During the HTC Launch Event, two new devices were announced. The HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z are now part of the HTC family. But there is more ! HTC also announced the brand new HTCsense.com website and a renewed Sense interface. This article will give you a brief overview of these announced products.

The all new HTCsense.com

With HTCsense.com you are always in control of your phone. From now on you can manage your phone while on the road or right from your laptop or PC. If you can’t find your phone, you can let it ring so you can easily locate it even if it was set to silent. In the unfortunate case that you might have lost your phone, you can locate it now on a map or when someone has found it and won’t return it, you can block it and erase all data. You can also send a text message to it to notify the finder of your phone.

From my point of view this shows a striking resemblance with Microsoft’s MyPhone service only now for Android devices. It is good to know that you can back up your data to the cloud and manage all your content from there. HTC even adds a bonus to it with personalized content like wallpapers and ringtones.

Renewed Sense interface

Improved location based services and rich multimedia content are now part of the renewed Sense interface. You can now record HD movies and capture photos and add some effects right on the spot. HTC locations gives you on-demand access to maps and cityguides. There is no need to download them over the air, because you can now save the maps you need on your SD card. On other feature is the new e-reader powered by Kobo which is optimized for mobile phones and enables you to quickly look up words and even translate foreign words for you.

All these new features can be found on the new HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z.

The HTC Desire Z was introduced today at the HTC Press event in London as well as the HTC Desire HD. Both devices have Android Froyo 2.2
By giving these two devices the “Desire”-name it is clear that HTC continues their product portfolio based on the immense popular HTC Desire.

The HTC Desire Z has a 3.6″ touchscreen and a unique slide-mechanism for popping up the QWERTY-keyboard. HTC adds the functionality to assign shortcuts to specific keys, which should give access to services, without opening the menu.

The 4GB internal memory can store all the pictures taken with the 5-megapixel camera with autoflash, and video’s taken in 720P HD quality

Based on the pictures, I think the HTC Desire Z has an optical trackpad on the front-bottom of the device similar to the BlackBerry Bold. Also when I look at the pictures it comes to my mind that the HTC Desire Z doesn’t look like a phone with an additional QWERTY-keyboard. It looks very sleek and slim.

Personally I don’t see the HTC Desire Z as a low-end device, but the 800Mhz Qualcomm 7230 processor tells us that the HTC Desire Z isn’t a real Powerhouse like the HTC Desire HD in stead. While I’m writing this I actually think that an 800 Mhz processor should be ideal for anyone who needs both: performance and a long battery lifetime. Therefore I think that the HTC Desire Z is going to be a very popular phone.

Another great option which both new HTC Phones will have is “HTC Fast Boot”. HTC Fast Boot is a system which makes it possible to never let you wait for a long time to boot your phone.

Wrap-up

The HTC Desire Z  finally fills the gap in HTC’s product portfolio and gives us an Android Phone with a Hardware Keyboard. This combination is in my opinion a perfect one.  It’s very clear that the HTC Desire Z is a Phone for everyone who needs both: A speedy device, and a nice battery lifetime. I think with the HTC Desire Z, HTC has made another great phone which will be a very popular one.

This review will show you one of the latest creations of HTC: The brand new HTC Legend. This new phone has a lot of similarities with the very popular HTC Hero and is considered as the successor of it. It has the same screen size and the dimensions are almost the same, except that the Legend is 3 millimeters thinner and fully made of aluminum. It also features an AMOLED display now and runs on Android 2.1 (Éclair). In this review I will guide you through this new Android device, show it capabilities and conclude it with my personal thoughts.

1.  Introduction

The goal of designing a successor for an existing device is to make it better, faster, lighter and even better looking. I must say that HTC has passed all these criteria in my opinion. Make it better: The Legend now features Sense which gives you a new approach on communicating with your friends:

The HTC Legend raises personalization to a whole new altitude. An expanded selection of widgets brings more live content to the surface, for your instant enjoyment. There is even an online widget library, so no matter what your personality, there is content to help you get more out of your phone.

It also builds on the tradition of designing our phones to focus more on WHO we communicate with, rather than the tools used, like email, SMS or calls.

The HTC Legend is loaded with hidden little design touches that are sure to delight you. Like the ringer that knows when it has been heard. The ringer volume politely lowers when the G-sensor on your phone detects that the phone has been picked up, and it completely silences when you flip the phone
upside down.

Make it faster: The Legend now features a 600 MHz. Qualcomm MSM7227 processor with 512 MB of ROM and 384 MB of RAM. The Hero has a 528 MHz. processor, the same amount of ROM and 96 MB less RAM memory. All these little enhancements give the Legend wings !

Make it lighter and better looking: The Legend is has now a full body out of one piece. It has been made of brushed aluminum. This gives the device an incredible sleek look and makes it also lighter. The Legend is 9 grams lighter than the HTC Hero. That doesn’t seem very much, but when every gram counts, more than 9% on the total weight is a lot !
This new aluminum design is called Unibody and the video below shows you a bit more on this Unibody design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14MEt8VoU3s

2.  Specifications HTC Legend

On the HTC Legend product page you can see all the specifications which are summed up below:

• Model:  HTC Legend A6363
• Processor:  Qualcomm® MSM7227™, 600 MHz
• Operating System:  Android™ 2.1 (Éclair) with HTC Sense
• Memory:  512 MB ROM / 384 MB RAM
• Dimensions (L x W x T):  112 x 56.3 x 11.5 mm. (4.41 x 2.22 x 0.45 inches)
• Weight:  126 grams (4.44 ounces) with battery
• Display:  3,2″ AMOLED capacitive touch screen with pinch-to-zoom capability and with HVGA resolution (320×480 pixels)
• Network:  HSPA/WCDMA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Europe/Asia: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz,
• GPS:  Internal GPS antenna
• Connectivity:  Bluetooth® 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate, Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g, 3.5 mm audio jack, Standard micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
• Camera:  5 megapixel color camera with auto focus, flash and widescreen photo capture
• Audio:  supported formats: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma
• Video:  supported formats .wmv, .mp4, .3gp, .3g2
• Digital compass for use with maps or geocaching
• Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, Capacity: 1300 mAh
• Talk time:  Up to 440 minutes for WCDMA / Up to 490 minutes for GSM
• Standby time:  Up to 560 hours for WCDMA / Up to 440 hours for GSM
• Expansion Slot:  microSD™ memory card (SDHC compatible up to 32GB)
• Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute

2.1 In the box

The retail package of the HTC Legend is pretty much the same as the one the Hero came in. It contains everything you need plus a few extra’s – a 2 GB microSD and a one-piece headset with music controls.

In this package there’s also a micro USB cable, a charger that uses the USB cable to connect to the phone and the plug part is changeable (though the package arrives with only one plug (EU, UK or US), you can order plugs for other countries on the Internet).

The headset uses the standard 3.5 mm audio jack, so you can use your own instead, but this one is pretty nice, it has additional music buttons – the call button doubles as a play/pause button and there are previous and next track buttons that can be used to fast forward and rewind too.

