IPHONE 4 REVIEW, MODEL AND IMPORTANCE

IPHONE 4 


The Verizon iPhone 4 is a much anticipated device and one that weighs in among the best we've ever had here at PhoneDog. While the iPhone 4 isn't exactly new, the CDMA version is. Some doubted it would ever happen, but after four years of sitting through the relentless rumors, Verizon customers can now purchase an iPhone to call their very own.

The iPhone may not have a dual-core processor or LTE connectivity like its upcoming Verizon Android counterparts, but it is definitely one of the best devices currently in their lineup. Weighing in at $200 or $300 (depending on capacity) with a two-year agreement, the iPhone is a little on the expensive side, in comparison. However, it is a wonderful device for those that seek a smartphone but don't have the time or will to dive into the complex nature of Android. Now that the long awaited CDMA iPhone is here, was it worth the wait?
Design & Features

One of the best things about the iPhone is the excellent build quality and design. The face of the device holds a VGA front-facing camera, the 3.5-inch display (960 by 640 pixel resolution at 326 ppi), the speaker, and the home button at the bottom. On the back is the 5-megapixel camera and flash, and along the edge of the device is the stainless steel antenna. The top edge holds the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack, and the left side has the volume up/down buttons, and ring/silent switch. Finally, the 30-pin, proprietary charging port and built-in speakers are on the bottom of the device.


In hand, the iPhone 4 is one of the best feeling devices to date. As far as look and feel goes, the design of the iPhone 4 is excellent, too. Although, I can't say I favor the glass back. That is simply asking for trouble. Not only does it make the device extremely slick in hand, it gives you yet another surface that can be shattered. I typically carry my phones without a case on them, but I feel like I'd be asking for it if I carry this phone without one.
Usability & Performance

Coming from an undoubtedly more complex and customizable operating system, I feared that iOS would bore me. Instead, I found that I'm rather enjoying the simplicity. The interface is one that we have all grown to know. It is simple, elegant, and pops with color. I have experienced absolutely no lag whatsoever, and nearly the entire experience with iOS has been great. It may not be the most amazing software out there, but it just plain works.

The iPhone's software does not come without its faults though. Thanks to iOS 4, multitasking is now present, but it isn't exactly the best implementation. Having used webOS and Android for quite some time, I've grown used to pressing a back button and resuming what I was doing. Double tapping the home button and selecting an icon is okay, but it could be better. On top of that, the notification system in iOS is horrid. It's obtrusive, archaic, and annoying. I also miss widgets from Android. Having live information on the home screen is much more quick an easy than having to launch an application. All in all, iOS is good software, but it's becoming a bit dated as the mobile platform race is heating up. It could use some pretty major improvements in some approaching updates.

One thing I was afraid of was the smaller display. Having large hands and having trouble typing on some devices with larger displays, I was skeptical of how I would cope with the smaller screen. Surprisingly, it hasn't been an issue so far. I've actually had less trouble typing on the iPhone than on my 3.8-inch myTouch 4G.

After the enormous antennagate debacle with the GSM iPhone 4, Apple redesigned the antenna for this version. This only relocated the problem area. It's still there, but it's out of the way and won't affect users who hold their phone in a typical fashion. I have tested it, and it works, but it shouldn't give users much of a problem.

Signal and call quality have been great. I have yet to drop a call, even in spotty coverage areas. The earpiece speaker is plenty loud. I've also had no problems with people hearing me, even when driving with the windows partially down. The speakerphone volume is loud as well. As I mentioned in my first impressions, I had a ticking noise that occurs when in call. Thanks to one of our readers (21stNow), I now know that the culprit was the Wi-Fi radio. I do find it a little annoying that when at home I will have to turn off Wi-Fi when making or receiving a call just to avoid that horrid ticking noise. It's no big deal, but definitely a nuisance.

After dealing with HSPA+ speeds on my T-Mobile phones and switching to Verizon 3G, I sometimes feel like I'm crawling when browsing the web, updating Twitter, checking Facebook, etc. For someone that is only used to 3G, this won't be noticeable. Speeds are par with every other 3G device I've owned, 4G has just made me impatient.

One thing I'm somewhat disappointed with is the battery life. Everyone has always bragged on the iPhone for its exceptional battery life. After purchasing this device, I assumed that I wouldn't have to worry about it. Battery life is good, don't get me wrong, but it's not nearly as good as I expected. This may be because I'm so used to BlackBerry battery life, or because I expected it to be much better than my Android handset. It wasn't. This shouldn't have been much of a surprise though, as I've typically had worse battery life with CDMA phones than GSM. Through two days of moderate use, I had no problem making it through each day. Yesterday though, I tried my best to kill the battery off as fast as possible. It came wheezing in at 15% left after about six hours of very heavy use before I plugged it up. Like I said, it's good, but thanks to it being CDMA, you can only expect so much.

