Microsoft on HTC HD2 WP7 upgrade: HD2 “doesn’t qualify because it doesn’t have the three buttons”

March 1, 2010 | By Surur

htchd2wp7 HTC HD2 owners hoping for some good news regarding a Windows Phone 7 series upgrade for the HTC HD2 can it seems now officially lower their expectations to zero.

Microsoft has confirmed, in an interview with APC Magazine, that the device does not meet their very strict criteria for the new OS.

Natasha Kwan, General Manager for Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business in the Asia-Pacific region, told APC:

“Because we have very specific requirements for Windows Phone 7 Series the current phones we have right now will not be upgradable”; the HD2 “doesn’t qualify because it doesn’t have the three buttons”.

Tony Wilkinson, Business Operations Director for Microsoft Australia, hinted to APC that it may be due to more than that however. “There are some hardware components that the HD doesn’t have”.

Microsoft is hoping to keep Windows Mobile 6.5 in the market as a low cost and enterprise platform however, and hope recent enhancements to the OS will keep it competitive.

“We think there are people who will want 6.5, and the 6.x platform has a lot of enterprise and line of business apps” Kwan said. “A lot of 6.5 applications have been built very much from the old paradigm of the stylus. Those legacy apps will be a lot more compatible on 6.5.3 because we have magnifier technology which lets you use your finger for navigating, even though it has a much bigger surface area.”

Has Microsoft just scuppered future sales of the HTC HD2? Let us know below.

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged htc hd2, htc leo, windows phone 7

http://twitter.com/one_solo @one_solo

Ahaha, what a joke, just because it has more than three buttons it does not qualify…

GP007

They did hint that it's more than just the buttons, but that's one thing they bring up. The HD2 doesn't have a search button. I suppose you can hack it and map one of the others to be the search button, but that's probably what people over at XDA will end up doing.

I'm glad I didn't get a HD2, it's still a good phone, but I want to see what new stuff comes out just for WP7s.

guy laughing at you

I'm glad you didn't either. You would have been disappointed, since it's not even available yet!
LOL

Battl3cat

GP007 could be living in Europe, where it's available for a quite long time…

LordDeath

Now it is your turn xda-devs. I will order my HD2 anyways, because in my opinion the software it has today is currently still the best.

turtle skip

bad news.they zapped skyfire.it was the best web browser till.evo a month or three later.i was wble to watch southparkstudios.com(hail satan!).cant.do that on iphone or ipad.no hail satan.well uzard is okay.horrible on facebook poker.some to most of the videos sweet.opera mobile 10.still easieest for downloads at hd2.apps.blogspot.com.the worst of all no more iphonemoviez.net
i wish that waw still up and working.would love to see battle la.

Tamara

It'll be a fun and productive device for a lot of people, but it was never going to break any sales records or change any market shares. This news will only disappoint those who purchase the HD2, and they would've done so regardless of the OS.
Yannis

there's no way xda devs wont have WM7 for the HD2.. i bet anything it'll be out on xda devs even before the first HTC WM7 phone is out.. I even had WM6.5 on my HTC wizard.. it was incredibly slow, but still.. WM6.5 was ok(ish) on my Diamond.. now cant wait to try WM7 on my HD2 whenever is out and stable.. I'm perfectly happy with HTC sense UI and capacitive screen on my HD2 though…
GP007

Everyone should be expecting a HD3 with WP7s ofc!

MiX should've been sooner! grrrr. I can't wait till the 15th!
wmpu_reader

What have you done Microsoft?
After all HTC has done to help make WM phones competetive in the market, this is how you reward them.
Locking down WP7S in a lot of customization aspects and now no HD2 official upgrade. Oh well.
You announce this just before the T-Mobile US version of HD2 goes out? Now you might just hurt their sales.
I hope you give them a very good partnership deal for WP7S because if I was them, I'll feel really betrayed in a lot of ways.

efjay

Lets not go crazy, HTC has done as much damage to WM as they have helped it, using the crappy Qualcomm 528mhz processor in so called high-end devices like the Touch HD, TP2 and Diamond 2 and lets not forget poor graphic driver support on the Touch HD and Tytn II. Microsoft has said it wants hardware to meet strict requirements, so we dont end up with such situations again.

