HTC HD2 Sold Early?

This certainly isn’t the first instance of pre-release purchasing, but it seems outlandish for  such an anticipated device. This specific phone was purchased from a Walmart a few days in advance.  So, if you have a Walmart nearbyand you can’t stand waiting, then it might be worth the trip (no promises though).  The lucky guy, a former iPhone fan (we stole another one!) going by JDMiPhoner, was kind enough to make/take some video of the device from a consumer’s point of view (which is a new spin).  Who is going to turn down some more face time with the HTC HD2?  More videos after the break, and, if you will excuse me, I need to go to a Walmart.

Engadget

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  • bigc17

    I saw this video yesterday and it’s pretty good. I wish that he would’ve showed the HD2 more because in a video review/ unboxing you want to see the phone. In 2 days and a couple of hours, I’m going to get this phone and review it. The reason I probably wouldn’t get the HD2 from Walmart right now is because people said that at Walmart, it’s $500.00 period. If that’s true, I’ll just get it at the T-Mobile store early Wednesday.

    • Wilma Flintstone

      I’m so lucky to have a relative that works for Wal-Mart. DISCOUNT HERE I COME!!!!

  • briaann

    1 word wow we now have the best phone now t-mobile , but im a N1 fan

  • wacko

    all i can say is lucky bastard

  • bigc17

    I just found out the HD2 has a pretty low radiation level too of 0.631 w/kg, nice huh. You’re right briaann, now T-Mobile does have the best phone.

  • Scott

    I just picked one up at walmart too. Freaking awesome!

  • dm

    I just stopped by at my local walmart, and they have 3 sitting there but can’t sell it to me because its no in their system yet so don’t know how your able to buy it… I called another nearby walmart too and same thing..

    • Jackchord

      Same here … Offered the guy cash but he claims they don’t know the price yet or when it will be released.

      • epic

        same here try as I might no budge oh well 10:00 am wednesday not to far

  • JulioG

    Funny cuz I live in Portland. I live like 20mins away from Vancouver lol. Is it worth going to that Walmart and hopefully they sell it to me?

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      20 minutes is like… nothing. Get you azz over there.

  • JBLmobileG1

    I find it hard to believe this guy or anyone else that claims to have picked up the HD2 at WalMart early is telling the truth. For one it wasn’t in the system to sell a few days ago so I don’t really see how they could have activated it correctly. What he could have done is purchased outright early although I am pretty sure the system would have blocked the sale. Sounds to me this guy (if telling the truth) either works at WalMart himself or knows someone who does and had to somehow bypass the system. Not a smart employee if that’s the case because he’ll probably end up getting fired. I wouldn’t even bother trying to pick up the phone early at WalMart because I am pretty sure the reps would have notified the associates not to sell the phone early.

    • Doug

      he posted later on the tmobile forums that he was called by the manager of that walmart and was asked to stop sharing the location of the store because the phone was not supposed to be for sale yet. take it or what it’s worth.

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      I doubt that anyone is going to get fired. The clerk did not do anything wrong, he or she rang up a product that is in the cabinet.

      If they are in the cabinet they are in the system.

      If anything maybe management screwed up, but T-Mobile is not going to do anything about that. Wal-Mart is a big player, T-Mobile is going to cut them off or risk offending Wal-Mart? I don’t think so.

      And the way retail works, they stock on the weekends any stuff that’s going for sale during the week.

      Yes, some stores may not put the phones out until the day of, but not all stores either give a rip or want to put things off. This is another phone as far as Wal-Mart is concerned, they want to get the stocking done, not say “Oh, this is not supposed to be in the cabinet until Wed, oh I better not put this under the counter.”

      In a store as big as Wal-Mart with 250,000 products on the shelves it’s hard enough to keep track of where the phones are much less paying attention to sale date restrictions.

      Besides, what’s the damage? If anything it just gets people more excited and worked up than they were before.

  • Joe Pa

    OFF TO WALMART!!!!

  • alexis

    They are being sold early. This is confirmed. I work for an indirect and we got the okay to sell them 2 days ago when we first received them….

