HTC Vox gets previewed, lacks 3G / touchscreen

If you had a hankering for HTC previews to finish off your January in style, today's your lucky day. While you're probably still gawking at the HTC Athena peek from earlier, the same lucky soul managed to get his palms around an HTC Vox, and being so kindhearted, we've got the results from another sweet photo shoot. It's about time we saw a few live snaps of this bugger too, as we've been waiting ever since it got official and was captured in the wild, and now you can get closer than ever without actually owning one yourself. Notably, a few more details were spilled out concerning the features (and lack thereof) of this smartphone, as we learned that it does indeed lack 3G as well as a touchscreen LCD. What you will reportedly get, however, includes Windows Mobile 6.0, 128MB of Flash ROM, a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, voice command recognition, QWERTY keypad and a numeric pad, 802.11b/g, two-megapixel camera, microSD slot, and a TI OMAP 850 processor clicking along at 200MHz. Of course, exact specs and inclusions could change on retail models, but if you're interested in seeing all sorts of angles, not to mention shots of OS, be sure to hit the read link after clicking through and scroll on down.

[Xinyu @ Jan 31st 2007 9:21PM]

Why is this exciting? I am waiting for the iPhone.

[YW @ Jan 31st 2007 9:36PM]

Oh FFS, another "Everything sucks compared to the iProduct" person.

If you don't think it's exciting and aren't interested in it, why troll?

Oh yes, it's because that's all you "iProduct" people are essentially spambots who pop up in every thread about every other phone that's been announced since your beloved iPhone.

The fact is that your beloved iPhone is soooooooo good and awesome and ultra-cool and hip to you ONLY because it's being released in America (possibly the most backward nation in the world in terms of mobile phone technology) in Q2 2007.

In the meantime it will only come out in Asia in early 2008 WITHOUT 3G.

It's almost as pathetic as the frenzy some of you seem to get into everytime the iProduct is mentioned.

Right, now back to enjoying my preview of HTC products... HTC make great stuff too. Too bad some people don't realise that.

[Chris M @ Jan 31st 2007 9:24PM]

Because not EVERYONE has time for toys.

This looks promising. I'm probably the only one that feels this way- but I hope the WM6 OS isn't as buggy and prone to lockups as WM5 was for me; I might have to jump back over to the PPC/WM side from the dark side (BlackBerry OS).

Chris

[Robert @ Jan 31st 2007 9:33PM]

dam i still have wm 2003

[Ben @ Jan 31st 2007 9:52PM]

This is cool because it has similar specs (no giant touch screen to scratch), and will cost like, what, one third as much. And as much as they say an on screen keyboard can do this and that, but I can't feel a key on the screen while I drive.

[Ignacio @ Jan 31st 2007 10:14PM]

"And as much as they say an on screen keyboard can do this and that, but I can't feel a key on the screen while I drive."

Yeah, great idea. Type while you drive.

[p3ngwin @ Feb 1st 2007 11:41AM]

you're not supposed to be driving or doing anything dangerous when using the phone you idiot.

[Ben @ Feb 1st 2007 12:11AM]

Well, it isn't as much a "drive" as a lurch... and it isn't texting/email, it is dialing numbers, looking up names, and stuff like that.


PS: eek-gawd! What was that "but" doing in there? I am worse than a 5th grader!

[teklikethis @ Jan 31st 2007 10:56PM]

this looks really cool. im thinking of getting this... if only rogers in canada would carry it :(

ebay here i come!

[p3ngwin @ Feb 1st 2007 12:06PM]

you're still not supposed be doing anything with a phne if your in control of a car, regardless of what speed and "only checking texts and numbers..."

[BrowncoatJedi @ Feb 1st 2007 12:16AM]

Not nearly as good as the iPhone.

