We typically get treated to an occasional rumor or tip, but it’s not often the we get a sneak peak at a carrier’s 6 month handset roadmap.  Apparently, AndroidSpin has been treated to pictures of a slide which outlines what T-Mobile has in store for the next six months.  HTC and T-Mobile have always had a pretty close relationship, so it’s no surprise that there are a few HTC references in the lineup. 

T-Mobile’s roadmap indicates that the myTouch 3G and the Slide will both be getting Android updates over the summer.  Starting in September, HTC will be introducing the HTC Vanguard with the HTC emerald and Schubert to follow in November. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of everything included in the roadmap:

• July: Android 2.2 update for the myTouch 3G Slide
• August: Android update for the myTouch 3G
• September: Launch of T-Mobile HTC Vanguard (aka HTC Vision, Android)
• November: Launch of T-Mobile HTC Emerald (aka “Project Emerald”, Android )
• November: Launch of HTC Schubert (aka HTC Scorpion, Windows Phone 7 with 1.5 GHz processor)

Quite a few people have been pretty vocal about T-Mobile not getting any of the new higher end smartphones that have been hitting other carriers over the past few months.  Fortunately, T-Mobile and HTC appear to have listened to the complaints of their customers.  We still don’t know many of the details regarding HTC’s upcoming phones, but if the rumors and speculation are true, we’re in for a great treat. 

Source: AndroidSpin

In the world of Android phones, it’s becoming harder and harder to find the perfect phone for you. It’s not because there are no good phones to choose from, but because there are a lot of good options out there. HTC’s new myTouch 3G Slide is the newest member of T-Mobile’s myTouch family and presents a great option for those looking to trade up from the defunct Sidekick brand or even the original T-Mobile G1.

Hardware
At first glance, the myTouch 3G Slide looks very reminiscent of the of the original HTC made T-Mobile myTouch 3G. The curved edges along the front and back side of the phone as well as the slight chin at the bottom of the handset are clearly pulled from its older sibling. While the Slide is only slightly larger than the original, HTC has managed to cram in a four row QWERTY keyboard and a slightly larger 3.4” capacitive display. Along the bottom of the screen, the myTouch Slide features a home, menu, back, and “Genius” button separated by an clickable, optical track pad. On the top of the handset you’ll find the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack; along the left side is the volume rocker; on the bottom is the micro-USB port,; on the right is a dedicated camera button. The back of the myTouch Slide features a 5 mega-pixel camera with LED flash, speakerphone, and brushed aluminum “my” badge close to the button.

Sliding the phone open from the left side reveals the four row QWERTY keyboard. Those familiar with the HTC Touch Pro2 or the G1 will most likely find the smaller keyboard a little cramped, but the evenly spaced, raised keys offer a great typing experience.

On the inside, the myTouch 3G Slide is by far the most powerful Android phone in T-Mobile lineup. HTC has equipped the Slide with a 600MHz MSM7227 Qualcomm processor, 512MB ROM and 512 MB RAM and a 1300 mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery. The internal specs may not turn any heads these days when compared to the Nexus One, DROID Incredible or the EVO 4G, but the small boost in performance does give the myTouch Slide a pretty big performance jump over HTC’s first generation Android phones.

Software
While HTC Sense and Android 2.1 are the standard on all of HTC’s new Android phones, T-Mobile and HTC have given the myTouch 3G Slide a unique twist. HTC Sense on the Slide (also know as HTC Espresso) has been given a more glossy or bubbly UI treatment. All the elements of HTC Sense remain the same with the additional widgets, Facebook integration, customization of the contacts, clock, calendar, and calculator application, but simply giving the UI a facelift wasn’t enough for T-Mobile. Since T-Mobile is still sticking with the “make it mine” slogan for the myTouch brand, they thought it would be a great idea to incorporate further customization into the UI and the Scenes component of Sense. Scenes has been renamed to myModes and now allows you to customize HTC Sense with a selection of sever different themes. The themes change the colors and textures in all of HTC’s applications and definitely gives users the sense the UI is finally customizable to their liking. In the past, HTC allowed you to save and switch between various customized scenes, but the myTouch 3G slide has a trick up its sleeve not found on any other HTC phone. Rather than manually choosing which scene you want to use, the Slide allows you to switch between them based on a specific time of day or even geographic location. This new feature should come in very handy for people who need to use specific apps or widgets while at home or if they simply need a more appropriate desktop wallpaper or ringtone while at work during the week.

