iPhone 4-Esque

On the surface, the iPhone 4S resembles its predecessor, the iPhone 4. It maintains the same 4.5 inch by 2.31 inch by 0.37 inch design, although it is nominally heavier at 4.9 ounces. It is available in black and white versions (and yes, the white version is actually available this time) for AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. It also maintains the same dock connector, volume, and home buttons, in the same places, as well as the beautiful 3.5-inch 960 x 640 pixel retina display. It’s not AMOLED, but its 326 ppi pixel density and 800:1 contrast ratio are gorgeous and easily viewable both indoors and out.

Also like the iPhone 4, the 4S features WiFi 802.11b/g/n, but unlike the 4, the 4S has been upgraded to Bluetooth version 4.0, which enhances its battery life.

In addition to the 16 GB version for $199 and the 32 GB version for $299 (with contract), Apple has introduced a 64 GB model for $399, which is handy for those of us who crave extra storage space for apps, music, and video (the exact amount you can store depends on your choice of apps and encoding settings).

Faster! Faster! More Intense!

Under the hood, however, the iPhone 4S is a major upgrade. It features a dual-core A5 processor with 512 MB of RAM, rather than the single-core A4 found in the iPhone 4. So what does that mean exactly? This phone is FAST. Opening apps, multitasking, typing on the on-screen keyboard, and swiping through windows are all an instantaneous breeze. iOS devices have always felt snappy, but the 4S feels faster than ever.

Mobile Safari is equally impressive (although there’s still no Flash), zipping through web pages in a way that feels more like a desktop computer than a phone. On the Sunspider 0.9.1 Javascript rendering test, Safari on the 4S scores an amazing overall score of 2241.6 ms as opposed to 4015 for the iPhone 4 or 3353 for the Samsung Galaxy S II (lower numbers are better). Speed is one of the main selling points of the iPhone 4S, and it certainly does not disappoint in that respect. In Browsermark, the iPhone 4 scored an extremely impressive 88,416 vs. 35,901 for the iPhone 4 and 46,245 for the Droid Bionic (higher numbers are better).

iPhone 4S Video Review

Here’s our video review of the iPhone 4S (the AT&T version was used for this video). We’ll add a video review of the Verizon iPhone 4S in a few days.

iPhone 4S on AT&T vs. Verizon Wireless Comparison:

Calling and Data

Apple has addressed the sometimes-controversial antenna from the iPhone 4 by implementing a dual-antenna system in the 4S, in which the phone intelligently selects between the two antennas to find the stronger signal strength. Using the not-so-reliable “bar marks,” we got 3-4 bars of 3G coverage on the 4S in a moderate coverage area, versus 2-3 bars on earlier iPhone models.

On AT&T, Apple has also updated the 3G connection to 14.4 Mbps HSDPA (although 3G speeds are unchanged on Verizon and Sprint). Using Ookla’s SpeedTest app on AT&T, we averaged speeds of 289 ms ping / 3.75 Mbps download / 1.07 Mbps upload in the Portland Oregon area and 159 ms ping/4.9Mbps down/1.08Mbps up in the Dallas area.

These are respectable scores, and some marketing departments (hello AT&T and T-Mobile) might even like to call them “4G,” but the fact remains that for now, the iPhone is still a 3G phone. Now that true 4G LTE phones are becoming commonplace on Verizon and should arrive on AT&T in the next few months, this may be a sore spot among some potential buyers, but Apple does have its reasons for waiting on 4G; the availability of 4G is still somewhat limited, and 4G chips tend to wreak havoc on battery life and increase phone size. You may agree with Apple here, or you may not, but they made a conscious decision that 4G wasn’t ready for prime time – it’s not as if they simply “forgot” 4G or couldn’t figure it out.

Voice calls were crisp and clear, including on speakerphone. This is a marked improvement over the iPhone 4, whose call quality wasn’t very good. In fact, we absolutely love the iPhone 4S as a voice phone. Although dropped calls continue to plague some iPhone users on AT&T, in our tests, iPhone 4S didn’t drop more calls than other non-iPhone AT&T phones.

The iPhone 4S is a true world phone that has both CDMA and GSM radios built-in, regardless of which carrier sells it. That means Apple can make one piece of hardware that AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and overseas carriers can sell, with only software customizations. The phone uses the usual (for Apple) micro SIM for the GSM side of things, and it’s quad band GSM with 3G on the 850/900/1900/2100Mhz bands (T-Mobile’s 3G bands are missing). It has EV-DO Rev. A 3G for use on Verizon, Sprint and overseas roaming in CDMA countries like Korea. Should you travel overseas, you can either pay your carrier’s international roaming rates, or get the GSM side unlocked so you can use the SIM card of your choice (Verizon will provide an unlock code, but not AT&T). So far, Verizon is the only carrier stating that they’ll unlock the iPhone 4S for customers in good standing. That doesn’t mean you can pop in an AT&T SIM though; the Verizon iPhone’s firmware blocks using AT&T SIM cards.

It’s A Sony!

Another major upgrade to the iPhone 4S is its 8-megapixel Sony camera with redesigned optics, autofocus, geotagging, and an LED flash, plus onboard photo editing. It can shoot video with audio up to 1080p at 30 frames per second and also features image stabilization. (The phone also has a VGA FaceTime camera on the front.) The camera is also much faster than most cell phones, allowing you to fire it up and take a picture within about one second.

Photos taken with the 4S’ camera are impressive and colorful without being oversaturated. Likewise, videos are crisp and detailed. Whereas most cell phone cameras are the camera you use in a pinch since it is likely the only one available, the camera on the 4S is good enough that novice to mid-range photographers may actually want to make it their primary camera. Video quality is noticeably better than the iPhone 4, and low light photos are better thanks to the 4S’ fast F/2.4 lens and backside illuminated sensor. That’s a great compliment considering how good the iPhone 4′s 5 megapixel camera is. The iPhone 4S camera holds its own vs. better 8 megapixel camera phones on the market like the HTC Amaze 4G, and bests the Motorola Droid Bionic’s slow and less colorful 8 megapixel shooter.

Battery

The iPhone 4S’ non user-replaceable lithium-ion battery is rated for 8 hours talk time on 3G, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of audio playback, 6 hours of 3G data usage, 9 hour of WiFi data, or 300 hours of standby. In our tests, we found these estimates to be roughly on target. If you use your iPhone frequently throughout the day, you’ll probably make it to the evening, although especially heavy users may want to buy an external battery. People who don’t use their iPhones very often… don’t really exist.

