Database Info

Xda Excalibur vs Hermes comparison

Just let you know my comparison of the two units after 5 days with the Xda Cosmo after having the Trion for the last 4 months. My Girlfriend brought me the Excalibur as a pre Christmas gift 8)
After 4 months my Trion main speaker stopped working and I have currently sent it back to get it replaced. All in all I was quite happy with the Trion except for a few quirks.
1. Media Player was buggy with the storage card
2. Never got WM5orage working properly (either had to stopo all my programs running on the storage card which included removing items from the Today screen).
3. Screen alignment problem.
I got the Hermes originally as it looked like a device which I didn't have to use the stylus much to access most of the functionality and in 90% of cases I got by with just using the jog wheel and a couple of presses with my thumb (I had the very first xda device and was turned off by the need to use the stylus to do simple things such as dialing and looking up contacts )
I had noticed due to the operating system PPC vs smartphone the PPC needed much more processing power and hence battery life was preety much limited due to the power from the CPU 400mhz vs 200mhz ( maybe of the extra functionality needed for the touchscreen ).
Differences in the devices
1. Xda Excalibur is more responsive even with the slower CPU. Contacts work instantly on typing on the keyboard. On the hermes there is always a delay in searching for contacts.
2. Excalibur supports multiple languages in its rom and therefore there no need to reflash the rom with the rom with your appropriate language.
3. A2DP works flawlessly on Excalibur being aku 3.2. No need to install cab files to get it working and no sound quality issues and no need to get somone to write a bt stack driver to get around the microsoft one.
4. Programs in general for smartphone seem to be running better than on Pocket PC. Tomtom 6 Navigator doesn't run on the Cosmo but Tomtom 5 work just fine and performance actually seems better on the smartphone even with the lower CPU. Same is notice with other PPC vs Smartphone progams I have eg Skype and Fizz Traveller
5. Cosmo has 128 MB flash ram which is really useful as I was always trying to install everything on the SD card with the Trion to get as much memory possible for standard stuff such as emails, ringtones etc. Yes I know you can tweak the Hermes to get ringtones from the SD card but it just a hassle changing the registry settings.
6. For some reason Windows Live Beta works on the Cosmo. It stopped working on the Hermes about a month ago and never worked since. The smartphone version looks really nice as well and functions much better as I have noticed with all smartphone vs ppc programs.
7. WLAN works much better on the Cosmo compared to the Hermes eg handling of connection settings when WLAN is turned on. On the Hermes I always had to go through the process of changing my connection settings every time I switched by WLAN on an off.
8. Battery life on cosmo is much better. 3.5-4 days use compared to 1.5-2 days use on Trion. Probably because of CPU (I also changed the Hermes to GPRS only to try and save battery life due to UMTS draining the battery)
9. Not to sing all praises for the Excalibur. The only drawback I have found so far for my purposes is the Microsoft Office editing functionality is not possible on the smartphone.
10. 2MP camera vs 1.3 MP camera but I really cannot see much advantage in the quality as the 2MP wasnt that great to start with. Yes the Hermes has a led light but I doesn't really help with indoor photos. The 1.3 MP camera seems to be better quality than other 1.3 MP cameras before and for emails, web photos and MMS quality seems fine for my purposes as I wont ever print out photos from a camera handy.
11. Lack to UMTS/HSDPA on Excalibur. Loose the speed but you'll gain heaps on battery life.
12. Microsoft Media Player works with the SD card. No disappearing songs 8)
13. Price. The excalibur is less than 1/6 the price of the Trion on contract. My Girlfriend brought the Cosmo on contact for 60 Euro. I got the Trion for 320 Euro on the same contact.
14. and I think this is the killer. The excalibur have looks to die for. The Hermes is thick and although many people would say it is solidly built after using the Excalibur it makes the Hermes look like a oversized flimsy machine. The Excalibur is thin and compact with a large screen. Fits in your shirt pocket or even slide it into your jeans!!! HTC have outdone themselves with the build quality I haven't seen any phone build as solid including the razr. I fells like the device is made out of titanium or magnesium with a soft feel rubber all along the back of the device and for the keys as well, ( I cat't stop touching the device it feels sooo.. good ). My Girlfriend who is really fashion concious absolutely loves the look of the device. Photos on the net do not do it justice you have to see it in real to appreciate it's looks for me one look and it was love at first sight. (I first got a look at it from a female collegue who got the phone)
It took me a day to get used to the smaller keyboard and maybe bigger thumbs might have some problems but with rubber keys feel beautiful and make each key feel distinct during typing. The excalibur really is a one hand device even with the d pad and keys only. The touch slider is just a added bonus with flexibility.
After writing this I have noticed that this is more of a sales pitch for the excalibur than a comparison of the two devices but I have found my perfect device which does everything I need without any problems ( performance, bugs and quirks ). If you dont need the UMTS speed I must say Excalibur is the way to go. If you really need UMTS and 2MP camera then wait for the Calivier ( the UMTS /2 MP / 300Mhz version of the excalibur, rumoured to release in Spring next year ).
For me the excalibur seems to have a quite launch compared to the expectations of the Hermes maybe because on paper the Hermes looks better in terms of specifications but for usability it's excalibur all the way.
Now what to do with my Trion when it gets back?