The camera has been one of the most pleasing things about the phone. Auto-focus acts very quickly and rarely do the shots seem out of focus or blurry. In low light situations the flash works great, but sometimes it's just a tad too bright. My favorite part of the camera is undoubtedly HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode. Rather than simply taking one picture, when HDR is on, the phone will take three shots and stitch the best components of each exposure into one picture. Typically, these HDR pictures turn out nicely and look great. However, you can not use flash with HDR, so if you are in low lighting, it usually won't turn out the way you want. Recording at 720p, the video quality is great for a phone. Seeing that this version and the GSM version use the same camera, you can check some footage out here.
Conclusion

The Verizon iPhone 4 is a great device and it should fare well among its current competition. However, there are upcoming Android devices with dual-core processors, much larger displays, and LTE connectivity. I fear the iPhone 4 on Verizon may soon be forgotten. Then again, the iPhone line has a history of surprising us. The story may have been different if it had been released in a timely manner, or if the fourth generation device had been skipped altogether. Considering there should be a fifth generation on the horizon, with rumors of a much larger display, this new iPhone 4 only has a few months to really shine.

That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed mine. Coming from someone who wouldn't dare buy an Apple product a little over a year ago, this should at least say something. The device is solid and the software is extremely consistent and simple. It is a welcomed addition the Verizon family and to my own personal collection.

What's Good: Solid build quality; great camera; good battery life; slim for easy pocketing; simple and easy for new users to pick up and learn.

What's Bad: Very slick back; two slabs of glass versus one; larger capacity is a bit pricy at $300 on-contract; poor notification system.

The Verdict: After four years of waiting and relentless rumors, the Verizon iPhone doesn't fully live up to its hype. It is a very nice device that offers a consistent experience with very few hiccups and is great for smartphone newcomers and veterans alike. But it hit the shelves too late to sweep CDMA users off of their feet. I predict this iPhone 4 will face a short shelf life among countless, more powerful Android devices and the next generation iPhone.

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VERIZON IPHONE 4 REVIEW AND SPECIFICATION

Introduction:

Finally! It’s really here, and this time, it’s for real – no joke. Yes, Apple’s wonderful smartphone has been the topic of conversation amongst loyal customers for quite some time, and despite seeing an onslaught of high profiled Android devices being released, Verizon can now say that the iPhone is here. However, we’re basically seeing the same model we saw over 7 months ago – aside from the fact that it now packs a CDMA radio and a slightly redesigned antenna. And without taking much away from the fact that Verizon is just now getting it, there are still а lot to be excited about for Big Red’s handful of customers.

As much as people think that this is benefiting Verizon mostly, you have to look closely at the mobile landscape and comprehend the fierce competition that’s brewing. Naturally, Apple is going to reap the benefits of getting their product out to the millions of Verizon customers out there nationwide. Now that it’s front center competing against the growing and bountiful Android army, the iPhone 4’s presence may undoubtedly alter the landscape in due time. So are you ready for the Verizon iPhone 4?

The package contains:

    Apple iPhone 4
    USB Cable
    User Guide
    Stereo headphones
    Wall Charger
    Apple Decals


Design:

For the most part, the Verizon iPhone 4 is a near identical replica of the AT&T version from 7 months ago. As we already mentioned, the only thing different is the fact that it boasts CDMA radios internally, notches around the antenna are placed differently, and that the vibrate switch has moved ever so slightly.

In terms of design, it still radiates with a fantastic look that’s sure to impress Verizon customers – even more when every inch of its body resonates with a premium feel. In fact, it seems more luxurious versus the plastic exteriors found on other handsets since it incorporates two glass surfaces that are sandwiched together with a stainless steel brushed band. Employing a streamlined profile (0.37” thick), the handset is perfectly sized to accommodate every hand size – although, it does pack on some noticeable weight (4.83 oz). Even with its solid construction, it would likely take a beating if it were dropped from a good height. Still, its premium materials will repel the adverse effects of normal wear and tear. All in all, the Verizon iPhone 4 is just one sleek, sexy, and classy looking smartphone.

