O2 Xda Flame: VGA Pocket PC Phone with GoForce

[Darius Wey]

<a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/xda-flame-highres.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/xda-flame-lowres.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Click the image above for a larger version.</i><br /><br />Folks, grab your drool bucket. This is one 3G Pocket PC Phone that's sure to leave any geek watering. You begged for a large 3.6" VGA display? You got it. An NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU for next-generation mobile graphics? Sure, why not? And how about an Intel XScale PXA270 520MHz CPU, 2GB ROM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, USB On-The-Go, a 2.0-megapixel camera, SRS Mobile HD surround sound support, and TV-out support - all thrown in for good measure? Yes, O2 has some hot stuff planned for 2007! Stay tuned for more. <!><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/xda-flame-specs.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/xda-flame-specs-lowres.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Click the image above for a larger version.</i><br /><br /><b>Update:</b> Additional specs and pictures are now available. Please visit <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,52574">this thread</a> for more information.

[piperpilot]

Now that's something beautiful to behold. I want one and I want one NOW!

[Paragon]

OMG!!!

[palur]

I can't believe it is TRUE :D
Wait is it Quad band?
I hope it is. If so I want it now, I mean now.
Woo hooo! :lol:

[Clinton Fitch]

&lt;confession>

I love O2's stuff. I've had an Atom now for about a year and I just love it. The size is perfect, the radio stack is fantastic and it is zippy. Now seeing the Flame (and having the benefit of seeing some other devices they are going to release in 2007) I really, really wish they were in the US. :cry:

&lt;/confession>

[Clinton Fitch]

And don't forget the Flame also has a 2GB Flash ROM

8O

[ZodiacfreaK]

Finally it seems that someone is listening to us.

[100thMonkey]

No QWERTY or WCDMA? pass

[Menneisyys]

Yup, at last something with 3D acceleration.

I only wish it had a DVB receiver and seamless call recording capabilities.

[DinarSoft]

I can't believe it is TRUE :D


It is true, I held it in my hands and played with it :P


Wait is it Quad band?


I'll get back to you about this tomorrow :)

[Darius Wey]

No QWERTY or WCDMA? pass

The specs sheet doesn't say it, but it's a 3G phone. Unfortunately, I can't give out the list of bands just yet, though I may be able to in a few hours.

[cgavula]

How about GPS?

How about 128MB real RAM?

...there's always more to want and no one ever seems to throw it ALL into one device.

--Chris

[DaleReeck]

I've become disillusioned with claims of great GPU chips in new PDA's. The Dell Axims had that advanced GPU that was supposed to be the next great thing and hardly anybody wrote anything to take advantage of the chip.

[SteveHoward999]

Yaaaaaay!!

First - I am pleased to see this. OK I am VERY pleased to see this. As one of the daily moaners about the lack of VGA options these days, this shows there is hope for me yet ...

But let's see what's missing, at least on first glance:-

No BlueTooth?
Is if Quad band or not?
Keyboard? - I have to admit that as I use my PDA more and more, and my phone too, I really do feel the need for a keyboard. I love the slide-out keyboard of the Wizard ... I hate the keyboards on the Blackberry clones, as they take up all the space that should be devoted to a nice VGA screen ... ;-)
What about slots? I'm going to want to be able to hook up to a GPS solution, and if there is no Bluetooth, then it needs to be a plug in device.


Still - maybe some of my fears will be addressed tomorrow :-)

[palur]

I can't believe it is TRUE :D


It is true, I held it in my hands and played with it :P


Wait is it Quad band?


I'll get back to you about this tomorrow :)

:mrgreen: aaahhh! you held it :cry: ! Ok, Ok! I am cooling down. Tell us if it is quad band in which case i don't mind importing it. I believe it is available in 1Q 2007! Why not for Christmas?
Could you post some pictures Dinar? Please!

[DinarSoft]

Tell us if it is quad band in which case i don't mind importing it. I believe it is available in 1Q 2007! Why not for Christmas?
Could you post some pictures Dinar? Please!

