HTC Holiday w/ 4.5" screen renders Evo 3D Obsolete? discuss here.

[partridge]

I agree, you could, the specs (ignoring 3D) are almost identical, but not quite.

HTC EVO 3D - Full phone specifications

HTC Sensation - Full phone specifications

 

[jerofld]

AT&T always has the coolest phone in my opinion... unfortunately you have to be on "the devils cell phone carrier" to use them. I just don't understand how AT&T continues to have the worst service in the country and continue to get the premier phones at release.

Money, some really good connections in the handset manufacturing business, VZW management being really stupid (well, when it came to iPhone), and more money.

As for the possibility of the Holliday being 3D...meh. I'm not getting the E3D just because it's 3D. I'm getting it because I want to switch to Sprint. So what if it has .2" more on the screen. That just means it's more likely not to fit in pockets.

 

[partridge]

I get the feeling that in the US it is very common for handsets to be exclusive to a single network? In the UK there is sometimes a small exclusivity window, but generally most handsets are available on all networks.

It must be very frustrating to see a great handset only to find it's tied to a telco you aren't on or don't want to use. What if you bought the handset outright, would it work on all networks?

 

[Putty]

Damn man...a 4.5" screen..I may have to leave Sprint for this one. Personally I don't give a shet about 3D. I don't record video with my current phone and I am not excited with all this 3D crap!
I left ATT iPhone to get the Evo. I had no issues with their service. I will gladly go back for a better device.

 

[jerofld]

I get the feeling that in the US it is very common for handsets to be exclusive to a single network? In the UK there is sometimes a small exclusivity window, but generally most handsets are available on all networks.

It must be very frustrating to see a great handset only to find it's tied to a telco you aren't on or don't want to use. What if you bought the handset outright, would it work on all networks?

Yes, it is like this. Part of it is due to exclusivity deals (iPhone is the best example of that). The other part is that each carrier has slightly different radios. Add to that, even if the radios are compatible, there's a bit of reflashing you need to do to convert it. And it is risky, from what I read, to perform the reflash to convert it to another carrier.

 

[CanDMan]

I get the feeling that in the US it is very common for handsets to be exclusive to a single network? In the UK there is sometimes a small exclusivity window, but generally most handsets are available on all networks.

It must be very frustrating to see a great handset only to find it's tied to a telco you aren't on or don't want to use. What if you bought the handset outright, would it work on all networks?

Not just a feeling, a sad reality. Mobile phone companies in the US write exclusive deals with manufacturers to try to get the hottest selling phone and pull subscribers away from the competition.

Buying a handset at full price isn't always possible because of the different frequencies used by the different companies. There is some overlap, but certainly not guaranteed.

 

[CanDMan]

I don't think any phone release will render this obsolete in the coming months. It'll still be a useful phone that beats the pants off of most handsets currently in the hands of the masses. Will it be the 'most powerful' out there? Can't really say I care. I will accept it as a sweet step up from my current phone and then consider my options 2 years later.

 

[BigMamma]

Not just a feeling, a sad reality. Mobile phone companies in the US write exclusive deals with manufacturers to try to get the hottest selling phone and pull subscribers away from the competition.

Buying a handset at full price isn't always possible because of the different frequencies used by the different companies. There is some overlap, but certainly not guaranteed.

The frequency statement isn't true. You can use a GSM phone on any GSM carrier. And you can use a CDMA phone on any carrier. If what you said was true you wouldn't be able to travel overseas and use your cell phone in different countries. The carriers restrict phones on their network. I have traveled overseas and used my CDMA cell phone in Asia. But I had an international calling plan. Roaming overseas is expensive.

 

[CanDMan]

The frequency statement isn't true. You can use a GSM phone on any GSM carrier. And you can use a CDMA phone on any carrier. If what you said was true you wouldn't be able to travel overseas and use your cell phone in different countries. The carriers restrict phones on their network. I have traveled overseas and used my CDMA cell phone in Asia. But I had an international calling plan. Roaming overseas is expensive.

It's my understanding that GSM and CDMA are incompatible with each other. Am I incorrect in this? Is it merely that phone carriers restrict at the device level? I'm not entirely convinced. I've heard of so called world phones which have the ability to communicate on either technology but that is not the same as saying that a GSM phone can operate on CDMA and vice versa.

Anyone care to further clarify?

**Edit **

-- my original statement spoke of frequency differences where I assumed that CDMA and GSM worked on different frequencies (though I didn't name technologies), This may well be an incorrect assumption on my part, i'll investigate and update.

**Update **

-- CDMA and GSM are the encoding methods/protocols used on cellular signals, not the signals themselves, so my understanding on that is clarified.

http://gizmodo.com/5637136/giz-explains-gsm-vs-cdma Here is a helpful link with additional information.

 

[EarlyMon]

The 3D part appears to be an incorrect interpretation of "dual eight-megapixel and 1.3-megapixel cameras"...meaning two cameras in total, not two 8MP. A more recent article from same site says "...Holiday features a 1.3-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera." (The second link you reference uses the article from your first link as a source, so they probably screwed up the 3D too...I messed up to the first time I read it).