Not surprisingly, one of the biggest attractions with the Verizon iPhone 4 is nothing more than its stunning looking 3.5” IPS display that sports a very impressive 640x960 resolution and support for 16.7 million colors. Dubbed the “Retina Display,” it screams superb clarity that enables the naked eye to meticulously absorb every single pixel to the tooth – thus allowing for some serious high pixel density. At the same time, it shines with enough luminance and natural color production to make it more than visible during outdoor usage, while still offering perfect viewing angles. Overlooking that it might not necessarily offer the largest real estate on a smartphone, it’s still impressive to this day since very few handsets can match its blinding detail – which is attributed with its high resolution. Finally, the oleophobic coating on both glass surfaces allow for a smooth and accurate tracking of your finger – while at the same time, it continues to make the handset look clean at all times with a simple wipe.

Below its touchscreen, we find the same old springy home button that’s been improved with each design, but of course, it’s just about perfect with this one. Conversely, we find the earpiece and 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera directly above the display – with the proximity and light sensors perched inconspicuously close-by.


Front-facing camera

On the left edge of the iPhone 4, we find its separated volume buttons that are circle in shape, protrude enough for a distinguishable feel, and offers that usual tactile response when pressed. And if you plan on using a case that fits the AT&T iPhone 4, you’ll be sad to know that it’s not compatible with this one because the vibrate switch has been moved just a tiny bit up.

Looking at the bottom side, we find the microphone, speakerphone, and proprietary 30-pin connector port that charges and syncs the handset. Turning it around to the top edge, you’ll locate its 3.5mm headset jack, noise cancellation microphone, and a reasonably sized power button that’s springy and raised from the surface to offer a fantastic feel.

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HTC LEGEND PRICE, FEATURE AND SPECS

I have never been impressed by Android, particularly the UI, so I wasn’t looking forward to receiving the HTC Legend for review. But this thing runs HTC Sense, and I have high hopes that it would be able to tuck away some of Android’s own UI deficiency.

First the hardware. The Legend features an incredibly sleek aluminium unibody design. This gives it a  highly desirable and premium look, but it also makes it a very slippery phone. There are some rubber on the backside, but they are on the wrong sides. The front is dominated by a gorgeous 3.2″ HVGA (320×480) AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display. It is equally as good as my Walkman X-series DAP. While the screen works amazing indoor, it is for all intent and purpose utterly useless during sunny days.


Below the screen are a couple of hardware keys. These includes Home (self explanatory), Menu (assessing the menu), backspace (return to previous screen) and a magnifying glass for bringing up the quick search box. Below the row of keys is the optical joystick shaped like a tiny ball. While it duplicates the functions of a traditional d-pad or optical trackpad, I can’t say I enjoyed using it due to its sensitivity and its location very near the bottom.

The left side features a volume rocker. After years of getting used to the volume keys being on the right side, it did take some getting used to, but it isn’t a huge issue. The right side on the other hand is bare. The power key and 3.5mm headphone socket resides on the top. The bottom house the micro USB charging/sync slot, microphone and lanyard loop. Finally the backside features the 5 megapixel auto-focus camera and a single LED bulb for flash duties. The loudspeaker sits on the left side of the camera module.

Accessing the battery, sim card slot and microSD card slot requires you the pry out the rubber plastic hatch. Removing the hatch will expose a flap that when flipped will give you access to the 1300 mAh battery, sim card slot and microSD. microSD cards are unfortunately not hot-swappable as the battery will merely slide out if you try. Overall the build quality is excellent with nary a flex or creak when squeezing it.

Booting up the HTC Legend reveals HTC Sense running on top of Android 2.1. Sense is a very pretty and quick UI, though it gets tedious after a while. I also can’t say I like the small icons that much, which makes it harder to select especially those with big fat thumbs. Widgets are easily accessible by swiping around either through the screen or the optical joystick.

There are two hugely annoying bit about the HTC Legend’s software (and I suspect all HTC Android phones with capacitive screens). First the screen is just too sensitive. I can’t remember the number of times during the past one week that the OS would misinterperate an accidental skin contact for something else, thus ruining what I was doing. Second, the screen vibration feedback only works on the virtual keyboard and nothing else.


The Legend has surprisingly good audio quality. While it isn’t no where near my Walkman or even some mid-end Nokia phones, it is a massive improvement over my last HTC device (Artemis) – which often sounded like a cheap MP3 player you get at market stalls. The Legend on the other hand sounds excellent via my Sennheiser IE 8, with good neutral mids though it does suffer from bass drop-offs. Overall, the Legend is competent enough to be a ‘backup player’. The same can’t be said about the bundled headphones which is pretty awful sounding, so make sure you invest in a proper pair of headphone.