Ok, I'll visit them again tomorrow
- I'll take as much photos as I can
- I'll get all the details you want to know about it
- I'll confirm the release date (bu I know it's Q1-2007)

BTW: My name is not Dinar, I'm just a member of DinarSoft's team :)

[njb42]

And with a power-hungry 3.6" VGA screen, fast CPU, and a GPU to support as well, the battery life is going to be maybe four hours? Six with the optional extended battery?

There's always a price to be paid.

[Tye]

Umm, wow. I haven't felt the need to post on a device in ages but this one looks so sweet.

Steve, I can't imagine they would make a device this loaded and not put BT in it. Just a guess, of course.

Now that I have a PPC-6700 and a built in keyboard, I find that I don't really use it much. I care much more about having a big VGA screen which, with a full screen keyboard, works great for me.

So my two big questions are whether it will ever be available for Sprint (doubt it), and how big is the battery? I still miss my 4700's massive standard battery.

[Darius Wey]

So my two big questions are whether it will ever be available for Sprint (doubt it), and how big is the battery? I still miss my 4700's massive standard battery.

This is an O2 Asia-Pacific release, so it's unlikely you'll see this in the States, especially through one of the carriers. You'll probably have to stick to importing - from Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore, if you want to be safe about getting an English version.

[JesterMania]

That's a very interesting device indeed. Hopefully this will be the device to break the ice for other developers to follow with similar enhancements. Interestingly enough, for myself - I find the 2GB ROM, USB On-The-Go, and TV-Out capabilities to be the most useful. But like another poster said above, I'm not sure how much the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU would be of any use if hardly any developers take advantage of it. It may very well pull up the price without offering much benefit.

Also, as SteveHoward said above too, I would prefer something with a keyboard. Looking at the size of the device compared to the photographer's hand, it seems significantly larger than your standard 2005-2006 PPC Phone so adding a slide-out keyboard may make the device more usable for some. I'm actually thinking how nice it would be if it had the HTC Universal (JasJar) design. Couple that with a bluetooth headset and you have a powerful solution.

[disconnected]

The EXCELLENT --
a converged device with a large VGA screen :D

The GOOD --
camera, ROM, any other bells and whistles

The MAYBE NOT SO GOOD --
battery life??
slots?
no GPS?

The BAD --
no bluetooth -- but this can't be true???

The VERY, VERY, BAD --
not for Sprint, or even a non-CDMA US carrier :cry: :cry: :cry:

[the_very]

Isn't it a fake? I've never seen such an upper toolbar! :roll:

[Menneisyys]

No BlueTooth?


I don't think it would tbe THAT bad - today, a no-BT phone is useless because everybody wants to use BT headsets.

[Menneisyys]

no bluetooth -- but this can't be true???


I'm pretty sure it isn't true - it's only in Japanese-only models that there's no BT.

[Menneisyys]

That's a very interesting device indeed. Hopefully this will be the device to break the ice for other developers to follow with similar enhancements. Interestingly enough, for myself - I find the 2GB ROM, USB On-The-Go, and TV-Out capabilities to be the most useful. But like another poster said above, I'm not sure how much the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU would be of any use if hardly any developers take advantage of it. It may very well pull up the price without offering much benefit.

1. You need the GPU for the TV out (to be usable).
2. There're quite a few games / emulators that take advantage of the 2700G (and, therefore, the 5500). I'd say it's really cool to have it built-in.

[Menneisyys]

I've become disillusioned with claims of great GPU chips in new PDA's. The Dell Axims had that advanced GPU that was supposed to be the next great thing and hardly anybody wrote anything to take advantage of the chip.

It's true it's only only few games + the only SNES and PocketGBA emulator that take advantage of it; still, it's much nbicer to have it onboard for little or no additional cost. And it also lets for flawless (as opposed to slowish third-party solutions, including that of the Toshi e800) TV out.

As far as price is concerned: The x50v/x51v was also by far the cheapest VGA device around, while it also sported the 2700G. Yeah, the cheapo (and not very good) screen was one of the reasons they were able to offer it for so cheap; still, an expensive 2700G would have been a stumbling block and Dell most probably wouldn't have included it if it had been considerably expensive.

