Passion before Christmas, maybe Black Friday...

[michaelkahl]

This looks promising!
Verizon to aim for the smartphone crown Boy Genius Report

 

[dkramin]

That's exciting. I'm holding off getting an android phone till that comes out. Hopefully it'll be all what is seems to be

 

[Russellmaniakw]

Fortunately for me that's about when I plan on buying my new phone, so hopefully the Passion does land by then. I hope it's true that this is Android on the snapdragon with a big screen. I like the droid and if the Passion turns out to be nothing special I'll probably go for the Droid, but I actually prefer to have no physical keyboard, especially if the Passion is running sense, as I really liked the on-screen keyboard on the Hero I played with at a Sprint store. I can only imagine it would be better on a bigger screen. I just don't like phones with mechanical parts if I can avoid them.

 

[dkramin]

Yeah I'm pretty much the same way. I have the Storm now and have gotten used to having just a touch to work with. I'd like the Droid a lot better if it didn't have that keyboard. When I played with it, it felt uncomfortable trying to type on it because the keys are shifted to the left of the phone instead of being centered. I used the touch a lot better than physical keys.. I liked the size of the screen a lot on the Droid so i'm hoping that the Passions screen is just as big like the rumors state.

 

[acezhi]

This is the one I am waiting for also.
I am up for my new in 2 but I will be waiting for this one.

 

[shawn487]

i havent heard anything new on this phone recently. Does anyone know more information about it coming out? All i have been hearing is about the moto droid and droid eris both nice phones but i want the passion

 

[Doit2it]

I've been out of contract with my Verizon LG Dare since June. I am waiting on the HTC Passion too. But I haven't seen any leaks about it clearing the FCC or showing up in Verizons databases like we did the Droid and Droid Eris last month. I'm doubtful, but hopeful the Passion will be released on Black Friday. But hey, Black Friday is just 3 weeks away!

 

[dak244]

I've been out of contract with my Verizon LG Dare since June. I am waiting on the HTC Passion too. But I haven't seen any leaks about it clearing the FCC or showing up in Verizons databases like we did the Droid and Droid Eris last month. I'm doubtful, but hopeful the Passion will be released on Black Friday. But hey, Black Friday is just 3 weeks away!

But how amazing would it be.....

Just looking at it and thinking about it running Android 2.0 makes me drool...................

HTC - Products - HTC HD2 - Overview

 

[shawn487]

i feel like a crack head needing a fix right now been just waiting to hear some good news come on please tell me i want this phone in my pocket already

 

[b8b]

Does anyone think it will actually be on Black Friday? I would so buy this phone if so...

 

[shawn487]

latest rumors are mid december have even seen some that are saying 1st quarter 2010 whaterver happens i will more then likely waiting for it when it comes out

 

[dak244]

Does anyone think it will actually be on Black Friday? I would so buy this phone if so...

I don't. That would still put it in that 30 day window for all those DROID users to unload their phones.

Not that Verizon makes decisions based solely on things like that, but I think it would be a dumb move on their part to have a bunch of "refurbished" phones....

 

[Mykpfsu]

I would take a shot at the Passion coming out after 30 days since the Droid launch (so after Dec 6th). That may be the agreement between Verizon, HTC and Motorola. Give the Droid 30 days to get all the sales it can (including blaack friday) before HTC can start talking up the Passion. Verizon wouldn't care. $200 is $200 regardless of the name stamped on the phone. Only Motorola would care about Droids being traded in for Passions.

 

[king]

I don't. That would still put it in that 30 day window for all those DROID users to unload their phones.

Not that Verizon makes decisions based solely on things like that, but I think it would be a dumb move on their part to have a bunch of "refurbished" phones....

I tend to agree with you, I am one of the peeps that believed the blk Fri rumor and got a Droid on the 6th however, I am prob just going to switch the droid for an Eris on the 5th and then again later that month for the Dragon...

 

[Aerimus]

I tend to agree with you, I am one of the peeps that believed the blk Fri rumor and got a Droid on the 6th however, I am prob just going to switch the droid for an Eris on the 5th and then again later that month for the Dragon...

My understanding is that you can't do this. Basically you have 30 days total from when you sign the first contract, even if you switch phones. From what I heard, the workaround is to cancel the contract, wait 2 days, and then sign a new contract with the Eris. Then you would restart your 30 day "test" period. That's at least what I've heard others say somewhere here on the forum.

 

[Soup]

My understanding is that you can't do this. Basically you have 30 days total from when you sign the first contract, even if you switch phones. From what I heard, the workaround is to cancel the contract, wait 2 days, and then sign a new contract with the Eris. Then you would restart your 30 day "test" period. That's at least what I've heard others say somewhere here on the forum.

I'm pretty positive you're right. Companies wouldn't/don't let you continuously return/exchange phones. My question is if there is a re-stocking fee for exchanging phones...ie: an Eris for a Passion.

 

[fishes305]

I just found this when I was out searching for info. T-Mobile HTC Touch HD2 Passion Dragon Unlocked GSM Cell Phone - Popular Electron

 

[YankeeDudeL]

Maybe it's just me, but if I was marketing a phone, I'd have plenty of info out about it well before Christmas. Before Black Friday, even. Think how many phones are going to be bought as Christmas presents. If you want to sell a lot of phones, people gotta know about it. That's why Droid had such a good start and will have a great holiday.

Basically, I'm hoping that this comes out soon, but if nothing concrete is known by the first week in Dec, then this phone won't be out this year.