Battle of the PDA Phones

okay guys, been reading up for the past few weeks on the lastest PDA phones. i need to get a new phone, preferably windows mobile, and preferably wm6. here are my requirements:
1. 400mhz cpu or faster
2. 2 mp camera or higher
3. GPS - MUST have
4. tri-band GSM, wifi, video capture
5. small phone
okay those are absolutes. my preferences:
6. keyboard or numeric keypad
7. large screen
8. windows mobile 6
9. long battery life
10. 262k screen, 2nd camera for conferencing
more or less, the N95 kind of meets most of the requirements--except that the cpu is kinda slow and its not windows mobile. though the good thing about it is that its got video-out, where i can put a presentation on the phone and plug the cable onto the projector.
now, im trying to debate between:
a) the g-smart i300 (no keypad)
b) m700 (65k colors, side keypad)
c) P3600 (65k colors, no keyboard)
d) asus p535 (65k colors, no keypad)
e) X800 (65k colors, no keyboard)
f) asus p526 (65k colors, 200mhz cpu)
g) JAQ4 (65k colors, 200mhz cpu)
h) XDA orbit (65k colors, 200mhz cpu, no keypad)
i) hp 6915 (1.3mp, 65k colors, BIG phone, no upgrade to WM6)
as it stands, the N95 kind of trumps everyone with a 5mp camera, 30fps video capture, keypad, 256k colors, video-out, and relatively small form-factor.
the wife has the nokia, so i dont want another nokia and im partial to windows mobile (has to sync with outlook, nokia has issues). ive also used the N95 and it can be slow at times and can hang. otherwise, its a dream phone except that it doesnt run windows mobile.
the comparisons above make it look like the ETEN is going to win. ive owned an M500 before, and didnt like the overall experience (though the phone was kinda okay) due the the bugs, signal reception, and cheap chassis. so im kinda wary about taking an M700, though it looks like the only real and closest option to my requirements. other than the M700, i would have gone for the HP except that they announced there will be no wm6 upgrade (the M700 has the upgrade).
what do you guys think? any other options or other ideas i may have missed? any reviews of the abovementioned phones to dissuade or persuade me?
btw, the E90 is kinda too big for me, though i like it. its also not wm.
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia-phones-1.php

Nice first post ....
Ok sarcasm mode off.
I am sure you will get lots of recommendations on which phone to go for, but in my experience the only person who can decide this is you. You have a very demanding list of requirements and sound as if you just needed to write down your thoughts to help you decide.
Personally I have an MDA Vario II (Hermes) with a TOMTOM bluetooth GPS unit and this works well for me.

If you need the *best* built-in GPS, the P3600 isn't the way to go either. Also, it's pretty useless for A2DP, should you ever need it.

