By Check out this picture of Google CEO Eric Schmidt with Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam at this morning’s Verizon and Google Partnership Press Conference:
What are those crazy guys holding in their hands? To me – along with the rest of the interwebz – seems to think it Verizon’s version of the HTC Hero (held by Schmidt) and the Motorola Sholes (held by McAdam). Shall we take a closer look?
Looks like it checks out. Now we just have to hope this thing passes Verizon’s strict certification process and makes it to market. The Verizon version of the Hero looks even more like the original Hero than the Sprint version! So it appears holiday VeriDroids will get to choose from a proven touchscreen Android and a sick looking hardware QWERTY Android.
I’m sitting next to Taylor from AndroidAndMe who mentioned he thought it looked like the HTC Tattoo. Put the pictures side by side and you see the call/end key on either side of the trackball/D-Pad are more Tattoo-like than Hero-like.
So is this a Hero/Tattoo Hybrid? The HTC Desire maybe? Or will they just stick with the Hero name? Seems like we’ll find out in the next couple weeks. Or maybe – if we’re really lucky – at CTIA!
[Via Verizon Press Release]
PLEASE NOTE: Lately there have been A LOT of awesome tipsters sending me the latest stories via the tipline. I’ve been giving credit as “Thanks to everyone who sent this in” because it takes while to add everyone’s name to the list! But please know that your contributions are appreciated. Terry, Jeff, Raji, Acreda and the rest of you!
i’ll stick with the sholes/toa/droid. i gotta have a keyboard.
Hey Verizon, way to one-up Sprint by making an even UGLIER version of the HTC Hero.
One of these two phones will be mine. I don’t really need the keyboard, but its going to come down to features/spec that leads to the decision of one over the other.
Having a Hero or Hero-like device is a good idea. It becomes the entry level device (free or nearly free) and they can then up-sale (and charge more) for the Sholes.
Oh yea, the VZW Hero is ugly!…..
j/k I just wanted to beat all the other device snobs at their own game.
unless it’s just the poor resolution, i really like that robust matte black finish on that phone. no fingerprints.
Personally, I can do without the keyboard but won’t tolerate a keyboard-less device that’s thicker than one with kb. Considering the sholes w/ kb is 13.7mm with the kb-less hero weighing in at 13.8, I’ll pass.
Motorola showed the world exactly how much people care about thin when they dominated the market with the RAZR. Why haven’t other handset producers caught on?
I definitely think this is an HTC Desire, or variant..probably Verizon’s answer to the Hero. I wouldn’t think that HTC would package THREE different casings for the same phone? If so I suppose they got it handed to em. I wonder if it has the same innards too..
I really hope that this photo turns out to be the HERO, not a Tattoo or Desire. VZ needs to come out of thegate
with the best Android that they can. I also include the MOTO Droid in this category.
Oh, so Verizon gets the HEro but T-Mobile doesn’t!!!!
I’m outraged! >(
I’m moving to Europe.
I read that whatever model it is it will be straight Android and whatever VZ puts on it.
It will not have HTC Sence loaded on it, at least that is what is rumored.
@david –
That is the rumor for the Sholes/Tao/Droid but I have been paying close attention all the info I can get my hands on for VZW Android phones and little to no information is out there about the HTC device. The handset pictured above clearly shows a Verizon HTC phone running HTC Sense. Who knows what the production device will have but this is a really good indicator.
I really don’t get why people like that stupid chin so much. If there was a way to get a Sprint Hero to work in the UK I would actually pay money to have one shipped over. I hate that chin – how are you going to get it in your pocket!!!!
WHY IS EVERYBODY CHANGING THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WTF !!!!
verizon that phone sucks and sprnt that phones suks ! o really wanted the original TC hero phone. thanks sprnt and verizon for crushing me -_-
I played with the Sprint Hero this morning…and I’m sold. Call it ugly if you want, I think it’s damn good AND functional. I was going to get the TP2 or Imagio on Verizon but WinMo doesn’t hold a candle to how pretty Android is with Sense…even if WinMo has TouchFlo3D. Can’t wait to see this hit Verizon though I hope it comes to resemble one of the other 2…not a fan of the button layout.
HERO design on VZW and Sprint is decades better than the original “chin”. I’m a fan of a bold looking device but that angled chin just doesn’t make sense IMO. Really, someone explain to me what is better about having that chin, why does it appeal to you?
Also, I was about to switch to Sprint, but would ideally like to move from ATT to VZW, as VZW has the best network overall. Does anyone agree with me that VZW has a superior network to Sprint?
And when you get your Android phone, check out the popular free app titled “My Coupons” where you get FREE meals, huge discounts and more brought to your phone’s homescreen in real time via the desktop widget. Good stuff!
I really hope that the VZ HTC is the Hero with Sense, this would be a fantastic phone for VZ. I will jump on that in a heart beat.
since sprint has a cdma hero … best believe verizon is getting the same exact phone. they do the same ishh with Blackberries.
I agree with another poster… the chin sucks. The sprint version rocks. sleek, sexy, awesome teflon coating. if it was so ugly, why do people love the iphone design so much, and this is strait out of that playbook. Great phone. I’m looking forward to the next version of the Palm Pre if they can improve the hardware casing. I’m with sprint right now, and having a tough time deciding on pre vs. hero…
why aren’t you part of the 90999/haiti. I’m very disappointed.