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I was dreaming for a Touch Pro...then I found i780

Yeap this is an appreciation thread for the venerable Samsung SGH-i780.
My only lament is that I didn't buy myself one earlier. I have used a few HTC devices before and this is the first time I can declare 100% satisfaction in my PDA purchase.
For the price VS feature, the i780 is A STEAL! it's almost unbelievable.
What I liked about i780:
- FAST! no joke (after upgrading the Rom to DXHE1)
- Stable - you can push it to the max and still it runs
- FAST HSDPA (I am on 3G/HSDPA day in day out for Exchange Push Mail & Internet Sharing)
- Oh yes that slim profile
- 2 Batteries! when was it the last time you purchase a phone and get two batteries
- Satisfactory battery consumption (even with Bluetooth & 3G always on the drain rate is quite conservative)
I will nitpick a bit, Dopod 838 Pro (Hermes) was the longest running PDA Phone I used. At that time it gave all the features I want and I gave it away for a Tytn II (Kaiser). Sad to say Kaiser was a dissapointment no matter how I cook the rom. Then I moved briefly to O2 XDA Flame, God I love the huge VGA display.....but then it was dissapointing O2/MWG decided to disown "older" models and refrain from giving any further support. So no WM6.0 and no update on the Nvidia Graphics driver. On top of that there's that dismal performance when running in normal mode (if you switch to performance mode it kicks but the battery drain is way overkill). Then I moved ahead and got myself a veteran - the almighty HTC Universal (Dopod 900). It's quite apparent that to this very day, HTC Universal still reign supreme as the fastest HTC device (specially with properly cooked roms). But alas the bulky size and lack of HSDPA prompted me to move yet again.
Enter the i780, it was a love/hate affair at first.....I hate the smallish keypad, but in just two weeks my fingers has grown onto them, I hate the square QVGA 320X320 but eventually found a way to adapt....the rest is history. Total satisfaction is what I can say about this device now. Perfectly functional features and usable too. The GPS worked like a charm, the Video Call does what's it supposed to do...etc...
So, I may still want to waste my $ on the Touch Pro when it comes out, but I am not so sure right now - hearing stories that the younger sibling Diamond is having hard time coping up with the demands (vs expectation)
sorry to waste your time. Normally I will be quite reserved not to say anything unless warranted....but I just have to scream out how much I LOVE i780!!!

so, do you like the i780? it isnt clear

i'm with you!
i also moved from Kaiser to I780. kaiser is really dispointting me,slow,big,heavy,and the damn drift screen!!
the speed of i780 is just satisfiable, screen is wird but ok. the most good thing is the touch experience, very precisely. when i was useing Kaiser i even think that there is problem with my eyes because of the frequently wrong reactions...
oh, the finger mouse is a highlight too.

320x320 .... thats a no go!

i couldn't possibly that 320x320 is a no go, since vga sometimes overkill for small formfactor. yet i would really want to know whether apps having issues with this resolutions or not? how is your experience with the apps, EFN? any compatibility issues with the 'unstandard' screen size?

I agree with you on the price /bang for your buck. This thing is unbelievably cutthroat in its pricing for what you get. I spent 18,000php on it, HTC phones usually go for about 40,000php. The phone actually retails for like 20,000-24,000php but I got mine "second hand" from a guy who used it for a week so I got a little discount and basically got it dirt cheap, on top of an already dirt cheap phone.
I mean come on it has 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, WiFi b/g, a QWERTY, a 320x320 Touchscreen, not one but two batteries, the Marvell processor, this thing is freaking loaded.
I mean the HTC Touch (the original one) is still going for about 29,000php and it has a piddly OMAP processor, no 3G, etc. The Diamond is like 40k in php. This is half the price, with a very comparable feature set.
Let's not even get into how slim and light it is! It's kind of wide and tall but despite that it is very pocketable. It's about the same size as the iPhone, except thinner and a lot lighter to boot.
I do have a few issues with it but for what I paid how can I *not* be happy? The problems are pretty minor niggles:
- Samsung proprietary USB ports * ugh I hate 'em
- aesthetics -- many people like the business look and the phone is very handsome but the designs HTC has been churning out for the past year are a lot more attractive IMO.
- Touchscreen needs a lot of pressure and is not very precise or responsive. Could be a lot better.
- telescopic stylus sucks
- QWERTY keyboard is not as good as other QWERTYs in this class like the godly Moto Q keyboards or even its predecessor the Samsung Blackjack, which I found to have a better keyboard.
- 320x320 screen is such an odd choice and causes me some problems like with spb Mobile Shell
- finger mouse is a rather stupid feature I mean you have a touchscreen! You do not need a mouse! Give me a normal 5-way d-pad please
- Bluetooth Headset issue that I always get with Samsung WiMo phones, doesn't reconnect properly after I turn the headset off
Out of those, the only real problem is the BT headset problem. Everything else is a minor niggle and more just a preference nitpick or can be worked around.
Other than that though what's not to like? It is a great device.
Is the HTC Universal really the fastest HTC device? I thought the old Magician was a lot faster. My love affair with PocketPCs looked like this:
iPaq 6365 -> O2 Mini (Magician) -> O2 Atom Exec -> Samsung Blackjack -> Jasjar (Universal) -> i780
I used the Atom Exec for the longest time it was a great phone but for various reasons I "upgraded" to a Blackjack but it was not an all happy affair. Now I have the i780 and it is the fastest PPC I have had, faster than even the Atom Exec and way faster than all the other "clunky" PPCs I've used.

schizo said:
i couldn't possibly that 320x320 is a no go, since vga sometimes overkill for small formfactor. yet i would really want to know whether apps having issues with this resolutions or not? how is your experience with the apps, EFN? any compatibility issues with the 'unstandard' screen size?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not EFN but there are lots of compatibility issues with the non-standard screen size. Most games will have issues, like my favorite Worms World Party. Not that you could play Worms properly without a decent d-pad anyway. spb Mobile Shell also does not work properly. Basically apps that require a certain kind of layout have issues.
Everything else that does not need to conform to a specific screen layout will work to the resolution and work fine, and that includes most productivity apps so this is not so big an issue that you should worry about it.

Mochan said:
I'm not EFN but there are lots of compatibility issues with the non-standard screen size. Most games will have issues, like my favorite Worms World Party. Not that you could play Worms properly without a decent d-pad anyway. spb Mobile Shell also does not work properly. Basically apps that require a certain kind of layout have issues.
Everything else that does not need to conform to a specific screen layout will work to the resolution and work fine, and that includes most productivity apps so this is not so big an issue that you should worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the 240x240 "emulation" that seems to mess things up. I have SPB Shell working perfectly at native res in RealVGA. Then again, it's a (superbe) productivity device, so I don't expect to play video games on it.

You know, I still haven't managed to get spb shell to run properly on it. I always get an "out of memory" error whenever I try to go to the Now screen. I even tried it on RealVGA but I couldn't seem to get it to work, but no biggie. Mobile Shell is more an aesthetic layer than an actual productivity boost and actually I find the Today screen with selected plugins is more effecient all things considered.
But anyway yeah I don't play games on it either (I mean that is what a PSP is for!) and the phone does what I need it to do, and aside from my bluetooth problem I am very happy with it.

Weird how everyone seems to be struggling to get software to work on I780. I have had minor problems, mostly blue tooth which i eventualy got working.
I use SPB mobile shell, Samsung today plugin, opera, google maps, garmin, a bunch of astraware games, adobe reader, flashplayer, pocket rar, skype, WKTaskL, monocube safemode 2, threaded sms, etc ...
And they all run perfectly, i dont even use Realvga...
I am very happy with this phone so far, it is very fast, has plenty of ram, even the 2mp camera takes descent shots. Hsdpa is brilliant and GPS is awsome, connects within seconds. I would recommend this phone to anyone.
Everyday more and more software are supporting 320x320 devices, even the spb team is soon going to fully support the I780, i read it on their website. I also read somewhere that more and more phones will be coming out with 320x320 display so i dont see why people are so against it. jealousy i guess, cant think of another reason.

