• HTC Sensation
• HTC Sensation XL
• HTC Sensation XE
• HTC Rezound*
• HTC EVO 3D
•  HTC EVO Design 4G*
• HTC Amaze 4G*

Official statement from HTC:

HTC knows how excited our fans are to get their hands on Google’s latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, so we’re thrilled today to announce the first wave of HTC phones that will receive upgrades.

According to the release, more HTC Android devices may likely get the ICS update soon:

We’re continuing to assess our product portfolio, so stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Ice Cream Sandwich.

Source

Users of the newest Android handsets will get a bonus 3GB of storage in addition to the standard 2GB of free storage offered by Dropbox to all users.

Dropbox is a cloud storage service that lets users sync files across PCs and mobile devices.

For now, the only smartphone running HTC Sense 3.5 is the recently announced Rhyme. WindowsPhone devices from HTC will not be getting this service, as Microsoft’s cloud service, SkyDrive, is already embedded into the OS.

Some quick specifications:

• Released June 2011
• 2.6 inch, 480 x 320 pixel, TFT capacitive touchscreen, with Gorilla Glass
• Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 800 MHz processor
• HTC Sense 2.1 UI
• 512 MB RAM
• QWERTY keyboard
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
• 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash

In hand, the ChaCha gives the impression of a well-built device. It felt really sturdy. The QWERTY keyboard is very usable with large keys and good tactile feedback. I do think that the placement of the Facebook button is off though.

I also loved the user interface – lots of white space in a clean, elegant way.

Typical of HTC devices, audio reproduction was tinny. I did a comparison with the N8 for a few people present and the difference was as clear as night and day. If HTC’s reputation is anything to go by, I wouldn’t bet on the camera shining either. HTC has never stood out in the multimedia space. If interested in multimedia, you are better off with a Nokia, Apple, Sony Ericsson or Samsung device.

I enjoyed the short time that I spent with the ChaCha. It is a lovely QWERTY device. Here are some pictures:

The QWERTY keyboard feels good and works well

The menu - clean. I am a sucker for clean, neat UIs with lots of white space

Web browsing

Music player on the HTC ChaCha. Tinny speakers spoil the experience.

The camera interface

The rear of the ChaCha

The ChaCha is in the same price range and class as the Nokia E6, another QWERTY candybar. Audio music quality apart, I’d take this one over the E6.

Samsung are investing more in their own OS, BadaOS. Not to be left out, HTC are also considering buying their own OS, though no concrete steps have been taken in that direction.

As I suspected, all those public statements of solidarity were just PR. The game has changed, and individual manufacturers must adjust.

• Android OS 2.2.
• 4.3-inch capacitive display.
• 1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset
• 1.5 GB internal memory
• 768 MB RAM
• 8 megapixel camera with Dual LED Flash

HTC 7 Mozart

• Windowsphone 7.
• 3.7-inch capacitive display.
• 1 GHz processor
• 8 GB internal storage, 576 MB RAM
• 8 megapixel camera with Xenon Flash

Reserve Price
Reserve price for each device is N69,900.00.

Both devices are brand new and in perfect working condition, but the sales boxes are open.

You can submit your bid by posting in the comments section. Please include your GSM number, so that we can contact you if necesarry.

The highest bid for each device wins. If there is only one bidder on a device, that individual wins.

Bidding is open to individuals based anywhere within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

• Preferred bidders must pay for and collect the specific phone from our office in Ojodu (not Ogudu), Lagos within 48 hours of announcement of a winner.
• Alternatively, a successful bidder resident outside Lagos can pay by bank deposit into a designated bank account and also arrange for the phone to be sent to him by courier at his own cost and bearing all risks associated with delivery.
• If a preferred bidder fails to meet the deadline, the next highest bidder will be contacted to pick up the particular phone.

The bidding is now on.

Yes; it is the HTC HD7 monster.

The first thing that will arrest your attention with the HD7 is the size. This is huge. Next up is the display – 4.3 inches of capacitive goodness is irresistible. You sort of love the phone immediately. That is until you find out that it is actually best defined more by what it cannot do than what it can. Take a look at the long list of wantings:

1. No copy/paste
2. No multitasking
3. No Bluetooth file transfers
4. No USB mass storage mode
5. No internet tethering
6. No Flash support in the browser
7. No video calls
8. No DivX/XviD video support

The list of missing features almost gives me a headache, and I actually developed one when I really started using the device. It is almost unbelievable. Leaving an app means that it is closed, so forget about multitasking.

Still, the HD7 is impressive in lots of other ways. Take a look at the specifications:

• Windows Phone 7 operating system
• 1GHz Snapdragon Processor
• 576MB RAM
• 4.3″ capacitive LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) and HSUPA (2Mbps)
• 8GB Built-in storage
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging only)
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash
• 720p video recording
• Dolby Mobile and SRS sound enhancement
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• Office document editor
• Facebook integration
• Built-in A-GPS receiver
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Kickstand

First Impressions

Getting my mails, contacts and calendar onto the device was a joy. I simply set up my Google-based email account and the HD7 synced everything flawlessly.

