HTC Dragon: Sifting Through The Rumors

Speculation has been running rampant the last couple of months over a forthcoming phone from HTC. The device is being referred to as both the HTC Passion and the HTC Dragon, and it is supposed to use the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, or an equivalent 1 GHz CPU. Rumors abound, but so far no solid evidence has been revealed. This phone is a hot topic on device related sites, web forums and on Twitter.

Why all the buzz about some phone that is nothing but rumors? Especially when the flagship Android device, the Motorola Droid is so new?

The Droid has a couple of niggles that keep it from being the Android flagship that people have been waiting for. The Droid’s initial lack of multi-touch (pinch to zoom, for example) and the inclusion of a physical keyboard of questionable usefulness don’t necessarily tarnish what a great device the Droid is, but perhaps it isn’t the device that a lot of people have been waiting for.

The rumored HTC Dragon is that device. Here’s what we know and what we think.

What the Dragon won’t be:

The Dragon is not going to be an HTC HD2 running Android instead of Windows Mobile. I know we were all kind of hoping, but the President of HTC has said on record that the HD2 is to remain an exclusive Windows Mobile device. Too bad, the HD2 is a great form factor.

What my gut tells me you can count on:

I think the HTC Dragon will end up being a very similar device to the HD2. I think the rumored 4.3″ 800×480 screen is a lock, and I think the GHz CPU is too. I would bet money that such a device will ship with Android 2.0. I would also bet on Verizon being the network.

I think you can also count on it not having a physical keyboard. None of the rumors have it including a keyboard, and I think form factor is going to win over catering to the percentage of people who like to have one. I personally think that with visual feedback a virtual keyboard trumps a tiny, flat physical keyboard, and I don’t think I’m alone in that.

The rumors had the Dragon launching any time between Black Friday and Christmas. I don’t think that is the case. I think Verizon wants to give the Droid and Eris a little longer at the top, and I frankly don’t think the Dragon is ready or we would have more on it. While a December launch isn’t out of the question and would undoubtedly be better for sales, I think we won’t be seeing this device until January.

So are you pulling the trigger on a Droid, or waiting for more on the HTC Dragon like I am?

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