And the source for Pocketnow (you link) is 911sniper - a pretty helpful source.

The Holiday is not a 3D phone - thread renamed rather than locked for those who want to debate AT&T vs Sprint, etc etc etc.

 

[falconey]

Damn man...a 4.5" screen..I may have to leave Sprint for this one. Personally I don't give a shet about 3D. I don't record video with my current phone and I am not excited with all this 3D crap!
I left ATT iPhone to get the Evo. I had no issues with their service. I will gladly go back for a better device.

You'd switch carriers for .2" more screen?

 

[EarlyMon]

HTC just announced the Holiday 3D on at&t. Surprisingly its superior to a phone they announced, but havent even released yet, the Evo 3D. This phone is going to have an edge on the Evo 3D. It runs Android 2.3.4, has dual 8MP cameras, 3D 720p recording, 1080p 2D recording, a dual 1.2 or 1.5 ghz processor (not sure but it's a more recent one than the Evo 3D's), front facing 1.3 MP camera, and a 4.5" qHD resolution glasses free 3D display.

Single 8 MP, as stated here many times, but more importantly - it will have the same 8660 SoC as the Evo 3D, according to the blogs - odd, tho, as GSM phones tend to save a buck by using the 8260 (GSM control only, as opposed to both GSM and CDMA).

The next step up from the 8x60 will be the APQ8064 quad-core and those won't be out for a while yet.

Mobile Processors | Snapdragon | Qualcomm

 

[BigMamma]

It's my understanding that GSM and CDMA are incompatible with each other. Am I incorrect in this? Is it merely that phone carriers restrict at the device level? I'm not entirely convinced. I've heard of so called world phones which have the ability to communicate on either technology but that is not the same as saying that a GSM phone can operate on CDMA and vice versa.

Anyone care to further clarify?

**Edit **

-- my original statement spoke of frequency differences where I assumed that CDMA and GSM worked on different frequencies (though I didn't name technologies), This may well be an incorrect assumption on my part, i'll investigate and update.

**Update **

-- CDMA and GSM are the encoding methods/protocols used on cellular signals, not the signals themselves, so my understanding on that is clarified.

Giz Explains: What's the Difference between GSM and CDMA? - Gizmodo Here is a helpful link with additional information.

You can use a GSM phone on any GSM carrier. You can use a CDMA phone on any CDMA carrier. The carrier has to permit your phone on their network. You can go to Asia with a CDMA phone and roam on a CDMA carrier in Asia. As you stated, you cannot use a CDMA phone on a GSM network. Two totally different technologies.

 

[flyjbaker]

And what phone isn't obsolete shortly after it's released?

The EVO still isn't obsolete.....amazingly!!!

 

[flyjbaker]

You can use a GSM phone on any GSM carrier. You can use a CDMA phone on any CDMA carrier. The carrier has to permit your phone on their network. You can go to Asia with a CDMA phone and roam on a CDMA carrier in Asia. As you stated, you cannot use a CDMA phone on a GSM network. Two totally different technologies.

VZW is CDMA. Why can't we use our Sprint phones on VZW?

 

[apinkel]

I get the feeling that in the US it is very common for handsets to be exclusive to a single network? In the UK there is sometimes a small exclusivity window, but generally most handsets are available on all networks.

It must be very frustrating to see a great handset only to find it's tied to a telco you aren't on or don't want to use. What if you bought the handset outright, would it work on all networks?

This is OT but...

Yes phones are locked to carreirs, Yes it sucks and No the phone won't work on other US networks unless you get into some hacking... which has limits as well.

As a general rule here in the States the carrier subsidizes the phone. Because they kinda, sorta helped you buy the phone they lock that phone to their network and tie you to a 2 year contract to insure they recoup the phone costs.

On the GSM networks (AT&T and T-Mobile) you can buy an unlocked GSM phone and use it on the network by swapping your sim card to the unlocked phone. This works fine as long as the phone supports all the frequencies and protocols used by the carrier.

However, if you buy a phone from AT&T or T-mobile, most (all?) of their phones are carrier locked and can't be used on other networks without some hacking to unlock it or if the carrier has an agreement with the other network.

The CDMA networks (Verizon and Sprint... along with smaller regional carriers like US Cellular) don't use sim cards. The phone must be provisioned for use on the system and the network must be provisioned to allow the phone on the network.

So... for all practical purposes if you buy a phone from a US carrier you are tied to that carrier.

I don't really know how we got here and I do wish the FCC would have stepped in during the early years and forced phone portability but I think we are too far down this path to see that happen.

 

[jerofld]

Here are some instructions of bringing a DX from VZW to MetroPCS/Cricket. I can't imagine going from VZW to Sprint, or vice versa, would be too much different.

Say buh-bye to VZW: Flashing your Droid X to Cricket or MetroPCS

Personally, I rather just get a phone that is on a certain service anyways, rather than mess with all that silliness. But could be useful to others.

 

[EarlyMon]

Well - maybe if we're done with Holiday (because it turned out to not be 3D), I'll go ahead and just lock this one as kinda toasted.

Anybuddy think that's premature, just PM for re-open.