The 5 megapixel auto-focus camera has a maximum resolution of 2592×1936 pixels, and should perform well, in theory. The UI unfortunately left much to be desired which isn’t surprising to be honest. Still there are plenty of manual settings for people who wants to get the most out of the camera. Image quality is average with pictures suffering from poor contrast and plenty of noise. This isn’t a camera you would want to use in low light situation. Samples are provided in the gallery below.

99.99% of all cameras has shutter buttons on the top right casing. It has been the norm for decades, if not forever since compact consumer cameras were first created. There is a reason why it is there – it allows one to hold the camera securely, even one-handed if they wanted to, whilst using the index finger to take pictures. Not so with this. The camera shutter is that small poxy round thingy known as the optical joystick I mentioned earlier. It is so unnerving to use.

The camera module at the back is too closed to the edge, meaning if I am not careful my fingers will often find its way into pictures. I could use it one handed, but the combination of poorly placed camera shutter button joystick and slippery body meant that unless I used it two handed I would be staring at an incredibly expensive paperweight.

Like most modern smartphones, the HTC Legend comes with a built-in GPS receiver chipset. Cold lock without A-GPS takes a couple of minute which is pretty much standard these days. It does not ship with any navigation application bar Google Maps (it is a Google OS after all), which works well provided you have a pretty good data bundle with your service provider. Using Google Maps is easy enough so I won’t bore you with details about it.

Perhaps the most important bit of a smartphone that many forget is the call quality. Fortunately the voice quality and reception is above average (tested on T-Mobile UK network). The Legend would also vibrate when your call is answered, which is a very useful feature where one do not have to hold the phone to the ear in order to know if the call is connected. Unfortunately the Legend does not feature a front camera, so video calls are not possible.

The phone book (called People) is one of the most fleshed out address book programs I’ve had the pleasure to use on any phones. It not only holds all the basic details as expected from a phone book, but will also display text messages and e-mails, Facebook/Twitter/Flickr integration and call history – all of which are sorted in tabs associated with that particular contact.

HTC has produced a great looking smartphone with the Legend. At around £350 in the UK for a sim-free model, it is similarly priced to many decent smartphones with similar spec-ed on the market like the N97 Mini and Motorola Milestone. Both the N97 Mini and Milestone has slide out keyboards, so can be argued as better value (the Milestone also has better overall specs). though one does runs Symbian^1 which most either love or hate, and the other runs on stock Android. And for only £50 extra you can get the HTC Desire, a phone with much better spec and a better form factor.

While I’ve not change my mind about Android, the Legend should be a sound investment for people who are in the market for a phone with such an OS. It is rather lovely looking. However I do believe that  HTC has taken the form over function road with this. It isn’t something I can’t imagine people would be happy to use as an everyday device after the initial oohs, and aahhs. Maybe the Desire?

+ Highly desirable design

+ Brilliant display with great colour saturation

+ Quick

+ Latest version of OS available

- Memory card slot not hot-swappable

- Display unusable in daylight

- No front camera for video calls

- Some UI quirks

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HTC S710 REVIEW, PRICE AND SPECS.

Give this phone to people and you’ll get good comments. People will polish the
keys and mention the bright screen, but rarely will they notice the added bonus
to this normal-looking phone. What is it? Well, I’ll show you…

spring-loaded QWERTY keyboard slides from the back.
This instantly turns the phone into a fantastic multi-purpose messaging handset. It’s a testament to the phones designers that no-one I gave this phone
to spotted the additional keyboard. Even I continually kept using the numeric
keypad to write messages because I forgot it was there too. This really
is a normal phone-sized device which expertly hides a killer feature.

When you first use the device you’ll no doubt notice the weight of it. It is
noticeably heavier than other devices. With the keyboard tucked away you may
notice that it’s a little loose in its moorings. It’s nothing major, however
there is the possibility for cards to slide into the gap on the left side of the
phone when closed. Whilst this is noticeable it’s by no means weak or floppy. ….

As a comparison I took a shot of the device next to the Orange
SPV C600. It’s a little wider but still around the same depth as the C600. The
HTC s710 is a little shorter than the C600 but packs a bigger 2.4” QVGA screen.

Specs

The HTC s710 is one of the first Smartphones to get Windows
Mobile 6.0 Standard. The "Standard" means "not touch screen" and current owners
of Pocket PC’s (Windows Mobile Pro) devices may find themselves tapping the
screen for a short while after buying this. Windows Mobile 6.0 however does
bring some added benefits, such as the Office Mobile suite – something which is
suits the keyboard on this device well.  Powered by a Texus Instruments
OMAP 850 CPU running at a little over 200Mhz there’s 64Mb RAM and 128Mb FLASH
ROM. Using a QVGA 240×320 LCD screen there’s also a 2.0 megapixel camera and a
MicroSD card slot for storing the images on.