So maybe the upcoming Kaiser for AD2P since its native WM6? Same gps module as the P3600 though (not that it's that the gps is that bad, just not the BEST ie. SIRF III). It is supposed to be available in late June, or July.

there is only one good phone on the market today, but impossible to buy.. The benq p51 ..good cpu, enough ram/rom, gps, wifi, bt, big enough screen (320*240)..but most important a full qwerty keyboard and hotpluggable sdcard. 1.3 megapixel camera is enough cause 2.0 megapixel doesn't make that big a differents. And no i don't want a 240*240 screen. It's bollocks when you have to see a streaming movie.
umts and other high speed connections is not done cause not payable in europe. Waaaay to expensive. Just for a few business users.
-my first pda was dell axim x5 ..still a great pda..use it for streaming movies and occasionally surfing in my bed. still in great shape.
-now i have a htc p3300 ..very small..bad cpu for streaming, bad camera, screen is to small for confort.the only advantage is build in gps.
- now i want the benq p51 and i don't have any problem with it if it's the last one on earth it has everything i need.
all the others pda phone from htc and other brands are missing something from my wishlist
the benq p51 is one of it's kind but like i said..impossible to find and buy
greetz

Why it is not payable in Europe for umts?
At least T-Mobile NL, we pay fixed monthly for HSDPA access:
https://www.t-mobile.nl/persoonlijk...internet_email/wat_heb_je_nodig/tarieven.aspx
9.95 euro for 64 Kbps
19.95 euro for 192 Kbps
...
Unlimited access !
And without subscription is 0.24 euro per 100 KB ... or 2.4 euro per MB which is quite cheap.
kasperke said:
there is only one good phone on the market today, but impossible to buy.. The benq p51 ..good cpu, enough ram/rom, gps, wifi, bt, big enough screen (320*240)..but most important a full qwerty keyboard and hotpluggable sdcard. 1.3 megapixel camera is enough cause 2.0 megapixel doesn't make that big a differents. And no i don't want a 240*240 screen. It's bollocks when you have to see a streaming movie.
umts and other high speed connections is not done cause not payable in europe. Waaaay to expensive. Just for a few business users.
-my first pda was dell axim x5 ..still a great pda..use it for streaming movies and occasionally surfing in my bed. still in great shape.
-now i have a htc p3300 ..very small..bad cpu for streaming, bad camera, screen is to small for confort.the only advantage is build in gps.
- now i want the benq p51 and i don't have any problem with it if it's the last one on earth it has everything i need.
all the others pda phone from htc and other brands are missing something from my wishlist
the benq p51 is one of it's kind but like i said..impossible to find and buy
greetz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
I'll probably narrow it down to:
a) the g-smart i300 (no keypad)
b) m700 (65k colors, side keypad)
so which one do you think would be a better trade-off? higher screen color or side-keypad?
I need the keypad so when im driving i can punch numbers; a touchscreen works like hell when you do that. I need the color screen for playing videos and camera work. I guess the more important one is the keypad. Any bad reviews for the M700 from our current users? how about the gigabyte?

Forget those 2 ... and take a look into HTC Kaiser ..

htc trinity?

"high speed connections is not done cause not payable in europe. Waaaay to expensive. Just for a few business users."
not here
and i believe prices varies alot! in europe
here it's 1euro pr MB if you dont go flatrate

gogol said:
Forget those 2 ... and take a look into HTC Kaiser ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3MP camera, 2nd camera, I like it. slide-out keyboard, not too fond of that but I'll work. nice ROM but CPU not that great. That puts it a little above the M700. how is the NMEA 0183 GPS compared to the SiRF Star III of the M700?
bbobeckyj said:
htc trinity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, as laid out the P3600 has 65k screen and no keyboard. id like one with keyboard/keypad.