  • rigel

    Looks legit to me. Don’t be a sourpuss. “JDMiPhone” is a regular poster in the T-mobile.com forums: http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/HTC-HD2/I-got-one-I-am-now-a-proud-owner-Hint-WalMart/td-p/334068.

    I would have been surprised if the phone had NOT sold early! :-p

  • Brandon

    One question – Does it have swype?

    • Alex

      @Brandon
      Yes, the T-Mobile HTC HD2 has Swype.

      • Matlock

        NO it doesnt have swype out of the box! We got our 2 demo units in at my store and they dont have swype on them! you have to DL swype on to them!

      • Ace

        it does have swype on the demo unit i used from the box

      • ColoradoGray

        It does have swype out of the box. It is not, however, the default keyboard. If you tap the little arrow nest to the keyboard pic at the bottom of the screen whenever your entering in text, it will provide the option to enable it.

  • Steve

    Called 3 Wally worlds…it’s a no go in atl!

    • Vic

      Ya I just checked the two cloes to me and they broth said not today Tuesday at the earliest.

      • Wilma Flintstone

        Yep, it’s a no-go at Gresham Rd Wal-Mart and I got hung up on when I called the Stockbridge Wal-Mart. Now off to check the one my fam works at…

  • Codester

    I just called to Walmart locations in my area (South Texas). One told me they had the units but, did not have the pricing in their system yet. The other told they did have the units but could not sell till March 24th (at midnight). He told me that the price will be $149.99 with a two year contract. I asked if this is the same price for a full upgrade. He said it would it has been a full 24 months. He said to be careful and call Tmo first to make sure because the Tmo retail stores allow for full upgrades sooner that Walmart allows. I called Tmo and they told me that I was at 22 months and WOULD qualify for a full upgrade at the retail stores. She told me that she could not help me with any of Walmarts policies but did confirm that they can price their phones cheaper. She did tell me that what the Walmart rep did not sound right because when a phone is activated from their, they have to call Tmo to verify. She said that if I were to go and buy the HD2 from them, Walmart will HAVE TO call a Tmo rep to verify the upgrade. She said that my account shows in all accounts that I would get the phone for $149.99. So, looks like I will be at Walmart at 11:59 on Tuesday. If I get the phone for 150 GREAT! If I don’t, I will go to the Tmo retail store (I have one held for me anyway there). Getting the HD2 is already a must! Getting it $50.00 cheaper = priceless!!

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      So the local T-Mo store has one reserved for you while you try to get the HD2 cheaper at Wal-Mart? Such a deal, telling T-Mo to put your name on an HD2 as “SOLD” while you shop elsewhere for a better price.

      If you get it at Wal-Mart make sure to call the T-Mo store and tell them to “never mind” and you authorize them to sell your reserved phone to someone else. ;)

      • Codester

        Who doesn’t want to save some MONEY!!! If I can get the phone cheaper, why not?!? Of course, I would call my gal at TMO and tell her to sell it to someone else. Besides, it sounds like I will have to go TMO anyways because I do not qualify for the “Walmart discount”. You have to be at 22 months since last upgrade and I am 20 months (a correction to my last post). I can get the phone for $199 at the TMO store. Also “Mike”, I put the phone on reserve with TMO about a week ago and found about Walmart TODAY, right here on TMONEWS.Wouldn’t you do the same thing? Don’t know about you, but I feel a little upset if I bought something and found out that I could have saved $50 on the same product less than a block away (and possibly get it early).

    • dm

      Aren’t cell phone department only open from 8am to 8pm?

      • Codester

        I don’t know where you live but here in Texas, most are open 24 hours. I went in about a month ago and bought a flat screen at 12:45 am. No, I not weird, I was driving back from a long trip and too wired to sleep. Got home, hooked up the TV and off to sleep I went.

    • persephone

      Hey Codester =]

      I was just wondering if the $149 price for full upgrade eligibles is an across the board price that will be available at all walmarts? I have been out of contract for like 6 years or more, so I am eligible.

