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HTC makes Incredible S, Desire Z source code available, throws Flyer in for good measure
Aftermarket ROMs for the Incredible S and Desire Z (and their US variants) aren't exactly breaking news -- the rooting community's been cracking away at those handsets since their launch. Release their Gingerbread maintenance source code, however, in addition to the Flyer's kernel code and you'll have developers foaming at the mouth. Which is exactly what HTC did over the weekend, paving the way for a new flood of ROM-flashing options to hit your hacked handsets. Android modders should hit the source below to download the AOSP goods.
HTC Desire Z Gingerbread update rolls out in the land of the Bratwurst
The HTC Desire family used to be close-knit, but then the Gingerbread update came along and gave preferential treatment to the Desire HD. Harmony may soon be restored though, because a number of Desire Z owners in Germany (and at least one in Hungary) have just received their OTA Android 2.3.3 updates, and the rest of Europe shouldn't be too far behind. At some point, the original Desire will also be allowed back at the Gingerbread table after all manner of divisive head-games -- possibly as soon as August in some regions. We're going to re-stock our fridge and put the oven on in anticipation. [Thanks, Lukas and Zsolt]
HTC Incredible S, Desire HD, Desire Z and original Desire will all be eating Gingerbread by the end of June
When it launched the Incredible S at MWC a couple of weeks ago, HTC promised the new 4-inch device would be quick to get a Gingerbread update and now it's giving us a definitive schedule for it by saying that Android 2.3 will be distributed to its new flagship phone by the end of Q2 2011. We're not sure four months of sitting by the window waiting for the OTA update to float in necessarily matches up to our definition of "quick," but there are much better news for owners of HTC's older devices. The Desire HD and Desire Z -- both released in September 2010 -- will also be leaping away from Froyo and up to Gingerbread and will be joined by the original Desire, which was announced way back at last year's MWC. That handset was essentially HTC's own-brand Nexus One, so we already knew it was capable of running Gingerbread, but it's still rare to see a device go through two significant Android updates (the Desire began life with Android 2.1). All these old Desires are placed on the same update schedule as the Incredible S, whereas the newly announced Desire S and Wildfire S will ship with Gingerbread preloaded. [Thanks, Johannes]
Vodafone UK now selling HTC Desire Z, can be had for free if you play your cards right
Of course, the fact that a high-end smartphone can be scored for free on a European carrier should come as no surprise to anyone -- but in the case of the Desire Z on Vodafone in the UK, you'll be looking at a minimum monthly spend of £35 (about $55) on a two-year contract if you don't want to spend anything upfront, scaling up to £199 ($310) for the phone on a £25 ($39) plan. The specs are the same ones that you've come to know and love (or hate) -- QWERTY keyboard mounted on a crazy hinge, 5 megapixel camera, 3.7-inch SLCD, and access to HTC's new cloud-based Sense features -- so if that gets the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up, run on down to your local Voda shop now and have at it.
HTC Desire Z review
HTC's come a long way since its first ever portrait QWERTY slider phone Blue Angel (O2 xda IIs, Vodafone v1620, Sprint PPC6600, etc.) circa 2004, the legacy of which is carried by the TyTN, Touch Pro, G1, myTouch 3G Slide, and many more sliders albeit in landscape form. The cumulative phone-building expertise leads us to the Desire Z, which is probably better known as the European alter ego of the T-Mobile G2 (which we've already reviewed). The difference? As far as hardware goes, the two Androids are practically identical twins; but for software, the AWS-free Desire Z comes tattooed with HTC's Sense UI, and packs a handful of extra goodies. So will this phone trump its American cousin? Read on to find out. %Gallery-106469%
Bell Mobility hawking HTC Desire Z for $130 on contract
With the G2 floating around, it's easy for Americans to forget that a North American flavor of the HTC Desire Z does, in fact, exist -- you just need to run north of the border to get it. Bell Mobility has been selling the phone for the past few days, seemingly in its pure HTC Sense-ified form -- for better or for worse -- meaning you get all the features of the company's new HTCSense.com offering, map caching, and the like. Pricing clocks in at CAD $129.95 (about $130) on a three-year deal, quickly scaling up to CAD $499.95 ($500) contract-free with options (albeit economically illogical ones) at the one- and two-year levels. Will someone please do us a solid and start importing these stateside en masse? Preferably unlocked? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
TomTom maps get loaded onto HTC Locations, promise 'zero-wait navigation experience'
Look out, Google Maps Navigation -- here comes a little friendly competition from across the pond. While we'd heard the term HTC Locations bandied about a bit during the company's London launch of the Desire HD, now it looks as if both HTC and TomTom are ready to make their newfound friendship official. TomTom will be partnering with HTC in order to provide maps for phones loaded with HTC Locations, which is hailed as a new mapping system that results in a "zero-wait navigation experience." Initially, at least, it'll only be available on the new HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z smartphones in Europe and Asia, but the outfit promises to extend that to a wide variety of future phones and geographies. It should be noted, however, that while map and location content come preloaded on HTC Locations, turn-by-turn by guidance has to be purchased separately.