Connectivity is good, although there’s a lack of 3G in this handset
unfortunately. You do get GSM/GPRS/EDGE quad-band connectivity along with
WiFi and stereo Bluetooth. Inside you get Windows Mobile 6 (Standard) along with
Windows Live for sending / receiving instant messages and more.


In the box

Along with the CD’s and manuals needed to get your started
you’ll find a standard MiniUSB cable for hooking up your device, a charger,
headphone / handsfree kit, battery and the handset itself.

 

Around the device

Let’s have a look at the handset with our usual close-up camera.
At the front the numeric keypad is almost reminiscent of those on the

Lobster 700 we reviewed a while back in that the keys are tilted
backwards. This time though it works and the keys don’t jiggle around and they
work rather well.

The outer keys are a polished silver colour with the call answer
/ release keys being on the bottom portion of the keypad. It doesn’t take too
long to get used to these frequently-used keys being here. The "home" and "back"
keys are just above and the polished silver is continued around the screen.

The central navigation pad is raised slightly and has the two
soft-keys either side for choosing menu items with Windows Mobile. You may also
see the small light sensor at the bottom of the keypad just below the "0" key.
This senses when to turn the backlight on for the keys – a cool blue colour is
used on both keyboards.

The QWERTY keyboard pops out with a small push and a sound is played at the
same time. I was inclined to turn this off after a bit as it played when the
keyboard was extended with another tune being played when the keyboard was
retracted. It seemed to slow the screen switch down a little and ended up
getting a little annoying, however it’s easy enough to turn off
(Settings->Sounds->Keyboard Sliding->Off). There’s two status lights on the top
left. The first is the familiar "CAPS" light you’ll have seen on your normal PC
keyboard whilst the second indicates whether the FN key is in use. This gives
you access into extra functions shown below in blue.

In addition to the QWERTY keyboard you’ve got two more soft-keys
at the top, plus if you need to you can still use the numeric keypad even while
the rear keyboard is extended. I found this useful for the all-important "Home"
key and for navigating webpages, answering calls etc. With the keyboard extended
you’ll probably start using the normal navigation pad to browse webpages without
even thinking about it.

As we look toward the top of the device there’s a rather sexy little earpiece
containing a couple of LED’s for Bluetooth / network / charging activity. These
will flash to let you know what’s happening with the device.

At the very top of the handset is the power button. You can see in this shot
how rounded the device is too, it fits nicely in the hand and lacks any harsh
corners.

If we flip the device over you’ll see the 2 megapixel camera.
There’s no flash here, but it seems to work a lot better in low-light
than any other HTC camera I’ve seen before. More on this later. You’ll also
notice the main loudspeaker behind the grill on the right.

While we’re looking at this area I’ll show you how the back of
the phone looks with the keyboard extended…

See the slot on the lower right of the above picture? This is
actually where your SIM card goes. I should mention here that all HTC-branded
handsets are SIM free, so you can stick any SIM card in here and it’ll just
work, regardless of network. It’s certainly a lot easier to install a SIM card
in here and there’s no need to fiddle around with the battery and battery cover
to access it. Here’s another look at the same slot with the phone upright and
the keyboard closed. You may also just be able to see the strap-hook on the
lower left corner which let’s you have the phone around your kneck or wrist
should you wish.

Continuing up the left-side of the phone we’ve got the
voice-dial button. Press this and it’ll go into the voice-dial application.
Press and hold it to get the "Notes" application allowing you to record audio
notes. One definite bonus I’ve noticed here is that all of these keys work even
when the device is in its "power saving" mode. This means I can just tap this or
the camera button without having to use the power button first.

The volume control buttons are just above the speed-dial button
and, if I’m honest, they’re not as good as they could be. I couldn’t find them
easily enough during a call and ended up having to take the phone away from my
ear to adjust the volume. Again, this is probably just me being a tad picky but
they’re not quite prominent enough to find by touch alone.

Switch to the right-side of the handset we’ve got the camera
button on the top right. This will activate the camera application and will take
photos in a portrait style – this makes photos very "tall" instead of "wide"
with a resolution of up to 1200×1600. Thankfully HTC have actually set it to be
1200×1600 (2 megapixel) as default - so many times I’ve picked up
handsets and they’ve been set to resolutions lower than the maximum as
the default "out of the box" setting.

More on the camera later.

At the bottom right we’ve got the MicroSD slot. This is tucked
behind a rubber flap and lets you increase your storage capacity easily. Check
out the prices at www.mobymemory.com
if you’re after a cheap card for this device.