Kaiser
is nice
though i think it's a bit ugly
and thick
and seem to be in the universal replacement
as in being closer to Advantage then a real pda phone
but apart from those issues it's everything i want in a phone

im not really one that cares for looks as long as all the functionality is there. the kaiser lacks screen resolution, otherwise its pretty good.
im now thinking about the HTC Nike, comparing whether its better to have a keypad than keyboard. i absolutely NEED the keypad, as in punching numbers while driving; but id also like a keyboard for when im doing wifi outdoors.
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=736

yeah nike is sweet but i just know that one day what ever stop the slider thing from going all the way and sending the top part flying and hitting a busdriver in the eye so he run his bus into a full school of handicap'd kids will brake

Its funny I have the same dilema I was thinking of the two I like the i300 because its smaller but no keypad but the m700 is bigger and slower. So I am pushing more to the i300 which one did you pic? Also I like that the i300 has internal message and windows 6 update. But the m700 has a bigger screen and I can watch more movies....

Impressions on the ASUS P525 and battery problems

Hi,
I've recently received my P525 and here's my first impression: I really love it. Could you believe I've migrated from a Nokia N95? I do prefer WM5 over Symbian - it's just plain better, but I'd rather have a machine like the P525 running on Linux, which won't happen soon. I also prefer the P525 2MP camera over the so-called 5MP of the N95. The mechanical auto-focus of the ASUS is just better, and I found the N95 pics too messed up - as if they had some very bad Photoshop filters applied, surely not a natural result.
I've installed Sorg's Simple ROM, added some programs - including Wisbar (Advanced and Desktop), which I find a bit heavy - maybe I could find some apps that could replicate the best of Wisbar's functions without increasing the load? I'll receive any good suggestions.
I've just received a new high capacity battery I got from eBay (2900mah). The thing works and I've been using the phone for 3 days in a row on the first full charge, playing video (2 hours), music (5 hours) and wifi (1 hour). My concern is, I can't have the battery indicator to work. Battery status is always "unknown". I've looked over the net for answers, but found none, excepted some leads on Russian sites, but I can't begin to understand even if translated through babelfish. I've installed some battery related apps, but nothing works. I've found on some forums that the P525 has some issues with batteries - sometimes the power level can freeze, but I don't know if this is related or if there is a known cure for it. I'm sure there is a way to work this problem out, because I use to have a high cap battery on an Axim x51v I've once owned.
If anyone has a clue about this problem, please share with me.
I hope I can learn how to cook my own rom. Will keep you posted if I find the time.
On a final note, after playing with many gizmos over the years, I'd like to share my thoughts about the ideal WM5 or WM6 phone to my taste. The form factor would be identical to the Axim x51v - 3.7" touchscreen with CF and SD card readers. This is the PERFECTLY IDEAL pocket size, as opposed to the too small P525's 2.8", and it's opposite 5" HTC's Athena monster - way too bulky. VGA screen is also a big plus. CF cards is a great addition, because it's the perfect upgrade port for extra hardware functions, and 8GB or 16GB CF cards can give you plenty of space. SDHC is a must, so is host function. 3MP camera is preferable to 2MP, but I'd stick to P525's mechanical focus - and maybe optical zoom too, just like the N93? Finally, Axim's 624mhz with 3D graphics is really great. Another thing: the sound. 3.5mm headphone jack is a must, and I'd add this: Dear phone makers, please, buy the audio technology from Creative and put it into a WM6 machine - you would please all the Zen lovers that cherish real MP3 HiFi sounds, something that was never equaled by any other company so far. I've tried TCPMP, Core Player, 40th Floor, all with the best settings, but nothing came close to my trusty Zen sound clarity. Finally, throw in a SIFRIII chipset, and voila. I'd pay big bucks for such a machine, the ultimate ANTI-IPHONE-IPOD, but it's nowhere near, because I must be alone in my universe.
What would be your ultimate machine?
Regards
Jef

Diamond or Omnia?