Two’s Company, Five’s iCloud

The iPhone 4S comes preloaded with iOS 5, and while this is not a review of iOS 5, it’s worth noting that that gets you access to over-the-air updates, iCloud automatic syncing, revamped notifications, and a hardware shutter button (volume up) – nice! For iCloud syncing you can select from email, notes, contacts, calendar, bookmarks, photos and videos, backups over WiFi, and you can deselect any you don’t need. The version of Mobile Safari in iOS 5 has been shown to improve browsing speeds even on the humble iPhone 3GS.

Siri

But wait, there’s “one more thing” – by now, you’ve probably heard of the iPhone 4S’ new personal assistant, Siri.

Longtime Apple fans may find Siri eerily similar to the “Assist” button from back in the days of the Newton… you know, just press Assist, write, in your own words, something like, “Please schedule a meeting on Friday,” and it gives you a message back saying something like, “Confirmed, I have just sold your car.”

So if Apple wants to venture into “humanoid assistant” territory again, this time they’d better get it right. Thankfully, they did. Siri’s roots hail back to a DARPA project that was privatized after a decade, and Apple bought that company. With Siri, all you have to do is hold down the Home button and tap on the on-screen microphone, and you can give voice commands setting up appointments, adding reminders, checking weather, asking for information, or numerous other commands, all in natural English. In our tests, Siri worked amazingly well. We did have some issues with server lag or unresponsiveness, but accuracy was unbelievably good, both in terms of understanding the words we were saying and in terms of interpreting what we meant. Siri is also a source of entertainment, much like the world’s first computer shrink Eliza– try asking Siri “what’s the meaning of life” to see what I mean.

The 4S also has an option to let you dictate text into apps instead of using the on-screen keyboard.

To Siri, With Love

OK, it’s not the iPhone 5, but Apple managed key improvements that bring the iPhone up to date and keep it competitive with Android and even the still young but impressive Windows Phone 7 Mango. It’s no bull, the phone is twice as fast in terms of CPU performance and more than twice as fast for graphics. In fact, in our tests, it beats most Android phones on benchmarks. For GSM users (that means AT&T in the US), data speeds are also twice as fast as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. iOS 5 likewise adds competitive modern features like OTA updates, a cloud syncing service and much improved notifications. The iPhone 4S’ most significant innovation is Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant. It works remarkably well for so many tasks and it doesn’t require scripted commands. Siri may well be the future of computing.

Price: $199 for 16 gig, $299 for 32 gig and $399 for 64 gig with a 2 year contract on all US carriers. No contract pricing starts at $649 as does unlocked GSM version.

Source: MobileTechReview.com

So just what does the iPhone 4S have that makes it worth purchasing?

A Faster Processor

Like the iPad 2, the iPhone 4S is running A5 – a dual core processor. The new iPhone dominates all previous iPhones by delivering a SunSpider 9.1 JavaScript benchmark score of 2,200 ms. The iPhone 4S’ speed is also proving to be faster than any other smart phone currently on the market.

An Advanced Camera

If you liked taking pictures with your iPhone before, you’ll love taking them with the iPhone 4S. In addition to an upgrading to 8 MP, the new iPhone’s camera also has a backside-illuminated sensor and a f/2.4 aperture. For photographers, this means wider, brighter, and clearer photos. The camera can also now be accessed without having to unlock the phone. All users have to do is point and shoot with their volume button.

A Virtual Assistant

One word: Siri. While Siri has shown to still have a few glitches, the advanced virtual assistant is definitely the best on the market. Not only does the virtual assistant comprehend various commands, but it also gets use to the sound of your voice over time and provides not just answers, but actual feedback.

A Greater Storage Capacity

The iPhone 4S has twice the storage capacity of the iPhone 4. Now iPhone users are able to purchase the maximum storage capacity of 64GB for their phone, instead of the once standard 32GB.

So before you decide you stick with your current iPhone 4 or wait it out for the iPhone 5 – which, let’s face it, who knows when that will be available – consider giving the iPhone 4S a second look. With all the additional features that come backed into an already recognizable case, you may just find that it is the smartphone you’ve always wanted.

Reviewers are raving about the 9900′s keyboard, which takes up about one-third of the front of the 4.5 x 2.6 x 1.4 device. Blackberry evidently takes the time to shape their keys for ergonomic typing, which is never easy when the keys have to be the size of a newborn’s fingernails to fit on a smartphone surface. At first glance, the keys are no different from those seen on the original Bold 9000 and every incarnation in between, but side-by-side it’s apparent that Blackberry has enlarged the keys ever so slightly and flattened them out just enough to remove excess punch without taking away integrity.

The 9900 breaks away from former 9000s by featuring the Blackberry 7 operating system as opposed to Blackberry 6. But don’t let the differentiations fool you: 7 is actually just 6.1 renamed to sound more advanced and revolutionary. The justification for the name-change makes sense, however, when you consider the fact that the changes to the Blackberry OS are hardware-inherent, therefore anyone running on 6 won’t simply be able to just update themselves to 7 unless they have a Blackberry with the necessary hardware. Yet, distinct changes apparent through the interface are few and far between, making the new and improved OS more or less the same as it was before.

The drawbacks to the Blackberry Bold 9900 are probably acceptable to anyone who would be in the market for such a phone in the first place. For example, in exchange for more RAM and therefore quicker data shifting, the 9900 loses a high level of storage memory featured in previous incarnations of the Bold. Yet it’s unlikely that a word-document/spreadsheet making business professional is going to miss a few GB of memory in favor of faster access overall. The same goes for the lack of autofocus on the camera, which is bad news for photographers but an acceptable sacrifice to most business people who may or may not use the phone’s camera.

The biggest “letdown” of the 9900 seems to be the smaller battery, which leads to less battery life despite much more processing power over previous Bold releases. The reason for the smaller battery is obviously the need for Blackberry to produce something thinner than before, but since no competitors are putting specific pressure on them to do so, why bother when battery life means so much to the Blackberry market? With that said, the life isn’t anything that bad – it’s just that a failure for Blackberry to expand battery life is not worth a slightly thinner phone.

Overall there’s very little that the Blackberry Bold market can complain about when it comes to the 9900. The limited number of apps, weak camera, and lowered available memory don’t matter much to business people on-the-go. They want secure connectivity for a long period of time while being able to rely on sturdy hardware and exceptional keyboard ergonomics. They’ve found what they needed in the Blackberry Bold 9900 4G.

The Torch 9850 is pocketable and elegant where the Storm was bulky and boring looking. The Torch looks like a phone you want to own and hold, and thanks to improvements in the on-screen keyboard (sound the death knell for SurePress) and BlackBerry OS 7, it’s a phone worth owning. Will it convert iPhone and Android users? Probably not. OS 7 isn’t much of a radical change from that old and stuffy (though still serviceable) OS 6. But for you BlackBerry addicts who covet a large, high resolution display over a hardware keyboard, this is a fine ‘Berry.

