HTC HD2

HTC HD2
HTC HD2
ManufacturerHTC
Slogan"Take the big screen with you"
SeriesHTC Touch family
Compatible networksQuadband GSM / GPRS, EDGE and dual band WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUPA
Availability by regionNovember 2009; 15 years ago (2009-11)
PredecessorHTC Touch, HTC Touch HD
SuccessorHTC HD7
RelatedNexus One, HTC Desire, HTC Evo 4G, HTC HD Mini, HTC Desire HD, HTC Firestone, HTC Tianxi
Dimensions120.5 x 67 x 11 mm
(4.74 x 2.64 x 0.43 in)
(T-Mobile US version
122 x 67 x 11 mm)
Weight162 g (5.54 oz)
(157 g T-Mobile US version)
Operating systemOfficial: Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
Unofficial: Windows Phone, Android, Firefox OS,[1] MeeGo, Ubuntu
CPU1 GHz single-core Qualcomm Scorpion processor
(Snapdragon S1 QSD8250 chipset)
GPUAdreno 200 (AMD Z430) with OpenGL ES 2.0 support
Memory512MB internal flash ROM (1024MB on T-Mobile US version)
576 MB RAM
(Software is limited to using 448 MB on non-US versions)
Removable storagemicroSDHC, up to 32 GB
BatteryRechargeable 1230mAh Li-ion battery (2300mAh extended battery available)(up to 490 hrs standby, 6.3 hrs talk time)
Rear camera5 megapixels autofocus CMOS sensor, video up to 800×480 resolution[2]
Display4.3 in. LCD capacitive touchscreen
480x800 px 65k-color WVGA, back-lit TFT LCD
ConnectivityBluetooth, 802.11b/g, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Data inputs2-point multi-touch capacitive touchscreen and stylus pen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass (magnetometer)

The HTC HD2 (also known as the HTC T8585, HTC T9193 and HTC Leo),[4] is a smartphone in the HTC Touch family designed and manufactured by HTC. The HD2 natively runs the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, and was released in Europe in November 2009, in Hong Kong in December 2009, and in other regions including North America in March 2010.[5][6] The phone is the successor to the HTC Touch HD, and is succeeded by the HTC HD7.

History

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Rumors of the HTC HD2 began appearing in September 2009. It was codenamed Leo, although a decal on the back cover conflictingly identified it as the Pro.Three (which indicates it may have been intended as a bridge between the HTC Touch Pro and HTC Touch), and the "About" info in Bluetooth as the HD2.[7] The specifications sheet released turned out to be true when the HD2 was launched, with the exception of the listed 320MB of RAM, compared to the final 576MB (448MB available to user) of RAM.

Hardware

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It is the first smartphone with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, the first Windows Mobile 6.5 phone with a multitouch capacitive screen and HTC Sense, and the second smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU (the first being the Toshiba TG01).[8][9] The Snapdragon CPU is clocked at 1 GHz,[10] but automatically underclocks itself to 553 MHz if extra processing power is not needed. Tweaks have been made however, to clock the processor dynamically from 96 MHz to 1.61 GHz.

The HD2 is fitted with an Asahi Kasei AK8976A magnetometer. The magnetometer is used for applications such as the pre-loaded digital compass.

Accessories

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HTC sold an optional capacitive stylus pen for the HD2 to aid navigation through the interface.[11] Some Windows Mobile applications were designed to be used with a stylus, rather than finger-touch, and still need a stylus pen to be used effectively.

An extended 'Media' battery was also available officially from HTC. The official unit comes with a replacement battery cover sporting a pull-out metal kickstand which supports the phone in an upright landscape orientation.[12][13]

The HD2 was sold with a black or brown leather slip-case with a velvet interior in certain countries.

Software

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The HTC HD2 runs Windows Mobile 6.5 as its native operating system with Windows CE as its underlying kernel and OS. The HD2 runs HTC Sense as a UI shell on top of Windows Mobile.