At the very bottom of the phone is your miniUSB connector. This
is where you’ll plug in the supplied headset / hands-free kit, your charger or
PC cable. This again is hidden behind a rubber door. I found it a little tricky
to open and close, however if it did fall off I don’t think I’d miss it much :)
To the left is your microphone.

I did take a little too many photos of this device, so here’s a
few more of the phone from various different angles ;)


Inside


The HTC homescreen is relatively uncluttered and gives you the information you
need. Here you can see that the WiFi is turned off (you’ll see the WiFi symbol
in a moment) and the GPRS / Bluetooth connection plus signal strength, messages,
date, time and other important information.

You can add other bits to the homescreen, such as Windows Live search etc.
You can also see if your alarm is turned on – a small bell will appear in the
top right corner to indicate that you’ve set it. There’s also a large amount of
homescreens and themes out there for you to customize your handset. First, let’s
have a look at that WiFi. Having wireless connectivity on a "normal" phone is
still quite a new thing, so let’s connect to my home AP (access point) so that I
can browse the internet nice and quickly (and for very little money!)

Selecting the top rows (showing "Orange … Wi-Fi: Off) brings me into the
Comm Manager application. I now press "4" or move to it and press select. It’ll
do a bit of searching and then hopefully spot my access point. I should probably
mention the power saving here – the WiFi is turned off after a period of
inactivity and then back on again when you start using the phone. This is all
configurable through the "Power" setting as shown on the right here.

OK, now I’ve turned on the WiFi  it’s spotted some access
points for me to choose from. Two of these are mine (I’m greedy). Pressing "2"
gets me into my access point and I then need to simply add in my WEP key to get
access. You can see at the top I’ve now got a "WiFi" symbol in my status bar so
I know I’m browsing via WiFi!

You can get more detailed information about your WiFi connection through the
"Settings" option shown above. This shows you the access point your connected
to, what channel you’re on, how strong the signal is and the speed you’ve got.
You can also do advanced stuff like refreshing your IP address and more.

If you now go back to your homescreen you’ll noticed the access
point name – this will vanish and it’ll say "Off" if you don’t do anything on
the internet for a bit. Again there’s lots of options to tweak here and you can
adjust pretty much everything.

The next thing you’ll probably be wanting to do is open up
Internet Explorer. You can access this from the homescreen or through the
programs menu. It’s undergone some changes since Windows Mobile 5 and seems to
render pages quicker. You’ll also notice the lack of an address bar and the
integration of Windows Live Search as a start screen. You can still enter
websites manually by clicking the "Menu" option, however the home page also
integrates your favourites (which at last, is spelt the correct English way!)
and your history using drop-down menus for fast browsing.

I start things off by doing a search for the HTC s710. As you can see it
gives me all the result in a page which is formatted for mobile viewing. If I go
back again you can see the "Favourites" drop-down menu which shows the URL’s
I’ve added into my favourites list on the phone. This time I’m going to search
for something else though, and you’ll notice that I’m not currently using the
slide-out keyboard. This is because there’s also a natty "xt9" system on board
which shows words you’ve typed previously and from its’ own built-in
dictionary – this allows speedy entry of words even if you just decide to use
the numeric keypad alone. You should be able to see it guessing the site name at
the bottom of the screenshot below.

Due to the WiFi connection pages appear really quickly and its’
nice not to worry about data charges from your regular phone network. Each page
shows up as "One Column", however you can change this plus the text size to suit
your preference. If you close your browser and then come back to it later you’ll
find that your browsing history is tucked under the relevant menu bar on the
home page – this lets’ you find the page you checked out earlier without any
difficulty.

OK, so you’ve browsed the web. I’m guessing you may want to go
onto Messenger now, so we’ll have a look at Windows Live Messenger. It’s
included as part of the HTC s710, however some other variations of the handset
(such as the Orange SPV E650) don’t include it.

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HTC DESIRE REVIEW AND SPECS

It would be fair to say the HTC Desire is the most anticipated phone of 2010. Perhaps an indication of this phone's significance, following the launch by HTC, a slew of announcements came from mobile phone operators saying they'd be stocking it. The Legend, by contrast, received no such attention. But is the HTC Desire that much more of a phone than the Legend? And what about its half-brother the Google Nexus One?



The HTC Desire is less striking in its design than the HTC Legend. The size of the screen means there isn't really the space for a chin, with only a hint of a curve on the bottom edge of the device. The metal frame surrounds the top-half of the device, the rubberised back wrapping around the sides and bottom controls. The rubberised finish means it feels secure in the hand, and matte finish means it stays mercifully fingerprint free.