As mentioned above, the myTouch 3G Slide has a slight performance boost with a faster processor and more internal memory than the G1 and original myTouch, but combined with Android 2.1 and system tweaks from HTC for better performance, the myTouch Slide is able to hold its own when playing 3G games and other processor intensive applications. We took our time browsing through the market, testing out games like Raging Thunder, Homerun battle 3D, and Backbreaker Football. The games do not run as sharp as they would on a Snapdragon powered HTC phone, but the 3D, graphic intensive games are definitely playable and offer great entertainment options.

Camera
The 5 megapixel camera on the myTouch Slide will in no way replace your dedicated point in shoot camera, but it does offer a great alternative when you find yourself wanting to take a quick snapshot on the go. The LED flash does give you the ability to take pictures in low-light situations, though the results may not be very flattering. Our suggestion would be to keep the flash off, unless it’s absolutely necessary. The camera produces saturated pictures and the settings option provided by HTC allow you to tweak things until your heart’s content.

Video capture on the myTouch Slide is capped at 640 x 480 VGA resolution. Just like with images, you might want to keep a dedicated camera handy if you’re planning on capturing video. The video quality will suffice if you really have no other options, but if all you are interested in doing is capturing some spontaneous fun, the myTouch Slide will suffice.

Battery
When it comes to smartphones, most people’s main complaints is in regards to battery life. Yes, we all want a superphone that can blow up distant planets or make our car transform into a jet, but if the phone can’t get you through a day without dying on you, it’s completely useless. Fortunately, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide manages to deliver above par battery life. We’ve been thoroughly testing out the Slide for over a week now and have only once managed to drain the battery in less than 10 hours. On occasion, we were even able to use the phone through a whole day of work, leave it over night, and return to work the next day before needing to recharge the battery.

Conclusion
The T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide is by far the best Android phone you can buy from T-Mobile.  Yes, you can get a Nexus One from Google with a T-Mobile contract, but most people like walking into a store or ordering their handset directly from their carrier.  The 600 MHz processor of the Slide definitely has enough power to deliver a satisfactory gaming experience and the QWERTY keyboard is an adequate upgrade for those looking to retire their G1.  At $179.99 with a new two year agreement, it’s pretty easy to see that the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide is by far the best option in T-Mobile’s expansive Android lineup.

Note: if you are looking to purchase the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide, we would suggest heading over to Wirefly and checking out their latest deals. Last we checked, they were offering up the Slide for only $99 with a new contract.

Those who took the early plunge on Android last summer when T-Mobile launched the myTouch 3G (aka HTC Magic) should get ready of an incredible surprise.  It turns out that T-Mobile and HTC have plans to roll out Android 2.2 to the original myTouch 3G.  Apparently Éclair wasn’t up to snuff so T-Mobile is shooting for a Froyo update to the nearly year old handset.  TmoNews has just posted up a screen shot of the Android 2.2 announcement from T-Mobile which highlights some of the new features that will be coming to the myTouch 3G.  There have been rumors that the original myTouch was going to receive the same Android 2.1 build with the Espresso build of HTC Sense sometime this summer.  Those rumors may still hold true since the image also states that the newly released T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide will be getting the Android 2.2 update as well. 

In addition to Android 2.2, T-Mobile will also be incorporating a modified version of the Faves Gallery, the new Genius Button application that they introduced with the myTouch 3G Slide, and full exchange support.  T-mobile finished off the announcement by stating:  “We hope this makes you as excited as it makes us. No phone left behind.  That’s our pledge.”  I’m sure we are all a bit excited to read this news, just don’t mention it to T-Mobile Samsung Behold II customers who just got word that the only update their phone will get is Android 1.6 later this year.

Source: TmoNews

T-Mobile customers finally have a suitable replacement for the aging T-Mobile G1.  T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G Slide is finally on sale through their website for $179.99 after discounts and a $50 mail-in rebate when you sign your life away with another two year contract.  Those looking to take advantage of T-Mobile’s ridiculously low priced Even More Plus plans will pay $429.99 for the myTouch 3G Slide.  Unfortunately, the Slide is not in the same league as he Nexus One or the EVO 4G, but it does features a slightly larger 3.4” display, full QWERTY keyboard, 5MP camera, and Android 2.1 with T-Mobile’s customized version of HTC Sense.  Surprisingly, HTC has managed to fit all the interior components and the full QWERTY keyboard into a shell that’s barely 1mm thicker than the original myTouch 3G. 

You can order your myTouch 3G Slide online today from T-Mobile or wait a few weeks until the handset shows up at their retail locations across the country.

