Comments on: Rumour Pic: HTC Leo with MIDPhone Specs.

By: johnkzin

johnkzin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:41:26 +0000

Maemo can …

Another option are the dual processor cell phones (I’ve seen 2 or 3 ideas). Usually it’s “WinMo and XP”, but I’d prefer some combination of Android, Ubuntu, and/or Maemo.

By: tal

tal — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:33:57 +0000

For me its not a MID unless it has full software and hardware support for the main things that a full blown OS would provide me on the go
… and that is full skype experience and GPS.
this device seem to have GPS but no web-cam. All smartphones lack that ability as of today. Heck – the Android OS lack that today.

Tal

By: TareX

TareX — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:07:58 +0000

I didn’t know Windows Mobile supported capacitance screens. Something isn’t adding up. Either this is Android or it has a resistive screen…

By: Carl

Carl — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:42:06 +0000

While there is a certain coolness to jumbo-screen phones like the TG01, Rachael and Leo, when it comes to actual usability I’d much rather have a B7610/N900/Sholes in my hand to complete whatever task I had in mind. On screen keyboards are just fine for light use, but overstay their welcome very quickly when you start using the device like a MID rather than a phone.

By: johnkzin

johnkzin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:58:54 +0000

that sunglasses smiley face ( ) was supposed to be bullet item number 8. 8 )

By: johnkzin

johnkzin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:58:07 +0000

Isn’t that the point of a MID-phone, as opposed to a MID — that you carry it as your primary phone?

I’m picky, I want 1 pocketable device that does everything I want:

1) 4.3″-ish 800×480+ touch screen, stylus usable but not required (multi-touch would be nice and fancy, but not required)
2) Maemo as the primary OS
3) Port Ubuntu’s work on the Dalvik runtime (Android app runtime) to Maemo
4) 5 row physical keyboard, at least as well laid out and comfortable to type on as the G1
5) Dpad on the face of the device (on the keyboard is _acceptable_, but on the face is highly preferable, so that you can use the dpad when the device is closed)
6) charge and data via mini or micro USB
7) 3.5″ stereo/phone headset jack
(micro or mini or full size) USB Host/OTG port for storage and/or input
9) some form of video out (pref. mini or micro DVI-I)
10) at least one micro-SDHC port, pref. 2
11) LOTS AND LOTS of battery
12) rear facing picture camera for stills and video, with flash (don’t care, either way, about a front facing chat camera) … and the Camera needs to be usable as a barcode scanner (for use with certain Dalvik/Android apps)
13) the ability to work with Redfly (both the Redfly device hardware, and the rumored Redfly software that lets you turn any netbook/laptop/desktop into a virtual Redfly device)
14) full Bluetooth stack (including DUN, PAN, HID, BIP, and FTP) (I’m not as interested in the hands-free modes, stereo wireless headphone support, and all of that, but “full bluetooth stack” definitely implies those things)
15) supports acting as the “modem” side of tethering via USB and Wifi (as well as, obviously, BT-DUN and BT-PAN, as I said in the last item)
16) Full SyncML client (Contacts, Calendar, Bookmarks, Notes, etc.)
17) Quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE
18) Euro WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA, T-Mobile-USA WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA, and if possible AT&T/Rogers/”NAM” WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA
19) Plans for an LTE/GSM/WCDMA version, once LTE is ready
20) Possibly a WiMAX/GSM/WCDMA version, or a WiMAX/CDMA/EVDO version
21) really really ideally pipe-dream: dual SIM cards (on the GSM/WCDMA version(s)) so you can use different plans, even different carriers, for data vs talk vs messaging

(I’d be willing to change #2 to Android as the primary OS, IF it was a fully open “access to the shell, just like you have on Maemo” version of Android, that you could install native apps and commandline apps on, etc.; as well as install a different browser, for the “full desktop web experience” that Maemo gives you, instead of the “mobile++ web experience” that Android and the iPhone give you; better integration between the current SSH client (ConnectBot) and VNC viewer (tunnel AND vnc passwords both have to work at the same time); and, it still has to support everything else on the list — like the tethering options)

Yup. That’s what I want. So, to me, MID-Phone means: it’s both a MID (and everything that implies) _and_ your primary phone (and everything that implies).

That, plus a 10″ convertible tablet (swivel screen) netbook that runs Ubuntu.

(I better stop typing now, or I’ll keep adding to the list)

By: Stan

Stan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:04:15 +0000

For a MID Phone that may be OK, but in general I don’t see many users willing to carry this as a primary phone. My own phone has 3.5″ screen and that’s as far as I’m willing to go.
I didn’t mean it’s better than the Nokia if we compare them as phones, but it’s better as a MID(even better if it had keyboard).

By: johnkzin

johnkzin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:14:09 +0000

I think the Sholes looks very compelling too.

But, I think one of the important things about this device, compared to the new Nokia, or the Sholes, is: the screen size.

By: johnkzin

johnkzin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:13:14 +0000

I’m of the exact opposite opinion:

1) I would prefer a phone with a screen and size this big. Bigger even (to accommodate a 5 row physical keyboard, which would certainly make the device thicker).

2) It wont be better than the new Nokia because: no physical keyboard, winmo

By: Stan

Stan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:17:15 +0000

I don’t think this would sell as a phone since it’s way too big.
I also think it’s better than the new Nokia because of the bigger screen. However, that 8mpix camera would mean only higher price. I’d rather get something in the $450 price range with a 3mpix camera – too bad it won’t happen.

By: ciprian moloci

ciprian moloci — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:53:55 +0000

Rumour Pic: HTC Leo with MIDPhone Specs. http://bit.ly/9CVLs

By: zviera

zviera — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:08:02 +0000

Hi Chippi,
what about Motorola Sholes ?
Texas Instruments OMAP3430 600Mhz ARM Cortex A8 + processor,
PowerVR SGX 530 GPU, Android and keyboard.

By: Wesley

Wesley — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:22:49 +0000

It is about time that HTC come out with a phone with the latest high power processor – the Qualcomm Snapdragon in this case, almost twice the processing power of their usual old stuff. I love that they will be using a capacitive screen on the new Winmo, which has been made to be finger-friendly and therefore no need for a stylus.

This phone’s screen is as big as my satnav’s, so very good. Should still fit in a pocket if it is thin. Actually, this would be excellent to use as a satnav with 3rd party app.

By: johnkzin

johnkzin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:13:22 +0000

Unfortunately, the Nokia Rover wont have a 4.3″ screen (like the N800 and N810 did). I’d love to see a Maemo phone based on a Nokia Mako scaled up to a 4.3″ screen. Or an Android phone based on the Touch Pro2/Rhodium, but scaled up to a 4.3″ screen (that would be AMAZINGLY cool).

And, I agree about the need for a physical keyboard. I can’t stand software keyboards on pocketables. And I find them barely tolerable on UMPCs.

By: Steve 'Chippy' Paine

Steve 'Chippy' Paine — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:35:48 +0000

New article: Rumour Pic: HTC Leo with MIDPhone Specs. http://cli.gs/TghN0