Is the HTC Leo too big to be an everyday phone? - General Questions and Answers

I currently have a UK Vodafone branded HTC tytnII which has given me but one problem in over two years (that being the ribbon cable coming loose in the screen back).
Looking about I really fancy the HTC HD2, but I'm concerned about it's overal size. My wife has a Tosh TG01 and complains like mad that it's not pocket friendly (and the battery life sucks).
So from peoples experience does it work as an everyday phone for general use or would I be better looking at a Hero maybe. I've been in the shop and had a play, it doesn't feel too bad in the hand (but then I have massive hands) but what about jeans, jackets etc etc.
Peoples general experiences would be most helpful to me. Thanks.

If your wife has a TG01 why don't you borrow it for a day and see how you get on? The TG01 is taller and wider than the HD2 but a little slimmer.
I've had a TyTN II for over two years and I carry it in my front trouser pocket and I can tell you that the HD2 is much less of a lump and it's also lighter.
Before I got to try the HD2 I had the same concerns as you have but when I did a volume calculation I found that the HD2 was significantly smaller.
Go back and try it in the shop. Jacket should be no problem with such a slim phone, jeans could depend on your style.
Larac said:
I currently have a UK Vodafone branded HTC tytnII which has given me but one problem in over two years (that being the ribbon cable coming loose in the screen back).
Looking about I really fancy the HTC HD2, but I'm concerned about it's overal size. My wife has a Tosh TG01 and complains like mad that it's not pocket friendly (and the battery life sucks).
So from peoples experience does it work as an everyday phone for general use or would I be better looking at a Hero maybe. I've been in the shop and had a play, it doesn't feel too bad in the hand (but then I have massive hands) but what about jeans, jackets etc etc.
Peoples general experiences would be most helpful to me. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Larac said:
I currently have a UK Vodafone branded HTC tytnII which has given me but one problem in over two years (that being the ribbon cable coming loose in the screen back).
Looking about I really fancy the HTC HD2, but I'm concerned about it's overal size. My wife has a Tosh TG01 and complains like mad that it's not pocket friendly (and the battery life sucks).
So from peoples experience does it work as an everyday phone for general use or would I be better looking at a Hero maybe. I've been in the shop and had a play, it doesn't feel too bad in the hand (but then I have massive hands) but what about jeans, jackets etc etc.
Peoples general experiences would be most helpful to me. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this is going to sound crazy, the HD2 without a case feels bigger than with a case. its probably some sort of placebo effect. the case makes it feel a little more secure in the pocket.
in the hand the device is just awesome.

I had the exact same worry with this phone, I spent hours in the o2 shop in my hometown just staring at the dummy phone trying to figure out if it was too big to use everyday.
In the end I took the plunge and I can say I am very happy with the phone. Its feels incredibly solid in your hand and is slim enough that I barely notice it in my pocket, and it will happily fit into my skinnyist jeans. The size is a happy trade for the fantastic screen and speed of the phone.
Look up a side by side with the iphone, it only has about a cm or so on the hd2 which was one of the main things that convinced me it wasn't too big.
p.s. If your anything like me you've already decided to get the phone, and just want someone to give you a nudge over the edge

Larac said:
Looking about I really fancy the HTC HD2, but I'm concerned about it's overal size. My wife has a Tosh TG01 and complains like mad that it's not pocket friendly (and the battery life sucks).
Peoples general experiences would be most helpful to me. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She's a woman, woman tend not to wear pockets as often as men.
So from peoples experience does it work as an everyday phone for general use or would I be better looking at a Hero maybe. I've been in the shop and had a play, it doesn't feel too bad in the hand (but then I have massive hands)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have massive hands, the HD2 will be an amazing experience (but keep in mind that virtual keyboards of any size works better on small fingers, sorry).
but what about jeans, jackets etc etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, I have a Nokia E90, and I can open the phone and place it in the pocket of all of my pants/jeans/sweatshirt/shirt/jacket pockets. Even better, I opened up the clam shell and placed it in my corduroy pants and it still fits. Keep in mind that I am 5'5'', skinny as hell, and have the hands of a beautiful princess (but I'm a boy). Also keep in mind that the E90 is as tall as the HD2, that the E90 is thicker than the HD2, and that the E90 is much wider than the HD2 when the clam shell is open.
To look up images of the E90 use Google Images. Use this link to check out the E90: http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en
Use this link for visual comparison: http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/HTC-HD2-US-phone-size-compare-pc_4345.html and then compare it with the E90.
If you trust in me, than I applaud you for making a wise decision. Because a big man should have big pockets, I mean I am small guy and I have small pockets, and the phone fits. It just fits.
And about your wife.....you know when I walk the dogs with my sister, she always bother me to hold her phone. You know why? Because I have pockets and she doesn't. She's always complaining to me that she only has a purse and her phone won't fit. Well she doesn't have pockets DUH!
And if you have to stick in a place with other junk, here is a solution: wear a pants with belt loop, and clip your keys to your belt loop, keep your phone alone on 1 pocket, and keep your junk/wallet on the other. Problem solved. I've carried **** and held an umbrella with so much junk in my pocket that I was able to carry my phone and everything in 1 trip!
Just remember what I told you... the E90, with it's device opened up like a clam shell, fits in my small pockets and the E90 is larger than the HD2.
I dare any of you to challenge me, because your "device-to-big" theory is unbelievable.

