Loading ...At least for the time being, HTC has “announced” that the company has no plan in producing a Touch HD with US 3G support. Posted in their twitter account, HTC says that although you would not see Touch HD in US so soon, but there are other “cool stuff” being prepared for US.
This device is the first one that really deserves the title of an iPhone killer. It feels as nice as Apple, but it’s Windows Mobile. I could test it for a review in German:
HTC Touch HD Testbericht
http://www.areamobile.de/tests/HTC_Touch_HD/teil_I.php
We at Areamobile.de also made a video about the HTC Touch HD with English subtitles. To switch them on, please click the red button down right in the Youtube video player. You can find it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHLOYDgwhkE
Pride or no Pride, the Europeans and the Asians have such better cell networks and phones then we have. I am not understanding why our cell providers cannot support the same frequencies and we can just use all these great devices anywhere we want.
It is truly a bummer that great devices like the Samsung i900 Omnia and this phone will not be released soon as a US version. These are the phone I have been looking for and these are the phones we need. The iPhone is a failed attempt to match these devices. It is like with Video 2000 and VHS, VHS won the battle, but not because it is the better system, it was marketed better.
So people, stop calling all these phones the iPhone killer. Over 60% of all the people who bought the iPhone are very disappointed in it because it cannot handle simple tasks like copy/paste, MMS and many more things like that. Not even talking about that 3G drops all the time. Any phone 3 years ago can beat the iPhone on lots of functionality.
HTC, you have converted almost all your phones to our US frequencies, why not this one? Eventually there is a great device that everybody would love and now you stop converting it? Almost sounds like apple is paying you to do it so they sell their phone here and pretend for it to be that good.
Very sad, I am hugely disappointed in you.
The Dark Lord
The reason that US don’t have good cell phone and network:
1. FCC don’t want to get involved with frequency war. Anyone can sue FCC but FCC can’t sue nobody. Then we have 3G 1900Mhz, 3G 1700Mhz or 3G whatever frequencies except 2100Mhz. Basically, nothing is compatible. In order to fully support US market, cell phone vendors just need to have 10 variations for one US market. One the other hand, one phone, all EU and most of Asia are covered. So. what will you do if you are CEO of samsung.
2. Carriers can lock you in with proprietary bandwidth and phone. It’s chicken and egg. Since cell phone companies can’t (or don’t) have 10 variations for US market. They have to sign deal with some US carriers. Besides, Americans are used to huge subsidy from carries. It’s hard to break. Here is the whole cycles.
- Few people will pay $800 for a good phone. So, you only pay $200 upfront. (other $600 will go to ATT by contract. then of course, it goes to Apple eventually. You didn’t save anything.) and after 2 years, you are not going to switch carrier, especially on the lucrative business market. Com’on, do you really want to change 2000 phones in your companies at the same time?
- For cell companies, it’s not economical to have so many variations just for US. Besides, no one will pay big lump sum upfront. So, why bother, just sign with ATT or Verizon and give them whatever they think easy to sell.
- From ATT (or others) point of view. If you want iPhone, or Touch HD or whatever fancy toy. You will need to stay with me for at least 2 years, most likely more than that. I have steady revenue for next 2 years by subscription. Revenue is predictable and both I and Apple got your wallet anyway. you suckers.
So, US got lousy phones, lousy systems and can only admire why US can’t do it as other countries.
Here is how the other countries work.
- Since only one spec., carrier can’t really lock in any customers just by their proprietary bandwidth like US. Carriers can ask you to sign one or two years contract, but if they charge too high on plan, most likely customer will leave after contract expired. So they can’t subsidize the phone too much. Only thing they can do is to lower the plan fee to keep customers.
- cell companies can directly market to customers. They don’t care much about carriers. Just make sure to get the best and latest phone to market. It’s similar to TV. Sony just need to do best TV they can do. They don’t care if it’s Comcast or DirectTV. You pay for the best TV, get the lowest rate from content provider. and life is easy.
- You pay high upfront fee for phone. But your plans are much cheaper. You didn’t earn anything, but didn’t lose anything either. Besides, you got to choose the most fancy phone you can afford and make the Americans jealous.
I blame very thing on the no spine FCC. They always claim competition can bring the lowest cost. It won’t happen in special market segment. Thinks about this way, if Fax has 20 different specs. and not compatible. What’s the worth of your Fax machines.