      I too do not want to spend any extra money than I have to, and would like to have my gameplan sorted out for Wednesday morning… If I can be assured that if I walk into a walmart on wed morning and am able to get it for $149, then I am going to have to switch gears…

      Thoughts? Thanks!

      • Codester

        Not sure but, I would think that all Walmarts would price their items the same to prevent people from shopping their own stores. I have 4 walmarts within 6 miles of my house. If one is cheaper than the other the higher priced Walmart will not sell anything. GO FOR IT! Go to wally world to pick your up!

      • persephone

        Thank you Codester!

        Rock on.

  • brian

    i got mine 2 days ago at walmart but my first ones speaker went bad and was able to swap it yesterday for another. they sold their 3rd and they have none left.
    their system will allow it to be sold retail but its 500 but they cant do discounted price yet.

    and yes it has swype and voice command

  • jdmiphoner
    • Wilma Flintstone

      To All People Wondering what the price is, it’s $500

  • Joe Pa

    I went to my local Walmart. ….they are in the case, but they can’t sell.

  • http://twitter.com/phenomenon_7 Phenomenon

    NetFlix App PLEASE!!

  • JB6464

    What was Walmart’s full retail price for the HD2 ?

    • Joe Pa

      Anyone?

  • JBLmobileG1

    @ ItsMichealNotMike… the thing is releasing a product early may not keep Tmobile from blowing WalMart off however it may hurt that particular store from getting phones say from HTC not to mention a heafty fine I am sure. Even though WalMart is a hugh company with each store caring thousands and thousands of products each store still needs to follow the rules of release dates. Most of the time when a product comes in it will be labled if its street dated so you can’t just go and put it out. True this was probably a mistake (they happen) but like I said before… he couldn’t have picked it up unless sold outright. What’s done is done. All I can say is this phone is a beast and could easly compete with the iphone…. we shall see come the 24th. Let’s just hope they make enough of them.

  • whyhellomichael

    they do have swype, it just doesnt come active, you can switch back and forth between full qwerty, compact qwerty phone keypad and swype. matlock is just a re-tard of a sales person.

  • Michelle

    I just left the TMO store and they did not have the phone out on display but the rep rememberd that I called and he went to the back and brought one out for me to see and I can say is WOWEEE!! I love this phone. He said that alot of people were not interested in this phone as I was and they would have about 10 in the sore and if I came at 10am they would have one.

    I was leary about the gel skin because I am use to a leather case not a gel. But this was a nice skin. I actually liked it. I prefer it in pink though. I think this phone is better than the Iphone. I personally carry only blackberry’s but this phone is so awesome that I’m willing to give them up.

    The rep said that he has shown it some females and they said that it’s too big and looks like a man’s phone. I beg to defer this is a very nice phone for all types.

    So to all the females or men out there who are thinking about getting this for their women GET IT they will not be disappointed. This is coming from a girlie girl. :)

    Also I remember seeing a youtube video that said swype doesn’t work in landscape mode but that is not true. It works in both portrait and landscape and it’s awesome and easy. I will be using this as my new texting method.

    • chris

      where do you live? they would have about 10 at the store? that’s not a lot…

      • Michelle

        I live in San Antonio,TX. Yeah it’s not alot. One of he TMO stores said they would only get about 3 or 4.

      • DotNetCoderAZ

        My local TMO manager said he would have about 15 in stock on the 24th and wasn’t expecting them to sell out at all. What has the world come to when one of the best devices hits the shelves and isn’t expected to move quickly?!

  • Michelle

    Just called three Walmart’s in Tx and one said that they do not have it out on display and it would be 148.00 on wed. The other said that they don’t carry HTC’s. I don’t understand that but whatever. The other one said that they did not have them but it sounded as if the rep didn’t even know what type of phone I was talking about.

    The one that said it would be 148.00 said that they are 24 hrs but that their system to upgrade the phone for that price would not be up until 9am. The TMO store opens at 10am and they are right across the street from one another so I will be trying Wallie World first if not then drive over to the TMO store to wait.

