HTC Confirms The WP7 Leaks Are Real
Yesterday Pocketpt.net had posted a video of the HTC WP7 HUB (which we shared here as well) and it was on a real device. Well you can end speculation, as HTC has requested that they remove the video, thus confirming it is in fact legitimate.
The website has issued a statement (translated for you guys):
Dear members,
Unfortunately the HTC not liked to have seen the video of your new interface circulated before it was officially presented, being that I was warned that this could have legal implications both for the PocketPT wants to the author of the article.
To avoid any legal embróglio decided to withdraw it.
Thank you for your understanding,
Nuno Luz
Editor/Founder
The cat is out of the bag and the video is all over YouTube already, but you can all rest assured knowing that the video is legitimate. So this likely means that HTC has a specialized HUB for WP7 as well as a series of apps you can pin to the home screen and a special HTC market that will give you access to some of their apps.
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Awesome! I am getting a HTC device now for sure. I was already leaning on the slideout speaker phone but also thought about the Mozart/Schubert model. Either way imagine a start screen with the weather, stock HTC tiles plus a zune, pic hub, websites, contacts and games on it. There would be very little “theme” left on there. I can’t wait to show it off as i’m thinking hard about buying one from Europe if the US launch date is anything more than 2 weeks after Europe’s. My birthday is October 30th and I want my WP7 in hand.
First thing that gets disabled if I have no choice other than an HTC handset on T-Mo US.
@efjay: Why go through the trouble of disabling it. People are acting like its something that is pervasive throughout the system like Sense is on other phones but its not. It is simply a set of apps in an independent HUB with individual apps that you can use.
Just like Telstra showing off the Telstra One HUB this is no different. Remember the size limitations Microsoft has given to OEMs for adding stuff to the phone.
I know its not a skin but the fact that HTC has ignored the UI guidelines annoys me, I mean to remove it either from the start screen or if possible uninstall it but do whatever I need to to get rid of it. The Telstra hub is a good example of how it should be done, enhance the phone rather than trample all over it. I really cant stand HTC, they are on the way to becoming as arrogant as apple.
efjay, HTC isn’t ignoring the UI guidlines. They aren’t skinning *as you noted* anything nor are they changing any other tile. They are actually working with Microsoft to get this off the ground. Natasha Kwan, Microsoft Asia’s general manager for mobile communications business, mentioned this in an article on ZDnet.
“…Furthermore, Redmond has stipulated that its OEM partners leave the standardized user interface (UI), which the company had created, untouched, she noted. Currently, phonemakers such as HTC and Sony Ericsson differentiate their handset offerings by installing a customized UI layer over their phones’ existing Android OS.
With this new requirement, Kwan said phonemakers are encouraged to work with Microsoft to create customized “out-of-the-box, value-added services in the form of a ‘live tile'” that will sit on its UI.
“In addition, OEMs can use our application development platform to build customized apps with their differentiated UI, which can then be pinned to tiles,” she noted. ”
Given it’s “limitation” to exist as a live tile, this is just their solution to providing those who are familiar with Sense on WP7. If you don’t like it, don’t by an HTC phone. Pretty simple. There are other options out there. You just have to assume that TouchWiz will have it’s own tile also if you go the Samsung route. And that LG will have something also. In the long run, it’s inconsequential. Uninstalling it from the phone probably wont be an option but I’m sure you’ll be able to remove the tile.