[Menneisyys]

And with a power-hungry 3.6" VGA screen, fast CPU, and a GPU to support as well, the battery life is going to be maybe four hours? Six with the optional extended battery?

There's always a price to be paid.

Actually, if correctly designed, the screen doesn't take much battery power. Look at the iPAQ hx4700 or the Pocket Loox 718/720 - they consume as little power as a QVGA device.

The same stands for GPU - this isn't desktop hardware, these GPU's are both much slower and much less power-hungry than their desktop counterparts.

These are backed up by my (numerous and thorough) battery consumption tests - see for example this (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=416675) here at PPCT.

[Frankie1]

I think that my O2 Xda exec has it's days numbered. Although, I am really not feeling that fact that this thing does not have a hardware KeyBoard, but if it slim enough, I can definately live with that. I live in the USA as other mentioned that they do too, so I will definately be importing this device. MORE PICTURES PLEASE! :)

[Tye]

Isn't it a fake? I've never seen such an upper toolbar! :roll:
Yeah, that's interesting. Does anyone know anything about that?

[DaleReeck]

Yeah, the cheapo (and not very good) screen was one of the reasons they were able to offer it for so cheap;

The iPaq 4700, best VGA screen EVER :D

Actually, the Universal had a pretty decent VGA screen too. While the device in this thread looks good, I would have been happy with an updated Universal. Add quad band, EDGE and USA-compatible UTMS bands (or create a CDMA EVDO version), upgrade wifi to b/g and Bluetooth to 2.0 and you got a great device that will still be good 3 or 4 years from now. Go a little further and bump the processor to 600MHZ and add a GPS chip. A new Universal with these specs would have been killer.

Of course, the $2000 price tag and the nulcear battery needed to power the above mentioned Universal might have been a sticking point ;)

[Faenad]

seems that we will se the come-back of VGA device in 2007.

This one, + the rumored the HTC ommin, and also Eten who announced today that they will release a 2,8" VGA Pdaphone in 2007 :D

[Paragon]

Isn't it a fake? I've never seen such an upper toolbar! :roll:
Yeah, that's interesting. Does anyone know anything about that?

O2 has always had some unique stuff happening on their Today screens.

[virain]

What about WM 6.0?

[cgavula]

[quote="DaleReeck"]
The iPaq 4700, best VGA screen EVER :D
quote]

I have to agree. I own a number of newer devices and for a number of functions, like ebook reading (it's about anti-aliasing, NOT resolution), game playing and GPS, I keep going back to the 4705 - the display is simply the best one I've ever seen. What's interesting is that new/refurbed/used ones are STILL selling for a premium on eBay. Not bad for a device that was widely slammed, mostly due to it's trackpad, but also due to it's size, when it was released.

We need to see even more VGA devices but this is an excellent step!

--Chris

[Menneisyys]

Yeah, the cheapo (and not very good) screen was one of the reasons they were able to offer it for so cheap;

The iPaq 4700, best VGA screen EVER :D

Actually, the Universal had a pretty decent VGA screen too.

Yup, the Universal has the same Sony screen as in the Pocket Loox 718/720 and (apart from the size difference) the hx4700. It's probably only the Sharp Silicon screens that are better (love my Zaurus' SL-C760's screen).

Hope the Flame (and, of course, the Omni) will also have a similarly good Sony screen and not one like the Dell (or the Acers).

[DaleReeck]

[quote=DaleReeck]
The iPaq 4700, best VGA screen EVER :D
quote]

I have to agree. I own a number of newer devices and for a number of functions, like ebook reading (it's about anti-aliasing, NOT resolution), game playing and GPS, I keep going back to the 4705 - the display is simply the best one I've ever seen. What's interesting is that new/refurbed/used ones are STILL selling for a premium on eBay. Not bad for a device that was widely slammed, mostly due to it's trackpad, but also due to it's size, when it was released.

We need to see even more VGA devices but this is an excellent step!

