I thought i'd write a quick post about the forthcoming 3G Super-PDA-Phone from HTC... announced last week as the 'T-Mobile MDA IV' in Germany, codenamed the 'HTC Universal'.

You heard it here first folks

Just in case people are confused as to what device we're talking about, here's a pic:


So first of all, let's start with analysis of the picture!

Hardware

We can deduce from this image the following:

- This is a non-working prototype, the screen image is cut in, and the base connector at the bottom appears to be missing.
- The shape of the base-connector hole appears to indicate this device will feature the same connector as previous models (Wallaby, Himalaya, Blue Angel etc.), and not the more standard Mini USB found on the HTC Magician (aka iMate Jam, MDA Compact, XDA Mini etc.)

A close look at the keyboard on the device reveals an usual configuration on the top row of the keyboard. The green and red call begin / end buttons are present, but there is also a Windows key (which one can assume will open the start menu, as on desktop machines), and an OK key, which one can assume will select the 'OK' (close-ish) button on a Pocket PC application. The other two keys are something of a mystery... they appear to be Smartphone like soft-keys, however the current Pocket PC OS doesn't support these.

One thing the picture doesn't make clear is the size of the device. The device is comparable in size to the Blue Angel (XDAIIs / SPV M2000), which is by no means small, but should be considered a fair compromise for the power-pack of features

Here's what we know for sure so far:

- Tri-Band GSM Radio (900/1800/1900) (odd, not Quad Band?)
- 3G UMTS Support
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- Reversible VGA Screen (640x480)
- Internal and External Cameras
- 520MHz Intel Processor
- QWERTY keyboard

Pretty awesome i'm sure you'll agree, but I'm looking forward to hearing more specifics, memory size, WiFi B or G etc. etc.

So that's the official line on the hardware... what's coming through on the Rumour Mill?

Rumours say that current devices have WiFi B compatability, an internal VGA camera and an external 1.3MP camera and 128MB memory.

How about the software?

Sources tell us that the HTC Universal will ship with the new 'Magneto' Windows Mobile operating system, and will not under any circumstances be offered with the current version of the OS. This is interesting as it puts it at immediate advantage compared to one of it's likely rivals - the long-delayed Motorola MPx - that will ship into European markets soon with Windows Mobile Pocket PC 2003 Second Edition.

With the business user and the 'mini-laptop' scenario very much in mind, the HTC Universal will include a rich suite of functionality. As well as the 'Pocket Office' suite bundled into the Operating System, the device will include other vital functionality such as PDF viewing, and Push E-Mail.

Push E-Mail will be provided by 'Blackberry Connect', the software offering from RIM providing direct connection into BES Servers, making the HTC Universal an indispensable business tool.

Network connectivity is managed a lot more intelligently on the Universal than on current devices... when in range of a WiFi Internet connection, traffic will automatically be routed through that, dropping back to 3G then GPRS as required... At last!?!

Availability

Availability dates for the device are of course very fluid at this time, but our sources indicate Q3 availability, with a raft of Operators across Europe set to announce the device over the coming months.

Watch this space for the latest info as we get it

My Thoughts...

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these... it looks awesome!

The lack of Quad Band seems bizarre given the Blue Angel's Quad Band radio, and the obvious advantages that brings to the American market. I also have reservations about whether the device is going to work 1-handed, so I get the feeling I might be carrying this and my next-gen-QVGA Smartphone around at the same time....

My only other reservation... how much is one of these babies going to cost? :shock:

P

/me drools.....!!!
/me realises he wont be able to afford it....
/me commits suicide!!

from this point i can see that,

these items will make laptops gone trash in future

which is good....

I hope orange pick it up(not that i love orange but) as they are offering 50mb data
with 30 quid 3G tarif

almost woth getting some of that action and trying to squezz the sim to my c500

but im sure i would loose my upgrade :roll:

davidk

ive heard that before!

Devices like these wont replace laptops anytime soon, for one they are hard to type on, you cant really connect them to projectors and you cant exactly play HL2 on it either. This list could go on and on, I think you see where im going

[quote=Paul [MVPÂ],Feb 7 2005, 14:31The lack of Quad Band seems bizarre given the Blue Angel's Quad Band radio
[/quote]

The Sony Erricson Z1010 is only Dualband in the 2.5G spectrum!

Wow, this really does have every feature under the sun!



Orange have stopped that offer now. They've replaced it with 1GB (1,000MB) per month for the first three months!

It's sad, but I doubt this device will make it to a US carrier for 2 reasons:

1. T-Mobile US (1900MHz only) doesn't plan on deploying UMTS until another 2 years so the 3G UMTS feature would be useless. Plus they've already released the HP 6315 which includes almost all the same features (WiFi, Bluetooth, Camera, Keyboard) plus it's Quad band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz).

2. AT&T/Cingular (850/1900MHz) is mixed maybe 50/50 with their spectrum. And since this device only has the 1900MHz band for US, and atleast 90% of Cingular's phones sold have atleast both 850MHz and 1900MHz, most likely it will not be picked up. Unless they release a US version with 850/1800/1900MHz or 850/900/1900MHz like they did for the Typhoon (Audiovox SMT5600) or the Feeler (i-mate SP3i) or decide to make it Quad Band.

...full of features to be sure, but size is important for me...(no comments please!!!)...the smaller the better...

There's your answer - all the screen shots I've seen of WM2005 Phone Edition have two Smartphone style soft menus at the bottom of screen.

Which also suggests that most current devices won't be upgradable to 2005 - they don't the buttons for it.

I have an Orange 3g phone... tbh.... my SPVm2000 does it all faster and more reliably than the 3g one!!

The only big advantage with the 3g (until coverage improves) is being able to show my wife I am not in thepub/with floozy/kiting when I should be at work!