    I would prefer to save 50 bucks if I can. That is a car charger and another case that I can get with that savings. :)

  • TMoEmployee

    You know what I’m pissed off about!? I got the damn phone weeks ago, and mines didn’t come with no damn case!! I feel jipped! I guess I should be greatful, because I didn’t pay for it, huh?

  • ahh

    called all the walmarts in los angeles and none of them have them yet few stores know about the phone some completly know what the hell im talking about.

  • RayLebron

    Just called customer service and I won’t be elligible to a full upgrade with more than a year of contract. A sad day indeed. :’(

    • Michelle

      I thought that you can upgrade to a smartphone every 12 months with TMO’s new plan. I’m on their old one year contract deal ( I’m out of contract as of the 18th, perfect timing) that I will miss once I upgrade to this phone though. :( I hate two year contracts because I always ugrade my phone every 12 months. I can’t have one longer than that.

      • DotNetCoderAZ

        LOL… I have you beat… I’m lucky to keep a phone for more than 6 months. My GF claims that I’m addicted. I keep reassuring her that an addiction can only be an addiction if they have a 12 step program for it.

      • johnny

        i have a flex pay no contract because i change phones approximately every 1-2 months… my gal says im addicted also lol i’ve had 2 iphone’s, 1 G1, 1 mytouch and 1 bb bold since the beginning of 2010 lol cant wait til i get this phone on wednesday for the 449 + tax from the tmo store tho!! lol

      • DotNetCoderAZ

        @johnny: Are you my twin? ;-)

        My phone history:
        Dec ’09: TP2/MT3G
        Jan ’10: TP2/BB9700
        Feb ’10: TP2/MT3G
        Mar ’10: TP2/MT3G/HD2 (in 2 days!!!)

        lol

        There needs to be a 12-step program for us. lmao

      • Johnny

        @DotNetCoderAZ

        must be…
        My phone history:

        Dec09: iPhone 3G 8GB
        Jan10: iPhone/G1
        Feb10: myTouch 3G/BB Bold 9700
        Mar10: iPhone 3GS 16GB custom made with a RED back (sold 3 days ago)
        Mar 24 2010: HTC HD2 =]

        CANT WAIT!!

        and yes, there def needs to be somethin like CPA (Cell Phones Anonymous) lol

  • IWANTHD2

    No Luck at Wally World in Sacramento, CA. I called almost every one within a 2 hour drive and got the same answers 1. We’re not going to get that phone and 2. Never heard of that phone. So it looks like T-Mo Store Early on Wednesday. DAMN!!!! I Want it NOW!! You guys that are getting them are SO LUCKY!

  • Jesse

    Yay, picking mine up tomorrow from Walmart. Here in Boise, Idaho and only came accross one store who will have them in Early.

  • James

    Just picked one up at the walmart in norman, oklahoma after hitting 4 got lucky at that one. Had to buy it at full retail 500.00… but worth it :) it wasn’t in thier system yet.

  • phalosopher

    Well one of the Greensboro, NC Walmarts has them.. can’t speak on price or sale them to the 24th though..

  • Giddy

    I think they’ve gotten whiff of the error. Called 6 Wal-Marts. They know exactly what I’m talking about and saying they have them but not selling until Wednesday. Sigh…

  • whyhellomichael

    we have 8 at our tmo store and they WILL sell out pretty quickly

  • just some dʋde

    I saw some frame drops on that Transformers video, Crap phone.

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      You suffer from more than a few frame drops. Crap comment.

      • persephone

        ooooo.

        BURN.

      • DotNetCoderAZ

        LMFAO!

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      And hey… how did that demand for a public apology in the other thread work out for you? Have you filed that lawsuit yet. ;)

      I think I saw it in the fed filings:

      “Ima Mor On (aka Just Some Dud), Plaintiff vs. T-Mo News, the Internet and The World, Defendants.”

      • Wilma Flintstone

        Oh man Michael, How I’d LOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEE to be part of the Jury during that case. Oh that would be utter Bliss. :D

      • Joe Pa

        HILARIOUS!!!!