T-Mobile’s myTouch 3D Slide is not due out for a few more days, but it looks like those who plan on picking it up may have a little surprise waiting for them shortly after launch.  The myTouch 3G Slide will be shipping with Android 2.1, but rumors are starting to surface which indicate that an Android 2.2 update could be hitting the handset not long after it hits store shelves.  AndroidSpin claims to be getting this news from two separate sources and that an internal rollout of the Android 2.2 build will start rolling out to their employees for testing sometime next week.  

Just like yesterday’s story about the Android 2.2 update for the HTC Desire, we’re going to catalogue this one as pure rumor.  It would be great to see HTC rolling out Froyo updates to their handsets this fast, but we all know how the HTC Hero Android 2.1 rollout went (GSM Hero owners are STILL sitting on 1.5 with no update in sight).  If you don’t get your hopes up, you can’t be disappointed.

I’m sure many of you might be wondering if the upcoming T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide is a worth successor to the original T-Mobile G1. There are many of you out there who are still holding on tight to the first Android handset ever to hit the market. So is it time to move on? To help you make that decision, we dug up a new video on YouTube from untouchable4rc which gives us a pretty good impression of what to expect. Untouchable4rc’s hands-on review goes over the UI, new features, hardware, and more. The conclusion seems to be that the myTouch 3G Slide is a worthy successor to the original G1 and a great addition to the T-Mobile’s myTouch family. Though the Slide doesonly features a 600 Mhz processor, it’s the fasted Android phone that T-Mobile will offer once it hits stores in June. The main feature that blows my mind is that the mytouch 3G Slide is less than .5mm thicker than the original myTocuh 3G. If you’re upgrading from the G1, you’ll be shaving off a whole 2.1mm. Also, HTC has included a new auto-mode chage setting which switched the HTC Sense scene based on time or location.

After spending some quality time with the mytouch 3G Slide, untouchable4rc shared a few of the pluses and minuses that he’s come across:

+Great speed and functionality at an great price
+Camera is a huge improvement over the previous myTouch
+Hardware Keyboard feels good as well as the onscreen keyboard with and without swype
+Gives Motoblur a run for its money (Sense + 2.1 Android works beautifully on this handset)

-Dedicated camera button feels flimsy to the point that I prefer using manual focus or the optical trackpad to take pictures.
-Video comes out a bit ghostly, but again a HUGE improvement over the original myTouch.
-So far battery, performance doesn’t look too great but still better than the G1 (I haven’t really spent a day using it “normally”)

T-Mobile’s upcoming myTouch 3G Slide is probably the worst kept secret on the net. Yes, T-Mobile is prominently featuring the handset on their site, but it seems every tech blog on the planet has posted hands-on pictures, video, and reviews of the upcoming T-Mobile G1 replacement. We know the specs, we know how it works, the only thing left is price and launch date. TmoNews has nailed one of those down for us this weekend. T-Mobile will be selling the myTouch 3G Slide for $149.99 with a new two year contract. In you’re like me and take advantage of T-Mobile’s Even more Plus plans, you’ll been to pony up $399.99 for the myTouch Slide. The price seems to be spot on for a handset of this caliber.

The Slide isn’t going to be an amazing phone, but it will make a lot of Android fan happy since it will feature a large 3.5 inch display and Android 2.1 with HTC Sense (Espresso). The last thing missing is the launch date. Right now, June 2nd and June 16th are the two most likely dates that the myTouch 3G Slide will hit T-Mobile store shelves. We have our money on the 16th, but I’m sure no one would be too mad at us if T-Mobile launches it two weeks before that.

Source: TmoNews

T-Mobile has funally made the myTouch 3G Slide official.  The new HTC handset will be launching in June for an undisclosed amount (our money is on $179.99).  the new T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide features a 3.4 inch HVGA capacitive display, 5MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, four row QWERTY keyboard, Swype software keyboard pre-installed, and all the Google apps you have come to know and love on Android.  T-Mobile and HTC have been working overtime to bring you the most customized Android 2.1 with HTC Sense experience possible.  If you are familiar with Sense, you may recognize many of the elements, but with direction from T-Mobile HTC has given the phone even more customization features and have given the UI another facelift.  UI elements are a lot more transparent, glossy and rounded and uses can even change the color hues, similar to the task bar of Windows Vista and 7. 

HTC has specifically designed the myTouch 3G Slide for T-Mobile USA, so we may not see this handset pop up anywhere else.  Like the original, the myTouch 3G, the Slide will be available in three colors (red, white, and black).  For those who are looking to replace their G1, you’ll be happy to hear that the 3G Slide is only 15mm thick (myTouch 3G= 14.6mm, T-Mobile G1=17.1).  Get a sneak peak at the myTouch 3G Slide on T-Mobile’s website. 

