HTC HD2 Review
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After weeks of rumour, and different names, finally the HTC HD2 is officially announced, and as expected it comes with a spec sheet that reads like a dream to any mobile phone geek. HTC have really been making waves with their recent handset releases, with top notch devices running on Android and Windows Mobile. The HTC HD2 runs on the latter, and the official announcement of the HD2 coincides with the worldwide release of Windows Mobile 6.5, and this handset instantly leaps to the top of the tree in terms of features, compared to other Windows Mobile devices currently available.
The style of the HTC HD2 will be familiar to anyone who has ever watched Star Trek (and what self respecting geek hasn’t?) as it looks exactly like those multi-functional data pads used by the crew. Those devices, which with a few taps of the screen can seemingly perform any variety of tasks and data transfers. So, the HD2 not only looks like a Star Trek data pad, it performs like one too! The features of the HD2 are hard to beat and we are going to take a walk through this magical device in more detail.
The display on the HD2 absolutely dominates the handset, measuring in at a breath taking 4.3 inches, with a pixel resolution of 480 x 800, supporting up to 65,000 colours. The HD2 is the first device running Windows Mobile to come with a capacitive touchscreen, so there is no need for fiddling around with a tiny stylus. To accommodate the finger only input, the HD2 runs the beautifully crafted Sense UI, which offers a visually stunning selection of graphics to access the various functions on the handset. As is becoming common on many handsets, the HD2 offers a built in accelerometer for auto screen rotation, and there is also support for multi touch input method, which will benefit on-phone gaming.
The HTC HD2 is no lightweight, weighing in at a hefty 157g, and measuring 120.5 x 67 x 11mm, dimensions that further reinforce the Star Trek data pad similarities, large, wide, but slim. The HD2 brings a high quality 5.0 Megapixel camera, with Autofocus and an LED flash. Thanks to the built in GPS, the HD2 can embed positioning data into the digital information on captured images, which can be displayed when viewed online. Video recording is enabled, but there is no front facing camera, so no 3G video calls.
The media player on the HD2 offers support for MP3, WAV, WMA and eAAC+ for audio, along with a whole host of video formats, including DivX, XviD, MP4, WMV, H.263 and H.264. The inclusion of a 3.5mm audio jack allows for the use of any personal headphone set, plus you can listen to audio wirelessly as the HD2 includes Bluetooth 2.1, which allows for stereo wireless audio transmission, as well as making connection between Bluetooth devices a much more simple process. And just in case that wasn’t enough, HTC have also included a Stereo FM radio with RDS.
On top of this, the HD2 offers tight integration with leading social networks, Twitter and Facebook. This includes HTC Peep, HTC’s own branded Twitter client. Another nice app on the HD2 is HTC Footprints, which is a geotagging application that allows you to Geotag areas you visit. So, if you find a nice restaurant, or similar, you can tag the location on the phone. Pretty neat.
The connection options on the HD2 are exactly as expected, with the usual suspects of HSDPA at up to 7.2 Mbps, and HSUPA at up to 2 Mbps, along with WiFi, plus EDGE, GPRS and HSCSD. The HD2 is a quad band handset, so is going to work pretty much anywhere where there is GSM coverage. Internally the HD2 has 448MB RAM, 512MB ROM, and memory is expandable with MicroSD memory cards. All of this is powered by the 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, which helps to ensure a smooth user experience, whilst providing power for the applications on the phone.
Whilst a read through of the specification of the impressive HD2 leaves you with a headache, wondering just how HTC managed to cram all this into one phone, it is important to realise that the HD2 is more than the sum of its parts. So, yes, it is a fully functional, touch enabled, smart device running on Windows Mobile, but it is so much more than that. The HD2 is a step towards just what the humble mobile phone can be, and to call the HD2 a ‘phone’ is almost an insult. Telephony is just one of the many things on offer here, and the potential on offer is mind-blowing. The fact that HTC have made the device so appealing in design is really just an added bonus!
That is sure to whet your appetite, and you won’t have to wait long until you can purchase the HTC HD2, as it is expected to be launched throughout the European market in the coming weeks.
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October 18th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
[...] handset announced was the much rumoured HTC HD2, officially announced to coincide with the release of Windows Mobile 6.5. This smart looking device [...]
October 29th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
I do not understand why no one is complaining about the missing second camera for video calls. If it does not do this then what use it, I could not believe the HD has a camera and the HD2 doesnt.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
But seriously, how many people base their buying decision on a front facing camera? I don’t know anyone who even uses video calls, and for the small percentage out there who use this service, they will hardly dent the sales numbers of the HD2 by refusing to buy.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
if this was android phone i would buy it as soon it comes out
November 5th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
If any phone will be as fluid and smooth as the iPhone its this, could be an iPhone beater… finally!
November 10th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Most phones beat the iPhone, this destroys the iPhone, and with style.
November 13th, 2009 at 9:38 am
It is amazing, I hate Windows and 6.5 hasn’t changed much. HTC Sense is amazing and the hardware is beautiful. Its a mini internet tablet. The opera browser is just as fast as the safari browser and just as quick to render and pinch n zoom. Cant wait till It comes out.
November 17th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I cannot wait to get my hands on this little magic box, its beautiful.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Cant wait until mine lands on my doorstep, I’m expecting it in a couple of days, great review who ever wrote this, sums the phone up excellently.
November 24th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I cant wait, I’ve just ordered mine today, further proof of the phones popularity and how good it is within a week Vodafone where out of stock on this phone
November 30th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Mine will be here tomorrow morning
January 10th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Mine was delivered yesterday, decided I wanted a change from the iPhone 3G and went for the HTC HD2. Its a great phone, taking a little getting used to as it’s quite different from the iPhone but the potential is there to be so much better. Windows Mobile 6.5 is pretty well hidden. I’m on Vodafone but am struggling to figure out how to access Vodafone live and also how to get flash player on it. At least it CAN get flash tho! Definitely the number one competitor for the iPhone and much better priced too!
January 22nd, 2010 at 7:16 am
HTC HD2 is a very cool phone with a great hardware but it should have come out with Android system and not Window Mobile 6.5 because you have to connect to just ONE computer to copy the contacts and emails whereas you can do it automatically using Android through internet. It is ridiculous that Microsoft is forcing you to use their own branded applications when Google is allowing you to use Android phone for any reasons.
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Ordered mine today, so excited!