Device Arena

It’s been a while since we last heard about HTC Omni communicator, the info about which leaked last July together with HTC roadmap for 2007.

Now we may know why it was never mentioned again. Looks like HTC was persuaded to drop Windows mobile OS and made Omni into Google’s Android demo phone.

Don’t believe me? How about this Forbes description of HTC “Dream” handset used in Google’s Android demonstrations:

The phone, code-named “Dream” inside Google, looks somewhat like Apple’s iPhone: It is thin, about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, and features a touch-sensitive, rectangular screen… The bottom end of the handset, near the navigational controls, is slightly beveled so it nestles in the palm. The screen also swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. (The screen display changes from a vertical portrait mode to a horizontal display when someone uses the keyboard.)

Let’s take a closer look:

It’s thin. Check

Length: 130 mm - 5.11?. Check

Width - 81 mm - 3.18?. Check

Touch-sensitive, rectangular screen. Check

bottom end … slightly beveled… Check

screen swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. Check

HTC Dream looks very similar to HTC Omni for me. So what else is new about it?

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High Tech Computer Corp. (TAIEX: 2498) today announced its total revenues for October 2007 were NT$ 13,100 million, up 22.28% YoY, while total revenues from January to October 2007 were NT$ 92,670 million, up 6.43% YoY.

Total Revenues	2007	2006	YoY Growth
October	13,100	10,713	22.28%
January through October	92,670	87,074	6.43%

The HTC Touch has received a new colour today, namely pallid white. The HTC Touch already had female looks but with this colour the device has become even more stylish and fashion-aware. The specifications of the HTC Touch have remained the same. The device offers several nice functions and is equipped with the unique TouchFlo technology, with which the user can operate the device with finger movements.

Further specifications of the HTC Touch are a 65.000 colours display and GPRS and WiFi b/g support. Besides this, the candybar offers 64 MB RAM memory and 128 MB ROM memory that is expandable with MicroSD and TransFlash memorycards. HTC delivers a one gigabyte memorycard with the device so the owner can go right ahead with storing music and making photos.

The HTC Touch operates on the Windows Mobile 6 system and due to this it supports Microsoft Office and PDF files. Because the device offers both GPRS and WiFi support it will be possible to reach the internet and e-mail box. The GPRS connection will not offer very high speeds but it it good enough for the middle section of the market.

The HTC Touch White will reach the shops in a short time. The salesprices will be the same as those of the regular HTC Touch. The full possibilities of the HTC Touch can be found at her specifications page.

Mobile Phone Helpdesk

Welcome to the Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for the AT&T 8525. Please review the following prior to downloading and installing the ROM update on your device:

This ROM is available from November 1, 2007 to February 1, 2008. After this date, the ROM will be removed from the website and will no longer be available for distribution.

This ROM update is intended for the AT&T 8525 only and users should not load or attempt to load this version on any other device as it may cause serious issues/damage.

At this time, Good Mobile Messaging is not supported on the AT&T 8525 with Windows Mobile 6. It is recommended that Good Mobile Messaging users not upgrade their device’s firmware at this time. Please note that once the latest firmware has been loaded, it can not be undone.

HTC strongly suggests that users create a back up copy of this ROM and keep it in a secure place as all new and refurbished 8525 devices (including those received via Warranty Exchange) will come loaded with Windows Mobile 5 rather than Windows Mobile 6.

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Brightpoint, Inc. and HTC Corporation, the leading provider of Windows Mobile-based smart devices today announced that they have entered into a global master distribution agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement Brightpoint will provide distribution and customized logistic services to HTC on a global basis. Pursuant to the agreement, Brightpoint will support the entire range of HTC branded devices and help in the global expansion and penetration of HTC products and services.

“Brightpoint, together with our Dangaard businesses, is the worldwide leader in providing distribution and customized logistic services for HTC’s broad portfolio of devices and we were pioneers in developing sales channels and marketing for HTC,” said stated Robert J. Laikin, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Brightpoint. “I believe that this new expanded relationship is a testament to Brightpoint’s ability to provide strategic value to HTC’s growing product base.”

“The global expansion of our partnership with Brightpoint enables us to bring best in class market execution efficiency including logistical, channel and retail support to our growing global business and will enable us to achieve even greater success across our entire range of HTC branded devices,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corp. “Brightpoint has consistently demonstrated seamless and efficient distribution of HTC devices in the countries they have previously distributed for us and we are excited to expand and improve our global footprint and capabilities through this partnership.”

