HTC Universal
Encyclopedia
The HTC Universal is a Windows Mobile
5.0 Pocket PC
phone, manufactured by High Tech Computer Corporation. It was the first 3G
/UMTS-enabled Pocket PC
phone, and also the first to come with Windows Mobile
5.0 pre-installed.
It is sold by many different vendors under the names of O2
xda Exec, Orange
SPV M5000, Dopod
900, Qtek 9000, T-Mobile
MDA Pro, I-mate
JasJar, Vodafone
v1640, Vodafone
VPA IV, E-Plus
PDA IV, etc. Despite all the different model names and housing appearance, they all have identical hardware specifications with small differences in the external color and branding.
The most eye-catching feature of this device is its 180-degree swivel screen, allowing a quick swap between portrait mode and landscape mode. The GUI
automatically adjusts screen orientation accordingly.
, with the O2 XDA Exec being a notable exception. There is a free SIM unlocking tool released by buzz_lightyear on http://www.buzzdev.net/. This process involves flashing a new Radio ROM onto the device, and may invalidate the warranty.
The 3800 mAh battery is a Li Ion battery with model number PU16B manufactured by Dynapack International Technology Corporation in Taiwan. It is rated at 3.7 VDC (or 4.2 VDC). It increased the weight of HTC Universal to 350 g. It allows the use of the camera by holes built in the battery plastic container. Its price is about 30 EUR as of October 2008. With this battery, HTC Universal can operate up to 200 hours without GSM/UMTS/Bluetooth/WiFi or about 100–150 hours with UMTS and Bluetooth on.
on the HTC Universal. Despite the lack of cooperation by HTC (and most other smartphone/PPC manufacturers for that matter), drivers for most of the device's components are functional (the two cameras and the flash ROM being the only significant exceptions). It is possible to run various handheld Linux distributions on the Universal, though application support is in its infancy.
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
5.0 Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
phone, manufactured by High Tech Computer Corporation. It was the first 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
/UMTS-enabled Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
phone, and also the first to come with Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
5.0 pre-installed.
It is sold by many different vendors under the names of O2
O2 plc
Telefónica Europe plc is a European broadband and telecommunications company that trades as O2 . The company originated as a collection of worldwide telecommunications companies, known in the later half of the 1990s as BT Wireless, and a global mobile data business known then as Genie Internet,...
xda Exec, Orange
Orange SA
Orange is the brand used by France Télécom for its mobile network operator and Internet service provider subsidiaries. It is the fifth largest telecom operator in the world, with 210 million customers . The brand was created in 1994 for Hutchison Telecom's UK mobile phone network, which was...
SPV M5000, Dopod
Dopod
Dopod is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of Windows Mobile smartphones, operating in the South East Asia and Australasia. Dopod International was founded in 2004 and it is now directly owned by the Taiwanese Windows Mobile device manufacturer HTC with over 50% of shares...
900, Qtek 9000, T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
MDA Pro, I-mate
I-mate
i-mate was a company selling Windows Mobile-powered devices. The Group was launched by Jim Morrison, who began his telecoms career at sea with Cable & Wireless and was later involved in the team at O2 that designed the first O2 Xda Pocket PC phone...
JasJar, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
v1640, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
VPA IV, E-Plus
E-Plus
E-Plus is a mobile telecommunications operator in Germany. With 19.0 million subscribers, E-Plus is the third largest mobile operator in Germany, after T-Mobile and Vodafone ....
PDA IV, etc. Despite all the different model names and housing appearance, they all have identical hardware specifications with small differences in the external color and branding.
The most eye-catching feature of this device is its 180-degree swivel screen, allowing a quick swap between portrait mode and landscape mode. The GUI
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
automatically adjusts screen orientation accordingly.
SIM Lock
Most network-supplied versions of the Universal are shipped SIM-lockedSIM lock
A SIM lock, simlock, network lock or subsidy lock is a capability built into GSM phones by mobile phone manufacturers. Network providers use this capability to restrict the use of these phones to specific countries and network providers...
, with the O2 XDA Exec being a notable exception. There is a free SIM unlocking tool released by buzz_lightyear on http://www.buzzdev.net/. This process involves flashing a new Radio ROM onto the device, and may invalidate the warranty.
Detailed Specifications
- Screen Size: 3.7 in (9.4 cm) Transflective LCD
- Screen Resolution: 640x480 VGA at 216 ppiPixels per inchPixels per inch or pixel density is a measurement of the resolution of devices in various contexts; typically computer displays, image scanners, and digital camera image sensors....
- Input: 62-key QWERTYQWERTYQWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
keyboardKeyboard (computing)In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
and touchscreenTouchscreenA touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
with stylusStylus (computing)In computing, a stylus is a small pen-shaped instrument that is used to input commands to a computer screen, mobile device or graphics tablet...
(included; stylus also available separately for 19 EUR as of October 2008) - Cameras: 2
- 1.3 MP CMOS CameraCameraA camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
with LEDLEdLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
"flash" mounted on the reverse of the keyboard section - QVGA (320x240) CMOSCMOSComplementary metal–oxide–semiconductor is a technology for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits...
Camera for 3G3G3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
videoVideoVideo is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
calling, mounted beside the screen, close to the hinge
- 1.3 MP CMOS Camera
- Processor: Intel BulverdeBulverdeBulverde may refer to:*Intel XScale PXA27x processing chips, code name Bulverde*Bulverde, Texas...
(PXA270)520 MHz CPU - Memory: Flash ROM: 128 MB, RAMRam-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
: 64 MB SDRAMSDRAMSynchronous dynamic random access memory is dynamic random access memory that is synchronized with the system bus. Classic DRAM has an asynchronous interface, which means that it responds as quickly as possible to changes in control inputs... - Memory expansion: SDIOSDIOSDIO may refer to:* Secure Digital Input Output, a type of Secure Digital card interface.* Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, an organization set up to oversee the Strategic Defense Initiative; now known as the Missile Defense Agency....
