Could this be the reason for the Passion's delay? :)

[pixmo]

Found this article. Could HTC actually be working on a device that will give us the best of both worlds...the ability to use either your finger or a stylus?

HTC’s capacitive stylus might be real, and coming soon

Read more: http://www.intomobile.com/2009/11/27/htcs-capacitive-stylus-might-be-real-and-coming-soon.html#ixzz0YA3tWQSz

HTC filed a patent for this in August...

HTC HD2 capacitive stylus just around the bend? -- Engadget

HTC files patent for capacitive stylus with resistive accuracy -- Engadget

This is all speculative, of course. Seeing that the buzz on the Passion has suddenly come to a standstill as of late, we'd may as well daydream some more while we wait for something to leak out.

If they implement that, this would make the Droid pale in comparison regarding functionality. You could draw, sign your signature, etc.

I've waited this long for my contract to expire and dump my moldy RAZR for a smartphone, so may as well wait another month or two to see how this HTC Passion/Dragon thing plays out.

The droid is appealing, but leaves me wanting... Maybe it was from watching Sony's approach with their Xperia x10. Looks like AT&T and Android 1.5 for that based on recent reports, so I'm looking for other next-gen Android phones coming out soon.

 

[Carl C]

The Capacitive stylus sounds good , I wouldn't mind being given the Fluent scrolling of the Capacitive screen along with the Stylus for accuracy for my HTC Magic

 

[Bigger than you]

You just might be onto something.

I came across this info on the FCC website.

I didnt think much about it being the reason that the passion could and or might be held back to make the proper additions and or adjustments to it before release.

Lets hope this is the case!!

 

[wonderbread]

Well I think the common wisdom is that the Passion was developed after the HD2 and the HD2 of course needs no modifications for this upcoming stylus so since the Passion is a more recent device I assume it inherited the same tech or better of the HD2. Doubt it's the reason for delay, if there is even a delay.

Wonder where the stylus pen would be stored?

 

[kyler13]

Android has always been about the trackball for precision on-screen selection. I see no reason for that to change with the Passion. WinMo has always been stylus dependent so it makes sense for the HD2.

 

[Phydeaux]

I was under the impression that at least part of the delay involved HTC having issues with SenseUI on Android2.0.

I don't recall the article that led me to believe this, but it implied this was the reason Eris released with 1.5.

 

[Android_LIFE]

HTC's not the only one designing & whipping up patents for stylus etc...

Check out what one of the competitor's are up to for their tablet:
Apple Researching Pen-Based Input Recognition for Tablet Devices? - Mac Rumors
Wouldn't be a bit surprised if this same tech makes it to the 2010 iphone. I know I'm not trying to draw with my big a$$ fingers.

HTC's patent makes perfect sense...(there's that punchline again, lol)

With Apple researching Pen-Based Input Recognition, you know its a Very Smart move for hTc to make as well.

I'll keep waiting and waiting and waiting for the Dragon/Passion...
The longer it takes for hTc to make it breathe the Dragon into our hands, makes me think even more that the Dragon/Passion is gonna be one bad a$$ smartphone.

No matter why the current wait,
Usually when you wait and wait and wait, good things come in the long run. I'm sure there is a VERRY good reason why we are all still waiting. Part of it I'm sure is that it is still too close to the release date of the Moto Droid. I am sure that is NOT the only reason though.

Love the Sense UI technology of hTc, I am a big fan of what it brings to the table.


Patiently waiting...for what easily seems to be the next juggernaut Android Device

 

[SmallTownGypsy]

The longer it takes for hTc to make it breathe the Dragon into our hands, makes me think even more that the Dragon/Passion is gonna be one bad a$$ smartphone.

Patiently waiting...

I wish I had your patience! lol

 

[Android_LIFE]

I wish I had your patience! lol

My patience at first was not easy to swallow & keep down.
I mean its really really difficult when you've been using a junk Storm like I've been.
It will eventually turn into a hockey puck, trust me LoL.

But I got to thinking about how great it WILL be when I hold the "Dragon/Passion" in my hands.
It will be quite a nice change for me.
I'm not going to settle for something less than what I am after.

Hang in there

 

[tenma]

What "delay" are you guys talking about? How can the phone be delayed when it has never been announced, let alone been given a release date?

 

[kyler13]

I was under the impression that at least part of the delay involved HTC having issues with SenseUI on Android2.0.

I don't recall the article that led me to believe this, but it implied this was the reason Eris released with 1.5.

I doubt there's a delay as HTC was quoted as having Android 2.0 in house for awhile for development purposes. I'm guessing the reason an update hasn't been pushed to the Hero or Eris yet isn't so much Sense not being ready as it is wanting to debut Sense over Android 2.0 on the Passion. Exclusivity is a common theme these days, like with 2.0, Google Nav, and the Droid. Eventually it trickles down to everyone else. Things have been pretty quiet re: the Passion. I expect this to continue into next week, barring some leaks. The Droid's 30 day exclusivity ends next weekend so I'm betting we might hear something next Monday (Dec 7th). Until then, hold tight.

 

[KDawg]

I'm not tech-guy, and I'm probably out of my league throwing out a technical theory in the midst of everyone here, so please pardon my ignorance if I'm way off, but I had a different interpretation of this capacitive stylus when I read this article.