--Chris

Yeah, I never understood all the 4700 bashing, especially about it's size. That gorgeous 4 inch VGA screen was perfect for reading and movies. And while it was big surface wise, it was still one of the thnnest PDA's ever. No oone ever mentions that. It was like watching movies or reading books on one of those data pads from Star Trek :D

[haesslich]

I kinda wish it had more CPU... but given this is a PHONE, 520MHz is pretty good by itself.

Is this WM5 or WM5 Smartphone?

[Menneisyys]

I kinda wish it had more CPU... but given this is a PHONE, 520MHz is pretty good by itself.

Is this WM5 or WM5 Smartphone?

WM5.

[JKingGrim]

That does not look like the today screen, that looks like a modified version of wmp. Interesting to the bottom right. FM tuner?

Those who said pdaphones will not match the power of pdas can now eat their words!

WOW!

If only it had a slide out keyboard. I love my 6700's keyboard. And two buttons on the top for gamming in landscape... on the vga screen... with graphic accelleration...if only for sprint... with EVDO revA...

I can dream, cant I?

[SteveHoward999]

it's about anti-aliasing, NOT resolution

Actually, for many of us it IS about resolution. Compare reading an ebook in true VGA v's pretend VGA. You can get a LOT more words on screen in true VGA. Not everyone can see that well, granted, but gimme clear, crisp ickle text over the giant, pretty text alternative :-)

Well, at least until my eyes succumb to middle-age degradation :-(

[jaytee]

How can it be fake? They held it with their own hands!

[dochall]

very nice. There's one question that needs answering before contemplating replacing my Tytn. Does it have a jog dial? I love that thing.

[spacehog]

how about the following:

- 5" VGA screen
- 624mhz intel cpu
- 3g umts (triband)/hsdpa
- quad band gsm w/ edge
- 128mb rom, 8GB storage!
- gps built-in
- bt 2.0 w/ a2dp
- magnetically attachable keyboard (works like the macbook pro power cord)


if this sounds like something you might be interested in, hold your horses on the flame cause htc has an ace up its sleeve...

[njb42]

Actually, if correctly designed, the screen doesn't take much battery power.

Hey Werner, I agree with you that battery life should be good if correctly designed, but we've seen many PPC's that had unexplained battery-gobbling issues, right?

[SteveHoward999]

if this sounds like something you might be interested in, hold your horses on the flame cause htc has an ace up its sleeve...


Wow - if there is any truth to this, I could find myself having to start saving up my cash ...

[haesslich]

if this sounds like something you might be interested in, hold your horses on the flame cause htc has an ace up its sleeve...


Wow - if there is any truth to this, I could find myself having to start saving up my cash ...

That's the key phrase: "if there is any truth", it'll be a marvel and a credit to HTC who have finally gotten the hint, especially if it has any decent battery life to go with its phone functions. Otherwise.. :devilboy:

[ADBrown]

if this sounds like something you might be interested in, hold your horses on the flame cause htc has an ace up its sleeve...

If that's true, it would be intensely drool worthy. Got any proof? Triband UMTS--does that mean 850/1900/2100? Card slots? Overall size?

I also note, upon looking through your posting history, that you issued a testimonial backing the reality of the "HTC Blizzard" PPC/Smartphone hybrid which turned out to be so much air. On the other hand, you have offered some interesting insider analysis of the HTC/i-mate relationship.

[Darius Wey]

Isn't it a fake? I've never seen such an upper toolbar! :roll:

To those wondering whether it's a fake or not, I can tell you with 100% certainty that it's not. It's a legit device that was announced by O2.

The upper bar doesn't look THAT out of the ordinary. And if it does, bear in mind that many applications and plug-ins exist to modify its appearance.

[Darius Wey]

I kinda wish it had more CPU... but given this is a PHONE, 520MHz is pretty good by itself.

Is this WM5 or WM5 Smartphone?

Pocket PC Phone Edition, if that makes more sense. So, yes, the screen is touch-enabled.

[Darius Wey]

That does not look like the today screen, that looks like a modified version of wmp. Interesting to the bottom right. FM tuner?

O2 has a history of including custom applications. This looks like one of them, or at least, a mock-up of one of them.

Those who said pdaphones will not match the power of pdas can now eat their words!

