T-Mobile myTouch 4G Review

Introduction:

Fresh out of the oven and still cooling down in time to be absorbed by customers, T-Mobile has been on the roll with the recent acquisition of the T-Mobile G2 which is going toe-to-toe with the Samsung Vibrant for the supreme title of best handset on T-Mobile's lineup. Strengthening their high-end selection of Android powered smartphones, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G is aiming to complete the trifecta of high-end offerings available to customers this holiday season. Being one of the few devices on the market to be sprinkled with the love for HSPA+ connectivity, it quickly follows up as being one of the very few handsets on T-Mobile's lineup to sport a front-facing camera for video calls. Set to the customary price of $199.99 with a contract, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G will really need to step up to the plate if it intends on keeping up with the likes of the Samsung Vibrant and T-Mobile G2 as the biggest handset with the most bang.

The package contains:

• T-Mobile myTouch 4G
• 8GB microSD card
• microUSB cable
• Wall Charger
• 3.5mm Stereo Headset
• Start Guide

Design:

From an initial cursory look, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G clearly borrows some design styles found on the myTouch 3G Slide and Nexus One. With the front portion of the handset, it's an exact facsimile to the styling from the myTouch 3G Slide with its layout of the physical buttons and optical track-pad. Similarly, the rear of the handset has the distinct look of the Nexus One seeing that its metallic rear cover and the placement of its camera are in direct contrast to the venerable smartphone. It might not exhibit the most eye appealing industrial design out there, but in true HTC fashion, it's constructed out of some fine materials to let you know that it exudes premium quality. However, it's hardly the most consistent looking handset since it meshes a variety of items like its white glossy plastic, chrome bezel, and the two-tone metallic finish in the rear. Fortunately, its reasonably streamlined (0.43” thick) showcasing manages to add to its appeal, but you do notice the top heavy (5 oz) nature of the device – much like the Nexus One.



You can compare the T-Mobile myTouch 4G with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

To our delight, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G will put a smile on most faces with its 3.8” Super LCD capacitive display from Sony as it looks refreshingly crisp with its WVGA resolution (480 x 800) and support for 65k colors. Even though it might look quaint on paper, it's more than equipped in producing some deep and rich looking colors while maintaining a high level of sharpness due mostly to its high resolution. Needless to say that you'll be instantly mesmerized by its radiance, but we are more impressed by its usability in direct sunlight with its great viewing angles. Finally, the sturdy glass like material enables it to radiate a sense of durability, while its slick feel allows for the most accurate and responsive measures of touch.

As we've mentioned already, the physical buttons directly below the touchscreen are laid out on a similar manner to what's been seen on the myTouch 3G Slide. They include the home, menu, back, Genius buttons which are all ample in size and offer a subtle response when pressed. Following the trend of course is its choice of utilizing an optical track-pad as an alternative means of navigation – while still producing a tactile response when pressed down for a selection. As much as it works well, it would've been nice to see it light up as well, like the G2, for any notifications – but instead, we're greeted to a tiny LED lighting up at top left corner of the display.


Looking to the left edge, you'll be greeted to a somewhat recessed volume rocker which is still fairly manageable to feel out, the microUSB port, and three pins which would seem to allow it to connect to a dock. On the opposite side, you'll only find the two-level dedicated shutter key which is sufficient in size. In addition to the the 3.5mm headset jack found on the top edge, we also find the recessed power button which lacks any distinguishable characteristics to feel it out with our fingers.


Taking a quick look at the rear, the 5-megapixel auto-focus camera slightly juts out from the rest of the surface which does make you think about the lens possibly scratching as it lays flat on its back – just like the Nexus One. In close proximity, you'll also find the LED flash and circular cutouts for the speakerphone embedded into the metallic surface. With a quick yanking motion, the rear plate pops off from place and provides access to the spring assisted microSD card slot, battery (1,400 mAh), and SIM card slot.