[Aaron @ Feb 1st 2007 12:44AM]

Okay everybody, it's officially time to stop comparing everything to the iPhone. Some people want a helpful PHONE, not a fucking $600 toy that's good because Steve Jobs said so. If you want one, then buy it when it comes out and shut up. The iPod isn't the best MP3 player out there and the iPhone won't be the best phone, either. Deal with it.

Personally, I think this thing looks nice. Sleek and professional. And screw the touchscreen, honestly. I'll take the actual keypad, thanks.

Appreciate things for what they are, not for how they stack up to whatever the Apple equivalent is.

[alpha @ Feb 1st 2007 12:55AM]

Rumor has it that the dimension of Vox is 100x50x18mm and it will be available Q2 2007. So it is roughly the size of SDA while sports an QWERTY keyboard. Gee, I really want one not matter what you SteveJ fanboys say.

[Sirocco @ Feb 1st 2007 1:13AM]

I love the blue glow of the keypad! I'm getting one! This will be my first such device - you've been a long time coming, baby! Come to daddy!

[grr @ Feb 1st 2007 4:53AM]

This is ugly as hell. Plus WM... It sucks.
I want my iPhone.

[Rick N @ Feb 1st 2007 5:15AM]

Looks great!
Have put a swamii on it!

[Rospaya @ Feb 1st 2007 8:23AM]

It doesn't lack a touchscreen since it's not inteded to have one it's a Smartphone, not a Pocket PC. Dumb remark...

[Richard Lai @ Feb 1st 2007 10:13AM]

This is looking promising. The front num pad and the keyboard will be very handy indeed. Of course, lacking 3G is a big disappointment since you would have thought the keyboard would be great for browsing the Internet, but this would be a fun toy for students who have wi-fi access (especially 802.11g) at their universities and lacking money for the 3G phones (btw I'm a uni student and I don't use 3G at all).

I'd like to see what the camera pictures are like. HTC has yet to improve their cameras to go head to head with Sony Ericsson.

[bob @ Feb 1st 2007 10:36AM]

Low Resolution
WAY TOO THICK
No touchscreen
Slow Internet access

WOW - Where do I sign up? I've been waiting for an innovative design like this!

[Andrew Wise @ Feb 1st 2007 11:36AM]

imo, this is the perfect layout for a ppc/smartphone/whatever you want to call it.

The unit needs to function as a phone first, and touchscreen phones will never provide the same tactile feel of keys. These huge number keys trump any of the tiny keys used on the Treos, BBs, etc. and you also get a sliding keyboard for extended emails which rival BB and beat the Treos.

[mj @ Feb 1st 2007 11:40AM]

I think this phone looks awesome. These are much better values than iPhones, which I would only get for wifi surfing - and I'll probably get a Nokia n800 instead.

I'm kind of digging the WM-based blackberry knockoffs like Blackjack and Q. I just don't see myself trying them out until the battery life is up. It looks like MS has found their phone niche finally, even if they make crappy software compared to hardware makers (symbian, palm and apple all do better).

[ERR @ Feb 1st 2007 4:25PM]

well, for all of you iphone caomparing pricks, go to hell. just becaise the ipod was the first ever(and still) over rated mp3 player doesnt mean its better than everything. yeah they have semi-good products, but thats only because they have the money from all their little disappointing lawsuits over the name of the iphone.

an di personally think this hone will be amazing. i honestly cant wait. but i recently(liek this week) bought the blackjack for cingular. and im not loaded with money like others. so now what am i gonna do? EBAY!

[Norm @ Feb 1st 2007 9:59PM]

If it can ssh, I'm sold!

[James Rosenblatt @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:18AM]

Don't get me wrong I hate apple as much as the next guy but come on, give the hate where it's due. The iPod is probably one of most well engineered and simplest mp3 players out there. The iPhone on the other hand is a $600 paperweight designed for the people who would probably give Steve Jobs a BJ on the street if they saw him. This phone is rediculously hot. It looks like a normal phone from the outside (so you don't look like a PDA carrying toolbox) and the POW, there goes the keyboard. Awesome design!!!