The HTC HD2 is probably the most anticipated Windows Phone this season. Combining configuration and muscular display non-standard, the HTC HD2 also illustrates the work on HTC interface and ergonomics.
Windows Mobile 6.5 is not convincing and he does not handle natively capacitive screens? Never mind, gratifies its HD2 HTC remarkably interface (HTC Sense) that corrects the shortcomings of the mobile operating system from Microsoft and implements a capacitive display impaired multipoint popularized by Apple’s smartphone.
If Windows Mobile 6.5 will not raise the enthusiasm of the crowds on Windows Phone, HTC HD2 is remarkable in more ways than one.
A standard off-screen and a robust configuration
With dimensions of 120.5 x 67 x 11.6 mm, we can classify the HTC HD2 in the category of compact tactile. If he is indeed cumbersome, the HD2 also enjoys the largest screen ever seen on a mobile. With a diagonal of 4.3 inches or 11 inches, the slab HTC HD2 proves very comfortable and has a high resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. A resolution granting an accurate and detailed for your media or Web browsing.
Great first on a Windows Phone, HTC HD2 has a capacitive screen and multipoint. We owe this innovation to the manufacturer from Taiwan since natively, Windows Mobile 6.5 does not support this screen technology popularized by the iPhone.
We welcome the initiative and the remarkable work of HTC, the HD2 offers a tactile experience similar to the iPhone, something not seen on the Windows Mobile.
The only downside on this screen outside the norm, the HD2 provides only 65,000 colors where competitors such as the iPhone benefit of 16.7 million colors. The HTC HD2 advance and less nuance in the display.
The HTC HD2 is gratified to see a pattern with a robust Qualcomm Snapdragon processor 1 GHz and above 448 MB of RAM to run Windows Mobile 6.5 without too much slowdown. The management of background tasks are still problematic on Windows Mobile devices, it appreciates the contribution of Ram memory consistent.
With a gross output of 1GHz, the HD2 is fluid to use. If he is also saving energy, battery 1230 mAh seems undersized for a camera of this caliber. The result is final, in most uses, the HD2 just to offer a day of use. The HD2 comes with a charger / microUSB cable / USB, it should therefore not be separated from the road.
HTC is not very generous on accessories: no cover, no microSD card, packaging HTC HD2 is weak with only a charger, USB cable / headphones and microUSB.
For storage of data will therefore acquire a memory card up to 32GB microSD HC connectivity the HTC HD2 is a classic high-end smartphone, you will find the Wi-Fi b / g, HSDPA / HSUPA 7 2 Mbps but also Bluetooth 2.0 and GPS (A-GPS). A 3.5 mm jack, a mono speaker jack and a microUSB complement the equipment HTC HD2.
A tablet for the Web
With the exception of slab and its multitouch abilities as the HD2 is THE ultimate web tablet. The high resolution display offers a detailed and specific web pages and limits scrolling horizontally or vertically.
The HTC HD2 natively integrates two browsers, Opera Mobile 9.7 which has the multitouch and Internet Explorer Mobile 6, which manages the flash. We would have preferred a single browser incorporates these two features, it would have been more convenient.
Opera Mobile 9.7 shows a better Web experience similar to the iPhone 3G, the screen size and more! The two finger zoom is remarkable, and Opera has numerous options such as managing tabs, favorites, download, copy and paste. The menus are less sexy than the iPhone for example but they are equally functional.
Internet Explorer 6 has clearly grown and now provides correct ergonomics including a vertical zoom bar. However, resizing Web pages is often laborious.
The main novelty is obviously the flash management. If the video playback was choppy in flash on the Samsung Omnia 2, the HTC HD2 broadcasts without slowing down the Web videos. Streaming is still perfectible but it is now useable! By double clicking you can view the video in full screen. Again we found no crippling slowdowns in reading.
The HTC HD 2 is the first mobile to offer a satisfactory management of content in Flash.
An intuitive software overlay on the Windows Mobile 6.5 disappointing
The HTC HD2 is powered by Windows Mobile 6.5. If we have not been convinced by the “new” operating system from Microsoft, HTC has bestowed its HD2 excellent overlay software, HTC Sense.
This Pali ergonomic flaws of Windows Mobile 6.5 by being efficient and intuitive. A scroll bar at the bottom of the screen contains the main uses (favorite applications, web, mail, stocks, photos, video, weather parameters) and it is also possible to scroll by touching the screen vertically or horizontally .
Customization of tabs is always possible, the capacitive screen can easily navigate through the different menu interface HTC Sense is a true success.
Behind The brilliant interface HTC, there are less sexy menus of Windows Mobile and sometimes it causes bug.
In practice, the HD2 has clearly convinced it is seen especially penalized by its operating system, Windows Mobile 6.5, including the management of open applications and the lack of applications available on the Microsoft Marketplace.
If the HD2 is multitasking applications closed still running in the background which can cause slowdowns. Thankfully, HTC has given its HD2 448 MB of RAM allowing it to handle several tasks at once without slowing down.
The Marketplace has an ergonomic fit very close to the App Store with many tabs (top sales category) but it is not provided. Only forty cons 100,000 applications for the App Store. Recent service, and therefore they argued that the Microsoft Marketplace wait to catch up.
Meanwhile, the HD2 sees its limited software upgrade.
It will be possible to download applications directly from the browser’s HD2 (application. Cab) or on your PC. Many applications compatible with Windows Mobile 6.1 are also with the 6.5 HTC HD2.
Beware of compatibility problems with a 800 x 480 pixels certain applications such as video players are not managed and cause crashes.
GPS, audio and video multimedia smartphone?
With its interface HTC Sense, the HD2 provides privileged access to multimedia content. By switching the HTC HD2 in landscape mode, is accessed directly from the main menu to MP3 player mode CoverFlow. Very inspired by the iPhone, the audio player offers the same features and has been rather convincing. The audio quality is the rendezvous with the headphones however we must not rely too much on the quality of reproduction of the sole speaker.
For the video, things get complicated. The native player is limited only shows that the manager. Wmv,. Asf,. Mp4, .3 gp, .3 g2,. M4v and. Avi. If one wants to fully exploit the capabilities of the HTC HD2, it will download another video player. The Windows Marketplace are desperately empty we knocked on the VLC Windows Mobile, namely TCPMP.
As mentioned previously, the HD2 can suffer compatibility problems here, only the version 0.72RC1 ARM PPC functioned. With the latter, all you will read Divx without encoding.
Most geeks will surely further by displaying flow 720p. We have found that they could be read as long play on the encoding settings and management of hardware acceleration.
By using GPS, the HD2 is convincing with a hook signal 3 to 4 seconds. The solution provided navigation, CoPilot Live is free for 15 days. This solution on board seemed to us very efficient with the ability to download maps from the HTC HD2. Mutipoint management is implemented, it is possible to zoom in on two fingers on the mapping.
The HTC HD2 is a UFO mobility. The large display allows use hybrid between a mobile phone and a tablet or a large media player. Thin and not so bulky that the HTC HD2 convinced us in most uses.
Apart autonomy clearly disappointing, it is mostly defaults Windows Mobile 6.5 coming penalize this very good mobile.
The management of background tasks is always problematic, the download store of applications is too sparse and we sometimes see faces some annoying bugs.
We applaud the outstanding work on the HTC interface and integration of a capacitive multi-screen but the Taiwanese manufacturer can not repair itself the faults inherent in Windows Mobile 6.5. We take comfort in considering that the HTC HD2 will be compatible with the upcoming Windows Mobile 7.
Plus : Big screen high-resolution screen and capacitive multipoint interface HTC Sense effective, proper management of Flash (including video streaming), good finish, excellent web tablet, GPS navigation solution and fast native speed of execution through the hardware solid skills for video and video games
Less : Windows Mobile 6.5: Windows Marketplace little provided in applications, management of background tasks still a problem, compatibility issues with the display in certain applications, few accessories (no cover or memory card), but high resolution screen only 65,000 colors, autonomy but fair, average quality listening
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