T-Mobile G2 review
It's been a long road to the T-Mobile G2 (and this review). Just two years ago, Android made its entrance into the smartphone market with the G1, a partnership with the fourth-place carrier, and a lot of promises about keeping things open. Since then we've seen the likes of the Droid family, Google's Nexus One, and the powerhouses that are the Samsung Galaxy S line -- to name a few. Yes, the Android landscape has become more than just a little crowded. But of those many, there are few who leap beyond what we've come to expect from the Google-backed enterprise into the realm of the top tier. For all the Android devices you can purchase, only a few rise above the noise. At a glance, the G2 looks like one of those handsets -- designed and manufactured by HTC (and known as the Desire Z in Europe), outfitted with a (nearly) stock build of Android 2.2, and equipped with T-Mobile's new HSPA+, which the carrier claims can offer network speeds nearly equivalent to 4G. So is the G2 the sum of its parts -- the pure Android experience you've been waiting for -- or does it fall short of the hype? Find out below in the full Engadget review! %Gallery-104433%
T-Mobile no longer accepting G2 pre-orders due to 'overwhelming demand'
Already got your pre-order in for the T-Mobile G2? Then you should count yourself lucky, as the carrier has updated its website for the phone with the short and sweet notice that "due to overwhelming demand, we're no longer accepting pre-orders for the T-Mobile G2." It does note, however, that you'll still be able to buy the phone online starting tomorrow (though there's no guarantee when it'll ship) or, of course, at your local T-Mobile store. Then again, you could also try your luck at a few stores today, considering that official October 6th launch date isn't exactly set in stone.
T-Mobile G2 on sale right now
West of the Rockies? Want a T-Mobile G2 before (practically) anyone else? You may be able to grab your HSPA+ handset right now. We had it on good authority that T-Mobile corporate decided to match Radio Shack and release the G2 three days early, but we got a pleasant surprise when we called to verify that fact -- several stores in California, Oregon and Washington state said we could buy one today if we wanted, and even those who didn't said they'd have it tomorrow if we could bear the wait. Of course, it's less than two hours to closing on the west coast and we can't guarantee the handsets are there -- so give them a call yourself -- and be sure to buckle up if you plan to rush out. It also couldn't hurt to read our full preview, of course, and if you grab one please do let us know how your hinges hold up. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile G2 pre-orders starting tomorrow for current customers, it seems
T-Mobile has had a longstanding tradition of giving current customers first dibs on pre-orders for hot products, and it looks like the upcoming G2 will be no exception. TmoNews has a rather telling screen shot suggesting that T-Mobile subscribers will be able to sign up for the Android-powered QWERTY slider starting tomorrow through October 4, with retail availability following a couple days later on the 6th; we've already had that date on lock through Best Buy Mobile, so it comes as no surprise. From what we've seen so far, the G2 and the Desire Z are pretty easy to fall in love with -- trust us when we say the hinge mechanism is exquisite -- so who's signing up tomorrow?
HTC Desire Z priced at €549 by Amazon.de, £430 by Play.com
A day after becoming official, the Desire Z has received its first price: €549 if bought from Amazon.de. Alas, you still don't have the option to actually purchase or pre-order the unlocked Froyo slider, but at least we've got a relative idea of where its pricing fits within HTC's handset hierarchy. The answer is pretty highly, considering the original Desire, a flagship product in its time, debuted on the same web outlet at €519. And here we hoped the G2's decent US pricing would translate to similar affordability for its sister device. Seems like the usual rule applies: you'd better be patient, rich, or both if you want to have the latest smartphone. [Thanks, Peter] Update: Amazon's UK branch also has a teaser page for the Z, pricing it at £499 and suggesting an October 18 launch date. Thanks, David! Update 2: UK e-tailer Play.com is now one-upping Amazon by suggesting an October 11 release date and taking pre-orders for the Desire Z at £430 and the Desire HD at £470. If this keeps going, they'll be giving them away for free by the end of the day. Thanks, Greg!
HTC Desire family portrait (video)
So you own a Desire and want to know whether its new brandmates -- the Desire HD and Desire Z -- will represent an ergonomically appealing upgrade? We've got you covered with both a gallery of shots below and a neat video after the break encapsulating the size differences between the three models populating Desireland. Okay, we couldn't resist, we threw in an iPhone 4 for comparison's sake as well.
