O2 Cosmo Version of HTC's Excalibur in Pictures

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3292' target='_blank'>http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3292</a><br /><br /></div><i>"what's all the cosmo/Excalibur buzz about? Well, the HTC Excalibur is HTC's first BlackBerry look alike Windows Mobile Smartphone with a thumb QWERTZ keyboard. While it reminds on the first sight on a Pocket PC Phone Edition with landscape screen, the screen isn't a touch screen at all since the cosmo is powered by Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone. Other features are quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE, W-LAN and Bluetooth, a 2 1.3 megapixel camera, the thumb keyboard and the new jog strip which replaces the traditional jog wheel, BlackBerry and HTC Hermes users might know."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20060829-o2Cosmo.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Arne Hess over at the::unwired has got his hands on the new HTC Excalibur, only it's called the o2 XDA Cosmo. He hasn't had the time to write up a review or anything, but he has snapped a number of beautiful pictures. Check them out and be sure to click on the image for a larger image with increased drool generating potential. :drool:

[cng]

Under certain lighting, the XDA Cosmo looks black, or dark at least, which is A LOT more attractive than the renderings. The silver part makes it ugly. Man, this device is so slim!

[encece]

Seems like that touch sensitive strip on the side is buttons...by the looks of it. Anyone confirm whether or not this is true?

[saru7755]

Man, this device is so slim!

It is silm but the I320 is even slimmer ;)

[Mike Temporale]

Seems like that touch sensitive strip on the side is buttons...by the looks of it. Anyone confirm whether or not this is true?

Yeah, from what I've been told, some resellers (Dopod for one) have decided to go with a button / rocker switch approach instead of the touch strip. :?

[AirWar]

I am not sure that there will be a lot of point in having either a touch strip or rocker because it appears that there is a d-pad in the middle. I have been using an i320 for the last month and get on fine with just the d-pad.

It may be there just to entice the Blackberry users they are after....

I should point out though that I tend to use the Samsung one handed. I would have to say that even though the Cosmo...what a name! is small it would have have to look somewhat more sophisticated and have a really good battery lifetime for me to change again. The i320 is really compact and it is the first business device I don't mind carrying around at weekends.

[Mike Temporale]

I am not sure that there will be a lot of point in having either a touch strip or rocker because it appears that there is a d-pad in the middle. I have been using an i320 for the last month and get on fine with just the d-pad.

It's not meant to replace the dpad. The Q is the same way, there is a central navigation system in the front of the device, but the side has a jog dial that makes it really easy to navigate menus and select options. You don't need it, but I found it nice to have on the Q. I imagine it's the same on the Excalibur.

[AirWar]

Granted it is useful to have both but the Q is bigger and I imagine most use it in a similar fashion to a blackberry with both hands. The Samsung is easier (personal opinion) to use with one hand, although not as rapid to type.

I will have to check the dimensions of the XDA to see how it relates to the i320. Because to be honest I think it is actually harder to type with both thumbs, there is not enough keyboard real estate and it is almost too this to hold comfortably.

[MitchellO]

If only this device had WCDMA 2100Mhz as well, it would be perfect. But alas.....