Hi all,
I was hoping to upgrade to Diamond when its out in the UK. But now the Samsung Omnia is out, I am a bit confused as to which one to go for. I invite everyone to give your opinion on it. I am sure there are many like me out there.
MY initial views are;
Diamond is a cool phone and the HTC have years of experience with WM phones. But it does have its own flows like HTC doesnt seem to know how to make proper camera and issues with video drivers. And their headphones are good for nothing. I really think these areas will be better with Omnia, at least the 5MP camera and the headphone quality.
On the other side, Omnia is slightly bigger and and heavier than the Diamond. And the display is Qvga? (I am not an expert on this). Both have GPS and Accelerometer and stuff.
So guys give us your opinion on this.
Cheers
Jugulator

I'm desperatly trying to source my Omnia from Asia as its not out here in the UK yet. I currently have a G900 and whilst the screen is spanking, its camera is rubbish and it doesn't have GPS, which i REALLY want.
As for HTC, having had 3 HTC devices and having had to return said devices 6 times in total for hardware repairs I will never, ever, ever buy a HTC device again. Oh and just to add, the guy that sits oposite me in the office has an orange branded TyTN, i mentioned the build quality to him about 6 months ago and he laughed at me and said his worked perfectly. Guess what, he finaly threw the thing in the bin today as the last of the front hardware keys gave up on him.
So, don't care if HTC make the greatest phone on the planet, i ain't buying it.

I like the specs of the Omni, but the UI does not appear up to par on the whole compared to that of the Diamond/Rafael.
http://samsungomnia.com/omnia-videos/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoaXA9un7YE

Thanks for the video. Interesting GUI. I definately like the design of the Omnia. The GUI looks a little bit slugglish and unresponsive at times. But with a large screen (although low pixel dimension), 5MP camera & 16GB max storage--it's hard to say no. The widescreen QVGA is disturbing for a feature rich phone like this. The iPhone hides the pixel dimensions nicely so I'm hoping this one will too.
I'm passing on the Diamond (because of the 4GB max storage) and hoping for the Touch Pro. If you can port TouchFlo 3D on the Omnia and have it be as fluid as the iPhone UI, I would seriously buy it.

VGA and QVGA
Could someone shred some light on the difference between VGA and QVGA? If this is significantly different, I would favour Diamond than Omnia, plus smaller size and weight. But at the same time I would like to try something other than HTC..lol.

Get the Rapheal it will be better than both the Omnia and Diamond.

This Omni phones got my eye, will add it to the review list on the Formal '08 smart phone comparison. Check my signature.

Hmmm touch choice, X1, Pro, or Omnia. Depends on the Camera I get really, no camer -> probably omnia, Good camera-> one of the others. 5MP is sick, and considering HTC Cameras are ****, it makes the 5 even better.
Rory

Go for the Omnia. If you look at the videos from youtube, the omnia opens apps REALLY FAST. It may not be as responsive as we should want, probably due to the screen, but the processor speed makes up for it. Not to mention the 16 GB storage and micro SD slot. It has XVID and DIVX support out of the box, so you know it will definitely perform well with videos. The 5 MP camera also s a huge plus. The only drawbacks I could think off is how good will the battery last in a day of use, and the wide QVGA screen which might not be compatible with most or all available apps yet.
I had a dilemma choosing between the Advantage X7510 and the Omnia, but in the end, I opted for the BIG SCREEN and good battery life of the X7510.
But with the choices you have given, go for the Omnia.

jugulator said:
Could someone shred some light on the difference between VGA and QVGA? If this is significantly different, I would favour Diamond than Omnia, plus smaller size and weight. But at the same time I would like to try something other than HTC..lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VGA is 640 by 480 screen resolution while QVGA is 320 by 240 resolution. Basically VGA screen have 4 times as much clarity and quality as QVGA screens, in theory atleast.

