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Hey guys, just sold one of my TG01's and was thinking of what new phone to get. I've been thinking about the Leo, but im not 100% sure yet, how are you guys liking it or disliking it?
any other phones you guys suggest?
well
From my point of view it is the best WinMo phone out there. It does have its issues but they are more from a perspective of it could be done better and does not compare to other competing phones.
The iPhone is also a great phone but a different audience. I personally would/do get frustrated with a iPhone but would easily buy one for my wife.
In every aspect the HD2 tops every other phone and once you get it in your hands you will love it. My battery usage suxs as I can't help picking it up and playing with it. It spends more time being fondled than actually making calls
Video playback is a dream. Screen is great to use and its big but you don't even notice it in your pocket.
5 stars from me.
It's a spectacular handset a far as i'm concerned. Obviously some people have experienced bugs and so they'll have a different perspective, but so far my experience is overwhelmingly positive. I came from a kaiser, and the performance feels like a huge leap. Full desktop-page web browsing is astounding - but maybe those coming from more recent phones wont be so blown away. I just can't believe how quickly it renders desktop content, how smooth the scrolling is, and how readable it all is even at quite a low zoom level.
The handset really is a joy to use. In the past i've had issues with winmo forgetting wireless network keys etc. - no such misfortune here. It's storing 2 or three and switching between them as i move around the building with no hiccups at all. Battery life feels better with wireless on too, but i have not measured this empirically.
I would prefer more apps to auto rotate out of the box, but there are already posts around the net (probably here too although i haven't looked) about easily brining in this sort of tweak. That's the reason you get a phone with this sort of platform really - the flexibility it affords you. The experience is completely customisable, although that said, it's pretty damn fantastic straight out of the box
Leo is the best wm ppc out there right now! Of course all the good scoops are in the threads in the Leo section...
Great phone, best PPC without a doubt.
Certainly not topping every other phone in every aspect, as one person above suggests, but very good.
One line summary of the HD 2: A rough diamond waiting to be polished.
Either wait until Custom ROMS are avaliable or just get a DROID / Milestone
If you like WinMo, Leo's the best WinMo handset at teh moment. Probably you will have to figure out what you really expect from a handset.
Btw, Milestone yuck! Just sayin'
I heard on two main issues:
1. Pink tint on the pictures (is it fixed yet)?
2. WinMo typical slow downs over time. Lags, etc, even on the Sense UI level. Is it true?
How does it compare to units like HTC Pro for instance in terms of smootheness and lags?
I have leo for two days and I can say att the device is lovely,is big but dont take any place when i put them in my jeans pocket,the touch screen is the best one ever,but is some annoyings bugs in them,wait for a uppdate of the rom for to by or try to fix,I wil tell you some of them in my device:
-audio manager crash after 45 sec to play a song with my memory card(sanddisk16gb)
-pink color in album with the camera pictures
-when you take a picture the music stop and you need to go to the player and start again to play the song
-bluetooth sound is like a AM radio and the volume can´t be controlled(SE HBH-IS800)
-dont play the almost video format
-maybe is coming something more in the way
my previous device:Xperia x1 and many many others
Amator72 said:
I heard on two main issues:
1. Pink tint on the pictures (is it fixed yet)?
2. WinMo typical slow downs over time. Lags, etc, even on the Sense UI level. Is it true?
How does it compare to units like HTC Pro for instance in terms of smootheness and lags?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Haven't made many pictures yet but I know I don't have to expect much from the HTC camera's unfortunately. Was the same on the HTC Touch Pro. It's really a shame they don't put better camera modules in their phones but ok... The pink tint IS an issue appearantly and doesn't seem to be fixed yet.
2. Haven't noticed any slowdowns like this... There is the occasional hickup
but they seem to be caused more by a certain application or part of the sense software then by windows mobile.
Compared to the HTC Touch Pro and Omnia Qwerty Pro (B7610) it's fast. I really notice a difference opening apps, going through files, going through settings, etc.
Browsing is a dream, much faster then on the HTC Touch Pro and B7610 as well. It seems my connection is better but also the cpu makes a difference. And then there's the huge screen, REALLY helps a lot.
Same goes for playing videos. Again the screen and cpu make it such a delight. Videos unable to play on the Touch Pro and B7610 play very smoothly on the HD2.
They onscreen keyboard was a problem for me in the beginning, I had a really hard time typing even one word correctly. Now with the firmware update this seems mostly fixed. I still miss keys every now and then (I don't use XT9 correction) but I find typing to be much easier now. Coming from phones with hardware keyboards this was one of the main issues for me, how would it be without a hardware keyboard, but again the screensize makes this very doable.