New features for the myTouch 3G Slide

myModes: myModes helps you draw the line between work and home by creating different themes with home screen apps, widgets and wallpapers to empower people in the different roles they play each day. You can set myModes to switch at a designated time, by location, or manually with the option to create and store up to 10 customized modes. myModes removes clutter and makes you more efficient both at work and at home. Want to forget about work on the weekend? No need to hide your work phone or switch to another device; just put away your work tools, like e-mail and your calendar by switching modes, and bring forward all the things you love to do on Saturday.

Genius ButtonTM: With the Genius Button, you press one button, talk, and it delivers. The Genius Button, powered by Dragon Dictation from Nuance Communications (Nasdaq: NUAN), is an easy-to- access button on the front of the new T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide allowing the use of voice commands to control the phone and it’s features including making calls, composing and sending texts and e-mails, searching the Web or your surroundings. It will even read text messages aloud, and lets you dictate responses naturally as if you were speaking directly to a person.

Faves GalleryTM: Life is hectic, so it’s easy to miss opportunities to connect with loved ones. Faves Gallery presents up to 20 of your favorite people and the different ways to communicate with them – calls, texts, e-mail, instant messaging, social networking updates – in a dedicated application accessible through a soft button and an easy-to-use widget complete with photos, contact information and one-touch ability to respond. All of your Faves® get special status on your myTouch 3G SlideTM; anytime they communicate with you or update their social network you get a notification in the notification pane. Even if you’re not using your phone, a custom green light lets you know you’ve got a communication waiting from one of your Faves. And you can respond directly from the Faves Gallery, without launching e-mail or other applications, so you connect more quickly and more often with the important people in your life.

“Many smartphones are increasingly powerful in their features and specifications without continuing to improve the main reason that so many people have mobile phones – the ability to communicate with each other,” said Andrew Sherrard, vice president of product development, T-Mobile USA. “The new myTouch 3G Slide is a smart and sleek phone that fits into your pocket, your budget and your family life with exclusive T-Mobile features that put communication with your closest family and friends front and center.”

T-Mobile has funally made the myTouch 3G Slide official.  The new HTC handset will be launching in June for an undisclosed amount (our money is on $179.99).  the new T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide features a 3.4 inch HVGA capacitive display, 5MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, four row QWERTY keyboard, Swype software keyboard pre-installed, and all the Google apps you have come to know and love on Android.  T-Mobile and HTC have been working overtime to bring you the most customized Android 2.1 with HTC Sense experience possible.  If you are familiar with Sense, you may recognize many of the elements, but with direction from T-Mobile HTC has given the phone even more customization features and have given the UI another facelift.  UI elements are a lot more transparent, glossy and rounded and uses can even change the color hues, similar to the task bar of Windows Vista and 7. 

HTC has specifically designed the myTouch 3G Slide for T-Mobile USA, so we may not see this handset pop up anywhere else.  Like the original, the myTouch 3G, the Slide will be available in three colors (red, white, and black).  For those who are looking to replace their G1, you’ll be happy to hear that the 3G Slide is only 15mm thick (myTouch 3G= 14.6mm, T-Mobile G1=17.1).  Get a sneak peak at the myTouch 3G Slide on T-Mobile’s website. 

New features for the myTouch 3G Slide

myModes: myModes helps you draw the line between work and home by creating different themes with home screen apps, widgets and wallpapers to empower people in the different roles they play each day. You can set myModes to switch at a designated time, by location, or manually with the option to create and store up to 10 customized modes. myModes removes clutter and makes you more efficient both at work and at home. Want to forget about work on the weekend? No need to hide your work phone or switch to another device; just put away your work tools, like e-mail and your calendar by switching modes, and bring forward all the things you love to do on Saturday.

Genius ButtonTM: With the Genius Button, you press one button, talk, and it delivers. The Genius Button, powered by Dragon Dictation from Nuance Communications (Nasdaq: NUAN), is an easy-to- access button on the front of the new T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide allowing the use of voice commands to control the phone and it’s features including making calls, composing and sending texts and e-mails, searching the Web or your surroundings. It will even read text messages aloud, and lets you dictate responses naturally as if you were speaking directly to a person.

Faves GalleryTM: Life is hectic, so it’s easy to miss opportunities to connect with loved ones. Faves Gallery presents up to 20 of your favorite people and the different ways to communicate with them – calls, texts, e-mail, instant messaging, social networking updates – in a dedicated application accessible through a soft button and an easy-to-use widget complete with photos, contact information and one-touch ability to respond. All of your Faves® get special status on your myTouch 3G SlideTM; anytime they communicate with you or update their social network you get a notification in the notification pane. Even if you’re not using your phone, a custom green light lets you know you’ve got a communication waiting from one of your Faves. And you can respond directly from the Faves Gallery, without launching e-mail or other applications, so you connect more quickly and more often with the important people in your life.

