HTC's Vision spotted with QWERTY keyboard, Android 2.1
updated 09:15 am EDT, Mon July 5, 2010
HTC Vision for T-Mobile seen for first time
The HTC Vision may have finally been spotted today by a Croatian with hands-on time. The device on display at njuskalo has traces of the Touch Pro2 and its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, albeit non-tilting, but has obvious design changes to support Android and HTC's 2010 design philosophy. It now has a row of touch-sensitive Android keys and an optical trackpad.
The initial hands-on also at least superficially appears to debunk some rumors of the dual-core device, as it would use a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon. It also appears to use Android 2.1 and the current version of Sense UI, although these may be placeholders until HTC has a working version of Android 3.0. A 3.7-inch display would be strictly average and put the Vision on par with the Droid. The panel may have to be an LCD as shortages of AMOLEDs may prevent HTC from using its one-time favorite screen technology.
No launch details have been given out, but the Vision has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible Sidekick replacement for T-Mobile's US branch under the Project Emerald codename. An international version is likely as HTC hasn't had a non-US Android phone with QWERTY since the Dream, which kicked off Android in fall 2008.