EFN said:
Then I moved briefly to O2 XDA Flame, God I love the huge VGA display.....but then it was dissapointing O2/MWG decided to disown "older" models and refrain from giving any further support. So no WM6.0 and no update on the Nvidia Graphics driver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't you run into the same problem you have with the Flame? As in no OS upgrade or features unlock (p3600 GPS, qual-band Diamond). I've also tried other brands but once the manufacture announce the end of life of a product (usually within a year). You can't get any more support from them. Once I realize the short coming, I stop buying any brand except HTC. Now I know I can count on XDA Developers for OS upgrade. It's like an extented warranty for your product. Unless other brands have a forum similar to xda with super cookers, there is no way for me to go with any other brands again.

atleast its cheaper than the touch pro!

Mochan said:
I agree with you on the price /bang for your buck. This thing is unbelievably cutthroat in its pricing for what you get. I spent 18,000php on it, HTC phones usually go for about 40,000php. The phone actually retails for like 20,000-24,000php but I got mine "second hand" from a guy who used it for a week so I got a little discount and basically got it dirt cheap, on top of an already dirt cheap phone.
I mean come on it has 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, WiFi b/g, a QWERTY, a 320x320 Touchscreen, not one but two batteries, the Marvell processor, this thing is freaking loaded.
I mean the HTC Touch (the original one) is still going for about 29,000php and it has a piddly OMAP processor, no 3G, etc. The Diamond is like 40k in php. This is half the price, with a very comparable feature set.
Let's not even get into how slim and light it is! It's kind of wide and tall but despite that it is very pocketable. It's about the same size as the iPhone, except thinner and a lot lighter to boot.
I do have a few issues with it but for what I paid how can I *not* be happy? The problems are pretty minor niggles:
- Samsung proprietary USB ports * ugh I hate 'em
- aesthetics -- many people like the business look and the phone is very handsome but the designs HTC has been churning out for the past year are a lot more attractive IMO.
- Touchscreen needs a lot of pressure and is not very precise or responsive. Could be a lot better.
- telescopic stylus sucks
- QWERTY keyboard is not as good as other QWERTYs in this class like the godly Moto Q keyboards or even its predecessor the Samsung Blackjack, which I found to have a better keyboard.
- 320x320 screen is such an odd choice and causes me some problems like with spb Mobile Shell
- finger mouse is a rather stupid feature I mean you have a touchscreen! You do not need a mouse! Give me a normal 5-way d-pad please
- Bluetooth Headset issue that I always get with Samsung WiMo phones, doesn't reconnect properly after I turn the headset off
Out of those, the only real problem is the BT headset problem. Everything else is a minor niggle and more just a preference nitpick or can be worked around.
Other than that though what's not to like? It is a great device.
Is the HTC Universal really the fastest HTC device? I thought the old Magician was a lot faster. My love affair with PocketPCs looked like this:
iPaq 6365 -> O2 Mini (Magician) -> O2 Atom Exec -> Samsung Blackjack -> Jasjar (Universal) -> i780
I used the Atom Exec for the longest time it was a great phone but for various reasons I "upgraded" to a Blackjack but it was not an all happy affair. Now I have the i780 and it is the fastest PPC I have had, faster than even the Atom Exec and way faster than all the other "clunky" PPCs I've used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you care to explain to me what are PHP hours?

Best compromise phone to date
Here are my insights to the i780 after using it for a month..
First ,this is the most tolerable phone have ever used..Even its flaws are very ok to me..
I use it for business,internet browsing, news reading, gps navigation.
I use it with vodafone Egypt 3G network.
The stock rom E2 i one of the most stable WM roms i have ever used...
My other 2 phones are a nokia e61 and a JasJar (universal)
1. 320x320 is an inconvenience at only 5% of the time..(real vga fixes all issues with application ,but games are no no..specially games that run in full screen...forget it if you plan on gaming..screen is small for games any ways.)
2. the optical touch mouse is a great feature..one handed operation is very easy.
3.Camera is OK..but not as a good as any nokia N series.
4.It rarely crashes, you can run 10 applications on it with no effect on the beast..
5.Battery life is great..i use the phone for a lot of calls...2 hours daily on average + full push email ..the battery would run the whole business day but not a full 24 hours...week ends it run for 30 hours ..
6. Voice quality in phones is terrific.
7. does not support simultaneous voice and data..so when calls are on ,data connections are off..my old e61 support this.
8. I confirm the touch screen needs some pressure above average compared to other pdas..
9. It is a very fast phone...way faster than my JasJar.
10. SPB mobile shell works without any problem for me ..perhaps the rom i have is compatible with it..
11. Key board is a bit small and awkward to use but this is the compromise for the very small form factor..
12. non standard usb charger port sucks..but the compromise is that you have 2 batteries. if you want standard go for a nokia..every place you go to you can find a compatible charger with someone around..
13. When using it to supply internet connectivity to m laptop via connection sharing ,the signal lock was weak compared to the nokia e61 ,but was very good compared to the jasjar.. signal was not lost but was lower than the nokia. Although in voice call it is superior to the nokia..
14. data connection on it is 90% stable, i get sometimes disconnected from my exchange push email server/
Generally i was not gonna buy a new WM phone but this one restored my faith in the platform..
The platform is very powerful but not as stable as the symbian (IMHO), but this one proved to me that this is microsoft's mistake leaving ROMs to be released as pleased by OEM with no proper supervision while symbain is not as open a WM hence controlled..Samsung is one exception in releasing good ROMs(so are ETEN to by the way)
This is first PPC phone with stock Rom i ever used that is 100% working and stable..
Extremely recommended if you like the form factor

320x320 not dat bad iv always wanted a device thats got equal wxh 2.5" i780 vs HP iPAQ 910c what wins

It'd be great if someone with an i780 would post some screenshots of some different applications and games in landscape and portrait so that those of us skeptical about the 320 x 320 screen can see how apps created for a 4:3 or 3:4 aspect ratio translate to the square screen!
Thanks in advance!

Icefeldt said:
320x320 .... thats a no go!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
open your mind! that's all I have to say

ksameh said:
Generally i was not gonna buy a new WM phone but this one restored my faith in the platform..
The platform is very powerful but not as stable as the symbian (IMHO), but this one proved to me that this is microsoft's mistake leaving ROMs to be released as pleased by OEM with no proper supervision while symbain is not as open a WM hence controlled..Samsung is one exception in releasing good ROMs(so are ETEN to by the way)
This is first PPC phone with stock Rom i ever used that is 100% working and stable..
Extremely recommended if you like the form factor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
overall, I agree with what you have said, especially your parting comments.
MS biggest mistake is to leave to OEM to finalise the image, and it doesn't help when all OEM just take the image as it is and released to the market.
Motorola, Samsung are the only two I have seen where they did more to the ROM, then just pack them into the box with the hardware and sell it off as a WM phones.

since this is an appreciation thread for i780, I would share my own writeup of the phone, which in my opinon, is one of the better, if not best, WM phones I have come acrossed so far.
Take note that I don't really have good impression of Samsung products, as my wife's previous two Samsung phones (non WM phones) always ended up with some reception problem.
PS: If you know the Chinese name for Samsung, literally it means "3 Star", and i780, definitely worth more than "3 Star"
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Samsung launched its flagship qwerty product, Samsung SGH-i78,0 a couple of months ago and it has been the talking point in the “geek” town. Having tried its previous qwerty models, I had my reservation. The impressive technical specification and corresponding internet reviews, however led me to take a huge step. I finally sold my trusty Motorola Q9h and got myself a Samsung i780. So is this ultra slim Microsoft Windows Mobile-based smart phone liveing up to its reputation? After using it for a few days, here’s my take;
http://www.zenyee.com/2008/06/23/a-three-stargadget-that-is-rated-higher-than-three-star/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

i780 is awesome- if get to know it
Yes - this phone can be your dream phone
use realvga to increase the resolution
use ae buttonplus to custom map your keys
and upgrade to the wm6.1 build from samsung

**Touch Dimond PRO2** "NO" 5MP :(

I hope this is not any where esle, I was trying to find to make sure this is not a second post. Sorry if it is.
Check this out............Touch diamond Pro2
emember that leaked HTC 2009 roadmap? Well, it turns out, that thing was pretty spot on. HTC has just gone and announced updates to their ever-popular handsets, the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. The Touch Diamond2, as you might have guessed, is the new Touch Diamond. It adds a larger display (3.2″ WVGA with touch sensitive zoom bar), a new and improved TouchFLO 3D and 5 megapixel camera. All in an updated and refined exterior casing.
Here’s where things get really interesting, though… We were lucky enough to get some hands on time with the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2, but oh boy, the Touch Pro2 really stole the spotlight. We’re talking about Windows Mobile phone of the year and it’s only February! The Touch Pro2 is a mash-up of the TyTN II, the Touch HD, and the Touch Pro (yes, the tilting screen is back). It has a huge 3.6″ WVGA screen, one of the best QWERTY keyboards we’ve ever seen, a brand new TouchFLO 3D (it includes HTC’s Straight Talk which combines all communication into a fluid UI. Think Palm Pre-esque) and a really cool feature that activates the speakerphone when the phone is flipped upside down. Oh yeah, there’s a mute button on the back of the device for when you want to mute the conference. Awesome. Sadly the camera did not get upgraded to 5 megapixels (something that really would have absolutely sealed the deal) but there’s always the Touch Pro3. Nokia N97, what? (check it out here)
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Bugger. I've only just cleared the credit card after buying the pro.
Engadget review here - http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/16/htc-touch-pro2-is-awesome-in-ways-the-touch-pro-never-could-be/
edit - your thread title says yes 5mp, should read no 5mp! It's still a 3.2mp camera.

Hmmm, I still think I'll wait for the first WinMo 6.5 phones to come out, and you can bet HTC will get in there early. I prefer the idea of a native touch OS to a stylus OS with a touch GUI slapped on top of it.
Apart from the conference call stuff (which I wouldn't use), the only thing that appeals is the bigger screen (which I believe Tomtom 6 won't run on due to the WVGA resolution?) and the keyboard tilt. Neither are quite worth the upgrade costs.
WinMo 6.5 is due out, what, Q2? Same time as the Touch Pro 2?

holy crap! the TP2 looks awesome. dammit htc, why did you guys come up to a successor so soon!!

Jim Coleman said:
Apart from the conference call stuff (which I wouldn't use), the only thing that appeals is the bigger screen (which I believe Tomtom 6 won't run on due to the WVGA resolution?) and the keyboard tilt. Neither are quite worth the upgrade costs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Come on guys. We have to show HTC that we are not ships. They gave us a 3,6 screen and an old fashion style (TyTN II) and they expect us to give 700 euros for this?
They do not even fix Touch Pro (1) GPS problems.
This is just marketing. We need new (working) technology.
By the way this is the answer to my email for Pro 's GPS problem which I recieved Feb 5th 2009 (!!!)
Thank you for contacting HTC Europe Technical Support. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in our reply to your email dated <29/9/2008> as we were facing some technical issues with our systems.
With reference to your inquiry regarding HTC touch pro, Gps issue, you must contact Tomtom to know the compatible version of totmotm with your device.
Do you realy think we have to upgrade?

also disscussed in the news http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=483293
no dpad is not cool

yeah, missing dpad. essentially a touch hd with keyboard...
hopefully multitouch?

THE GRIZZ said:
also disscussed in the news http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=483293
no dpad is not cool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The dpad on the current Touch Pro is very difficult to use - if they've replaced it with a suitably usable alternative such as full touch-scrolling in all apps (including Excel!) then that may be an improvement.
The blurb says TouchFlo 3D goes "deeper" into the OS so maybe this is exactly why they've dropped the dpad.

I need a mop for my keyboard.
My thoughts:
1. First thing I thought was: I wonder if there will be some way to buy this from AT&T without breaking my contract? I mean, what do they do for people who got a 2-year contract with the original iPhone, and then a year later they want the new iPhone?
2. Longer battery life and a bigger screen are very welcome.
3. I hope that keyboard is a mock-up. Also, I can't imagine using a non-Fuze keyboard, let alone one of those 3-row keyboards most phones have, but it's just way too convenient to have all those punctuation marks available top row.
4. I wonder when this phone will reach stateside.
5. I wonder why the phone's specs aren't improved?
6. I wonder why it's not all-black. It better just be a mockup.
7. Almost Touch HD-sized screen, and the TYTTN II tilt *drools*
But really, it took an entire year for the Touch Pro to come out in the states, so who is really banking on this thing coming out by Summer? And what will AT&T do when I'm willing to give them 300 more dollars for the Touch Pro II, and I still have a contract?
Sure, it's not the improvement we'd all have made. Not more RAM, not a better processor, or drivers... but it's still an improvement over the Touch Pro (unless that isn't a mockup keyboard, in which case I may cry over the colour scheme and the fact that there are LESS KEYS on that phone than the existing Touch Pro) and I'll take it. Plus, the front-facing D-Pad is a pain to use anyway that I just open it up and use my Keyboard D-Pad.

Brendo said:
...hopefully multitouch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt it, Apple hold a patent on multitouch, that's why the Google G1 doesn't have it - Google are too cosy with Apple to risk upsetting them. I wonder if HTC have the balls......
Nah.
Anyway, multitouch necessitates using two hands. It's not all that.

freco said:
+1
Come on guys. We have to show HTC that we are not ships. They gave us a 3,6 screen and an old fashion style (TyTN II) and they expect us to give 700 euros for this?
They do not even fix Touch Pro (1) GPS problems.
This is just marketing. We need new (working) technology.
By the way this is the answer to my email for Pro 's GPS problem which I recieved Feb 5th 2009 (!!!)
Thank you for contacting HTC Europe Technical Support. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in our reply to your email dated <29/9/2008> as we were facing some technical issues with our systems.
With reference to your inquiry regarding HTC touch pro, Gps issue, you must contact Tomtom to know the compatible version of totmotm with your device.
Do you realy think we have to upgrade?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with you

I like the chipset change to 7200A as might get vga video recording but bummer for the still 3.2mp camera. And miss the led light too. (the emergency lights didn't function at work during the 2003 north(east) america blackout)

I originally posted my response over at PPCGeeks so this will be short since I am on my Touch Pro...
This phone most likely wont come CDMA as it simply doesnt offer much improvements over the Touch Pro... If it does I wont be buying it.
The hardware is all the same except a worsened shell. No D-Pad a cramped keyboard to say a few...
Any TouchFlo enchancements will be cooked into TouchPro roms since the hardware is basically the same we can expect it to perform well.
I will hold out for WM 6.5 or 7 and a device with more RAM and a faster CPU. Hopefully better battery life too.
I think the TP is awesome spec wise, but an upgrade needs to have better specs. Otherwise why upgrade?

HANDS ON VIDEOS
I'm fallin' in love... no kiddin

looks nice but missing a few things here and there. the LED light is a big deal for me and the tp2 doesn't have it. the keyboard style also reminds me of the omnia and that's a no-no.I also noticed the 4 hardware button to be a ton smaller... that is kinda worrysome sinceit makes it harder to press (atleast for me). lastlythe tilt function. as far as i have heard, the at&t rep and various ppl have told me that the tilt function on the tytnII actually makes the phone more vulnerable. the rep told me that customers come in with a completely snapped in half tilt after accidently dropping it when it's tilted.
so that's my 2 cents. Unless the really upgrade the hardware I probably will be using this guy (tp2,aka fuze) for a long time.

Where is the camera's flash, website specs don't mention it and square next to camera lens is a button.

mtbmtbmtb said:
Where is the camera's flash, website specs don't mention it and square next to camera lens is a button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is gone... That is a mute button or something useless...
I wonder if HTC actually does any market research on their target consumers or if they are just taking wild stabs in the dark figuring we'll just buy whatever they ship?
As seriously, this phone is in no way worth $600+USD over the Touch Pro.
They could have AT LEAST offered beefier specs somewhere. Where is the more RAM or faster CPU? Where is the return of some hardware buttons that I and a lot of others complain about loosing?
All they do is shrink the KB? Are they saying the "5 row keyboard" they advertised to death on the current TP was a failure? Who did they ask? As the phone hasn't been on the market long enough to get complaints up to carriers then back up to HTC...
Ah well enough venting for me. I won't be buying it. As I said earlier, I'll just get a cooked rom with any enhancements I like (if I like any as I hate Touch Flow 3D and have it all turned off on my TP).

http://www.engadget.com/photos/first-hands-on-with-the-htc-touch-pro2-with-video/1361020/
HTC TOUCH PRO2

The TP2 has:
- No D-Pad (Do you really trust on a WM GUI without a DPAD ? )
- No Camera Flash.
- Bigger
- Heavier
- Almost the same hardware.
- no TF3D Landscape "as seen in the engadgetmobile video (link above)".
- Really, really, really ugly look (Like the OldSchool Tilt ).
A part from the bigger screen, and some new "tiny" software options (conference... lol) that can be easily ported ( Is it necessary ???) I see nothing pushing me to buy something like this ~ $700 crap.
So HTC, are you serious ???
Oh yes, and I think this device will have an excelent graphic performance as well as other Qualcom devices like Diamond and TP.... let me laught
Cheers

what i am liking is the new landscape TF3D cant wait to have that ported to the TP
and its not just verizons it has all the tabs they just reorient themselves

HTC TD2 vs TP2 vs Omina II vs Others (Long post)

I guess it's all a matter of preference. I've always been a WinMo guy, and while I think iPhone is a sexy device, it's had too many stupid limitations. The 3GS has resolved many of them, so I've been considering it... but I still find the openness of the WinMo platform a lot more appealing. And it seems that Exchange integration is still by far the best in WinMo.
Now to the meat. I've had a few HTC devices (Tytn II/Kaiser was the last), before going with Samsung Epix (SGH-i907). Now the new device jitters are here again. I want a new WinMo device that's functional in all respects -- good screen, enough so to easily read the news, solid onscreen keyboard so I can use it one-handed, finger-friendly UI, great battery life... in other words, I am dreaming
I remember seeing Touch HD on the net and how upset I was that there was no version with US UMTS bands... What a great device it was (is). But alas, not for the US. Now I've been waiting for the TD2 (Topaz) and TP2 (Rhodium) to come out on AT&T's network in the US with bated breath. But little things bug me about these devices. TP2 seems phenomenal, but it's bulk, a 3.2MP camera, no 3.5mm audio jack, and battery life not significantly better than past devices take the excitement away. The TD2... no bulk issue, but why 3.2" instead of 3.6"? It would make sense since the on-screen keyboard is more important, and a bigger screen would make it more functional. Oh, and a smaller battery again, and no proximity sensor. Why??? That said, both devices are very appealing, and one of the main reasons is that I can always come to xda-developers and customize the heck out of them.
What about the others? There is a Pharos unit that seems similar, but I wouldn't trust it. The Toshiba TG01 has stellar specs, but from a few reviews I read: 1) the UI is nowhere near TouchFlow or Samsung's TouchWiz, 2) the battery life is not great, 3) the 4.1 screen makes it too large to be pocketable. And here's the kicker: in one hands-on review, they show poor (2-3 sec) time to rotate screen between portrait and landscape. Huh? 1Ghz CPU and you still can't get this right? Shame, Toshiba.
And in the last few days I came across Samsung Omnia II/i8000. The specs are phenomenal. I think Samsung got it right -- better than HTC here. Bigger screen and much better battery life (probably thanks to AMOLED screen) are the key points. TouchWiz UI has deep hooks into WinMo. Jackpot, Samsung. Or is it? Hmm, the only carrier that expects this phone in the US is Verizon, so no unit for us GSM-minded folks that like our 3G. And if my experience with the Epix is any indication, don't count on cooked ROMs or much customization ability, and don't expect a WinMo 6.5 update from Samsung any time soon... they take their time.
So many choices, yet no perfect one. And of course none of these are available in the US yet (Omnia II, TD2, TP2, TG01). When they do come, I am going to play with all of them before deciding. The Firestone... too far away, and may not come to the US. Superstar? Vaporware at present. But as of now, Omnia II just seems to be the closest thing to perfect, seems really ahead of the TD2 -- I might just jump to Verizon's CDMA for it. Drum roll, please
Anyone's got thoughts on the topic? Any news on when these devices are coming to the US? Would love to hear them. Let's stick to WinMo though, or the discussion will get unwieldy. Oh, and admin, this is about HTC devices (sort of), so I'd appreciate you not killing this thread

meanvulcan said:
I guess it's all a matter of preference. I've always been a WinMo guy, and while I think iPhone is a sexy device, it's had too many stupid limitations. The 3GS has resolved many of them, so I've been considering it... but I still find the openness of the WinMo platform a lot more appealing. And it seems that Exchange integration is still by far the best in WinMo.
Now to the meat. I've had a few HTC devices (Tytn II/Kaiser was the last), before going with Samsung Epix (SGH-i907). Now the new device jitters are here again. I want a new WinMo device that's functional in all respects -- good screen, enough so to easily read the news, solid onscreen keyboard so I can use it one-handed, finger-friendly UI, great battery life... in other words, I am dreaming
I remember seeing Touch HD on the net and how upset I was that there was no version with US UMTS bands... What a great device it was (is). But alas, not for the US. Now I've been waiting for the TD2 (Topaz) and TP2 (Rhodium) to come out on AT&T's network in the US with bated breath. But little things bug me about these devices. TP2 seems phenomenal, but it's bulk, a 3.2MP camera, no 3.5mm audio jack, and battery life not significantly better than past devices take the excitement away. The TD2... no bulk issue, but why 3.2" instead of 3.6"? It would make sense since the on-screen keyboard is more important, and a bigger screen would make it more functional. Oh, and a smaller battery again, and no proximity sensor. Why??? That said, both devices are very appealing, and one of the main reasons is that I can always come to xda-developers and customize the heck out of them.
What about the others? There is a Pharos unit that seems similar, but I wouldn't trust it. The Toshiba TG01 has stellar specs, but from a few reviews I read: 1) the UI is nowhere near TouchFlow or Samsung's TouchWiz, 2) the battery life is not great, 3) the 4.1 screen makes it too large to be pocketable. And here's the kicker: in one hands-on review, they show poor (2-3 sec) time to rotate screen between portrait and landscape. Huh? 1Ghz CPU and you still can't get this right? Shame, Toshiba.
And in the last few days I came across Samsung Omnia II/i8000. The specs are phenomenal. I think Samsung got it right -- better than HTC here. Bigger screen and much better battery life (probably thanks to AMOLED screen) are the key points. TouchWiz UI has deep hooks into WinMo. Jackpot, Samsung. Or is it? Hmm, the only carrier that expects this phone in the US is Verizon, so no unit for us GSM-minded folks that like our 3G. And if my experience with the Epix is any indication, don't count on cooked ROMs or much customization ability, and don't expect a WinMo 6.5 update from Samsung any time soon... they take their time.
So many choices, yet no perfect one. And of course none of these are available in the US yet (Omnia II, TD2, TP2, TG01). When they do come, I am going to play with all of them before deciding. The Firestone... too far away, and may not come to the US. Superstar? Vaporware at present. But as of now, Omnia II just seems to be the closest thing to perfect, seems really ahead of the TD2 -- I might just jump to Verizon's CDMA for it. Drum roll, please
Anyone's got thoughts on the topic? Any news on when these devices are coming to the US? Would love to hear them. Let's stick to WinMo though, or the discussion will get unwieldy. Oh, and admin, this is about HTC devices (sort of), so I'd appreciate you not killing this thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well my only thought is that if you can disable the rotation animation and disable the Toshiba home screen, then the device would run super fast.

meanvulcan,
I'm in the same situation as you. I live in China and I've been waiting for the "perfect" phone to replace this summer my rubbish iPhone 2G.
3GS ? no thanx, I'm done with Apple experience.
HTC ? nothing good coming before end of the year (and I'm sick of the same HTC 528Mhz qualcomm / 3.2Mpix camera hardware plaform)
finally only new Samsung i8000 meets my requirements:
>3.5" screen with 480x800 resolution. AMOLED is a big plus here
Fast CPU (800Mhz is a good step above)
256MB RAM
Great UI (TouchWiz 2 looks good)
High capacity battery (1500maH is the best we can get now)
3.5mm Jack
Good browser with Java support (Samsung Dolphin got rave reviews until now)
descent >5Mpix camera (Samsung features, quality and UI are much better than HTC for example)
Well supported OS (Android or WinMo were mandatory)
Ability to "cook"
when you look at everything, finally the choice is none because only one device meets all criteria and that device is the Omnia II.
So if everything goes well, next week i will get my i8000 from Singapore or Hong Kong

earth2172 said:
Well supported OS (Android or WinMo were mandatory)
Ability to "cook"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know how your Omnia II experience goes. I am not sure we are quite in the same boat... I don't have the option of buying from HK or Singapore if I want 3G, but that's life. Hardware vendors should really catch up. Now most GSM phones are quad band, so it doesn't matter where they come from, but almost none have 3 or quad band UMTS radios. Bastardos
When you say "ability to cook"... what do you mean? I've had a very different experience -- There is practically nothing out there to cook for Samsung SGH-i907, as I understand even i780 and i900 were a challenge to most.

meanvulcan said:
When you say "ability to cook"... what do you mean? I've had a very different experience -- There is practically nothing out there to cook for Samsung SGH-i907, as I understand even i780 and i900 were a challenge to most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in MoDaCo forum, there are roms available for Omnia (WinMo 6.5 with manila or spb3 and even Android !). So I expect custom i8000 roms available 3 to 6 months after official WinMo 6.5 update promised by Samsung

people are still stuck at this forum as there are still using htc devices only. but there are alot other forums are cooking for other branded pdas too just that alot ppl dont find it useful unless they have the device.
i must say, once a device model is popular, another forum will be setup for cooking the rom.
omnia 2 is has best spec so far compare with htc qualcomm-for-10-years spec.

How about an Android device? Quite a few of those coming out in 2009 from what I've heard. And you don't have to stick with HTC.

slick69 said:
How about an Android device? Quite a few of those coming out in 2009 from what I've heard. And you don't have to stick with HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is a nice and promising OS but actually it's far to be complete, especially on multimedia field (codecs, camera, video playing/recording) and hardware support (for example, you need to wait for 2.0 donut version to get 800x480 hi res panels support)
But I'm sure, when Android will mature and erase these lacks, it will be the best mobile OS

Omnia i8000, the best option
Hi.
I live in Spain. We have already the new Toshiba TG1. I think TG1 is too much big, and there are only a few aplications optimized for 4.1" screens. Actually, Winmo 6.1 icons are too small for TG1 screen. On the other hand, the TG1 battery life is very brief. I expect the new Omnia i800 available in a few weeks, to replace my old Kaiser.

carioco67 said:
Hi.
I live in Spain. We have already the new Toshiba TG1. I think TG1 is too much big, and there are only a few aplications optimized for 4.1" screens. Actually, Winmo 6.1 icons are too small for TG1 screen. On the other hand, the TG1 battery life is very brief. I expect the new Omnia i800 available in a few weeks, to replace my old Kaiser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the xda forum! Let us know how you like the i800 after you get it...

Got the i8000 yesterday. Very disappointed with the UI. I am writing this based on my experience with HTC HD, Diamond 2.
1) Screen - Big bring screen which should be a plus, but turned out to be a big minus. I find it too bright even when set to the lowest level. Also, because of it's brightness, the pixels are too obvious hence makes the originally very smooth fonts look pixelated.
2) Speed - I've sent the CPU speed to High, however, the widget pages transition is still very slow, i.e. Unlike Touch flo on HD, you have to slide and wait till the next screen shows up on the i8000. Same for the screen to show up after unlocking (resuming from standby).
3) UI - Many many loopholes and bugs. To name a few:
---Can't read exchange emails while set to Black Theme. Problems with font colour and background I guess. Other themes are fine.
---Sometimes there's no response when pressing the buttons in the mail/message widget
---Can't manage email folders when the Samsung UI is selected
---Disabling the Samsung UI on the Today Screen and selecting Messaging to show, while you select message to open in INBOX, it will automatically exits back to the Today Screen.
Sorry that my observations are also so negatives.

Guys
dont get hungup on processor speed. You cannot compare them easily and definitly not across diferent CPU manufacturers.
As for you i8000 experience, sorry to hear its so crap The Omnia range has an excellent reputation and i was seriously impressed with my 16gig Omnia. I would like to hope that Samsung will be very aggressive with the firmware updates on the new Omnias as they were with the older Omnias. Maybe you should visit the VERY usefull omnia.modaco.com, the guys there may be able to help you. As I said, Samsung have released many firmware upgrades for the older model, so fingers crossed, you should be ok in a month or soo...
Btw, my omnia (although now sitting in a draw as I have an acer m900) is running 6.5 very well.

pamburger said:
Got the i8000 yesterday. Very disappointed with the UI. I am writing this based on my experience with HTC HD, Diamond 2.
Sorry that my observations are also so negatives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better a negative, honest opinion than a positive, false opinion.
I'm beginning to become a huge fan of Samsung devices (always great specs and design) and I was actually serious looking at another Samsung device which is very similar to the i8000: The B7610. If the experience may turn out to be as bad as the i8000, then frankly, I would rather just get the Omnia HD.
By the way, you might want to head over to Modaco. They were pretty great with Omnia i900 ROMs and may come out with a new ROM for the i8000 in the future. Unfortunately, though, they aren't really as active as the HTC community.
Link: http://www.modaco.com/category/410/i8000-omnia-ii-http-i8000-modaco-com/

pamburger said:
Got the i8000 yesterday. Very disappointed with the UI. I am writing this based on my experience with HTC HD, Diamond 2.
1) Screen - Big bring screen which should be a plus, but turned out to be a big minus. I find it too bright even when set to the lowest level. Also, because of it's brightness, the pixels are too obvious hence makes the originally very smooth fonts look pixelated.
2) Speed - I've sent the CPU speed to High, however, the widget pages transition is still very slow, i.e. Unlike Touch flo on HD, you have to slide and wait till the next screen shows up on the i8000. Same for the screen to show up after unlocking (resuming from standby).
3) UI - Many many loopholes and bugs. To name a few:
---Can't read exchange emails while set to Black Theme. Problems with font colour and background I guess. Other themes are fine.
---Sometimes there's no response when pressing the buttons in the mail/message widget
---Can't manage email folders when the Samsung UI is selected
---Disabling the Samsung UI on the Today Screen and selecting Messaging to show, while you select message to open in INBOX, it will automatically exits back to the Today Screen.
Sorry that my observations are also so negatives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can imagine your disappointment for the performance. As I can see from the reviews and videos Samsung has made huge UI change. Many Samsung made application covering aged WinMo platform. Therefore I thing in the beginning the UI and performance will have issues. However I do thing Samsung will continue working on those and release new updates. Latest when WinMo6.5 will be official then you will have better performance. Meanwhile have you consider to using SPB Shell?? That might give you better performance with that processor

hi all
I to am looking for a new device i currently have the kaiser which is an awsome peice of kit made even better by all the support here @ xda. thanx ya`ll.
My main requirements are simlar to the mean vulcan`s with aditional requirement being that i need a better camera, one with a flash. I have an old cyber shot for work use and the camera is great but have to use my own phone when accessing the internet and would prefer just one device to lug about. So ive been looking at the new xpeiras that are on the way and they look good and have a decent spec on them but with no release date i dont think i can wait that long. Sony Ericson have the Aino and Astio on the way out but are relatively new to touch screen phones so i am dubious as to there performance. I would prefer to stick with a htc device mainly because of the support for customization here is 1st rate but have seen nothing of a new release that meets my high standards i have set for my next phone. So im still confused about what to do....
the omina 2 does look good though

My 3rd day with i8000. Struggling to get rid of it and it's totally because of its stupid UI. I must say, there's nothing wrong with the hardware, it got everything I need, cam with flash, good cpu, gps, tv out, big screen, good size....BUT the UI is very very disappointing. It feels like I am back to the Touch Diamond time, great hardware but poor UI, the UI made it so slow that you will keep thinking why the hell you bought the phone.
Maybe someone can teach me how to get rid of the Samsung UI completely and go back to basic WM6.1. I tried SPB shell, however, the shortcuts or application launch just brings me to Samsung customised applications. (They have gone really deep to customise the essential apps, e.g. Contact, Calendar and Messaging). I am most frustrated about not being able to get it to sync with other folders other than INBOX and DELETED.
It's not how the UI looks but rather how well it works. If you are looking for a phone that you can rely on, then I think you'd better wait until there's an rom update.
Thank you all for your suggestions, I will head over to modaco to see what other say about it

pamburger, You have mentioned that you had the HTC HD before. Would you mind please to give a comparison (hardware and software, Quality of the device etc) between HD and SAMSUNG? Until now I have own only HTC devices and never had experience with Samsung. It Is not that I think HTC is good but I don’t know how bad is the others
Therefore I am struggling little bit to take the safety and go with HD or take unknown ground and take the Samsung

Samsung i8000 vs Touch HD
1. Size and controls: i8000 is narrower than the HD hence easier one hand operation. I prefer hardware button over touch sensitive button, therefore i8000 is better. i8000 also has the back button and camera button which HD lacks.
2. Screen: i8000 is definitely brighter than the HD (at least 30%). However, because of this, the pixels are very obvious. On the contrarary, I find HD's screen displaying images a lot finer.
3. UI: I am sorry that I hate the i8000 UI. It seems to me that customisation of the UI has not been done thoroughly, leaving some part heavily customised while some very dull. Having said that, I know it's unfair to say i8000's UI is poorly customisation since Touch Flo is on V3 now. Maybe the next Samsung UI will improve. I have yet to find out a way to disable the Samsung UI so to get the WM6.1 back. Whereas for HD, all you need to do is to disable TouchFlo, and you will get WM6.1 back. Also, i8000 UI is not as responsive then Touch Flo. Expect to slide your finger, and wait for the next screen. Finally, the widgets on i8000 is nice to have.
4. Battery: i8000's battery is very good. With CPU power set to high, constant websurfing, checking emails, sms, and 40mins 3G talk time, the batt last almost 2days. HD's battery life as good only after flashing custom rom.
5. Camera and TV-out: i8000's camera is very efficient compared to the out of the box version of the HD. I love the LED flash which HD doesn't have. I've also heard people complaining that the HD doesn't have TV-out, but since I don't use it, I am not so sure about its significance.
6. Software that doesn't work with my i8000: CE-star (chinese software which you might not need), Advance Config.
7. Very personal: The price of HD should be very reasonable by now. If I were to choose between HD and i8000 now (assuming that I haven't used the HD before), I will definitely go for HD.
Reason 1: Cheaper
Reason 2: Better customer support
Reason 3: More roms to flash and a very helpful XDA-Developers community
Reason 4: Stableness

HTC TD2 vs TP2 vs Omina II vs Others
On my opinion from the competitors I would choose TP2 definetly and will add Toshiba TG01 for sure!
TP2
I like: General design, one the best keyboards on new devices and it´s great screen.
Dislike: No improvements on processor and no 3.5mm Jack
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Tosh
I like: Greater screen, very powerfull processor, slimer
Dislike: NO KEYBOARD, no 3.5mm jack (As far as I have heard)
Just my 2 pesos...

I got the Toshiba TG01, and damn, thats a very fast one!
No 3.5mm jack, I REALLY don`t care about that. I just use the headset!
On that screen rotation slowness: There are still people that have automatic screen rotation enabled? I hate it when my phone changes rotation all the time, so I applied it to a button!

Any word on an upcoming HTC Keyboard Phone? Or an HTC event where they may announceit

I am just treading water now. I don't understand why keyboards are being dropped. I love the Fuze's keyboard. It could be improved on, of course, but keyboards like the Droids make me lose faith in anyone's ability to build a good keyboard.
HTC is the only one I have faith in. And with awesome phones like the HD2 and the Evo... I may not have a keyboard phone at all!! What to do!!
Someone give me good news!!

I have nightmares of a not so distant future where real keyboards on phones (and perhaps one day even computers) no longer exist. Even on this board, when reading posts of people going from the Touch Pro 2 to the HD2, and exclaiming how (because of the gigantic screen) they no longer need a real keyboard, I shed microscopic tears.
Even if one could become as proficient with a touchscreen keyboard as they would be with a real one, there is one thing that a real keyboard can do that a fake one will never be able to emulate. That is, the ability to not take up 3/4ths of the screen while using it.
I cannot imagine using SSH or RemoteDesktop with a touch keyboard that obscures half the screen every time I want to type something. I like using my phone as a mini computer, and I appreciate having the choice to control it without always smudging up the screen. Ever try scrolling through large webpages with a series of flicks? Yea, hooray for directional buttons!
Anyways enough rant, I have no idea what the next good keyboard phone from HTC will be. There's the HTC Tera, but that seems to be a stripped down Touch Pro 2 (lower screen res, similar CPU) which makes no sense. Something like an HD2 Pro would be boss, considering the surface area of that device, HTC could fit some serious keyage in there.
Until then you can pry my underpowered Touch Pro 2 out of my cold dead hands.

MooGoo said:
I have nightmares of a not so distant future where real keyboards on phones (and perhaps one day even computers) no longer exist. Even on this board, when reading posts of people going from the Touch Pro 2 to the HD2, and exclaiming how (because of the gigantic screen) they no longer need a real keyboard, I shed microscopic tears.
Even if one could become as proficient with a touchscreen keyboard as they would be with a real one, there is one thing that a real keyboard can do that a fake one will never be able to emulate. That is, the ability to not take up 3/4ths of the screen while using it.
I cannot imagine using SSH or RemoteDesktop with a touch keyboard that obscures half the screen every time I want to type something. I like using my phone as a mini computer, and I appreciate having the choice to control it without always smudging up the screen. Ever try scrolling through large webpages with a series of flicks? Yea, hooray for directional buttons!
Anyways enough rant, I have no idea what the next good keyboard phone from HTC will be. There's the HTC Tera, but that seems to be a stripped down Touch Pro 2 (lower screen res, similar CPU) which makes no sense. Something like an HD2 Pro would be boss, considering the surface area of that device, HTC could fit some serious keyage in there.
Until then you can pry my underpowered Touch Pro 2 out of my cold dead hands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get an lg expo.

Personally, I find the keyboard just easier to use, and it allows for you to use other applications (such as games, which I never play cause the Fuze is slow) or, even better, to scroll through contacts precisely when you have a phone without a front-facing D-Pad. Buttons are great. You just need those keys. I do like to use my phone as a mini-computer as well. I fell in love with the Sidekick when I was younger (never one one), the idea of a mini little IM station. I use my Fuze like that now, putting it next to my monitor when playing a game to direct the IMs to it.
Without a keyboard, it'll feel incomplete. Sure, an onscreen keyboard works, but it's slow. It's clumsy. You need to look at it when you type, and you can never get too far ahead because you are unsure of what you're hitting. My Fuze keyboard is second nature. I need a GOOD keyboard, as good as the Fuze or better.
And I'm not seeing one.

thehyecircus said:
I am just treading water now. I don't understand why keyboards are being dropped. I love the Fuze's keyboard. It could be improved on, of course, but keyboards like the Droids make me lose faith in anyone's ability to build a good keyboard.
HTC is the only one I have faith in. And with awesome phones like the HD2 and the Evo... I may not have a keyboard phone at all!! What to do!!
Someone give me good news!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I´m with you!
Only HTC I want and with keyboard.
Not any virtual keyboard can be compared to the REAL feeling of typing on REAL keys!!!
Tera should be launched in q3 o q4 this year but it´s not really an upgrade from actual great Rhodium
I would say, wait till q2 2011 and for sure we will see something it worth the upgrade.
I spent several years with Universal waiting for a great successor and got it hard to find something till I got Rhodium.
If you know something please share it here!
I´ll do the same
Posted by MooGoo
Even if one could become as proficient with a touchscreen keyboard as they would be with a real one, there is one thing that a real keyboard can do that a fake one will never be able to emulate. That is, the ability to not take up 3/4ths of the screen while using it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn right!!!!!!!!
----------------
See this reference thread regarding members asking for a keyboard device

I'm with you guys on this. I'm sure HTC will be releasing some sick phones once win7 hits

I feel the same. I hope that there will be HTC Android phone with keyboard in near future.
And NO i don't want Motorola, LG etc. I want HTC phone with xda support!
Typing on screen is super-slow-motion for me compared to hardware keyboard, probably because of the small screen. But i think good HW keyboard can beat any SW keyboard on any screen.

Keep it alive!!
Great words
Let´s keep alive and actual this thread!
Perhaps...who knows....somebody from HTC could be watching...

Well I don't know about HTC but DELL are rumored to release some great devices one with a keyboard that I bet will have XDA support. It's worth having a look at this monster.
http://www.gsmarena.com/dell_lightning-3280.php
I hope that DELL being a serious firm will not let us down everything on paper looks very promising.

thehyecircus said:
... I need a GOOD keyboard, as good as the Fuze or better.
And I'm not seeing one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touch Pro 2 Keyboard > Touch Pro 1 Keyboard in all way, shape, & form.
In fact so far, the Touch Pro 2 is the most perfect phone keyboard that I have ever used...no comparisons anywhere else.
But I'm with the OP here, I want to see some new phones coming out w/ specs like modern phones with keyboards like my current phone. It shouldn't be too much to ask. Or else I'd be tempted to make a frankenphone of the HD2 w/ the touch pro 2 keyboard if possible!!!
Jason

myrandex said:
It shouldn't be too much to ask. Or else I'd be tempted to make a frankenphone of the HD2 w/ the touch pro 2 keyboard if possible!!!
Jason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be incredible, please DO IT!! Xda will create a new subsection for your frankenphone.
And while your at it, hax the scroll wheel and d-pad from the hermes onto your new phone of horrors, and maybe a couple lazzzars too.
I'm totally serious!

andes83 said:
Well I don't know about HTC but DELL are rumored to release some great devices one with a keyboard that I bet will have XDA support. It's worth having a look at this monster.
http://www.gsmarena.com/dell_lightning-3280.php
I hope that DELL being a serious firm will not let us down everything on paper looks very promising.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That ain't a real keyboard.
And the TP2 keyboard lacks buttons!! And has awkward placement on some keys!! I can use the TP1 so well that I see no reason to compromise. Now, a bigger screen, and the TP2 approach works.

orb3000 said:
I´m with you!
Only HTC I want and with keyboard.
Not any virtual keyboard can be compared to the REAL feeling of typing on REAL keys!!!
Tera should be launched in q3 o q4 this year but it´s not really an upgrade from actual great Rhodium
I would say, wait till q2 2011 and for sure we will see something it worth the upgrade.
I spent several years with Universal waiting for a great successor and got it hard to find something till I got Rhodium.
If you know something please share it here!
I´ll do the same
Damn right!!!!!!!!
----------------
See this reference thread regarding members asking for a keyboard device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey. I was checking out iPad in a local best buy one day, thinking about if it's going to replace my laptop, went back home, opened my lenovo X301, and caught my self thinking, that this kind of flip device, with keyboard on the bottom and screen on top, is a so freaking good NEW idea after all this tablets

alexsemi said:
Hey. I was checking out iPad in a local best buy one day, thinking about if it's going to replace my laptop, went back home, opened my lenovo X301, and caught my self thinking, that this kind of flip device, with keyboard on the bottom and screen on top, is a so freaking good NEW idea after all this tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A real Tablet PC is a convertible, where the screen can flip down and go on top of the keyboard. They ALSO use digitizers so you can use a stylus and draw on the screen accurately (instead of this multi-touch capacitive crap designed for fingers.) That is the laptop I want. Not these tablet craps.
If it is designed for the internet, I NEED to type on it. That's all I do online.

Lenovo X200 Multi-Touch Tablet FTW. It could literally eat the iPad.

I upgraded from an HTC Dream to the Nexus One, thinking that I probably wouldn't miss the physical keyboard at all because I had been reading how people were pretty happy typing on their iPhones and whatnot. Although a physical keyboard is not necessary, I find that I make a lot of mistakes typing on a virtual keyboard. I've since switched to a BlackBerry and typing emails is so much worry-free now.

alexsemi said:
Hey. I was checking out iPad in a local best buy one day, thinking about if it's going to replace my laptop, went back home, opened my lenovo X301, and caught my self thinking, that this kind of flip device, with keyboard on the bottom and screen on top, is a so freaking good NEW idea after all this tablets
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Yeah!
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myrandex said:
In fact so far, the Touch Pro 2 is the most perfect phone keyboard that I have ever used...no comparisons anywhere else.
Jason
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I agree, wholeheartedly. Of course, it's also my first keyboard phone. Regardless of that, I think I've already been spoiled rotten by the TP2's keyboard.
Actually, the Touch Pro 2 is my first smartphone ever. Being a noob to this phone tech level, I did what research I could, but one of the considerations back then that really locked me on to the TP2 was how great its keyboard looked. (This was before I knew what there was an XDA or that the phone could do other little neat things like host 3 different operating systems and other stuff.) I even dropped Sprint and signed on to T-Mobile to get the TP2 in its first week in the states. I love the phone, and I was dead on in my assessment of the keyboard.
It's awesome. I mean, the buttons are huge AND there's space between them like a real keyboard. (I looked at the Palm Pre for awhile and couldn't fathom how someone was supposed to actually press the keys on that tiny keyboard.) The keys are laid out in very efficient locations; again it's like a real keyboard. I actually like the TP2's keyboard layout better than the one on my ASUS netbook.
Yes, the row of number keys gets partially blocked by the screen when it's flipped up, and, I agree, it's annoying. But it's not crippling to me, and the problem is easily solved by just flipping the screen back to the flat position.
Here's the kicker, though. I can type probably 10x as fast on the keyboard than I can on the touchscreen. I'll usually use the touchscreen if I just need to type a few letters for something. I was using the touchscreen more recently, but it got annoying trying to accurately press the right keys quickly with my much larger fingers. So I switched back to keyboard, and now I'm flipping it out just about every time I need to type more than 6 letters or so.
I recall a probably-500-word email I recently had to mash out on my phone as fast as possible to get it to someone important. Keyboard all the way. And I managed to get it done and to the person just before they left for their appointment. Without a real keyboard, I wouldn't have even tried.
So, yeah, I agree with MooGoo above. Until another good keyboard phone comes along, I'll be clutching my Touch Pro 2...and shredding out emails while clutching.

MooGoo said:
Lenovo X200 Multi-Touch Tablet FTW. It could literally eat the iPad.
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Speaking of technology eating technology, one of my simple pleasures in life is the state in which my desk at work may often be found.
Often I'll have my netbook sitting in front of my desktop and my TP2 sitting in front of my netbook with the keyboard out and the screen tilted up. It looks like the netbook is going to eat a miniature version of itself. And the whole setup is like one big computer matryoshka doll. (I should probably throw a full sized laptop in there for even greater effect.)
This, to me, is another strong argument for keyboards on phones.

SemisolidSnake said:
Speaking of technology eating technology, one of my simple pleasures in life is the state in which my desk at work may often be found.
Often I'll have my netbook sitting in front of my desktop and my TP2 sitting in front of my netbook with the keyboard out and the screen tilted up. It looks like the netbook is going to eat a miniature version of itself. And the whole setup is like one big computer matryoshka doll. (I should probably throw a full sized laptop in there for even greater effect.)
This, to me, is another strong argument for keyboards on phones.
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Just the fact that I can see my whole screen, navigate using the d-pad (for anything tricky), and actually type on documents that need it is way too strong an argument for any phone maker to be ignoring keyboards. I don't understand why keyboards aren't being used more - I know the Droid's keyboard sucked big time, but it proved how THIN you can make a phone with a keyboard while still being way too powerful.
If Motorola grew a brain, they could pump out an awesome keyboard phone. And then, maybe it'd set a precedent like the Droid didn't.

Who here misses their smartphone with a physical keyboard?

Honestly, I don't think I can do this whole touch screen phones anymore. My first smartphone was a palm Treo 650 and it ran like a champ.. I had then bought a touchpro but the touchscreen keyboard, along with that landscape keyboard just wasn't cutting it(plus I thought windows mobile was pretty sluggish) anyways I don't want to bore you with all the phones I've owned throughout the years but I've had alot.
At the end of the day I'm trying to be productive, whether it be me shooting an email real quick, replying to a message or pulling up a contact to call, it's all easier, and a hell of a lot faster on a device with a keyboard. The best device to do this on would of been the dell venue pro. Nice size screen, nice slide out keyboard but one problem for me, it wasn't running android.
I don't care what anyone says, a touchscreen keyboard can never replace a physical keyboard, I don't care how well the auto correct or prediction is(I'm using swiftkey). I think I had the best experience with a touch screen keyboard with the iphone 4 and nexus s running ics but it still wasn't cutting it.
I think I'm gonna go back to my Droid pro, hell I might pick up a Droid pro plus. I need to productive, I need to be able to respond to texts messages with a quickness.. Not have to keep back spacing like I am now because of how off the auto correct is. I need to safely be able to text and drive (yes this can be done on phones with portrait style keyboards) I need to be able to flow like water and be smooth like butter when it comes to taking down notes, adding people, adding an event in a calendar.
Why am I riding this? Because I miss my Treo 650, my Treo 755p, my Palm Pre, nokia e71and yes, even my old ass blackberry curve lol. I'm sure some of you can relate to my situation.
What sucks is that the current portrait style android phones out there seem to be those cheap budget phones. The only I've seen that's somewhat high end was the Motorola admiral for sprint. Such a sexy phone but it's not gsm!
In all honesty I hope RIM fails at their next OS and decides to start selling handsets running android, that would be sweet.
Hell who knows maybe ill jump ship to a blackberry but I. Honestly don't see myself doing that.
Sorry for this thread, I guess this was a little bit of venting and hoping there's a few out there that can relate to me haha
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA

I kinda agree... yes there are some Android QWERTY devices such as the Galaxy Y Pro and the Moto Droid. But you kinda have to think, Android on a small screen doesnt work... It works for BlackBerryOS as they have been built for the QWERTY type but Android needs to have a large 4.0+ screen... hence why we have slideout ones... An alternative to the BlackBerry is THE LEGENDARY SONY ERICSSON P1I SYMBIAN UIQ3 PHONE which I am using at the minute as the devices under in my sig are gone back / sold for a HTC One X, Galaxy Note II and something cool. All I have is the AsusPrime and im waiting for my SensationXL

Earlier i was using Galaxy 551 which had a physical keyboard but i didn't use them much.. It was okay typing on touchscreen
I never care for physical keyboard while it comes to buying new phone for me or suggesting some friends out thr....
Now im well accustomed and feel lot comfortable typing on touchscreen....
Sent from my GT-I9103

I had one that had a physical slide-out keyboard. SE X10 Mini Pro. Was not a bad phone for the price but was very small and battery hungry.
With that said i kind of miss having a keyboard, but it makes for a bigger phone, which i don't like.

I still use my HTC G2 every now and then because of the physical keyboard. However if we were to go use physical keyboards again, I would be very picky about which one I want. The one on the G2 takes more pressure than I would like and it slows down my typing. Whereas the keyboard on the Samsung Captivate Glide/Epic 4G was perfect for me. The one on the G2 wouldn't bother me as much had it'd been a bigger phone. 4" display is pretty good for the keyboard phones: that's one thing I envied about the Droid 3.
But a 4.3" display with a keyboard would be even better for me. Maybe the trend will come back as most buyers want a light slate-phone more than anything. I'm hopeful a "HTC G3" will be the answer.

This is my HTC Universal 2005 (still works great), the best hardware keyboard device ever build!
Wish HTC launch a newer device with H/Kb
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MO3iusONE said:
Honestly, I don't think I can do this whole touch screen phones anymore. My first smartphone was a palm Treo 650 and it ran like a champ.. I had then bought a touchpro but the touchscreen keyboard, along with that landscape keyboard just wasn't cutting it(plus I thought windows mobile was pretty sluggish) anyways I don't want to bore you with all the phones I've owned throughout the years but I've had alot.
At the end of the day I'm trying to be productive, whether it be me shooting an email real quick, replying to a message or pulling up a contact to call, it's all easier, and a hell of a lot faster on a device with a keyboard. The best device to do this on would of been the dell venue pro. Nice size screen, nice slide out keyboard but one problem for me, it wasn't running android.
I don't care what anyone says, a touchscreen keyboard can never replace a physical keyboard, I don't care how well the auto correct or prediction is(I'm using swiftkey). I think I had the best experience with a touch screen keyboard with the iphone 4 and nexus s running ics but it still wasn't cutting it.
I think I'm gonna go back to my Droid pro, hell I might pick up a Droid pro plus. I need to productive, I need to be able to respond to texts messages with a quickness.. Not have to keep back spacing like I am now because of how off the auto correct is. I need to safely be able to text and drive (yes this can be done on phones with portrait style keyboards) I need to be able to flow like water and be smooth like butter when it comes to taking down notes, adding people, adding an event in a calendar.
Why am I riding this? Because I miss my Treo 650, my Treo 755p, my Palm Pre, nokia e71and yes, even my old ass blackberry curve lol. I'm sure some of you can relate to my situation.
What sucks is that the current portrait style android phones out there seem to be those cheap budget phones. The only I've seen that's somewhat high end was the Motorola admiral for sprint. Such a sexy phone but it's not gsm!
In all honesty I hope RIM fails at their next OS and decides to start selling handsets running android, that would be sweet.
Hell who knows maybe ill jump ship to a blackberry but I. Honestly don't see myself doing that.
Sorry for this thread, I guess this was a little bit of venting and hoping there's a few out there that can relate to me haha
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA
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texting while driving is now illegal in most states.. it cannot be done safely.. a young kid is in jail for killing someone while doing that.

Comfortable typing on screen
But will always prefer H/kb.
Even with clean fingertips oil from skin still smudges screen from time to time.
I like keeping my screen clean without having to Screen Wipes after just a cpl txt msgs.
Unless they come out with a felt fingertip attachment thats touch screen compatible I wont be 100% content with touch screen kb.

firehopper said:
texting while driving is now illegal in most states.. it cannot be done safely.. a young kid is in jail for killing someone while doing that.
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Yeah I read about that. It cannot be done safely on a all touchscreen phone, ie iphone, evo, galaxy, etc.. But phones such as blackberry, an old palm pre, basically anything with a portrait style keyboards is doable.. Would I advise. It? Probably not but if kids are gonna text and drive cause let's be honest, their gonna be doing it, give them a portrait style keyboards, physical keys all the way.
Also, I never been a big fan of landscape keyboard. I feel their too slow, takes too long to slide out that keyboard, wait for the screen to rotate, although that has gotten better. Plus you can't type with one hand on a phone like that. That's why portrait keyboards are awesome. Everything is so jumbled up close together that when it comes to typing on that keyboard, it's easy. I had posted a video years ago on YouTube, me typing on a palm pre and I was quick with it. Once your thumbs get the hang of where all the keys are, typing just becomes a breeze
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA

Google the dell venue pro. The screen is ideal and they keyboard is nice and spacious. In all honesty ill go back to my Droid pro and use this one x as a weekend phone or something.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA