HTC HD2 First Impressions

By 17 commentsReviews,

Yesterday I took delivery of a brand new HTC HD2 at work. Everybody else in Utility Masters is having an iPhone, but as a proud nonconformist I’m plumping with the Windows Mobile option.

Why Did I Choose The HD2?

  1. I am afraid of “The Cult Of Apple“.  I don’t want to be forced to use iTunes.  I don’t want to become one of those bores who plays with his iClone all night when I go out.  I don’t want to join the self-righteous “aren’t we all creative and interesting because we follow Apple” brigade.  I love what Apple have done for design – they’re a bunch of genii (is that the plural of genius?) – I just don’t subscribe to the notion that using their products makes me, by association, a genius too.
  2. I have some Windows Mobile apps I wanted to keep.  I might blog about them some other time, but I use an interval trainer application, a GPS tracker for my bike rides, and the wonderful TomTom for windows Mobile.  I didn’t want to have to start again on a new phone platform.

First Impressions

I’ve had this phone less than 12 hours so far.  I told Dave that I loved him when he brought it downstairs to me.  I realise now that I don’t actually love Dave: that was just foolish infatuation.  I actually love my new phone.

It’s incredibly shiny and black, which I am a big fan of.  That’s why the people at Samsung have enjoyed so much of my home entertainment budget.

  • The front screen is very simple to use, and wonderfully customisable.
  • Setting up Wi-Fi and my Exchange Server details was a doddle, as was…
  • Adding a few bookmarks and…
  • Selecting my favourite people for the phone’s dedicate “People” screen.
  • Installing my apps was easier than I expected and they all work beautifully.  The GPS tracker is actually better, with extra functionality to take advantage of the phone’s better touchscreen capabilities.
  • Web browsing is is fantastic, thanks to the “pinch scroll”, nicked directly from Apple.  You see, I love Apple’s ideas, so Im glad that people outside the Cult can steal them 🙂

So far I have two gripes that have spoiled my experience a little:

  1. You only get one compatible USB cable, of the new, more fiddly type.  This is supposed to help you at work, at home, and plugged into the nifty little mains charger?  i think not.  Give me at least one more please.
  2. The phone automatically leaves everything running until you find the Task Manager and end the programs.  This will doubtless result in everything running incredibly slowly once the phone gets a few miles under its belt.  To rectify this, at the moment, you have do a soft reset by taking the back off, finding a toothpick and prodding where it doesn’t hurt.  Install a shortcut from the phone’s menu to close everything down easily, please.

Overall

I adore the phone.  I suggest you buy one, although SIM free they’re the wrong side of £500, so find a good contract provider.  Mine is on Vodafone and the prices are pretty competitive although it’s part of a group order for Utility Masters.

Tell ’em Phill sent you!

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17 comments on “HTC HD2 First Impressions”

  2. rooleymoor

    Looks good. I’m going to get an iPod Touch as I think that it’s a good mp3 player. But I won’t go down the iPhone route as I think it’s far too much money for a phone with poor 3G support.

  3. Phill

    Joby – I would ponder, especially as you already have an iClone for the apps you want.
    Rooley – Agree on the iPod. Not got one but my bro has and it’s an excellent media player. On my HTC so far the 3G is faultless, in my limited experience.

  5. Joby

    I have a 160gb iPod so never used the phone for music – LOL.

    I’ll start shopping around next week.

  6. Phill

    The data was a prime consideration, as we have to demo our web portal to customers without messing with their networks (which often messes things up and results in crap demos), so the modem use is a big part of the package.

    Great deals available on the HTC Touch HD too. Same phone really, just a bit bulkier with slightly smaller screen.

  7. Emma Rush

    Is it really, as you describe it, a cult of mac? Mac users are still very much a minority. My personal experience does not include mac users suggesting they are more creative. Mostly it’s windows lovers telling us what gullible fools we are, how overpriced macs are, how under spec, how lacking in latest tech they are. How backward and retarded we are for not building a machine like meccano for 1/8th of the price.

