Best Rated Phones - Mobile phone announcements, news and info » HTC-Sense

No SENSE for HTC: Windows Phone 7

Liam — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:05:18 +0000

Taiwan based phone manufacturer HTC is one of the most celebrated smart phone makers of today. The company has just announced a massive growth in profits (gaining a full 33% increase from their 2009 performance) and is currently busy working on a large portfolio of handsets (some of which have been released in a roadmap leak).

HTC has had a very long history with Microsoft. While the company may be known famously for the Android OS (they played a key role as a partner for Google – developing the Nexus One as well as prominent Android smartphones like the HTC Desire and the HTC Wildfire), they also go pretty way back with the giant of Silicon Valley. Microsoft and HTC started their ties back when HTC was still a small electronics manufacturer. Tasked with building the most innovative and groundbreaking pocket PCs, HTC stood at the threshold of the business industry –only to be pushed back by the emergence of smart phones.

Anyway, HTC’s Windows Mobile handsets are not only the most well made, but they are also the most sought after. The combination of the Windows Mobile OS with the Sense user interface is one of the best combinations for the struggling platform –struggling in the general market at least.

The reason for this is the HTC Sense UI –which makes using Windows Mobile so much easier. Now, HTC is confirmed to be working on a WP7 device as well. While it has yet to be revealed if the HTC Mondrian and Mozart handsets are actually real, HTC has already confirmed that they will not be adding in a new user interface to the WP7 OS. No HTC Sense UI, a proprietary OS that the phone maker loves to add to their devices.

The HTC Sense may not be used, but even HTC has acknowledged the impressive user interface that Windows Phone 7 uses. The customizable tiles, the interconnected features and iTunes apps are among the best elements about the new OS.

A Close-up of the HTC Desire: All There Is to It

Liam — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:42:53 +0000

The HTC Desire was officially launched in March of this year. Since then, it has amassed a considerable amount of rave reviews which all send their praises towards this remarkable device. We must agree; the Desire is definitely one of the best. However, it isn’t perfect. Below are some aspects of the device that might need some fine-tuning before the Desire is deemed as THE Smartphone for 2010.

The Upside

Before anything else, we must give credit where it is due. There are more than a few things that we like about the HTC Desire. For starters, the 3.7” touch screen displays delivers vivid images of the highest quality (480 x 800 pixels). Then there’s the HTC Sense user interface on the device which makes the Android Eclair even better than it already is. Another notable feature is the web browser on the Desire which is pretty fast and also has Flash support. It’s also worth pointing out that the HTC Desire deals currently on offer are very impressive.

The Downside

As mentioned before, the HTC Desire is a pretty awesome device. However, this doesn’t mean that it does not have its own flaws. One of the biggest criticisms of the device is that although its AMOLED display delivers high resolution image outputs, it’s actually quite difficult to see when your outdoors and once the sun’s glare hits it. Also, some of the widgets on the device may need a few adjustments here and there. To some, the Android still appear to be a bit too geeky and the physical design of the device doesn’t quite match the appeal of the HTC Legend.

Final Judgement

The HTC Desire packs in all the features you’d expect from a Smartphone. This in itself should be enough to make it a contender as one of the best of the year. Its awesome interface backed up by a powerful processor guarantees an enhanced user experience. While it may lack the sexiness of the Legend or perhaps even the iPhone, the Desire is still worth a second look.

Wildfire Now on Vodafone UK

Liam — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:04:05 +0000

The HTC Wildfire is finally available from mobile network operator Vodafone UK. According to the most recent announcements, the device is available for free on several contract offers by the network operator.

Our recommended pick would be the 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years which gives the user unlimited text messages, 300 minutes of talk time and about 500 MB of data allowance each month. The offer takes full advantage of the device’s social networking capabilities, which is much recommended for anyone who wants to have the full value of owning this impressive Android handset.

In terms of specs, it is hard not to be impressed with what the HTC Wildfire has to offer. First off, the device comes with a nice big 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen. A typical display for a mid range handset, it handles video playback and web browsing quite easily. The screen will support multi touch gestures, has an accelerometer, a proximity sensor that will automatically shut off the screen when used for a voice call and the HTC Sense user interface. Aside from the touch screen, there is an optical trackpad on the bottom of the device as well as support for movement gestures which will allow users to instantly switch the device to mute or to “dim out” an incoming call.

With the Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU, apps run fairly fast on this Android OS. Just do not expect to get super smooth performance when running resource intensive games. But for most phone functions, the CPU is able to provide a stable and fast experience.

The Wildfire’s main features focus heavily on social networking. It has several integrated apps that would allow users to easily access accounts on Facebook and Twitter as well as file hosting sites such as Flicker and YouTube for uploading media content to be shared.