In terms of specs, the Torch 9850 can compete. It has a 1.2GHz single core CPU, 768 megs of RAM, a 3.7″ 800 x 480 capacitive multi-touch display and a 5 megapixel camera. Those are fine, though not cream of the crop specs for a higher end smartphone. Speed is good, though the phone sometimes feels a little slower than the Bold 9930, likely due to the fact it’s pushing more pixels.

When it comes to design, you get the idea we love this BlackBerry. It’s narrower than the Bold 9930, not too thick and it feels great in the hand. It’s a lovely looking phone with large chrome end caps and a soft-touch clad metal battery cover. It feels weighty but not overly heavy. We’re not so in love with the mechanical front buttons, but the optical touchpad is a nice touch for those who still aren’t accustomed to touching the screen.

The headphone jack is on the left side (why must RIM put the jack on the side instead of the top?), and the top cap acts as the screen lock/unlock button. The volume keys and convenience keys are tiny rubbery blips that are hard to locate by tactile feel, and as a result we kept accidentally hitting the mute key that’s centered between the volume keys when trying to change call volume.

Phone and Internet

Reception is a bit above average among Sprint phones, and call quality is very good. The speaker is startlingly loud, full and clear. The phone works on Sprint’s CDMA network with EV-DO Rev. A 3G, and it has a SIM card slot for GSM roaming abroad on 2G and 3G networks (AT&T and T-Mobile are blocked here in the US). The SIM card slot is beside the battery door, and Sprint includes a SIM card. The microSD card slot is beside the SIM card slot (Sprint includes a 4 gig card), and you need not remove the battery to swap the microSD card.

RIM’s much improved web browser is a pleasure to use compared to the BlackBerry OS 6 web browser. Full HTML sites generally load properly and JavaScript is rendered with impressive speed according to the Sun Spider JavaScript benchmark. The Webkit browser is also more enjoyable thanks to the large (by RIM standards) 3.7″ multi-touch display and 800 x 480 resolution. It’s much easier to read chunks of text (after some zooming-in if it’s a desktop site) compared to the VGA, 2.8″ BlackBerry Bold 9930. The display is very sharp, bright and colorful, and we don’t mind that it’s plastic rather than glass (RIM went with plastic to reduce weight). What’s missing? Adobe Flash, but the phone does mobile video playback just fine, and you’ll see in-line mobile video versions of YouTube clips in web pages.

The phone lacks a mobile hotspot feature, so you won’t be able to use it as a wireless modem over WiFi.

Keyboard

Now, the $64,000 question: how’s the virtual keyboard. The Torch has the same on-screen keyboard as the BlackBerry PlayBook keyboard. It has square keys that use all possible screen real estate, and it’s easy enough to use in landscape mode thanks to the end caps that turn into hand-holds. The screen is sensitive to input, so you barely need to hit the keys, and the phone did a good job of interpreting our input and making alternative suggestions. In portrait mode the keyboard is tight given the 3.7″ display size and keyboard design. It’s serviceable but not nearly as easy to use as it is in landscape mode. If you’re a veteran BlackBerry user who types lots of texts and emails, it will take some time to adjust to the virtual keyboard. Is it worth it? Yes, if you frequently want to view full HTML web pages, Excel spreadsheets and videos.

Battery

The BlackBerry Torch 9850 uses the same 1230 mAh Lithium Ion battery as the Bold 9930. That’s not a huge capacity battery, but RIM’s focus on battery life over the years helped the relatively large screened smartphone last through the day on a charge with moderate to heavy use. WiFi usually drains smartphone batteries faster, but in the Torch 9850′s case, we found the phone actually lasted a bit longer when WiFi was on and connected to our network.

Camera

The Torch has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera (vs. extended depth of field on the Bold 9900/9930 and Torch 9810). The camera takes sharp and colorful photos that compete well with other smartphones on the market. It can shoot 720p video as well, and uses autofocus for video as well as still shots. The Torch’s photos look more natural than the Bold 9930′s thanks to the autofocus lens.

Software

The BlackBerry Torch 9850 comes with RIM’s updated OS 7 apps including the latest version of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) that integrates with other apps including the creepy-cool Wikitude AR browser. Social Feeds 2.0 provides the updates and notifications right at the top of the home screen that we’ve come to know and love. It works with messages, Facebook, Twitter, RSS and Podcasts. BlackBerry Maps is on board as is TeleNav, a full version of Documents To Go (create, view and edit MS Office docs), IM (Windows Live, Yahoo and Google Talk), BlackBerry Protect, Password Keeper and more. RIM’s largely unchanged music player and video player are on board as well as their mobile YouTube app with upload capabilities. Sprint includes Sprint TV & Movies, Sprint Football Live, Sprint Radio, NASCAR, Amazon MP3 and Slacker Radio.

Conclusion

No doubt, the BlackBerry Torch 9850 is a lot of phone for $149 with contract. It has all the appeal of a BlackBerry minus the hardware keyboard, and we know that’s a deal breaker for some of you (consider the BlackBerry Bold 9930 instead). But if you’re willing to venture into virtual keyboard territory and covet the large touchscreens your iPhone and Android-toting friends enjoy, the Torch 9850 has its appeal. We doubt the phone will convert users from other platforms, but it’s a step toward the touchscreen revolution for existing ‘Berry owners. When RIM moves to QNX in 2012 (their brand new modern OS that’s on the BlackBerry Playbook tablet), maybe we’ll see a phone that will win over or win back Android and iPhone owners. Until 2012, the Torch 9850 is an elegantly designed phone that’s made with quality materials. It has a sharp and colorful display, decent battery life and good call quality. And it’s worlds better than the BlackBerry Storm series of smartphones.

Price: $149 with a 2 year contract

The Curve 3G is a traditional non-touchscreen BlackBerry smartphone that’s packed with the usual push email goodness and social networking aplenty. It has an excellent hardware QWERTY keyboard that’s a joy to type on, a compact design that fits easily in the pocket, a QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. To our tastes it looks less budget and plasticky than the outgoing Curve; in fact it looks like a quality ‘Berry that matches the build quality and visual appeal of the higher end Curve 8900.

The 9330 has the usual BlackBerry Curve style 35 key QWERTY keyboard. Some folks prefer the Curve keyboard while others fancy the Bold keyboard, but either way, these are some of the best compact QWERTY keyboards on the market. The now standard optical d-pad is just slightly raised and is easy to access. As always, you can set the trackpad speed to suit your style. The calling, menu and back buttons are mechanical rather than touch sensitive and they live under the gloss panel above the keyboard. Their feel is identical to the Torch buttons, and the only thing we wish RIM had added were separator lines to make it easier to sense button location via tactile feedback (we suppose that would have broken the fluid lines– even a BlackBerry can be vain).

