HTC Kaiser Unboxing
Remember the exciting news from last evening? Here it is! As you can imagine, we’ve seen our share of devices here at BGR, and I personally have combed through almost all. Let’s start it off like this…the HTC Kaiser is the best darn Pocket PC I have ever used! It really has everything you have come to expect nowadays. For instance, it’s a full Pocket PC running Windows Mobile 6 Professional, which we prefer over the smartphone bastard child. Detailed internal specs include quad-band EDGE, tri-band UMTS/HSDPA, a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, integrated GPS, WiFI, Bluetooth, a full QWERTY ‘board, and a unique option that lets you tilt the screen to have it sit on your desk perfectly aimed at you. The Kaiser comes in a little thinner than the HTC TyTN, and a tad bit thicker than the HTC P4350, which at the end of the day doesn’t make that much of a difference. The only possible downside at all I could find is that the HTC Kaiser could shave a few ounces off its weight. Nothing to get excited over though! Build quality is fantastic, and the GPS works extremely well. In addition, the 3 megapixel shooter takes wonderful photographs. The general public (sorry guys) should expect the full commercial release around October of this year. I am so going to be the cool kid on the block for a good couple months. Because I’m so in love with this device, we’ll get a little more detailed in this mini-review and walk through, check the rest of the HTC Kaiser’s highlights after the jump, or if you prefer skip right to the full unboxing gallery below! In addition, we give the HTC Kasier, our most coveted 5 BG award.
UPDATE: Who is up for some good news? After talking with my source again regarding the HTC Kaiser, I questioned him in detail about the release. He got an update from HTC saying that this will actually ship in late July, not October! The HTC Shift should be out in October. Take this as you will, but it’s lookin’ better and better for everyone by the minute!
Click on over to see the hotness that is the HTC Kaiser, unboxed of course!
Something we can be appreciative of, is the Kaiser’s RAM, 128MB of it. 75MB are usable to the user for programs. Incredible! We also have 256MB of ROM as well built right in. HTC has integrated an application called Hubdog which I believe should work on various Pocket PCs. This is a RSS feed reader, podcast downloader, and even a mini blog publishing tool built right in! Right now it looks like it only supports Blogger at the moment, but hopefully that will change. As you’ll see from the shots in the unboxing gallery, the HTC Kaiser has a little raised part on the battery cover which says GPS. Not only does this help keep your device from directly touching the surface you rest it on, it also provides just enough space in between the surface and the speaker, to let some of those music waveforms really shine. How is the speaker you ask? Extremely loud and crisp! On screen the device has a constant "H" by the network status bar indicating that HSDPA is in full effect! If you’re not the daring type, HTC even gives you the option under settings to turn HSDPA off. Something featured on the HTC TyTN, that did not make it onto the HTC P4350 has reappeared on the Kaiser, and that is a scroll wheel. It is smaller and a little more refined than the TyTN’s and does an excellent job at navigating. I really can’t express how this phone has surprised me in more ways than one. If I find some other tasty tidbits, you best believe I’ll update this post!
I am afraid the GPS chip will be a Qualcomm (again), if I believe what I have read lately …
Too bad, such a fantastic phone with such a crippy GPS hardware …
Wow I wonder when it will hit the shops in Turkey! or ever!!!!!!!!
Nice features EXCEPT for the QVGA. It’s a shame that there are still new devices with such bad screen!!
Currently I have a Qtek 9000. This has VGA and I love it! I am used to a very small font, something which is not possible with QVGA.
So, while the memory is much better than I have (I hate the lack of program memory!! I have it all the time) I will not buy this device due to a lousy QVGA screen.
Does the new Kaiser have the ptt feature just like the 8525?
Arco, VGA screen on a device like this is impractical for two reasons:
1) it would KILL the battery life, and the device has enough hardware features already (GPS, wifi, bluetooth, 3G with HSUPA etc), and
2) a device like the Universal or the Advantage suits a VGA screen, but not a handheld phone device. It makes it too big to be a comfortably-handheld device (imho).
I’m fine with a QVGA screen, asking for a VGA screen which would have to stay really small is a bit pointless in the grander scheme of things
HTC sources that the device will start shipping to EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/ASIA by first week of august…..
So??? Any word on the US Release??? On any release for that matter?
Qualcomm — a company that’s arguably more used to suing than being sued — isn’t finding much luck in its protracted quest to avoid a Broadcom-led ban of its 3G hardware from coming into the States. Following a recent denial of its motion to stay the ban in the court system, the President of The United States himself (or his administration, anyway) has swooped in to render an executive judgment, and it ain’t looking any better for Qualcomm. Saying that the importance of protecting IP rights outweighs the inconvenience of the ban, the Bush folks have stood by the ITC’s decision to impose the ban in the first place, making it seem all that much smarter now for Verizon to have sidestepped the whole ordeal and paid Broadcom itself. Barring any last minute antics, the ban gets enforced starting tomorrow.
What do you guys think about this information and how would it affect the release of HTC Kaiser in the States?
This came from engadget.com
Maybe I’m mistaken, but I’ve already heard about papaerwork being submitted to the fcc and being approved for all three models of the Kaiser In late july.