 

[VaDivot]

Maybe it's just me, but if I was marketing a phone, I'd have plenty of info out about it well before Christmas. Before Black Friday, even. Think how many phones are going to be bought as Christmas presents. If you want to sell a lot of phones, people gotta know about it. That's why Droid had such a good start and will have a great holiday.

Basically, I'm hoping that this comes out soon, but if nothing concrete is known by the first week in Dec, then this phone won't be out this year.

This is a different situation than with the Droid. Verizon doesnt want to announce the Passion because thats going to hurt the current droid sales. Think about all the advertising they have been putting into the droid, if they now announce that a better phone will come out in mid december what do you think is going to happen to all the droid sales, let alone the returns?

With the droid they could afford to go ahead and advertise it before hand because Verizon didnt have any big selling phones who's sales would be affected that much. It makes no business sense to market a phone due out in a month that will undercut your current sales of an existing similar phone at the same time. Verizon knows what they are doing!

 

[jmccarthy14]

Gotta agree with YankeeDude a bit though. Skeptical it will come out this year. The news by TechCrunch is starting to seem more and more like speculation, especially when people challenge his 'facts' and he comes back with 'maybe its...'. He either knows or he doesn't, and it seems like he doesn't.

Also, why bother coming out for the holidays at all if you aren't planning on selling for them? If no one other than rumor-millers knows about the passion 'till 2 weeks before xmas, I'm willing to bet people just flip the channel knowing 'oh I already got my wife the droid,' they may not even know the difference.

Its true Verizon doesn't care how they get subscriptions, but the only 'solid' reasons I hear for this coming out soon is that the hopefuls want it so. Everything we 'know' about the dragon/passion is unknown, based PURELY on speculation. It may have the same processor as the droid? Someone said it may even have an ARM. Someone else said maybe 3.7-3.9".

Noone knows. All the features people are heavy-breathing about is Assuming that the CEO half-lied when he said 'no HD2 for android.' But people are still Guessing (or more accurately, hoping) that he was lying via some technicality. 'Oh it will still be like the HD2 they will just shape it differently, probably...' etc. I am/was looking forward to this too, but I do want a phone by the end of the year, and to be honest, with Sony's X10 looking so terrible, and the Passion nothing more than blogger's dreams right now, I'm tempted to get a droid, and if the passion isn't out by the years end, I'll stick with the droid. The thing is, I'm sure lots of people are thinking exactly like me, and if Verizon isn't stupid, they will know that. So, they will probably bar us from doing it (by not releasing it this year).

 

[kwaping]

If this phone is as good as we expect, they won't have to advertise much! The Droid needed a big marketing push because:

1. It is VZW's first Android phone.
2. It's actually not all that great. Don't flame me Droid fans, just callin' it like it is.

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'm still prepared to wait. It's either the Passion or the next-gen VZW iPhone for me.

 

[jmccarthy14]

If this phone is as good as we expect, they won't have to advertise much! The Droid needed a big marketing push because:

1. It is VZW's first Android phone.
2. It's actually not all that great. Don't flame me Droid fans, just callin' it like it is.

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'm still prepared to wait. It's either the Passion or the next-gen VZW iPhone for me.

I have a handful of reviewers who would disagree with the way "it is," as you see it. I don't own one, but with the features it has, its hard to see it described legitimately as 'not all that great' unless you're comparing it to something. And unless you're comparing it to the iPhone, I don't see how you could make that argument based on anything objective.

Are you sure if you don't like android at all on the droid that you'd like it with 7 homescreens and a half-inch bigger screen? Is that really worth waiting 1-4 (or infinity, we don't even know this phone exists...) months for?

For me, I like android. I may buy the droid, but if something slightly faster/bigger comes along in a month, its worth the swap. Otherwise, its still android on a sharp-screened quick device.

EDIT: I only kinda flamed you. More like slightly toasted.

 

[acezhi]

I sent a question through VZW website to support on the 17th and asked when our Passion/Dragon will be available and got a response via a voice mail.
The person said thet he didn't know when the "Dragon" would be available, but they usually get an e-mail a week before release.

He didn't beat around the bush, He called the device the "Dragon"

Hopefully soon, the waiting is killing me.

 

[kwaping]

No worries, jmccarthy14, I don't feel flamed.

Anyway, my issues with the Droid are that the camera takes sup-par photos (date bug aside) and I don't like the keyboard. I don't think it's a phone that will stand up to the test of time and other products. I think everyone is all Droid-happy right now just because it's new and highly marketed by VZW. They're buying into the marketing, and not judging its merits objectively. That's all IMHO, of course. But just to be clear, I don't have any issues with the OS, it's the hardware that has me underwhelmed.

 

[jmccarthy14]

No worries, jmccarthy14, I don't feel flamed.

Anyway, my issues with the Droid are that the camera takes sup-par photos (date bug aside) and I don't like the keyboard. I don't think it's a phone that will stand up to the test of time and other products. I think everyone is all Droid-happy right now just because it's new and highly marketed by VZW. They're buying into the marketing, and not judging its merits objectively. That's all IMHO, of course. But just to be clear, I don't have any issues with the OS, it's the hardware that has me underwhelmed.

Yeah I was thinking that may've been the reason while I was writing it. The keyboard is one reason I may have as well. It seemed nice to have, coming from no keyboard with the iPhone, but it is also a risk as moving parts = something to break. Camera on the other hand isn't important to me, so I'm probably more likely to go for it than you are.

Those are good reasons I just figured there were lots of people looking for an iPhone and didn't like the droid because it wasn't one, so thought I'd recommend going for that rather than waiting for something that clearly won't come. But that's obviously not your reasoning, so yeah, welcome to the passion speculation. Since you needed my approval first, obviously.