The sides and back are rubbery and rugged, and the modern Curve multimedia playback controls dominate the top edge. The battery cover is likewise rubbery and patterned, making it easier to grip the phone. That panel is easy to remove but stays firmly in place with no wiggles or creaks. The microSD card slot is located under the battery door, but you need not remove the battery to insert a card. The phone supports SDHC high capacity cards, but no card is included. There are convenience keys on the right side and left side. These are assigned to voice command and the camera (you can change these to any application you wish).

Reception and Calling

The BlackBerry Curve 3G on Verizon has middle of the road reception in terms of signal. It holds calls reliably and we had no problems with drops. Call quality is very good, with clear voice and reasonable noise reduction. The phone works with Bluetooth headsets, car kits and stereo headsets. There’s a 3.5mm stereo jack for wired headsets and the usual rubber-covered volume buttons on the right side. The Curve 3G 9330 ships with Nuance Voice Command, an excellent voice command package. Verizon includes Visual Voicemail and as always, the BlackBerry supports speed dial via the QWERTY keyboard.

The web browser is the usual pitiful BlackBerry OS 5 affair. It’s less boggled by Javascript than older BlackBerry models and most desktop sites render decently but slowly. You’ll use the optical nav pad to move around the page and press the nav pad to zoom in and select links. We were more impressed with the OS 6 Webkit web browser once we upgraded the phone, though it’s not as fast as on the BlackBerry Torch. Our OS 6 isn’t final release, and we’re sure RIM will continue to fine tune it before and after it’s available to the public.

Other Goodies: Multimedia, Camera and GPS

The Curve 3G has both music and video players that are decent (and will be improved in OS 6). We’re particularly fond of the hardware multimedia playback controls on top of the phone. With a large microSD card, the Curve can keep you entertained for hours. What we don’t like is the small QVGA display. That resolution is so old school, and icons and text don’t look great. Granted, text is larger and thus more readable than the Curve 8900 with its tiny display and higher resolution, but it’s time to put QVGA and tiny LCDs to bed. The display is bright and reasonably colorful, and the ambient light sensor works well to match brightness to the environment.

The camera utilizes a fixed focus lens and there’s no flash– this is no shutterbug’s camera phone. But it does take fairly sharp, well exposed shots outdoors and in brightly lit indoor settings. The video camera can shoot up to QVGA resolution and there’s a standard MMS resolution option. Remember, this is a budget BlackBerry, so you won’t get high specs and features; but that said, the camera isn’t too bad.

VZ Navigator is on board for maps and spoken directions. The service costs $10/month (there are shorter use plans available), and it worked reliably in our tests. Other location-based applications can use the GPS too.

Here’s our video review of the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 on Verizon:

BlackBerry OS 6 on the Curve 3G 9330 Video Review

The Curve 9300 family is upgradable to OS 6.0, and that new OS should be available by the end of 2010. It’s one of the Curve 3G’s strongest selling points for BlackBerry owners looking to upgrade their phone. The new OS brings a more modern and simple user interface to BlackBerry smartphones and it has a capable Webkit-based web browser that puts it on par with other smartphone platforms. RIM has also improved the music and video players and greatly simplified phone settings. As of this writing, the BlackBerry Torch is the only phone shipping with OS 6, and we compare the Torch with the Curve 3G running OS 6. The new OS is easy to navigate even without a touch screen, though we do find the home screen easier to use with touch. Once you’ve used OS 6, it’s hard to go back, and we think you’ll like it just as much as we do.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 on Verizon is a solid entry level BlackBerry with better than average looks for a Curve and a wonderfully low price. While the specs won’t send you to the upgrade hotline if you’re a current Curve user, the phone is better looking and faster than the last gen Curve on Verizon. More importantly, it’s upgradable to BlackBerry OS 6, and for you ‘Berry addicts, that is worth the price of the upgrade.

Display: 2.46″ color display, resolution: 320 x 240. This is not a touch screen.

Battery: Lithium Ion rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable. 1150 mAh. Claimed talk time: up to 4.5 hours.

Performance: 624 MHz processor. 256 MB built-in RAM, 512 megs flash ROM.

Size: 4.29 x 2.36 x 0.57 inches. Weight: 3.7 ounces.

Phone: CDMA dual band digital with 3G EV-DO Rev.

Camera: 2 MP with fixed focus lens and 5x digital zoom. Can take photos and shoot video.

Audio: Built in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack. Nuance Voice Command included. Has music and video players.

Networking: Integrated WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.1. Bluetooth profiles: headset, handsfree, A2DP stereo, serial port, phone book access and DUN.

Software: BlackBerry OS 5.

Expansion: 1 SDHC microSD card slot.

The package contains:

* T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide
* microUSB cable
* Wall Charger
* Start Guide
* Terms & Conditions

Design:

On the surface, the handset retains that recognizable design footprint featured amongst the myTouch family line and essentially looks like an exact facsimile to the myTouch 4G, which we can tell with its ornate looking earpiece grill and placement of physical buttons beneath its display. Compared to its predecessor, we like the fact that it feels remarkably polished with its more solid construction, sturdier plastic exterior,  and less bulky appearance (0.54” thick). Still, it packs quite a bit of weight in the hand, but it only contributes to its refined outlook. Overall, it’s undoubtedly a better product than its predecessor, but doesn’t come off as something more appealing in design compared to some other QWERTY based smartphones – like the T-Mobile G2 or Motorola DROID 3.

This time around, it receives a larger 3.7” WVGA (480 x 800) Super LCD display that manages to capture our attention with its sharp details and vibrant color tones – though, it’s not as rich as a Super AMOLED Plus panel. Nevertheless, it’s vibrant enough to retain its glistening color production at all viewing angles. However, its brightness level is rather reserved in output because we’re still finding ourselves needing to shield it from the sun in order to visibly see anything on screen.

Becoming more extinct nowadays, it’s refreshing to find an optical trackpad still in play with the handset, which allows for an easier time in placing the cursor. Also, this HSPA+ enabled handset features that ubiquitous front-facing camera for video chatting. However, we don’t like the fact that its dedicated power button and volume rocker are extremely flat looking – making it very difficult in feeling them out.

Already, we’ve seen devices like the T-Mobile G2 and Sidekick 4G kicking butt with their fantastic keyboards, but sad to say, the one on the myTouch 4G Slide is a step backwards. First and foremost, there isn’t much resistance with its manual sliding mechanism, which locks into place when it’s completely opened. Once that’s done, we’re greeted to its 4-row QWERTY keyboard that employs some rectangular flat buttons. Although we’re still able to feel them out with our fingers, we’re not thrilled with the stiff response we’re greeted with when pressing down on them. In fact, it actually inhibits our ability to speed type effectively seeing that it requires a firm press to get it to recognize anything.

