HTC Imagio XV6975 Review
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In contrast to what you’ll find on the first Diamond, a brand new layout is found in your Contacts screen, which looks nice and is quite out of character for typical Windows Mobile based phones. Names are showed in large fields with a small picture next to each one. To find a contact you can scroll the list, pick out the first letter, or search any name. Adding a new contact reveals large “most used” boxes that let you use your fingers comfortably, but you´ll have to fall back on the stylus in case you need to edit any of the all available information fields (and there are many on Windows Mobile devices).
Clicking on a saved contact brings up their information, but there are tabs on the bottom to show messages, emails, events, and calls from that person. This is an easy way of viewing information from individual contacts.
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Another area where the HTC Imagio and Touch Diamond2 are similar is when composing new messages. Since both devices lack a physical keyboard, you can use the phone in either portrait or landscape mode with the on-screen QWERTY keyboard. Between the two modes, we actually found the portrait keyboard easier to use with one thumb than the landscape keyboard with two thumbs. This is because when in landscape mode, the on-screen keyboard buttons are smaller and more mistakes are made. This might be one area where people with larger hands may want to use the stylus.
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The on-screen keyboards of HTC Imagio XV6975 | |
For web browsing you can choose between using the updated mobile version of Microsoft Internet Explorer or the Opera Mobile browser. We began by using Internet Explorer, and we did like the changes that were made to the interface, but web sites took longer than expected to load. After about 10 minutes of use we changed over to Opera Mobile 9.5 and were more pleased by the results. Not only did web pages load several seconds faster, but they were rendered slightly better. Full-screen viewing is automatic, and you can zoom in by double-tapping the screen, or by using the touch-sensitive zoom-bar next to the display (when in landscape mode), which allows you to easily control the amount of the zoom. Opera Mobile has the ability to play YouTube videos when accessed directly from the Mobile YouTube site, as it opens in a separate player, but it does not support embedded videos in web pages, nor is Flash supported. Despite this limitation, it is still the one of the best ways to view web sites via a Windows smartphone.
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Browsing the web with Opera Mobile 9.5 | |||
Mobile IM also comes standard, where you can connect to your AIM, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo buddy lists. When a new voice message is received, you are automatically prompted to the Visual Voicemail program. It allows you to see a list of your voice mails and plays them using visual controls on the screen. This is simpler than the older touch-tone prompt system. Lastly, what would a Verizon phone be without including VZ Navigator, as it provides turn-by-turn GPS guided directions.
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The Imagio is also one of the first Verizon smartphones to come with the Microsoft Bing application. It allows you to search a wide variety of categories, has GPS maps with satellite view (you can zoom in to street level), driving directions, local traffic and gas prices, movies, and weather. There is a lot of good information here, so it will get plenty of use. You can also download a wide variety of applications through the new Microsoft Marketplace.
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The HTC Imagio XV6975 comes with the Microsoft Bing application | ||
Additional preloaded programs include Adobe Reader and the Office Mobile suite, among others. We were able to open Adobe PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files without a problem. Games included on the Imagio are Bubble Breaker, Solitaire and Teeter.
The Imagio is a global capable device, which supports dual-band CDMA and EVDO Rev A while in the US, and quad-band GSM and UMTS/HSDPA while in other countries. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g is also supported, as well as Bluetooth Ver 2.1 + EDR.
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32 Comments
1. bluehorseshoe posted on 20 Oct 2010, 01:55 0 1
How can you give it a 9.5 if there is an issue with call quality? Bells and whistles are great, but these are phones nonetheless. That's at least a point or so in my book.
3. PhoneArena Team posted on 07 Oct 2009, 13:41 2 0
Under normal conditions the call quality was fine. The only issue was the faint background "hiss" that could be heard through the earpiece, which sounds like "white noise" (some phones have this while other don't), and if you turn the volume up all the way you'll hear some speaker distortion. But we found that having the earpiece volume set below medium is still plenty loud, and there is no distortion.