      • just some dʋde

        Settled in emails, worked out in my favor.

      • Wilma Flintstone

        GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!!!!!! He did it Judge, I witnessed it on the other Tmonews Forum!!!! Just Some Dude Did it!!! Chris said nothing of the sort Judge. I saw the whole thing. :P

  • ramoth62

    I, unfortunately, can attest that it is true that they managed to get an HD2 at a WalMart. They couldn’t sell it on contract because it is not in the system, but it would ring up for $500.00 if bought outright. Most people know not to sell it early, but also, unfortunately, 3rd shift is a a bunch of morons and sold it when the Connection Center was closed. :(

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      If local T-Mobile stores don’t know what’s going on with their own product launches, I don’t think it reasonable to expect a HUGE retail store to know what is what with a new cell phone.

      If I was working the counter I would not think I needed to call a supervisor to find out if I can sell a phone that’s looks available in a locked counter. If it’s in the display area and it rings up I figure it’s for sale just like everything else in the store.

      If anyone dropped the ball it would be the department head who put the phones into the locked counter and then did not at least put a Post-It note for all to see, something like “Do Not Sell, C Me.” The dept. head needed to do this for when, as happened here, the Connection Center is closed. He or she should have realized that a clerk might sell the phone simply because it’s there, with a price code, etc.

      Retail clerks are just that, clerks. I doubt they are morons.

      • ramoth62

        It was management, not retail clerks.

      • ramoth62

        And they shouldn’t be selling equipment when the people that work over there aren’t there.

      • ramoth62

        Also, they shouldn’t be selling items after the Connection Center is closed. There are also iPhones in the case that cannot be sold outright period. The cases are locked for more than one reason.

  • ramoth62

    The Connection Center in WalMart is not open at Midnight. They are only open until 9 Monday through Saturday and until 8 on Sunday.

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      Duly noted, I did not know it was management. I assumed when you said “third shift” that meant it was a clerk and the dept. head went home.

      In any event, this is one of the coolest “leaks” I have ever seen. :)

      That guy was playing Monopoly and he got one of those cards that said “Wal-Mart Error In Your Favor, Collect Your HD2.” That was a lucky guy.

  • waiting

    anyone ever get anything from signing up on the hd2 notify page? I’m still wondering the purpose of it..

    • gargoyle999

      Hell no…didn’t get anything. Probably will just get spam from it after T-Mobile sells the email addresses. Dumb…

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      I posted that question in a few threads over the past week. No one has responded, so like he said, signing up was a useless endeavor.

      I’d love for T-Mo to prove me wrong and send me a link to a special access page to buy the HD2 early, but that’s only gonna be in my dreams. :(

  • nutzareus

    Here’s a picture of HD2 box at Walmart. I took it 3 hours ago. Associate at this store said it’s not in the system so he cannot open the box or sell it. http://tweetphoto.com/15318257

  • Joe Pa

    I have 3 Walmarts in my area of San Diego, and all of them have the HD2s in their cases. But they also have stickers on them with individual numbers (1,2,3, etc), and all the workers already knew the deal. They can’t and won’t sell until the 24th they told me they would get in trouble. Anyways, it’s only a few day left anyways…..no biggie, it would have been nice though….LOL.

  • SirMac

    I just woke up from a nap and I truthfully had a dream about this phone. I cant wait until I have this puppy in my hands. My contract has been up since November and I’ve just been patiently waiting to have this in my possession.

  • JB6464

    Go to Bing.com and sign up. You can get the HD2 for 35% off ! That’s $292. for a killer phone and price.

    • oneandroid

      really.
      Could ya be a little more specific?

      • JB6464

        Log into Bing.com and then go shopping. Enter T-mobile in their search field,then at the top of the page it will show two catagory’s. One with T-mobile 35% discount and one with $50.00 cash back. Choose the top one that says 35% discount cash back. It will then take you to T-mobile’s website under phones. Then choose HTC/HD2. Right now it shows coming soon because it won’t release until the 24TH, but on the 24TH you can check out and get it with the discount.
        Bing will send you the 35% off after 60 days. So i believe you have to pay $449. upfront then you get the discount later. But hey,you get the phone for $292. after the 35% discount. Hoot-Hoot !

