HTC Wings cancelled?

[Guest uggit]

There is a rumor on smartphony.fr that the HTC Wings (successor to HTC VOX) has been cancelled. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&am...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

If this is true I guess I'll be picking up an HTC VOX. I can't live with my 2125's joystick issues much longer...

[Guest Samsonite]

this rumour has surfaced a couple of times now but this seems to be the only source...

am i being overly cynical in that i doubt its been canned and that this is just a ploy to boost Vox sales? how many people here have debated getting a Vox or wait the supposed three or four months for the Wings with its promises of 3G lovelyness?

i reckon the Wings will still be on the cards but not slated for a release this year...

[Guest kiran_mk2]

Is there anymore news about the next wave of HTC phones? I'm sure the Wings/S730 is being hidden to promote S710 sales, but what happened to the HTC Erato (S420) - wasn't that supposed to be announced in May? Will there be a Wings/Erato/Kaiser announcement at the start of the Summer?

[Guest dropofdreams]

Despite the wings, sticking with a 2125 sounds horrible...I had the same issues with the joystick and gave it away yesterday as it was just collecting dust anyway...

[Guest Webreaper]

Will there be a Wings/Erato/Kaiser announcement at the start of the Summer?

When I spoke to O2 in Fenchurch St a fortnight ago, the guy said that there were 3 new GPS-enabled handsets coming to O2 sometime in June, and that there would be an announcement about them in 'mid-May'. I can only presume they are the Vox + Kaiser + something else.

So we should hear something 'imminently'.

Unless, of course, he was talking our of his *rse. :rolleyes: :P

[Guest El Matarife]

If the HTC Wings (or whatever it may be designated) has been cancelled or delayed then it is not to promote or boost sales of the Vox. The Wings is not a successor or replacement for the Vox - nor is the Vox made obsolete by the release of the Wings.

3G is not simply a "feature" of a phone, even though it is marketed to the customer as little more than an additional service (like SMS, MMS, GPRS or EDGE). 3G is a completely different air interface technology, utilising wholly separate Radio Access Network infrastructure.

Consequently the Wings is not "better" than the Vox, it is instead most likely to be a W-CDMA (3G) variant of the design; the Vox being the GSM (2G/2.5G) variant. The 2 devices are not competitors, as they are designed for different end-user market segments.

If you want W-CDMA-specific services such as video calling then the Vox will not tide you over. If you don't need them then there's no point waiting for the Wings.

I've often seen phones being criticised for not being "3G-enabled", which is daft as the term is completely meaningless. It's like complaining about a VCR not being "DVD-enabled".

Sure, 3G and 2G devices are both phones, but only in the same way that PCs and Macs are both "computers". They perform a very similar task, but technologically they are fundamentally different.

[Guest conan_troutman]

I hope to god its only a delay because the vox would have been the phone for me but the WINGS has two features I really really wanted in my next phone

Built in GPS and a camera with a flash.

if it truly wasn't meant as a competitor why not make the only difference in the two as simple as the 3G and front facing Cam

seem that HTC suddenly went chicken

[Guest El Matarife]

3G phones tend to cost more than 2G ones. More to manufacture and more to buy, as they are Dual-Mode - i.e. they use a 3G network whenever there's one in range and revert to using the older GSM networks when there isn't. People would quickly complain if their state-of-the-art device had worse coverage/roaming ability than their old one. So it's 2 technologies in one package.

Also, operators are keen to migrate their customers over to 3G. The number of 3G subscribers is a keenly contested badge of merit (gotta make those multi-billion pound licenses pay-off! - http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/spe...ons/3gindex.htm)

So I'd guess that any device differentiators like GPS or better cameras would be included where possible to encourage customers to buy one. GPS may also marry better with 3G, as its faster data rates will probably be far more appropriate for the real time display of maps and graphics etc.

It would have been nice if the Vox had included a camera flash though.