From the moment WP7S was announced sales of current and future WM 6.5 handsets were going to be affected, this should not be any different with regards to the HD2.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5401995 Christopher Hippolyte

Wake up! Its not MS (they make a profit selling the license on old or new devices), they had given HTC prototypes of WP7 for likely 2 years now. HTC knew the button requirement, and they could have included the bing key on the HD2 if they had wanted. But like HTC has always done they are abandoning users of their past devices, so that they can sell newer devices.

http://hd2hacks.blogspot.com/ Marcus

Microsoft is going crazy…..just because its missing some special buttons they let thousands of people down. Personally i think 6.5 blows…the platform is so uninteresting that devs dont care too much for it… i really miss the apps and appstore…iPhone. Either way XDA-devs will some how make WMP7 possible on HD2…again just because lack of interest from Microsoft we have to support the "illegal market"

http://twitter.com/Wishmaster89 @Wishmaster89

Actually it lacks two buttons. Power button and camera shutter key – both are mandatory on WP7S.

Eiren

Looks like I will be moving to Android, having been a WP user since the original SPV100.

GP007

What does that have to do with the topic at hand? You'd only stick with WM if you could upgrade an HD2? I don't see the logic. Or are you just one of those who doesn't like WP7s regardless of device and think Android is way better?
http://twitter.com/chmun77 @chmun77

go ahead…. There is not big deal about Android and its UI is just like the plain old IPhone after seeing the wonderful WP7 UI.

Anyway, HD2 user here…. by the time WP7 release, it will be time for me to trade in for an official WP7 phone! So, it does not worry me @ all.

doministry

That's what I wrote few days before here….
DanielBigred

I'm really surprised by this, I understand that the button issue could be limiting but it's not as if HTC couldn't start selling the HD2 with different buttons. It's very short-sighted in my opinion, they're setting themselves up for another battle with dissatisfied HTC owners. I was about to get my HD2 on upgrade, guess I won't for now!

GP007

The other source said it's not just about the buttons and lack of a search button. There could very well be some other limiting factors.

This happens, srsly, people this isn't the PC market where you can just upgrade your OS if your hardware is fine. OEMs make money selling newer phones, it's not in their interests to keep upgrading older models. HTC users shoudl be happey they even got free upgrades to 6.5 from 6.1 on the older phones.

The business just doesn't work that way, if the phone won't get it, then you'll just have to make due with future 6.5.x updates or get a new phone when your contract is up.

Kezza

I have to agree with this. Its 100% right re selling more phones. So well proven its crazy. Also agree with efjay re HTC going cheap with 3D drivers which has held back WM for the reason MS didnt lock enough min req down. They have learnt now.

All in all. Im still going to be buying a HD2 in the coming month as we all know our much loved XDA will have WM7 cracking before the first WM7 phone hits the market… I also won't be feeling the short end then as almost a year later WM upgrade is not worth putting money on at all, spes with such a huge puller like WM7. We have to sadly sit back and look at the history here team.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5401995 Christopher Hippolyte

"this isn't the PC market where you can just upgrade your OS if your hardware is fine" The makers of every other smartphone mobile OS would tend to disagree.

http://www.facebook.com/sunny.m Sunny Miu

LOL just becuase there are too many buttons
bkwmiata

I purchased an HD2 not because it may have gotten some sort of upgrade. I purchased it because it is the best phone on the market (IMO). An official upgrade would have been nice but I'm really looking forward to what the HD3 has to offer (If there is one). If anyone purchased an HD2 just because they thought it may get an upgrade it's their dumb fault for not waiting or reading between the lines. If it was going to get an upgrade HTC would have been yelling it from the highest mountain they could find.
efjay

The best thing is Microsoft have come out and cleared the air, now people can make a buying decision with all the facts. This should have been done by HTC, they must have known the HD2 wont get an upgrade yet they have kept silent, yet another example of shoddy HTC treatment and another reason to wonder why some people seem to love them so much.
http://twitter.com/1800PocketPC @1800PocketPC

Its just not the 3 button limitation, apparently there is some graphics chip that is missing on the HD2
wmpu_reader

I know gettng an upgrade is not (or should not be) the selling point of the HD2. Indeed it is the best WM6.5 device out there, and one of the best smartphones in the market today.
But fact of the matter is, most developers are now withdrawing interest in developing their applications for 6.5. (like Skype(?) and Adobe Flash). Don't tell me that the HD2 is not capable of running those programs.
More and more, buying a WM6.5 or 6.5.x device at this point in time seems a really bad mve for users. So either jump ship or wait until WP7S.
I know unofficially HD2 will get WP7S via xda-devs anyway, and I disagree that HTC has done much damage to Microsoft with the phones they created.

wmpu_reader

HTC might have lacked in delivering drivers, etc. But they stil helped keep the WM platform alive and kicking.
Especially because us powerusers knew that the large number of modders/hackers/developers in xda-devs for HTC phones will 'repair' and help us maximize our phones.

http://twitter.com/castiyo @castiyo

Bah!! Bullshit. The HD2 is going to get WP7, either from Microsoft or from XDA devs, so don't worry about that.