  • Ramon

    Wal-Mart in Aurora, CO, had them for sell. I went in hoping to purchase, but sadly upgrade wasn’t and option in the system, obviously because they weren’t supposed to be selling them yet. Coulda bought it for $500 outright, but wasn’t about to do that. I’ll wait till Wednesday.

    On a side note, the lady that was helping me said they’d been selling them for the past day or two… Craziness…

  • poopman

    i think im gonna wait a month or two before i get this phone, i need more info on battery life and other info.

  • HD2 HOTNESS

    All media smartphones (Iphone included) have a sh*tty battery life. Internet use just drains the battery. Use the charger and deal with it!

    • poopman

      obviously they have crappy battery life but i just want to see the initial impressions of lots of people after weeks of use.

  • Cannon2420

    @JB6464 thanks for the discount info but how can we take advantage of this

    • JB6464

      You have to go to Bing.com and sign up,it’s free. Then go shopping on their website. Enter T-mobile and it will bring up T-Mobile phones with 35% off cash back. Select it and go directly to T-mobile’s website and pick the phone. It will show it coming soon until it’s released on the 24TH. Then get it on the 24Th for $449.
      Bing will send you the 35% cash back after 60 days.So you will get it for $292.

    • JB6464

      See 5 posts above.

  • TsYd

    I have a questions please anyone help me if you can. I am currently on the loyalty plan with T-mobile with the 19.95 unlimited web/text plan which works with the iPhone. Will I still need to get the smart phone data plan for the HD2? I just talked to a rep and he told me I could still use it, he said they’ll just need to switch it to the windows mobile network.? While others have told me I can’t. Even at the the store the rep told me it should still work.. That would save me an extra 20$/mos if its true. Anyone knows the answer here? :-)

    • whyhellomichael

      if you get it at a discount, yes you will have to change, if buying outright no.

      • TsYd

        I’m not sure if it’ll make a difference buying it outright or with the full discount (which I am eligible for). But the unlimited smartphone data plan is $40 for text & web while I have the loyalty unlimited talk for 39.99 and unlimited text/web for $19.95 (which is my question) will I have to pay the extra $20 or if I can keep the data plan that I currently have?

      • johnny

        i work for t-mobile. if you change the plan to work with windows mobile, it will be $40 dollars for txt/web. the 19.95 plan will not work for windows mobile.

  • TsYd

    I’m sot sure if it’ll make a difference buying it outright or with the full discount (which I am eligible for). But the unlimited smartphone data plan is $40 for text & web while I have the loyalty unlimited talk for 39.99 and unlimited text/web for $19.95 (which is my question) will I have to pay the extra $20 or if I can keep the data plan that I currently have?

  • Cu2cool

    “wow, Jessica Simpson looks fat.” Lawl!

  • youdontknowme

    Just a heads up, if you’re in central New Jersey, come to the corporate T-mobile Store inside Menlo Mall on the 24th. We’re getting limited quantities of the HD2 Walk out of the store by paying only $75 for two HD2′s when doing a full upgrade and adding a line to your account, subject to account standing. Add a line to family plans for as little as 10$/month. Sounds good?

    Btw if you guys have any questions regarding the HD2. Let me know.

  • TsYd

    @youdontknowme, are you able to answer my question above? concerning the loyalty data plan of 19.95 for the HD2?

    • youdontknowme

      It’s been answered but I’ll answer it again. If you were to do an upgrade, then yes the current “old” data plan would be replaced with the newer one. However, if you were to buy the phone outright (which most corporate stores will not allow during launch), then no you can keep your current loyalty plan.