All in all I'm loving the phone so far...
ivo34 said:
I have leo for two days and I can say att the device is lovely,is big but dont take any place when i put them in my jeans pocket,the touch screen is the best one ever,but is some annoyings bugs in them,wait for a uppdate of the rom for to by or try to fix,I wil tell you some of them in my device:
-audio manager crash after 45 sec to play a song with my memory
card(sanddisk16gb)
-pink color in album with the camera pictures
-when you take a picture the music stop and you need to go to the player and start again to play the song
-bluetooth sound is like a AM radio and the volume can´t be controlled(SE HBH-IS800)
-dont play the almost video format
-maybe is coming something more in the way
my previous device:Xperia x1 and many many others
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About the audioplayer 45 second crash. No problems here, is this always the case for you? I use pocketplayer most of the time though, no problems listening to music 2hrs continuously (in the train).
I heard the audio player also stops/pauses/causes problems when the device goes into sleep mode. Something I had on my HTC pro (and believe samsung) as well. Pocketplayer solves this as well...
Have the SE HBH DS-980 bluetooth headset myself and no problems, heard other complaints about the sound quality (and some fix which I haven't tried yet) so perhaps my standards are very low. Pausing, volume, etc controls are working just fine though...
Also no problems with video (formats) playback, again might be due to pocketplayer because the default media player is kinda limited indeed.
dagrim1 said:
About the audioplayer 45 second crash. No problems here, is this always the case for you? I use pocketplayer most of the time though, no problems listening to music 2hrs continuously (in the train).
I heard the audio player also stops/pauses/causes problems when the device goes into sleep mode. Something I had on my HTC pro (and believe samsung) as well. Pocketplayer solves this as well...
Have the SE HBH DS-980 bluetooth headset myself and no problems, heard other complaints about the sound quality (and some fix which I haven't tried yet) so perhaps my standards are very low. Pausing, volume, etc controls are working just fine though...
Also no problems with video (formats) playback, again might be due to pocketplayer because the default media player is kinda limited indeed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use core player and nitrogen,core player works well,also the volume control,nitrogen works but can not control the volume,,I tested with another bluetooth headsets and is the same, and audio manager is continuous crashing,I did hardreset 2 times,the audio quality I fixed whit this thread below,only use decimal:320 instead 256
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4960404&postcount=119
when will the custom roms be avail? anytime soon? anyone know?
Coming from a SEX1, I find this phone to be a huge sigh of relieve. I love it, it's fast. Reception is extremely good.
Camera might be better IMO, personally I don't experience the pink hue, but when taking pictures and watching them on pc I find they aren't good quality at all.Maybe fiddling around with settings would do the trick, but I'm illiterate when it comes to camera settings.
As I said, I love the phone. Pretty sure, you'll fall in love with it.
Its Awesome
Compared to other WinMo phones I have ha I can tell you that the Leo is awesome. The screen is a real winner, yet the overall size is far more comfotable that the hermes or Kaiser that I had before. The sense interface features are stunning. I am extremely happy with my purchase and waiting for the chefs to start tweaking the ROM...
I've owned the TyTN I, TyTn II, SEX1, Palm Pro, etc and the Leo/HD2 is the best WM device by a large margin. One area people may not have mentioned is the great battery life - the best I have seen in a WM device, especially given the size of the screen and the CPU speed.
elite-fusion said:
when will the custom roms be avail? anytime soon? anyone know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cutom roms are ready for cooking but the HardSPL needs to be completed yet before they can be flashed to peoples phones and I havent heard much information on that yet.
HTC Herald > HTC TouchPro > Samsung Omnia > HTC HD2 <--- The best of all. Of course has issues as all phones, but its speed and responsiveness blacks them out.
whats faster guys, the HD2 or the TG01, anyone knows? i had the TG01 actually had 2, sold one, and using one for the time being, they are both TG01 and HD2 1ghz, but which one is faster (software wise i guess)
One of the biggests facts making me like the hd2 is the fact is has a capicative screen, so much more responsive, no more getting your stylus of using your fingernail to get things done. Just a very slight touch
I currently have a touch HD/Blackstone and I love it to bits, but the prospect of having a capacitive multitouch screen and much faster responses when navigating round the phone/opening/running apps etc is starting to tempt me very strongly to the HD2/Leo.
Have any of you Leo owners upgraded from the Blackstone? If so, please can you let me know your thoughts on whether it was a good move, what the pros & cons are etc, and whether the new phone really is super fast and slick like the reviews I've read say it is.
If I get one I'd probably want to be running SPB shell on it, which from looking through here I assume it works, but will most apps for the blackstone also work on the Leo?
I know there's no stylus with the Leo for instance, but for fiddly stuff does the screen accept the use of a fingernail for 'precision' (ish!) stuff like checkboxes & small menus, or does it have to be skin contact or a real capacitive stylus etc?
