Reviews icon HTC Touch HD Review

HTC Touch HD Review

Published on: 13 November, 2008 by PhoneArena Team

Click to see a large image.
Conclusion:

We were excited when we started testing the phone, hoping that we’ll see something great and revolutionary. Sadly, the reality is different. Hardware-wise, the Touch HD is impressive with a large display and excellent build quality. As a phone, it offers many functions and a very good sound during a call, but the software is not innovative at all. TouchFLO 3D, which we’ve seen in Diamond and Pro is the best for a WM smartphone, but not for a multimedia device what we wanted to discover in the HD. The music player is good, we can live with the mediocre camera, but why the bad video capabilities and not the multiple codec/format support like seen in the rivals? This would have made it possible for the users to really enjoy HD clips. So far, the Touch HD is a good smartphone but doesn’t have what it takes to be a good multimedia phone. As we’ve said before, we hope this will be fixed by future software updates, making the HD the best Windows Mobile device available. What we would really love to see is Android on that beautiful screen, but that’s not expected officially.

Pros

  • 3.8” WVGA display
  • Very good size and construction
  • This is the phone for document viewing

Cons

  • Currently, it cannot play quality videos
  • Weak display performance in direct sunlight
  • More lag in the menu compared to Touch Diamond

PAppeal

Christian Dior:
1 of 10
Very low

That’s a pocket TV and I don’t like it

Average Joe:
1 of 10
Very low

Looks too complicated and pricey for me.

Corporate US:
10 of 10
Very high

I don’t usually even look at phones without a physical QWERTY but it looks like this one can do anything!

High-Tech junkie
10 of 10
Very high

How can I not fall in love with such a display and so many functions…

expand ratings

PA phone rating

  • Design 9
    • Build Quality 9
    • Look 9
  • Display 9
    • Quality 8
    • Resolution 10
    • Size 10
  • Camera 5.5
    • Resolution 8
    • Quality 3
  • Sound Quality 8
    • Incoming 9
    • Outgoing 8
  • Battery 8
    • Talk time 6
    • Stand-by time 10
  • Connectivity 10
    • Local 10
    • Internet 10
    • Data 10
  • Multimedia 8
    • Interface Comfort, Options 8
    • Quality 7
    • Supported formats 6
    • Connectors (3.5/A2DP) 10
  • Organizer 10
    • PIM 10
    • Phonebook 10
    • Messaging 10
Excellent
8.5
out of 10
advertisment:
Email this review to a friend









Subscribe

If you'd like to stay informed about news and reviews we have published, related to the following categories, please select the ones of interest to you and enter your e-mail.





 
 
 
 
 

Comments icon User comments

User comments

Show only comments with rating Display mode
0
1.
i really love the display of this phone and i am a HTC lover, but i am still considering the xperia .. waiting for a review of it
0
4.
I was about to buy this one too...
Now I'm really considering the Xperia instead. Those 5MP photos look as if they were interpolated 2MP photos.

Why couldn't HTC put their hands on some good (e.g. Zeiss) lens, borrow a samsung sensor and give us some good results?
Is throwing in a Divx codec that expensive?

Ok HTC, take a $150 more for the set and just make it happen...
I can't avoid a comparison to say.. KIA motors: for some reason they must be thinking their brand should remain cheap and are trying to keep the prices low even when they don't have to. This way HTC is just losing market. hey.. take $700 per unit, not 550, but give us a decent camera to take photos with and we DO want a Divx player when we buy "HD" devices!
Reply to this comment
0
40.
I think there's something wrong with this review. I've read other reviews, as well as seen Youtube videos showing videoplayback and it doesn't seem to be the problem indicated by phonearena. Besides, the HD actually comes with hardware video acceleration, so videos should run fine.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #4 ( Show )
Reply to emblema Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
2.
Regarding the bar with letters to the left, sorting the contacts, this can be enabled or disabled in Contacts/Menu/Options, uncheck "Show alphabetical index".

Howcome you never covered GPS performance?
0
5.
...How come the English in this review makes me think they can't afford a good dictionary, let alone a native English speaker to write it?