Apart from all the cables and plugs, there are paper manuals too of course, plus a mini CD, which contains more manuals. The HTC Sync software is preloaded on the micro SD card.

3.  HTC Legend hardware design

In this section I will show you the hardware design of the Legend. I already showed the Unibody design, but there is more to talk about the look and feel of this device.

3.1  HTC Legend look and feel

Front view

The front consists of several parts: First, there is the 3,2″ AMOLED capacitive display. This display fits perfectly in the Unibody housing and this way of placing it in the body, makes the screen a lot bigger. The AMOLED screen has bright, vivid colors. Below the screen there are three buttons. The first button takes you to the home screen. The second button gives you the menu options or features as a context menu button in programs. The third button is made as one button, but acts as two buttons. The arrow button acts as a “back” button in all menu’s or options and the magnifying glass acts as a search button.
All these buttons are real buttons, so no on-screen buttons. You can actually feel the “click” when you press them. I prefer these instead of onscreen buttons.

Below the buttons is the optical trackball. I prefer a real trackball instead of the optical one. The optical version perfectly fits in the total design, but for control I like the “normal” trackball better.

Right side-view

The right side of the Legend contains no buttons at all. I wish HTC did place a shutter key for the camera there.

Left side-view

The left side features the volume button. There is one button to adjust the volume. In this picture you can also see the characteristic “chin” which also can be found on the HTC Hero, HTC Magic and the HTC Dream (Google G1).

Bottom view

On the bottom of the device you can see the Micro-USB connector for charging and/or synchronizing. Left from that connector is the microphone pinhole and on the right side you have the option to attach a lanyard.

Top view

On top of the HTC Legend you can find the on/off button and the 3,5″ audio jack.

Back view

On the back of the Legend there is the 5 megapixel lens for the camera and right under the lens is a LED flash for low light conditions. The lens and LED are placed in a rubbery piece of plastic. The holes on the left side are for the speaker, the rest is just decoration. This piece of plastic also prevents that the device will slide out of your hands when the aluminum becomes slippery. The other reason is the placement of the antenna in the device and the reception is a lot better when it’s placed under a plastic cover instead of the aluminum housing.

The bottom of the back also has a plastic cover made from the same rubbery material. This piece of plastic also prevents the device from sliding out of your hands, but there’s more to it. It also functions as a battery cover. You can slide it down and remove it. There you can see a plastic flap, which can be opened and gives you access to the battery compartment, the SD slot and the SIM slot.

3.2  Another Unibody video of the HTC Legend

You can also check out the video of Dieter Bohn, MVP Mobile devices and Editor on the SmartphoneExperts community-network, published on AndroidCentral and in which John Wang from HTC discusses the unibody design of the HTC Legend. This video shows you how the Unibody of the Legend has been designed. Be sure to take a look !

3.3 HTC Legend size comparisons: HTC Touch Diamond 2

To give you an idea of the size of the HTC Legend, I have placed it it next to another well-known HTC device, the HTC Touch Diamond 2. This Windows Mobile device has the same 3,2″ screen (only in higher resolution on the Diamond 2) and the dimensions of the housing are comparable to the HTC Legend. So if you know this device well, it’s about the same size as the Legend.

4.  HTC Legend software

The HTC Legend runs on Android 2.1 and HTC has put their Sense software on it. This is an intuitive, seamless experience built upon three fundamental principles – make it mine, stay close, and discover the unexpected. The Sense interface has been supplemented with a lot of helpful programs that will make the usage of the phone more pleasant and easier. Just what we are used from HTC. Pictures always say more than words, so this review also contains a lot of screenshots to supplement the text and show you what is located where.

4.1   Android 2.1

Android 2.1 is a minor platform release deployable to Android-powered handsets starting in January 2010. This release includes new API changes and bug fixes. Android 2.1 does not add significant user features compared to Android 2.0. Some of the new features of Android 2.0 are:

Contacts and accounts

• Multiple accounts can be added to a device for email and contact synchronization, including Exchange accounts. (Handset manufacturers can choose whether to include Exchange support in their devices.)
• Developers can create sync adapters that provide synchronization with additional data sources.
• Quick Contact for Android provides instant access to a contact’s information and communication modes. For example, a user can tap a contact photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person. Other applications such as Email, Messaging, and Calendar can also reveal the Quick Contact widget when you touch a contact photo or status icon.

Email

• Exchange support.
• Combined inbox to browse email from multiple accounts in one page.

Messaging

• Search functionality for all saved SMS and MMS messages.
• Auto delete the oldest messages in a conversation when a defined limit is reached.

Camera

• Built-in flash support
• Digital zoom
• Scene mode
• White balance
• Color effect
• Macro focus

Android virtual keyboard

• An improved keyboard layout to makes it easier to hit the correct characters and improve typing speed.
• The framework’s multi-touch support ensures that key presses aren’t missed while typing rapidly with two fingers.
• A smarter dictionary learns from word usage and automatically includes contact names as suggestions.

Browser

• Refreshed UI with actionable browser URL bar enables users to directly tap the address bar for instant searches and navigation.
• Bookmarks with web page thumbnails.
• Support for double-tap zoom.
• Support for HTML5:
  • Database API support, for client-side databases using SQL.
  • Application cache support, for offline applications.
  • Geolocation API support, to provide location information about the device.
  • <video> tag support in full screen mode.

Calendar

• Agenda view provides infinite scrolling.
• Events indicate the attending status for each invitee.
• Invite new guests to events.

4.2  HTC Sense – Make it mine, stay close, discover the unexpected

The HTC Hero also featured the Sense User Interface and after that the HTC Tattoo also got Sense, but due to the QVGA screen it didn’t release all it’s potential. The Legend takes advantage of the new Sense interface.
The new Home Screen now contains 3 virtual buttons and an arched scroll bar. The position of the screen is now clearly marked on the scroll bar (see green arrow). When you use the optical trackball to go to another screen you will see the position indicator move to the left. Now you can easily see on which screen you are.

The button left on the Home Screen opens the main menu with all the program shortcuts. The middle key is a shortcut to the Phone application, so you can quickly start a phone call right from the today screen. The right button shows you the “add to Home” menu, where you can add widgets and shortcuts to your home screen.

There are now seven screens (or desktops), where you can place your shortcuts or widgets. You can easily add by pressing your finger on an empty screen or remove widgets by selecting them and dragging them to the trashcan at the bottom of the screen.

These widgets below are to show my text messages and weather. All these widgets do come standard with the Sense interface on the HTC Legend.

You can use a lot of widgets to occupy all your 6 extra homescreens. You can also add shortcuts for programs on these screens. Some widgets are available in a normal size and a small size, so you can put widgets and some shortcuts on one screen.

4.2 Scenes and the Sense interface

Another part of the Sense interface are Scenes. With Scenes, you can quickly customize your Legend. When you are travelling, you can select the Travel Scene, which gives you Footprints and a world clock on your home screen. When you are out with your friends, you can select the Social Scene, which loads Mail and FriendStream so you can stay in contact with your friends. You can not customize the existing Scenes, but when you change or add something, you are prompted to save it to a new Scene. All Scenes contain different wallpapers too, so you can easily see which Scene you are using.

