The basic features that you'd expect from a phone, are all well met, so I must not write this just once more. Point.
The decisive point for my purchase was the hardware keyboard. Of all mobile devices with keyboard I've ever get my hands on (HTC G1, the OQO 01+, Amazon Kindle 3, Motorola Milestone and Milestone 2) the Desire Z has the best definitely. She is most comparable to the G1, but has larger keys and for no own number series. Even if you normally do not do on the phone, I was able to more than 1.5 hours at a time without fatigue tap in his hands. The characters I like arranged and accessible, except for the fact that backslashes and braces are only accessible via a menu. Unless one is programmed on the phone or set texts with LaTeX, is a presumably very matter. In the on-screen keyboard, there are no Swype, but an almost identical keyboard can re-install for free.
The folding mechanism is also top, no matter how stupid it lines up, which is always safe and without a mobile phone falls out of your hands. (And I'll bet that this action would already look pretty risky if you would look at a slow-motion shot of it.) When you open the keyboard, you may save incidentally, the two handles to Entsprerren of the display, as this is then automatically unlocked. Other users have already mentioned that a "finger on the falls" the keypad when you lie on your back and holds the phone while typing exactly horizontally above him. Yes, I can confirm that, but I would not want to explicitly test, then I would never have happened. I'm concerned, I would, even in bed, hold the phone never so cramped horizontally, and as soon as it is considered even a slight angle, no longer occurs this "problem" on.
Of course lighter, more compact mobile phones that must be a conscious. If you look at it the first time in the hand, you are already surprised by the high weight. But you get used to it quickly, and in practice it bothers a bit.
As for the CPU, which indeed has "only" 800 Mht, so far I have never experienced a moment in which it would have brought me anything, if it were even faster. Everything somehow slowly found a can, generally tends to be attributed to the Internet, but also about the one can complain in any way. It was only when I recently saw on another Android phone, the hardware is almost identical some small stuttering was me really aware of how smoothly the Desire Z runs everything.
The mode "mobile Wi-Fi hotspot" works great, even finicky devices that do not like AdHoc connections (eg Kindle 3), recognize the Desire Z as a true hotspot or access point and connect without a murmur. Even as a wireless client does the part well. In dreaded "eduroam" (a WPA 2-Enterprise network with PAP authentication, which is used in many European universities) I occasionally smaller choice problems, but less than many other smartphone owners or than many laptop users. As long as the Desire Z is the hotspot itself, DLNA features, you can not use, but that's probably an extremely exotic application. That being said, even the DLNA works great, but what I was able to test the absence of further devices that were previously only with audio signals. There DLNA support in principle, with pictures and video, it's probably completely okay that the hardware has no video output, but as I said I could not test that.
The camera was for me not an important reason to buy, therefore I have since not expecting much, but am pleasantly surprised. The photos I like all of them and the 5 megapixel deserve their name. The flash enough, although indeed only LED technology is installed, a few meters, so I can photograph reasonably well in absolute darkness. In bad light, there are violent color noise, but you can see in the photos everything important. The videos, in particular in 720p resolution, are qualitatively nice. Especially I had feared that the recordings would be compressed totally broken, which is not the case. Under moderate light there is a very extreme motion blur, but once it is bright enough, the videos are really useful. Here, the microphone picks up well, which speaks of the "cameraman". What other people say in the room, unfortunately remains incomprehensible, even if other phones record (Nokia N8) Alike all votes Good.
The battery gave me in the early days really worried because he already after 6 hours completely average use was sometimes empty. Although you hear from time to time that smartphone batteries reached only after about one week at full capacity, but actually I have since not expect miracles. Meanwhile, however, is just such a miracle happened. In standby (ie mobile phone to receive, but no active use) it hät several days, and even in active use, everything is now alright. Most of what I could do to active use with a cargo so far: phone about 14 hours, ever-Fi Internet and Bluetooth on, of which 1.5 hours playing games (partially 3d), listen to music via Bluetooth 3-4 hours , calling 1-2 hours via Bluetooth and use the thing in between another 1-2 hours for other stuff, in which the display is on. At the end 23% battery were still left.
