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HTC Desire HD

HTC Desire HD

Big-screen Android smartphone

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Review Few would argue that the HTC Desire - aka Google Nexus One - is a very fine smartphone but that hasn't stopped HTC cooking up a new version which looks like it's been at the steroids.

HTC Desire HD

HTC's Desire HD: beefy

Actually it's not the pills that HTC has raided but the parts bin, the HD being essentially an updated and improved GSM version of its Evo 4G, a CDMA Android handset released in the US earlier this year.

The first thing you notice about the HD is the size of the screen. At 122 x 68 x 12, the Desire HD is itself a big old hector, and some may think it simply too big for a mobile phone. It's heavy too. At 164g, it's nearly 30g more than an iPhone 4 and twice the weight of Sony Ericsson's petite X10 Mini.

The bulk serves a purpose though - it houses an impressive 4.3in, 480 x 800 screen. It's a conventional LCD unit rather than a fancy OLED panel like that fitted to the Samsung Galaxy S so it pulls a little more power, isn't brilliant in direct sunlight and the blacks aren't quite as black as they could be. But colours are vibrant and the picture is sharp enough to keep you gazing at it admiringly like Narcissus at his own reflection.

HTC Desire HD

Not much built in storage - Micro SD will help

Of course, the pixels-per-inch count can't match that of the iPhone 4's "retina display", but those extra eight-tenths of an inch between the corners make web browsing, watching video, gaming, reading and writing so much easier and more enjoyable.

Next page: Well built

Weather App Broke??

I think the weather app on that thing is busted...there's no way it was 'Partly Sunny' in manchester

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jason7

Why read a review about a smartphone and then comment on it if you don't even like smartphones? GTFO will you? Pffff.

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80%

I assume it needs to be made by Apple to get that extra 20%...

Oh, and 3GP is a container, H.264 is a codec. Infact the Desire records H.264 in a 3GP container is clearly lost on you.

Can someone point me to a El-Reg review that's not epic fail?

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where are you buying your phones?

it's not free on £40 per month , it can be quite easily found for free on £30 at carphone warehouse, or even free on £25 per month at mobiles.co.uk

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Ermmm....

You mean like the Apple made iPhone 4 that received 75%, or the Apple made 3GS that scored 85%, or the Apple made 3G that scored 80%. Hardly the extra 20% you assumed.

Not so much an El-Reg review fail so much as a comment fail, sorry.... and I hate Apple.

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