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In a patent filed back in Q1 of 2011, it looks like HTC could be introducing an iPod Touch competitor in a market where Apple remains largely unchallenged. The device detailed in the patent shows it will come without broadband networking capabilities making this a WiFi-only handset. Design cues seem to follow HTC’s older style with a mix between the Vivid’s pyramid shaped back and the Thunderbolt’s speaker grill.
And speaking of speakers, HTC seems to be taking the original idea from their HTC Surround and running with it. You’ll notice this guy features slide-out rear and front facing speakers making this an ideal media player for watching movies, listening to music or playing games.
What better time to drop this device onto the masses than right now when Google is diving head first into the digital media market. What do you guys think? If priced — and more importantly spec’d right, would you consider this device to compliment your Android lineup?
Looks sick
SHUT UP & TAKE MY MONEY, HTC!!!
Hell’s yeah. A PDA with a kickstand running Android? That’s the definition of awesome!
If it’s got a 4″ screen, gimme 3.
Looks awesome. It’ll probably be an S3 chip with a 4 – 4.3 inch screen.
Good lawd I would buy this in a second. I cannot stand iTunes
It’s interesting because one of the results of the iPod touch was that it got a lot of people to buy an iPhone later on. It was sort of an iPhone on training wheels. Parents got it for their kids, the kids then desired iPhones. There are still people I see today who use a low end Android phone along with an iPod touch. Some even prefer web use through the iPod touch.
Getting android on things other than cell phones or devices that don’t require a data plan will definitely help its cause.
This is out there but I think Sega should get into the video game console business again and partner up with Google to truly bring android to the living room. Outside of being a high end console that plays the latest games you would have Google voice actions, android apps, search and the whole Google play media ecosystem on your tv. This would be guaranteed success for Sega hardware sales (this time) and help grow android and apps optimized for tablets/tvs.
They could even do that whole thing Windows phone will have going where you can start a game on your console and pick up on your smartphone. Game developers could also throw in deep console/android smartphone integration. Sigh, I can dream…
I just messed myself reading your description of that gaming console. An android fans wet dream my friend.
Won’t happen, Sony won’t let it, plus they are already in bed with Google, remember Google TV
Google is manufacturer agnostic. Other manufacturers besides Sony can make Google TV set top boxes. Sony has their OWN media ecosystem that competes with Google’s now. Sega would make a lot of sense if Google wanted to push into the living room.
If they did it with Motorola or LG, no one would buy it.
iPad touch? Never recall a non-touch iPad :p
T_T
Fixed. =p
If ican download all my itunes to it, then I’m on it fo sho…
If the price is rite, hell yea.
Best you it will have beats audio
Ivee been waiting for something like this.
the fact of the matter is apple owns that market, and will for a long time. Sammy has already taken a crack at it and failed.
for android fans like me, or even iPhone owners: “why would i buy this all my music is on my phone”
for people with ipods already: 1) “all my music is in iTunes (no matter how much it blows) so it would be a pain in the @$$ to move it all out. 2) alot of my tunes are purchased through iTunes and are DRM protected and the only way to put them on android is burn them to a cd then re rip them, and rename them, and then dld album art again, then put on the device…..too much work. 3) htc does not really have good music managing software, even though iTunes sucks does HTC have anything better? naw…..
the only market they have a chance at is those who use standard off brand mp3 players or the 4 people who bought a zune, so, good luck breaking even after r&d and cost of the products manufacturing equipment
android > iOS, BUT, this market is taken. i mean, if i already have a girlfirend, but one with bigger boobs comes along (android) but has a butter face (no good pc syncing software) im not leaving my girl for her…..
sorry HTC
If you have your music in iTunes, can’t you use iSyncr or doubleTwist to get it transferred over to an Android device? I don’t use these (since I don’t use iTunes) but I thought that was the purpose of those apps.
yes you can but if its purchased through iTunes it will not play on an android device, it will show the album art then skip to the next track :-(
That doesn’t make sense. That makes those programs useless then. I know there is software to remove DRM on the internet. Maybe that’s an easier alternative if iSyncr and doubleTwist don’t allow DRM-locked music to play on Android.
Actually google music will query itunes libraries and automatically send the songs to the cloud (even when you add a new one it sends it without prompting any extra clicks)
“…this market is taken.” With attitudes like that, why bother innovating anything.
Really good design http://www.androcentral.com
omg omg and to think i bought ipod touch 4g, galaxyplayer 5.0, the walkman z. i cant make up my mind i must have, the only thing that could make this device any more awesome is a tegra 3 and ics on board
Maybe htc is working on a better syncing/sense program on htcsense.com. they gotta be up to something with the beats audio thing, and if I recall right they bought a music streaming service.
If its reasonably cheap I might grab one.
To me a small 3-4″ screen is to small for video consupmtion but its fine for music playing since you dont look at the screen when listening to music so I use my phone for music and my nook tablet for playing back videos and use headphones for both or a set of pc speakers hooked up to it through the headphone jack found on most smartphones and tablets. So I am covered in the media space.
I know this is heresy, but even though we’re all pretty excited about this device, I don’t think the market will dig it. That iPod touch is a pretty niche market and most of the people who have them are teenagers who either can’t afford an iPhone data plan or don’t have the credit to do so. I think for many of them Android isn’t even on their radar.
whats the point most ppl have a smart phone (android) and i personaly have over 3000 songs on my phone
Yes!! I would. And of course it’ll have Beats. And this Surround Sound I’m sure it would have. I can get this along side the Nexus Tablet. =.P
Sony’s audio enhancement is actually better then beats, so if you just want a a really good sounding mp3 player then check out the walkman z, dual core mp3 player
or if you’re into sound quality just get a cowon player
Sad so many people are willing to just let Apple have a market uncontested. There’s plenty of room for a device like this, namely for people who want to give their kids a good device without having to buy a phone with a data plan. Samsung failed because they didn’t bring a unique device, instead just ripped one of their phones and rebranded it as a PMP. This looks like a stand along device, and if it does have Beats audio, bring it on.
Glad to see them getting into this. Eventually I could see myself getting one for my daughter.
If its less than 80GB storage, I’ll pass.120GB is preferable.
Summer already? Okay
1. get google music (play music) tell it to query your itunes
it will upload what it can.
2. then go to http://www.applemacsoft.com/ if you are on mac or
http://stream-recorder.com/forum/removing-copy-protection-like-drm-aacs-f25.html for windows. Then when google tells you which songs wouldn’t convert send them to the ripper.
3.????????
4.profit.
Yes I would. But it has to be a legitimate competing to the ipod touch.