HTC HD2 Leo
I’m converted and it’s by a windows mobile device! How did this happen? I’m not too sure!
One of the most talked about handsets in some time has arrived and I must say it’s been next to impossible to get my hands on one. However despite the delays and stock shortage this is one handset that truly was worth the wait.
Don’t let my excitement fool you though. There sure are some serious little bugs when it comes to the HD2 so read on and decide for yourselves!
Construction and Build:
The HD2 feels like quite a hefty piece of kit. It’s solid and feels like you could knock it about a fair bit and it’d come out just fine. However it is on the large side due to it’s massive screen. It’s thinner than I expected but for those of us not blessed with large hands you’re going to struggle trying to use this beast one handed.
The camera lens sticks out and really disrupts the smooth and stylish look of the handset. Also I can’t help but worry that since it sticks out so much that it might take a fair bit of damage. I suppose only time will tell!
UI and OS:
The HD2 takes on Windows updated software, 6.5 and will be fully upgradeable to Windows mobile 7 when it launches early 2010. This of course will be free of charge. 6.5 is nice enough to use without driving me insane like the earlier versions of windows mobile. It’s far more finger friendly.
Now if you’ve read my earlier reviews you will know me as an iPhone fan so lets get down and dirty! As I said right at the beginning I’m converted. When it comes down to it however I’ve found windows 6.5 isn’t as good as my iPhone but it allows so many advantages that it’s worth suffering the flaws in the software. For starters, I can change my ringtone, wallpaper, theme, send files via Bluetooth or maybe just drag and drop media from my pc to the phone. Granted I could do all of this on my Sony Ericson k800i but it has been sorely lacking on my iPhone.
What will strike you almost immediately if you’re migrating from iPhone to the HD2 is texting isn’t as fluid, it’s a little more complicated and in some features downright annoying. What I would say is give it time before deciding you’re going to take this back and trade it in for an Iphone 3GS, trust me once you get the hang of it it truly is a great piece of kit!
Camera:
The phone really excels in this area. I’ve been snapping away on my HD2 since I got it and once again I’m able to use it for video capture. The flash is superb, however on occasions it is too bright and drowns everything out. The image quality really is brilliant and the tap to focus really does a great job. To be honest it’s the best combination of camera and smartphone I have used yet and I’ve taken a fair few for a test run!
Sound:
I’m not a massive fan of using the phones speakers to play music but on the odd occasions where I have the quality tends to be lacking. However the HD2 shows off once again here. The quality is clear and I can get a decent volume from the device without using any external speakers.
Plus your headphones or speakers in and you can have a play with the audio booster and customise noise levels. To be honest the headphones are loud enough without the audio booster but if you like to sit on the bus and let everyone else hear what you’re listening to then you’re in for a treat!
I’ve noticed that voice calls remain clear and audible even when in loud environments. The phone seems to really stand it’s ground well here. However the voice quality is a little tinny overall which is slightly disappointing.
Other Features:
Flash player support in the web browser is a welcome addition. This completes the browsing experience on the handset.
Conclusion:
In conclusion I think I’m in love. However I will admit love is blind. This certainly isn’t the handset for everyone. If you aren’t the kind of person who likes to figure out how things work and prefer it simple and easy to use then I suggest avoiding the HD2. However if you like to explore and have control over everything on your phone then this is the device for you!
I’m so happy that I no longer have to do everything through iTunes. I don’t have to spend hours converting movies so I can put them on my phone, it’s just all so easy now. These things might seem trivial but in all honesty how many times have you sat groaning at your iPhone wishing it was just a little easier to get media from one location to the other?
Again this is one of those phones you need to go out and play with. Remember it is big, very big. Don’t just look at pictures on the internet, they don’t show the HD2 as it really is. I’ll say one thing though, it’s worth putting up with!
Things are only going to get better for the HD2, especially when windows mobile 7 launches. If I could give you one piece of advice it would be to go out and check this out!
Advantages:
- Huge 4.3" 65K-color WVGA capacitive touchscreen
- Multi-touch input
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional OS with Sense UI
- Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz CPU and 448MB RAM
- Quad-band GSM support
- 3G with HSDPA 7.2Mbps
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support
- Stereo FM radio with RDS
- 5 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and touch focus
- VGA video recording at 30fps
- microSD card slot
- Standard microUSB port and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
- Standard 3.5mm audio jack
- Great audio quality
- MS Office Mobile document editor
- Opera 9.5 web browser
- YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration
- Excellent video playback performance
- Good battery life
Disadvantages
- Very Big
- Poor sunlight legibility
- Card slot under the battery cover
- No dedicated camera key and no lens cover
- No DivX/XviD video support out-of-the-box
- Preloaded CoPilot Live navigation software is a trial version
- No secondary video-call camera
- No voice dialing
- No handwriting recognition
- Dodgy web Flash support