Upgrades

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The HD2 was originally slated to be upgraded to Windows Phone (then known as Windows Mobile 7).[14] Microsoft rejected it and other Windows Mobile devices, however, due to it not being compliant with the company's hardware requirements for smartphones running Windows Phone, such as a lack of a dedicated two-stage camera button and five hardware buttons on the front as compared to the three supported.[15]

However, developers have successfully ported Windows Phone to the HD2. Microsoft has expressed tacit and subtle approval of such ports, nearing the release of Mango for native Windows Phone devices. Live services were not available to HD2 as the Windows Phone on the HD2 is not activated. It is possible for users to call Microsoft to request an activation key, but the device is not supported as a WP7 phone and being given a code is not guaranteed.[16]

Unlike its sibling, the HD Mini, the HD2 never received an official upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5.3, the last stable release of Windows Mobile (the HD2 natively runs 6.5.0). However, several developers at XDA Developers prepared unofficial 6.5.3 and 6.5.5 (the latter being the last unstable release of Windows Mobile) ROMs for the HD2.

Modifications

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The ability to 'mod' the HTC HD2 and run multiple different operating systems from the NAND flash or SD card has given it an enduring popularity, and this made the HTC HD2 one of the phones that could run the largest number of operating systems in the world.

Android (versions 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread, 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4.1 Jelly Bean, 4.2 Jelly Bean, 4.3 Jellybean, 4.4 Kitkat, 5.0 Lollipop, 6.0 Marshmallow and 7.0 Nougat), Ubuntu, MeeGo and Windows Phone have all been unofficially ported to the HD2.[17][18][19][20] In addition, many customised versions of Windows Mobile are available for the device, with versions 6.1,[21] 6.5,[22] 6.5.3 and 6.5.5 available.

FPSECE (First PlayStation Emulator for Windows CE), a PlayStation emulator for Windows CE devices, was ported to the HD2 in December 2009, a few months after the initial release of the HD2.[23]

In early October 2010, a video was released that appeared to show a HD2 booting into Windows Phone by way of Russian developer Cotulla's MAGLDR tool (a bootloader), which was initially created to allow the booting of Android from the device's NAND flash.[24] As of 13 January 2011, MAGLDR and a Windows Phone 7 ROM are publicly available. Windows Phone Genuine checks prevent access to Windows Live services.[25] A solution to this problem has been found, though the legality of the activation is still not fully known, and is frowned heavily upon by Microsoft.[26]

Windows Phone 7.5 was ported to the HD2 in August 2011,[27] a month after ROM developers at XDA Developers made a successful attempt to run a beta version on the device.

On 23 December 2012, XDA developer zoid created a custom Debian/Ubuntu-based Pentest-focused distribution called ubnhd2 for the HTC HD2.[28]

On 6 May 2013, an XDA developer successfully ported Firefox OS to the HTC HD2.[29]

In August 2013, a group of developers on XDA successfully ported HTC Sense 5 to the HTC HD2.[30]

In November 2015, XDA Senior Member macs18max successfully ported Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the HTC HD2.[31]

In September 2016, CyanogenMod 14 which is based on Android 7.0 Nougat was ported to the HTC HD2 successfully.

Reception

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Commercial reception

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When launched in the UK, Vodafone quickly sold all of its stock and developed a backlog of orders, and O2 delayed putting the HD2 on its website so that it could fulfill all orders.[32] Similarly, in the US, the HTC HD2 sold out in most T-Mobile stores within 4 hours and T-Mobile struggled to keep it in stock for several weeks.[33][34]

Certain T-Mobile locations ran a promotion that stated that iPhone users who traded in their handsets could get anywhere from $100 to $350 off the HD2.[35]

