[CongoJoe]

Originally detailed by Paul (MVP) here, the HTC Raphael is now official, courtesy of T-Mobile as the MDA Vario IV!

Photographed at a press event by GSMHelpdesk.nl (who provided the great picture below), the device features (from Paul's post)...

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
  
• Qualcomm MSM 7201A @ 528MHz
  
• 512MB ROM / 256MB RAM confirmed!
  
• 7.2MB HSDPA / HSUPA (rev A EVDO for Sprint versions)
  
• 2.8" VGA screen
  
• WiFi
  
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
  
• eGPS
  
• 3.1MP Camera with flash
  
• Forward facing camera
  
• TV out
  
• Orientation sensor (a-la-iPhone)
  
• FM Radio
  
• microSD expansion
  
• 1350mAh battery
  
• Raphael: 51x99x17mm
  
• No tilt confirmed!

Here's the Vario IV snippet from the official T-Mo press release...

T-Mobile said:

MDA Vario IV – organizer for on the move

E-mails, contacts, dates: From late summer 2008, the MDA Vario IV from T-Mobile will ensure even more convenience in the mobile office. A special feature of the organizer for use on the move is the large, slide-out complete QWERTY keyboard. Just like a PC keyboard, it has five rows of keys, making it best in class in terms of mobile devices. Like the MDA compact IV, the new MDA Vario IV also offers convenient mobile Internet access via web’n’walk using HSDPA technology with speeds of up to 7.2 Mbit/s. Video telephony, video and music player, and a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera as well as integrated GPS module round off the device's top features.

Aparently its being released in Q2 this year (so next month i guess), so start saving those pennies!

[Edited by Paul (MVP) for news!]

This post has been edited by Monolithix: 31 May 2008 - 11:00 AM

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[andrewkeith5]

looks fatastic...but i really really hope that htc haven't lost the tilt mechanism from the tytn ii in the slimming down process, it makes a massive difference when typing and when the phone is on the desk

if the tilt mechanism doesn't get lost, i'll be so tempted to end my contract half-way through. if it goes, then i'm not really interested, and wait i shall for the version afterwards

i'm also worried about internal storage - i can't stand the stuff, especially when you can't upgrade it with memory cards. i can't stand being restricted to a certain amount of memory (a la iphone), and like to be able to organise my stuff onto different memory cards. PLEASE, if you have internal memory, let us use our own as well (micro sd preferrably)...and don't lose that tilt mechanism

keyboard certainly looks fantastic though, it'll be greatto get back to the xda exec style of keyboard

[CongoJoe]

I would be very suprised if it does tilt.
Its a nice feature but 99% of the time i tend to have mine straight anyway, its only really when its on my desk that i tilt it.

I agree about the internal storage though, much prefer sdhc.

[tsutton]

Very nice. Interested to know if it does tilt or not too...

[shootydogthing]

Dude, that's the specs for the COMPACT IV, it clearly says that and gives the form factor as "candybar"

The article deals with both, there's a link the the Vario IV spec page lower down.

It has a MicroSD slot, and 256MB RAM, 512 ROM

It's actually 18MM, so thicker than the Diamond, and just over 30 grams heavier

You've just got the wrong spec link

The SECOND and THIRD pics are also of the Diamond, so cannot be trusted for dimensions

Real spec link here


And it DOES have video out!

"T-Mobile MDA Vario IV
Totally unexpected, T-Mobile also announced the T-Mobile MDA Vario IV today. The device is a real messenger filler thanks to the full slide-out QWERTY keyboard what the Vario series is known for. It's the ideal extension piece of the computer or the office for e-mail, SMS, multimedia messages, contacts and dates. The MDA Vario IV will come to the shops at the end of the Summer.

The device has, just like the Compact IV, HSDPA support for speeds up to 7.2 Mbit/s. Video telephony, an expanded video and musicplayer, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a built-in GPS receiver can be see as the "key features" of the device besides the mobile internet access."


The top part of the article is on The Compact IV.


Anyone could have made the mistake


(I think the Compact IV specs are wrong if it says it's lighter than the Touch Diamond)

[CongoJoe]

Bah, got over excited.
Sorry, feel really stupid now :-/
Edited the first post


...doh

[PaulOBrien]

1350mAh battery = win

It'll look quite fat as it's nearly as thick as the Vario III but is smaller in other dimensions, but let it be said... I WANT ONE NOW!