It is a large phone as the 3.7-inch screen dictates. Measuring 60 x 119 x 11.9mm, it is lengthy, but thin: you'll be able to slip it into your pocket though. It weighs 135g, feeling substantial in the hand. It is a great device to hold and the quality of the construction is difficult to fault.

We've criticised a number of handsets for being uncomfortable to use as a phone. The HTC Legend and Apple iPhone both fall into that category: a sharp top edge means it digs into your ear. Here the smooth curve of the Desire makes it comfortable for long conversations, so it's equally at home actually making phone calls.

Across the bottom of the Desire you get the normal controls: home, menu, back and search, flanking a central optical button, which essentially sets it apart from the Google Nexus One's touch controls and trackball. This is an area where the Desire beats the Legend too: the Legend's buttons don't have the same quality feel that the Desire offers.

The optical button is likely to be more reliable than a trackball in the long run, but in reality you'll hardly use it. The screen makes navigation so easy, there is little call for the optical control - the button you'll still use to control the camera, unless you use touch focusing instead.

On the left-hand side of the Desire you'll find your normal volume controls and the top offers the power/standby button and a 3.5mm jack. On the bottom is the standard Micro-USB connection for charging and any wired syncing you need to do. On the back of the Desire is an external speaker grill, the 5-megapixel camera and the LED "flash".

Pull off the back cover and you'll find the microSD card slot, offering memory expansion over the 576MB internal, and supporting cards up to 32GB, which is where you'll want to store all your music, photos and videos, rather than using up valuable space on the handset itself.

The HTC Desire comes with all the connectivity you'd expect from a top-tier smartphone. It offers HSDPA for fast data rates with Wi-Fi b/g to ease the strain on your contract's data limits. You also get Bluetooth 2.1, and the usual GPS, digital compass and sensors: this phone is smart in every sense.

Fire up the HTC Desire and you are presented with HTC's Sense user interface, running on the latest version of Android 2.1. This is another area where it distinguishes itself from the Google Nexus One, offering HTC's easy to use and super user-friendly interface. We saw it launch on the Hero and more recently on the Legend and if you are interested in HTC Sense, it is worth reading those reviews to find out more about what it offers.

There have been a few tweaks to Sense over last year's version, the biggest change you'll probably notice is the inclusion of the Leap view, which gives you a top down view of your home pages, a little like Expose on the Mac. It's useful to a point, but scrolling from left to right to access Sense's seven home pages is never really a chore.

Some might argue that the Nexus One offers a better choice because it doesn’t feature HTC Sense. This is true for those that are not interested in the deep integration to Facebook and Flickr, or the customisable home pages, for example. Android already offers integration to your Google services, with plenty of apps to bring your social networking into the phone without HTC's help. For the average consumer, though, we think the simplicity of Sense will be the appeal.

HTC Sense offers plenty of customisation on its home pages, and multiple Scenes if you want a different set of home pages for different parts of your life (one collection for work, one for the weekend, that sort of thing). HTC supply a good selection of widgets to litter these home pages and a variety of styles and sizes too. You can very easily get the information you want on your pages with a few clicks, as well as dropping in bookmarks or contacts or shortcuts to your favourite apps.

One aspect of HTC Sense we've never been sold on is the seeming disconnect between the widgets and the applications proper. Arrive at a widget page and you expect it to give you current information, or just click straight to the current information. All too often you have to wait for the widget to refresh, which can be a little frustrating. The Twitter widget seems the worst offender, you might as well just go straight to the Peep application to get all the details.

But we love the rich integrated contacts that Sense offers, where you can scroll across to find all the details on a contact, look at their updates to browse their photos on Facebook or Flickr. It's a system that encourages you to hunt people out on social networks so you don't have so many blank faces. Setup is oh-so-easy too, it literally takes a few minutes to plug in the passwords and you are away. The same applies to setting up your email, although it is too easy to end up with email accounts in different applications.

The HTC Desire is all about the screen though. The 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen offers up a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It is one of the best screens we've seen on a phone, it is bright with vivid colours and plenty of punch. It suits the UI too, with everything looking crisp and sharp.

With 3.7 inches on offer, the HTC Desire excels as a handset for browsing the Internet. It is one of the most complete and satisfying internet browsing experiences we've seen on a phone. The Legend is essentially the same, but the extra size of the Desire makes it much better. With pinch to zoom, or double tap to reflow the text, the browser is quick to launch full webpages. If browsing on the move is something you find yourself doing, then the Desire is likely to be at the top of your list.

