It's official

[partridge]

HTC Desire Z unveiled - Android 2.2 with a keyboard | News | TechRadar UK

Well, I'm surprised. It actually looks like a lower spec Desire with a keyboard, more like a Wildfire with keyboard really!

The Desire HD looks interesting, but this one doesn't excite me at all.

 

[tcyeric]

like the new sense ui features but i was really hoping that they would have it with stock android rather than sense ui
my long wait for my Hero's update past 1.5 is a good factor to this

 

[deslovedroid]

Im excited!will it be a verizon phone??

 

[anomaly]

The processor has a more powerful GPU partridge. It also uses less power because of the smaller thread size. For every day performance, this will blow any Snapdragon handset out of the water.

 

[partridge]

I doubt it will blow it out of the water, HTC say it improves battery performance by 20%

It's running 2.2 so what will it do that the Desire can't? Nothing. The new Sense is the bigger change and that may well end up on the Desire too.

 

[partridge]

heh, funny how the Desire HD is getting all the attention!

Anyway, here's a link to the official specs page for the Desire Z
HTC - Products - HTC Desire Z - Specification

interesting that unlike the HD, this does NOT support xvid codecs for video playback and it looks to me that the Home, Menu buttons are touch buttons, not physical (so more like the Wildfire) The select button looks very different to the Desire's too.

the new onscreen camera graphics look nice though

 

[sookster54]

Specs look great, however seeing that it's supposed to be coming to Canada, I see no indication of it supporting Canadian bands after reading the network section of that specs page, no 850/1900 HSPA.

 

[OMan]

Does anybody know how the desire Z handles nordic letters like

 

[sookster54]

I'm pretty sure if one releases in Norway (or Sweden) you should get one with the AZERTY or whatever layout you get, otherwise you could always change the language and locale in settings.

 

[Niiiceg]

Z has better spec. than original Desire. It as fast as Galaxy phones (even faster), those 800MHz doesn't mean that it's bad, it's much better.

 

[sookster54]

Z has better spec. than original Desire. It as fast as Galaxy phones (even faster), those 800MHz doesn't mean that it's bad, it's much better.

Besides the bigger internal space and perhaps battery life, what specs are you referring to that makes it better?

Compare link doesn't work, go to compare and pick the Desire
http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/HTC-Desire-Z-phone-pa_4888.html

 

[Niiiceg]

It has slide out keyboard, which is very big thing for me... Also it has newest Sense. Better design too

 

[Ghibli]

And lots of aluminium. Yum.

 

[partridge]

I've checked out the specs for the Desire and the Z, there's virtually nothing in it. The 800Mhz chip probably runs as quickly as the 1Ghz on the Desire but should give better battery performance. Otherwise (ignoring the new Sense) I doubt you will see a lot of noticeable difference.

It's the new Sense that makes this phone, not the chip - caching maps is genius

 

[jonr]

Is there any chance of buying this phone in USA?

 

[pspbricker]

Is there any chance of buying this phone in USA?

Probably not this phone, but the US version is called the G2 and has larger internal memory than the Desire Z.

Internal storage is a big issue for me, and it is much improved with the Z -1.5GB. Also, maps are downloadable, not cached which is handled by a new GPS app, not google maps. Integrated email inbox, updated social app, portrait mode Froyo supported, dedicated camera button and of course the qwerty.

 

[colin_g]

How are they able to achieve faster download speeds with the Z over the standard desire?

 

[Menddles]

anyone know what networks this going to be on in the UK?

 

[Onemoa]

It looks like the T Mobile G2 that was just released.. I mean JUST like it as in it is the same phone.. I find that kind of funny..

 

[Menddles]

....it is the same phone 0_o this is the gsm version.

 

[justme8800]

....it is the same phone 0_o this is the gsm version.

Er, the G2 is GSM, too. Maybe more accurate to say the international version?

 

[Menddles]

Er, the G2 is GSM, too. Maybe more accurate to say the international version?

ahhh this is true. I'm going to take this opportunity to bump my previous question of: Anyone know what UK networks the Desire Z is on?

 

[Menddles]

anyone know what networks this going to be on in the UK?

bump

 

[thepest]

Just found the Sim Free version over at dabs.com for

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

How are they able to achieve faster download speeds with the Z over the standard desire?

Froyo 2.2 + the processor is a 2nd Gen Snapdragon with Adreno 205 GPU instead of Adreno 200. The processor is also built slightly differently which increases the speed, decreases battery consumption and handles shaders and graphics better.

There's some speed tests out and around on the net now and this handset is FASSSSST.

Apparently the small battery means fairly poor battery life though, but it's rated better in this respect than say a Nexus 1.