The "Wow" Factor is Included (1/4)

HTC Touch HD with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional


November 13, 2008
Review by: Brandon Miniman, Editor-in-Chief

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INTRODUCTION
    From the day we first caught a glimpse of the Touch HD, we've been in love. The device features a screen that has a larger size and much higher resolution than the iPhone, and its gorgeous, minimalist design, has caught the attention of many. Every time I show this to someone for the first time, the response is always the same: "Wow!" In this review, we'll take a deep and thorough look at the sexy Touch HD, and will help you decide if it should be your next mobile phone. Read on for more!

WHAT'S HOT
    Let's talk specs. The Touch HD sports a Qualcomm MSM7201A processor running at 528MHz. It has 512MB ROM (322MB accessible), 288MB RAM (195MB accessible), and has a microSD/HC expansion slot for added memory. Most Touch HDs are shipping with an 8GB microSD card, which is great. The screen is a huge 3.8" and is WVGA 480x800 resolution, making for a pixel density of 245ppi (the Touch Diamond's screen is 285ppi and the Apple iPhone's screen is 164ppi). It's a quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900) phone with dualband UMTS (900/2100) with HSDPA and HSUPA. It also has assisted GPS, WiFi b & g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, USB 2.0, FM radio, and an accelerometer for screen rotations in Opera Mobile and while viewing photos. The rear camera is 5MP with auto focus and no flash, and the front camera for video calls is VGA resolution. Powering all of this is a 1350mAh battery. For even more specs, check out PDAdb.net.

(all images link to larger versions)

The Touch HD, which features a massive 3.8" wide VGA screen, is gorgeous, and perfect for viewing multimedia like photos and video.

In hand, the Touch HD feels quite large because of its height and width which is needed to accommodate the huge screen.

Using Opera Mobile 9.5 for internet browsing on the Touch HD is a joy.

    Here is an idea on how the Touch HD compares in size versus the Samsung Omnia, iPhone 3G, and Touch Diamond. It's almost the same dimensions as the iPhone, but a bit wider, as you'll see in a picture later in the review. Also, if you're interested in how the screen of the Touch HD compares to the Diamond/Touch Pro, check out this post.

Device
Size (inches)
Weight (grams | ounces)
4.33" x 2.09" x 0.59"
117 | 4.12
4.66" x 2.48" x 0.47"
130 | 4.58
4.56" x 2.33" x 0.67"
188 | 6.63
4.64" x 2.36" x 0.48"
129 | 4.55
3.96" x 2.34" x 0.67"
133 | 4.76
4.68" x 2.44" x 0.67"
188 | 6.63
4.58" x 2.42" x 0.47"
120 | 4.20
4.56" x 2.33" x 0.65"
178 | 6.28
3.92" x 2.41" x 0.60"
137 | 4.83
4.24" x 2.09" x 0.53"
117 | 4.12
4.17" x 2.00" x 0.85"
151 | 5.34
4.41" x 2.24" x 0.49"
122 | 4.30
4.57" x 1.70" x 0.64"
140 | 4.94
4.88" x 2.44" x 0.53"
130 | 4.56
4.21" x 2.20" x 0.55"
120 | 4.20
4.53" x 2.47" x 0.47"
146 | 5.15
4.63" x 2.19" x 0.67"
158 | 5.57
4.35" x 2.07" x 0.67"
158 | 5.57
4.56" x 2.41" x 0.51"
125 | 4.41
4.44" x 2.36" x 0.55"
133 | 4.69
4.01" x 1.98" x 0.55"
124 | 4.37
8.28" x 4.67" x 1.08"
640 | 22.5
4.48" x 2.52" x 0.59"
154 | 5.43
4.17" x 2.38" x 0.68"
147 | 5.18
4.01" x 2.00" x 0.71"
165 | 5.82
4.41" x 2.24" x 0.49"
122 | 4.30
4.41" x 2.28" x 0.73"
140 | 4.94
4.61" x 2.51" x 0.78"
183 | 6.45
4.40" x 2.40" x 0.50"
123 | 4.34
4.01" x 2.00" x 0.45"
110 | 3.88
4.56" x 2.36" x 0.70"
200 | 7.05
4.60" x 2.30" x 0.50"
110 | 3.88
4.30" x 2.40" x 0.60"
120 | 4.23
4.20" x 2.30" x 0.60"
136 | 4.79
3.70" x 2.30" x 0.60"
126 | 4.44
4.48" x 2.39" x 0.51"
116 | 4.09
4.60" x 2.60" x 0.50"
134 | 4.70
4.40" x 2.32" x 0.75"
190 | 6.70
4.10" x 2.10" x 0.60"
150 | 5.30
4.01" x 1.97" x 0.78"
110 | 3.88
4.40" x 2.32" x 0.75"
190 | 6.70
4.40" x 2.50" x 0.50"
120 | 4.20

WHAT'S IN THE BOX

Here is the unboxing video for the Touch HD.

This is the box for the Touch HD.

HTC provides a lot of accessories for the Touch HD - pretty much everything you need. Included is a fabric pouch, wall charger, sync cable, earphones, 8GB microSD card, extra stylus, screen protector, and reading material/software.

THE DEVICE

The entire front of the Touch HD is a uniform piece of plastic, under which a layer of glass resides.

On the top of the device we have a speaker, plus light sensor to the right. On the far right side is the front-facing video camera.

    There are just four hardware buttons on the front (Call Start+End, Home, and Back/OK) that are touch-sensitive, so they don't press inward - but you do get a slightly vibration from the device so that you know a press has been registered.

On the first side, we have a good-sized volume rocker on the left.

On the bottom we have HTC's ExtUSB port for syncing and charging, which will work with miniUSB cables. To the right of that is the mic.

On this side, we have the stylus on the left, which is magnetic. Removing the stylus will turn on the screen, like on the Touch Pro and Diamond.

Speaking of the stylus, I found it a bit too short.

On the top we have a power/standby button which has a little status LED within it, plus a welcomed 3.5mm headphone jack for audio.

The back panel is covered in that great non-slip rubbery plastic. On the top, we see the 5MP camera sensor (with no flash) surrounded by a nice brushed-metal mound, and the loudspeaker to the left of it.

Taking off the easy-to-remove battery cover, we find the SIM card slot, soft reset hole, and microSD slot.

Here's a short hardware tour video of the Touch HD.

COMPARISONS

From left to right, we have the Palm Treo Pro, SE XPERIA X1, Apple iPhone, Touch HD, Samsung Omnia, and HTC Touch Pro.

Here they are in reverse order, stacked.

And here is a profile shot.

    Here is a closer look at the Touch HD next to the iPhone. Although the are almost identical in size, the Touch HD feels much larger (because of the slightly wider body) and thicker (because of the non-rounded edges). You have to admit that the Touch HD is the better looking device here.

Click onto the next page where we'll talk about software and the new version of TouchFLO 3D that comes on the Touch HD.

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