Getting anything else – music, videos, et al – onto the device has been a royal pain in the butts. You see, there’s no USB mass storage mode. There’s no Bluetooth file transfer. I am yet to download the Zune software that enables PC synchronisation. But why do I have to do that in this day and age?

I like some parts of this device, and I am absolutely stumped by others. The user interface is nice, but so limited that it feels like a hybrid monster to me. Also, that display is a fingerprint mega magnet – and the fingerprints hinder your viewing pleasure, especially in sunlight.

But I am so, so tempted by that email app and the web browser. More detailed reviews coming in after I have used the HD7 more extensively.

HTC
HTC took the spotlight with five (5) devices announced. They include:

1. HTC 7 Surround: 3.8″ display. Features a Dolby Mobile system with SRS WOW HD sound. Exclusive to AT&T in the US
2. HTC 7 Mozart: 3.7″ display. 8 megapixel camera. Built from a single piece of aluminum.
3. HTC 7 Trophy: a 3.8″ display
4. HTC HD7: 4.3″ display. T-Mobile.
5. HTC 7 Pro: slide-out QWERTY keyboard. For Sprint

Samsung
Samsung have two devices in their WP7 lineup:

1. Samsung i8700 Omnia 7 – 4″ Super AMOLED screen
2. Samsung Focus for AT&T – 4″ Super AMOLED screen. Has microSD slot.

LG
LG also has two (2) devices announced:

1. Optimus 7 – 3.8″ display
2. Optimus 7Q – 3.5″ with QWERTY keyboard

Dell
Surprise, surprise! Dell throws in the Dell Venue Pro, a vertical slider with a QWERTY keyboard, 4.1″ AMOLED display with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass.

This is quite a show of force for Windowsphone 7 at launch. It is certainly a more spectacular launch compared to Android’s launch with just the T-mobile G1. Can WP7 wip up the frenzy required to push it into contention in the mobile smartphone market?

I am hoping so, if only for the sake of competition.

While an awesome device, the N900 has been somewhat crippled by the smaller capacity battery (1320 mAh) that Nokia fitted it with. It is passable, but somewhere along the line, it will get to you.

In my extreme test, the N900 shut down after two hours.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see how well the HTC Touch Pro2 with its 1500 mAh would do. I left home at 6.45a.m. with a 95% battery charge, and kept a Bluetooth headset connection active all the way on a 2-hour journey to Ilaro. The Bluetooth connection was also active on the return journey of another 2 hours.

Meanwhile, the TP2 was connecting to my email server every 5 minutes. I managed three calls and a handful of SMSs. At Ilaro, I also took 18 pictures.

On return to Lagos, I headed straight to church and then to my sister’s place. I didn’t get home till after 5p.m., and I had 30% battery power left. Running the N900 with 5-minute email connections alone would have killed the battery hours before this time. To get through the day, I had to make do with setting the N900 to connect every at intervals of 15, 30 or 60 minutes, depending on the circumstances.

This morning, I gave the TP2 an extreme test – with 5-minute email connections over a 3G network, 10 SMSes, two calls running into 10 minutes, plus watching a 1 hour 37 minute movie, Unthinkable, on the TP2.

Well, after all that, I still had 40% power left. Thereafter I had to dash out. Certainly, the TP2 battery life is looking very good compared to the N900′s. Not bad for a device with a 3.6-inch display and very loud speakers.

Summary
Right off the bat -

1. N900 has the better camera
2. N900 has better built-in web browser – MicroB (also has the best 3rd party browser – Firefox Mobile)
3. N900 has better internal memory – 32GB
4. N900 has a 3.5mm audio jack
5. N900 has more vibrant display

On the other hand –

1. TP2 has the better keyboard
2. TP2 has the better battery life
3. TP2 has better and louder stereo speakers
4. TP2 has built-in full Office editing suite
5. TP2 has a slightly larger display
6. TP2 is slightly more compact and lighter

Your Choice?
If you were presented with an opportunity to own either of the devices, looking at the table and summary of advantages above, which of them will be your choice?

Sounds impressive.

Specifications:
Size: 122 x 66 x 13 mm
Display: 4.3-inch, 480 x 800 pixels, TFT Capacitive
Processor: 1GHz Snapdragon
Network: CDMA / 1xEV-DO rev.A; 4G WiMAX; 802.16e: 2500MMz
Integrated 4G radio with hotspot capability to share with up to eight devices
OS: Android 2.1 with New HTC Sense user interface
Camera: 8 megapixel Dual LED Autofocus camera with Digital zoom
Video Capture: 1280×720 (720p HD)
Navigation: A-GPS
3.5mm audio jack

The in-thing now seems to be monster-sized smartphones. A few years back, everyone was trying to miniaturise phones, but the touchscreen craze seems to have reversed that trend. Now, it seems, the bigger and meaner-looking, the better.

Thanks to the heads-up from Johnny.

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