P

[Syphon Filter]

Hrm, I've been waiting for this. I don't see it being available next month though!!

Also, HTC have some other tricks up their sleeves, namely the Dream, Omni and lets not forget the Xperia X1.

What to do, what to do?

EDIT: Will the HTC branded device also land in Q2 or just the T-Mobile one?

This post has been edited by Syphon Filter: 28 May 2008 - 08:03 PM

[PaulOBrien]

No official word on the HTC device, but look for the T-Mo device coming in JULY!

(three months before the Xperia!)

P

[chucky.egg]

I think this (the Raphael) is the one I've been waiting for for the last couple of years - small (enough) and light (enough) but with a keyboard.
I've just ordered an i780, but I expect to be getting one of these too.

[Syphon Filter]

Hrm...

When the TyTN II landed, i believe it was out before the T-Mobile Vario III

Fingers crossed the HTC version of this lands before too. If it's T-Mo only for now I will have to wait for the HTC versoin as my contract still has a long while to run. Here's hoping though.

The device looks good. One problem though, the TyTN II with its tilt mechanism fits oh so neatly in a little cubby hole in my car, making it perfect for using as sat nav and for cameraware without a holder of any sort.

Without tilt, I will ahve to use a car clip, which I have always found a bit pants, they vibrate too much when the road surface isnt smooth enough!

[PaulOBrien]

I expect the T-Mo ver to arrive first...

P

[surur]

People who know says the Raphael does Tilt. It stands to reason, because its only about 1 mm thinner than the Kaiser, so there is no reason to sacrifice this great feature.

Surur

[Dr Who]

Syphon Filter, on May 28 2008, 21:16, said:

One problem though, the TyTN II with its tilt mechanism fits oh so neatly in a little cubby hole in my car, making it perfect for using as sat nav and for cameraware without a holder of any sort.

Leave the TyTN in the car as a sat nav only???

Been two years (!!!!) since my last phone upgrade as I just haven't seen anything that was worthwhile, however this looks like the bees knees. Will be upgrading the day I can buy it in TMob shop. July would do nicely.

BTW - I know they hire giant hand models for phone shots but those keys looks pretty tiny - smaller than my Vario II?

This post has been edited by Dr Who: 28 May 2008 - 08:59 PM

[CongoJoe]

I noticed that too.
Theres also an extra row of keys compared to the tytn2

[wingnutLP]

I have been waiting for an upgrade since the P3600 first came out... Now there are the diamond, raphael and X1 all coming at once...

decisions decisions. One thing that annoys me about the Trinity is typing web addresses on a soft keyboard; I am not sure if the high res of the diamond will fix this or if I need to go for a keyboard.

The Raphael ids a similar size and weight to the trinity so I am thinking the keyboard could be considered a freebie and give up on the desire for a super slim phone. The trinity certainly has never seemed heavy or bulky.

Then the X1, it looks great but I am not keen on the non standard widescreen resolution.

Any ideas if and when the Raphael will come to 02? Are they fairly slow on the uptake?

[Syphon Filter]

Paul (MVP), on May 28 2008, 21:19, said:

I expect the T-Mo ver to arrive first...

P

Ok, you're obviously privvy to info that we're not so I'll take your word on that. Means I will have to wait a little longer for my Raphael fix...

[Monolithix]

Why does the keyboard have 2 messaging buttons but no OK or Windows keys? :s I know the new touchflo is good, but it isnt *that* good!

[shootydogthing]

there are no Windows keys anywhere on the device, I'm assuming they don't want that at all

I personally LOVE the new layout...

Oh and Paul, fix the specs

From the articles spec page:

Internal memory: 256 MB RAM mem.
512 MB ROM mem.

And where did you get the 1350mAh info? and the flash?

Oh, and your specs say "3.1MP camera" and the bit from T-Mobile says 3..2.. 2 different numbers in the same post

This post has been edited by shootydogthing: 28 May 2008 - 10:34 PM

[touficjohn]

GRAH!
What do people who've JUST Renewed their contracts do in 2 months when this thing comes out.. I don't want to wait another 18months before I can get another phone... Only had the Vario III for 6months or so...

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