Here you can see Scenes in action. Just press the hardware Menu button on the Home Screen and in this context menu can see Scenes in the middle of the top row. When you select it, it shows you all available Scenes.

When you select the Work Scene, you’ll notice that the wallpaper has changed and the Home Screen now has different clocks. When you scroll through your Home Screens there are now different widgets active like a Stocks widget and a Calender. It also give you quick access to Google Maps, your phonebook and your emails.

The screenshots above are showing you the Play Scene. One of the widgets now shows the music on your Legend and gives you the option to use it as a Music player. On the Home Screen there are now shortcuts to Google Maps, all your friends and easy access to the camera application to take quick snapshots with the camera.

The last example shows you the Travel Scene. One of the widgets now shows you HTC Footprints. This is an application experience that enables people to permanently chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favorite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific geographical location. One of the other widgets is (again) the Calender.

Clean Slate gives you the option (you guessed it already) to start all clean. You can add widgets, shortcuts, wallpapers, different clock, anything you want and build your own custom Scene. You can even download extra themes and widgets online.

4.3  Applications on HTC Legend

When you take the Legend out of the box, it is loaded with applications that will make your life on the road as easy as it can be. There is a Calculator and Calender on board, a Call History application, Camcorder and Camera application for taking pictures and video and two clock applications. To keep in touch with your Friends, there is a Facebook application and a Friend Stream application and if you like listening t0 the radio, just start the FM Radio app and enjoy the music ! Of course you also get all the default Google apps like Gmail, Maps and Google Talk.

You will also find some familiar applications from Sense like Stocks, Weather, YouTube and Peep. Even the well-known Teeter game is there.

But there’s more: If you are like me a frequent caller, you will definately appreciate the Phonebook in the Legend.
It’s the same phonebook that you might already know from TouchFlo only with a lot more functionality. When you open the phonebook, you will see the default info for your contact like name, phone number and (if available) a photo of that contact. If you check the bottom bar, you’ll see that there are more tabs available now.

The first tab shows you all the details for that contact. The second tabs shows all the text messages you have exchanged with that person. Third tab is the same as the second one, only for all exchanged emails. The fourth tab shows you all the Updates and events from various Social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The fifth tab will show all the photos that your contact has shared with you, like pictures from Facebook and Flickr. The last (but not least) tab shows you the Call History.

So you are getting a lot more information from your contacts now. This is People-Centric communication at it’s best ! People-Centric communication was first introduced with the HTC Touch Diamond 2 and HTC Touch Pro 2 and is providing a single contact view that displays the individual conversation history of contacts regardless of whether voice, text or email were used. Now it has evolved to a full Social Network-aware phonebook with all the information you may need on the road.

4.4  Software updates

When you are using  the Android platform, it is possible for device makers to push software updates “Over The Air” (OTA) to your device. This way your device is always up-to-date and you won’t have to check for updates all the time, because you will be notified when there is a new update available for your device. In this section I did a manual search for updates.

You can see that the Legend now searches for an update.

When there is an update available, you will get a warning when you are connected to a cellular wireless network. Some data plans have limited downloads and downloading this update might cost you some money when you pass that limit. You can always connect to a WiFi network and run the update again.

The update is being downloaded and when the download is finished, you can choose to install it direct or install it later. During the update, you cannot use your phone.

Before the update is executed, a backup of all your data and settings will be made to your storage card. After that, the phone reboots and installs the update. When the update has finished, your phone reboots again and you will see a notification on the screen that the update has been installed and that your phone is updated to the latest version.

4.5  Android Market

One of the other advantages of the Android Platform is the Android Market. In the Market you can download free and paid applications and games right onto your Android device. You can visit the Market right from the browser on your PC and look for applications and games you want. After that go to the Market on your Legend and download the applications on your device. Android is an Open Source Platform, so everyone can develop applications and games and send them to the Market. You will find a wide range of games and apps there to suit all your needs.

When you enter the Market for the first time on your device, you have to agree with the terms of service first before you can search for applications and games.

The Market opens with the option to search for Apps, Games or manage your downloaded games or Apps. When you open the Apps section you can easily choose between paid and free apps. Paid apps are handled through Google Checkout. The Market will also show you when there is an update available for an App or game. This is done in the Market App or through a notification in the top bar.

5.  Connectivity

The Android Platform is all about connectivity. To fully utilize the Android Experience you need to have an active conection to the internet. This can be done by a cellular connection or a WiFi connection. The setup of a cellular connection is easy: Just insert your sim card and the appropriate connection to your provider will automatically be supplied. The Legend immediately detects a new sim card and will search for the right connection data like APN (Access Point Name) and logon credentials for that provider. When your data connection is not automatically set up, you can create your own connection by supplying all the information to set up a  new connection.

5.1  Internet Sharing

The Legend supports out of the box Internet Sharing. The principle behind Internet Sharing is simple: Use your phone as a modem to connect your laptop or Netbook to the internet. In this way you are sharing the internet connection of your Legend. Both the Legend and the connected device are able to access the internet at the same time. Just connect the Micro USB cable to the Legend and a menu will pop up, where you can select Internet Sharing. When you have selected that option, the drivers will automatically be installed and the connected device is automatically connected to the internet. Easy as that !

5.2  Wifi connection

The other option to connect to the internet is by using the WiFi connection. When there is an active WiFi connection, your cellular data connection will automatically end. Your device will also automatically remember the previous wireless settings. When you have received a key for a network, it is saved, so you won’t have to enter it the next time when you are near that network.

In the top bar you can see the WiFi signal strength indicator. You will also receive a notification when you are near an open network without encryption, so you can easily connect to that network.

6.  Multimedia

The HTC Legend has several applications to make your multimedia experience worthwile. It has a camera and a powerful image gallery to view the pictures you took and share them across social networks. You can also record videos with the Legend and view or share them.
For music there is a great Music player and finally an FM radio where you need like every other phone a headset to act as an antenna.

6.1  Camera and image gallery

The onboard camera has a resolution of 5 Megapixels which should give you a maximum resolution of 2592 x 1936 pixels. There is a LED flash to help you snapping better pictures in dim conditions. It is also equipped with auto focus, you can also change the ISO settings and set the White Balance. The same goes for Exposure, where you can set the brightness. If you want to add some effects to your pictures you can choose from a wide range like greyscale, sephia, polarize and so on. The flash can be set at auto or manual and in settings you can adjust a lot more settings.

6.1.1  Picture quality

As pictures can say more than 1000 words, I took the Legend out for some pictures.

Click on the picture for full resolution.

6.2 Music player and FM radio

In the Legend also features a nice music player where you can play all your favorite tunes. The interface looks quite familiar with other Music Players from HTC, so you’ll quickly find your way around here. When you have loaded your SD card with tracks and albums, you can play a track or a complete album, shuffle it or repeat it. When you are connected to a Bluetooth Audio Streaming enabled device, you can also send the music to that device. Adding it to a playlist comes standard with every Music Player, so HTC didn’t leave that out too. A fun feature is Set as ringtone, where the current played track can be set as phone ringtone or contact ringtone. When the track is too long, you can even trim it with this option.