[Guest Confucious]

Why would anyone buy a device that doesn't have 3G over one that does? These are SpartPhones which come into their own when used on an unlimited data plan and 3G - certainly in the UK the Wings will replace the Vox IMHO

Maybe they'll keep the Vox for backward countries where you can't get 3G?

[Guest ::aLx::]

I don't think that HTC will cancel the S730. The 3G market is way to important for HTC to just dismiss their next 3g-smartphone. There are many out there (including myself) that have already upgraded to 3G (at least in Sweden) and have no plans in degrading to 2,5g-standard. So, naturally all 3G users who are not that keen in switching back (but still love the sliding qwerty concept), will hold on to their current device and wait for HTC to release the Wings.

2c

[Guest magic_peanuts]

If the HTC Wings (or whatever it may be designated) has been cancelled or delayed then it is not to promote or boost sales of the Vox. The Wings is not a successor or replacement for the Vox - nor is the Vox made obsolete by the release of the Wings.

3G is not simply a "feature" of a phone, even though it is marketed to the customer as little more than an additional service (like SMS, MMS, GPRS or EDGE). 3G is a completely different air interface technology, utilising wholly separate Radio Access Network infrastructure.

Consequently the Wings is not "better" than the Vox, it is instead most likely to be a W-CDMA (3G) variant of the design; the Vox being the GSM (2G/2.5G) variant. The 2 devices are not competitors, as they are designed for different end-user market segments.

If you want W-CDMA-specific services such as video calling then the Vox will not tide you over. If you don't need them then there's no point waiting for the Wings.

I've often seen phones being criticised for not being "3G-enabled", which is daft as the term is completely meaningless. It's like complaining about a VCR not being "DVD-enabled".

Sure, 3G and 2G devices are both phones, but only in the same way that PCs and Macs are both "computers". They perform a very similar task, but technologically they are fundamentally different.

You've missed the point in your analogy.

The average consumer can tell the difference between a DVD player and a video player in terms of the technology used, ie they look different, they play different media etc so no consumer is going to call getting a DVD over a video an upgrade. The same is not true for data on handsets, as far as the average consumer is concerned it's just a quicker version of what they currently have.

So while technically you may be right, 3G/HSDPA is not an upgrade as it uses different technology as per your video/DVD argument, but with the rise of mobile internet services such as photo uploading, mobile blogging, push email etc, many people will rightly consider an increase in data speed as an upgrade.

The 3G issue aside, I really can't see how you can say that the Wings is not a successor to the Vox or will make it obselete. The acid test - put both phones in front of people and ask which one they want. If a highly significant majority pick the Wings, then it's only reasonable to assume the Vox is obselete.

To answer the original question, I've heard this rumour too. I'm trying to get hold of a contact in HTC to confirm, it would be a shame if it was cancelled outright. Given that this site was started on the launch of the original Orange SPV, the Wings is a real peak in the development of WM smartphones over the last 5 years.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I think the Wings, as the first GPS enabled Smartphone, is going to be a real milestone in the Smartphone evolution, and hope it is still on track for release!

P

[Guest kiran_mk2]

I think the Wings, as the first GPS enabled Smartphone, is going to be a real milestone in the Smartphone evolution, and hope it is still on track for release!

P

Isn't the Erato going to be the first gps smartphone? The release date on PDAdb has been pushed back a month, but it's still scheduled ahead of the S730. Seeing as how the Libra/S720 phone is still on track, I fully expect the S730 to appear at some point over the summer - tbh, even if it was just a vox with HSDPA support I'd still snap it up (although built in GPS would be very nice).

[Guest conan_troutman]

so his is the reply from HTC Europe

Customer email address: (removed)

Hello Richard,

Unfortunately it will be not possible to comment on the S730, which is not official by HTC. Please keep checking the HTC website for new releases.

Thank you for your enquiry, Should you have any other problem, please do not hesitate to call us. Your Local number can be found at http://www.europe.htc.com/support/csbyphone.html

Best regards,

Lena Culleron

HTC Europe

[email protected]

http://www.htc.com

looks like it may will be cancelled

Edited May 16, 2007 by Disco Stu

[Guest Confucious]

Richard - you might want to edit your post to remove your email address before the robots harvest it and you get lots of spam.