    It’s a dull debate, gets very driver Vs cyclist after a while, so I won’t bore you with why I prefer to use an apple mac + iphone as my machine + phone of choice. Although I will say that I know the system better than windows, so it’s an obvious choice.

    Do have to say though, does look remarkably like an iphone. Apple are stupid for coming up with all the ideas and letting someone else improve on them. Although gripe point 2. sounds like a PITA.

  8. Phill

    🙂 What’s PITA?
    Yes, it’s a cult. Not so much Mac, but iPhone. Of course the opinions of the writer are in no way reflective of anybody else’s. After all, 20+ other phones at work are all Phone of i.

    Just call me a nonconformist. But sometimes a provocative nonconformist! 😉

    And I did say I love what Apple do – it’s some of their customers I object to, hence the Cult Of Apple statement. It wasn’t me who coined that actually, I’ll let that man own up himself if he wants to…

  9. Gary

    I own a Mk1 and – apart from the odd crash (3 in a year, easily fixable with a hard reset and a re-synch with the computer) – absolutely love it. Since my MP3 player imploded (not an Apple, the “Cult of…” was me 😮 ) I’ve been using it for that as well. I couldn’t be without it.

    The Cult of Apple thing, I was applying to the whole Apple ouvre. I don’t like the way that die-hard Applists hold their products to be the answer to everything, and the way it engenders a smug, too-cool-for-school attitude, like they’re the keepers to a great lost secret; conveniently ignoring the successful proliferation among a large proportion of the populus.

    I also dislike the way the products are marketed. It’s all a bit reminiscent of the Gap ads of the late-90s: ‘Everybody in [insert a marketing team’s made up trend here]’. This non-conformist conformism is just far too creepy for my liking.

    Back to the phone, I’m a bit disappointed HTC have opted for the pinch and squeeze thingy. I much prefer the quick double-tap of the Mk1 to zoom in.

    Each to their own though.

    Nice review Phill.

  10. Phill

    Cheers! For the benefit of readers, Gary sumbited his comment via his HTC Touch, which is some sort of glowing endorsement of its powers, surely.

  11. Emma Rush

    PITA – It’s a low carb bread alternative, Phill. I don’t eat normal bread because I feel I am better than most people. It’s because I’m more creative and live a California-style lifestyle in my terraced house in Glossop. And just to underscore how I think different, I eat wholemeal PITA. 😉

    Fair play to you Phill, nice review. And I believe that people should have phones other than iPhone. Otherwise there’s no competition, which makes manufacturers lazy. I’d be interested to know their share of market actually.

    And lazy is why I’ve used a mac for ten years and stick with my iPhone. I can’t be bothered with all of the hackery and hassle. And of course, because it gives me a warm glowing sense of superiority, which allows me to sleep soundly at night 😉 .

  13. Phill

    Very well said, Emma. I really can’t get my head around Blackberries, mainly due to their email server limitations. Great comments.

  14. Emma Rush

    Have you heard “California über Alles” By the Dead Kennedys? That’s a bit how Apple seem quite often.

  16. Emma Rush

    I forgot to say about the iPhone, I mustn’t be completely sold on them as I haven’t upgraded to the 3Gs when it came ’round. I thought “18 months minimum and 180 nicker for something with barely any improvement?, do I look stupid? (don’t answer that)”. But I haven’t gone for the HTC or other, just kept the old one.
    As I say… I’m lazy (and skint from spending money on bikes/holidays).
    One really annoying thing though, I bought the Nike iPod+ kit for said iPhone. Ripped the box as nike haven’t got apple-esque packing down (can’t send back now). Blimmin’ thing doesn’t work on iPhone 3G, only 3Gs. So that’s what you get for being a big sucker for their marketing and not reading all of the details.

  17. Phill

    Oh dear, unlucky. There seems to an assumption that every iPhone owner has already slavishly upgraded, to take advantage of the “added value”. Bummer.

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