. The smartphone will also be loaded with the films Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, both optimized for viewing on its screen, the company says.

        George Harrison, vice president of marketing product innovation for T-Mobile USA, stated, "By combining leading innovation in the world of entertainment with the large screen and processing power of the HTC HD2, we've created a unique and powerful mobile entertainment experience."


        HTC's HD2
        Source: Engadget Spain
        (click to play)


        Another HD2 demonstration
        Source: Coolsmartphone
        (click to play)

        Further information

        Further information on HTC's HD mini may be found on the company's website, here.

        T-Mobile USA says the HD2 will be available in the U.S. "this spring," though further specifics were not provided. More information on the phone may be found on the HTC website, here, and T-Mobile USA website, here.

        Related stories: