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We’re approaching the end of an era — the legacy of Windows Mobile handsets getting spotted running some open sourced OS or another shortly after their release. With Windows Phone 7 on the horizon the HD2 will surely be one of the last, but you can extend that grand tradition just a bit longer by installing your choice of Ubuntu Karmic Koala or Android 2.1. Those builds we reported on earlier have been made available for general consumption and, while installing them certainly doesn’t seem to be entirely risk free, neither of them touch the phone’s internal flash, so you’re never more than a reset away from the comforts of WinMo. If you’re feeling adventurous this weekend, both downloads are on the other end of the source link below.

HTC HD2 Android and Ubuntu builds now available for mass consumption originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still clinging on to your HTC HD2? Good on ya, cos this WinMo slate’s about to last you a wee bit longer — team HTC Linux has recently made a breakthrough with getting the touchscreen to talk to the HaRET Linux bootloader. In other words, us mere mortals can finally use Linux variants like Android and Ubuntu on the HD2 the way it’s meant to be, although we’re apparently still a few bugs away from a stable release. Until then, enjoy the techno-fueled video demo after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)

HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still clinging on to your HTC HD2? Good on ya, cos this WinMo slate’s about to last you a wee bit longer — team HTC Linux has recently made a breakthrough with getting the touchscreen to talk to the HaRET Linux bootloader. In other words, us mere mortals can finally use Linux variants like Android and Ubuntu on the HD2 the way it’s meant to be, although we’re apparently still a few bugs away from a stable release. Until then, enjoy the techno-fueled video demo after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)

HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC’s HD2 is the hottest piece of WinMo of the moment, and ever since it got the nod for an (unofficial) update to Windows Phone 7 it’s been looking all the more tasty. Now it’s getting more affordable too — if you happen to have an iPhone you’re willing to give up. T-Mobile appears to be running a promotion at certain locations through May 19 that would give between $100 and $350 off of a new HD2 for anyone trading in a working handset. Frankly we don’t figure too many dedicated iPhoners will be taking this opportunity to hop onto the Windows Mobile train but, if you can get yourself a cheap old handset from a friend who upgraded, you might just be able to snag yourself a hefty discount on a hunky new smartphone.

T-Mobile offering up to $350 off an HD2 in exchange for your iPhone, soul originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In news apt to surprise absolutely no one, HTC CEO Peter Chou told Forbes this week that his company would make a Windows Phone 7 Series handset by the end of the year. For the sake of argument, we suppose there are a couple reasons he wouldn’t want to. Historically, HTC has pledged loyalty to Microsoft time and again, even making the premium HD2 a Windows Mobile exclusive, but conspiracy theorists might suggest Microsoft returned the favor by denying the HD2 entry to Windows Phone 7 Series. Also, HTC has been rocking the bejeezus out of Android as of late — the news that the company’s planning a WP7S phone comes alongside HTC’s claim that the Nexus One was a success. Regardless, we never questioned if HTC would build a WP7S handset, only when; there’s no way they’re going to let a lucrative new smartphone market get mopped up by the likes of Samsung and LG.

Shocker: HTC plans Windows Phone 7 Series device by year’s end originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that Aircell has finished roping every major US airline into its plan for world domination providing inexpensive WiFi on most every flight, the company’s dealmakers have had to fall back on, shall we say, less integral partnerships to advance their strategy. First up? If you’re the owner of a shiny new HTC HD2 on T-Mobile, you get six months of Gogo in-flight WiFi, free of charge. Simply register with the company anytime before June 2011 and it’s clear skies for your connection. You can consider the expiration date a bonus alarm clock — by that time, you’ll be ready for a phone with enough buttons for Windows Phone 7 Series.

