Best Phone Blog

The new HTC Legend mobile device has definitely caused quite a stir in the industry, and it has been one of the most keenly-awaited devices to make its while its eventual release a little later this year cannot come soon enough for some. Insiders have speculated that the Legend may well step into the shoes of one of its forebears, the HTC Hero, which many believed to be an excellent phone in its own right. It must be said also that the Legend also compares very favourably indeed to another of HTC’s new releases, the Desire – another big head-turner at Geneva’s mobile phone conference.

In terms of basic aesthetics the Legend does certainly beat the Desire in the fashion and style stakes, with its Apple Mac-like manufacture from one single block of aluminium. On the Macbook this was referred to as a unibody design and it also serves the HTC Legend very well indeed.  The Legend’s overall finish is also pleasing to both the eye and the hand as was the Macbook’s, and this elevates it even further ahead of the Desire in terms of fashionable desirability.

According to HTC’s marketing gurus the design concept behind the Legend is ‘hidden power’, which aims to produce a device that can combine both design and function in one handset. Certainly the unibody design goes a long way to fulfilling this vision as it does away with the need for separate frames and covers. This is not only a good thing stylistically but also with regards to the phone’s functions and features as it affords that much more room and space for components is available for the phone itself. For this reason the Legend can pull further away still from the Hero as it is able to incorporate an extremely vibrant 3,2-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen that is truly wonderful to behold, although it is still a little smaller that the larger screen seen on the Desire.

The Legend has made further enhancements over its predecessors as well, including a much better and more functionally designed keypad. There is also a navigation button rather than a trackball, which is very much in keeping with the new industry norm as trackballs are really fading from fashion due to their propensity to break. It may well be, however, that users will not even ever need to use the navigation button due to the fact that the touchscreen is so wonderfully responsive.

Two more excellent features of the Legend are its Android 2.1 operating system and the overlaid HTC Sense UI which appears somewhat similar to the Sense first seen on the Hero. It has, however, been significantly enhanced on the Legend with a whole raft of new features. One of the central new features is the Leap view, which allows the user to see every open operating screen and easily navigate between them with just a pinch of the finger.

The Legend also runs the useful Friend Stream which combines such oft-used social networking sites as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr in one single stream. Due to this you now no longer need to follow your contacts over several different platforms, although you can still receive separate feeds-it’s just that you can receive them in one place – very useful for the internet socially inclined.

The back of the Legend houses the almost ubiquitous 5-megapixel camera with its integral LED flash – great for snaps in a wide range of lighting conditions. The connectivity of the Legend is also very good, and wireless connectivity is also afforded through HSDPA, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For those interested in getting one of their own the Legend should grace store shelves with is presence this April, so be sure to be the first in line to get your hands on it yourself if you want to latest in HTC’s subtle yet stylish power.

The HTC Photon was one of the mobile devices revealed last year when the HTC 2010 roadmap was leaked. Included in the document are the HTC Bravo and HTC Legend; two of today’s much awaited upcoming Android smart phones. There were three more Android devices in the roadmap as well as three Windows Mobile smart phones. The HTC Salsa, Tide and Buzz are various mid range Android phones while the HTC Photon, Trophy and Tera are business-centric Windows Mobile devices.

It is surprising to know that HTC has already resumed work on the Photon. Originally, the Photon was meant to be using the old Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system to be coupled with the HTC TouchFlo user interface which would make the OS compatible with the touch screen display. Now, it has been reported that the Photon would be using the newly unveiled WinMo 6.5.3 Maldives operating system.

What sets 6.5.3 Maldives apart is that it has been made to be used with capacitive touch screen displays with its finger-friendly user interface. So far, it has not been announced if HTC will continue to use the TouchFlo UI skinning.

The HTC Photon is reported to be running the Qualcomm MSM7227 CPU clocked at the speed of 600 MHz. It will also have a 5 mega pixel camera, a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen and a new name: HD Mini. While the Photon is already confirmed, it has yet to be announced if the other two WinMo phones, the Trophy and the Tera will also be released this year.

Oddly enough, the Photon is pretty much a mini version of the HD2. The HTC HD2 is one of the most successful WinMo 6.5 devices (though it got pulled out of Vodafone’s 2010 lineup).

Read more about the HTC Photon aka, HD Mini, at Mobile Choice UK.