I too am thinking of the SGH-i907. I will be moving and need to switch to GSM and sense the i907 is going to AT&T that will work just fine for me. But I will have to use it in Verizon/AllHell network until I move. So I hope it will work ok. I think with the 8 or 16GB internal memory and the availability to use the external micro SD slot is nice. I guess to top it off they should have used a VGA screen but WGVA isn't too bad is it? What is the mp of the secondary camera? I am also wondering if Android can be ported to the i907?
Release Date: June, 2008
56.9x112x12.5mm, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional , 32bit Marvell PXA320, 128MiB RAM, 16000MiB ROM, 3.2" 400x240 color transflective TFT display, video out, Proprietary audio jack, GSM850/GSM900/GSM1800/GSM1900/UMTS2100, CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, microSD/microSDHC/TransFlash/SDIO, Proprietary port, Bluetooth, WLAN, GPS, A-GPS, FM radio, accelerometer, 5MP camera, AF, flash, secondary camera, 1440mAh removable battery.

Anyone know what version of Opera 9.5 the i900 is running?

I'm thinking between HTC Touch Pro and Omnia. If possible want to get both of them to compare. But still worry about omnia regarding below issues:
1. no support on forum such as tweaking, customize and cook rom.
2. where to download the rom update? Samsung will give new rom update to improve their performance or not?
3. inside the package seem not include the stylus and pouch. at samsung webpage indicate that is an optional.
4. how good is Marvell PXA300 series processor? Stable or not? Fast enough or not to handle such a bulky 3d software.

Samsung Omnia (i-900)
I just got the Omnia here in Singapore and so far, its great! You can turn off most of the "fancy" (but not so useful features to me) iPhone like features and you get a great WM6.1 device with 16GB storage (+ I can add another 8GB micro SD). The battery life is good and I can swap batteries if I need to. The camera is 5MP, with flash and the video is good.
For those of you interested, here's a good review of the Omnia:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=2606&cid=24&pg=1
Cheers!

kiawey said:
3. inside the package seem not include the stylus and pouch. at samsung webpage indicate that is an optional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just went to a samsung roadshow in singapore yesterday
and i tried out the i900 there.
The lady told me the stylus is included in the package.
however it is nt like normal PDA phones where the stylus can be kept
'in' the phone itself. i900's stylus is hung outside like an accessory.
5 megapixel camera but doesn't seem to take photos like a 5 megapixel camera should. nokia's n95's camera seems better.
anyway, placed an order as the stock ran out by the time i got there.

How much you got it in Sing Dollar?

kiawey said:
How much you got it in Sing Dollar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it will be $498 with a 2 year line contract with Starhub in Singapore.
luckily i have a $200 voucher and a phone to trade-in..

davechew said:
I just got the Omnia here in Singapore and so far, its great! You can turn off most of the "fancy" (but not so useful features to me) iPhone like features and you get a great WM6.1 device with 16GB storage (+ I can add another 8GB micro SD). The battery life is good and I can swap batteries if I need to. The camera is 5MP, with flash and the video is good.
For those of you interested, here's a good review of the Omnia:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=2606&cid=24&pg=1
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting the review! I really like it. The only deal breaker now is the $1000+ (US dollars?) price tag. With the falling value of the US Dollar, that's a hefty price to pay for a phone (those included features are great). 2 year contract for $500? I hope. But there's still the Touch Pro.

Hea-to-head Review
Here's a direct review of both phones plus side-by-side photos:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_diamond_vs_samsung_i900_omnia-review-262.php

mphayvanh said:
Here's a direct review of both phones plus side-by-side photos:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_diamond_vs_samsung_i900_omnia-review-262.php
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent review. Seems unbiased and balanced, although, until someone has both handsets you can never be sure.
davechew said:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=2606&cid=24&pg=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Connectivity: GPS with Navigation
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support
USB 2.0
Wi-Fi
Features:
...
MS Office Document Viewer, Advanced PIM Apps,
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont think anyone in there right mind would call google maps "Navigation"? Also, MS Office VIEWER!? Reviews inaccurate from page one, not going to bother reading the rest.
After using my G900 (800 x 480) mobile for a year now, I can't say that High res screens float my boat. They are a massive drain on the battery and factoring in the physical size of the screen, really not that usefull in my opinion. Its seems to me like having a 1080p 32" tv, good in principle but unless its 46", you really don't see the full benefit.
I think i'm still looking at an I900 .... now if only they were in the shops in the UK!!!!!
p.s. Anyone from Singapore wana stick one on Ebay?

