Smartphone with lots of potential

The phone's equipment leaves little to be desired.

Some might miss in low light at the camera a flash or LED light for taking pictures. The quality of the photographs is mediocre, neither good, nor bad. But given the fact that the lens is about pinhead size, the quality is absolutely fine and is not comparable therefore with digital cameras. The JPEG compression falls quite significantly even at the highest quality level. An autofocus is available. Good snapshots of people do not succeed, because the camera focuses only after the triggering and lost too much time goes by. The lens is protected by a glass pane. An additional shutter for the lens would not have been bad. Geotags Registry are possible after a change in Windows. A second camera for video calling, is located on the front.

With HTC phones do not always self-evident, but this phone has a separate jack. The quality of the supplied headphones is good. About a software equalizer the sound can be changed. Sonically disturbs only cracking when an MP3 track is over and the next one is played. With headphones connected radio reception is possible. By means of additional software HD Tweak can increase the setting for the reception quality. At good reception the station name (RDS) is displayed instead of the frequency on the display.

The quality of telephone conversations is good enough. The quality of the mono speaker on the back is the size accordingly modest.

The device has only three physical buttons: the on / off (or on standby) and the volume rocker. The removal of the pen (stylus) leads also to turn the phone or to unlock. On a directional pad, the manufacturer has omitted. That no longer is needed actually. However, there are games and applications for Windows Mobile available, which presuppose the existence of a directional pad. Approach, there are solutions to compensate for this lack, for example, virtual pad, use the G-sensor.

Occasionally dissolving unintentionally from the volume rocker, which is a bit annoying.

Wi-Fi and GPS reception are very good. The approximate position determination is carried out initially (dependent on network operator) about the localization in the cell phone network. A-GPS (Assisted GPS) invites, if desired, current data on the satellite down, then finding the satellite goes faster. Navigation software must be purchased separately. Google Maps is pre-installed. Fun makes the search for names, places, concepts etc. If you give eg restaurant as a search term, the restaurants appear near, with one click you can dial the phone number or save the contact information in the phone.

All major network standards of the network operators are supported by the phone.

With the large display (3.8 ") and high resolution (800 x 480 pixels) is the new standard mobile phone. By means of additional software (gyrator 2) can be e-mail, SMS, text, etc. using the virtual keyboard in Landscape write. With a real keyboard is not comparable. In principle, the mobile phone is likely but can also be operated with an external Bluetooth keyboard.

Videos are played smoothly only up to a certain bandwidth. In the relevant forums there to a support, for example, a free program that conforms to the PC and the bandwidth can also convert video formats. Some YouTube videos are also first liquid after the video is fully downloaded.

Battery life is good. The duration depends on many factors, such as wireless usage, videos, etc. at least 4 hours of battery life are In continuous operation and under full load it. Otherwise, the battery lasts a few days.

Internally, the phone only 512MB of flash memory (not to be confused with the RAM memory, which is 288 MB in size). Which are available for the Windows file system approximately 316 MB available, the rest is reserved for the ROM, Windows Recovery and swap space for programs. Of the 316 MB already 30 MB are occupied at delivery. Attached to the cell phone is a Micro SD card with 8GB of memory. If required, programs can also be installed on the memory card. I would however, I have found, when the internal memory would have been greater. An adapter for the SD Micro card I have searched in vain.

The workmanship is good. The plastic feels quite smooth. A grooved surface as resistance for pushing the battery cover would be helpful. If you press on the back of the battery tray, it creaks.

The screen as well as on the back of the plastic casing of the antenna take the fat imprints of fingers. Disturbing and visible is only when you hold the phone up to the light.

A protective film for the display is attached. Without instructions, the application is a fiddly thing. The film fits but precisely to the fraction of a Milimeters. It is recommended to apply the protective film at the beginning. When replacement is to look at the quality. A video tutorial can be found, for example, when foreign manufacturers Vikuiti. There are also elsewhere matte screen protectors available on which the fingerprints on the film is less noticeable than in high-gloss films.

The plastic that is used for the cover of the antenna seems to be very susceptible to scratching. I have therefore ordered the Silicon Case SC S420. This could also be helpful to just drop the phone for writing on a surface. Otherwise, shaking the mobile phone as the camera on the back protrudes.

2.) Software

My tip: Update the ROM to perform. Available on the website of HTC. This error can be eliminated, for example, also that a WLAN configuration is not possible because the connection wizard is incorrect. The only bug I found in the latest version: When "Show owner information at startup" option is enabled, the setting for the power saving mode the display is overwritten every time you restart. So already after 10 seconds then goes down the brightness.

The software is very stable. Only once the phone stopped responding to inputs and had to be restarted via a soft reset (battery).

Entries are generally processed without delay. Programs are carried (depending on the system configuration) by a short press on X in the background, only pressing and causes termination of the program. Context menus open when you press a displayed element a little longer, for example, to delete etc. In phone mode (and only there) leads the call to a contact that this is immediately called.

HTC has equipped the system with the menu interface TouchFlo3D that replaces the Today page of Windows Mobile by default. Quite nice, but not really convenient for me. Too big is the gap, if one then enters the pre-installed applications and settings of the operating system Windows Mobile. These are unlike TouchFlo (finger pad) is designed for use with the Stylus. The large touchscreen inputs also work well with your fingertip (fingernail) are held the pen but possible. The slider (scrollbar) at TouchFlo expects a certain finger pressure, it is necessary to get used (adjustment of sensitivity via HD Tweak possible).

Efficient, it can work when the paid mobile Software SPB Shell used. On 3 desktop widgets can be stored. Ua is abbreviations, so that important features, profiles, bookmarks, contacts, applications, files, internet radio stream can be called up with just a single click. I can not describe everything, just try it. Similarly, the fee-based Software SPB Backup is recommended for data security.

For browsing, I use Opera. Works great. The presentation of websites is especially fast when the mobile version (often: WAP, mobile instead of [...]..) Calls, so it is all offered. Otherwise, the treatment also about Google Mobile can be done. With normal webpages I had with the representation never had problems. Only Flash does not work even with the included version of Opera currently. Zoom of websites is either via a virtual slider or simply double-click on the touch screen. Columns are usually adapted to the window width. The font in Opera is very readable. The phone has a G-sensor, one turns the cell phone, the screen rotates (eg when browser Gyrator2), so switching between portrait and landscape mode.

Photos can be personalized with a few clicks on the internet filters (MySpace, YouTube) or easily send it via email or MMS.

Third-party software I have only little installed. Especially in games that require a lower resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, a tool is required.

Synchronization of contacts, tasks, appointments, emails, Office documents is enabled by default only when MS Office or Outlook is installed. A 60-day trial version of Outlook is included. After all, can be personalized with the aforementioned third-party software SPB Backup also Contact Power to convert CSV format.

3.) Short Conclusion

Am excited about the possibilities. HTC stands for High Tech Computer and so the Touch HD is also less of a phone and more of a computer on the go. Once you have familiarized yourself with the settings and options of the phone, maybe instead TouchFlo3D efficient Shell uses, you have the smartphone much joy.

Be careful when buying on models with branded software from O2. These models are a bit cheaper, but can not be upgraded as easy.

Who missed a real keyboard to unfold, perhaps should wait until the release of the HTC Touch Pro2.