And WP7 is not going to be a good OS to use for our phones until maybe mid 2011… when the platform will be fully developed. At that time we can decide between buying a WP7 phone or jump to Android.
http://hd2hacks.blogspot.com/ Marcus

Maybe HTC already knew this…according to comments from the support they said "More info to come after MIX" instead of saying "no, its missing hardware req………" Of course MS already provided that info to companies like HTC, like said before if they tell us the truth now they will lose sales especially on the HD2. Very disappointed!
slowcat

Assuming a lack of apps compatibility between WM6.5 and WM7, it will be a while before one can judge whether WM7 reaches the momemtum of 3rd party and MS software development of iPhone or Android. At the moment WM does everything anyone needs it to do. What's missing is the slick eye candy of some iPhone apps and some of the interesting stuff Google is doing on its platform. Personally I'm not that impressed by an interface in WM7 that many competent Flash designers could cook up without huge effort. What's the substance behind those fades, scrolls and transitions… not that much more than what we have now?
It's great that XDA-developers are keeping things alive and moving – and by the time WM7 is doing anything useful for serious users (not just those looking for Zune+phone), current HD2 users will be nearing the end of their contracts anyway. Decide then… personally I think Android will be much more interesting to jump across to than WM7.

efjay

The substance is Zune and Xbox integration, no designer will ever be able to provide that, and no other device will have that either. Their design is also unique, not just going along with the default grid of icons like android trying to mimic the iphone. There is also substance in using Silverlight, which allows rapid program development and scalability.

People can tout android all they want but the truth is it looks similar to everything else out there which is something you can not say about WP7S and that with their other features gives them a unique position in the market.

Seven mss

OMG…

I am not giving up yet. I will wait till MIX10. There have been other very serious hints that it will get an upgrade (from adobe itself, even from MS saying it is up to the OEM's or something). But if it turns out we get no official support from HTC and MS for an upgrade, my HD2 will be sold. I dont care about anybody's comments, I am not going to have a smartphone without a future. Look at the iPhone, the 3G still runs the latest software. Now the HD2 (which isnt even out in the US) already has no future? All app developers are going to WP7?

I just cant imagine HTC and MS would do something like that. That would make the f****** dic**!

Believe me I am going to get an Android phone in April if there is no upgrade for the HD2, the only f****** option left.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5401995 Christopher Hippolyte

You be foolish to ignore the obvious. HTC and MS have a system by which it is only profiable to sell new devices. HTC doesn't upgrade phones regularly (they at most give one update and the HD will get a 6.5.3 update) b/c it takes time, and b/c it costs money to get a license from MS.

On the other hand…
iPhone makes money through the app store, so it makes sense to keep all devices running the same OS. Same with WebOS. Android is free, so it costs OEMs little to provide updates.

Pedro

I say big bullshit…

WTF if these 3 buttons story? Ah Ah Ah.
Windows Phone 7 will be on the H2 and xda will be the first one to adapt it and it will work perfectly.
Mac

We can be glad i think.
Imagine we would change to WM7.
Every day a new patch, incompatibility, bugs etc.
Let's stay at WM6.5.x and use a healthy platform for our beloved apps.
I'm not frustrated about this (bad) news.

GreeZ
Mac
http://intensedebate.com/people/chinch chinch

*yawn*

If you purchased an HD2 at this point you'll have owned it about 1 YEAR before Windows Phone 7 ships.

The HD2 is obviously not yet available in the USA and when it comes it goes straight & exclusively to the lamest carrier (TM) bypassed by Sprint, Verizon & ATT all of whom offer Windows Mobile solutions for years. With services from a dying Blockbuster Video. ROTFLMAO.

