HTC HD2 is a multi-OS phone

The HTC HD2 is one of the very first smartphones to have a huge 4.3″ screen. Codenamed Leo, this phone was released around the world in Q4 of 2009 running the now obsolete Windows Mobile 6.5. The excellent hardware brought forth rumours that this phone will be upgraded to the latest Wndows Phone 7 OS, but unfortunately around March of 2010, it has been confirmed that HD2 will never be upgraded. This left quite a number of consumers stuck with a smartphone running on a dying OS, discontented that the superb hardware will never be able to achieve anything greater than a mere Windows 6.5. More than a year later, thanks to the open community of programmers, the HTC HD2 proudly runs numerous phone OS and even desktop OS, such as:

• original Windows 6.5
• Android
• Ubuntu
• Windows 95
• Windows Phone 7 (WP7)

I’ll briefly run through all the OS which runs on this phone and how to get them running with suitable references and links.

Windows 6.5

Level: Easy

Just switch your stock HD2 on and this is the OS you get. There’s even an update to 6.5.3 if you ever desire it. Development from software companies has come to a complete stop the moment Microsoft announced their plans for the WP7. The only development comes from the open community such as XDA. At the point Windows 6.5 stopped, the amount of apps available are enough for daily use and you’ll only be stuck mostly on Microsoft online services. With Google growing greatly,  it’s being left out of most Google online services.

 

Android

There are two different ways to run Android on your HTC HD2:

From SD Card, Level: Medium

First of all, you need to check the version of Radio ROM on your HD2. It appears on the white screen with the HTC logo when you’ve just switched on the phone. The minimum should be 2.08. Then download a few Android OS files onto a folder in your SDCARD. Boot into Windows 6.5, look inside the folder and click on the two launcher, called CLRCAD.EXE and HARET.EXE. Just wait patiently as the Android OS loads. For the full steps (including if you do not have a minimum radio ROM of 2.08), refer this post. Everytime you reboot your phone, you will return to Windows 6.5.

From phone internal memory (NAND), Level: Hard

This step will complete copy all the Android OS files into your phone’s internal flash memory or also referred to as NAND, where the original OS files for Windows 6.5 are located. This step requires connecting your phone to the computer and formatting (or the official term: flashing) your phone. Extra caution is required not to disrupt the process (such as PC not responding, power outage, disconnecting the phone USB before fully flashed), else your phone might not work. Once this is done, your phone will automatically boot into Android without going through Windows Mobile. Read the written tutorial here first to understand the steps and prepare what you need and watch the video tutorial here to see a demo of how it is done.

 

Ubuntu

Level: Medium

Android is essentially a version of Linux and so is Ubuntu. Similar to Android, Linux is able to run on the HD2 with the correct drivers. Installation of Ubuntu is also similar to Android running from a SD card, which requires file to be executed on the phone via Windows Mobile. Refer the thread here for more info. Noone can really expect Ubuntu to run as a smartphone OS, but this is fun to try since the steps are not so much different from Android.

 

Windows 95

Level: Easy

You know you are extremely geeky,  and you wish to impress you friends with endless possibilities of what can be done on smartphone. Therefore, you should see Windows 95 running on the HD2. This is possible with a emulator called QEMU. Just copy QEMU onto the SDcard and execute it from within Windows Mobile 6.5 and it will load an image file of WIndows 95 from the specific folder. Click here for a video demonstration. If you really want this OS as well, go to this page for more info.

Windows Phone 7

Level: Hard

The HD2’s hardware will not allow it to be denied to chance to run WP7, no matter what Microsoft says. The HD2 hardware is still on par with many late 2010 high end smartphones and are even better than most middle range smartphones. The step is rather similar to running Android from the phone internal memory (NAND). Instead of Android OS files, WP7 OS files are flashed onto the internal memory. Watch HD2 running WP7 here, and check this page for download info.

There you have it, five different OS running on your once abandoned HD2. If you are tired of Windows 6.5, my recommendation is to try Android on HD2 because

• Android runs of many different phones with different hardware, some having slower CPU speed and less ram than the HD2. The HD2 definitely has the right hardware to run Android.
• Developers have been running Android on HD2 much longer than WP7, therefore it is more stable and has less bugs.
• Android currently has more apps on the Android Market compared to WP7 so you would not be bored trying new games and apps. Have fun.