HTC Touch Pro 3 (Dream Device)

I just saw the new HTC Touch Pro 2. But as usually, it is not perfect. It is always missing some specs.
So I build one as I think could be a perfect devise. The name is HTC Touch Pro 3.
What do you think if this devise was on sale?
Have a look on the specs at: http://marcustavares.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/htc-touch-pro-3-a-dream-pda

Marcus Tavares said:
What do you think if this devise was on sale?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it would cost at least £1000 SIM-free and, frankly, wouldn't sell to most people, simply because of the price.
All the Touch-Pro-2 needs really is a 3.5mm headphone socket.
Like the one they put on the Touch HD, damnit!

Best things in it:
- OLED display
- the projector. Build in a tripod and the TV output is not so important.
What it lacks:
- 50-200mm F/1.8 lens with image stabilization.
- Windows Mobile with CE Core 6.0.
But they won't build such a device, because it would satisfy most people for about 5 years.

kosherpig said:
But they won't build such a device, because it would satisfy most people for about 5 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is the REAL PROBLEM here. All they could think of is how to squeeze more money from us.

Htc is trying to rip us off. I mean why can't they just focus on a particular phone like the iphone and build on it till its perfect. Instead they release all these new phones with the same features and slight difference and charge u an arm and a leg and i can just buy an iphone for $200usd. I mean what the hell is wron with those idiots at htc. I need to buy some shares and have a say in that company because clearly they a great at creating but horrible at business.

12.1MP camera.
Lol it would be 12.1 mp of blur.

the problem with HTC
do u guys realize the software support for HTC sucks big time? For example I have a HTC Advantage. They could have improved the video playback of the G-sensor. Instead they just ignored it and went on selling other new products.

I agree the cost might be too high. The 3.5mm headphone socket I don't need as I use the Motorola S9-HD but I agree it is important.
If I need to chose one item it will be the camera. 3.1 is defenetly low for a device is comming in the middle of 2009 and in the mean time lots of competitors like Samsung OmniaHD, Nokia N97 and others are comming with better camera.

3?! 2 won't even be out for a few months.

dortyboy said:
Htc is trying to rip us off. I mean why can't they just focus on a particular phone like the iphone and build on it till its perfect. Instead they release all these new phones with the same features and slight difference and charge u an arm and a leg and i can just buy an iphone for $200usd. I mean what the hell is wron with those idiots at htc. I need to buy some shares and have a say in that company because clearly they a great at creating but horrible at business.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC release devices like the TP2 for those that need a keyboard, the Diamond for those that want something small, the HD for those that want films etc. They've realised there is no perfect device, so why not make something for everyone?
Also, those complaining about incremental improvements, look at the iPhone. So, the second gen has 3G. Which it should have had the first time around. That's about the only new thing hardware wise.
Also, no one is forcing you to by HTC. If you love the iPhone so much, go and buy one, and regret it.