The FM Radio in the HTC Legend works just as you expect from a FM Radio application. First, you need to plug in your headset, which acts as an antenna. Without headset, the application will not be able to start. When the application has started, you can search for FM stations (only FM band, no AM band available). You can search for stations manually or automatic. When you have found a station, you can store it, so you can tune in to it next time you are using the FM radio. More options contain: Mute or Mono. When the headset is connected you can hear the music through the headset or when you want through the speaker of the Legend. The sound is pretty good with the speaker enabled ! The last feature it contains is Scan and Save. It scan the complete FM band and saves the available stations for later use.

,

Final thoughts and overall conclusion

After an extensive review, it is time to sum up the overall conclusion. There are a lot of things I like from the Legend. First there is the Unibody design. It really makes the Legend stand out from the rest of the (Android) devices. It is the first phone with this kind of design and I hope HTC will do this more often in the future. The faster processor also contributes to a better user experience and makes the use of the device a lot more pleasant and there is no need to wait for the start of applications. It is always responsive and fast. Apart from this, the Sense Interface, which we also know from Windows Mobile, makes the device so much more usable. The common factor is that the Sense Interface is almost the same on both Android and Windows Mobile, so if youa re used to it, you can quickly find your way around on an Android device with Sense.

The Legend is packed with features like a great design (not really a feature, but important enough to mention), fast processor, a lot of memory, 5 Megapixel camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, HSDPA (quad band phone!), GPS and the integration with all social networks makes it an excellent partner for your daily routine and during travels.

You can pick up a (localized) Legend for around 399 euros on the High Street shops and probably a bit less when ordered through an online source.

The Google website started this week to refer Verizon customers to the Verizon website to buy the Verizon HTC Incredible instead of the Google Nexus One which is made by HTC as well. To tell you you truth I really like this HTC Incredible much better compared to the Google Nexus One we unboxed before.

Verizon took on the “Droid” branding with their phones which could be confusing to consumers. Consumer who just say say they have a Droid, don’t know there are now at least three different Droid’s out there. The Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Eris and now Verizon is marketing this new device has the HTC Droid Incredible or Droid Incredible by HTC

What makes this device different compared to other phones on the Market today?  The Specifications and the HTC Sense User Interface. The 1GHz Snapdragon Qualcomm chip , 8 mega pixel camera and a 8 GB internal memory gives this device the ultimate power and memory to make it the device you want to carry around. The memory is expandable with a 32 GB micro Sd card. (the mention 32 MB support on the HTC site, but I think that is an error).

The HTC Sense user interface is called the Next Generation. More widgets, more formats of the same widgets and Pinch to zoom across the applications on the device including for the slider panels on the home screens. HTC specific widgets are giving the standard applications the nice HTC look,  like the Calendar. Like I said, the HTC Sense Next Generation User Interface sets this device apart and brings it to a new level compared to other devices.

Normally we are used to thicker devices from the CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint, but this device is lighter and just as thin as the iPhone. This was really a big surprise to me.

I have made a short video with my first impressions of this, yes really an Incredible device. Unfortunately I have to give this device up today, but we are are hoping that Verizon will send us a sample device soon to get a better feel and experience that we will be able to share with you all.

The Verizon HTC Droid Incredible cost $199.99 with a 2 year contact which includes the $29.99/month data package. Check out the special Verizon HTC Droid Incredible site here.  On this site you can see the full specifications, features and a overview of this Incredible device.

Today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC has introduced the HD mini. This brand new Smartphone with touchscreen is equipped with Windows Mobile and HTC’s well-known Sense interface and it brings the unparalleled experience of the HD2 in a very compact device.

This HTC HD mini is based on the latest version of the Sense-interface where the user of this smartphone plays a central role. HTC Sense stands for 3 fundamental principles, which are developed by watching and listening on how people are living and are communicating. These principals “Make it Mine”, “Stay Close” and “Discover the Unexpected” belong to the core of this new HTC Sense experience.

Multitouch

The  HTC HD mini sports a  3,2 inch capacitive touchscreen that allows users with the slightest touch on the screen to view pictures, open Microsoft Office files and view PDF documents and are able to zoom in and out. With Multitouch support in the new HTC Sense-interface, is it possible by touching  the touchscreen with multiple fingers to zoom in and out in several applications. Apart from this, you will find a 5 megapixel camera in this device.

Just like it’s bigger brother HD2, this HTC HD mini is focused on “people-centric communication” with full Outlook integration and a direct insight in your personal communication. The HD mini helps the user to stay in contact with all your important friends and colleagues by giving a complete overview of all communication with this person, whether it’s about text messages, emails or status updates on social networks. Just like the HTC HD2, the HTC HD mini has the  Windows based Twitter application, HTC Peep.

Design inside out

The HTC HD mini combines a strong usability with it’s own character and design. You’ll notice that the mounting points at the backside are visible to show robust craftsmanship that was used to create this new smartphone. The bright yellow inside of this device shows the continuation of the focus on design.
The HTC HD mini is equipped with different sensors like a proximity sensor and a light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on the circumstances. With 3G broadband connectivity the HTC HD mini offers access to all online resources including WiFi. A broad selection of applications from the Windows Marketplace gives the user the possibility to adjust the mini to his own style.

We have waited long for this device, but finally it’s here. There were a lot of rumors about the HD2, also known as HTC Leo. Some people believed it would be a (killer) Android device and others told us that it would be the first HTC device with the 1 Gigahertz Snapdragon processor and a capacitive screen. The last party was right.

The HTC HD2 has been released to the public with a Snapdragon processor, a large 4,3″ capacitive touchscreen, lots of ROM and RAM and all this in a 11 mm tick housing. Currently there is no other phone with these impressive specifications and comparing it to an iPhone 3GS only reveals that HTC has done a very good job and beats the iPhone in every single way !

1.  First impressions

Let’s have a look at this new device and we’ll start as always with a first impression. Designers at HTC must have thought that you’ll never get a second chance for a first impression. So they added some exciting features to the HD2.

First, it is big ! Bigger than a Touch Pro2 and bigger than a normal HD. In fact it is close to the size of the HTC Universal. When thinking of the Universal, you are thinking about a bulky device, but the HD2 is only 11 millimeters thick ! That is only 1 millimeter less than the first HD, but devices tend to get smaller and smaller and the HD2 is a great example of this. With the size of the devices also comes the huge 4,3″ screen. There is only a small edge besides the screen so it looks like the complete front of the device is a screen.

The HD2 also features the new HTC Sense interface with Twitter integration and Footprints. All this runs on Windows Mobile 6.5 and with the help of a 1 Gigahertz Snapdragon processor, this device is a dream to work with ! There is absolutely no lag at all in any menu or when using the Sense interface. It feels snappier than ever !

The device furthermore features a 3,5″ headphone jack and instead of Mini-USB, there is a Micro-USB connector at the bottom of the HD2. On the backside you will find only the lens of the 5 Megapixel camera. Next to the lens there a two very bright LED’s that should give you sharp and well-lit pictures in the dark. All together, HTC did a great job by packing all these features in one device. There’s only one surprise: No stylus ! But you wont need it because of the capacitive screen. Now let’s get a bit more into detail and see what the exact specifications are.