WOW!

Converged devices are certainly the trend these days. The inclusion of the NVIDIA GoForce is an extremely nice touch, but not one that's too surprising. Both Intel and NVIDIA announced earlier in the year that we'd see GoForce-powered Pocket PC Phones by the end of 2006 and beyond. And as Menneisyys has pointed out, these GPUs offer huge advantages beyond standard graphical enhancements.

I can dream, cant I?

Sure, we're all geeks, right? :mrgreen:

[palur]

The fact that XDA Zinc has only 3 replies compared to 47 for Flame shows to some extent that VGA and 3.5" screen may be the prime factors generating much of the enthusiasm. Sure NVIDIA also could be a reason. For me the first two factors plus its a phone generated utmost interest.

I hope we will see the pictures from Dinarsoft team member soon. :D

[DinarSoft]

I hope we will see the pictures from Dinarsoft team member soon. :D

I'm off to GITEX in couple of hours and as promised I'll take as much photos as I can (or as they allow me :) ) and I'll try to answer all the questions raised in this thread.

[nd4speed]

how about the following:

- 5" VGA screen
- 624mhz intel cpu
- 3g umts (triband)/hsdpa
- quad band gsm w/ edge
- 128mb rom, 8GB storage!
- gps built-in
- bt 2.0 w/ a2dp
- magnetically attachable keyboard (works like the macbook pro power cord)


if this sounds like something you might be interested in, hold your horses on the flame cause htc has an ace up its sleeve...
Are you talking about the Omni? If so I hadn't heard about these additional specs; would you have a link? Thanks.

[spacehog]

if this sounds like something you might be interested in, hold your horses on the flame cause htc has an ace up its sleeve...


Wow - if there is any truth to this, I could find myself having to start saving up my cash ...

That's the key phrase: "if there is any truth", it'll be a marvel and a credit to HTC who have finally gotten the hint, especially if it has any decent battery life to go with its phone functions. Otherwise.. :devilboy:


forgot to mention the 2100mAh battery.. my apologies ;)

[bnycastro]

I see that loosing HTC as a supplier [atleast in Asia] isn't slowing things down so much for O2. Hopefully their new manufacturer makes reliable devices.
--
the Flame looks tempting, but unless it has a HW keyboard and SDHC I may keep my Exec a bit longer.
--
@spacehog: where did you see this info about HTC's new device? 8Gb ROM and a detachable keyboard? Sounds to good to be true [but of course I'm wishing it's true :P]

[Gti]

forgot to mention the 2100mAh battery.. my apologies ;)
:wink:

[Menneisyys]

Actually, if correctly designed, the screen doesn't take much battery power.

Hey Werner, I agree with you that battery life should be good if correctly designed, but we've seen many PPC's that had unexplained battery-gobbling issues, right?

Yup, the Asus A730(w) was/were a complete disaster in this respect and the x50v/x51v also consumes considerably more power than the rest. Hope the new VGA devices will be better in this respect.

[ymahmood]

Does any 1 know the manufacturer of the Flame?

[Menneisyys]

I hope we will see the pictures from Dinarsoft team member soon. :D

I'm off to GITEX in couple of hours and as promised I'll take as much photos as I can (or as they allow me :) ) and I'll try to answer all the questions raised in this thread.

Great news! :)

Could you also try running some 2700G-specific game or freely available 3D demos (see for example the demos in here; see section "2. Technology demos (not games!)" for a copule of them here, in the 2700G Bible Part II (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&amp;p=661&amp;more=1&amp;c=1&amp;tb=1&amp;pb=1)) to see how fast it is? The PowerVR demos (section 2.1) are individual EXE files needing no installation; they can just be copied to a memcard and run right off of it, w/o anything else.

[SpencerAR]

@Dinarsoft - I sure hope you found out about what slots the Flame, battery life and BT capabilities. Oh yeah, and if there are any plans for a CDMA version to come down the pipe (I can't help it, I'm stuck on Verizon :cry: ).