I read your specs, and while it is good to dream, even maybe hint at a potential HTC engineer what to do next...you should also keep in mind some physical constraints, so here are my few remarks ;-)
a screen of 10 cm of diagonal, and a 5 way dpad seems very difficult to fit in a 59x116mm device. Your screen is 85mm high, add 2*2mm for borders, 7mm up for the front camera and loudspeaker, and u have 10mm to fit a 5 way dpad... difficult! and a zoom bar? forget it ;-)
Fitting an optical zoom in a 17 mm thick device? difficult, u would need to use 45 degree mirror to angle the zoom/captor 90 degree (it will be set in the width of the device)...and then u can forget about the projector...
Also, such arangements (optical zoom OR microprojector) would change the physical layout of your device. Basically, it would look more like the G1 than the touch pro, the DPAD/zoom bar should stay fixed with regard to keyboard to have some room to fit those devices.
USB3 is not supported by snapdragon, so this is not possible (additional control chip is not possible, for space and energy usage reasons)
same for wimax and 802.11n wifi...not sure it support 1080P output either, I think it is 720p. Recording in 1080P/30fps is certainly out of reach of the snapdragon...but even if it could do it, no way u could use such a resolution with the small lens in anything less than bright sunlight or studio lighting. and even then, i am not sure it would be better than 720P. 1080P camcoders need a significant lens opening, you need a lot of photons to get an acceptable signal/noise at 30 fps with so many pixels...
scroll wheel would be very nice! I wonder why this has faded from all current smartphones, it was popular at one time, and for good reasons: some kind of side control is great for navigating in lists, webpage or ebooks...So yes, here I am 100% with you: it is time for a comeback
And last: I think it is not possible to fit a 2100 mAh battery given the size of the device and the presence of a physical keyboard: it would have to be thicker..or without keyboard...batteries with higher energy density could allow it, but they are not available right now, and hoping for such a significant progress would push your dream device to long term future ;-)

Marcus Tavares said:
I agree the cost might be too high. The 3.5mm headphone socket I don't need as I use the Motorola S9-HD but I agree it is important.
If I need to chose one item it will be the camera. 3.1 is defenetly low for a device is comming in the middle of 2009 and in the mean time lots of competitors like Samsung OmniaHD, Nokia N97 and others are comming with better camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3 megapixels is enough for amateur photography, especially in mobile phone
I prefer less megapixel with less noise than the opposite.
Do you make prints bigger than 20x30cm (8x12in.) ?
I did 20x30cm prints from 3mpix DSLR camera (Sigma SD9) and quality was very good...
Regards,
Adam

Nice, but for the vid recording, how about CCD, its better than CMOS apparantly, and make the image quality really high, as that is what makes a photo look nicer. And seriously, a dream phone should have UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100, which is what the XPERIA should have had.

adeltaY said:
Nice, but for the vid recording, how about CCD, its better than CMOS apparantly, and make the image quality really high, as that is what makes a photo look nicer. And seriously, a dream phone should have UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100, which is what the XPERIA should have had.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think multi-purposes camera are going back to CMOS. From what I understand, CMOS suffered from image non-uniformity...but this has been mostly solved. On the other hand, CMOS decrease price of supporting circuitry, but also allows for faster framerates. So the new photo/video camera with high framerate video recording (30fps/60fps/even more for slow motion) are going back to CMOS...

Oh, ok, thanks for the info man!

dream device= touch pro with faster cpu in a kaiser body.
i just have to have soft keys.

Dream device
1 ghz processor
3.5" screen
Universal unbeatable form factor: Microlap top-pda
great keyboard

Waiting for Phone after Touch Pro 2
I bought the Mogul in 8/07 and the Touch Pro 1 in 10/08 and don't see the need to jump at the Touch Pro 2 for $500-$600 with only minor improvements, even if I can sell (which I always do) my TP1 on ebay. I'll wait for the phone after the TP 2 from HTC that has:
-WM 7
-5 MP camera
-better battery life
-700+ MHz processor
-4GB ROM
-1GB RAM
-etc., etc.
Going from the TP 1 to TP 2 is a waste of money IMHO and everyone making the jump won't be able to get the 2 year contract discount which is still $400 with it. I'll put my $400 to the next upgrade due in late 2010 or early 2011. I'm good with Mighty ROM 6...LOL

orb3000 said:
Dream device
1 ghz processor
3.5" screen
Universal unbeatable form factor: Microlap top-pda
great keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Add TV-Out or a projector and I'll dish out $ for that, as long as it'll have att 3G (preferably unbranded)

Touch Pro3
Android or Webos
Cortex A8 Processor or Snapdragon/tegra.
same form factor+headphone jack
slightly larger screen because of the omission of the zoom bar.
same screen resolution.
i tried to be realistic because all these things are possible right now not some fantasy device. (with the exception of licensing Webos or just building it for Palm)