Prominently featured in the rear, we find its elevated 8-megapixel auto-focus camera and dual-LED flash that’s arguably the center piece of the entire phone. With its backside illuminated sensor and F2.2 lens, it provides for a wider aperture to excel in low lighting conditions, which should hopefully translate to producing downright beautiful looking photos. Yanking the soft touch rear cover, we gain access to its 1,520 mAh battery, SIM card slot, and microSD card slot – the latter of which is occupied with an 8GB card.

Interface and Functionality

Just like the HTC Sensation 4G before it, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide employs a speedy dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that’s capable of effortlessly executing pretty much any task without sweating a bit. Combining the polished visual elements of the customized experience, it’s able to offer a decent responsive experience that will no doubt appease most users out there. Testing it even further with a graphically intensive live wallpaper, it shows a hint of stutter with its movement, but nothing overly detrimental to make it unusable.

Nothing that we haven’t seen before, the myTouch 4G Slide features the always favorable HTC Sense 3.0 customized experience, which is one of the more polished ones out there. Interestingly enough, we like that the homescreen isn’t as sensitive when compared to other previous Sense 3.0 devices because it doesn’t go into that 3D carousel view if you happen to lightly graze the display when navigating between its homescreens – and in fact, it needs a good amount of momentum to get it into that mode.

Even though it’s Sense 3.0 at heart, we find that subtle customization with its interface that’s only evident within the myTouch line – like the bubbles surrounding icons on the homescreen. From its useful set of unlock screens to its abundance of widgets, everything is undoubtedly complete with HTC Sense 3.0 running on top of Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. If you want to dive closer into all the intricacies of Sense 3.0, you can read about it in our HTC Sensation 4G review.

Knowing that its keyboard is rather too stiff in feel when pumping out messages consistently, we’re always open to using its on-screen keyboards as an alternative. Bringing the Swype and Sense keyboards for the ride, we’re receptive to their tight responsiveness – albeit, things are cramped with its portrait option. Naturally, the landscape one offers a spacious layout that’s sure to accommodate fingers of the largest variety out there.

Camera and Multimedia

Photo buffs, listen up! That’s because this photo-centric smartphone has a boatload of features in its arsenal to reel in anyone from afar. Peeking at its camera interface, it’s your standard fanfare with its column of settings icons on the left edge and on-screen shutter key on the right. Boasting a variety of shooting modes, we find things that include auto, sweepshot, clearshot HDR, burstshot, night, action, macro, portrait, and manual. With the latter, there are manual controls to adjust its ISO, exposure, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. All in all, you know that this is targeting individuals that want to surround themselves with a respectable point and shoot replacement.

Before getting right into the nitty gritty, we have to mention that it’s highly touted for its “zero shutter lag”, which means instant capture as soon as you hit that shutter key – and in fact, it works exactly like that! No worries about blurry looking shots with this one, that’s because it manages to maintain a steady appearance with even the fast moving objects. Moreover, we truly love how face detection is enabled by default to perfectly focus in on individuals even before our finger touches the shutter key – but luckily, touch focus is on board to specify what areas to hone in on.

So how’s the quality? Well, we can firmly say that it’s one of the best in HTC’s stable thus far with its overall glistening looks. Not surprising at all, it handsomely excels with outdoor shots thanks to its sharp looking visuals, spot on exposure, accurate color reproduction, and nice looking details. What’s more impressive is the always precise white balance it exhibits in all lighting conditions when it’s positioned to automatic. Likewise, shooting panoramic shots in sweepshot mode is effortlessly accomplished as it automatically compiles images perfectly together as you literally sweep an area with it. For even better results with contrasting highlights, clearshot HDR is most effective with brightly lit outdoor shots – albeit, it takes a longer amount of time to process the image. Finally, you get that hint of professionalism with macro shots as it nicely places that blurred effect with the background.

Sample photos

Utilizing an F2.2 lens, we’re undeniably in love with its results because we’re presented with some acceptable looking shots that are worth saving. Of course, fine details aren’t as pronounced in low lighting shots, but it manages to maintain its gracious looking color production without under-exposing the entire shot. Furthermore, its dual-LED flash works remarkably well in complete darkness while keeping things sharp looking of course – though, its potency limit is roughly 7 feet. Altogether, we’re unanimous in giving this the two thumbs up in our books, but more importantly, it’s the best camera to grace an HTC smartphone so far! Trust us, you won’t be disappointed in replacing that point & shoot.

Equally, the handset manages to handle shooting 1080p videos quite well – though, there are some things that dirty its overall quality. Needless to say, we adore its consistent and smooth 30 frames per second capture, but it can drop to as low as 23 fps in lower lighting conditions. Looking at the results, it produces an average amount of detail, but generally has an over-exposed appearance that tends to make colors look washed out – plus, there is an occasional hint of artifacting going on as well. However, its biggest distractor is its shrill sounding audio recording. Despite those shortcomings, we’re still more than content with its overall good looking quality.

Sample video

Finding the usual Sense music player featured on other phones, its practical interface might not be filled with any noteworthy visual cues, but it’s nevertheless more than functional at heart. Enabling SRS Enhancement, it produces some prevalent bass tones that increase its overall capacity at the loudest setting – without sounding strained at all with its output.

Chugging ever so fluidly with high-definition video playback, the handset’s dual-core CPU operates at a high rate to offer a resounding experience. Playing a video encoded in MPEG-4 1920 x 1080 resolution, it maintains a smooth frame rate with its operation – while dishing up plenty of sharp looking details. And of course, its Super LCD display manages to cap off things with its rich color tones.

Unlike some of its competition, the handset doesn’t offer any physical connection for sharing multimedia content – but rather, its DLNA functionality  proves to be a worthy alternative. Running the Media Room app, it’s the centralized area for all of the handset’s multimedia functions – like music, videos, and FM radio. Additionally, we find secondary functions like T-Mobile TV and Slacker Radio on board.

Preloaded with an 8GB microSD card, it’s undoubtedly a bit under the average with most $200 priced smartphones, but it supplements its internal 1GB capacity. Luckily, you can always replace it with cards up to 32GB in size to increase its worth.

Internet, Connectivity and Software

Thanks to its HSPA+ connection, there’s no arguing that we’re grateful with its fast data speeds that allow complex web pages like ours to load up in no time. In addition, its navigational operation is more than responsive in giving up complete control in what we’re looking at, but its Flash support indeed rounds out its overall engaging experience. Just like most other high caliber smartphones, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide is more than equipped in meeting the demands of even the heaviest users out there without stuttering in its performance.