/MMCMMCMMC may stand for:In business:*Mail.com Media Corp., a US digital media company*Marsh & McLennan Companies, a US-based global professional services firm*Material Móvil y Construcciones...
card slot (officially without SDHC, with maximum capacity supported being 4GB, but there is unofficial SDHC support from xda-developersXda-developersxda-developers is a community of over 4 million users worldwide, started in 2003. The site's main purpose is discussion of Windows Phone, Android, and WebOS phones. They are also one of the first places that Windows Mobile and Android users come for general information of the device, ROM upgrades...
- SDHC cards are accepted with Windows Mobile 6.1 or higher and there is another unofficial update to Windows Mobile 5 that allows use of SDXC cards up to 64GB.) - Network Standard: Tri-Band GSM/GPRS (900/1800/1900) + WCDMA (UMTS) (2100 MHz)
- GPRS: Class B Multi-slot standard class 10 PBCCH MO/MT SMSSMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
over GPRS - Connection interface: Client only Mini-USB connector, USB charging, USB 2.0 protocol
- Wireless connectivity: InfraredInfraredInfrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
IrDAIRDAIRDA may refer to:* Infrared Data Association, in information and communications technology , a standard for communication between devices over short distances using infrared signals...
FIR, BluetoothBluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
1.2 Class 2 compliant, WiFiWIFIWIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
802.11b IEEE 802.11b compliant, Internal AntennaAntenna (radio)An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
, 11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbit/s per channel, 64-, 128- bit WEPWired Equivalent PrivacyWired Equivalent Privacy is a weak security algorithm for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks. Introduced as part of the original 802.11 standard ratified in September 1999, its intention was to provide data confidentiality comparable to that of a traditional wired network...
& WPAWi-Fi Protected AccessWi-Fi Protected Access and Wi-Fi Protected Access II are two security protocols and security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks...
standard data encryptionEncryptionIn cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information... - Standard battery capacity: 1620 mAhMAHThe National Security Service was the governmental intelligence organization of Turkey between 1926 and 1965, when it was replaced by the National Intelligence Organization ....
(included; battery is removable) - Charging: Mini USB (also used for data transfer)
Extended batteries
There are many high-capacity "extended" batteries available for the HTC Universal. 2600mAh, 3150mAh, 3200mAh, 3800mAh, 4800mAh and even 5200mAh models have been sold by various retailers, which allow the device to run for more than a week in many cases on a single charge (with light to medium use). All extended batteries have one big drawback though, they are all supplied with a new plastic back to hold the battery, which considerably increases the size and weight of the device.The 3800 mAh battery is a Li Ion battery with model number PU16B manufactured by Dynapack International Technology Corporation in Taiwan. It is rated at 3.7 VDC (or 4.2 VDC). It increased the weight of HTC Universal to 350 g. It allows the use of the camera by holes built in the battery plastic container. Its price is about 30 EUR as of October 2008. With this battery, HTC Universal can operate up to 200 hours without GSM/UMTS/Bluetooth/WiFi or about 100–150 hours with UMTS and Bluetooth on.
Unofficial extensions
With registry editing and/or ROM re-flashing (both of which should only be done by people who are confident and experienced with these processes), substantial extra functionality can be added to this device. A few examples follow (there are many more):- Wireless G (802.11g) connectivity. This only allows the device to communicate using the 802.11g protocol instead of 802.11b, it does not give a speed increase beyond 11Mbit. However, numerous online sources now say this no longer works. http://msmobiles.com/news.php/4853.htmlhttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=255233
- Full emulation of an "SD card reader" (USB mass storage device class).
- Full VGA (640x480 resolution) graphics, as opposed to the "QVGA (320x240) emulation/compatibility mode" which the Universal runs in by default. The two main downsides to this are that some software cannot handle "true VGA" mode, which usually results in corrupted graphics, and that it can be quite difficult to see (and use a stylus with) such small screen elements like text.
- Emulation and mapping of additional keys not found on the Universal native keyboard, such as CTRL & ALT.
- Support for SDHC cards. 8GB, 16GB and 32GB cards have been tested successfully. This is only made possible via a third-party hacked driver.
- 128MB of RAM. It is possible to replace 64MB memory modules with 128MB one. It can be only used with 128MB enabled ROMs but it makes more space for running applications.
Linux
It is possible to install a custom version of LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
on the HTC Universal. Despite the lack of cooperation by HTC (and most other smartphone/PPC manufacturers for that matter), drivers for most of the device's components are functional (the two cameras and the flash ROM being the only significant exceptions). It is possible to run various handheld Linux distributions on the Universal, though application support is in its infancy.
Windows Mobile 6 (Crossbow)
There are numerous "unofficial" builds of Windows Mobile 6 (Crossbow) which have been made to run on this device, and now even some tools which allow users to create their own custom WM6 ROM images (a process commonly known by the term "cooking ROMs"). There is a thriving community of people dedicated to improving these WM6 builds (and associated tools) on the Universal.External links
- xda-developers Probably the largest community of Pocket PC phone users out there. The majority of "unofficial" WM6 ROM development/hacking for the Universal & many other PPC phones is located here.
- www.iPocketPC.Net The largest software website for free HTC software for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile.
- See, in particular, the HTC Universal section of the xda-developers' wiki
- Linux on Universal status page
- The supported hardware page of the Openmoko project
- Runnable Linux images for the HTC Universal
- Titchy Mobile - Debian GNU/Linux on the HTC Universal
- Linux on the HTC Universal