The HTC Smart phone is one the handset manufactures newest offerings. It will be different from most of the mobile phones manufactured by HTC. For one, this phone won’t be a typical smartphone.  Instead, it will run on the Qualcomm’s Brew Mobile Platform. The features and specs also won’t be as impressive as many of the other HTC phones.  There has been some talk that the Smart handset is being designed for a newer user who will hopefully upgrade to one of the company’s more expensive phones after they become acquainted with the Smart, which is a akin to a introductory phone.

The Smart has 256MB of RAM and ROM memory. Individuals can add more via the phone’s microSD card slot.  It has a pretty small display at 2.8 inches which comes with a resistance screen. The phone has a 3.0 megapixel camera, which isn’t bad.  There are handsets on the market with less impressive megapixels.  The processor on the phone is about average at 300 MHz.

The HTC Smart is scheduled to be released in Europe and in Asia sometime during the Spring of this year (2010) which is just a few short months away.  No price has been reported for the phone or any hint of what HTC Smart contracts might be on offer. However, that information should be forthcoming and will probably be announced or leaked just prior to the phone’s release.

Overall, the HTC Smart is a pretty decent phone. It is not as good as some of the other HTC mobiles like the HD2, but it also won’t be as expensive.  Individuals will be able to purchase the Smart during the first or second quarter of 2010. The company has announced that it will launch in Europe and Asia first. There has been no word regarding whether or not it will be released elsewhere and when that might occur. Until such information is given, the only thing known for sure is that the phone will be available on those continents.

The HTC HD2 is out and its making waves with fans of the Winmo operating system. As a device that runs Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional on a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, the HD2 stands as one of the best WinMo phones available on the market. The best feature of the HTC HD2 however, is the 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen display with an impressive resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The whole packages makes the HD2 a sought after device. Originally announced as the HTC Leo, then later as Touch 2, and now as the HD2, this device has been changing its names a lot but not its features.

HTC HD2 for O2

Some might be speculating if O2 will carry the HTC HD2; and the wait, is over. Right now, O2 is offering the HTC HD2 for free on plan.  At 40 Euro per month, it’s a great deal and you only need to sign up for one contract. If O2 is not your thing, Vodafone also offers the HTC HD2 for similar rates. For everyone else, there’s always the option to turn to retail.

HD2 Hardware Specifications

The HTC HD2’s biggest asset is its 4.3 inch screen. The display resolution of 480 x 800 pixels is stunningly crisp and clear, and the actual screen brightness delivers visual joy. The Snapdragon processor has 1 GHz of power, more than enough to run the Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional operating system and the HTC Sense (HTC Sense is an improved version of the HTC TouchFlo interface). The 1230 mAh battery provides excellent battery life for both talk times (up to 6 hours) and stand-by (over 400 hours).

Overall, the whole phone weighs in at 157 grams. Slightly noticeable, but it will hardly put a strain on you. All in all, the HTC HD2 is an excellent mobile phone that combines an OS with good features with an excellent proprietary interface; and it has an amazing screen too.

If you have been looking forward to getting the HTC Click and cannot seem to find any new updates for it, it is because this HTC Android 1.6 Donut smart phone has been renamed to Tattoo. Do not worry though, aside from the name change, nothing else has been altered in the mobile phone. For the rest of you wondering what is so special about this HTC Android (HTC has been pretty prolific with creating Android smart phones), the Tattoo is more of a mid-tier mobile phone that provides great features, standard hardware and a really reasonable price. Reasonable, but still not cheap, you be able to find a good contract or deal for an unlimited internet access subscription.

Consolidation of Contacts

Contact information in your mobile phone can be consolidated with you internet profiles. The HTC Tattoo will support Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and several other social networking websites through web integrated applications in the Tattoo giving you quick access of updates, uploaded media, tweets, everything. If you have a favorite contact who keeps you constantly amused with their funny uploads, you can easily track all their shared media with the Tattoo. HTC takes the integration one step further by adding hotkeys on the device allowing you to instantly access these web integrated features. If you want to go check Twitter or make a Tweet of your own, a single touch of the Tweet button will bring you to the page you need.

Why Go for a Contract

As you may have expected, web access will give you the best features of this mobile phone. The Tattoo makes full utilization of both its web integrated applications and the many Google Mobile Web applications such as Google Maps, Google Mail and Google Talk. The best contracts for the HTC Tattoo are those that give you unlimited internet access.