2.  Specifications of HTC HD2

On the HTC HD2 product page you can find a detail overview with specifications, and you directly notice that this Windows Phone is a powerhouse:

3.  What is in the box ?

Although our HTC HD2 arrived in a white (review) box and only contained a charger, a synchronization cable and a headset, the contents of the retail package are the same with the addition of a manual, a warranty card, a quick start guide and a accessory guide.

You are probably also looking for a screen protector because every HTC device you bought in the past had one in the box, but you won’t find any in the box of your HTC HD2. The reason for this is probably that the screen of the HD2 is made of different material than a normal screen and should be unscratchable, just like the screen of the HTC Hero. Only time will tell if this is the correct assumption. A screen protector could also interfere with the capacitive display and your finger. Therefore it might not react as quick and smooth as without a screen protector.

Chris Davies, Editor from SlashGear, has compiled an unboxing video which provides an additional overview of what is in the HTC HD2 box.

4.  Functional hardware design

After the first impressions and an overview of the items which are included in the box it is time to strongly focus on the functional- and hardware design of the powerhouse.

4.1  Front side of HTC HD2

Of course the first thing everyone will notice is the massive 4.3″ VGA screen, based on capacitive screen technology. The HTC HD2 is, as far as I know, the first Windows Phone which is designed on this capacitive screen technology.

Steve Litchfield, Editor on All About Symbian.com, has written  the article: “Resistive vs Capacitive: the invisible tech war in which both opponents can win?” in which you can find a comparison chart of resistive an capacitive screen technology.

Just above the screen you find a grille behind which you have the front speaker and for example the charging LED. On the left of this grille you find two sensors just below the glass surface. At first the proximity sensor and second the back light sensor.

Below the screen you see one single row of five buttons, with the same layout as we have seen on the HTC Touch2. The front of the HTC HD2 is relatively “clean” compared to other windows phone or in other words a minimalistic design of buttons.

If you look on the screen from a side angle you can see that there is one single flat glass surface, except for the button row and the grille who stand out. However this is some excellent engineering work.

4.2  Right side of HTC HD2

If we have a look at the right side of the HTC HD2, you can see that there is no single button there. You can see how the metal battery cover “snaps” on the sides of the HTC HD2. In the metal battery cover you see a slit where you can put in your finger nail to remove the battery cover.

4.3  Bottom of HTC HD2

The picture above shows the bottom of the HTC HD2, where you can see both the Micro USB port and a 3.5 mm. headphone jack. Some time ago the following article was published: “Micro USB and 3.5 mm headphone jack to become mobile standards ?“, and in fact this is the first HTC device that features both of these standards. Some people might argue in favor of the Mini USB which powered almost every HTC device until the release of the HTC HD2.

4.4  Left side of HTC HD2

On the left side of the HTC HD2 you can just see the dedicated volume control buttons. I’m happy see these buttons in order to change the volume during a voice call, for example when you walk into a noisy environment.

Furthermore you can see that the metal battery cover also snaps around this side of the HTC HD2, but I would like to point you to a detail. The metal battery cover features a contour that perfectly fits/snaps onto the volume control buttons.

4.5  Top of HTC HD2

The picture above shows a perfectly clean topside of the HTC HD2 without any buttons. The topside used to be the place where you could find dedicated power buttons in the past.

4.6  Backside of HTC HD2

The backside of the HTC HD2 is mainly dominated with the brushed metal battery cover. In the upper part you notice a 5 Megapixel camera. Remarkable is the fact the camera lens sticks a few millimeters (+/- 2.5) out the surface of the backside. However there is a minor edge which protects the camera lens from scratching if you put the device on the table.

Furthermore you notice that on the right side of the camera lens, there is a dual LED flash which supports the camera is less light conditions. Despite you can’t compare the camera with a specialized SLR camera it is a nice addition of improvement.

On the left of the camera lens you see the grille of the speaker on the backside.

5.  Detailed look at HTC Sense

The HTC HD2 is the first Windows Phone with HTC Sense installed and has (just like other HTC devices) different tabs. The tabs available in HTC Sense are:  (1) Start, (2) Contacts, (3) Messages, (4) Mail, (5) Internet, (6) Calendar, (7) Stocks, (8) Pictures and Video’s, (9) Music, (10) Weather, (11) Twitter, (12) Footprints, (13) Settings.

All the tabs (except for Start and Settings) can be enabled or disabled, and apart from the Start-tab all the tabs can be re-ordered at your own will.

5.1  Start / Home

The Start Tab shows directly on the top the Carrier. Under the carrier-bar there are several widgets which can’t be turned off (like the Android Sense Widgets).

The most top widget is a widget which shows the current time, the current location and weather information about the current location. When you tab on this widget a separate application within sense opens with 2 tabs:

1. World-Clock application and
2. Alarm-clock application.

The world-clock application shows the time from different places around the world. Of course there is an option to add your own city here. Next to the world clock application there is the “Alarm” tab. The alarm tab has 3 alarms. Each alarm can be set to a specified time and day.

Below the “Time-widget” on the Start Tab there is another widget which shows the date, the next time the alarm will go and the next appointment. When you click on the date you can select an other date and timezone.

The alarm-button brings you to the same “Alarm”-tab described in the widget above. And when you click on the next appointment you go the the “Agenda-tab” of the HTC sense interface.
Below this widgets there are 3 widgets which can be used as a shortcut to an application, contact or a bookmark.

When you swipe your finger up, while you’re in the start-tab 6 more widgets which can be used as a shortcut are shown.

5.2  Contacts

The contacts tab, shows 9 directly access shortcuts to your popular contacts. If you scroll-up you’ll see 6 more shortcuts. So in total in the contacts tab there are 15 contacts which can be set a favorite.

5.3  Messages

The messages tab shows all the text messages. When you’re selecting a message, you’ll see the message tab from the “people-centric communication” like the HTC Touch Pro 2. In this view you get an overview of all the text messages sent from and to this contact.

The people centric communication has been reviewed in the HTC Touch Pro 2 review and is exactly the same on the HD2.

5.4  Mail

The mail tab show all the mailboxes you’ve configured. When you select a message you’ll see the complete message with some additional features, which again we first found in the HTC Diamond 2 and the Touch Pro2. You’re able to go to the people centric communication from the person who wrote you.

5.5  Internet

The Internet tab is different form the HTC Touch Pro2. There seems to be no push-internet available on the HD2. On the top of the internet tab there is a search-bar. In this bar you can enter a search term and push the search button. This will automatically open Google ad gives you the search results.

Under the search bar there is a large button to open the Internet Browser. On default this will open Opera (Although there is also Internet Explorer installed on the device).

Under the internet browser button there are 2 shortcut button in which you can add a favorite website. When you scroll up this tab you’ll find 8 more shortcut buttons to enter favorite websites.

5.6  Calendar

The calendar tab has five different views: Agenda, Day, Week, Month and Year.

