Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

HTC Gives Advantage to the U.S. Market

Geoff Duncan
By
HTC Gives Advantage to the U.S. Market

HTC has apparently decided to bring its Advantage X7501 PDA to the Unites States markets after successfully rolling out the device in Asia and Europe earlier this year—and will do so under its own HTC name rather than manufacturing the device under the brand name of a major mobile operator. The move marks a departure for HTC, which has built a non-name for itself making handsets and devices for bigger players.

The Advantage runs Windows Mobile 6.0 and sports an 8 GB hard drive with miniSD expansion storage, offers a 5-inch touchscreen and a detachable QWERTY keyboard which at least makes it conceivable to enter data and conduct messaging using the device laptop-style. The Advantage sports integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technology, tri-band UMTS/HSDPA mobile broadband along with quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, and support for Direct Pus email. If that weren’t enough, consider the 3 megapixel integrated camera, TV Out for putting presentations or media on a projector or big screen, 128 MB of on-board RAM, 624 MHz CPU, and HTC’s VueFLO motion sensor-assisted browsing.

Recommended Videos

HTC says the Advantage will be available to U.S. consumers this summer; pricing and carrier details haven’t been announced. The device may appeal to PDA and smartphone fan whos want the power of Windows Mobile in a more-sophisticated package than a typical pocket-sized device…but one has to wonder why a U.S. carrier wasn’t eager to lock the device into an exclusive deal.

Related

HTC also plans to show of it’s much-rumored UMPC, the HTC Shift, at Microsoft’s booth at the CTIA mobile trade show. The company hasn’t released any firm details on pricing, availability, or even specifications, but the units sport a sliding keyboard and tilt-up screen which gives the Shift the functionality of a laptop when seated; although users can still get along with the two-hands, thumb-driven handheld experience of typical UMPCs. Trial units have been running Windows Vista Busines (with Aero) and feature a 30 GB hard drive, 7-inch LCD touchscreen display, tri-band UMTS/HSDPA connectivity, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobile support, Wi-Fi, a fingerprint reader, and a front-facing camera for video chat.

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
TikTok faces outright ban in first U.S. state
TikTok icon illustration.

TikTok received more bad news on Wednesday after Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R) signed into law a bill banning the popular app from January 1, 2024.

While more than half of U.S. states have already issued TikTok bans on government-issued devices, Montana’s action against the Chinese-owned app is significant as it’s the first state to impose a total ban on the app.

Read more
The best thing about Samsung’s new budget phone is ruined in the U.S.
The side of the Samsung Galaxy A54, showing the buttons.

When Samsung revealed its next midrange Galaxy A Series phone, the Galaxy A54 5G, I was excited to see it. Not only does the phone resemble the flagship Galaxy S23 series without the flagship prices, but the specs themselves seemed quite respectable too. Though it’s not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, the Exynos 1380 processor is quite fast and snappy, plus you get a 50MP main shooter, a 5,000mAh battery, and more. And you have some awesome color choices to pick from ... as long as you’re not in the U.S., apparently.

One of the most exciting things about the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G for me are the colors. It comes in Awesome Violet or Awesome Lime Green, along with basic black and white colors. Both Awesome shades are vibrant, fun, and look amazing. But don’t get too excited — your options are limited in the U.S.
No colors for you!

Read more
The U.S. government is now using AirTag trackers to spy on packages
Person holding an Apple AirTag.

Apple raised some eyebrows late last year when the company revealed that it actively works with law enforcement officials in cases involving the misuse of its object tracker. The admission came after a litany of cases where AirTag trackers were exploited for stalking and theft. Apple even got slapped with a lawsuit for the whole drama. But it appears that other government agencies have also grown a taste for deploying AirTag trackers to assist with their investigations.

According to Forbes, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently used an AirTag for surveillance in a case that potentially had an illicit narcotics manufacturing angle. Citing an official search warrant, the report notes that border agents intercepted a package coming in from China that contained a pill press machine used to turn chemical powders into a pill.

Read more