If you are the kind of person who likes to work on the go and needs a mobile phone that can serve as a mini-desktop office, then the HTC Touch 2 is the perfect mobile phone for you. There are plenty of other mobile phones out there that cater specifically to messaging and typing applications, but office needs require more than that. This is where the hardware of HTC and the features of Windows Mobile provide you with all the features that you will need. Office based purchasers should consider looking up some HTC Touch 2 contracts for their companies if you plan on providing this mobile phone to your employees; and we certainly recommend that you do.

Windows Mobile Office on the Go

The most important feature of Windows Mobile, no matter what version is the Pocket Office. This gives you access and creation capabilities for Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. These three file formats are the cornerstone of many office papers and presentations. Aside from Pocket Office, there is also Outlook for sending and receiving emails. New in version 6.5 of Windows Mobile Professional is the Windows Marketplace, an application store that allows users to get new applications for their mobile phones. This will increase the capabilities of your HTC Touch 2.

The Touch 2’s Overall Score

If you check other Touch 2 reviews, you will find that many other people have found that this mobile phone is best fitting for a specific purpose instead of being a multi usage device. Overall, it’s a great mobile phone with a decent OS and solid hardware capabilities. The only thing missing are additional web integrated applications but that should be fixed with the inclusion of the application store. Others might say that this device will be facing competition from the XPERIA X2, but the Touch 2 has a niche of its own.

There have been a number of rumours and unofficial leaks about the HTC Click which have kept us interested and eagerly awaiting an official release of the phone. It had finally come and with it, a change of name for the HTC Click to HTC Tattoo, which is the way to go when targeting a young audience. The snazzy looks along with the Android OS and the affordable price tag means that the phone will also appeal to the mass market in addition to the young market.

The phone will make use of a QVGA resistive touchscreen, which is not normal as all previous Android touchscreen phones have come with a high – resolution HVGA capacitive screen. HTC have provided a reason for this, stating that the resistive technology is more suited towards 2.8 inch screens, which is what is used in the HTC Tattoo.

The press release also reveals that the HTC Tattoo will make use of a 528 MHz Qualcomm CPU and will also make use of 256 MB of RAM. The performance front is well and truly covered with these specs, meaning that you won’t be disappointed as far as performance is concerned.

Some of the other highlights of the phone include the 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, FM radio, 3.5 mm headset jack, onboard digital compass, GPS, accelerometer sensor, miniUSB port and GPS. The HTC Sense UI will be utilized in the HTC Tattoo.

The press release ends with the revealing of the release date of the HTC Tattoo, which is scheduled for the beginning of October in UK as well as the rest of Europe. The other parts of the world will get the HTC Tattoo in the next few months. Other HTC Tattoo Reviews have said that the phone will be released with a price of 200 Euros (180 Pounds), though HTC have made no official mention of it. Be sure to keep up to date with all the latest HTC Tattoo deals on offer.

It is safe to say that the iPhone and the BlackBerry are probably the two premier Smartphones in the market today. Both are pioneers in their own regard and have definitely revolutionized the mobile phone arena in one way or another. HTC also wants its taste of the glory and they intend to take some home through the new HTC Hero. Here’s how the new Hero fares against the big boys.

BlackBerry Blues

What made the BlackBerry what it is today can be vastly attributed to its immaculate QWERTY keyboard. It was one of the firsts in the business to have this type of keypad and theirs was definitely a game changer. They revolutionized mobile messaging by not only having excellent messaging applications, but also by accompanying them with probably the best QWERTY keyboard in the market today.

There isn’t much to compare with the HTC Hero as it actually makes use of a digital on-screen QWERTY pad. Although nothing beats the real thing, HTC has done a commendable job here. They’ve improved the functionality and responsiveness of the keyboard which makes typing a breeze on the HTC Hero. But then again, there’s nothing like an actual physical QWERTY keyboard.

iPhone Madness

The HTC Hero definitely has appeal; it makes use of an exceptional and attention-grabbing design. Nonetheless, it still lacks the wow factor of the iPhone which honestly, we don’t think anyone can match in the near future.

OS-wise, the HTC Hero has given the Android a major makeover. They have come up with an excellently revamped OS that when combined with the exceptional Sense UI, makes for a viable contender for the iPhone’s unparalleled operating system.