The agenda view – gives you a chronological list of items in your agenda.The day-view shows you all the appointments on a specific day, and the weather of the location of you appointments, if these can be retrieved from the internet.
The week-view shows all days of the week, so you can have a good overview of your (work) week.
The month-view shows all the days of the month and shows a little icon on the days that have an appointment set. When you click on a specific day you go to the day-view of the selected day.
The year-view shows all the months. When you select a month, you’ll see the month-view of the selected month. Of course you can than select a day, which brings you to the day-view of the selected day.

5.7  Stocks

The stocks tab shows a list of all the stocks you’re interested in. Stocks can be added, removed or re-ordered.
In the settings of the stocks it is possible to automatically update the stock information with an interval from 5 minutes to 8 hours. It is also possible to select an option that lets you download stock-update information while you’re roaming. The last setting is the color of the stocks when the price of the stocks rise. This can be set to green or to red.

5.8  Pictures and Video’s

The pictures and video’s tab lets you go through the pictures and videos on the device. When you swipe your finger up you’ll see the next picture or video. The pictures and videos tab can be rotated. This view gives you a very nice sleek overview of the pictures and video’s on the HTC HD2.

5.9  Music

The music tab shows all the music on the device. When available the album-art of the device is also shown. In the music tab it is possible to play, pause, and go to the next and previous song. The music tab also has an landscape view. This shows a view very similar to the iPhone’s Coverflow. In the landscape view it is also possible to play and pause the song and skip to the previous and next song.

5.10  Weather

The weather application shows a full-screen overview of the weather. The top part shows the temperature high and low, and the temperature at the moment. Of course it also shows the nice animated weather information when it’s sunny, clouded or when it rains.

The bottom part shows the same information (temperature high, low, and a small picture of the expected weather forecast) for the next four days. When you swipe your finger up the weather of an other location is shown.

5.11  Twitter / HTC Peep

Twitter has grown very fast over the last couple of months. HTC made a decision to add a Twitter tab to their HTC Sense. When you have set your Twitter credentials in the Twitter tab you see your timeline in the tab. At the very top there is an input text field where you can enter a tweet and update your status. The 2 soft keys are “Menu” and “All tweets”. The menu has some shortcuts to the basic twitter functionalities. These menu items are “update timeline”, “new tweet”, “new message”, “update location”, “my profile”, “Settings” and “Search”
All these menu items are self explanatory.
At first it looked like there was no difference in the menu options “new tweet” and “new message”, but it turned out that the option “new message” has a extra input field and you have to add a recipient. The message is send as a Direct Message to the recipient. The twitter tab is strongly connected to the “Peep” application, which is also installed on the HTC HD2.
Also the soft key button “All tweets” brings you in the application called Peep.

Peep has 4 tabs

1) your twitter timeline
2) your @replies
3) your Direct Messages
4) your favorite tweets

The “Menu” soft key in Peep is exactly the same menu as in the Twitter tab.

5.12  Footprints

With footprints it is possible to add meta-data to photo’s. This meta-data includes a rating, Category, GPS-location, Phone number, web-address and more.

The tab Footprints let you flip through the footprints which you created in the past and lets you add new footprints. A particular nice feature of footprint is the integration with Google Maps and CoPilot. Google maps shows the street view (if available at that location) and CoPilot Live lets you navigate to that location.

5.13  Settings

The tab settings gives you a quick access to the most used setting. In this tab you can change the settings of HTC Sense itself but also other phone settings like  Wireless settings, Sound settings and other settings.

6.  Other software highlights

HTC has put a lot of efforts in the HTC Sense interface but there are a lot of additional (third party) applications included as well.

6.1  Wi-Fi-Router

The first highly interesting application, developed by HTC themselves, is the Wi-Fi-Router application. This is a simple one-click solution to turn your Windows Phone into a router. This can be a really helpful application since, in for example a project group working in an out-of-the-office-location can work on a project and stay in touch with the corporate infrastructure, in a simple way.

Windows Mobile was already known for its Internet Sharing application, in which the Windows Phone becomes the modem of your Windows powered notebook. However this Wi-Fi-Router application takes it one step further, and you can easily now share your cellular data connection with others as well.

6.2  WorldCard Mobile

I think the Wi-Fi-Router application already emphasizes that this a well balanced device that is perfectly suited for application in business as well (and I not only mean the Exchange ActiveSync).

HTC has included Worldcard Mobile from PenPower on the HTC HD2, which lets you easily take a picture of a business card via the build-in 5 Megapixel camera, and transforms the information into the details of an Outlook Contact. In other words, take a picture and the contact details are imported into your Windows Phone.

This application normally costs $25,– and is certainly a valuable addition to the HTC HD2.

6.3  JETCET PRINT 5

Another valuable application is the the JETCET PRINT application v5. With this application you can print documents stored on your HTC HD2 to a bluetooth or network printer. On the Westtek website you can read the following product description:

“Experience the best mobile printing solution on the market! JETCET PRINT lets you print documents, photos, email and much more from your Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone. Quickly add printers, browse to files and voila! Print! No more complicated configuration steps or additional software required.”

6.4  Adobe Reader LE

Probably not amazingly shocking is the availability of Adobe Reader LE version 2.5 on the HTC HD2. I must admit that I work a lot with pdf-files, since most of the scientific articles are available in pdf-format. However the massive and ultra clear 4.3″ screen of the HTC HD2 makes it possible to read pdf-files easily, and without hurting your eyes or scrolling like hell.

Again this is an example which shows the versatility of the HTC HD2 and the balance of work and life coming together in one device.

6.5  CoPilot

Also a 14-day trial of the CoPilot navigation software is included on the device, which was also the case on the HTC Touch2 and Touch Pro2.

6.6  Facebook

Some time ago Microsoft release a Facebook application for Windows Phones, to keep track of your Facebook page while on the go. This application is included with almost every Window Mobile 6.5 device, and you might want to check out our detailed review.

7.  Camera- and video use on the HTC HD2

At first I need to start with the remark that there is no dedicated hardware button for starting the camera application on the HTC HD2.

The main reason for this is probably the excellent integration into the HTC Sense GUI, in the pictures and video tab as you may have seen in section 5.8 – A detailed look on HTC Sense.

Furthermore HTC is working for some time on their own camera- and picture album software (to my knowledge from the time the HTC Touch and the HTC Touch dual were released). All these different applications are very well integrated including (shortcuts into) HTC Sense.

In the specification list you can see that the HTC HD2 has a 5 megapixel color camera with Auto focus and Dual LED flashlight. When you start the camera application you can see and hear the auto focus doing its job before taking the picture.

The dual LED flashlight does an “ok” job, because when you are to close to an object you get an overexposed picture. However for an overview picture from “a distance” the flashlight is ok. In fact the pictures in less light conditions are pretty well, but certainly not as good as on a digital SLR camera.

However for a mobile device certainly excellent, and the picture below gives an example of a picture taken outside (without the flash), and on the link below the picture you can open the original sized picture as well.