Regardless of whether you upgraded from a Blackstone, are you very pleased with the way the phone works in terms of performance and 'slickness'?
Last questions are - what's the video performance like on the Leo, ie does it have all the problems the HD has in terms of poor out of the box performance with video playback?
And is the bluetooth stuff still hardcoded for the HTC music player (like the blackstone), or would I be able to properly use my sony bluetooth headset to control the likes of coreplayer?
Sorry for all the questions - I really want to upgrade to the Leo, but it will cost me a lot and I don't want to make a mistake.
Many thanks for any useful replies!
Jim
After having the Touch HD for 2 month I really loved it. Everything was running as I wanted it to be ... But then HTC announced the HD2 and I decided to switch to it after watching lots of videos in youtube an other sites. I would do it again ...
I don't have any problems using the OS without a stylus. In fact I wasn't using the stylus or my fingernails on my Touch HD either. I only needed to adapt to the higher screen responsiveness, but that was it.
HD2 pros compared to the Touch HD:
+ MUCH higher build quality. The Touch HD always felt somehow cheap, except it actually wasn't ...
+ Everything is just faster. I wasn't too thrilled with TouchFLO 3D on the Touch HD, as it slowed down the device too much. No problems on the HD2, although the new version of TouchFLO 3D (Sense ...) grew in so many aspects and is now pretty well integrated into the OS.
+ The bigger screen. Didn't thing its a big deal, but the screen-difference between the two devices is astonishing. Its much more fun to use multimediacontent on the HD2.
+ Pinch to Zoom.
I had a HD for nearly a year now and loved it - yes, TF3D ran slowly but it also was more "form than function" and I stopped using it in favour of simple SPB Diary with multiple tabs.
Now having a HD2 for over a month I do love the high speed and slick operation and I even stick with TF3D (or HTC Sense, whatever it's called).
But, there are apps from HD that don't run well on the screen as they expect the precision of a stylus. One example is SPB Finance that I used to record all my expenditures on an almost daily business. This just does not work with a big fat finger !
But, but others work great - CoPilot works really nicely. I tried Route66 on the HD2 as this was a fully legal working purchase on the HD but on the new HD2 it's not good. Nice surprise is the new CoPilot works really well and super fast. Even indoors near a window I can get enough satellites for a 3D fix and moving next to the window gets 7 or 8 sats. HD never achieved that.
My build quality on the HD was fine. On the HD2 you get a real solid feel from the metal battery cover where you naturally hold the device.
HD2 is super quick but the capacitive screen is a weakness. However, this is because most applications have not yet caught up. Many exist that are great with fingers like Resco explorer but others expect a stylus and are hard to use.
As a year long HD user I doubt very much that I won't move back after having got the HD2. My old HD is sitting in a box and I have not been tempted to get it out !
Thanks for the replies guys - I like what I hear!
I think the only thing that might delay me upgrading to an HD2 is the difference in value between selling HD and buying HD2 but we'll see....
Can you clarify a couple of things I'm still not sure about though?
Dave - you said you can't use certain apps from the HD because of the capacitive screen as you don't have a stylus with it (and can't use a normal one I believe), but is it possible to use these apps with a finger nail if you really need to?
I know it might be awkward or not very practical, but I want to know whether it's actually possible at all, ie if the screen will physically work like that, or if it's literally impossible to do?
Secondly (don't get me wrong here) whilst I don't want an iphone, is the responsiveness of the HD2 screen the same kind of thing? Local shops here don't have one I can try so I have to go by what others tell me, and I'd like it to work as smooth as the iphone screen, ie no actual pressure etc.
I know it's capacitive so it should be like that but I don't know if there are differences aside from that to how the screen responds. Hope that makes sense!
Last question - I believe the screen is glass on it? Is it toughened in any way? Presume the fact that it's glass will mean that it's much harder to scratch than the HD screen and also means a clearer, brighter display by not having a resistive layer?
Thanks for the replies - I appreciate the info!
I'll try again but I don't think finger nails work ...
I upgraded from the Blackstone and for me, it was definitely worth it.
First thing you notice is the amazing speed if the device. I just saw that I had TomTom (among a couple of other programs) running in the background for several days and I didn't even notice it.
The HD2 is really insanely fast. I sometimes take my old Blackstone in order to try new WM builds, but its slowness makes me sick after some minutes of using it.
Next big thing, for me, is the camera. The light sensitivity has been greatly improved and the flash works stunningly good for an LED flash.
It takes really great pictures for a smartphone, much much better than the HD, finally I have a phone that lets me capture the important moments
(btw. the 'red tint bug' is present but not noticeable on most pictures)
Third thing is the screen. It''s capacitive, that means you can NOT use your fingernail, and no stylus. But I really like the sensitivity, it's much more comfortable to use. And it feels a lot better, it's not the 'cheap' feel of the resistive panel's plastic layers anymore.