However, when all things are considered (i.e. application and widget set, hardware, data connectivity, social networking integration, etc) the HTC Hero is definitely able to hold its own. Although it isn’t exactly a pioneer (although its work on the Android is quite revolutionary), it is categorically an excellent device in its own right.

HTC Hero Links:

• HTC Hero Contracts
• HTC Hero on Vodafone
• HTC Hero on Orange

As the middle of summer approaches we thought that we would compile a list of the hottest handsets on the planet right now and then tell you the cheapest contract that you can get them on. We opted for the middle ground of an 18 month contract on all handsets, although you can save even more by going for 24 or even 36 month deals, although we have no idea why anyone would want to commit for that long! So here is what we found
1) Nokia N97 deals – The hottest Nokia handset on the planet right now, we’re not sure that there is anything that it can’t do. It is a little pricey at £40.00 per month, but for that you are getting 800 minutes and unlimited texts on T-Mobile and let’s face it, a phone like this deserves a big monthly allowance.
2) Nokia 5530 deals – If you don’t want the QWERTY keyboard and want to pay about half the price of the N97, then the Nokia 5530 is the one for you. Just over £20.00 gets you a wopping 600 minutes and unlimited text messages on Vodafone. You also get the added bonus of an Xpressmusic subscription for unlimited download of tracks.
3) Sony W995 deals – Sony Ericsson have produced a superb phone here, although the camera does not quite live up to the one on the C905 (no more LED flashes please). However the music functionality is excellent. You can get the W995 for £21.00 per month with 400 minutes and 500 texts on Orange.
4) HTC Hero deals – The best Android phone out there and a true iPhone rival in our opinion. The ting is with HTC is that you always know there is something better just around the corner. However until that is made known you can get the Hero for £31.00 per month on Vodafone with the ever popular 600 minutes and unlimited texts.
5) Samsung Jet deals – Another Android phone and one that hasn’t received the marketing push it truly deserves. We love this handset and with the ever increasing amount of Android Apps available we reckon it is well worth spot number 5. 400 minutes and 3000 texts on Orange for £21.20 per month is a bargain as well.
6) Blackberry 8520 deals – The latest Blackberry to hit the shelves sticks to its well known looks and design. You know what they say, if it aint broke, don’t try and fix it and this is exactly what Blackberry have done. Our pick is the O2 deal with 600 minutes and 500 texts with £170 automatic cashback for £35.00 per month.
7) HTC touch diamond 2 deals – A very much improved version of the original touch diamond, the interface is much more user friendly and it looks great too. O2 win the day here, offering 400 minutes and 500 texts for under £30.00
Samsung Pixon 12 deals – For the serious mobile phone user, the Pixon 12 sports a much better camera than the original handset, but you are looking at a £40.00 per month deal with 900 minutes and unlimited texts.
I’m sure we have missed some great phones out and if you find a deal that you think should be on here, let us know in the comments section and we will let everyone know.

Wouldn’t it be funny, right, if you went into a T-Mobile shop and said “hello shopkeep, I would like to purchase on this find day today something I read about on the interweb. It’s a phone, a cracking if somewhat ugly Google Android phone called the HTC Hero. That’s right, spotty young sir, the HTC Hero. Apparently it’s all very modern and efficient in connecting you to said interweb whilst also being able to fit into your hand, being as it is a mobile phone communication device. Now what, sniggering urchin, do you say to my request. Hmm?”

And then the acne-ridden tool would mumble something about the HTC Hero actually being re-branded as the T-Mobile G2 Touch for it’s release on T-Mobile. That is was exactly the same phone, but T-Mobile had just given it a different name. “But I want the HTC Hero, see, look here, I printed out the thing here, on this sheet right here, look at this, if you can read, you miserable buffoon – the HTC Hero it says, several times in fact. This is the phone I would like to purchase today. I have cash. Plenty of it too. More than you probably earn in a week you giggling piece of grease.”

And the admonished clerk might try and explain again that the T-Mobile Touch was exactly the same phone. Exactly. That the HTC Hero just isn’t called the HTC Hero on T-Mobile. Then he might even pull up this T-Mobile G2 Touch review on his screen to prove it. Or show the gentleman the official page, then the same page for the HTC Hero and show how all the specs and stats lined up. But then the gent would demand, would absolutely insist that he wanted the HTC Hero… and it would be hilarious.

Right? Wouldn’t it? Ahh, balls to you. It’s comedy gold and you know it. If only the cast of Monty Python were still around, they’d be up for it…