@Spacehog - Dude, don't tease us like this...give us a link or something...inquiring minds want to know :wink:

[kiwiruss]

Put a GPS in it and make sure its got bluetooth
and Im sold. oh, 128mb ram also

[spacehog]

@Dinarsoft - I sure hope you found out about what slots the Flame, battery life and BT capabilities. Oh yeah, and if there are any plans for a CDMA version to come down the pipe (I can't help it, I'm stuck on Verizon :cry: ).

@Spacehog - Dude, don't tease us like this...give us a link or something...inquiring minds want to know :wink:

experienced the device first hand (albeit for a very short while) so i dont have any links or images.

[bnycastro]

experienced the device first hand (albeit for a very short while) so i dont have any links or images. hmmm interesting... did you get to check what slot it uses [sd or sdhc or miniSD or microSD] well at least there is another phone ed vga device under works... more choices are always welcome.

[DinarSoft]

hmmm interesting... did you get to check what slot it uses [sd or sdhc or miniSD or microSD] well at least there is another phone ed vga device under works... more choices are always welcome.

It's a microSD :D

[palur]

Oho you are teasing with just micro SD info. Please give us more information soon.
Thanks

[kamikun]

experienced the device first hand (albeit for a very short while) so i dont have any links or images.

(in reference to some geek wet dream sorta device that spacehog says he saw but no one else can corroborate.)
Spacehog: Just to be on notice. If you are joshing around with us VGA freaks and baiting us to see what kind of reaction you can get... I swear I will hunt you down and eat your soul.

Really. :devilboy:

I can't tell you how much you have described the fantasy PDA that I've wanted since the release of the e800. I thought it was going to be the DualCor but we all see where that has gone... or not.
Seriously hoping that such a PDA / Notebook replacement really does hit the production line soon. :|

[DinarSoft]

Oho you are teasing with just micro SD info. Please give us more information soon.
Thanks

The page is almost ready
We're just waiting for Darius to post about it

[bnycastro]

w 8O w a device that big and still they put microSD, well hopefully by the time it is released we have cards with above 2Gb capacities.

[DinarSoft]

w 8O w a device that big and still they put microSD, well hopefully by the time it is released we have cards with above 2Gb capacities.

Come on, it has already 2GB built-in ROM.
How much memory/storage do you need?

(keep in mind this is just a phone :D)

[Darius Wey]

Oho you are teasing with just micro SD info. Please give us more information soon.
Thanks

Okay, it's on the front-page. Enjoy! :D

[spacehog]

experienced the device first hand (albeit for a very short while) so i dont have any links or images.

(in reference to some geek wet dream sorta device that spacehog says he saw but no one else can corroborate.)
Spacehog: Just to be on notice. If you are joshing around with us VGA freaks and baiting us to see what kind of reaction you can get... I swear I will hunt you down and eat your soul.

Really. :devilboy:

I can't tell you how much you have described the fantasy PDA that I've wanted since the release of the e800. I thought it was going to be the DualCor but we all see where that has gone... or not.
Seriously hoping that such a PDA / Notebook replacement really does hit the production line soon. :|


no kidding, if this doesnt materialize i will post my address here and you can start the witch hunt immediately! btw, another tidbit, the product is codenamed "Athena"

[SteveHoward999]

no kidding, if this doesnt materialize i will post my address here and you can start the witch hunt immediately! btw, another tidbit, the product is codenamed "Athena"




Wasn't that the codename for the HTC Prophet?

[visha78]

I swear I feel like I want to go into a tantrum right about now.

I want that NOW! NOW! NOOOOW!!!

:bawl:

[spacehog]

no kidding, if this doesnt materialize i will post my address here and you can start the witch hunt immediately! btw, another tidbit, the product is codenamed "Athena"




Wasn't that the codename for the HTC Prophet?

"prophet" WAS a codename ;)

[ymahmood]

someone must know the manufacturer of the Flame?

[Menneisyys]

someone must know the manufacturer of the Flame?

AsusTek, it seems

[ymahmood]

I've checked asus but could not find it on their product list, a model num would be helpful

[Menneisyys]

I've checked asus but could not find it on their product list, a model num would be helpful

Does Asustek list all the devices they produce for 3rd party companies?

