HTC Leo aka PRO THREE aka HD2 aka Oboe aka THE GAME CHANGER

I think we can all agree this phone was a game changer for the Windows Mobile community, later on also Android, Windows Phone, Ubuntu, etc. etc. The first leaked images showed the back cover HTC PRO THREE. Soon video’s emerged with the software showing HTC Leo and quickly after the official document and name leaked, HTC HD2. The HTC Oboe was the HD2 for the Chinese market.

The first couple of prototypes (HT97) is believed to have a Mini USB instead of the Micro USB. I have seen 2 different prototypes which had an empty space next to the mini USB which was filled with grey plastic, but cannot confirm 100% that it was Mini USB. Something was there, they took it out and just filled the gap. The HT97 came installed with RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_0.62.405.MASD_S__Radio_1550_20090717_Test (July 2009, phone got released in November 2009) and RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_0.65.405.MASD_S__Radio_1550_20090724_Test.

Moving on to the testers. The phone (HT98) I received came shipped with RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_0.67.405.1_Radio_Daily_1550_Debug (11-08-2009) but this version had an issue in the RIL (Radio). So HTC send out RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_0.67.405.2pure_Radio_155007_20090813R_Debug to fix it. Most of the early leaks on these smartphone websites, were devices running 0.67.405.2 (see the screenshots, some are still online). From here it went to RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.01.405.0_Radio_Signed_15.14.50.07U_2.02.50.21_Test, RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.20.405.4_Radio_20090828_Test, RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.21.405.1_Radio_Daily_1550_Test, RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.24.405.1_Radio_Signed_15.18.50.07U_2.03.50.21_Debug, RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.27.405.0_Radio_Signed_15.19.50.07U_2.03.50.28_Test, RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.41.405.0_Radio_Signed_15.24.50.07U_2.04.50.16_2_Testand there it was, the first shipped ROM with the release of the HTC HD2 1.41 (some regions 1.43). Couple weeks after came RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.48.405.2_Radio_Signed_15.28.50.07U_2.05.51.05_2_Test and the release version. Beginning of 2010 brought us RUU_Leo_HTC_WWE_1.66.405.1_Radio_Signed_15.30.50.07U_2.06.51.07_Test and the released version.

Meanwhile December 2009 brought us the HTC Leo1.5. Huh?? The 1.5? The T-Mobile USA version, als known as Leo 1.5 TMOUS. With the first version being RUU_Leo_1_5_TMOUS_2.01.531.7_Radio_Signed_15.28.50.07U_2.05.50.11_TMOUS_Test. Not going into detail, just take a look at the picture included for all the software versions.

Beginning of 2010 gave us something interesting… The prototype HD2’s have 320MB RAM, the regular HD2’s have 448MB RAM, the TMOUS HD2’s have 576MB RAM. Suddenly after flashing the 2.x TMOUS ROMS on the regular HD2’s, you would unlock 576MB RAM. I still don’t know what happend here. I do know with the prototypes you had 320MB RAM and 128MB Video memory. But on the prototypes, you could not enable 448 or 576MB RAM. But hey, the people were happy with the extra RAM.

Fast forward to mid 2010, came the HTC Leo-S. First though to be a slider version of the HTC HD2 but that was not the case. It was just the regular HD2 with the 576MB RAM enabled. RUU_Leo_S_HTC_WWE_3.01.405.T1_Radio_Signed_15.40.50.07U_2.11.50.20_Test and RUU_Leo_S_HTC_WWE_3.02.405.T1_Radio_Signed_15.40.50.07U_2.11.50.26_Test were used for testing before the shipped version 3.04 (if I can still remember correctly) came out. Finally came RUU_Leo_S_HTC_WWE_3.14.405.2_Radio_15.42.50.11U_2.15.50.14_LEO_S_Ship. I believe this was the last ROM ever to be release for the HTC HD2.

I sold my unit on XDA-Developers. One of the biggest mistakes I made. If anyone still have one in the collection and are willing to sell, contact Me! Somehow this phone has more of a sentimental value for me comparing it to the HTC Sooner. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.