Probably this post on the HTC Desire comes a little too late. Especially since HTC has now had the HTC Desire Z, and the HTC Desire HD, and up next is the HTC Desire 2 (well, that’s a rumor), but a review on an awesome phone such as the Desire never goes old, so here’s what I have to say about the phone which I have purchased a few months ago.
THE BUILT
Not impressive enough, but the body seems solid enough to withstand any accidental drop unless it’s massively high. As for ease of the buttons, its very practical although I’d prefer buttons that had no gaps for water to seep through. On top of that, the phone’s size made it perfect for use and travel.
THE SOUND
The phone produced quality sound, but don’t expect anything close to Altec Lensing sub woofers. The sound is adequate, and thanks to Android 2.2, you can now adjust different ringtones for different situations. Playing your favorite song on it’s headphones wouldn’t disappoint either.
THE CAMERA, PHOTO & VIDEO
HTC isn’t strong in camera quality and this is evident in the 5.0Mpx camera attached to the HTC Desire. However, the camera is decent enough to show your friends what you have snapped on the phone. Transfer it on to your PC for a larger view will reveal blurred sides of an image. As for the video, you have the option to shoot in HD, but you have to make sure it’s in good lighting. One problem was the design of the 5.0Mpx camera which seems to be a little bulging out, hence making it prone to scratches.
THE BATTERY LIFE
Probably the best part of the Desire, or the ‘cherry on the cake’ for this phone. It’s outstanding battery life. On GPRS only, you’d get at least 14 – 16 hours worth of juice, and if you are on 3G, an outstanding 10 hours keeps you going. The battery life is based on my constant normal daily use, and is the average after I have been using it for a week. If you are curious on my usage, well, I use it for tweeting and texting occasionally as the phone is practically glued to my hands, with calls lasting not more than 15 minutes. Internet browsing is kept to a minimal with probably a maximum of 1 hour worth of surfing.
HTC SENSE
HTC has been talking waves about the HTC Sense, but I felt it did little to enhance the experience of using the Desire. The so called ‘networking’ between your contacts and your social network accounts didn’t go as well as described, the ‘silent phone when pickup’ sometimes confuses you. If you are out of Malaysia, the Navigation app is also useless, but I did like the GPS which is attached to Google.
FINAL & OVERALL VERDICT
If you are looking for a smart phone which could last hours without recharging, then the Desire is for you. The phone works fine with Android, but there is a lot of room for improvements. The plus side would definitely be the battery life, the acceptable audio and camera, plus the ability of the phone to outshine it’s rivals. However, the flaws in it’s design, particularly in it’s camera leave much more to be desired, yes, despite it being selected by TechRadar as 2010’s best Smart Phone.