Global travelers will like the handset very much since it can be used just about anywhere around the world for phone calls, but 3G and 4G data speeds can only be experience domestically through T-Mobile’s AWS band. However, you can still achieve 2G EDGE speeds with other network carriers. In terms of otherconnectivity items, the handset features the usual trifecta that include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and aGPS. Moreover, it features mobile hotspot  functionality that allows it to share it data connection with other Wi-Fi enabled devices close in proximity to it.

Packaged along with the customary set of Google applications out of the box, we’re treated with a handful of third party ones that will appease a broad range of people. Specifically, we find Bejeweled 2, doubleTwist Sync, KidZone, Netflix, Polaris Office, TeleNav GPS, Qik Video Chat, and Zinio Reader. As usual, we find most of T-Mobile’s presence as well with apps like Highlight, My Device, T-Mobile Mall, and T-Mobile TV.

Third party apps

Performance

Overall, its calling quality is seemingly on the pleasant side with its result – with the exception of its speakerphone. With the earpiece, voices have a good amount of clarity, but its reserved tone means that we have to keep it closely shut to our ear. Conversely, our callers didn’t have any qualms on their side seeing that that they’re greeted with audible and distinctive voices. Unfortunately, voices are subdued through the speakerphone with its muffled tones. Showing off its value, the handset comes equipped with Wi-Fi calling in the event that network connection is lacking.
Despite experiencing just a single dropped call during our testing, the handset is still able to maintain a solid connection to the network as its generally sits at -81 dBm signal strength in high coverage areas within the greater Philadelphia region.
As a whole, battery life is pretty average with the myTouch 4G Slide, which should be sufficient enough to handle most people. Actually, we’re able to get close to the one day mark with normal usage that primarily consists of text, web surfing, and emailing. Of course, power users will constantly keep an eye out on battery – with constant charging a requisite for them. Not the best out there, we’re able to get 6 hours of continuous talk time with a fully charged battery.

Conclusion

We’re absolutely over the fact that the original myTouch 3G Slide wasn’t all that much of a standout hit last year, but after looking meticulously at its successor, we’re amazed at how the device has transcended on so many levels. Obviously, some might still be attracted to the equally capable HTC Sensation 4G on Tmo’s lineup – though, you’ll be missing out with what the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide has to offer. Actually, it boasts pretty much everything that the Sensation 4G has to offer, while priced similarly at $200 on-contract, but taking into account that it sports a considerably superior camera, there is no reason why this one should be a no-brainer decision! And yes, it undeniably flaunts the best camera on any HTC device we’ve seen so far – so you won’t be disappointed at all!
Software version of the reviewed unit: Android

version:  2.3.4

HTC Sense version:3.0

Software number:  1.28.531.9

PROS

• Great camera quality
• Plenty of shooting modes
• Solid construction
• Brilliant looking display

CONS

• Stiff buttons with its keyboard
• Average looking 1080p video capture
• Some evidence of sluggishness with its performance

Source

Perhaps the lack of available apps has been a bit of a hindrance, but I view Palm’s release strategy, its horrible marketing strategy and its sub par hardware as having played the biggest roles in preventing webOS from finding stardom. In terms of hardware, I had high hopes when HP announced it was buying Palm; webOS might finally have a vessel worthy of consumers’ attention. Discounting the Pre 2, which should never have been allowed to ship, the Veer is HP’s first webOS smartphone to reach store shelves. The phone is undoubtedly unique and it features the latest version of the Palm team’s software platform, but is it the vessel webOS needs so desperately? Hit the break for my review of the HP Veer 4G — or, as I have come to call it, the Palmagotchi.

The Inside

AT&T’s version of this cute little critter ships with version 2.1.2 of webOS, the latest version available to the public. Compared to older 1.x versions of webOS, the most important changes in my eyes all revolve around performance. Under Palm’s rule, the webOS operating system was gorgeous but it was anything but smooth. On the original Pre, the OS would choke regularly and stutter constantly. Then webOS 2.0 brought the cavalry and smoothed out webOS significantly.

As much as we love tossing specs around, particularly where processor speeds are concerned, savvy users know there are many factors that impact a device’s performance. Of course the processor will play a large role, but memory, component quality and software optimizations are just as important when painting a complete picture. The Veer 4G’s 800MHz single-core Qualcomm processor, for example, is dwarfed by the blazing fast dual-core offerings found in new Android phones, and yet the UI on the Veer is often much smoother and more fluid than many Android phones I have used. Even with a dozen apps open, flicks and taps are typically just as smooth as they are on a fresh boot. Booting the phone, by the way, takes forever.

There are times when the Veer gets bogged down, however, and the culprits are often familiar ones. The Google Maps app, for instance, has always been a tough pill for webOS to swallow. On the Veer, Google Maps takes a very long time to launch and render maps. This, in turn, slows other functions down and can cause hiccups. The contacts app is another constant culprit, and the phone seems to slow down a fair amount whenever contact or email data is syncing.
The webOS team at HP also added some other great new features to webOS 2.x, such as enhanced multitasking. My original Palm Pre would often bog with just two or three apps open, and that is not the case on the Veer 4G. Save for a few exceptions as noted elsewhere in this review, apps remain responsive while background processes tied to other apps are running. So streaming Pandora Radio while downloading Twitter updates and playing Angry Birds is no problem at all, for example.
Other new features include “Just type,” which is a global search much like Spotlight on the iPhone or universal search on BlackBerry phones; stack support, which allows users to group similar cards into stacks; and support for Adobe Flash. Synergy has also been refined, providing more control and more supported account types. For those unfamiliar with it, Synergy is a webOS feature that combines contact information from multiple account types — Gmail contacts, Facebook contacts, and so on — and merges everything into one entry. So, for example, the single contact entry I have for BGR President and Editor-in-chief Jonathan Geller contains data from his entry in my Exchange contact list, his entry in my Gmail contact list, his Facebook profile, his LinkedIn profile and his AIM account.
Phone calls placed using the Veer were loud and clear on AT&T’s network, and callers on the other end of the phone said the quality was terrific. The speakerphone function is also nice and loud on the Veer, though there is a fair amount of distortion as volume levels approach max. As far as battery life is concerned, this is another area where specs can be deceiving. At only 950 mAh, the Veer has the smallest battery of any smartphone I have tested in years. With solid software and such a tiny display to power, however, I was easily able to get a full day of moderate usage on a single charge.

