Rumor: HTC and Verizon to release Android world phone in Q1 2011

By Jerry Hildenbrand  | Aug 07 2010 | 8:02 am  | 28 Comments

romured HTC world phone 1

Yes, you read it right -- it's being rumored that Verizon and HTC may be joining forces to give us all the Android world phone we've been asking for sometime early next year.  For those wondering, a world phone is a dual-radio CDMA/GSM device (CDMA is what Sprint and Verizon use; GSM is what T-Mobile, AT&T and the rest of the world use.) That means the phone can be used outside the USA with a local SIM card, and it's something that Android is sorely lacking.

We're still dealing with a bunch of unknowns, but the rumored specs are a 4-inch screen, horizontal sliding qwerty keyboard, and a minimum 1.2 GHz processor.  Bring it, I say!  There's a couple more pictures after the break if one just wasn't enough.  [The Droid Guy via @matrix2004 on Twitter]

Rumored HTC world phone and Evo 4G

rumored HTC world phone 2

Jerry Hildenbrand

Jerry Hildenbrand Cowboy

"Fascinated by things that go beep."

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There are 28 comments

crew#wp says:

I kinda like it

judasmachine says:

My gf has been waiting on an Android replacement for her Touch Pro2, and I believe we've found it here. Although I notice the kb isn't 5 row like on the TP2. Hehe, I said TP.

SilverLight98 says:

Looks like an Incredible replacement, maybe with LTE?

sayo9394 says:

why the 4 row physical keyboard? and such small buttons even though there exists so much real estate on the unit. check out all the red space between the buttons!

judasmachine says:

I agree. HTC makes the Touch Pro 2 which in my opinion has the best physical keyboard on a phone. Why not continue that success?

blackspidey08 says:

I agree. So much wasted space in between keys.

Jolest says:

I disagree. The space between the keys gives tactile definition to the keys. (makes it easier to press just one key...) All the oversized keys on most slider phones do is make it harder to hit the right key. HP knew this over 20 years ago with their award winning calculator kbds and the HP 95/100/200 palmtop keyboards. (Damn I miss those palmtop kbds...)

They've also managed to avoid the mistake some keyboards have of putting the top row too close to the bottom edge of the display which makes it hard to use the top row of the kbd.

While I would have prefered a five-row keyboard, the spacing on this kbd makes it the very first physical-kbd android phone I would buy and actually use the physical kbd.

davidnc says:

I would be more interested if it was not a slider type phone .I had bad luck with sliders in the past,true I only had one but that was enough to teach me ,lol

Incredibly incredible says:

Ughhh if it didn't have the keyboard it would be mine! Huge HTC fan jus keyboard isn't for me even tho it looks fantastic, the droid spectacular? :P

BBKik says:

Wish it wasn't a slider. But they are just going to go after all the BB users. Guess what you already have us dump the keyboard.

Mptrh336 says:

Aren't the sim cards the same for Lte? Wouldn't that make sense at this point?

migs#AC says:

LTE will have SIM cards but they will be smaller. From what I've heard LTE phones wont come out until some time.

likwidsoul says:

Man that keyboard looks sweet. Nice raised buttons with plenty of definition between them. I think the blind could text on that thing.

icebike says:

I thought the same thing.

Odd, everybody above complaining about the gap between keys.

I think the gap makes sense, someplace for my fat fingers to ooze into while I press one button without them pushing another.

blackspidey08 says:

I like it, but why is HTC going backwards in terms of the layout of the keyboard?? I mean the Touch Pro 2 has the best keyboard ever on any smartphone yet it hasnt been introduced on any Android phone to date (5 rows of keys instead of 4). Are they being lazy? Holding back for the perfect phone?

GregWithLime says:

Hasn't this already existed? I have the unlocked HTC Nexus One and have used my mobile during travels throughout Europe.

PowerUser says:

The Nexus One is probably only GSM which most of the world uses.

This phone is CDMA/GSM so you could even use it on Sprint or Verizon.

I posted in another place that back in 2007 the carriers where talking about a plan to stop locking their phones to their networks so you could use them on whatever carrier you wanted.

What ever happened to that idea/plan???

GregWithLime says:

No doubt and thanks for the reply! I think you are probably correct about only GSM. The way Google marketed the Nexus One I hoped it was the beginning of a freeing experience for the consumer.

cloud858rk says:

"rest of the world"
So I guess Japan isn't part of the world, eh?

storm14k says:

That's good but just think about the competition it will spark. Next year everybody will be trying to have these. Just another talking point taken away from those other folk.

icebike says:

You have to wonder just how world world is.

For instance, is it T-Mobile AND AT&T, or does one of those get EDGE only? Wouldn't that require Penta-Band radios to support both on 3G?

I actually think this should be required on any new phones. Once its common, the chipset prices will all come down, and consumers' investment in handsets are protected.

Carrier locks are breakable, but not when the radio can't handle the frequencies.

fernandoborda says:

OHHHH GUYSSS THATS THE SCORPION I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR..... NOW I'LL WAIT FOR SOME SPECS

fernandoborda says:

sorry for caps :( too exited .....

Antiquus says:

"That means the phone can be used outside the USA with a local SIM card, and it's something that Android is sorely lacking."

Huh? Lacking only if you insist on using Verizon or Sprint, the rest of the world is doing fine, thanks.

Antiquus says:

double

cluckkillerb says:

bleh.. so much wasted space on that keyboard >< wtf

WeGlobal says:

It's about time!!!! I thought I would have to go get a Blackberry 9650.

cdronm says:

Here is your HTC "Incredible Slide" ADR6325 world phone folks...