And this brings me to the fourth and last point: Build quality. I've never ever seen such a high build quality and high quality materials on a phone. It looks and feels just amazing, even the iPhone feels like a cheap toy in comparison.
Video playback is of course a lot better and it plays high quality video without stuttering.
Well actualy you can use stylus without problems, you just have to buy a special one (whitch buy the way also works on the iPhone)
http://cgi.ebay.com/2x-DAGi-Stylus-...wItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item414b467e4a
Like they other says there are applications who can be a bit of a hassel with using with the finger...
But I suspect you would love it... I could newer go back to my HD after being used to the buitiful racer the HD2 is, and i absolutely love the screen to.
Hi,
I've spent 1 week with the HD2 after a year on the HD. Mobile Shell 3.5 on both.
The main difference is speed. HD2 is soooo much faster. Didn't notice the HD was particularly slow whilst I was using it, but going back to it now is PAINFUL.
I struggled a bit initially with the capacitive screen, found it a bit hit and miss. In particular I found the HTC keyboard a nightmare, way too sensitive. Installing the .cab that decreases screen sensitivity has improved things greatly, and installing Spb Keyboard has also helped. It's improving with practice, there are still times when I do something and it doesn't register, but overall I'm starting to like it. There's a definite knack to it: much lighter touch, smoother motions. So there's a learning curve here + a need to tweak. And I'm sure the experience will continue to improve as third party software is adapted for it.
Mobile Shell has a few minor compatability issues but nothing to worry about (screen brightness control doesn't work, voicemail indicator widget doesn't work, a few other minor things). Spb are generally good at updating for significant new hardware releases, same thing happened with the HD when it was first released and they fixed everything quickly. I tried the Sense interface for a day or two to see if I could get used to it, it IS very pretty. But went back to Mobile Shell, I find it much more functional.
The HD2 build quality is excellent vs good for HD. And the additional screen size is a significant plus too. I was initially worried it would be a step too far in terms of the overall size of the device, but no. As soon as I laid eyes on the actual device + picked it up I knew it wouldn't be a problem.
Browsing in Opera is fantastic. Fast and the big screen helps. Still not comparable to a desktop browsing experience but very usable and way better than the HD due to the speed.
Overall it's a big step forward from the HD and highly recommended. Like I said, I find going back to the HD to dig out a few files I need to be surprisingly painful...
Cret said:
Secondly (don't get me wrong here) whilst I don't want an iphone, is the responsiveness of the HD2 screen the same kind of thing? Local shops here don't have one I can try so I have to go by what others tell me, and I'd like it to work as smooth as the iphone screen, ie no actual pressure etc.
I know it's capacitive so it should be like that but I don't know if there are differences aside from that to how the screen responds. Hope that makes sense!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested the HD2 besides both, an 3G and 3GS, and really couldn't find any real difference in the screens responsiveness. You don't have to do any pressure on the HD2's screen ... I have to say, that I had a problem with the high sensitivity at first, but when playing around with an Nokia N900 last week, I noticed how fast I adapted to the capacitive screen of the HD2. The N900's screen was a pain in the ass (although its actually quite good for a resistive screen), because slight fingerswipes and tips didn't to anything ...
When browsing the forums you will notice, that most ppl here have/had a problem with the keyboard of the HD2. Besides the bugreporting here (I don't have any of these problems), I imagine that most of the problems with the keyboard just come from the unfamiliar sensitivity. By lifting the fingers a little higher when typing, I managed to type pretty accurate.
I don't have a Touch HD to compare side by side, but had the possibility to compare the HD2 to an iPhone 3G ... the 3G was very slow compared to the HD2 ... So wouldn't really go back to a last-gen phone ...
Had a Touch HD for a year until i bought my HD2 last month.
I Had Dutty's Leo rom running since he started releasing those, so I felt completely at home with my HD2 when i had it in my hand. (For those not knowing : Leo rom for Touch HD is just that. Winmo 6.5 running HTC Sense, just like the HD2)
A few things felt wonderfully different tho :
Screen is beautifull. The glas type used is almost impossible to scratch. I have my phone in my pocket unprotected. Even accedently slipped my keys in with it a few times. Not a mark on it! What is this screen made of ? Diamond ??
Speed. Wow! This phone is fast. I ran the weather demo simultaniously, side by side with the Touch HD. And the difference makes the Touch HD look like a joke. (it's not, but compared, its sloooow)
Pinch zoom. OMG now i know why Iphone has been the king of mobile browsing. HAS been! HD2 is now the new king! Opera + capacitive screen with multi touch AND a 1 ghz processor ? It is a match made in heaven. Mobile browsing is EASY and fun now. Thank god i have an internet sub on my simcard...
