[HD2 Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting and Genera] demaxmeister:
Hi XDA,

I just want to start of by saying that the HD2 is probably the best thing I ever bought. Still, after more than 2 years, it remains a highly functioning phone. I sometimes run Android (TBD Sensation XL) on it, and sometimes Windows Phone 7.5. (The latest version by Pdaimatejam is amazing, and 100% working, including multitouch and camera) Both amazing roms which run extremely well on our aging phone.

There is on thing, however, which bothers me. This might seem to many as a minor flaw, but to me, keeping a perfect design philosophy in mind, really is a dealbreaker sometimes. This is the fact that the illustrations on the buttons don't represent their true functions in both OS's. The other day I brought my damaged back cover back to life by giving it a brushed metal finish (http://blog.whitesites.com/Chrome-HTC-HD2-Battery-Cover-Tutorial__634103488469591250_blog.htm) Now this got me thinking, what if we could somehow modify the HD2 in order to make it feel like a new phone, which natively runs Android and/or Windows Phone. Together with the chrome back cover it would look awesome!

Now, there's already a tutorial for chroming the back cover. However, to modify the illustrations on the buttons would be more difficult. First and foremost, Android and Windows Phone bother require different buttons. Windows phone requires a power button, a camera button, a back button, a home/start button and a search button. While Android (looking at Sensation XL/Runnymede) requires a power button, a menu button, a search button, a home button and a back button. Both configurations, in my opinion, are optimized for their respective OS's. And for those who might not know, the HD2 has a call button, a home button, a windows start button, a back button and a power/call end button. I haven't really figured out how to actually modify the buttons themselves. Possibly, some sort of extra though stickers would do. These would maybe also allow to be removed, so the phone can be sold again. But, XDA, all difficulties aside, behold, the HD2.5:

Looks awesome, doesn't it?​

The button configuration, in my opinion, makes sense for both OS's (WP and Android). Let's talk about them from right to left. The on the far right is obviously the power button. It's function is straightforward. The conscientious reader might notice that the original HD2 also has a call end icon on it. Well, it doesn't fulfill this function in both OS's so I removed it. The button next to the power button is the search button. Also, the function of it is self-explanatory. The original HD2 lacks a search button, but in my opinion WP and Android work well with one. In the middle there's the home button. In Android it would redirect the user to the home screen (duh), and in Windows Phone it would bring the user to the start menu. A reasonably representative icon for both right? To the left of the home button is the back button. Again, a necessity for both OS's and the function of which is pretty self-explanatory as well. In Windows Phone it serves a more powerful function in my opinion though :) And finally, to the far left, there's a peculiar icon. Let's zoom in to have a closer look:

​

I actually came up with this icon while brain-storming for an icon which means both 'camera' and 'menu/options'. Well, tadaa. While using Windows Phone it would represent a shutter, which would more accurately describe its function than 'camera' anyway. In Android it would have the menu/options function, which makes sense, as it also looks like a gear. Like it? And while only a mock-up, I think it's the best solution for the problem of button configuration. Oh, and the order of the buttons (which could have been any, obviously) is thought through. It's based on the Windows Phone order, with the less important ones (power and shutter/options) on the sides.

Here's a mock-up of it running Windows Phone:

And here's one of it running Android with sense 3.5 (Sensation XL):

​

They both look amazing right?

I hope you guys like this concept. AND, if anybody can figure out a way to get the icons on the buttons (as said before, maybe some sort of sticker) please let me know! And by the way, the actual function of the buttons in the OS is easily changeable. In Android it can easily be cooked in, and there are numerous apps in the marketplace for it. In WP, the extra settings app by Cotulla does the job.

We modified the HD2 so thoroughly that we might as well modify its name as well! HD2.5!

Thanks devs btw!