Comments on: Verizon’s Touch Pro may not be neutered after all

By: Pelusios7

Pelusios7 — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:16:50 +0000

On Nov 28, 2008 @ 4:19 pm, Travis wrote he installed 11 programs to tweek up his HTC Touch Pro. I would like to know what the programs were so I can install them since I think the Touch Pro processes noticeably slooow. Great phone otherwise. Thanks, Pelusios7

By: Walt

Walt — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:13:17 +0000

The Verizon Touch Pro has ““Integrated GPS…” hardware too. It just doesn’t have the software to run it. At least right now.

Verizon has already announced that there will be an update for their Touch Pro that will add the software required for the existing GPS hardware to work for any application.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:05:05 +0000

If I got to HTC and order the Touch pro out of their store it comes to $199 after rebate instead of $349 at the verizon website. Also it specifically lists in the features for the HTC Touch Pro (Verizon): “Integrated GPS…” is it possible that the one purchased from HTC would be $150 less and less cripled?

By: Travis

Travis — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:19:25 +0000

I have the Verizon Touch Pro in my hand. I received it Wednesday Nov. 26th. I’ve tweaked the hell out of it and it’s working great now (and still locked) – except for GPS still locked.

CPU: Qualcomm 7500A
Speed: 528mhz
RAM Size: 192 MB
OS Program Memory: 78.71 MB
Program Memory*: 113.29 MB
Used: 87.61 MB
Free: 25.67 MB
Flash Size: 512 MB
OS Memory: 170.53 MB
Storage Memory: 341.47 MB
Used: 69.85 MB
Free: 271.63 MB
Data Bus: 32 bits
Storage Size: 341.47 MB
Display res: 480×640
Colors: 65536
Bluetooth Version: 2.0/2.0+EDR

*Installed 11 programs before these numbers, if that makes any difference to anyone – I didn’t record factory state, sorry.

By: funny

funny — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:00:11 +0000

It’s not the processor I’m concerned about. The original report shows that VZW’s Pro has half the memory (128mb) of the Sprint version (256mb)

By: Walt

Walt — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:13:42 +0000

The only glimmer of reasonableness, that VZW just might slow down the CPU, is to extend battery life. One thing which tops the list of problems from VZW’s own testing, and from early users of the phone at competitors, is the pretty poor battery life. Many people can’t make it thru a work-day without stopping for a re-charge.

As Ron said, most people will not notice the slightly slower CPU, but many will notice the longer battery time.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:54:32 +0000

What do you expect? It’s Verizon. But I can honestly so that this may not be a problem for some. Can you really tell the difference between 400Mhz and 500Mhz without having to initiate a application that actually demands more speed. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the HTC Tytn 2, and the Touch Diamond until I began multitasking. Then I noticed I could run a few more programs in the background and doing h things like listening to music while browsing the web didn’t slow down much. But even still there wasn’t much difference. I guess we will know when it releases.

By: tavella

tavella — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:52:41 +0000

@jKuhn

By the way, I owned a 6800 with Sprint and we got GPS and EVDO Rev.A last year not a few months ago from Sprint.

By: tavella

tavella — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:48:54 +0000

First, VZW has locked down the GPS on their smartphones for almost two years (Blackberry 8830). The 6800 and 6900 users were able to unlock their GPS capabilities with LBS DLL files, QPST updates to gpsOne, and people building roms. I only wish that this type of support existed for their Blackberry users. They can keep their overpriced service for all I care. Their billing is horrible. Working on one year to the day that their billing system keeps trying to charge me for ETFs for phones turned back in after 10 days. $525 each month. Test drivers beware…

By: Superguy

Superguy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:23:55 +0000

Is it possible for vendors to downclock the hardware? I remember Intel Xscale processors (ARM compatible) had different multiplers and bus settings to generate different clock speeds on the same chip. It’s how Dell got sold it’s original Axim at different speeds, and some people sold overclocking programs as well.

I’m not familiar with Qualcomm’s capabilities, so does anyone know if the numbers can be messed with on their chips? If so, I think it could be possible for Verizon to cripple the chip despite it having the same chip as Sprint’s.

Super

By: David

David — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:09:07 +0000

As I Do not have the need to play World of Warcraft on my Phone, i dont really care if it has crippled processing power. I just like having decent coverage, and fast data, so verizon still has my vote over sprint.

By: Kelly Hodgkins

Kelly Hodgkins — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:21:15 +0000

^^^btw, it is the XV6800, the Mogul that I am talking about above

By: Kelly Hodgkins

Kelly Hodgkins — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:19:04 +0000

@Jkuhn
VZW had a chance to unlock the GPS when they pushed out the WM 6.1 update a few months ago and they DID NOT do it. VZW kept it locked down. Sprint on the other hand unlocked the GPS. Sprint unlocked, Verizon locked. Please explain to me, how that is not an example of vzw crippling their smartphones?

I wont even get into the locked GPS on the XV6900, BB Pearl, BB Curve, the Moto Q, and the i760.

By: RicoRich196

RicoRich196 — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:14:15 +0000

Verizon benefits by having to pay HTC less and release an “updated” phone (crippled I might add) to the unsuspecting general public.

By: EPS

EPS — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:11:22 +0000

Verizon does cripple GPS on their smartphones, but that makes sense (from VZ’s standpoint, not from the consumer’s) because they want you to get VZNav… I don’t see how they would benefit from giving less RAM or a slower processor.

By: JKuhn

JKuhn — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:40:51 +0000

oh and verizon hasnt ever “crippled any of their smartphones. GPS wasnt enable on any of the carriers HTC phones until a few months ago, so that argument is null.

By: JKuhn

JKuhn — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:39:17 +0000

Unless Sprint was spying on Verizon there is no way they would have had that information in August

By: Mark R

Mark R — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:23:04 +0000

Let’s hope that VZW leaves the processor, memory, GPS and WiFi alone this time. It would be about time for that to happen.

By: veks

veks — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:15:26 +0000

I guess we will just have to wait and see. If its crippled, verizon is up to it’s same old tricks. If it’s not, I guess some people were right.

By: Don Louie

Don Louie — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:56:56 +0000

They shouldn’t have been doing that in the 1st place but given thier history maybe this isn’t true. On another note, engadgetmobile is saying the Omnia, Touch Pro and some other winmo by Sammy next month