Don’t quote me on this either, but I also read that the 8525 shipped a few weeks after its fcc approval.
http://crunchgear.com/2007/08/09/breaking-att-tilt-price-and-launch-date-leaked/
Any ideas where the best place to purchase an unlocked kaiser? Im from Canada (up north) so i will not have the option of getting the phone through AT&T
Any advice would be appreciated.
I have account ATT but I am not going to buy the 8925 but HTC unlocked, at list ATT will not checnge the goodies there.
I am going to do the same buy it unlocked it will cost more but worth it…
I am in Hong Kong and eagerly awaiting the release of this phone. I will post when I know something.
PC
Technically, I think the phrase is “for all in tents and porpoises”.
Just wanted to let all of you know that I have a Kaiser now. I live in Chicago. GPS is awesome. Both GPS and a front-side camera I never thought I would like so much. They both really come in handy!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Oh, just thought I would point out that I bought it through google checkout via ‘elite electronix’.
Sorry for not including all my posts in one comment, but this is how my mind works apparently.
Can anybody comment on why HTC put the speaker phone on the back? What is the design/vision here? Imagine putting the phone on the table of your meeting room (or whatever) and having a conference call. Since the microphone is on the opposite side of the speaker phone… either your voice will be muffled, or the speaker’s voice will be muffled. It’s kind of hard to stand up the phone vertically… so, yeah, let me know what you think.
Chris Wilmer, how much did it set you back and are you using AT&T as your carrier? I live in Chicago, too and am anxious to get this phone. I could wait a few weeks for release, but I heard they removed the cameras from the AT&T 8925 model, so I might be willing to shell out for the real thing.
I have to admit a moral bias before I mask it with rational justifications: I hate the idea of buying a phone from a carrier, especially when the carrier refers to the phone as its own (i.e. Imagine the advertisement from At&T “We’ve been hard at work and now we bring you, our favorite consumer, a brand new mobile phone: the AT&T Tilt!! Yeah!”).
Anyway, it cost me $800. However, before you jump to call me a lunatic, consider the following:
Buying from AT&T locks you into a 2-year contract if I am not mistaken. Now multiply $40/month * 24 months. That’s $960. Now consider instead, buying a SkypeIn number (like me), and SkypePro, and unlimited calling (incoming and outgoing) within North America. Voicemail and call display included. Total bill? $7 a month. Since both my home and my university campus have free wireless, this covers me for almost all cases. I’m still considering an unlimited data plan from a carrier (the Chicago area has 3G nearly everywhere), which would mean that I could receive and make calls virtually everywhere through Skype via the Kaiser. I’m waiting on that latter idea though to see if I really need it.
All that being said, setting up SkypeMobile is a bit of headache. It’ll be really easy someday soon, just not today. The whole thing reminds me of Linux vs. Windows. Of course going open-source is much much cheaper, but it also incurs a fair amount of headache-ness and pioneering spirit.
*phew* Long post, better get back to work!
George said something about ‘no ‘ESC’ button on the keyboard’.
In the Windows Mobile operating system “OK”=”ESC” for all intents and purposes (or should I say, for all “intensive purposes”?). Notice that there is and ‘OK’ button on the keyboard.
-Chris
Mr. Wilmer,
does the GPS work out of the box? I heard that AT&T was going to hobble their version so you have to pay for the GPS as an additional service like for the 8525.
Yup GPS works out of the box and it is free. In fact, there were a few pleasant surprises (and some very minor unpleasant ones). Here’s a summary:
1. Free GPS. If you buy the non-AT&T version it comes bundled with the free version of TomTom navigator software (which turns out to be excellent). You get one free city map, so I got Chicago. [Pleasant surprise]
2. It takes five minutes the first time you use it to get a signal, and it only really works well outdoors. [Unpleasant surprise]
3. After you get your first signal, subsequent connections take one or two seconds.
4. Contrary to my expectations, the refresh rate is less than one second. I was really surprised when I was walking around town with the device. If I took two or three steps forward, the cursor on the map moved with me. I always thought that this sort of thing would refresh every 10 seconds, or maybe even every minute, but it felt ‘real-time’ so-to-speak. [Pleasant surprise].
5. Tomtom has all sorts of interesting features. You pick a location X on a map, and it tells you how to get there DEPENDING ON THE MODE OF TRAVEL YOU CHOOSE. You can pick from walking, driving, biking, etc. The route and estimated time and distance adjust appropriately. All for free! Also, all of the navigation instructions are spoken to you by a British girl voice. Other voices/languages cost extra. British girl is fine by me though. [Pleasant surprise].
6. Tomtom’s wonderfulness notwithstanding, I’m not sure yet how to access GPS through any other means. I’ve been told that Google maps couples with GPS, but I haven’t figured out how to do this yet. There is no Windows Mobile system application that simply readys off your coordinates as given by the GPS satellites.
I’ve only had this device for a few days, so keep reminding me to post more information as I learn to use the device more effectively. the one-free-map thing might sound less like a feature and more like an absence of one once I start travelling elsewhere.
post more info please!
Tell me how it goes with elite, i was thinking about them.