It seems to me that this product, to be effective on a capacitive screen, will essentially have to mimic the electrical transfer that would ordinarily come from a human finger. Therefore, it doesn't necessarily follow that this stylus will be handset-specific. Ie: if it functions in a way that replaces a human finger, it should therefore be usable on any capacitive touchscreen, including competing brands. If this is the case, the bad news is that this would not be the reason for our wait on the Passion; however, the good news would be that this device could be used on any capacitive screen including the Droid!

Just a guess...

By the way - tenma has a good point. LOL!

What "delay" are you guys talking about? How can the phone be delayed when it has never been announced, let alone been given a release date?

 

[boogen]

It seems to me that this product, to be effective on a capacitive screen, will essentially have to mimic the electrical transfer that would ordinarily come from a human finger.

That's what i got from the article as well, but its also possible that they want to release the passion with the new stylus' most prominent use (asian character support) integrated into their take on android 2.0. if this were to be true though, it would likely be nothing more thatn just an OS update away, and doubt htc would hold back a release in the sates for that reason.

 

[SmallTownGypsy]

I mean its really really difficult when you've been using a junk Storm like I've been.

That's exactly what I've been using. Without my phone, I flip out. It's my lifeline, but the whole time it's in my possession I hate it for being a POS.

But I got to thinking about how great it WILL be when I hold the "Dragon/Passion" in my hands.
It will be quite a nice change for me.
I'm not going to settle for something less than what I am after.

Hang in there

I do keep hoping for a better tomorrow. Dragon/Passion must come to fruition. Otherwise, I have no idea what phone to get.

 

[wonderbread]

The Droid's 30 day exclusivity ends next weekend so I'm betting we might hear something next Monday (Dec 7th). Until then, hold tight.

Exclusivity to what and where are you getting this idea from?

My patience at first was not easy to swallow & keep down.
I mean its really really difficult when you've been using a junk Storm like I've been.
It will eventually turn into a hockey puck, trust me LoL.

The worse part is the utter silence from htc/vzw. Sure, they may have not planned for pics to drop of this curious device, but since they have someone somewhere should throw us dogs a bone (google/vzw/htc?). I am using a nearly 4 year old samsung FFS!

 

[Android_LIFE]

What "delay" are you guys talking about? How can the phone be delayed when it has never been announced, let alone been given a release date?

hmmmm. when I posted earlier, I had been up all nite. Didn't even realize..."delay"

There's no real official "delay" since the device hasn't even been Officially announced yet by hTc. Its still in development.

It was originally ONLY rumored for a black friday release, but was only a rumor.
Thats all we really have to work with is....rumors....right now.

 

[pixmo]

I probably should have phrased the title better...sorry. Maybe something more to the effect of "Could this be the reason the Passion hasn't hit the market yet?"

 

[Android_LIFE]

Exclusivity to what and where are you getting this idea from?


The worse part is the utter silence from htc/vzw. Sure, they may have not planned for pics to drop of this curious device, but since they have someone somewhere should throw us dogs a bone (google/vzw/htc?). I am using a nearly 4 year old samsung FFS!

I agree with wonderbread, throw us a bone pleeeease?

 

[kyler13]

Exclusivity to what and where are you getting this idea from?

Sorry, that's just based on the idea that the Droid got all the marketing hype from Verizon and they wouldn't undermine it by marketing or introducing a like or better Android phone within 30 days (think return period for all the Nov 6 adopters). The Motorola Droid debuted Android 2.0 and Google Nav. I'm thinking this was all a promotion for the device, a partnership between Motorola, Google, and Verizon.

 

[Marsh511]

Totally agree. If it were up to Verizon, they would not have hyped the Droid as much as they did...well...except for the fact that it gave them an excuse to lash out a campaign against AT&T (IPhone/IDoesn't, conveniently timed with the "there's a Mapp for that" fiasco) at the same time. Verizon is notorious for being conservative and secretive, under the guise of not alarming its existing customers. They have such a huge customer base, and 85-90% could care less about anything except their bill and the number of bars on their signal. People like us (who post on sites like this) are in the minority and don't amount to that much of Verizon's revenue (but probably drain their tech support and CS disproportionately with nagging questions, requests for rumor confirmation, product exchanges/returns, and generally obnoxious know-it-all attitudes LOL).

In short, Verizon is like IBM was...and <surprise> AT&T is the Apple...in their approaches to marketing.

So....we probably won't hear much from VZW unless one of their partners on the Passion decides to insist on a lot of hype.

That said, I'm about to engage in a Verizon CSR to get more answers! <g>

I'm thinking this was all a promotion for the device, a partnership between Motorola, Google, and Verizon.

 

[gbelste]

I was under the impression that at least part of the delay involved HTC having issues with SenseUI on Android2.0.

I don't recall the article that led me to believe this, but it implied this was the reason Eris released with 1.5.

HTC Hero caught running Android 2.1? -- Engadget

Sense already running on 2.1? I doubt 2.0 would have delayed anything.

 

[Phydeaux]

As that article was posted just yesterday, it further leads me to believe HTC had issues with senseUI on 2.0.

Perhaps the new version was to resolve these issues?