The Outside

Unlike its grandfather, the Palm Pre, HP’s Veer features a very solid build. While I personally far prefer metal or soft-touch plastic to hard plastic, the Veer 4G feels very solid and comfortable in the hand. The phone is quite light but it still manages to feel substantial in the hand, and the slider mechanism is very well constructed.
The Veer is also very, very small.
Measuring just 3.31 x 2.15 x 0.59 inches, HP’s Veer 4G is easily the smallest smartphone available from a U.S. carrier. It’s not terribly thin, but it is very short and very narrow compared to other cell phones. The face of the device is home only to a 2.6-inch touchscreen display and an ear speaker. The display sports a 320 x 400 resolution, which would be quite low if they weren’t all crammed into such a tiny screen. The result is bright and vivid, however, and if it wasn’t so tiny it would be a pleasure to use.

The top of the phone holds a SIM slot and a mute toggle, the left side of the device is home to the volume rocker and the right holds the power/lock button as well as a proprietary connector port. The phone ships with a magnetic adapter that fits on this port and allows a headset to connect to the phone. The USB cable that doubles as a charger has this special fitting as well, since there is no microUSB port on the device. In other words, if you plan to buy a Veer, invest in a Bluetooth stereo headset and a touchstone charging dock. The port and adapter were necessities since the device is so tiny, but having to worry about losing the adapter would be a huge turn off for me. HP’s inductive Touchstone charger technology is awesome and Veer 4G owners should plan to make use of it.

An HP logo, an AT&T logo, a loudspeaker and a camera with no flash are located on the back of the Veer. Plainly put, images captured using the Veer’s 5-megapixel camera are very disappointing. They’re grainy, colors are washed out, and even images captured in bright daylight are eyesores. Also on the rear of the device when the keypad is slid open, is a mirror.
The last item of note on the Veer’s exterior is the QWERTY keypad, which to me, is easily the most surprising thing about this smartphone.

The Upside

I was as shocked to determine this as you undoubtedly will be to read it, but the Veer’s keyboard really isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s pretty ok. While that might not seem like much of a compliment on the surface, consider that this QWERTY keyboard is by far the smallest I have ever used on a cell phone. While I don’t have giant hands, I fully expected to find the keyboard laughable the first time I slid the phone’s display skyward. But after typing a sentence I found my smirk starting to fade. After making it through a second sentence, and then a third with no errors, I’m sure a puzzled expression stuck to my face for at least a few beats.
This keyboard isn’t half bad.

I wouldn’t call the typing experience enjoyable, really, but it’s not as bad as you might think. If you have giant hands, don’t even bother. Those with small to average-sized digits will almost certainly be able to manage on the Veer’s QWERTY, though, as the rounded shape of the buttons provides more separation than you might think. I would say that I made no more or less errors while typing on the Veer 4G than I do while typing on the iPhone 4 or a Windows Phone, which house my two favorite keyboards. I definitely type a bit slower on the Veer than on the two aforementioned devices, but not by much.

Beyond the keyboard, there isn’t much else to cover in this section I’m afraid. The device’s biggest strength is its operating system, of which I am a huge fan. The UI is gorgeous, the card interface is brilliantly intuitive and the feature set is all there. But…

The Downside

Where to begin?
As a phone, the HP Veer 4G is more than adequate. As a smartphone, the Veer is very capable and fairly smooth for the most part. And yet at the same time, I’m unable to take it seriously.
My real question, jaded though it may be, is simply: why is this phone so small? It serves no purpose. It is a gimmick and nothing more. And it’s not even a good gimmick, in my eyes. Tiny phones had their day in the sun, but that day has passed — and the tiny phone craze didn’t even occur in any of the Veer’s launch markets.

The Veer 4G would be a blast to use if it was the size of a normal phone. Professionals might enjoy it more if they were actually able to see the text within emails. Children might enjoy in more if they were actually able to see the birds as they are flung toward pigs. Commuters might enjoy it more if they were actually able to see videos as they play (or listen to music without needing an adapter to connect their ear buds). Instead, 20/20 vision doesn’t even cut it with this minuscule mobile phone, and the expense HP incurred to build and ship it might not even be wholly recouped.
This concept of “build it small and cute” is one more thing that spilled over from the pre-acquisition Palm team that most definitely should not have. People didn’t bite with the Pixi and they won’t bite with the Veer.

Beyond that — though I’m not sure there really is a “beyond that,” unfortunately — there are some things that really cause the phone to choke, as I mentioned previously. Google Maps, the Contacts app and email are a few examples, but the Web browser is another area where the Veer can definitely use a boost. Even while connected to my home Wi-Fi network with download speeds in excess of 30Mbps, web pages sometimes feel like they take forever to load. Even mobile versions of sites, built specifically so low-performance browsers can pull them up quickly, have trouble loading on the Veer 4G. This is a problem, of course, and it’s compounded by the fact that the webOS App Catalog is still quite light.

The Bottom Line

In the end, I’m having a hard time figuring out who HP built this phone for. It’s obviously not for power users, so to think of it from the perspective of a tech savvy smartphone lover is a waste of time. Is it for tweens and teens? Maybe. AT&T’s $15 smartphone data plan makes this phone a great affordable option for parents looking to save some money but still get a cute and capable smartphone for their child. Is it for high school or college students? Possibly.

Affordability is still a huge factor with that demographic, and the Veer can can definitely keep up with a fast crowd, though the lack of apps could be more of an issue here. Is it for young professionals? That’s doubtful. WebOS is strong where productivity and PIM are concerned, but the tiny display on the Veer 4G is not good at all when it comes to email and other text-heavy functions.
As a fashion accessory, the Veer is great. It’s a cute phone phone that will definitely attract attention when it’s pulled out. The problem is that people looking for a smartphone and a fashion accessory typically opt for the iPhone, and I’m not sure there are many valid arguments for the Veer 4G over an iPhone in the eyes of a consumer looking for a fashion accessory.

As the very first full touch BlackBerry device with a sliding QWERTY keyboard, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 phone gives you more control over your contacts, networks, apps and services. Tap into a world of amazing features, see all your social network updates in one constantly updating feed, and experience better web browsing with intuitive controls and pinch to zoom. Slide out the QWERTY keyboard to fire off an email, send a text or update your Facebook™ status.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 device runs BlackBerry 6, a brand new platform that gives you more power, more control and a more dynamic user experience. Web browsing is better, everything’s even faster, and you can customize your phone in new ways that make it more you.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 phone is packed full of impressive features, from a 5 Megapixel auto-focus camera with flash and image stabilization, to the brilliant BlackBerry® Messenger, a powerful instant messenger client that lets you communicate quickly with other BlackBerry smartphone users. Great for social networking, web browsing and media playback, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone is everything you need on the move.