Related

Do not buy 2nd gen Diamond and Touch Pro 2 Phones

We should not buy their 2nd gen phones which are barely worth the upgrade, not to mention i would not even do an even exchange for the new phone. The only thing they improved was Touchflo which will be ported over.
Seriously give us the same camera but without flash, the TP is the reason i did not buy a separate camera since it took picture pretty decently compared to the non flash Diamond which people say camera was HORRIBLE.
Then HTC understands that no matter which phone is out as long as it is a newer not necessarily better HTC PHONE it will sell. I would hold off till a decent upgrade is up, even you Euro owners as you are probably HTCs main customers.
This would not go over in the Desktop/ Notebook area or even the camera area. So we shall not allow it to go over in the PDA phone area. Would you buy a brand spankin new dell with a Pentium 4 with new casing and some fancy bells and whistles? If yes then i recommend you seek help.
Intel however DID do something smart, yes they now release a seemingly slower 1200mhz and 1600mhz chips BUT with newer technology which is so suited actually alot faster than my older Pentium 4 3Ghz pc. Not to mention it only uses abou 20 watts of power and gives 8hr battery life, compared to the usual 2 to 3hr.
Imagine if they put that in next gen phones along with win 7.
Well i kinda agree.. they haven't upgrade any of the spesifications (without the camera for diamond2).. still qualcomm and so forth.. well tf3d will be ported over as oon as devs get their hands on any roms and so forth.. well i must say that i'm a little dissappointed .. well the touch pro2 do look very very good when it comes to the tilt feature.. both phones do have larger screens.. which makes it (maybe) possibley easier to port over se xperia features like panels and so forth.. (well not that i care about panels).. well we just need to see some more reviews.. but i am a little dissapointed when it comes to specs..
All they have done is re-case the TP and slide the keyboard up. I certainly wont be buying the new TP 2. Not for that money anyway. i will stick with my TP.
im kinda worried they will have trouble porting the new tf3d since they are wvga now and we still dont have panels on our vga devices but hopefully the wonderful devs can make it work cuz landscape tf3d on the new ones looks so nice
lbhocky19 said:
im kinda worried they will have trouble porting the new tf3d since they are wvga now and we still dont have panels on our vga devices but hopefully the wonderful devs can make it work cuz landscape tf3d on the new ones looks so nice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahh you make a point about the wvga, BUT the devs managed to port over manilla hd which is also wvga
xboxhaxorz said:
We should not buy their 2nd gen phones which are barely worth the upgrade, not to mention i would not even do an even exchange for the new phone. area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What ????? My contract with AT$T ( for my Tilt ) is up in April and I am on the new TP II/ Fuze II as fast as they can say, $199 and a new 2yr contract.
Phones, like computers, do not get upgraded every year, every two years or so for me. I don't think that HTC expects everyone who bought a TP or Diamond last summer to run out and buy a new TP II or Diamond II , but I do think that these phones are aimed towards those of us who bought Tilts in fall 2007. After months of " sorry, we've moved on " by many of our Kaiser brethren, it will be great to flaunt my new TP II with my new " tilt " screen.
My friends and I think that the recession is why this phone came out. Same parts, nothing much changed, but charging more money. That's my theory anyway.
And no, I don't want it. Bigger screen without a beefier processor. Terrible Gimped Keyboard. No Flash. No front D-Pad. Nothing I want there.
Also I got my Fuze in November, and AT&T sure as hell wouldn't let me get a new phone so soon. American Contracts are stupid, but so is the price of phones without a contract.
denco7 said:
What ????? My contract with AT$T ( for my Tilt ) is up in April and I am on the new TP II/ Fuze II as fast as they can say, $199 and a new 2yr contract.
Phones, like computers, do not get upgraded every year, every two years or so for me. I don't think that HTC expects everyone who bought a TP or Diamond last summer to run out and buy a new TP II or Diamond II , but I do think that these phones are aimed towards those of us who bought Tilts in fall 2007. After months of " sorry, we've moved on " by many of our Kaiser brethren, it will be great to flaunt my new TP II with my new " tilt " screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm with you on this, main reason i didnt get a fuze is because i love my tilting screen. this provides me the fuze+tilt so i'm buying it day one att gets it.
same reason that I could care less about the extra features. Battery life is worse.
Only thing I like is the tilting screen, the integrated tf3d is awesome though, and the better resolution screen. That's it. No flash, no better camera, no wm6.5, no better ram or processor, etc. I hate the look of the keyboard.
DaPitt84 said:
same reason that I could care less about the extra features. Battery life is worse.
Only thing I like is the tilting screen, and the better resolution screen. That's it. No flash, no better camera, no wm6.5, no better ram or processor, etc. I hate the look of the keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC have said they'll provide WM6.5 ROM updates to both the TP2 and the Diamond2.
The Diamond2 is a smaller version of the Blackstone, and the TP2 is the love child of the TP and a Blackstone.
I got a Diamond last time round, and will probably be getting a TP2 this year for the tilty goodness and the gorgeous looking screen.
Okay I agree with some points like:
1. if you can put a 5 MP cam in the Diamond 2 why not in the Touch Pro 2?? There is even more room for it! Furthermore I saw somebody wrote that they took away the cam on the front, dude, check your eyes, the cam is still there man! Furthermore it has FM radio, read somewhere that somebody complained it didn't, well it has!
2. The rest of the features are a little the same, conference mode is cool and also the speaker phone option, nice for handsfree calling...
3. I love the fact is has a bigger screen! Great for navigating in the car, browsing etc....
4. I agree that maybe this model is aimed for those who purchased or got a Tilt in the summer/fall 2007 and who's contract is expiring this summer/fall which might explain why this model has a tilted screen feature. I really loved this feature and really miss it with my Touch Pro!
5. The design I find is awesome, it gets a 10 from me, face it guys, stop winding, they delivered on the design part! Especially the weight has been reduced as well as the thickness, its just awesome, give the people some credit at the design department will you?!
I traded my Tilt for a Touch Pro last Christmas, so since my contract is ending in the fall (after 2 years), I will surely get this phone, and take a 1 year contract with it just in case they come with a newer model next year that totally blasts away this one! I guess the model of next year will have:
- a better processor 1 ghz or higher for example
- 1 GB ram and 512 or more MB ROM ?
- same screen I guess, WVGA is awesome man!
- 5 MP camera
- I hope they keep the tilt screen feature....
- I like the new TouchFLO3D as well, awesome!
- for the rest, I'm contented with the features, just needs more power!
Furthermore, dudes, to be honest with you, WM 6.5 looks disgusting!!!! When I saw it it almost made me hurl! I will wait for WM 7 and bypass 6.5.... they can't be seriously contemplating on bringing that fugly OS system man!
This was just my 2 cents on the matter, so I will be getting this phone come fall!
We may be looking at capacitive touch screens on these devices. That and the tilt feature on the TP2 will probably have me upgrading....
Is it just me or do you guys find the new Diamond and Touch Pro's kinda ugly compared to the current ones?! :O The metal casing and round corners turn me off, I love the look of the current Diamond and TP, they look more clean and streamlined with the flat black plastic and squarish corners. And there's no D-pad
Also the new TP is freaking HUGE, its almost like carrying a UMPC in your pocket.
master athlon said:
Is it just me or do you guys find the new Diamond and Touch Pro's kinda ugly compared to the current ones?! :O The metal casing and round corners turn me off, I love the look of the current Diamond and TP, they look more clean and streamlined with the flat black plastic and squarish corners. And there's no D-pad
Also the new TP is freaking HUGE, its almost like carrying a UMPC in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure beats carrying both a laptop and a phone. I, believe it or not, think the fuze is too small, considering the weight. I was more comfortable holding my tilt than the fuze. I liked the "tilt" of the screen, also. No d-pad? I got over that with my omnia. I'll miss having the flash, though-- no htorch!
whatledog said:
Sure beats carrying both a laptop and a phone. I, believe it or not, think the fuze is too small, considering the weight. I was more comfortable holding my tilt than the fuze. I liked the "tilt" of the screen, also. No d-pad? I got over that with my omnia. I'll miss having the flash, though-- no htorch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes indeed it does beat carrying two devices, but the fact that its a phone and not a laptop is what really bothers me about the size, although the TP isnt all that much smaller (well I just contradicted myself, didnt I ). But I do know what you mean about the Tilt being more comfortable, I also prefer phones that fit in my hand, thats why I hate such phones as the Motorola Razr, its just too dang skinny. Thats why I still favor my ETEN M600 over most 'normal' phones.
Maybe not having a D-pad is just one those things that you have to get used I guess, like you did with the Omnia, but Id still like to have a D-pad
Are you people under four feet? The Fuze feels nice in my hands. It's solid, it's built well, it's uniform in colour and design (especially with a black theme) and it's not flimsy in the slightest. I can feel it in my pocket too.
Now, I would like a larger screen, but everything else on the TP2 is not pretty looking. Also AT&T doesn't have 1 year plans.
thehyecircus said:
Are you people under four feet? The Fuze feels nice in my hands. It's solid, it's built well, it's uniform in colour and design (especially with a black theme) and it's not flimsy in the slightest. I can feel it in my pocket too.
Now, I would like a larger screen, but everything else on the TP2 is not pretty looking. Also AT&T doesn't have 1 year plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Holland we can choose between a 1 or 2 year contract, the difference is, with a 2 year you get it for free, with a 1 year you have pay a minimal amount... If in 2010 they come with a newer version with higher specs, then you have the choice to upgrade. I too feel that although the current TP is solid, compact etc. its a lot smaller than the kaiser/tilt and that did feel better in the hand. They can't please everyone but I do fine the design a lot better, but thats personal....
I was just looking at the TP2 on the HTC website, thinking that maybe or at least the processor speed was upgraded, but nothing. Not even the memory capacity. The only upgrade that I see is just the look of it, the "outside". So I guess I will agree on not getting one until they actually come with a better (not only looking), faster, bigger capacity and newer technology phone. Then I'll think about spending few hundred dollars on a new one.
@Sleuth
Sleuth255 said:
We may be looking at capacitive touch screens on these devices. That and the tilt feature on the TP2 will probably have me upgrading....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pardon the ignorance but, what do you mean by "capacitive" touchscreens?
I understand is a new tech, but what does it do?
DanQ said:
Pardon the ignorance but, what do you mean by "capacitive" touchscreens?
I understand is a new tech, but what does it do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go, read this!
http://discuss.pocketnow.com/showthread.php?threadid=23389

Whatz up with 4.3'' screen

All the new smartphones, especially with android, is coming out with 4.3'' screen. Why so big?? 4'' is pretty big, but if the phone is slim enough, you can sleep it in your jeans. But for 4.3'' it's way too big.
I don't understand why companies like HTC and motorola is trying to make huge ass phones. If anything they should trying to get Super AMOLED or retina display (and gyroscope). And the thing is people are buying it!!! Where do they put their phone??
Bikram said:
All the new smartphones, especially with android, is coming out with 4.3'' screen. Why so big?? 4'' is pretty big, but if the phone is slim enough, you can sleep it in your jeans. But for 4.3'' it's way too big.
I don't understand why companies like HTC and motorola is trying to make huge ass phones. If anything they should trying to get Super AMOLED or retina display (and gyroscope). And the thing is people are buying it!!! Where do they put their phone??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ummmm... idk what type of pants you wear (probably super-SKINNY Jeans) but for most people, a 4.3 in screen is very easy to slip into ones pants. Once again, I don't know how small your hands are, but a 4.3 in screen really isn't that big... I would say 4.7 in is more like it, why would you possibly want a multimedia device with a tiny 4 in screen?? You can barely watch a movie on it. Maybe you should just stick to an iphone
i have a hd2 but i dont have any problem with the size, i even have a capdase case around it that makes it larger but i still dont notice its there. and i have a job that involves a lot of walking (waiter)
My Galaxy S, with its 4" screen, is actually pretty much the same dimensions as an HD2 with a 4.3" screen - there's just not much else on the front of the device. That said, I wouldn't want to go much above 4.3", or it would become uncomfortable even to hold in one hand, let alone put in your pocket.
It might be best not to ask unrelated questions in random threads, Sonic10101010, as people won't find them. If the card is microSDHC, is the reader compatible with microSDHC cards? That sounds like the most likely problem to me.
Sonic10101010 said:
I know this is really 100% totally irrelevant, but its super important to me. Does anybody know how to get a micro-SD to work? I put it in the adapter and the adapter into a universal memory bank but Windows 7 can't seem to read it. All I need is to put files on it. Plz help me if u can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just plug it in with your phone's USB cable and choose file transfer mode!
On topic now,it's more a thing of personal preference.For people like you who aren't the type who will get a huge screen phone there are phones with smaller screens like the Legend and the Hero,or even smaller like the x10 mini.Compared to 4,3'' the Desire's 3,7'' also looks small,but it's big enough.I have a Desire myself and using it after I had a Hero(which has 3,2") I thought it's screen was huge,which I kinda like because I watch a lot of movies on my phone,but then I found myself in an electronics store and put it next to a Leo.It did seem too tiny...
Why the hell not? I'd personally like a 5" screen. If you want a tiny screen stick to a low end basic phone. Loving all the new high end 4.3 stuff.
-------------------------------------
Sent via my Samsung Moment 2.1
i also think a 4.3 inch just way too big for a phone...
it wouldnt even fit nicely in my palm...
my current phone has a 3.8inch screen and i find it just acceptable.
i have a hero and with me being a truck driver i use it the same as siriusxm but using pandora and with unlim. data, well you figure it out but the screen is just right for me
Eh I put my phone in my bag and car. Never really felt that a phone can be too big as long as I can hold it in my hand.
My HD2 fits in my pocket perfectly, way better then my older smaller thick phones. The new 4.3inch LCDs are so thin they fit into your pocket perfectly. Plus once you use a real 4.3 inch cap. LCD you will never want anythign else. Also I'm 6'4 and 240 pounds with very big hands. If your a big hands guy your loving these new 4.3 inch LCD's. Were all build different to with very different sized hands and pockets so its gonna be everyones own preference.

Upgrade to Sensation or stick with HD2?

I currently have an HD2 running an Android 2.2.1 nand. I have tried the newer 2.3 Nands but the phone seems slow with them.
Is it worth upgrading to the Sensation?
Where is the best deal to be had? I'm probably 1.5 years into my 2 year contract. The price for the upgrade with 2 year extension on the Tmobile website is $384 per phone. I'd almost rather pay them the $550 with no contract.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Aaron
Try hyperdroid on your hd2.
Keep the hd2 until the bootloader is unlocked and the problems (dust, screen wash out) are fixed. That's what I'm doing. If the above isn't done before a better phone is announced or released, I'll buy the sensation and probably at a cheaper price.
EDIT: ----> HyperDroid Link <----
Never mind. I wrangled a good deal on the phone with Tmobile and got two of them for $200 each with my grandfathered data rate.
freakaccident said:
Never mind. I wrangled a good deal on the phone with Tmobile and got two of them for $200 each with my grandfathered data rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea? I already was promised the $200 a month ago when I changed my rate plan. I can't bring myself to buy one with its problems though. And unlike others who said "I'll wait for it to be unlocked", I actually stand by that. Others went right out and bought one.
The_Biz said:
Try hyperdroid on your hd2.
Keep the hd2 until the bootloader is unlocked and the problems (dust, screen wash out) are fixed. That's what I'm doing. If the above isn't done before a better phone is announced or released, I'll buy the sensation and probably at a cheaper price.
EDIT: ----> HyperDroid Link <----
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has to be better than my HD2. The phone speaker sucks for me since I am slightly deaf. I had to try many different roms or fixes to get the volume to be negligible. That or run Widows 6.5 which was NOT an option after first trying Android.
I even replaced the speaker with a kit from Ebay which helped a lot but I really want an Android based phone. I'm not a chef or anything and really keep it quite basic after I get my apps installed.
Also, my HD2 does get 4g but I want to see what the real 4g is like. Tethered with the HD2 I can get 4mb up and 156 down. I'm interested to see what the Sensation does.
The_Biz said:
Yea? I already was promised the $200 a month ago when I changed my rate plan. I can't bring myself to buy one with its problems though. And unlike others who said "I'll wait for it to be unlocked", I actually stand by that. Others went right out and bought one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't care if it unlocked at the moment. If it works and keeps working I'll be happy. I'm sick of loading roms on my phone and having issues with this or that. GPS doesn't work, intermittent gargle on calls, low volume sometimes, random reboots, etc. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I end up back in windows until I have time the next day to try a new rom.
I'm currently running CMYLXGO Blue Topia 1.1.17. It's nice but still has it's glitches. Battery life on this ROM is absolutely incredible though! 20 hours uptime and only down to 66%. It's a Sense rom with quite a few bloaty apps but so far I love it. I was a Coredroid fan before but this rom is better imho.
I hear ya. I used that rom too. I get sick of swapping roms and would love to have the sensation. The dust and screen washing though, I can't handle that and I really want the root option, just in case. That way I don't have to wait for updates.
my wife and I have been rocking two HD2s running CoreDroid for over a year. I loved my HD2s but the only time they will get used again is by the grandkids playing Angry Birds. The Sensation is great and the battery life is unreal.
ShinySideUpAZ said:
my wife and I have been rocking two HD2s running CoreDroid for over a year. I loved my HD2s but the only time they will get used again is by the grandkids playing Angry Birds. The Sensation is great and the battery life is unreal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my HD2 but it's getting slow and old. The battery cover looks like crap too. Over a year in my pocket with keys has left it's toll but no screen scratches! I thought about polishing the battery cover or replacing it but the sensation is too sexy. I hope the glass on the Sensation is as durable as the HD2.
OH and heard somewhere a year or so ago that the reason the HD2 is so scratch resistant is that the glass was sapphire coated. Is this true?
I tired Android on the HD2 as soon as it was possible but it had too many quirks and I needed the phone to work.
I upgraded to the Sensation and am not sorry one bit. Granted WM6.1 vs Android 2.3 but the internals and hardware are really nice, the touch screen is really responsive and the phone feels much smaller to hold. Not that the HD2 was large but its more comfortable.
If its what you want and your ready to upgrade go for it, I'm glad I did. Mine has no problems that I know of yet. granted this is my first real Android experience...
freakaccident said:
I love my HD2 but it's getting slow and old. The battery cover looks like crap too. Over a year in my pocket with keys has left it's toll but no screen scratches! I thought about polishing the battery cover or replacing it but the sensation is too sexy. I hope the glass on the Sensation is as durable as the HD2.
OH and heard somewhere a year or so ago that the reason the HD2 is so scratch resistant is that the glass was sapphire coated. Is this true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hd2 screen will scratch. I have a few friends who's scratched. But the sensation seems to have a strong screen. My friend had one about a week ago and one of the first things I did was try using my sharp keys on it. I also sat it face down and slid it across the table. It didn't scratch one bit.
10332007 said:
I tired Android on the HD2 as soon as it was possible but it had too many quirks and I needed the phone to work.
I upgraded to the Sensation and am not sorry one bit. Granted WM6.1 vs Android 2.3 but the internals and hardware are really nice, the touch screen is really responsive and the phone feels much smaller to hold. Not that the HD2 was large but its more comfortable.
If its what you want and your ready to upgrade go for it, I'm glad I did. Mine has no problems that I know of yet. granted this is my first real Android experience...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved android on my HD2. I flashed android roms to it back before nand and it was still better than Winmo 6. I havent tried winmo 7 but I can't imagine it compares to android.
The_Biz said:
The hd2 screen will scratch. I have a few friends who's scratched. But the sensation seems to have a strong screen. My friend had one about a week ago and one of the first things I did was try using my sharp keys on it. I also sat it face down and slid it across the table. It didn't scratch one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is because the Sensation uses Gorilla Glass...amazing stuff. Came in my old Vibrant, not a single scratch in over a year...The Sensation rocks, even without root! It can only get better!
The_Biz said:
The hd2 screen will scratch. I have a few friends who's scratched. But the sensation seems to have a strong screen. My friend had one about a week ago and one of the first things I did was try using my sharp keys on it. I also sat it face down and slid it across the table. It didn't scratch one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read it has the Gorilla Glass. Not sure if that is true or not but I will find out. I don't like cases or screen protectors and just dump my phone in my pocket or toss it on the passenger car seat. I am not gentle with phones and the HD2 was a brute.
Cases, like the Otterbox, totally ruin the form of the phone and screen protectors never look right and they reduce response IMHO. I tried a rubberized case and a screen protector on my HD2 when I first bought it and hate them both.
The case was bulky and fumbly. Is that a word? I dropped it a lot with that case because it was too fumbly. It didn't slide into my pocket well and was just fat and clunky like a mid 70s American sedan.
The screen protector was a Zagg. It was horrible. It was like a phone condom without the lube. Pain in the ass to install in the moment and then you had to deal with lack of sensitivity. When it got warm in the car or in your pocket it shrunk and then when it got cool it expanded and left the edges to lift up. POS imho.
That is when I decided to go naked with the HD2. I went a year with no covers or screen protectors and I dropped it a few times. I dented the plastic trim a few times but no scratches on the screen. The metal battery cover's paint has been scratched a lot though.
The HD2 is one tough mofo of a phone! I hope the Sensation is the same. I am concerned that the back of the phone is too plastic like. I haven't held one yet so I'm not sure. If there is plastic on the back then I hope it is durable. It would be nice if HTC would make a phone that is entirely metal except for the screen. Make it powder coated aluminum all around and call it a day.
EDIT - Any suggestions on what to with my two HD2 phones now?
The sensation feels great and the back feels better than I thought it would. I also like the fact that the battery cover is its housing. If it's dropped and dented, replacing just the cover would be pretty easy and make it look unharmed I think.
EDIT: Keep one for a backup and sell the other on craigslist. I had 2 and sold one already.
The_Biz said:
Try hyperdroid on your hd2.
Keep the hd2 until the bootloader is unlocked and the problems (dust, screen wash out) are fixed. That's what I'm doing. If the above isn't done before a better phone is announced or released, I'll buy the sensation and probably at a cheaper price.
EDIT: ----> HyperDroid Link <----
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate when people who DON'T HAVE THE PHONE make generalizations about "issues" I personally own 2 Sensations and I have 6 friends with the Sensation so I have been around at least 8 of them bought at various locations and NONE OF THEM have dust on the screen or washed out looking displays. It's also extremely funny the amount of people comparing the HD2 to the Sensation? Really? I have an HD2 running android and other than the sceen size there is no comparison!!! The HD2 isn't even better than my MT4G running CM7!!! seriously if you still use the HD2 as a daily driver you should probably jump off a bridge because you are using a dinosaur....
freakaccident said:
Never mind. I wrangled a good deal on the phone with Tmobile and got two of them for $200 each with my grandfathered data rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, that grandfathered data plan will soon not work if it's not an "Android approved" data plan.
nccu_eagles said:
seriously if you still use the HD2 as a daily driver you should probably jump off a bridge because you are using a dinosaur....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used my HD2 running WM6.5 up until the day I got the Sensation & I am definitely not a dinosaur. Stop being an asshole. The HD2 is a solid phone & if it works & does what someone wants it to, then it rocks.
Used NAND builds on my HD2 forever, and the entire time all I wanted my HD2 to grow up to be like is the Sensation. Like I've said before, the Sensation is what HTC should have made the HD2 like all along. The Sensation is the phone of phones right now. You will be 110% happy with it.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
nccu_eagles said:
I hate when people who DON'T HAVE THE PHONE make generalizations about "issues" I personally own 2 Sensations and I have 6 friends with the Sensation so I have been around at least 8 of them bought at various locations and NONE OF THEM have dust on the screen or washed out looking displays. It's also extremely funny the amount of people comparing the HD2 to the Sensation? Really? I have an HD2 running android and other than the sceen size there is no comparison!!! The HD2 isn't even better than my MT4G running CM7!!! seriously if you still use the HD2 as a daily driver you should probably jump off a bridge because you are using a dinosaur....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I HATE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU TRY TO START ARGUMENTS!
Seriously dude. There's always people like you trying to flame somebody else. The problems I'm going by are what's mentioned here. And I never once "compared the hd2 to the sensation.
People like you are the reason xda is starting to suck, seriously.
EDIT: Here you go killer. Flame all these people, they actually own the device.
Dust thread.
Washed out screen thread.
I bet you HATE them too huh? If you ain't having problems, they must be lying!!!!! HOW DARE THEY!!!!!!
The_Biz said:
I HATE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU TRY TO START ARGUMENTS!
Seriously dude. There's always people like you trying to flame somebody else. The problems I'm going by are what's mentioned here. And I never once "compared the hd2 to the sensation.
People like you are the reason xda is starting to suck, seriously.
EDIT: Here you go killer. Flame all these people, they actually own the device.
Dust thread.
Washed out screen thread.
I bet you HATE them too huh? If you ain't having problems, they must be lying!!!!! HOW DARE THEY!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point is you are less likely to have a Sensation with issues. It is not as wide spread as these threads lead you to believe. People who don't own the device read these threads and become afraid to purchase the phone because of the fear of ended up with a dud of a device when that is not the case. As for the comparison to the HD2 its in the title "Upgrade to Sensation or stick with HD2?" any high end htc android device produced after March 2010 is better than the HD2 period. As I said before I have an HD2 as well as 5 other android devices and the HD2 finishes last in whatever comparision you attempt to make other than screen size...I wasn't attempting to FLAME anyone just venting. sick of all the people bashing the Sensation with silly comparisons to other devices and complaints about issues that affect a minority of the the Sensation owners... and the "people like me" comment is hilarious xda is beginning to suck because more and more noobs are joining the site and creating pointless threads asking questions that a little common sense would cure anyway, enjoy your HD2 or whatever device you choose to purchase HAVE AN AWESOME TUESDAY

coming from galaxy s 2

So i bought a Samsung phone which isn't that bad until i started finding out the faults! The problems that i came a cross were the fact gps was poor and so was the network, yet apart from that the phone is not that bad. nevertheless I am going to get a replaced for a sensation so is that good or a bad idea?
ps i had a HTC hd 2 before
You posted in a Sensation forum.Of course we are going to say its a great idea lol
manish2039 said:
So i bought a Samsung phone which isn't that bad until i started finding out the faults! The problems that i came a cross were the fact gps was poor and so was the network, yet apart from that the phone is not that bad. nevertheless I am going to get a replaced for a sensation so is that good or a bad idea?
ps i had a HTC hd 2 before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its a terrible idea you have the greatest phone on planet earth and you wanna give it up?
tigerz0202 said:
its a terrible idea you have the greatest phone on planet earth and you wanna give it up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't go that far calling it the greatest lol. But he has a point they are good phones. If your network is poor it night be the carrier itself. At least SGS2 is quadband 3G/UMTS/HSPA
None of us can speak for the things that matter to you. The things that make us love the device might not matter to you. Try it and decide for yourself.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
its all personal preference. i would say that even though i have the sensation, i would rather have the SG2 because it seems like its more faster and the whole touchiwiz 4 looks clean. im not saying that sense 3.0 isnt clean and isnt fast, i actually love it, but in the end its all personal preference and its up for you to decide. i suggest you try messing around with the sensation before you switch
Even though i myself am a Sensation owner, i can tell ya the SGSII, despite the lower res and the tad inexpensive build quality/looks, it's still a lot better phone.
Probably your carrier. However if u still wanna go with the Sensation.. then by all means; it is after all your call at the end of the day.
saffant said:
the tad inexpensive build quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"tad" is putting it lightly, IMO (as someone who owned a SGS2 for several hours today before deciding that I would return it before it got scratched and otherwise damaged. Samsung is all about the numbers game, rather than the overall user experience. They don't care if the phone feels fragile if they can claim it is the lightest. They don't care if it is uncomfortable to hold if they can say it's thinner than an iPhone 4 (they do this with the Tab 10.1 as well but it's not uncomfortable thankfully).
While the SGS2 screen is stunning to behold (even in strong sunlight) coming from someone who has hated all previous AMOLED screens because of how terrible the pentile grid arrangement made them look, It's a cheap, poorly designed phone. Great specs, very fast, etc
On the other hand, you have the Sensation which isn't perfect, but feels smaller in the hand, due to the curved back and the fact that it has a narrower but taller display, has a great looking, higher res screen, and has build quality that leaves one not wanting or needing a case for the phone.
If you have the SGS2 right now and are considering the Sensation, some of the stuff I mentioned is probably bothering you like it did me. I know how it feels to have people look at you like you're crazy for wanting to swap the SGS2 for the Sensation, since that's what I tried doing at Bell Canada today
If you plan on using and relying on WiFi, it's a terrible idea. The Sensation has the worst WiFi of any android phone I've used.
I think you will find out that it's the same experience in the end. There is a number of problems on Sensation aswell ...
thanks for the replies appreciated
i think i'll give this phone another week and then see if it has changed my mind or not.
manish2039 said:
So i bought a Samsung phone which isn't that bad until i started finding out the faults! The problems that i came a cross were the fact gps was poor and so was the network, yet apart from that the phone is not that bad. nevertheless I am going to get a replaced for a sensation so is that good or a bad idea?
ps i had a HTC hd 2 before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can you blame the SGS2 for poor network,dosen't make sense to me but I honestly think SGS2 is the better option to sensation with regards to two things
1) Countless custom Roms already which solve a lot of problems
2) Easily flashing of the latest Firmwares via ODIN regardless of whether you want to root or not
I am already using the 2.3.4 although its not official released and its great
At the end of the day its our choice Both phones have their pros and cons but for me the (easy firmware upgrade) was the DEAL BReAKEr
I would put a facepalm pic but thats no help.
Just stay with gs2, best phone eva. Sure it has better build quality but that always hidden with the case you put on it. In fact, putting a beautiful case on the sgs2 will not add much bulk at all and still have the best hardware.
Bsketball said:
If you plan on using and relying on WiFi, it's a terrible idea. The Sensation has the worst WiFi of any android phone I've used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YMMV. I ran Speedtest on my Sensation with wifi this morning and got over 26Mb down. I get better signal strength around my place than I did with my Vibrant. Some people report bad wifi on the SGS2. Just saying don't take every post as the last word.
Just because the Galaxy S line is made of super light plastic, doesn't mean its fragile and breaks easily. Samsung uses the material on purpose to make the phone light. They are probably just assuming that just because phones are getting bigger doesn't mean they need to get heavier. I actually know for a fact that Samsung puts a lot of research into the plastic material they use on there Galaxy S line. Weather its made of aluminum, plastic or rubber, its still feels solid while feeling light. I haven't seen anyone with a GSII complaining of a creaky battery cover like they are on the Sensation. I can't vouch for the GSII when it comes to holding up to damage over time but what I can vouch for is the Vibrant. That thing felt cheaply built as well since it was so damn light but I can assure you. It was probably the toughest Android device I've ever owned. I dropped it multiple times and the most it ever got was scratches to the chrome bezel that went around the phone. I took house keys to its display to show off its Gorilla glass to friends and the display remained in mint condition. Finally, that phone made it through over 50 house fires in which it got wet and was banged around. In case you don't know, you usually come out of a fire dripping from head to toe with water since there is thousands of gallons of it being thrown around. I always kept the phone my work shirt pocket so it was never in a case. That phone withstood water damage and "gravity" damage and still kept on ticking. That's more than I can sat about my Nexus One which only lasted through 2 or 3 fires. It ended up getting water underneath its display.
What I'm trying to get at is just because a phone is light and made of plastic, doesn't mean its cheaply made.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
ditch that and get a nokia 5110. its way better
jrwingate6 said:
What I'm trying to get at is just because a phone is light and made of plastic, doesn't mean its cheaply made.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it does mean that the vast majority of people will be using a case to prevent scratches/damage, negating a lot of their time and energy spent making it thin/light.
It just kills me there's so many "phone X is better than phone Y" threads on me, and they actually think that it's black and white like that.
I hate cases. I want to see beautiful design, not beautiful design wrapped in some silicon skin. Personal opinion of course. I also like docks (blame Palm's amazing touchstone for that). Blame the Atrix for turning me on to good vehicle docks (not that I ever drive, but when I do). I also like high res screens a lot. Oh and soft touch and metal. And silky smooth, curved glass.
Plenty of people don't care. They want the fastest processor, the most ram, a big battery, and a big screen, and nothing else matters. They'll slap it in a case anyway, so build quality doesn't matter a ton. Maybe they don't even care about scratches. The SGS2 is very, very nice. Millions of people are currently loving theirs. I tried. It's not for me. Damn that screen is so beautiful though, I miss it.
_kansei_ said:
But it does mean that the vast majority of people will be using a case to prevent scratches/damage, negating a lot of their time and energy spent making it thin/light.
It just kills me there's so many "phone X is better than phone Y" threads on me, and they actually think that it's black and white like that.
I hate cases. I want to see beautiful design, not beautiful design wrapped in some silicon skin. Personal opinion of course. I also like docks (blame Palm's amazing touchstone for that). Blame the Atrix for turning me on to good vehicle docks (not that I ever drive, but when I do). I also like high res screens a lot. Oh and soft touch and metal. And silky smooth, curved glass.
Plenty of people don't care. They want the fastest processor, the most ram, a big battery, and a big screen, and nothing else matters. They'll slap it in a case anyway, so build quality doesn't matter a ton. Maybe they don't even care about scratches. The SGS2 is very, very nice. Millions of people are currently loving theirs. I tried. It's not for me. Damn that screen is so beautiful though, I miss it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't like cases or screen protectors and I rarely ever use them. That's the thing. My Vibrant did not scratch as easy as one might think. I don't think if someone adds a case to a phone that's thin and light negates the time and energy it took to get there. Its comment sense. The light the phone is, the lighter its going to be with a case on it. Just because you add a case, doesn't mean it becomes as heavy as every other phone with a case on it. Or does it? Samsung uses plastic because a WiFi frequency and cell signal can pass through it easier than aluminum or metal. We have seen deathgrip issues time and time again with phones that are built with metals.
Lastly, if you like soft touch and silky smooth curved glass then the G2X impliments those two things perfectly. The rubbery back plate and the beveled glass that curves down feels awesome. The glass us also smoother than what the Sensation has. I also like how LG beveled the G2X glass. It goes down instead of up so your fingers just glide right off the display when swiping. Its a much better implimentation than HTC's beveled glass which curves up. To bad the G2X can't run a full day without rebooting though.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App

First Impressions HTC Doubleshot

Coming from a G2, I wanted to give you guys some insight of my initial impressions of the Doubleshot in Khaki...
THINNESS: The absolute first thing I noticed when I picked up this phone is how thin it is. It is remarkable how HTC can cram a keyboard into a phone this thin. It's only about 1mm thinner than my old G2, but wow what a difference it makes.
SCREEN: Definitely better than the G2, even though it's the same resolution and size. Somehow, it's a bit brighter and a bit sharper. Not anything extraordinary better, but the S-LCD makes a difference. It seems that under battery usage the screen takes up a good percentage. The S-LCD must take a lot more power than the G2 with its super TFT screen. I usually see the percentage for the screen around 50%.
BUILD QUALITY: This is where the phone starts to decline. The build is very solid and tight, but it feels very slick in the hand. Back cover is completely smooth. Every time I slip it in my pocket and take it out, I'm scared of dropping the phone. It's so thin that it's hard to grip. Difficult to slide the keyboard out as well, due to thinness. I wish there was some rubberized material around the phone, or soft touch finish on the G2. Even though it's a high end phone, the build still feels cheap. Apart from the few metal accents (such as around the rim of the phone), it's all plastic. Which makes me wonder why it's so heavy...
I have noticed that DUST does seem to get caught in the gap between the screen and the main keys. It could end up under your screen if you're not careful. It's understandable given the keys are actual buttons and not a part of the digitizer. Usually whenever I see dust starting to get caught, I take a piece of paper and just run the edge through the gap. It gets all the dust out.
SPEED: You can tell this phone is fast. Even on the stock rom, I knew this phone would be very fast. RAM seems limited though, with about 140mb for you to use once everything is loaded (stock rom). Curiously, benchmarks show much lower ratings than my old G2 OCed to 1.5 GHz. The phone is faster for sure though. Games to used to lag, no longer do. Even when running multiple apps, the phone does not slow down at all. Running a senseless rom, I have peak RAM anywhere from 275 up to 300MB free, with almost all background tasks killed, apart from a few essentials.
KEYBOARD: Oh boy, did HTC drop the ball on this one... Throughout all the android qwertys I have owned, this sadly has to be the worst. It will definitely take some time to get used to. Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>G2>MyTouch 4G Slide, in terms of keyboard rank for the phones I have used so far. The keys are fairly flat and have very little response and feedback. Very slick and hard to feel for. I appreciate the fact that the phone is so thin, but I'd rather have a slightly thicker phone phone to accommodate one of my main input mechanisms. With time, you can get used to anything though.
After spending a few days with the keyboard, I am glad to say it's much better. The first day or two felt terrible with this keyboard. Almost no feedback at all. But the more you use it, the more you pick up on the slight feedback YOU DO get from it. It's like trying to find the pulse on an old diabetic patient. The more you look for it, the more you will find it.
This may be personal grooming, but I've noticed that it's easier to type on the keyboard after having cut my nails than when they have grown out. It makes your finger a bit smaller and a little easier to feel for feedback, just saying...
SPEAKERPHONE: This speaker is much louder and deeper sounding than the one in the G2. Although it does get covered easily and the sound gets muffled out almost complete. This is a bad placement. For example, if you reach into you pocket to get your phone, your hand automatically covers the sound vent and then no one can hear your cool ringtone
Speakerphone still has the same flaws as I mentioned before. When playing a game in landscape mode, you do tend to cover the speaker when you're not paying attention. And then you wonder where the sound suddenly went and why it disappeared.
CAMERA: I haven't found a single scenario where this camera has not amazed me yet. It is truly stunning that a camera could be this good in a phone. Every time I have taken a picture with another phone, I always try to justify how bad it is, with the fact that it's only a camera phone and not a dedicated camera. But with the Doubleshot, I have to wonder at why I even need my camera for about 90% of my shots anymore. There has not been a single scenario where the camera has performed subpar so far. Flash is very good on this camera. Does not interfere with the photo quality at all. Usually the LED is placed so close to the camera lens, that it interferes with the image quality and actually makes the picture look worse. That was the case with every other camera phone that I have had. But not with this one.
HEADPHONE JACK: I have noticed that the headphone jack isn't ideally placed. It off to an angle if you look closely, and that could prove to be a wear issue on your buds, especially if the connector is a straight plug. It's much better to text with though, because it allows your fingers to get situated well around the phone when texting and have headphones plugged in at the same time.
BATTERY: There's no other way of putting it, the battery life is going to be bad. I'm not the kind of person that believes in toning a phone down to get better battery life, but with this phone you may have to. Realistically, with light-moderate use a user will get about 8 hours of run time before the battery is dead. The vast majority of users have said that the aftermarket Anker battery proves to be MUCH better vs stock.
My setup: 100% brightness, wifi always on, no mobile data, gmail push, pulse reader updates every hour, fancy widget GPS weather every 15 mins, and display on for collective time of 1 hour. I get about 10-12 hours on a charge (mainly because I don't use mobile data).
Will update this review the more I get acquainted with my new baby
I recently switched from a G2 as well and thought the same thing about the keyboard. After about a week you get used to it.
Sent from my HTC myTouch_4G_Slide using XDA App
gtmaster303 said:
...
SPEED: You can tell this phone is fast. Even on the stock rom, I knew this phone would be very fast. RAM seems limited though, with about 140mb for you to use once everything is loaded (stock rom).
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this is a review of first impressions, and I appreciate that window into what someone thinks coming from a different device. This is the first android cellular device i've owned (second device total - nook color being the other) and I have no basis of comparison. This device IS my entry to the smartphone scene, so posts like this give me great insight.
( I quoted the RAM part because this is a function of the BLOAT in the stock ROM, if you cut out all the BS you can easily climb above 200 megs waiting and ready on boot. Don't forget a certain amount is not user accessible, due to being allocated for system use ( CPU/GPU etc...) But this is a first impressions thread, so not trying to take away from that, just trying to bring awareness )
gtmaster303 said:
Coming from a G2, I wanted to give you guys some insight of my initial impressions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good review, and I agree with all of it.
as others have said, you get used to the keyboard, and in the end it seems no worse (at least to me).
I recommend getting a case for this bad boy, helps with the slickness, and protects against damage. There is a thread in accessories forum that details various options. Well worth the 10-20 spent in my opinion.
Honestly, I warrantied three phones until I got one in which the keyboard gave me some kind of response. My keys actually click now.
Am I the only one who forgot about the keyboard as soon as I saw how fast it was?
Plus you didn't say anything about the camera. It is such a great improvement from what we had on the G2. I actually haven't come across a phone with a camera that can perfom as well as this in low light with no flash!
Also the front facing camera is something I always felt the G2 was missing right from the day I bought it. It makes skype so much more usable and makes sense in actually flashing a rom with the video gtalk app.
Plus let me be the first to mention this in the DS forum. I HATED WHERE THEY PUT THE SD CARD IN THE G2! FUUUUUU! It was so annoying to have to shut down your phone just to take out the card. I used to load up movies and series for when am on the go/on the road a lot on a seperate card. What is the "eject external card" for if I had to freaking yank out the battery just to get to it?!
Another thing to note is that as much as people may hate on the DoubleShot's earpiece I overlook that because now I have a fully visible notification LED,and not hidden behind a mesh which sometimes made it not clearly visible when outdoors...
The soft coating on the G2 too was a disadvantage as it was so much easier to pick up scratches and scuffs than the DS. Infact thanks to my worry that DS would suffer the same fate, I ordered the rubberised hard cover on the same day I ordered the DS.
The hinge on the G2 was a cool feature but when it finally got loose, I hated it more than I ever fancied it in the first place. I'm glad that the DS comes with a really tight slider which no amount of shock/fall could force it open.
The G2 got the 3 shortcut keys on the Keyboard, the DS got the home, menu and back buttons. Which imo makes me spend more time on the keyboard with the DS than the G2 coz am able to navigate faster and easier with the keyboard on it. I know you may not agree with me but that too makes the DS's keyboard feel more complete than that of the G2.
Another thing I felt was a bit of a failure on the G2 was the back of the top hinge which was stuck with adhesive which you had to peel off to expose the screws. For a device that is praised for its 'solid and partly metalic buid' I really didn't like the idea of using parts that were stuck to the external body with adhesive. I haven't pulled apart the DS yet, but at least the finish on the back part of the slider seems to be much better.
I don't hate the G2, it was an excellent phone, but there things about it that make me feel am much better off with the DS.
sent via a Phone Booth
gtmaster303 said:
BUILD QUALITY: This is where the phone starts to decline. The build is very solid and tight, but it feels very slick in the hand. Back cover is completely smooth. Every time I slip it in my pocket and take it out, I'm scared of dropping the phone. It's so thin that it's hard to grip. Difficult to slide the keyboard out as well. I wish there was some rubberized material around the phone, or soft touch finish on the G2. Even though it's a high end phone, the build still feels cheap. Apart from the few metal accents (such as around the rim of the phone), it's all plastic. Which makes me wonder why it's so heavy...
KEYBOARD: Oh boy, did HTC drop the ball on this one... Throughout all the android qwertys I have owned, this sadly has to be the worst. It will definitely take some time to get used to. Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>G2>MyTouch 4G Slide, in terms of keyboard rank for the phones I have used so far. The keys are fairly flat and have very little response and feedback. Very slick and hard to feel for. I appreciate the fact that the phone is so thin, but I'd rather have a slightly thicker phone phone to accommodate one of my main input mechanisms. With time, you can get used to anything though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disagree with the build quality, to be honest. I don't really mind the weight of the phone, it feels nice in the hand. Strong plastics are better to make a phone anyways because it isn't as easily deformed.
I definitely agree with the keyboard though. Coming from a Model M, I was expecting a little more from the keyboard. I almost *always* accidentally hit "B" when trying to hit the backspace. I wish the keyboard had *slightly* more raised keys as well as requiring a bit more force to get a key to register.
Limewirelord said:
Disagree with the build quality, to be honest. I don't really mind the weight of the phone, it feels nice in the hand. Strong plastics are better to make a phone anyways because it isn't as easily deformed.
I definitely agree with the keyboard though. Coming from a Model M, I was expecting a little more from the keyboard. I almost *always* accidentally hit "B" when trying to hit the backspace. I wish the keyboard had *slightly* more raised keys as well as requiring a bit more force to get a key to register.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mind the weight, it's just there's not enough metal to justify it. If it has that much plastic in it, it should definitely be lighter.
Overall, the phone is very well built. Solid but not as premium feeling as you would expect.
Coming from the G2 as well, I'd have to say the Keyboard is a lot worse as well. I actually wish they had the MT4GS's design similar to the G2's. I loved the way the G2 lifted up to slide.
gtmaster303 said:
BUILD QUALITY: This is where the phone starts to decline. The build is very solid and tight, but it feels very slick in the hand. Back cover is completely smooth. Every time I slip it in my pocket and take it out, I'm scared of dropping the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna guess that you have the kahki one, then? I've had both and I can tell you, the khaki one is WAY slicker than the black. With the khaki one, I almost dropped it every time I pulled it out of my pocket. It was just so freakin' slippery everywhere. The black one is a more grippy, soft-touch kind of material and it's far easier to hold onto.
So if you really can't take it and don't want a case, check on eBay for OEM black battery covers. The one I'm using now is the khaki phone with a black battery door. Still shiny and reflective bezels but a nice grippy battery door. Best of both worlds.
ryaninc said:
I'm gonna guess that you have the kahki one, then? I've had both and I can tell you, the khaki one is WAY slicker than the black. With the khaki one, I almost dropped it every time I pulled it out of my pocket. It was just so freakin' slippery everywhere. The black one is a more grippy, soft-touch kind of material and it's far easier to hold onto.
So if you really can't take it and don't want a case, check on eBay for OEM black battery covers. The one I'm using now is the khaki phone with a black battery door. Still shiny and reflective bezels but a nice grippy battery door. Best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that's a great observation. Yes, I am using the khaki cover. I will see if I can switch with my friend because she has a case over her black one anyway
Thanks for the tip! You solved the issue exactly how I would've liked.
gtmaster303 said:
Wow, that's a great observation. Yes, I am using the khaki cover. I will see if I can switch with my friend because she has a case over her black one anyway
Thanks for the tip! You solved the issue exactly how I would've liked.
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I'm using the PowerMat Battery case. Gives it a nice weight, and grip. Only 10-20USD on T-Mobile.Com.
Sent from my HTC myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk
gtmaster303 said:
Wow, that's a great observation. Yes, I am using the khaki cover. I will see if I can switch with my friend because she has a case over her black one anyway
Thanks for the tip! You solved the issue exactly how I would've liked.
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No problem, glad to help. I never would have figured it out unless I'd owned both the khaki and black ones personally. It was pretty startling how much more slippery the khaki one was.
As I keep saying, this phone is a real beast. HTC needs to start listening to its consumer base again and give us vanilla Android and stop screwing us.
Delivered via candygram for Mr. Mongo.
I have added/updated the review to include the headphone jack and battery
gtmaster303 said:
BATTERY: There's no other way of putting it, the battery life is going to be bad. I'm not the kind of person that believes in toning a phone down to get better battery life, but with this phone you may have to. Realistically, with light-moderate use a user will get about 8 hours of run time before the battery is dead. The vast majority of users have said that the aftermarket Anker battery proves to be MUCH better vs stock.
My setup: 100% brightness, wifi always on, no mobile data, gmail push, pulse reader updates every hour, fancy widget GPS weather every 15 mins, and display on for collective time of 1 hour. I get about 10-12 hours on a charge (mainly because I don't use mobile data).
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Yep, anker is the right solution for someone that wants something better then the absolute fail the HTC battery represents.
If you want a perfect solution, Mugen is a better answer, but I personally run anker in one phone, both my stock batteries in the other, and the difference is drastically noticeable.
@ 1.7GHz with tv-out and using FPSE to emulate a playstation, I get just under 3 hours of steady gameplay before it starts to reduce performance at around 18% coming from anywhere between 95-100%.
I wouldn't be so mad at HTC about the battery issue if it just died fast, but the battery causes a significant amount of heat under heavier use, and that damages the device itself. That is unforgivable, even taking into consideration that HTC is not a battery company.
For someone using the device as a phone and minimal other use, the stock battery is likely -just- sufficient.
For anyone cracking open even a sliver of the machines potential it instantly becomes a liability, before any of the standard gripes about battery life on a phone.
(remember - dual core processor - it will eat more juice then a single core phone on avergage, but use less to get big jobs done)
Blue6IX said:
I know this is a review of first impressions, and I appreciate that window into what someone thinks coming from a different device. This is the first android cellular device i've owned (second device total - nook color being the other) and I have no basis of comparison. This device IS my entry to the smartphone scene, so posts like this give me great insight.
( I quoted the RAM part because this is a function of the BLOAT in the stock ROM, if you cut out all the BS you can easily climb above 200 megs waiting and ready on boot. Don't forget a certain amount is not user accessible, due to being allocated for system use ( CPU/GPU etc...) But this is a first impressions thread, so not trying to take away from that, just trying to bring awareness )
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I think people shouldn't harp on "free ram". In this environment its a good thing for memory to be used. Android was designed to be used on mobile devices. The way that it handles memory is much more efficient to say a PC running Windows. With a decent task manager or view you would see that while they are taking up memory (which is otherwise unused) they are not using any cpu cycles. This allows for a much more fast feeling and fluid experience.
Let's say I use Opera the browser, later I decide I want to watch youtube videos. When ever I decide to go back to Opera its being pulled from ram rather than internal or external storage.
When you really need the ram for an application, game, etc Android will automatically unload which ever inactive process it deems necessary.
I do agree that the stock rom comes with excessive bloatware and other unnecessary features. I use JKILO's deoxed rooted stock rom in which I absolutely remove all the bloat and extra features I don't need or use. Runs amazing now, no need for OC in my opinion.
The only thing that bothered me when I first got this phone were the random reboots stock sometimes had. Other than that the phone was and still is awesome especially coming from the old mytouch 3G.
revo420 said:
I think people shouldn't harp on "free ram". In this environment its a good thing for memory to be used. Android was designed to be used on mobile devices. The way that it handles memory is much more efficient to say a PC running Windows. With a decent task manager or view you would see that while they are taking up memory (which is otherwise unused) they are not using any cpu cycles. This allows for a much more fast feeling and fluid experience.
Let's say I use Opera the browser, later I decide I want to watch youtube videos. When ever I decide to go back to Opera its being pulled from ram rather than internal or external storage.
When you really need the ram for an application, game, etc Android will automatically unload which ever inactive process it deems necessary.
I do agree that the stock rom comes with excessive bloatware and other unnecessary features. I use JKILO's deoxed rooted stock rom in which I absolutely remove all the bloat and extra features I don't need or use. Runs amazing now, no need for OC in my opinion.
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Agreed, which is why task killers are so bad.
The reason I mentioned the RAM was because what is using it is as important as having it - when I said over 200 megs sitting waiting and ready was to show what was available for user consumption on the apps of THEIR choosing and not HTC or T-Mo.
Given that this is a first-impressions thread, I thought it might be good to see just how much the carrier-level Bloat had an effect on that experience.
Definitely good counsel to let Android handle the RAM, and keep that management out of the userspace level.

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