Camera. Remember how a big hazzel it was to take a pic with Touch HD ? I mean, the moment is GONE, before the camera is ready to take the picture!
With HD2 and a shortcut on the Sense start screen , it takes around 1 second(!!) from press on camera icon till your ready to take the picture!. The flash LED (Which can blind a man btw) makes it possible to shoot in the dark, FINALLY!
Well those things was EXACTLY why I upgraded, and I have not been dissapointed.
Some had a huge problem with the sensitive screen. Not me, I adapted quickly, and the keyboard I was used to from leo rom on the Touch HD, so i guess it's a matter of taste, or fat fingers .
Also
There are a LOT of the tweaks and programs for Dutty's leo rom that works great with the HD2, like BG4all etc.
rd2000 said:
The flash LED (Which can blind a man btw)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, fortgot to mention the LEDs. I love them. Not to take pictures, but for everydays things. Really missed a LED on the Touch HD.
I got my HD2 a week ago, and I'm loving it, other than the rather short battery life (may be a temporary issue, some people do not have this issue).
It's definitely faster than the HD. Going through the Windows folder in File Explorer takes 2 seconds, rather than 6-8 seconds on the HD. Going through tabs in TouchFlo 3D (Sense) is fast, and tab contents are displayed lightning fast.
TomTom works great on the HD2, haven't tried CoPilot because they do not have maps that I could purchase for my region yet (which is funny, since I can download the map while trialling the software). TomTom is rather smooth on the HD2, the position cursor does not jerk forward when moving. With valid QuickGPS data, getting a GPS fix is faster than on the HD.
The speaker is a little worse than the HD in my opinion, although it's somewhat louder than the HD.
Moving from Resistive (HD) to the Capacitive screen in the HD2 may take some time to get used to it. Drawing/scribbling notes can be hard, so is selecting the directory/folder you want to go to in File Explorer. Maybe it's me, I have large fingers.
Reception compared to the HD, Nokia N82, N95 8GB.
The 3G network I'm on is rather bad in my room.
Nokia N82 and N95 8GB - 4 of 7 bars (estimated equivalent on the HD2 would be 3 of 4 bars)
HTC Touch HD - 1 of 4 bars
HTC Touch HD2 - 3 of 4 bars, sometimes full signal.
The signal bars on the HD2 tend to fluctuate at times, while holding the phone in landscape mode and browsing the internet, the signal may drop to no bars, disconnect from the network, then come back on with 1 or 2 bars.
Camera is great. Autofocus seems to be 'continuous', focusing when the camera is moved or after a few seconds. Shutter lag is much shorter than on the HD, but taking moving subjects may still result in a blurr (cranking up the ISO setting doesn't help much). Sharper than on the HD, and the automatic white balance is definitely better than on the HD under certain lighting conditions. LED Flash works OK for objects further than 30cm most of the time, using it for close ups may sometimes result in a bright, white mess.
I'm using the 1.43 ROM, so some of these issues may be fixed in the updated ROM. There are some issues in TouchFlo/Sense, but they are easily corrected by taking a trip down the Tips & Tricks Post in the Leo Forum.
tbela
I'd used Blackstone for some monthes, and overall I was satisfied. (I'd used Xanny Grid Leo rom)
I've a Leo for a week, and now I'm not simply satisfied but I'm happy with it. The speed, the huge screen and the build quality are fantastic. It's very rear, when I have to fight with small old-fashioned windows controls, but with some patience and practice it is also manageable. Nail-touching definitely doesn't work. Althogh, you can buy capacitive-compatible stylus on ebay.
Only disadvantage for me: fring doesn't work, but I hope it will be fixed soon. Temporarily I use Nimbuzz for chatting.
Overall I can highly recommend the upgrade. If you can do, DO IT!
Thanks very much for all the replies guys. The fact that most of you have written wuite a bit tells me you're very enthusiastic about the phone!
I want one for sure now. The only thing is the cost - I can't renew my contract and there are very few Leos on Ebay and around £500, but only maybe £250 sale proceeds from my HD, so it's quite a hit to take.
If I can get a few quid together to help ease the difference then I'll definitely get one.
Thanks for the comments
Same here, had the HD for about a year and liked it in many respects, the HD2 is a much nicer experience though and if you can afford it at some point I highly recommend to get it.
Well I've made my mind up to get one for sure. The only question really is when.
I'll have to buy an unlocked one on Ebay I think and there are very few on there at the moment because the phone is so new. This is obviously therefore keeping the prices really high.
I'm dying to say 'sod it' and get the credit card out but I know I ought to wait a month or two to see if they get a bit cheaper once more are being sold.