Click here for the original-sized version

8.  Multitouch on the HTC HD2

One of the new exciting features of the HTC HD2 is multitouch. Multitouch is one of the methods you can use to interact with the screen.

It allows you to use two or more fingers to interact with the HTC HD2 by placing them directly on the screen. Any movements you make with your fingers will create a gesture, which sends a command to the screen. Gestures can be used to rotate or to scale a photo or picture.

When you use the photo gallery on the HTC HD2, you can use your fingertip to browse through the pictures. When you move your finger from right to left across the screen, the next picture will be displayed.

If you see a picture that you want to scale, you can use multitouch, by placing 2 fingertips on the screen and slowly moving them away from each other. This causes the picture to be enlarged. You can reduce it by moving your fingertips in the opposite direction. You can also rotate a picture by placing your fingertip on the screen and slowly make a circle. This will cause the picture to rotate.

You can also use the scale or zoom function in the Opera browser to zoom in or out on web pages. This gives you the advantage to view a website in normal layout and if you want to read an article, just zoom in on that particular part.

Multitouch is a very handy feature on the HTC HD2 and I hope in the future this will enable users to use multitouch more to interact with the device.

9.  Haptic feedback, Proximity Sensor and G-Sensor

The HTC HD2 also features haptic feedback just like the Touch Pro2. This means that the device gives you tactile feedback when you press the screen within TouchFLO 3D. With every screentap you will feel a little vibration that confirms that you have touched the screen. It is enabled by default and cannot be turned off.

The HTC HD2 also features a Proximity Sensor. An extremely cool and useful feature of the HTC HD2. It senses whether the device is being held next to your ear. Once the device is raised up to your ear, the Proximity sensor immediately turns off the screen in order to save battery life. Moving the device away from your ear turns the screen turns on again. PDA screens by nature are one of the biggest battery drains, especially when a screen is as large and bright as this one.

The HTC HD2 has also a built-in G-Sensor. We have seen this feature before in other devices such as the Touch Pro  (2) and Diamond (2). The G-sensor automatically turns the screen to landscape when you turn the device over. This is very useful when you want to type a message in landscape.

However HTC has developed another cool application based on the sensors available in the device, which is a digital compas. A screenshot is shown above (right).

10.  Overall conclusion and wrap-up

In the concluding section of this review we would like to take a different approach and combine three (different) perspectives on the HTC HD2.

Mark Briggeman

Quietly brilliant. I would rather say quite brilliant. I was really impressed when I saw a pre-production version of this new HTC flagship. First I thought it would be to big for my hands, but it fits perfectly. The vivid capacitive 4,3″ screen reacts extremely fast and this is also due to the latest Snapdragon processor. I am more a hardware keyboard user, but a quick demonstration of the onscreen keyboard showed me that I might not need a hardware keybaord anymore.

I now use a Touch Pro2 and I was finding things to compare it with, but to be honest, there weren’t to many. The HD2 is bigger, faster, more stylish and packed with the latest HTC features like HTC Sense with Twitter integration and HTC Footprint. Multitouch is a great addition to this device and makes it even more usable.

HTC is showing again a great new device with a great design and I can’t wait to start using it !

Paul Willen

The HTC HD2 can be named the new flagship from the Windows Phones portfolio from HTC without a hardware keyboard.

The capacitive touchscreens works brilliantly. I think HTC set a new standard with this capacitive touchscreen. Due to the snapdragon chipset, the device is really fast. In fact it feels like it’s the fastest Windows Phone I’ve seen.

In my opinion there is only one thing missing on this device and that is a Large build-in storage. Of course there is a possibility to insert a Micro-SD card, but that needs to be purchased separately. 8 or 16GB internal memory would be great to store some music or video’s on.

Overall I would say this is really the best Windows Phone without a hardware keyboard currently on the market.

Remo Knops

Every mobile technology geek must be excited about this powerhouse fresh from the HTC factory, and so was I during the review process. I was very curious about the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor running at 1GHz. The experience is a blazing fast device, and we have done some comparison scenarios with the HTC Touch Pro2.

Furthermore the massive ultra clear 4.3″ capacitive WVGA screen is really awesome. With such an amazing screen you hope even for resolution larger than 800×400. You might recall the example where I could read an article in pdf-format without any problem, so this has really amazed me.

The capacitive technology works really well, and it’s the first Windows (touch) Phone without a stylus -a true milestone in Windows Mobile history. Also the onscreen keyboard, especially in landscape mode works fine, but in my opinion it can’t beat the HTC Snap hardware keyboard.

The HTC HD2 is a very well balanced Windows Phone for various usage scenarios, and with a bulk load of added value not only in terms of technology and hardware but also in terms of software innovations as well. HTC has done an amazing job and set the bars significantly higher.

Overall conclusion:         Quietly Brilliant !

A few short remarks:

At first we haven’t covered one important feature of the HTC HD2 which was announced, which would be the carkit for- and carkit mode on the HTC HD2. Chris Davies, Editor at SlashGear, had a similar experience:

“What we don’t have – and we hear won’t be available until December – is the HTC Car Kit for the HD2, which adds a powered windscreen/dashboard mount, new docking battery cover for the phone itself and automatically kicks it into navigation mode whenever it’s clicked into place.”

Second the received HTC HD2 has a localized Dutch ROM preloaded on the device, so therefore the screenshots consist of Dutch translations. However I honestly do hope that you will be able to get an idea of the device software and its functionality. We plan to exchange these with screenshots of a HTC HD2 with a WWE ROM in the upcoming future.

What we like about the HTC HD2 ?

• Huge screen
• Super fast processor
• HTC Sense
• 3,5″ headphone jack
• Design. Only five buttons on the front panel and a touchscreen is all you need

What we like a little less about the HTC HD2 ?

• Position of the camera lens.  I think the lens will damage quickly because the device rests on it when it is placed on it’s back.
• Again no camera hardware button. I really miss that.
• No Video-out.
• Not a real disadvantage, but switching to Micro-USB requires me to carry an extra cable to charge in the office or on the go. Until now I could perfectly manage that with one Mini-USB cable.

11.  Postscript

HTC’s Quietly Brilliant Campaign focused on HTC HD2

HTC Sense is based on three principles. Make it mine, stay close, and discover the unexpected.

Make It Mine

HTC HD2’s expansive display is like a canvas on which you create a phone that is just right for you. Customize the phone by prioritizing essential features like mail, calendar, messaging, browser and more. Next, with just a tap, put shortcuts to the most important people, favorite websites, or most used application right on the home screen. And if you feel like something is still missing, visit Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, and install fun and useful applications.Your phone doesn’t only reflect your personality; it also tunes into your location. The clock automatically updates to the local time wherever you are. You can see the outside temperature and weather at a glance. And, if you choose the weather wallpaper, you’ll get a brilliantly lifelike animation that lets you virtually feel the sun’s rays or the chill of the breeze without setting a foot outside.