If you want this smartphone for a decent price, you can find many tempting deals at Phones4u.co.uk.

In this case, we are dealing with a mobile phone that has almost the same technical specifications as the HTC 7 Surround, the main difference being the absence of the retractable back cover.

The HTC 7 Trophy has the following technical specifications:

- 3,8 inch touchscreen with 480 x 800 pixels resolution

- Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHZ processor

- 8 GB internal memory

- Connectivity: 3G (HSDPA 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA 2 Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth 2.1, port microUSB

- GPS with A-GPS support

- 5 MP photo camera with HD video recording

- Windows Phone 7 operating system

- 118,5 x 61,5 x 12 mm dimensions

- weight: 140 g.

Design and Construction Review

Not at all surprising, the HTC 7 Trophy has a design that has become a classic in the world of touchscreen mobile phone, the S-LCD display occupying the most space. Besides this, we can find three virtual keys, which are a trademark of the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

The margins of the phone are round and slightly convex to offer an elegant look, while the back side of the HTC 7 Trophy mobile phone houses the photo camera.

Technical Specifications Review

The S-LCD display of the HTC 7 Trophy mobile phone has a 3,8 inch size capable of ensuring a 480 x 800 pixels resolution and it can display up to 16 million colors. The HTC 7 Trophy comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHZ processor helped by 576 MB RAM memory, while data can be stored on the 8 GB internal memory. The least pleasant news is that the HTC 7 Trophy phone does not have a microSD card.

Just like other touchscreen mobile phones, connectivity plays an important role. In this case we are talking about 3G ( HSDPA, 7,2 Mbps, HSUPA 2 Mbps ), Wi-Fi, GPRS and EDGE, and we also have to mention the Bluetooth 2.1 and microUSB port.

And not least, amateur photographers can use the 5 MP photo camera to take decent quality photos and to record HD 720p videos.

And because HTC had to promote this new model in an unique way, HTC says that this phone is ideal for games because of the powerful processor and generous display. If these technical specifications are also provided by the competition, the HTC 7 Trophy phone comes with pluses regarding the audio system, providing surround sound thanks to the SRS WOW HD and Dolby Mobile technologies.

The autonomy of the HTC 7 Trophy Mobile Phone is ensured by a Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery which ensures a 360 hours stand-by mode and 6 hours and 40 minutes talking time.

Being announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011, HTC Incredible S is another great smartphone from HTC, one of the leading smartphone makers in the world. HTC Incredible S is packed with solid features which makes it a great smartphone. HTC Incredible S launch has come at a time when the demand for Android phones in quite high and HTC Incredible S looks forward to repeat the success of its predecessors. Read on the HTC Incredible S review to know more about the phone.

HTC Incredible S Looks And Feel

Just like other high-end smartphones rolled out by HTC, HTC Incredible S boasts of solid looks and design. What we felt best about the device is its great combo of robustness along with lightness. HTC Incredible S dimensions measure 120 x 64 x 11.7 mm which makes the phone easily slip into your pocket and at the same time its 135.5 grams weight does not make it feel too heavy. The phone is quite comfortable to grip and HTC has done a fine job in giving the phone a great look.

The phone has a 4 inches Super LCD capacitive touch screen which is capable of displaying 16M colors of resolution measuring 480×800 pixels. The display is outfitted with accelerometer and proximity sensors. We were pretty much impressed by the great viewing angles of the screen and the colors displayed are quite vibrant. The feeling of the capacitive touch screen is also quite good and below the display you get the four hardware keys. HTC Incredible S buttons are from left to right and the material on the back cover of the phone gives a nice grip. It is a bit difficult to clean it if you get it dirty.

HTC Incredible S Features

The device is equipped with HTC Sense 3.0 UI and uses the Android 2.2 platform. We were a little disappointed to discover the Android version as we thought that the phone might run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. HTC Incredible S Android however, is expected to get the Gingerbread update soon. Easy messaging, presence of several applications and the capability of the image gallery to read pictures over DLNA are some of the great features of the device.

HTC Incredible S Specs

The phone is powered by 1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon and offers great memory storage. With an internal memory measuring up to 1.1 GB ROM and 768 MB RAM, users can store a huge number of phone records. The memory can be increased to a whopping 32GB with the help of microSD card.

HTC Incredible S Camera

Robust camera performance for a high end smartphone is very important. The phone is equipped with a 8MP camera which is capable of clicking pictures of resolutions up to 3264×2448 pixels. The camera is equipped with advanced features like auto-focus and dual-LED flash which facilitates clicking of pictures in dim light. Continuous auto-focus makes up for the lack of dedicated shutter key. The phone also has a secondary 1.3 MP camera.

HTC Incredible S video is up to the mark as the phone allows you to record 720p@30 fps videos. HTC Incredible S HD video may be buggy sometimes and videos are shot at .3GP. Though very minute details may be absent yet the contrast and of the videos are good enough. HTC Incredible S Youtube application helps users to have a great experience of watching videos uploaded in youtube.

HTC Incredible S Connectivity And Multimedia

HTC Incredible S handset provides solid connectivity with support for both 2G as well as 3G networks. Presence of GPRS and EDGE further enhances the connectivity of the device. Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 with support for A2DP and EDR files further enhances the connectivity of the device. Presence of 3.5 mm audio jack completes all the connectivity options of the device.

The phone is equipped with an FM radio which has a simple interface. The radio automatically scans the available stations and also has support for RDS. The video and the music player of the device is pretty good. The audio quality of the phone is also decent enough, though we felt that it could have been better.

HTC Incredible S Battery

The phone is powered by a Li-Ion 1450 mAh battery which offers a talk time of around 8 hours and a standby time of around 250 hours when the phone is operated on 2G. When operated on 3G, the battery offers a talk time of around 5 hours and a standby time of around 300 hours.

HTC Incredible S Accessories

HTC Incredible S is packed with standard accessories. During unboxing, we found a charger, headset, 3.5 mm audio jack, battery and a user guide to accompany the phone. Among others Verizon serves as one of the HTC Incredible S carrier.

HTC Incredible S Price

HTC Incredible S expected price in the USA is around $ 550 while HTC Incredible S price in India is approximately Rs 28,900. HTC Incredible S India launch has taken place in March 2011 and we suggest you to visit various shops and find out the price so that you can get the best price and make HTC Incredible S best buy.

HTC Incredible S is indeed an incredible device which has been fabricated keeping in mind the need of the users. It is a perfect blend of hardware and software and has all the features of great smartphone. But its high pricing may ask buyers to look forward for other options. The Android 2.3 update can be a major factor working in favor of HTC Incredible S as buyers might be lured to buy HTC Incredible S Gingerbread more than HTC Incredible S Froyo.