When Phones Were Laptops (HTC Universal, 2005)

Michael Fisher (MrMobile) revisits the 2005 HTC Universal, a 3G Windows Mobile clamshell that attempted to be a full pocket PC two decades before folding phones.

• The HTC Universal sold for ~$1,600 and shipped under at least four carrier brand names (O2 XDA Exec, iMate JasJar, T-Mobile MDA Pro, Vodafone variant).
• It ran Windows Mobile on an Intel chipset with 64MB RAM; reviewers at the time found it capable, but Fisher burned out on HTC’s WinMo devices within a year twice (Apache 2006, Titan 2008).
• The device packed 3G, stereo speakers, a webcam for video calls, a twist-and-flip hinge, resistive touchscreen, and 62 physical keyboard keys in a 10-oz body.
• A third-party app ecosystem existed pre-App Store: Foxit PDF reader, Google Today screen widget, Monopoly ($30 one-time, no loot boxes), and Dope Wars ran on it.
• Six years after release, someone ported Android to the Universal — a common hobbyist achievement of that era.
• HTC’s mobile division was largely absorbed into Google’s Pixel unit; Windows Mobile was replaced by Windows Phone, which survives only as Android launcher aesthetics.
• One user ran his Universal for five years, including using Remote Desktop to control his home PC through it over 3G.

2026-04-06 · Watch on YouTube