Stay Close

With HTC HD2, communication is focused around people rather than applications, so all of your interactions like email, SMS, phone logs, and even updates from Facebook are all in one place. Right where your instinct tells you to look – next to the photo of the person with whom you want to stay in touch with.In business, a phone call often has the power to prevent a mile-long pile up of inconclusive emails. HTC HD2 makes it simple to go from reading an email to calling the sender. All it takes is a single tap on the large phone icon right from the email. And if you need to get everyone involved in the discussion – just tap next to the images of everyone to create an instant conference call.Forget the challenge of jumping from your calendar to your phone application while trying to find and memorize the number for your next conference call. On HTC HD2, conference call reminders conveniently appear with a big dial button ready for you to press, even the PIN is displayed, so you’ll never miss out on the latest strategy session.

Discover the Unexpected

Some design features of HTC HD2 are far better experienced than can be explained in mere words. Like the ringer volume level that immediately scales down when the phone detects that you have picked it up, or the display that automatically adjusts to the light level in your surroundings and turns off to prevent false screen touches during a call.HTC HD2 is built for pure finger touch control. Zoom in and out of documents, web pages, pictures or emails with just a simple pinch. Type up responses faster and more accurately on the large onscreen keyboard. The capacitive touch experience combined with an interface optimized for the spacious display, lets you easily adjust the settings, set up calendar appointments, browse through photos, and navigate through menus with only the touch of a finger.Carry the HTC HD2 in your pocket and you’ll never have to worry about finding a Wi-Fi access point for your laptop. Your phone simply connects to superfast 3.5G cellular networks and becomes your personal wireless access point – anytime, anywhere.HTC HD2 has you covered when it comes to taking and viewing pictures wherever you may be. The 5 megapixel auto-focus camera is perfect for capturing the beauty of the great outdoors; combined with the dual LED flash it’s also ideal for capturing images in dim conditions. And when you’re ready to move from behind the lens and start sharing your collection, you’ll dazzle your audience with the large beautifully displayed pictures in the new river-flow gallery.

About a week ago, we told you about the Quietly Brilliant campaign from HTC which involves YOU.
HTC has made some great commercials from which you can see one them below.

HTC Corporation unveiled a global advertising campaign that is based on HTC’s new “Quietly Brilliant” brand positioning.  As HTC’s first global advertising campaign, the YOU campaign is being rolled out across 20 countries in the coming weeks and features the tagline, “You don’t need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you.”  This represents HTC’s commitment to focus on people, their needs and how they work and live to ensure that HTC devices suit them.

‘Quietly Brilliant’ is doing great things in a humble way, with the belief that the best things in life can only be experienced, not explained,” said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. “The YOU campaign is the perfect embodiment of ‘Quietly Brilliant’ and is core to HTC as a company, innovator and partner.

The YOU campaign is focused on driving broad, global visibility and understanding of HTC’s unique brand promise – that it’s all about YOU, the consumer, and in fact not the device. HTC worked with Los Angeles-based advertising agency, Deutsch LA Inc. to create the YOU campaign that will employ an integrated-media approach to reach consumers via television, print, outdoor and online.  HTC’s design expertise will be echoed throughout the campaign, with commercial spots highlighting the unique functionality of HTC smartphones.

We’ve come to have a very emotional relationship with our phones. Many of our key experiences in any given day come through this one device and yet most of the advertising in the category is still about utility,” says Eric Hirshberg, co-CEO and chief creative officer, Deutsch LA.
“HTC’s whole design philosophy is very personal. They make phones where your experience is completely unique, so we think there is a connection between how people feel about their phones and how HTC makes them.

HTC worked with London-based creative consultancy, FigTree to create the “Quietly Brilliant” brand positioning.   The “Quietly Brilliant” positioning was inspired by HTC’s culture of putting customers first, born from a heritage of creating breakthrough products and continued innovation. As part of HTC’s culture, the “Quietly Brilliant” positioning will be rolled out in all forms of communication and brand touch points across the company.

Some of life’s most brilliant ideas started with a simple doodle on the back of a napkin,” said Simon Myers, CEO of Figtree. “HTC’s new look uses this visual language of doodles to explain all the quietly brilliant features and benefits of HTC devices in a simple and human way.

How’s your relationship with your phone ? Does it upset you when it is not working the way you want it ? Or what happens when you lose your phone ? I’d like to hear from you in the comments.

I had a quick opportunity to unbox and review the new Sprint HTC Hero device. The Sprint HTC Hero has a customized casing compared to the European HTC Hero version. HTC is also now using their Sense UI (User Interface) on most HTC devices across all platforms.

I have to say that I don’t have many experiences with devices running on the Google Android platform at all. As you can see in the video below I am very impressed with the UI. The HTC Sense UI will give you a familiarity that will allow you to switch HTC devices on different platforms with ease.

The best thing I like about the User Interface are the following 2 items:

1. It will combine all your contact’s personal information, e-mail conversation, text conversations, event, social media in different tabs with that contact field.
2. I can’t forget it also has multi touch functionality for zooming in and out.

Below you will find a short video with my impression and also the specifications. The Sprint HTC Hero is available for $179.99 after a $100 rebate and a 2-year agreement

Sprint HTC Hero Specifications:

- Carrier: Sprint
- Available: October 11th 2009
- Networks: 3G network EVDO Rev. A.
- Display: 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixels
- Camera: 5MP camera
- Operating system: Google Android
- Input: Touch Screen
- Memory card: MicroSD card slot – 2GB card included
- Storage:
- Connectivity: WiFi, GPS with Sprint Navigation, Bluetooth 2.0, 3.5mm headset jack, Sprint TV
- Form factor:
- Battery: 1,500 mAh battery
- Talk Time: up to 4 hours
- other:
– Accelerometer and light sensor
– Home screen widgets
– Integrated Google services: Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube
– HTC Footprints
– Digital Compass
– Sprint TV with live and on-demand programming
– Quick access to Social Network Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr
– Visual Voice Mail

SPB Software just announced today that it will have their popular softwares pre-installed on the Pharos Pack Traveler 137.  Bundeling these popular softwares will give the Pharos cunsomer a “Wow” factor and add a lot of new features and functionality to the phone.

The SPB Softwares that are going to be included in the bundle are:

• SPB Mobile Shell
• SPB Keyboard
• SPB TV

The user experience on mobile devices is becoming so more important and manufacturers are using this to make the difference.

HTC already are having their popular Touch Flo 3D user interface and the upcoming HTC Sense user interface as a shell on their devices.  Both for the Windows Mobile and the Andriod platform phones.

We just published that LG won the iF communication design award with their 3D S-Class user interface.

Samsungs TouchWiZ user interface is looking the same across the board with the the Omnia, Eternity and other devices, all on different platforms.

Looking at all of this, the (non geeky) consumer will in the end choose for a company with the best user interface and won’t even know what the under laying platform is and what it can do. The User Interface will hide the Symbian, Windows Phone and Android platforms. The Windows Phones in the future will be recognizable due to a Windows button on the phone. This is of course a great move by Microsoft to brand the phone so consumers will make an added “educated” guess. (either the buy the phone because the like their Windows brand or because the don’t).

Based on what createria would you choose your device ?

• Brand name?
• Platform?
• User Interface?
• Widgets?
• Features?
• Specifications?
• Added Partner Logo’s
• Carrier?