Review: HTC Touch HD

The latest progression in the popular Touch range sees a large screen and almost no buttons. The Touch HD is available both Sim-free and exclusive from Orange as we write. Either way it’s not a pocket money bargain, but HTC has hit the nail on the head – certainly as far as ticking boxes for multimedia fans is concerned.

There are several elements to the HTC Touch HD that make it absolutely ideal if you’re into mobile music, web browsing, or indeed anything that needs a lot of screen space. That also means if you like eBook reading or doing lots of email on the move, it could appeal.

Specs and info

Price: £499 - buy now at DeviceWire
Operating system: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz
Memory: 288MB RAM; 512MB ROM
Dimensions: 115 x 62.8 x 12mm
Weight: 147g
Display size: 3.8”
Display resolution: 480 x 800
Expansion slot: microSD

The most obvious of these elements is the screen. It is massive, at 3.8 inches across diagonal corners. It beats the iPhone and Xperia X1 for size. And its 800 x 480 pixels aren’t beaten by the iPhone either, though the Xperia X1 does match it. It’s enough to say that for web browsing alone, this screen screams out its suitability.

We did more browsing with this PDA than we are used to doing, partly because the screen is so superb and partly because HTC has built the Opera browser in. With finger panning and tap-to-zoom, this is a great browser. The accelerometer helps here, because the screen rotates between tall and wide formats as you turn the Touch HD in your hands.

For music fans there’s more good news – apart from the ability to watch videos of your fave artists with ease, you can use either the files you’ve downloaded or the built-in YouTube software. There is a headphones slot on the top edge of the casing where it’s most ergonomic and convenient. And unusually for HTC, it’s a 3.5mm sized port, so you’re able to use your favourite headphones. You can opt for A2DP over Bluetooth if you prefer. Oh, and the Touch HD comes with an 8GB microSD card, which ought to be plenty to store a selection of fave tunes.

There’s more built-in memory than we’re used to seeing too, and an FM radio caters happily for times when your favourite tracks don’t quite hit the spot. Multimedia performance is generally impressive all round – this is definitely one of the best Windows Mobile devices in that area – although it lacks the cohesiveness of the iPhone/iTunes package. It does show how Windows Mobile is starting to creak a little in comparison to some of the more modern operating systems on the market.
This is a 3G device and there’s a front camera for two-way video calling, but it’s the main camera that takes the prizes. It’s the first 5-megapixel camera to be seen in a Windows Mobile device from HTC. There’s no flash, though, and to be honest the quality is still a little disappointing. You are going to need a dedicated camera for anything more than casual snaps, but nevertheless it does represent a step forward.

GPS is built in and Google Maps is pre-installed. And of course, wi-fi is here as well. You will probably want to make plenty of use of that for data-rich downloads.

HTC’s TouchFLO interface is at the heart of the Touch HD and this is one of the smoothest implementations we’ve seen. Sweeping the screen to move through photos was responsive, and it’s nice to get a little haptic feedback at times. However, there were occasions when we had to wait, because even the ultra fast processor in the Touch HD seemed a bit overworked by TouchFLO. And, of course, they’ve still been unable to fix some of the usability flaws that are an inherent part of the Windows Mobile experience. TouchFLO is great for finger-friendly, day-to-day use, but power users will still not be able to function fully without the stylus – especially in the absence of a d-pad on this handset.

Battery life suffers a little, not least because of the need to keep the large screen going. Supplying the wi-fi and GPS antenna are also drains. You can probably expect to last a day if you aren’t too hard on the Touch HD, but keeping a mains power adaptor or USB cable handy might be advisable.

Overall, HTC has done a super job with the Touch HD, and it’s a worthy competitor to the iPhone. Cheap it ain’t, but it certainly has a lot to offer those who want a media-centric smartphone.

Essential verdict:

Performance: 8/10
Sometimes slightly sluggish but generally responsive

Design: 8/10
Large, but this is necessary to accommodate the 3.8” screen

Features: 9/10
Brimming with features, and we really love the large screen

Value for money: 7/10
Expensive, especially if you take the Sim-free route

Overall score: 8/10
Lots to like, but you’ll need big pockets to carry the HTC Touch HD around

Buy the HTC Touch HD at DeviceWire

Review originally published in Smartphone & PDA Essentials magazine. Words by Sandra Vogel.

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