There are some moments when more sophisticated web pages don't quite work, however, for example with the page layout getting lost. We also found that the browser would occasionally close itself whilst we were surfing. We assume this is a bug that can be fixed with an update from HTC.

Flash video is supported too, so you'll be able to watch back some internet video. This seems to be most reliable on YouTube hosted content, as a lot of other video offerings won't play. HTC Flash Player will take over and play the video fullscreen, which is great for YouTube. Some video will play in the browser too, but it can be a bit hit and miss.

The touch response is really slick on the Desire. At times it is perhaps a little too sensitive and we found ourselves off in a different application because of a trailing finger. It is worth calibrating the screen as soon as you get it, as it can improve the accuracy of things like typing. Thanks to the 1GHz Qualcomm snapdragon processor, there is plenty of power behind the Desire too, so application launching happens in a flash. We were happy with the performance of the Legend, but we feel the Desire has even more punch.

We loaded the Desire up with a number of applications. It's worth hunting out an application killer or task manager to make it easy to close things down, rather than having them sitting in the background. Multitasking is great, but if it is using battery life unnecessarily, it's worth taking action. We had a blast around Google Earth, which was slickly handled, offering smooth scrolling around the world. We didn't see any sign of slow down within normal testing, but as with any computing device, the more you ask it to do, the more you'll have an impact on the speed, and we sensed a momentary pause when a significant data event happens, like the arrival of a load of emails.

We've long been fans of HTC's keyboard and here the experience is as good as ever, with smart suggestions correcting your mistakes as your fingers fly over the on-screen keyboard. We found the portrait QWERTY large enough for most occasions, offering an easy one-handed option for when you're hanging on to the train with the other hand. Rotate into landscape and you get a QWERTY keyboard that's great to use with two thumbs.

The camera on the back gives you 5 megapixels and some surprisingly good results. There is noticeable lag between pressing the optical button and the shot firing so it isn't great for moving subjects. However, in daylight you'll get some good shots out of it. Indoors the LED flash illuminates fairly well, but does tend to give a greenish cast to photos. Noise is a problem as the light drops, but that's typical of camera phones.

There are a range of options on offer so you can change various settings, as well as shooting modes which are worth investigating: they can add interest to a boring subject with ease. Check out the "solarised" housing block below, and the same effects can be applied to video too (sample here).

Video comes in at a maximum 800 x 480 pixels, so strictly standard definition. We know HTC is going to make the jump to HD in their phones at some stage because the recently announced HTC Evo points us in that direction. It's a shame not to see it here, as there is plenty of power to handle it and it would add sharpness and detail to already capable video. Sharing is easy as ever – a click will send it off via messaging or straight on to YouTube.

We like the media offering with the Desire. The music widget will give you basic controls, but you also get a range of controls when the phone is in standby with the screen locked. You can always change the volume, but press the top button to wake the screen and without unlocking the screen you can pause the music. Your album art is shown in the background too, which is a nice touch. There is an FM Radio too.

Video playback isn't as comprehensive as we'd like it to be. We threw a variety of video formats at the Desire and it wasn't interested in the vast majority. If you are planning to use your Desire for playing back your existing video content, it is worth converting it into a friendly format. We used DoubleTwist on the Mac to load a range of content and found no problems.

The HTC Desire comes out as distinguished in just about every area. But the biggest problem is the battery life. As with the Legend, the drain on the 1400mAh battery will see it flat within the average day. Using the Android Power Control, you can disable background syncing and turn the screen brightness right down and so on to prolong the life and this is well worth doing.

But fire it up and start surfing the Internet and shooting video, take a couple of long calls and listen to your music on your commute and you'll find you're eating the battery away at a huge rate. Like the iPhone, you'll want to charge the Desire every night, but you can, at least, change the battery yourself, so if you are prone to being away from a power socket for any length of time, then hunt out a new battery to sling in your bag.

The HTC Desire will live up to its hype for many. As an alternative to the iPhone, you'll find it offers plenty of power, an excellent browsing experience and plenty of customisation opportunities. The Android Market is growing in its offering and already has a huge number of free applications. It doesn’t yet have the depth and breadth that the Apple App Store does, but with more manufacturers adopting Android devices, it is only set to grow.
 


For some, though, the HTC Legend will be a viable alternative. Yes, you won't get the same processing power and a smaller screen, but the experience is very similar: you get all the connected goodness of HTC Sense and an excellent touch response from your device, in a beautiful package.

We're certain that the HTC Desire will be a huge hit in 2010. Aside from a few minor points, there is little fault with this superphone.

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