  • analog spirit

    Hi all,
    I really need a new phone, as my ancient BB 8320 Curve just isn’t cutting it anymore. I’m torn between the HD2 and the Nexus One, and I want to make an informed decision on which one to get… I really like them both. What are all the pros and cons of each, and how exactly do they compare against each other? If there’s already a thread in the forum somewhere about this, please let me know so I can go there…
    I should also point out that I have a 24″ iMac, so Mac compatibility is important to me. Is the HD2 Mac compatible at all (since it’s a WM phone)? Or would I have to go with a different phone? Thanks in advance…
    PEACE

    • youdontknowme

      Get the HD2, you will have less of a headache in the long run. Or Try the Blackberry 9700.

      For the average consumer hardware spec wise, it’s almost the same phone.

      Main difference is that HD2 comes with Windows Mobile 6.5 and the entertainment packages offered by T-mobile. The Nexus One runs the latest version of Google Android. Try the HD2 in store and see how you like that.

      HD2 is compatible with OS X. Syncing can be down through various free OS X applications. I.E. Syncmate

      • analog spirit

        Thank you; I plan on checking out the HD2 in the T-Mo store when it becomes available, which should be on Wednesday.
        Why would the HD2 be less of a headache in the long run? I’m asking because having only had experience with BlackBerries thus far, I admittedly don’t know much about either the WinMo 6.5 platform or Android, and I’m just trying to get a feel for both of them so I can ultimately decide which one would suit me best.
        Right now I’m leaning slightly more toward the HD2, as I don’t want to have to deal with another trackball (I’m tired of having my BB’s trackball stop rolling, and then having to disassemble it and clean it at least once a month!). That’s the only thing I don’t like about the N1; that trackball (plus the scary Google customer support-related issues I’ve been hearing about and dreading!). If it had a trackpad like the BB 9700 or the Desire, it’d be almost perfect for me. But now after seeing some more videos and reviews of the HD2, I’m really impressed with it and am leaning more toward it instead of the N1. I don’t think I could go too far wrong with either one…
        And thanks for the tip on Syncmate; I’ll look into it.

      • analog spirit

        BTW, I’ve already looked at the BB 9700, and while it’s a nice device as far as BBs go, I really want a bigger screen, as I’m tired of squinting to see my 8320′s little screen. The 9700′s screen is no bigger than my old 8320′s (tho the resolution and camera are way better), and the keyboard, while usable, still feels pretty cramped for my big hands. That’s why I wish RIM would’ve made it the same size as the old 9000 (I liked the 9000′s big keyboard; it was so much easier for me to type on than the one on my 8320. I wish T-Mo would’ve had it!). So, I think the HD2′s size would be just right for me.

    • ItsMichaelNotMike

      I have used both platforms. I will be getting the HD2 to go back to WinMo 6.5 with the HTC Sense interface. (I lost it when I sold my Touch Pro2.)

      I’d go with the HD2 simply because WinMo has a huge community (from its 11 years in existence)and there’s lots more you can do with it.

      I like the level of customization that WinMo has and really enjoy the HTC Sense shell. And with WinMo 6.5.x Microsoft has shifted to a touchscreen based interface rather than the old and tired drop down menu.

      The downside is that Android is a blast. It has a lot of fun apps that are free and they can be downloaded, installed and tried out almost instantly.

      MS has Marketplace but it is not anything close to anyone’s market on the other platforms. But in time MS Marketplace will be fine too.

      However, in lieu of Marketplace there’s lots of free apps that pop up on the WinMo forums and developer sites. You just have to go look for them which is not a bad thing depending on your point of view.

      Lastly, the HTC Sense interface has the same offerings as other platforms in terms of using Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. So if social networking is high on your list of smartphone use, HTC Sense has you covered.

      Oh, I am not too sure if Android has it, but the HD2 will have MobiTV. For $10 a month you can have live TV on your HD2. That is a very important feature for me since I want to cut the Comcast cable TV cord. I mostly watch MSNBC and the news, both those are available on the HD2 using MobiTV. By cutting out Comcast I will save $150 a month.

      Cutting the Comcast cord is going to save me $1800 a year. That alone is worth the price of admission on getting the HD2. (Comcast was a rip-off anyway. I had HBO and there’s hardly any movies on it nowadays, it’s all TV series and older movies. I remember when new releases at the video store were also on HBO, no longer.)

