HTC to add flash memory to more devices, to drop IR

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Computerworld Australia is quoting HTC sources stating that future plans are to include large onboard Flash memory in more devices, and to drop support for infrared.

High Tech Computer (HTC), the world's largest maker of mobile phones that use Windows Mobile, plans to further develop music playing functions in its handsets in the future, while it will slowly phase out infrared.

The company already offers music functions on most of its phones, since they use a mobile version of Microsoft's Media Player. But going forward, HTC will add more flash memory and other hardware to make its phones increasingly music-friendly, said Peter Chou, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of HTC, in a group interview.

This corresponds with what we have been hearing. The forthcoming music-centric HTC Melody (formerly Muse) will feature 4GB of Flash memory on board, and as Flash prices continue to fall dramatically, this is a trend that will feature on more and more devices.

While HTC give with one hand, they take away with another however...

HTC is also removing some functions from its mobiles. The company has already phased infrared out of some of its latest mobile phones, and expects to continue to remove the function since it is no longer a necessity, said Chou.

While I never use IR for sync, it is kinda handy for beaming files around, beaming pictures to my laptop etc. Will you miss IR functionality?

Finally, the same article talks about the possibility of HTC manufacturing Symbian devices in the future, which of course they do not rule out. It does say however that 'Currently, however, the company sees little value in offering Symbian-based phones, since there is already brisk competition among handset makers offering the OS on their mobiles.' :D

P

[Guest NikLP]

I'm glad to see some proper confirmation that the Muse/Melody will actually exist as a production model. It would be nice if we could get more flash memory in some more of their devices really.

I tried using IR ONCE, and it just never worked. I've never tried again since, and I can't see any reason to miss it, what with the advent of BT.

[Guest w411y]

I for one will not miss IR

[Guest rav1patel]

IR is really handy when sending small files like cotacts and pics. It's much quicker and easier than bluetooth. You don't have to activate it and then wait for it to search for people and then pick someone. Just point and click.

Agreed, bluetooth is more useful but its not as quick and easy.

[Guest jimbouk]

I used to use IR, about six or seven years ago, and found it to be a pain. Although the poster above says its easier than BT, I found having to physically align the IR ports annoying - and hated leaving IR switched on on my laptop as it kept picking up other IR signals!

[Guest sporkguy]

Funnily enough I still have customers coming in asking for phones with IR. What they don't realise is that IR isn't used for File Transfer in many phones anymore - especially since BT has come along and blown the doors of IR File Transfers.

I simply do not recommend looking for a phone with IR anymore - instead they should go for a decent model with BT (and reliable BT for that matter, none of this Motorola nonsense!)

I won't miss IR from my future PPCs, as long as I have BT and/or WiFi :D

[Guest Tech]

thats terrible! they should concentrate on fixing existing problems first than thinking new and sometimes silly ideas. This also means no support for tv control! (which im close to achieving btw!)

[Guest tsutton]

thats terrible! they should concentrate on fixing existing problems first than thinking new and sometimes silly ideas. This also means no support for tv control! (which im close to achieving btw!)

TV will be Bluetoothed in the future, I'll bet. :D

[Guest benzo]

TV will be Bluetoothed in the future, I'll bet. :D

Actually, in the future, TVs will control all humans :D

[Guest Ingvarr]

HTC really got too high on their recent successes. They seem to forget that lead position a lot easier to lose then to gain.

Now they seem to think that when they are the famous and lead, they can dictate their own vision of "what device should be" to community, as these recent "dropping habits" indicate. I think time will prove them wrong, just my 2 cents.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Ingvarr

[Guest Tech]

Actually, in the future, TVs will control all humans :D

LOL

yes - would be better overall if the TV's were bluetooth'd

[Guest Samsonite]

i use IR almost every day..

The BT capabilities of my Magician is pants and i sync via IR every day - the USB cable is always in the car where i need it most.

I would happily sacrifice IR if i trusted the bluetooth... My Acer PDA was fantastic! The MS BT stack and manager on my Qtek is as much use as one legged man in an @rse kicking competition.

[Guest cng]

IR cost maybe $2 or less for HTC to include, but that translate to a savings of maybe $20 by the time it gets to our hands. This is no doubt a good move as any gadget techie with a BT WM5 PPC/SP would no doubt have BT on the headset, laptop, pc, mouse, keyboard, everything. The 4 GB NAND is awesome but I would have been a lot more excited for the Treo if I didnt mind the 240 x 240 screen. The square screen and resolution is absolutely why I am NOT going to get this thing. Having a QVGA after VGA on my Dell X51v, the bar has been raised. 240 x 240 will make me see little pixels!

[Guest bennish]

infra-red is on the out... as for tv remotes, yes, that is annoying. i still can't believe televisions are controlled by a technology that's remained unchanged since 1978.

Bluetooth also isn't good enough yet... perhaps by bluetooth 3.0 we'll have more usability. from what i know, pc/pda ir did go thru a few different versions...?

tell you what tho htc... stop messing around with flash, noone cares about onboard when you have cards. give us a VGA MINI DEVICE!!

[Guest fraser]

Will you miss IR functionality?

I will. I used it last night in fact. It's far quicker to IR a cab file over than to run up activesync and install the exe. However, my new laptop will be here soon and it has BT, so I guess I've got to move with the times.

Many moons ago I used to work for a laptop manufacturer. My job was to decrease the failure rate of the laptops when we test before shipping. IR was one of the most unreliable things to test. In addition to poor components, the test bed was affected by ambient light levels and distance. By dropping support, HTC don't just save on components but they also save on testing and expensive repair of any units that fail. Given the relative (un)popularity of IR, you can see why it went this way.

Actually, in the future, TVs will control all humans :D

Most psychologists would argue that this is the current state of things! There's some really interesting books on how much TV influnces most folk. In short, your mind bases decissions on previous experiences, but you aren't aware of those experiences being looked up. Research has show than experiences received through TV cannot be differentiated from real life experiences at this level of consciousness. So when you generate an opinion on a subject, Harrold Bishops opinion is also there influencing your thought process. Also, brainwave analysis shows that watching TV puts your mind into a very suggestive state; it's very similar to the brainwaves taken from someone under hynosis.

Oops, it's time for the two minutes hate, I had better go...

[Guest travellingwithoutmoving]

Yeah, Infrared is useful for those days when activesync is too much like hard work, to dump a txt file between tablet / PDA.

I like the sound of more memory, although I'm sure the microSD will keep pace for my M3100...

Having read some of the above, I have to say that I find bluetooth painful and don't want to keep it always on because of the power consumption.

Larger / higher res screens will always be on my wishlist. How about a second touchscreen running SPB fullscreen keyboard when you need it and more screen real estate when you don't for the next evolutionary step from hermes. I'm would have thought the processor could handle it?

And IR since 1978. It's as old as me! And works perfectly. And transparently. No faffing with BT manager. I love IR!

Edited August 31, 2006 by travellingwithoutmoving

[Guest dearsina]

I have lost track of the amount of times I've tried to forward something as simple as a jpg or a contact via BT to a non-windows phone and gotten an error message. It's embarrasing, there they are, sending files and music back and forth from SE, Nokia, Samsung and Moto, and here I am, can't do fark all, because hey, I've got a "smart" phone.

IR is a mature technology *that works*. That's why it's still being used in remote controls. Imagine a world where your tv remote suddenly starts syncing with your phone instead of the designated remote and when you turn the volume up on your BT headset your tv switches off.

I'm happy to let go of IR, given that the technology put in place instead of it offers the same or better technology. BT is not quite there yet on smartphones.