"...we can live with the mediocre camera, but ***why the bad video capabilities*** and not the multiple.."??
Reply to this comment
Reply to losdrivare Hide 1 replies to this comment
0
3.
Play.com have changed the price of this handset a few times over the past 4 weeks - it was £549, then £499, then went back up to £519 last week.
£474.99 with the discount code is probably the best price for the time being.
Reply to this comment
0
6.
Hey Guys,
its smartphone - with ability to install any third party software like Core player...
not only video, but nothing is problem!
0
23.
If you read the review, they said that Core player didn't work that well with the device, as the video was choppy. READ!!!!!
Reply to this comment
0
29.
Bet u monkeys never even touched a smartphone. LOL. There is something in this technological term we call UPDATE. Every softwares will be updated. Just wait for a new version more suited for HD. Not suprised if you don't understand. Don't even bother. Sheesh. Monkeys.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #23 ( Show )
Reply to koko Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
7.
I have just bought this phone (unlocked) & have been experimenting with various video formats that i re-encoded from avi.files. To date the best result i have got from the built in windows media player is a H264 codec, MPEG-4(mp4), video 196kbps, audio 64kbps, 720x480 resolution, 23.976fps & audio sample rate of 44100 Hz. This is acheived by using a prog by Allok. The playback is smooth & in sync. I hope this helps people.
0
12.
its windows mobile, so WMV format must be supported too... try this
Reply to this comment
0
31.
is the hd support divx??
is any 1 knows?
many thanks
veronica.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #12 ( Show )
Reply to anonymous Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
8.
how about standard divx/xvid not converted of recorded tv shows? will it play it with default software without conversion?
0
17.
It doesn't play them at all. If you install Core Player they play, but not well. Check out the review text.

Thanks!
Reply to this comment
0
32.
thank you but how can i install core play?
is that will make divx work on the hd?
thank you so uch
veronica
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #17 ( Show )
Reply to anonymous Hide 2 replies to this comment
+1
9.
Until Android gets ported to this thing it will never realize its full potential
+1
24.
LOL!!! At the moment android sucks... It needs time to mature an enough software developers to make it usable.... the G1 was just a taste, not that great of one mind you, but a taste nevertheless of the entree that is to come.
Reply to this comment
-1
27.
Actually Android is Superior you Nut Job.

BWahAhahahaaaa!!!!

- D
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #24 ( Show )
0
44.
And Windows Mobile sluggish ugly interface is a good fit on this beautiful device???? You sound like you havent spent any decent time with the android os, yes it is young but it would be optimized greatly by the touch hd. Notification bar on Touch HD...i drool at the thought....of course you probably dont know what that is
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #24 ( Show )
Reply to anonymous Hide 3 replies to this comment
0
10.
I have a question for you UK guys. I have found several online merchants offering the htc touch hd for 250-300 USD. (about 167 GBP) Every single merchant that has this price I have found on Yahoo via google search. (which does not offer buyer protection from merchants using their services) http://www.walmartstore-inc.com/htc-touch-hd.html , http://www.cellltd.com/htc-touch-hd--unlocked.html , and this one which doesn't even come up in the search anymore: http://www.adriannewworld.com/htc-touch-hd.html . I was curious if anyone on here has had *any experience with any of these merchants. I find it suspicious that the ONLY websites that have these kind of deals are all using Yahoo as their platform.

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance,

-Richard
0
11.
That's a scam man, in other words, do NOT buy!
Reply to this comment
0
21.
Be careful when giving your credit card number to so called "merchants".
I can offer you my home for $300, would you buy?
Reply to this comment
Reply to Rocco Ruthless Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
13.
"despite the OS limitation of 65 536 colors"

WRONG! It's 2008 already, learn the facts, if you want to call yourself a Windows Mobile expert.

http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2005/09/07/462187.aspx
0
15.
Thank you
Reply to this comment
0
20.
so what are you trying to say moonman? that blog entry is a few years old, but basically says that 65k is the most wm will display (if not support.) every winmo device is 65k for a reason, be it good or bad
Reply to this comment
Reply to moonman Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
14.
I also would like to know if it play ok divx/xvid tv shows from the net (not converted, just as they are)? Such as heroes for example?
0
16.
It doesn't play them at all. If you install Core Player they play, but not well. Check out the review text.

Thanks!
Reply to this comment
0
18.
Sorry, i checked the review but i though it reffers to HD ( 720p ) video.
It really sucks if this device can not play normal divx xvid tv shows and movies.

HTC realy got it very wrong here .. and they are going to lose big becouse of this. A lot of devices play divx / xvid... totally disapointed about this.

How about Mobile Divx ? did you tried with it also?
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #16 ( Show )
Reply to anonymous Hide 2 replies to this comment
  Total: 45 post(s)
Post comment

Post comment

Want to comment? Please register or login using the form below. (Forgot password?)
Most Popular Reviews reviews icon Most Popular Reviews

Most Popular Reviews

view all
Latest Articles news icon Latest Articles

Latest Articles