      And while I currently use Netflix for new release movies, I might look at BlockBuster that comes with the HD2 (for extra charge, of course). Eventually Netflix will have streaming to WinMo, I suspect, so I might wait for that.

      Like MobiTV I am not sure if Android has streaming movies like will be available with the HD2. So consider that too if movies on your smartphone is a feature you might like.

      Oh, on form factor that’s a matter of personal taste. I like the looks and design of the N1, but IMHO the HD2 is the hottest looking smartphone to date. And the specs can’t be beat. For me the biggest draw is the gorgeous 4.3″ display. While the N1 has about the same size display as my Touch Pro2 (3.6″) all things being equal, I’ll always go with the phone with the huge display.

      That’s my take on a decision. Let us know what you decide.

      • analog spirit

        Thanks, Michael.
        That helped a lot. The lack of apps isn’t a huge deal for me, as I’m not that into most of the social networking and enterainment-related stuff in there; I’ve only ever downloaded, like, 2 or 3 apps in my BB that I actually use, besides the native ones, and I have no music or videos on my BB. I tend to use my phone primarily as a communication device, and then everything else is secondary, if that. I just don’t have time to use most of that other stuff anyway. But maybe someday I will; we’ll see…
        MobiTV sounds awesome, tho I’m not that big on watching a lot of video/movies on my phone (yet), and, again, I’m not that into the entertainment-related aspects of the phone, but who knows? Maybe once I get a phone that’s capable of supporting all those cool apps, I’ll end up using them a lot more than I do now. There’s only so much I can do right now with my antiquated 8320! I really like the fact that the HD2 has an FM antenna, so I can listen to the radio (I don’t think the N1 has that feature, does it?).
        Had it not been for all the scary customer service-related issues I’ve been hearing about with the N1, I probably would’ve gotten one of those a long time ago. But all the issues with Google and its support (or lack thereof) of the N1 has given me 2nd and 3rd thoughts about it (and that trackball, which I’m trying to get away from in my next phone)…
        I feel where you’re coming from about Android; I haven’t been able to mess around with an N1, as they don’t carry them in stores, but I did get to see one briefly at work; one of my co-workers just got it and showed me it. I really like the screen resolution and the speed of it; I wish he would’ve had time to show me it further.
        But I did go to a VZW store just to look at a Droid, as I’d been wanting to get my hands on an Android device (my 1st time!), and I figured that the Droid’s 2.0 was close enough to the N1′s 2.1 for me to at least get a good idea of what the Android platform is really like. So I took a Droid for a spin for about a half-hour (how time flew when I was having fun!)… Overall, I was really impressed by the whole Android experience. It was vastly superior to my old phone. I was thinking, “This is like Star Wars technology compared to my BB 8320!” I just didn’t like the Droid’s physical keyboard (too flat) and the slider form factor. But to each their own, I guess…
        As far as WM goes, so far I’ve never used any WinMo devices, so I can’t really comment on them. I’ve been hearing mostly bad stuff about WM phones in general, but I’d be open to having a WM 6.5 phone as long as it works right, and I can find a way to make it work with my iMac (SyncMate duly noted). That Sense UI looks pretty nice and user-friendly so far…
        Since I like the HD2′s form factor on the one hand, and the Android OS on the other, I was thinking that if only the HD2 could run Android, then it’d be the ideal phone for me, and I’d definitely get one without a doubt… I heard somewhere that the HD2 actually is capable of running Android, with the appropriate mods and know-how (which I lack, so I won’t even try it), but I’d be really interested in putting Android on an HD2 once it becomes feasible without bricking the phone (tho it’d probably void the warranty, which I’d prefer not to do on such an expensive device)…
        And yes, I’ll let you guys know if and when I get one or the other, and what I think of it (whichever one I end up getting). Sorry for the small book of a post I’ve written here!
        Thanks again for all the helpful info thus far…
        PEACE

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