I've read reviews on it and most things I see say that this is basically the best piece of hardware on the market in terms of phones, but that it's "let down/ruined" etc by having winmo on it. I like winmo and have used it for years, so for me, that's a plus!
Having said that, I'd kill to see/have winmo7!
Yep. Those reviews are nonsense.
Powerful hardware like this needs a powerful OS, and WinMo really is by far the most powerful OS you can get.
It doesn't ruin anything. It's the perfect OS for a phone like this.
WinMo bashing is a current trend that you can't do anything against when sites like Gizmodo or Engadget spread the FUD. It's really sad.
I wouldn't want any other OS on the HD2.
maati said:
I wouldn't want any other OS on the HD2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Overall I agree, But Android 2.0 would be very interesting
Well I'm sure I'll be quite happy since it's exactly what I'm used to.
Last phones I've had have been Touch HD, Omnia, XDA Orbit etc - loved them all.
Can't WAIT to get the HD2 though. Especially now I've bought one this afternoon.
Cret said:
Well I'm sure I'll be quite happy since it's exactly what I'm used to.
Last phones I've had have been Touch HD, Omnia, XDA Orbit etc - loved them all.
Can't WAIT to get the HD2 though. Especially now I've bought one this afternoon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats to get this lovely phone. I'd wager you will like it .
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is the smallest Android phone and has the clever 1.6 version (2.1 will be released shortly).
Its small and lightweight, but still feels well built and a quality item, despite its price point.
Pity about the name, but as long as it doesn't encourage folk to screw up their skin
Android is all there, present and correct, together with HTC's awesome sense interface and twitter & facebook widgets.
The packaging is classy and the phone's setup shows just how far leading edge smartphones have come. It asks you for email address, google login, facebook login and some other options and sets it all up automatically.
I have a vodafone SIM and it set up the data connection in the background silently without asking me anything.
Date and time are also automatically used from your location.
The 320x240 screen is not best for prolonged browsing but is necessary in this size of phone to make the character sizes readable.
The advantage of this size screen is that the CPU is pushing less pixels, so its has a pretty fast response time, faster then the Hero IMHO.
The disadvantage is waiting for more android market apps to be available for 320x240, this will take a few months.
The big surprise is how responsive the screen is, given its resistive. Its certainly nice to use and comes with the accurancy of resistive screens, useful for drawing and other apps where accuracy is needed.
Another fairly unique feature is that you can order custom covers (even uploading your own pictures) to add a nice touch for personalisation (through tattoomyhtc). Whilst this is a fun idea (or gimmick!), the other benefit of easily removable covers is that if you scratch the phone you can just buy another cover. I really wish more manufacturers would do this.
The std 3.5" headphone socket is a nice touch, and customarily for HTC delivers good sound quality, particularly through my bose triports.
The speaker goes to a reasonable volume but its not super-clear. Usable but not perhaps to enjoy music through!
The camera has no auto-focus and is reasonable for high light situations only.
I understand that bar-code software has trouble with cameras without auto-focus, hopefully this is being worked on as I love these applications.
I never use mobile phone cameras (how could I with a Nikon D700 ), so will leave it to someone else to test this out.
Lastly, newbies to android should remember the long horizontal swipes on the home screen to reveal multiple virtual home screens.
In summary, this is a classy power phone for those that want music, apps and ease of use, but not interested in using it for ebooks or browsing much (although the browser is android, and therefore second in quality only to the iphone).
I would pick it over its brother, the HTC Touch 2, anyday (but also wait with bated breath to see what WM 7 will bring).
Strongly recommended for those that want a small phone, but would like the power of a decent OS and can't bear Nokia S40 or all the other propriety junk OSes that tend to populate smaller devices.
Thanks for a nice review ..
I have the pleasure to be a owner of the tattoo and i can only say it rox!!!
I agree!!! the Tattoo is great at the price and has a very classy build....even the headphones provided with it did a decent job and were better than any HTC provided headphones I have used before....
Android Rocks!!
neat 2 cents.. Thx
Well said. I have a Nokia E71. While it runs S60 UI, it's a pain at times, randomly crashing or freezing (and having to do a battery pull).
I'm getting a HTC Tattoo from the UK, so yeah. I like your review though.
Nice Review!
I've had my Tattoo for a week on Vodafone and am very impressed with it.
Considered the Hero (very nice) and iPhone (way too expensive!) but settled on the Tattoo after trying it side by side with a Magic in the Vodafone shop. Hardly noticed a difference in screen response to be honest.
I'm not a power user - some browsing and very little social apps and only really wanted a nice phone with some customisation facilities and the Tattoo fits me perfectly.
Sure there will be better phones out shortly at this price point but that's always the case with mobiles and having taken the plunge with Android I'm a convert.