HTC Sense's new map pre-caching demoed on video
If you were paying attention during HTC's keynote earlier this morning, you'll have noted Peter Chou dropped a big old promise on us all: no more waiting for maps to load when zooming or scrolling. Pre-cached maps are one of the headline new features in the upgraded Sense that accompanies the Desire HD and Desire Z's announcement today, so we naturally had to go have a peek for ourselves. Requiring no internet connection, the Desire HD on hand sauntered through the streets of Sao Paulo and it was true that there were none of the aggravating grey squares of doom that we've grown used to when panning around. What isn't true, however, is HTC's claim that there's no waiting to be done. Responsiveness on these maps is far from perfect and patience will still need to be exercised. Notably, HTC said that you'll be able to download city maps free of charge, but navigation and other additional services will cost you. A final note is merited for the use of the phone's digital compass to rotate the map with you -- so that the map adjusts itself to whatever direction you point the phone. A very classy little inclusion. Eric Lin was on hand to answer the question of when this new Sense might trickle down to the classic Desire or other handsets in HTC's portfolio. Well, his answer was a non-answer: no roadmap or schedule has been set and HTC isn't ruling anything out just yet.
HTC Desire Z hands-on (update: more pics and video)
We've just gotten to grips with HTC's luscious new Desire Z slider (you'll know it as the T-Mobile G2 in the US) and it is indeed a slab of finely crafted metal. That Z hinge that the company is touting feels pretty robust, requiring a reassuring amount of torque to get it to spring open. And it really is a spring, it flips from closed to open instantaneously. The QWERTY button array feels pretty terrific, giving us just the right amount of responsiveness, while separation between keys feels a lot more spacious than the images would lead you to believe. It's also worth noting that, exactly as HTC promised in its keynote, the Desire Z has one of the most accessible top rows in the slider smartphone business. We honestly didn't think there was a difference between typing on it versus any of the other rows. That's quite the feat, and easily positions this as the best competitor to Nokia's newly announced E7. Are we witnessing a QWERTY renaissance? We sure hope so. Check out the gallery below and hands-on video after the break. Update: Added a second video to demonstrate the Z's ridiculously fast startup and more under Android 2.2 Froyo.%Gallery-102286%
HTC Desire Z is the QWERTY slider your Android's been waiting for
HTC has just announced the Desire Z, an Android-friendly QWERTY slider. Like the T-Mobile G2, the Desire Z features a "pop-out" (don't call it a slider) QWERTY keyboard with user assigned keys and system-wide shortcuts that let you quickly launch your favorite apps. Around back you've got a 5 megapixel camera with flash that's HD video capable while an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor pumps away efficiently inside with HSPA+ and 802.11n radios providing the data. Unlike the US G2, however, the Desire Z comes loaded with HTC's enhanced Sense UI and new HTCSense.com services. Look for it to land in major European and Asian markets in October before hitting North America sometime later in 2010.%Gallery-102283%
T-Mobile G2 official shots break loose, corroborate rumors of wanton awesomeness
The T-Mobile G2 -- which will likely be known as the HTC Desire Z outside the States -- is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated Android launches of 2010, and a handful of smaller-than-we'd-like official press shots that have just leaked over on Cell Phone Signal are doing nothing to make us believe otherwise. The site says it believes silver (pictured) will be the only color offered, and considering that we haven't seen any leaks in any other shades, that seems like a reasonable assumption. Then again, a white, red, or black version of this would be pretty neat, wouldn't it? [Thanks, Nam] Update: Turns out these images are chilling on T-Mobile's servers right now -- check the source links below. Whoops! Update 2: And we've now got the clearest shot yet of a G2 in the wild, casually browsing Facebook as a laptop looks on with a mixture of curiosity and contempt; follow the break to check it out. Thanks, Sebastian!
New AWS-equipped HTC in FCC -- is it the T-Mobile G2, the Glacier, or something else?
So we've collected enough circumstantial evidence recently to safely say that T-Mobile's getting at least two potentially ultra-awesome Android phones in the next few months: the G2 (aka Vision, aka Desire Z), and the multi-core Glacier. We don't know which, but we're thinking that one of those bad boys has just garnered FCC approval thanks to a filing today for a model code PC10100 that features support for AWS 3G -- the frequency pair T-Mobile USA uses -- along with 802.11n WiFi. Notably, the filing also points out that HSPA+ is in the cards, which is a feature T-Mobile has been quick to trumpet in its G2 advertising thus far. Given that the G2 seems closer to retail than the Glacier, we'll go ahead and surmise this is almost certainly the G2 here -- but then again, crazier things have happened.
British retailer outs HTC Desire Z, confirms Desire HD again
mobiles.co.uk -- which is a subsidiary of European phone giant Carphone Warehouse -- seems to be talking in some very matter-of-fact terms about a couple new Android models from HTC, presumably devices that we'll see at this upcoming September 15 event. First up is the well-leaked Desire HD, which these guys list as a Froyo device equipped with a 4.3-inch display, 1GHz core, 8 megapixel camera with 720p video capture, and 4GB of internal storage (in other words, precisely what we were expecting). More interesting to some, though, will be the Desire Z, which is described as an Android 2.1 device (yes, 2.1, not 2.2) with a full sliding keyboard -- quite likely the Vision, if we had to guess. Gonna be hard to wait for the next month to find out, isn't it? [Thanks, Richard and Pete S.]