HTC's next-gen Android flagship phone to debut Feb 2010
With or without a Qwerty array?
The head of HTC's Swedish operations has said the company will unveil the 'Hero 2' smartphone in February 2010 and ship the Android-based handset soon after.
The gen comes by way of IDG's Swedish-language newssite. According to the executive, one Patrik Andersson, the second-gen Hero will be announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC), a phone trade show that kicks off in Barcelona on 15 February.
Register Hardware will be there, of course.
Andersson didn't say anything about the device's name or about its specifications.
HTC is believed to be working on a handset codenamed 'Passion' - possibly that's its go-to-market name too - which combines Android 2.0 with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a 3.5in OLED display.
Passion may be 'Hero 2' or it may not be. Certainly, there's talk that one HTC Android smartphone due to debut at MWC will sport a slide-out Qwerty keyboard, a feature missing from Hero. ®
HTC Handset Reviews
Hero
Touch HD 2
Tattoo
Touch 2
COMMENTS
Beg to differ
Why does a slide out Qwerty keyboard have to be a missing feature? For me that's an improvement. I like using on screen keyboards, they're just as fast once you get used to them, don't wear out and enable the phone to be slimmer and lighter than it otherwise would be.
I'm an iPhone 3G user at present with a contract break coming up at the end of January, but I'm not going to automatically upgrade to a 3GS. I'm going to hang on and see what this new Hero with - possibly - Android 2.1 looks like before I make my next choice. But if it comes with a slide out keyboard I won't even bother.
@Renato
Oh yeah, cause WinMo is really fast, doesnt hog resources, doesnt crash every 10 minutes etc.
I've owned an Android phone for just over a month now, and I've been using WinMo phones for years prior to the switch. The Hero is a huge improvement. I now no longer have to pretend my phone is good - it just is good.
WinMo
I still prefer getting a WinMo mobile than a fscking resource hog (aka Java) based phone.
Grenade - what you need to kill JavaVMs eating nearly all your RAM
@So soon
Given the HD2 is a WinMo handset, it's not surprising HTC are bringing out a similar spec Android handset.
Let's just hope it's a good looking one, because all the previous Android handsets by HTC have looked completely naff. I was seriously thinking I might have to buy the Sony Xperia x10 (even though I hate Sony for everything except the PS3)
@Macka
I'm in the same situation as you - iPhone 3G contract ending in January. My plan is to hop over to O2's unlimited texts and internet PAYG plan for a while, and then see what comes out this summer.
I won't even consider a phone that comes with a physical keyboard. For me it's the fact that after a short period of typing my fingers start to hurt due to the pressure required to push the keys - capacitive touchscreen keyboards have won me over because they don't require any pressure.
The Hero is a contender... although I would prefer a phone less festooned with face buttons.