Hmmmm……

Why did these real carriers pass up such a phone for Q2/2010? Because they probably don't see the sense in it… wanting to deal with fanboy backlash and negative press (from a small but vocal minority) that a YEAR OLD PHONE won't be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 in Q4 2010 when several other, better performing phones will be shipping.
http://www.facebook.com/hos238 Jonathan Alligood

I can't believe this because the Phone has 5 buttons? because it has hardware button for "answer" and "end call" of which some people would prefer? Good one M$ drop the ball just when you were getting good momentum. If I hadn't already bought all the accessories for this thing I'd just go get a nexus one. I'm just so disappointed.
stoolzo

i have been nearly buying a HD2 for a while but aftr I got stung with the touch HD i decided to wait this time to see how things panned out… well they panned out as expected. I'm keeping my touch hd for a while longer for sure
http://intensedebate.com/people/Lennard Lennard

I will still buy an HD2, this news didn't faze that decision one bit
david

If you can put android on the TP2, you can put WP7 on the HD2.

Its just software and drivers.
MICROSOFT

–BEGIN TRANSMISSION–

I AM MICROSOFT. HEAR ME ROAR. HEAR ME FLEX MY MUSCLES.

SCREW YOU HTC! SCREW YOU WM6.5 USERS. YOU ARE ALL IDIOTS. WHY WOULD YOU USE AN INFERIOR MOBILE OS?! WE ALL USE IPHONES. WE DON'T CARE ABOUT IDIOTS USING WM6.5, BECAUSE YOU ARE IDIOTS.

PEACE OUT!

–END TRANSMISSION–
http://intensedebate.com/people/PaddyParker PaddyParker

The button issue(?) isn’t that surprising to me but the missing hardware component(s) argument is something I hadn’t heard before for the HD2. I checked out the snapdragon specs and here is the list of differences between the HD2 and the latest snapdragon SOAC. Does of these seem critical for WM7? I’m trying to figure out what’s missing maybe its something else.

Technical Features for QSD8672 chipsets
•Dual CPUs, up to 1.5 GHz for faster response and processing
•Low-power 45nm process technology for higher integration and performance
•Higher-resolution WSXGA (1440 x 900) display support
•High-definition (1080p) video recording and playback
•Support for HSPA+ networks – 28 Mbps downloads and 11 Mbps uploads
•Supports CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO Rel 0/A/B networks
•Improved 3D graphics – up to 80M triangles/sec and 500M+ 3D pixels/sec

http://www.qctconnect.com/products/snapdragon.htm…
tchez27

One word…………Lame, I'm glad this came out before I purchased the HD2. I had a WM phone (dash) and liked it but when Android came to the mainstream market i jumped ship and have liked it since. With all that WM7 has to offer I've been considering jumping back and getting the HD2 but am I supposed to sit around and hope MS works hard to upgrade an OS they consider "classic" or "starter"… two more words……..HELL NO. Sorry Tmo, you got screwed. Hope your subsidized price is very very attractive. ps. Tmo you should probably consider having your own people start rumors about the HD2 getting the first WM7 upgrade, it only seems fair….
John

I'm pretty sure by missing hardware component on the HD2, they ment the 4 point multi touch that WP7 requires.
Hwang

Did anyone have a chance to email HTC regarding WM7 not compatible with HD2? I am pretty sure Peter Chou will do something about it; the news will definitely effect HD2 sale in the U.S.
Bill Berry

Three letters – X D A. It amazes me how dumb and naive Microsoft thinks we are; three buttons? They're telling us they can't be remapped? It's no wonder HTC is rolling out Android-based smart phones at the pace their doing it and what I've seen of the development of XDAndroid for the Touch Pro 2 is a pretty good indicator people want it now. I'm looking at the HTC Bravo aka Desire and it having the horsepower of the soon be released HD2.

NuShrike

You're assuming XDA can do the magic. CE6 is a different beast from CE5 that's going to really really complicate any porting without a pre-existing official port as a guide.

Vince

If this is true, the Microsoft has been lieing to everybody, whe they released the phone they actually said its going to be the first WM device to get WM!!!