See also The HTC Polaris will be called HTC Touch Cruise

CoolSmartPhone

I’m not sure how good or useful this HTC TouchFLO copy-cat works on standard touchscreen devices but MobilityFlow.com today announced Touch Commander, a - what they called it - “unique application” (even it looks for me like a copy of HTC’s previously mentioned TouchFLO user interface) for controlling PDA and smartphones by recognizing and responding to the touch and sweep of a finger across the screen. With Touch Commander in place, you get a one-touch access to phone calls, E-Mails, SMS messages, calendar, appointments, applications and other commonly used content.

The “touchy-feely” effect provided by Touch Commander is much the same as the finger touch scrolling, browsing and spinning a three dimensional interface by the finger in the Touch phone by HTC TouchFLO or Apple iPhone. Touch Commander is customizable, letting you configure many of its settings. Another nice touch in the program is support for any model of PDA powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 or higher. But the biggest specialty, of course, lies in the price, which is nothing compared to the prices of the hi-end phones (where it is included free of charge anyway).

Anyway, it has - compared to HTC’s original TouchFLO interface - one advantage: Touch Commander is customizable and you can add/change the applications, launched from it.

Touch Commander runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 6 touchscreen devices but requires Microsoft’s .NET Compact Framework 2.0.
If you want to get the HTC Touch feeling on your old Windows Mobile Pocket PC too, Touch Commander is available for US$ 14.95.

the::unwired

I think it’s safe to say the cat is out of the bag now. According to Dutch website pocketinfo.nl, the HTC smartphone, we knew so far under its codename “HTC Polaris”, will hit the shops as “HTC Touch Cruise” and pocketinfo.net also got the specs confirmed. Therefore, the HTC Polaris will sports Windows Mobile 6 Professional and features a Qualcomm MSM7200 CPU at 400 MHz.

Furthermore, the Polaris will supports quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE as well as triband UMTS/HSDPA and even HSUPA and for sure Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi b/g. The device is baked-up with 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM and the 2.8″ touchscreen supports QVGA. On the back, we have - as seen before already - a 3 megapixel camera (which is said to be auto focus) plus the secondary 0.3 megapixel camera on the front.

Furthermore, someone at “What A Smart Idea” recently got his hands on a real HTC Polaris and posted a couple of high quality pictures:

The photos above confirms, that the HTC Polaris will indeed features HTC’s TouchFLO technology as expected.

According to pocketinfo.nl, the HTC Touch Cruise will be released in November.

the::unwired

Combining a dynamic touch screen experience with industry-leading network speeds, Sprint and HTC, today announced the upcoming availability of Touch by HTC™, a full touch screen wireless phone integrating Windows Mobile 6 with advanced entertainment features. Operating on the Sprint Mobile Broadband network, the stylish Touch by HTC brings together email and other essential business applications with Sprint’s exclusive multimedia content including over-the-air music downloads, live TV and more.

With a nearly 3-inch display, Touch by HTC features integrated TouchFLO technology, developed by HTC, leveraging smooth navigation through menus with a finger swipe. In addition, the innovative TouchFLO cube brings a 3D cube interface allowing quick access to entertainment, communication tools and a “Dial-by-picture” photo caller ID screen.

Touch by HTC leverages the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6 with Outlook Mobile for smooth email integration, Office Mobile, Windows Live and the ability to run thousands of third-party applications. It also allows users to surf the web with Internet Explorer®, send and receive emails, chat on Messenger and send files to their own web space through Windows Live®. The home screen provides one-touch access to email, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for hundreds of cities around the world.

Versatile and compact, Touch by HTC provides quick and easy access to Sprint-exclusive content, including:

• Sprint Music Store(SM), powered by Groove Mobile, which allows users to browse and wirelessly download full-length songs directly to their phone from a selection of more than 1.8 million songs
• Sprint Exclusive Entertainment (SEE), the industry’s only made-for-mobile sports and entertainment video programming network
• Sprint TV(SM) with more than 50 channels of live and on-demand video and audio.
• More than a dozen streaming radio stations , including Sprint Radio and SIRIUS
• On-Demand with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, money and more customized by zip code.

(Standard data charges apply to all downloads from Sprint.)

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Time is gone since we’ve heard about the HTC Polaris last time and unlike expected, HTC hasn’t unveiled it during its last week’s press events. However, someone in Portugal managed to got his hands on one and was even able to make some photos (as far as I know these are the first real photos of the Polaris).
The HTC Polaris is the UMTS follower of the HTC P3300 (HTC Artemis) and expected to feature Windows Mobile 6 Professional, GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA, WiFi b/g and Bluetooth as well as a FM radio and for sure A-GPS (chipset yet unknown):

As you can see on the down photo above, the HTC Polaris (commercial name still uncertain) also features the new Touch-like TouchFLO display which is, according to the source, again QVGA only.

A release date wasn’t given yet but at least we know now that the first samples exists, so it shouldn’t take too long anymore (maybe still this year) to see it released

the::unwired