The HTC HD2 became notoriously difficult to get hold of in the UK and Europe. At one point, there was a high level of demand for the product amongst businesses, due to the fact that many have apps that operate solely on the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "HTC HD2 Continues to Run Every Platform Under the Sun: Now Firefox OS". Pocket Now. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  2. ^ "HTC HD2 Review: The best smartphone ever?". MobileTechWorld. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
  3. ^ Mobinauts1.074 personen vinden dit leuk · 3 praten hierover. "Facebook". Mobinauts. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "HTC HD2 specifications". PDAdb.net. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  5. ^ "HTC Unveils First Windows Phone with HTC Sense, the HTC HD2". HTC. 6 October 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  6. ^ Advertisement. "HTC's Peter Chou Promises an HTC HD2 to America by Q1 2010". Htcpedia.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  7. ^ "More images of the HTC Pro Three a.k.a. Leo surfaced". GSMArena.com. GSMArena. 18 September 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  8. ^ "HTC HD2 specifications". HTC. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  9. ^ John Herrman (9 November 2009). "HTC Touch HD2 Review: A Tragedy". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  10. ^ "HTC HD2 official manual" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  11. ^ "HTC HD2 Stylus Now Available". Best Mobile Contracts. 30 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2009.
  12. ^ "HTC HD2 extended battery gets its close-up, lower price". Engadget. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  13. ^ "HTC HD2 Extended Media Battery + Battery Cover BP E400". HTC Accessory Store. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  14. ^ Taimur Asad, Taimur (13 January 2010). "Windows Mobile 7 on HTC HD2 Confirmed Again by HTC". Redmond Pie. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  15. ^ Park, Will (1 March 2010). "Windows Phone 7 Series not coming to Windows Mobile phones, not even HTC HD2(?)". IntoMobile. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  16. ^ Lefevers, Jason (10 July 2011). "Microsoft: "Tinker away with Mango, but beware"". Everything Microsoft. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  17. ^ "HTC HD2 Android and Ubuntu builds now available for mass consumption". Engadget. 3 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  18. ^ "HTC HD2 gets a shot at MeeGo, still suffering from abandonment issues". Engadget. 3 January 2011. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  19. ^ "Windows Phone 7 HTC HD2 port completed, cloud services still not working". WMPoweruser.com. 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  20. ^ "[Nov 17,2015][M 6.0][ CM13.0][Unofficial] Kernel 3.0.101 [ION] – Post #165". forum.xda-developers.com. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  21. ^ [1] Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ HTC HD2 WM6.5 Energy ROM Series 28244, 21916, Sense 2.5 (17 February 2011). "HTC HD2 WM6.5 Energy ROM Series 28244, 21916, Sense 2.5 | Android, Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile". Pockethacks.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Savov, Vlad (30 December 2009). "HTC HD2 plays Tekken 3 using FPSECE emulator". Engadget.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  24. ^ Windows Phone 7 on a HD2[dead link]
  25. ^ "Microsoft has a Genuine Software checker for Windows Phone 7; complicates custom ROMs". Windows Phone Central. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  26. ^ "Windows Phone 7 Cloud Security Cracked, But There's a Catch". pocketnow.com. 7 January 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  27. ^ "HTC HD2 Gets Mango Bliss – SD Card And All! – xda-developers". Xda-developers.com. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  28. ^ z01d (23 December 2012). "[magldr] ubuntu, 3g, wifi, sound, landscape..." XDA Developers. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ feherneoh (6 May 2013). "[ROM][PORT][B2G][WIP][NativeSD]Boot HD2Gecko". XDA Developers. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ gilbert32 (19 May 2013). "[MAG/CLK][DEV]Sense 5 on HD2[WIP][SOUND]". XDA Developers. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ "[Nov 17,2015][M 6.0][ CM13.0][Unofficial] Kernel 3.0.101 [ION]". 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  32. ^ Gareth Beavis (11 December 2009). "Vodafone dropping HTC HD2 after two months". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
  33. ^ Genius, Boy (25 March 2010). "T-Mobile HTC HD2 sells out in four hours?". Boygeniusreport.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  34. ^ "T-Mobile HTC HD2 Sold Out for the Third time". Sizlopedia.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  35. ^ "T-Mobile offering up to $350 off an HD2 in exchange for your iPhone, soul". Engadget. 5 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  36. ^ "Review of the Refurbished HTC HD2". Gadgetnode. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
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