[kamikun]

no kidding, if this doesnt materialize i will post my address here and you can start the witch hunt immediately! btw, another tidbit, the product is codenamed "Athena"

Well, I gotta say that Spacehog's cred just went up a couple of points. Found this article (http://www.carrypad.com/journal/2006/11/long-shot-htc-athena-umpc-phone-to-ship.html) searching for "htc" and "athena."

But still no mention of the OS. Let me be clear on this before I go into mad raving anticipation mode... Spacehog, was the device running WM or XP? It's important.

Thanks

UPDATE: Something's afoot... If you're interested, check out this follow-up (http://www.carrypad.com/journal/2006/11/new-info-on-htc-umpcathena-rumor-omni.html) and read the links included. Can someone in the know please comment more about this. Please! :worried:

[ymahmood]

Does Asustek list all the devices they produce for 3rd party companies?

Htc list all their products, even the ones they produce for 3rd party comps. So i dont see why Asus wouldn't.

[54john]

I like it.How about the price?

[zeer]

by the way, is the dream come true?
on Dinar's photos there is 110 mb free program memory => 128MB RAM!!!

let's hope it is true. Also Camera has Auto-Focus which no one mention...

...for O2's hw team &amp; marketing- i will replace my uni with this if it is indeed have 128 mb of Program memory...

[Darius Wey]

Does Asustek list all the devices they produce for 3rd party companies?

Htc list all their products, even the ones they produce for 3rd party comps. So i dont see why Asus wouldn't.

Asus, and most other manufacturers, don't list devices produced for third-party companies. A couple of exceptions are HTC and TFW.

[srmz]

Does it support EDGE anyone??

Thanks

[profuel]

Hello everybody!

Questions to DinarSoft, please.

Could you please also post average weight of this new device?
Also post with dimensions of device will be good help for new future owners.

Thanx,
Andrey

[fanacreonte]

Hi Guys

Ever since this device was announced several days ago i have hunted every nook and cranny on the net for info on this beast....and have found some very real gems of info.

The O2 Xda Flame shall be made by Asustek and i have great respect for this company as i am currently using a Asus P525 which i have to say this is the best and most stable Pda i have ever owned..and i have had nearly every PDA/Smartphone since they came out.

Alot of love goes into to making these devices and the quality of build and there ROMS in my opion are better than HTC
The Benchmark for ASus Mobiles are far faster and stable than all other PDA manufacturers.

So we know we are getting a quality device

First of all what isnt told to us this devices does have the following.

520mhz pxa270 intel mx chip - benchmark will be the fastest 520mhz on the market.
128 meg rom - user available 110mb
2gb flash Ram
VGA 640*480 screen
Window Mobile 5.0 not crossbow
wieght 190grams
dimensions 124*71* 19
Camera 2mpixel with Auto focus
Nvidia goforce 5500 which is capable of putting a Sony PSP to shame and even close to XBox graphics and i believe Electronic Arts and some other Games developers have agreed to make games for this Graphics Chip

2.5 Headphone Jack
Srs Surround Sound
Micro Sd Card
A2DP
Bluetooth 2.0
Mini Usb Connection with Usb Go connectivity - connect digital camera,Ipods, etc directly to PDa
Wifi B.G
Tv VGA out connection
h.264 playback - High Difinition 320*240 at 30 frames per second
Business Card Scanner
3G video calling,Download
Fm Radio
1600mah Battery

Due date to public sale Feb 2007

[DJ Rome]

One big caveat: No CF slot like my 4700. Tsk.

[Darius Wey]

One big caveat: No CF slot like my 4700. Tsk.

To be fair, it's a Pocket PC Phone Edition. Aside from supporting high-capacity cards and a couple of exclusive accessories, CF slots only add thickness to the device. People tend not to want that in a phone.

[Ianpac]

All the phones being built by Asustek can be found here. As you can see they are also building O2's other new units.


http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdamaster&amp;posted=1&amp;manufacturer=ASUSTeK%20Computer

If you click on the XDA Flame you will get the complete specifications including what is accessible on rom and ram and the battery capacity etc.

The phone will have CSD, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS.

