HTC Incredible S
For the UK market at least, HTC is the premier manufacturer of Android devices – which is why three models appear in this round-up – and the Incredible S has arguably the most distinctive look of the bunch. Eschewing the aluminium and chrome, so popular at this end of the market, the Incredible S is fully encased in tactile rubberised plastic that feels warm and certainly won’t slide about if left on a table. On release it runs Android 2.2, so not quite the latest version, and updates tend to be a little bit late. This is due to HTC’s rightly praised Sense user interface, the graphics and layout may be lovely, but having it complicates updates from Google. There’s an 8Mp camera with dual LED flash which offers functional, rather than exceptional picture quality, plus 720p HD video recording and a 1.3 Mp camera on the front. The 4in touch screen offers 480 x 800-pixel resolution and while the 1GHz single-core processor does a good job, it’s not the fastest in this company.
Reg Rating 80%
Price £500
More Info HTC
HTC Sensation
The Sensation currently tops HTC’s Android pile by virtue of its spanking new 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It also just happens to have the cream of HTC’s features, with a 4.3in touchscreen offering the company’s highest-yet resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, that ably shows off the latest version of the Sense UI, which now comes with snazzy 3D graphics. It also has access to HTC’s new Watch video store for handy access to films and TV shows. The 8Mp camera is a cut above the usual HTC fare with ‘Instant Capture’ quick snapping and offers 1080p HD recording for the first time. There’s no dedicated HDMI port, though the micro USB port supports MHL for HD connection to a TV. Alas, there’s no cable supplied. There’s also a VGA camera on the front for video chat and self portraits. With more dual-core handsets to compare it with since its original review, the Sensation deserves a ratings boost in this round-up.
Reg Rating 85%
Price £500
More Info HTC
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COMMENTS
Am I being too picky?
All of my friends, every single last one of them, thinks my continued use of Nokia phones is now an unhealthy obsession. And while they all admit that an iPhone is a little on the basic side for me they all continuously push various high end Android phones at me. And with this article I thought I would finally be able to see which ones could be in line to replace my N8 if I give in and jump ship. But. What on earth is going on with these camera's? I had assumed that by now that most of the device makers would of struck deals with Carl Zeiss or someone similar to build them some proper phone camera's. OK so some of them record video at higher resolutions than on my N8 but I'm much more interested in the stills quality, and as far as I'm concerned the video quality from my N8 is not in anyway shape or form bad. I'm not exactly a professional photographer but I do really like having my N8 with me and being able to trust in it's camera abilities. My second point. HDMI out. Does any Android phone come with a standard HDMI mini output socket? What about an adapter to link said socket to a full size HDMI cable in the box? Why no mention of USB on the go features? How many of these support this? I have a 16GB card inside my N8 with music etc. but as far as movies, TV series and podcasts go I have those on a pair of 64GB USB memory sticks. And it's such a boon being able to play whatever I feel like off of one of these. Even when out and about it makes for a commendable entertainment hub. It seems as if everyone has a 2mm Nokia charger in their house, and as the HDMI out also pumps out Dolby Surrond sound up to 5.1 out, my N8 has been plugged into several amp's, plug in either a memory stick, or a powered external HDD and give it a charge and off you go! And don't get me started on Ovi Maps. Although I will now concede that Sports Tracker is out for Android as well now.
Many of my friends say I'm not "getting" the whole point of Android. But I thought the whole point of getting one of these high end devices was that as well as making phone calls and sending text messages etc they also offered all the latest advances in terms of hardware. Or am I really not getting the whole point of Android?
Exactly the same.
Came from a Desire to the S2, and I'm seeing better battery life. The screen's got a lot to do with that I think, no power to the black areas and all that. It's an amazing phone.
Wonder what'll be available...
...when it finally comes time to replace my Nexus One? I think I've probably got at least another year's good use out of it before it's retirement time. I hope by then Google have returned to asking HTC to make their flagship phones.
I really hate the design of all the Samsung models - they're ugly, and feel cheap and flimsy. I rather like HTC phones, but hate Sense. And of course I want to be sure to get OS updates as soon as Google release them, as I've become accustomed to on my N1.
If you are going to list that many phones...
...then we need a chart listing all with frequencies, CPU, RAM, SD Card size, battery life (talk and standby), screen res, etc. Half those phones will not work on my network and I need to know those things to make an informed choice.
I travel a lot and need a "World" phone. From your review I have no idea which ones will fulfill that.
It's not THAT bad
"Meanwhile my antique candybar Nokia 2310 will last the full week, and even makes those, you know, phonecall things..."
If you use a smartphone only for calls and texts it will also last much longer than one or two days. They are not all the same with standby power needs and background apps sucking power but basically these things run down their batteries that fast because you do so much more with them.