IMPORTANT UPDATE TO BATTERY after a few months of use: There are also now more violent fluctuations in the runtime. Almost certainly I now could this be attributed to the WLAN. It's not about the mere "Ansein" or data transfer. Even when not connected WLAN and normal use of the battery sometimes now holds more than 40 hours. The problem arises, however, whenever the WLAN is on, at least one access point is in range, but this is not established. Since the battery bags regularly in about 4 hours from 90% to 0% down, especially when the unit is not used and therefore suspects no such thing. Apparently hift since only conscientious switching off the WLAN when you leave the local WLAN.
For the rest of the screen is always the main component consumption, no matter how hard you the phone calls else. Although the device using brightness sensor can automatically adjust the brightness, but is also usually much brighter than it would be really necessary to operate, and the display then strikes with 84% of them now. Compared to that are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with 2% not worth it to be shut down. If one takes a little manual control over brightness, can third-stuffs to between consumption of the screen about what will be rewarded with almost triple battery life. I think at times I'll tinker me an app that also adjusts the display according to ambient brightness, but after a definable me conversion.
The Desire Z is lightning fast einsatzbareit. Although the time taken for the phone to boot is about 1.5 minutes, but ultimately does not matter, because you always experienced this only once. The device has namely a kind of deep sleep mode (but who has no special name). Simply select only "off" is the device apparently, practically no electricity consumed (battery charge then falls over a whole night by only about 2%), and when it turns on again, it is lightning fast since. Already after 15 seconds, you can use the device completely, said Entsprerren the simcard most of this takes time. If you operate the device in airplane mode, it returns to less than 2 seconds from a deep sleep and can be used immediately! The feature I did not know from other phones, and it is apparently not very advertised. If one wants for some reason it out a completely new boot toast, are there any "restart" option.
The built-in handsfree speaker is really weak, which was aware of before purchasing. Do not bother me, because I would then do not use this feature when a good speaker would be installed. To time to watch a short video on youtube, it's enough, and when I listen to music, or want to make calls hands-free, I use a headset anyway.
Even though I had only considered the phone to root (as Linux users come to mind as already nice things that you could then do with it) I have not yet done so, since I as a non-root then ultimately nothing important missing.
The little problems:
* The touch screen, which actually super works exactly, sometimes depends on, that simply no longer responds to input. Screen, screen, unlock, and everything goes back. Does it cost me about 2 seconds and happens about once a day. Can I really live with.
* Trying to read my old contacts from the SIM card and to connect with my contacts from Facebook, Google, etc. was a real struggle. The SIM contacts are displayed, but you can not merge with another contact sources. Much better it was when I put the SIM again in my old phone (W880i) and the contacts have taken over via Bluetooth. Since then, everything ok with the contact management.
* The included music player of HTC wants partout not respond to the media keys (Play, Pause, Next, Previous) on the headset - regardless of whether the supplied or an additional selling Bluetooth headset. For me, no matter, because I always prefer to use other apps to it, and these all have no problem with that. According to support this is a software error, but occurs only on my device and fix probably by a hard reset would.
* There are provided two Facebook apps, you also need both, because each has features that are missing from each other. The same gillt for the two email apps. Each one offers a useful desktop widget, but the other has more features in the app actually. So you have to first arrange something that you now do with what.
* The optical trackball is good to quickly jump times between input fields and buttons, or select a small link in the Web. When editing texts, he is, however, less useful than, say, the real trackball from the HTC G1. You simply can not so quickly 20 characters to the left as it would be possible with a proper ball. When writing longer texts, the trackball is definitely the biggest shortcoming of the keyboard, if one can say so.
* The first use of GPS was difficult, there was simply no reception. On the web, I then read that this error occurs when a few users. I had to disable UMTS, then immediately got a good GPS fix, and could then turn it back on UMTS. Since this unique action both works in parallel without any problems.
* UPDATE: In virtually all applications, it is unmlöglich to tap the hardware keyboard large umlauts, instead they remain small. However, I have it (!!) times managed somehow.
Conclusion:
Three of the six issues affect only the initial setup and then never bother a again. There remain the ridiculous little problems with touch screen, trackball and media buttons. In my eyes, the Desire Z is thus 99.5% perfect, and I do say now is not often anything.
Recommended accessories:
* The appropriate screen protector and cell phone pocket HTC. I do not know if the phone really need as much protection, but it is - especially in an expensive device - easy to feel good when you do not have to be overly cautious in everyday life.
* Bluetooth headset, which I am very satisfied with the MW600 Sony Erricsson. While it is a useful cable supplied headset, but if you want to use the headset for several hours every day, it already worth going a little higher value and buy more practical.