White HTC Desire

Some of you might have seen the original HTC Desire before, it’s brown, black, mocha or some shade of chocolate, but the colour is boring like other dark coloured smartphones. So wait till you get a load of this:

Images from Slashgear

It’s a WHITE HTC DESIRE. If you are a strictly white only person, you’ll probably like this. You can get one this weekend from 7 to 9th of January 2011 at Digital Mall, PJ. Just look for a shop called Fresh Gear. It’s priced at RM1999 and u get a 8gb memory card and car holder bundled. Better hurry, they say it’s limited edition.

If you decide to drop by, check out what other promotion are going on at Digital Mall PJ on their site.

Windows Phone runs on HTC HD2

The newest and latest Windows Phone OS runs on the HTC HD2 as seen advertised here by HTC Malaysia on our RapidKL LRT trains. Also seen on the HTC ‘decorated’ LRT coach is a mention of the HTC HD mini (below the window on the upper left corner of the picture) and also the HTC Touch 2 (partial picture on the right).  Do both the phones comes with the new Windows Phone software as well?

Unfortunately, the answer is actually NO. Windows Phone OS DOES NOT run on the HTC HD2, HD mini and Touch 2. This is obviously a misleading ad by HTC. You don’t see computer manufacturers advertise a Pentium 3 computer beside a Windows Vista logo, do you? These three older phones (around 1 year old, give and take) actually run the older (and obsolete) Windows Mobile 6.5. I assure you that not once does Windows Mobile 6.5 logo appear on the same train.

Currently, the latest phones with Windows Phone (7) which are available on the market are the:

• HTC HD7 on Maxis[source]

• HTC 7 Mozart on DiGi[source]

• LG Optimus 7 on Celcom[source]

So, don’t be mislead by anything you see advertised by mobile phone brands (and also telcos) nowdays. Phones are gaining momentum and are gaining popularity as mobile computers that they’ll tell you anything to make a sale.

Best Phones of 2010

Christmas is here, christmas is here…typically the time of the year when telcos will be in a merry mood and give promotions on their phone prices (hopefully). Not sure of which to get? Check out recommendations from Steve himself on the Phones Show 127. A slight warning though, non of these phones are below the RM1000 mark.  To summarize:

• Media creator: Nokia N8  (for the high resolution 12mp camera and xenon flash)
• Communications junkie: HTC Desire HD  (for the huge screen and HTC sense with integrated social networks. I was personally expecting something with a hardware keyboard though)
• Hardcore gamer: iPhone 4  (iOS has the best mobile games around)
• Media consumer: Nokia N8  (for HDMI out to connect to your TV and USB OTG that reads most USB mass storage devices)
• Work addict: Nokia E7 or HTC Desire Z?  (No suitable phone yet actually)
• Tech enthusiast/Hacker:  Google Nexus One  (Updates, updates and more updates, plus hackability. Still more solid and well made than the new Nexus S)
• Web-a-holic: HTC Desire HD  (for the big screen, plus flash support)
• Normobs (normal mobile users): iPhone 3GS  (the best of the iPhone 4, with a affordable price)

Actual YouTube video below,  phone recommendations start at 1:21.

HTC Desire HD on DiGi Smartplan

You’re on Digi and you waited so long to get a big chunky sexy phone?

Wait no longer, DiGi has finally revealed price plans for HTC’s biggest screen Android phone yet.

The retail price is RM2299, but is available for discounted prices of RM1699 and RM1399 under 12 and 24 months contract respectively.

[source]

I bet a lot of people are excited because this is officially going to be DiGi’s first high end Android smartphone. Previously they only carried smaller phones such as the HTC Legend and HTC Aria, not to forget the Garmin A10. Previously all of the big screen and high end Android phones would go to Maxis, eg:  Samsung Galaxy S, Sony Ericsson X10, etc bla bla bla.

Both the HTC Desire HD and the Desire Z are released at the same time, and at the same price of RM2299 (unbelievable). Seems like Maxis has enough of big screens and decided to get something different instead, the HTC Desire Z, which is the slide out QWERTY version. High end QWERTY Android phones are not very common. For example, the only one i can remember right now is the Milestone from Motorola (or known as the Droid in US).  So Maxis has made a smart move by grabbing the rare keyboard Desire Z and left the DiGi users to enjoy the Desire HD.