“Many smartphones are increasingly powerful in their features and specifications without continuing to improve the main reason that so many people have mobile phones – the ability to communicate with each other,” said Andrew Sherrard, vice president of product development, T-Mobile USA. “The new myTouch 3G Slide is a smart and sleek phone that fits into your pocket, your budget and your family life with exclusive T-Mobile features that put communication with your closest family and friends front and center.”

T-Mobile’s myTouch Slide still does not have a confirmed release date, but the guys over at XDA-Developers have been hard at work porting the phone’s ROM over to the G1.  The ROM itself still have a few bugs that need to be worked out, but Android and Me has put up two video clips which give you a pretty thorough overview of what the new Android 2.1 build with HTC Sense (Espresso) has to offer.  Though the Sense build has a new level of polish, T-Mobile has mucked things up a bit by including many of their own app in an effort to make Android a little more user friendly.  I applaud them for the effort, but once someone is familiar with their phone and Android, they will be stuck with quite a few apps that they may never even use. 

Personally, I am not too thrilled about the hardware aspect of the myTouch Slide, but I think that the new ROM will definitely give the phone a competitive edge over the other Android phones that are offered on T-Mobile and other carriers.

T-Mobile myTouch Slide leaked pictures, round two… fight!  Typically leaked shots of upcoming handset are a few and far between, but it look like T-Mobile has entrusted a few different people with the upcoming handset and they all seem eager to share it with the rest of us.  This morning’s pictures gave us a hint of what’s new from when the phone was first spotted back in January, but now we have the full story. 

HTC’s new G1 replacement for T-Mobile is in fact running Android 2.1 with the Espresso build of HTC Sense.  Quite a few people were wondering what HTC’s plans for the Espresso build were once HTC didn’t use it on the HTC Desire and Legend.  Though the changes in Espresso are mostly cosmetic, they do make a big difference when the home screen changes to landscape mode (as it will when the myTouch Slide’s keyboard is open).   I’m still not sure on the design and specs of the phone, but with every new picture of the T-Mobile myTouch Slide I get a little more excited. 

Source: TmoNews

T-Mobile’s myTouch Slide is getting a knack for news stories around here.  Just this morning, TmoNews has posted up a new “hands-on” picture of the myTouch Slide.  Yeah, we’ve seen a leaked image in the past, but it looks like they have been able to spruce it up a little by adding a red faceplate to the Slide.  Just like the original myTouch 3G, T-Mobile will be positioning the myTouch Slide as a phone you can personalize the crap out of.  The setup screen reads “Make your phone 100% you!” and gives you options to stay connected with friends and family via social networks and pictures.  If you look closely, you’ll notice that the notification bar is now black, lending to the rumor that the T-Mobile myTouch Slide will be sporting the rumored HTC Sense (Espresso edition).  Still no details on exact specs or launch date, but I’d sure once the myTouch Slide hits store shelves, T-Mobile will finally retire the G1, the first Android handset in history. 

T-Mobile myTouch Slide rumored specs

• 1300mAHr Battery
• microSD memory card (slot is accessible without battery removal) 
• Optical trackpad with an integrated push button
• Camera with LED flash
• 3.5 mm Headset Jack  
• Slide-out 4 row QWERTY keyboard
• 320×48o screen resolution
• ARM11 processor

Source: TmoNews

To be honest, we have almost completely forgotten about T-Mobile’s upcoming myTouch Slide.  It’s not that we’re not interested in a QWERTY equipped Android phone from HTC.  We just weren’t that impressed with the initial specs and leaked images that we saw back in January.

Now, a leaked image from “The Shack” shows that the T-mobile myTouch Slide is listed in their internal Direct2U computer systems.  No new pictures, details or specs are available, but it is rumored that the myTouch Slide will hit be released on May 17^th.  T-Mobile has been is long overdue for a “new” Android phone from HTC (no, the revamped myTouch 3G and myTouch 3G FE do not count as new phones). 

I’m just not convinced that a poorly designed G1 replacement will do the job.  In all honesty, the main reason I have not upgraded to a Nexus One is because I’m waiting for a QWERTY equipped Android phone from HTC, but unless the myTouch Slide has been completely redesigned since we saw it last, I’ll be waiting even longer.  Now, if HTC and T-Mobile changed their design to line up with this, I’d definitely be willing to hand over my hard earned cash for the new phone.

Source: Engadget