HTC HD2 Review
Overview
The HTC HD2 is a smartphone designed for a busy lifestyle. It supports fun and functional applications which are all accessed easily thanks to its large touchscreen.
Pros
At 4.3 inches, the HTC HD2’s touchscreen is the biggest of any phone on the market currently – and dwarfs the original
HTC HD phone’s 3.7 inch screen. It is also one of the most user-friendly screens.
Sensitive to touch, you simply have to stroke the screen with your finger and lightly tap to issue commands. To zoom in on an image, you only need to pinch the screen between two fingers. The virtual keyboard is the same as the keyboard on the
HTC Hero and is effortless to use. Each key has a shortcut to numbers and symbols if you hold it down and because the screen has multi-touch functionality, you can type on two areas at once. Whether you are texting, emailing or drafting a novel, typing on the HTC HD2 is fast and comfortable.
The high definition display is as impressive as the screen’s size. Images are vibrant with colourful clarity. Once you have made use of the 5-megapixel camera – with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging and video recording – you can enjoy your photos and film footage on the screen. Another bonus is that the phone doesn’t feel large because there are only minimal and neat buttons beneath the screen. Its curved back makes the HTC HD2 feel good in the palm of your hand.
With a 1GHz Snapdragon processor powering the HTC HD2, you can take full advantage of all its features. The first phone to have the Snapdragon was the
Toshiba TG01 and currently the only other phone with this processor is the
Acer neoTouch F1. The processor means accessing the internet, moving between web pages and running applications is super quick. You can even have a number of applications open at the same time and the operation is still fast. With many features such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pocket Office, GPS and Google Maps already installed, you can further customise your phone with more applications and games through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
You can also choose how you communicate with friends and colleagues on the HTC HD2. You can send a text, a picture message, an email or interact with instant messaging. With email, you can add up to ten accounts as well as receive, open and send Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF attachments.
The HTC HD2 also offers a back up service for your documents and files with the Microsoft MyPhone function. This is especially good if you want to be able to work on documents on the move, save them and then access them from anywhere online.
Cons
The Windows Mobile 6.5 platform is a huge improvement on the earlier version and is further enhanced by the HTC Sense interface. On the whole, the HTC HD2 is a very user-friendly phone, although sometimes there are duplicated features because the two interfaces are running side by side. For example, when you get an email, you can view the initial part on the home screen but to reply you need to open the Windows Mobile email viewer.
Conclusion
The HTC HD2 is a good smartphone with some great features and an even greater touchscreen.