Aircell tempts HTC HD2 owners with six months free in-flight WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/HTC_EVO_4G_is_Sprint_s_Android_powered_superphone’; We’ve been rumoring a WiMAX “HTC Supersonic” for a while now, and Sprint just dropped the hard news: the phone will be dubbed the HTC EVO 4G, will be released this Summer and it’s easily the best specced phone we’ve ever witnessed. The hardware is of quite obvious HD2 descent, but with Android onboard and some nice aesthetic tweaks, the EVO 4G takes on a life of its own. The handset is centered around a 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD, with a Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor under the hood (the CDMA version of the QSD8250 in the HD2 and Nexus One), and even a helpful 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM — hello app storage! Even the battery is bigger than the HD2, and the camera is an 8 megapixel monstrosity with flash, that’s capable of 720p video, and is augmented by a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for good measure. The phone features HDMI out (though you’ll need an adapter for turning it into a TV-familiar HDMI plug), 802.11b/g WiFi, and an 8GB microSD card. There’s that still-rare Android 2.1 underneath an updated version of HTC’s Sense UI. But… despite all these wild features, what actually sets the EVO 4G apart is the fact that it’s Sprint’s first 4G phone. The handset runs a combo of EV-DO Rev. A and WiMAX, with calls still being made over CDMA and the EV-DO / WiMAX options for data. Interestingly, it sounds like concurrent data and voice use might be possible for the first time on CDMA carrier in this way (killing AT&T’s well-advertised differentiator), though Sprint says that’s still in the testing phase. One other new feature is the Sprint hotspot app, another MiFi-style connection sharing number, which is obviously aided greatly by the WiMAX on board and can support up to eight concurrent users. Follow after the break for our hands-on impressions and videos of the phone in action, including an up-close-and-personal test of the touchscreen keyboard. Below you’ll find galleries of the phone by its lonesome and up against the Nexus One and iPhone 3G.

Update: We’ve got a graph comparing the Nexus One and Droid with the EVO spec for spec, and there’s also a pictorial shootout with the Desire and HD2. Pick your comparo poison!

Continue reading HTC EVO 4G is Sprint’s Android-powered knight in superphone armor, we go hands-on

HTC EVO 4G is Sprint’s Android-powered knight in superphone armor, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile’s not officially selling its world-beating HD2 until Wednesday, but if you’ve a Walmart nearby and hankering to get HTC’s latest and greatest a few days early, it might be worth a trip out. JDMiPhoner managed to score one from his local Wally World a full four days early, and he’s been kind enough to unbox it, boot it up and give us a few first impressions on video. Is it really worth a couple of Benjamins with Windows Phone 7 Series just a few months away? Head on past the break if you’d care to be reminded of just how painful it is to know that this WinMo 6.5-packin’ gem won’t ever be upgradable (natively, anyway) to WP7S.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Update: Windows Mobile Nation got one as well (also from Walmart), and has hosted up a nice gallery of shots here.

Continue reading T-Mobile’s HTC HD2 gets purchased and unboxed early (video)

T-Mobile’s HTC HD2 gets purchased and unboxed early (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard it all before, but it’s always nice to get a modicum of legitimacy from a primary source. T-Mobile has now officially announced the release details for the HTC HD2 — you know, that phone whose cool factor has dropped a few Mega Fonzies since we confirmed once and for all it wasn’t getting a Windows Phone 7 upgrade. Look for it next Wednesday, March 24th, for just a penny under $200 on a two-year contract (and $450 without). Hey, at least this one’s definitely got copy and paste, right?

T-Mobile goes official with HTC HD2 launch details: March 24th for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bad news, HTC HD2 owners: Microsoft has finally come right out and confirmed our suspicions that the mighty HTC HD2 won’t be upgraded to Windows Phone 7 Series. Joe Belfiore just told us that the HD2 is “not compliant with the Windows Phone 7 Series hardware specifications,” which should end any of the lingering doubt that’s clouded this issue since MWC. That certainly puts a damper on the HD2’s upcoming launch on T-Mobile, but hey — every Microsoft employee here at MIX is carrying one, so it’s clearly the WinMo handset to get until it’s eclipsed by 7 late in the year. Pour one out for the king, friends.

Confirmed: HTC HD2 will not be upgraded to Windows Phone 7 series originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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