13. honoldng posted on 08 Oct 2009, 16:02 1 2
One could just as easily argue that this is a portable multi-media/computing/camera/etc. device that happens to make phone calls. If you are more worried about phone call quality, there are thousands of basic cell phones available. People who are looking to buy this type of device are clearly looking for more than just phone calls.
2. ErikSax posted on 07 Oct 2009, 12:00 0 0
Can you please show examples of the MobileTV service on the Imagio? That is the feature everyone needs to see demonstrated and evaluated. You only showed VCast Video, which we have all seen before.
4. PhoneArena Team posted on 07 Oct 2009, 13:52 0 0
The Mobile TV service is shown at the top of Page 4, it is not VCast Video. The label will be changed. -Thank you.
5. AvtoExport posted on 07 Oct 2009, 16:56 0 1
What the DivX player you are installed ? I wont to... Please provide me Name and Web site to download ?
6. PhoneArena Team posted on 07 Oct 2009, 17:11 0 0
It can be found on the Divx site:http://labs.divx.com/MobileDownload Click on the Windows Mobile 6 Professional link, download, copy all the files to your smartphone and run the CAB file.
8. se7en11 posted on 07 Oct 2009, 21:27 0 1
Thanks for the great review. I've been waiting for this phone to come out for a while and was really looking forward to purchasing it. That was until the big press conference where Verizon and Google announced their two new Android phones. Anyone know how the HTC Imagio is going to compare to Verizon's HTC Hero?
9. j.as.on posted on 08 Oct 2009, 00:29 0 1
You talk about the quality of the keyboard. Any chance we can get some video of it in action?
11. martycota posted on 08 Oct 2009, 11:58 0 0
13.5 hours standby? How is that a good battery life? Considering my Touch Pro claims 350 standby hours and it barely makes it 2 or 3 days in good signal area, and you rate this as having a good battery life?
12. PhoneArena Team posted on 08 Oct 2009, 13:15 0 0
It should read "The 1500 mAh battery is rated to provide up to 5.3 hours of talk time or 13.5 days of standby time on a full charge." It will be corrected -Thank you.
14. brikz4real posted on 09 Oct 2009, 08:20 0 0
Your review left out one very important feature; one that will make me send back my Touch Pro 2 (well within 30 days) to get it: The fact that it supports VCast w/Rhapsody. Gotta have my music .... and this will be the first WinMo device to support Rhapsody "subscription" service as well as downloaded music.
15. PhoneArena Team posted on 09 Oct 2009, 09:10 0 0
We have it listed on the top of page 4: "...media services like VCast Video, Music with Rhapsody, and Mobile TV" The upcoming Samsung Omnia II is also expected to have VCast Video and VCast Music with Rhapsody, but not Mobile TV. -Thank you.
16. brikz4real posted on 09 Oct 2009, 15:54 0 0
Rechecked it....you're right. It's right there. My bad. Just wish Verizon had that feature in the TP2 as well.
23. WarBear posted on 13 Oct 2009, 11:21 0 0
Just want to add a note since you have an interest in streaming media. I have had this phone since Oct 7th and instantly installed my Slingplayer Mobile w/ no monthly fee on the device using the 3g data package and NOT WiFi. Works outstanding! Full screen capable and even flips the screen to the side. Quite a nice picture, some blocks, and some frame rate issues....but overall extremely watchable quality. Watched my dolphins beat the jets last night since I was in an area with no internet, only the 3g :) On a side note it is capable of tethering using pdanet's software w/ no monthly fee. I was going to mention something else, but I forgot what I was gonna say....oh well.
30. usmc7898 posted on 30 Oct 2009, 16:55 0 0
understand that you were able to load and us sliingplayer mobile on the Imagio, i'vve been using it on the xv6900 for the past year, but just recently my phones screen cracked.. Ipurchased the Imagio and loaded slingplaye rmobile, it boots up, but the controls at the bottom dont activate. any ideas???? your help is greatly appreciated.
18. Elysian posted on 10 Oct 2009, 21:30 0 0
I'm frequently outdoors during the winter and I need to know if the touchscreen is responsive to cold/gloved fingers?