I think that's just HTC being tight lipped and wouldn't read to much into it.

[Guest conan_troutman]

seems some one has done it for me but thanks for the heads up,

but to be honest I sent my question from my "public "email so I expect lots of spam which I do get on that address,

you wouldn't catch me posting my "private" email thats for family and friends only.

[Guest ::aLx::]

looks like it may will be cancelled

Seriously, there are virtually no manufacturers that comments on future, unofficial products. The response you got says nothing about the S730, wether it exists/being cancelled or not.

[Guest Confucious]

you wouldn't catch me posting my "private" email thats for family and friends only.

You mean we're not your friends? :cry:

[Guest conan_troutman]

You mean we're not your friends? :cry:

Ok I meant really really really "close" freinds. besdides you peeps at modaco are more a surragate family...but you still don't qualify lol

[Guest jimbouk]

To the average user, 3G is a massive upgrade to 2G. Especially with Hsdpa.

I love the fact I can talk on the phone and receive emails at the same time - plus surf at broadband speed on a mobile.

[Guest Electronic Punk]

Nothing in that email that makes it sound like it is cancelled -- its common for companies not to comment on unannounced products.

[Guest Webreaper]

To the average user, 3G is a massive upgrade to 2G. Especially with Hsdpa.

I love the fact I can talk on the phone and receive emails at the same time - plus surf at broadband speed on a mobile.

Disagree. To the average phone user, 3G is just 'faster'. Nothing more, nothing less. Most people aren't aware that they can't use GPRS on a call (how many normal users try to download email whilst phoning people).

People on Modaco often forget that we're a technical minority. Stand outside Carphone Warehouse and do a survey of people going in/out of the shop as to what their understanding is of the differences between 3G and 2G phones, and I suspect half of them won't even know what you're talking about.

[Guest Confucious]

I disagree - most people see 3G as an upgrade to 2/2.5G because it is faster - either way most people would, given the choice take 3G over 2/2.5G because it is a higher number and therefore ercieved to be better even if they never use it.

When they use it they then realise just how much better it is :rolleyes:

I would never go back to a 2.5G phone after using 3G.

The Wings has more features therefore will be seen as a replacement by most people - wether they use those features or not seems to be fairly irrelivent. More = better!

[Guest magic_peanuts]

I disagree - most people see 3G as an upgrade to 2/2.5G because it is faster - either way most people would, given the choice take 3G over 2/2.5G because it is a higher number and therefore ercieved to be better even if they never use it.

When they use it they then realise just how much better it is :rolleyes:

I would never go back to a 2.5G phone after using 3G.

The Wings has more features therefore will be seen as a replacement by most people - wether they use those features or not seems to be fairly irrelivent. More = better!

I'm with Confucious as per my original post. The average phone consumer has heard of 3G, hell Three did enough advertising and marketing for it. The average phone consumer, given two practically identical phones one 2G, one 3G, will pick the 3G one.

Now the interesting point is that to the average consumer 3G is a much less important upgrade requirement or feature than say, looks or battery life or the camera. But to the average member of the WM community (and I dare say our hardcore Symbian brothers too), the upgrade from 2G to 3G and especially HSDPA is a bigger deal.

It all depends which demographic you consider as to how important the upgrade to 3G is but I think it's foolish to say it's not important at all.

[Guest magic_peanuts]

Nothing in that email that makes it sound like it is cancelled -- its common for companies not to comment on unannounced products.

Yep, we have to remember that HTC have not officially announced this yet, anything you see here or pdadb.net has been leaked unofficially or cruelly may have even been made up.

Reading the mail again I actually reach the conclusion that it does exist and will have a launch at some point:

Unfortunately it will be not possible to comment on the S730, which is not official by HTC

based on the fact they didn't say it didn't exist. I bet if you sent them an email asking about the X12349YU phone you'd get a different email back.

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking :rolleyes: