HTC 5800 Fusion Review

Performance:

The application performance is better than the S710 and Q9m, thanks to the faster 400MHz processor that comes installed. We did not experience the application freezes and the overall sluggishness that occurred while using the other two devices. Yet we would still recommend closing unused application to increase CPU and Memory performance.

The Reception and Sound Quality on the HTC 5800 are both acceptable, but not quite as good as we encountered on the Motorola Q9m. During a call, we could hear some background static present in the earpiece. We also noticed that even with the earpiece volume turned up to maximum, it still was not loud as on other phones. Turning the Speakerphone on was not much better, with distortion being heard at the highest volume, which still was not as loud as the speakerphone on the Q9m. While we are not ecstatic with the call quality, like we were on the Q9m, it is still acceptable and not as bad as other devices.

The included 1050mAh Battery is rated at 5 hours of talk time or 8 days of standby time. During our tests, we were able to achieve up to 4 hours of talk time or 5 days of standby time on a full charge, which is equivalent to the talk and standby times we received using the Q9m and S710.


Conclusion:

The HTC 5800 Fusion is a nice addition to the smartphone line offered by Qwest, including the Motorola Q and HTC Mogul. It is the only smartphone currently offered that features both a standard dial-pad on the front, and QWERTY keypad that slides out from the side. While we were not impressed with the layout of the QWERTY keypad, like its S710 brother, it is still useful for typing in messages, and can then be slid under the phone and out of the way. The main features of this phone are the large 2.4” QVGA display and Windows Mobile 6 operating system. Both work well together, with applications opening fast and being able to connect to the Web using EVDO 3G speeds. The camera is average and is not designed to take “vacation photos”, but is still useful enough when needing to capture a quick picture. The only feature that we would have like to have seen included on the 5800 would be WiFi access. This would allow for easier home and on-the-go connections. Overall, the HTC 5800 Fusion is a well-designed smartphone, which offers its users many features in a small and easy to carry package.