So, I've been reading throughout this forum and I see a lot of complaints in regards to issues, bugs, and problems.
After this short experience with this phone, and assuming that most of you are experienced smartphone users, would you describe the DHD as a buggy phone or a trustworthy one.
I have passed through the WM6 + PPC world and I describe that OS as buggy and wouldn't want to go back so, I need a really trustworthy smartphone that will respond at any time with minimum freezes, no loss of information, hard resets, etc.
Sould you describe the HTC DHD as a phone you can rely on, professionally?
I've just replaced a Touch HD (Windows Mobile 6.5) with the Desire HD as my first Android handset... I'm stunned. This is an amazing experience and I love the phone and the software. Two of the apps I've downloaded have crashed once but in every other respect the whole experience has been very smooth. It's definitely not 'buggy'.
Several things have given me the WOW factor:
- the way the phone interacts seamlessly and continuously with the Cloud, meaning my calendar and contacts are always up to date, maps are peppered with information, Google navigation includes Streetview scenes, searches include web-based information seamlessly and quickly, and Facebook updates are integrated in both directions.
- the app store (HTC Market) is a simple and effective way to get hold of software to reproduce the functionality of applications I'd bought for my WM phones in the past.
- the responsiveness of the screen to my touches is as good as the iPhones I've held in the past, with no lag whatsoever. That's a huge improvement over Windows Mobile.
- the web browser is amazing: quick to load and render pages, quick to zoom and rotate, and smooth in scrolling. A genuinely pleasant experience, even compared with the VGA screen on my Touch HD.
I haven't regretted the change from WM to Android and the Desire HD is a very, very impressive piece of hardware. I'd have no hesitation recommending it to anybody.
ETA: The proximity sensor works perfectly on my handset. The battery case doesn't close perfectly... but it doesn't bother me at all. (I probably wouldn't have noticed if nobody else had mentioned it.) The battery life is no worse than I was expecting - it's no worse than my Touch HD, even after only two charging cycles.
My dhd is brilliant I'm amazed how many people are having issues mine really is working like a dream fast responsive I've used the sat nav loads this week and as a free feature on a phone its immense, texting is as good as anything I've used, battery life also for me is better than my hd2 was so for me yeah awesome
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Got mine on wednesday.
No problems at all
None
Love it 8)
Angie
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
I had beforemy DHD a Sony Ericsson X 10 and after that I used my wife milestone till I receive my DHD
Believe me the I feel big difference between the above 2 device and my DHD in everything
Screen resolution
Touch responsiveness is amazing
Good design and good quality
Very very fast
Only the battery issue and I believe that HTC will release a new battery with higher capacity
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
SiliconS said:
I've just replaced a Touch HD (Windows Mobile 6.5) with the Desire HD as my first Android handset... I'm stunned. This is an amazing experience and I love the phone and the software. Two of the apps I've downloaded have crashed once but in every other respect the whole experience has been very smooth. It's definitely not 'buggy'.
Several things have given me the WOW factor:
- the way the phone interacts seamlessly and continuously with the Cloud, meaning my calendar and contacts are always up to date, maps are peppered with information, Google navigation includes Streetview scenes, searches include web-based information seamlessly and quickly, and Facebook updates are integrated in both directions.
- the app store (HTC Market) is a simple and effective way to get hold of software to reproduce the functionality of applications I'd bought for my WM phones in the past.
- the responsiveness of the screen to my touches is as good as the iPhones I've held in the past, with no lag whatsoever. That's a huge improvement over Windows Mobile.
- the web browser is amazing: quick to load and render pages, quick to zoom and rotate, and smooth in scrolling. A genuinely pleasant experience, even compared with the VGA screen on my Touch HD.
I haven't regretted the change from WM to Android and the Desire HD is a very, very impressive piece of hardware. I'd have no hesitation recommending it to anybody.
ETA: The proximity sensor works perfectly on my handset. The battery case doesn't close perfectly... but it doesn't bother me at all. (I probably wouldn't have noticed if nobody else had mentioned it.) The battery life is no worse than I was expecting - it's no worse than my Touch HD, even after only two charging cycles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*signed*
Also came from the Touch HD and I'm so impressed.
Even the vatterycover fits perfectly...
Lot of things are new (where is my explorer? Searching the SD card...I don't need to kill tasks?) but good for me! Not good-perfect! LOL
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
After a day or so of using it...
No major bugs for me except a rebooting issue, could be hardware related though so will ignore that for the moment.
Software seems reasonable, however performance isnt as good as id thought.
Get a slight lag on angry birds, which i dont have on my Nexus.
Good first effort but think that a few more bug fix releases could be due.
Hello everyone. I am new to Smartphones, in particularly Android. I got stuck on a choice to Buy HD2 or not to buy. Pros: Inexpensive. Huge Scream with great resolution. Fast..