This smells like mislead!
But I think we can't do much about it, only boycot MICROSOFT bigtime.
I will if this year, if they don't drop WM7 for the HTC HD2
winlover

thanks for letting me know before i get stuck with 6.5 crap.
NeonFrog

You're all saying that the HD2 sucks that WM6.5 sucks. Why did you get the phone? The HD2 will get the 6.5.3 upgrade which is what is shipping pre-loaded on the HD Mini. 6.5.3 should iron most of the issues you're running into on your devices now. Apart from a bunch of gimmicky apps, what does Android 2.1 have or the iPhone 3GS, that the HD2 with 6.5.3 won't?? Personally, the HD2 apps and abilities does everything I need day to day. And does it well… thanks to HTC.
NuShrike

Contents of Mix known, looks like still stucks for native developers, and not enough about how to develop serious apps for Wimpy7 (since most serious apps are native using the original cross-platform language, C/C++).

http://www.4winmobile.com/forums/news/23806-windo…
pmx

I would bet that we will see cooked HD2 WP7 roms before september.

Jos Dewey

Good thing this is the internet, where you can bet with no knowledge or insight into the matter or hand or even the worry of having to pay up when it turns out your bet, or assumption I should say, was false.

Are you a developer, programmer or ROM cook? Do you know what is entailed in making ROMs? I'm not talking about using one of the pre-preapred kitchens where all you do is take the XIP and put your CABs in it and you have your own ROM.

WP7 is going to be new from the ground up, and will not be based the same WinCE kernel as 6.5 is so it is not necessarily going to be a piece of cake to get it to work.

I can't believe some of you are so naive to think XDA can make anything possible. The HD2 hasn't even got a working Android or Linux on it… unlike pretty much every other HTC WM device other beside the HD2. Just because lots of HTC devices get unofficial new versions of WM through XDA does not mean every single HTC phone will be able to load every single version of WM, and even if it does there is no guarantee it will happen soon or even before official WP7 devices debut, as I see many are just naively but surely assuming.

Don Smith

This is where Microsoft will never quite match Apple. Apple have the advantage of creating both the hardware and the software, where as Microsoft doesn't.
DaveNavy

The US version of the HD2 Has all the Same Hardware Specs as the The New Dell Devices That will be on the WM7 OS have the Snapdragon 1024RAM, and Same Chipset,…Only the three button difference in apposed to HD2's 5 buttons,….Hardware wise the T-MOBILE USA HD2 has the power to run WM7 , perhaps the reason for the 1024ram over the 512 ram on the euro version can give us a hint that only T-MOBILE USA will qualify for that wonderful upgrade even with the extra hardware keys
niggerbait

to be honist i can give a shit less care about os . the htc hd 2 is really slim and big fucking screen you cant go wrong on that. i love my htc texting internet over is a good phone lack of apps … let me see android dosent have that many good apps anyways. as far as i know apple has the best apps. i am happy with my hd2 and hoping if they do realse w7 on phone is good but ether way if it get it or not i am good with it.
darkcg

Someone should ask HTC why they still don't give us a Windows Mobile 6.5.3 on the HD2. Every phone manufacturer have upgraded. Why HTC is so late? Will they release it or not? Why no single website ask them for it?
leonlad

if they are not upgrade for hd2 to wp7s i will sell my hd2 and stop buying window mobile phone OS forever.
leslieh

i hate this stupies ass fckn phone i spent $398
and i regret it
leslieh

i ment stupied*
Mark

What's with all the HD2 hate? I love my phone. Stable, fast, almost no freezes or hang ups. My only gripe is the GPU could be better…but isn't that the big hardware difference anyway?
Seb

Yes the htc hd2 will get wp7 from xda dev. But who realy ants wp7 its not that good anyway, htc sence ui if a fantastic feature of the htc hd2 and in my opinion the htc hd2 will be the greatest phone build for the next 6 years, with or without wp7.I heard all this news before i bourght my htc and i still got in anyway.
serwei

no camera button…
http://twitter.com/SooNy_909 Hassan Azouoz

ilove my hd2 but i bought an hd7 becose my hd2 has android os and my hd7 wp7 mango so im multi os user ilike tha t very much after alli trid wp7 on my hd2 and its not so bad its good stable no one time freezing nothing its al most perfect but stell the best wp7 phone is the htc hd7
http://twitter.com/SooNy_909 Hassan Azouoz

ilove my hd2 but i bought an hd7 becose my hd2 has android os and my hd7 wp7 mango so im multi os user ilike tha t very much after alli trid wp7 on my hd2 and its not so bad its good stable no one time freezing nothing its al most perfect but stell the best wp7 phone is the htc hd7