The estimated battery life is just 11 hours so that means daily charging - but then I do this already with my XDA2 so it is not a problem for me. I am just happy that there is a true replacement for my XDA2 at long last!

[Ianpac]

One comment on the HTC Athena is that it is a UMPC not a PPC - they are different products. A UMPC is not something you can slip into your pocket and use like a normal phone! - it is a machine which sits on your desk or on your lap like a tabletPC and uses Windows XP and Celeron processors. It is far too bulky to be used as a personal device you can carry around with you at all times.

Comparing a minature laptop PC and a PPC is just silly. Now if they could squeeze a UMPC into the same dimensions as a PPC then we would be talking! But we will have to wait for 100GB flash drives to become available plus fast processors that required no fan cooling etc. Keep dreaming....

[fanacreonte]

Today ive been investigating what this function is (SRS HD SOUND) please follow this link and be prepared to be blown away...

http://srslabsdev.etheorem.net/pdf/techinfolibrary/Mobile%20HD%20Technology%20Info/SRS%20Mobile%20HD%20Spec%20Sheet.pdf

[TheRag]

hey,

who has a clue, about how well movie streaming (divx,avi,mpeg etc -via wlan-) will work on such a machine; and wich programs are best....
(pda as the receiver)

(maybe someone knows if streaming would even work on the xda-orbit)

[Darius Wey]

who has a clue, about how well movie streaming (divx,avi,mpeg etc -via wlan-) will work on such a machine; and wich programs are best....
(pda as the receiver)

Orb (http://www.orb.com/) is an excellent service for this. Best of all, it's free.

(maybe someone knows if streaming would even work on the xda-orbit)

In theory, it should work, although it may struggle with its TI OMAP 850 200MHz CPU. You'll want something a little faster - at least 300MHz (either a current generation Intel XScale or Samsung S3C244x CPU).

[TheRag]

Thanks Darius!

Seems as if i had to wait until the xda-flame arrives here with o2...

at ORB they say it needet an 3000+ Mhz Processor to stream without stuttering... but all i have is an xp1800+ will that work?

playing movies with an wifi connected laptop by executing shared files on my pc with the network-explorer had already worked well (is that possible with wm5 too?)



Do you think it would be worth a try to overclock the orbits processor to about 250mhz for good movie streaming results?

[Darius Wey]

at ORB they say it needet an 3000+ Mhz Processor to stream without stuttering... but all i have is an xp1800+ will that work?

It will work, though not particularly well. You should look at upgrading your CPU, and perhaps boosting your quantity of RAM.

playing movies with an wifi connected laptop by executing shared files on my pc with the network-explorer had already worked well (is that possible with wm5 too?)

In theory, it works, though the default File Explorer and Windows Media Player Mobile aren't good apps to work with. The experience is a little different, and video sizes and bandwidth limitations prevent playback from being smooth.

Do you think it would be worth a try to overclock the orbits processor to about 250mhz for good movie streaming results?

It's worth a shot, but I wouldn't recommend it. The improvements would be marginal at best.

[54john]

520MHz CPU is slow

[Darius Wey]

520MHz CPU is slow

Actually, for a Pocket PC, it's considered relatively high-end. Bear in mind that the processor architectures of mobile devices and desktop/laptop computers are very different. You can't compare clock speeds of the two.

[itguru2]

Just for people's info, O2 uk have a release date for the graphite and zinc but also another one set for the 30th April .... something called the XDA Argon ... could this be the Flame ?

[TheRag]

I ask myself if the Flame will be released by O2 in Europe aswell, though it is made by Asus and there is no contract between o2 europe and asus (as far as i know).
O2 Germany can´t tell me anything about a device named XDA Flame

[TheRag]

are there any news? no :?:

[Darius Wey]

are there any news? no :?:

Not much. Arima plans to ship the Flame to O2 later this quarter. Consumers can probably expect it in stores soon after.

[TheRag]

even in europe ??

[Darius Wey]

even in europe ??

Unlikely. All signs are pointing toward an Asia-Pacific release only - at least for the time being.

[ecsk2]

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=53642