My only concern is - Ability to play TV shows via flash web players. I read a lot that 10.1 Flash supports it all.
1. Can you guys please tell me whether Flash 10.1 works flawlessly on Android on HD2.
2. The skyfire that I have on MyTouch 3G can play only some of the flash sites. Is there a difference between WinMo skyfire? Can it play Novamov.com and VideoWeed.com sites?
WinMo users please can you check if your skyfire can access those, I would be so thankful. I really want to buy this phone, this is only things keeps me from buying it Right Now. Thank you.
Android itself does not work flawlessy on the HD2, and as such Flash isn't completely stable either. The browser on Android is considerably better than Skyfire, even more so now that Skyfire has been seemingly shut down on WinMo. My advice-If you wan't to use Android...then buy an Android device.
Second that. The HD2 hardware/build quality is excellent but the WinMo software ie browsers is lacking the Android functionality with seemless video/flash support and it will probably never get there. Was hopefull that Adobe was going to implement Flash 10.1 for 6.5 back in April but it never materialized. If it existed and was integrated into IE the phone would be perfect (near perfect) for several years.
I've tried Android on the HD2 and while the port I'm using is fantastic it does have its problems and I'm a little hesitant in using it as a daily use phone in Android when the HD isn't designed for it and a native OS isn't and probable won't be available for it. Same goes for WM7 - more than likely will never have a native OS just a hacked port. The port I'm using sort of makes me a little jealous and have some buyer's remorse with the HD2. Browsing is far superior, overall speed is excellent BUT I absoluted HATE the way Android is navigated. Using hard keys versus softkeys to "go back" or exit on the HD2 only leads me to believe those hard keys on the bottom are going to get tons of use and eventual failure as I rarely use them in WINMO except to get the phone out of sleep.
Looking at some of the problems people are having with their Android hardware (cracking plastic around power button EVO) (Screen failure Droid X) (Poor keyboard G2) (delaminating screens - several) its hard to choose one that is built as well as the HD2.
I don't even know with Android phones. I would love to have an Office app on my phone. But with Android phone market - HTC makes new MyTouch every couple of month, so as for other android devices. With each new Android phone the value of older one is extremely dropping. Now I am not sure as of what to get.
There are several office type applications - Documents to Go is one. The only phone that allows you to perpetually upgrade without really a loss of cash is the iPhone. You buy in at 200 and in two years you can get another for 200 and sell the old one if its in excellent condition for 200. You have to give Apple something in that they do support their older phones with upgrades to the OS. Doubtful the HD2 will be worth the initial buy in of 199 although I was fortunate to buy it at 80 dollars almost the first few weeks it was out. With the new rom Voice Quality has improved and it feels faster with less lag. If someone would update the browser it would be a better phone. Android's browser almost makes the phone a desktop replacement if they came up with a working version of Flash and the scrolling was a little faster/smoother.
If you look at the eBay values of the Nexus One the dollar values are up there although the intial buy in was pretty high.
Looked today at Tmobiles Android offerings - except for the G2 they were pretty poorly constructed - almost toylike and not worth the 199+two year commitment. The only thing about the G2 I didn't like was the smaller screen size and the keyboard's hinge which didn't feel that sturdy. I wish they evolved the Nexus One with a larger screen and kept the build quality.
The WM 7 was even worse. Press on the screen and the LCD actualy crushes so the that the pixels bleed/distort! The phone felt WAY too flimsy and the plastic was very cheap - lots of creaking and flex. Interface of the new WM sucked big time and I don't think I'll continue with WM.
I liked the EVO but I've heard it has quality control issues with flimsy plastics cracking around the power button. The Droids are ok - not great and they seemed to be harder to upgrade/update.
Although you can run Android on the HD2 I'm not sure how good it is for the phone. It does heat up more than the HD2 under load. Also its pretty bottom key heavy so those hard keys will get a lot of use and wear. I rarely use them with WM except to return out of sleep. Even with that I use Shake'nWake which works most of the time.
That is so true. I am really unhappy with a new android lineup.
If Motorola Defy will get FroYo, I will reconsider my choice )
If you want to run android, I would definitely itely get an android phone... especially if you're new to smartphones. It takes a lot of reading and experience to get android running decently on the hd2... its not really the best choice for a new user.
There are plenty of good android phones available now, so there's no reason for someone to get a hd2 at this point just to run android.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
I have a tv show app that streams hulu shows via a web browser using flash. Its good enough with the stock browser where you can watch shows in full screen and have no problem playing them. Its a flash player so all you have to do is hold down on the flash and the option for full screen appears. MUCH better than windows mobile. I don't think win mo will ever have the capability to watch hulu again.