HTC brings passion back with Desire

HTC brings passion back with Desire
by Magnus Nystedt
 
Although it was introduced at Mobile World Congress in February, the HTC Desire smartphone has just arrived in the Middle East. Finally, after we’ve been told since April that it would launch here, it’s available at a list price of AED 2,299.

Much has happened in the nine months since the introduction but it’s still one of the best Android smartphones available right now.

Google’s Nexus One, introduced in January, was manufactured by HTC and Desire is basically their version of that same smartphone. It has a 3.7-inch 480 x 800 pixel display, which is very bright and clear. With a 1GHz processor it’s fast and I’ve yet to experience any slow down even when running multiple applications. The 512MB RAM could be a bit larger but for most users it will be enough and with micro-SD card slot (up to 32GB) you can expand storage.

The Desire feels high-quality without any of the typical plastic noises when you press and bend it slightly. I would say the only exception is the back, which you have to take off with a small measure of violence, making me very nervous every time. Behind the cover you find SIM card, MicroSD card and battery.

One obvious drawback is the lack of Android Market on Desires sold in the UAE. If you spend over 2,000 on a device you really expect more. But practice your Google skills and find out how to hack it to get Market enabled and you’ll be fine. It’s sad you have to do that though and the parties should really come together and sort this situation out.

Desire comes with Android 2.1 and HTC in Dubai wouldn’t say when 2.2 can be expected. My review unit updated Over The Air (OTA) to 2.2 “Froyo” without issues and it makes a big difference.

There’s simply no doubt that you want Android 2.2 on your Desire as it brings a line of updates and new functionality. For example, with 2.2 you get 720p HD video recording, portable Wi-Fi access point, iTunes sync, and Adobe Flash support.

Desire’s 5-megapixel camera produces very good photos and video. For a lot of users and with good available light, the camera is good enough to replace a low-end compact digital camera.

The WebKit-based web browser is very fast, probably due to the processor, and loading pages, zoom in/out, scroll around, etc. all happens instantly. This obviously also depends on your connection speed.

HTC Sense, their proprietary software, is by and large nice but I wish it could be disabled as I would prefer just the standard Android look. The functionality of the built-in apps like the Twitter app Peep is also substandard. However, for many of you, Sense will bring different functionality together in one place under one interface.

Overall, the Desire is an excellent smartphone. The choice between it and Samsung Galaxy S is tough one. Although it is late arriving to our market, for now, I prefer the Desire.

This article originally appeared in Khaleej Times. The articles are published here one week after they appear in print. You can find all my Khaleej Times articles here.

1 year ago  /  Notes

What Apple can learn from Android

Yes, you read it right, I mean to propose that Apple should take a long and hard look at the Android operating system for mobile devices and learn a few things.
 
Let’s leave aside for the moment that some manufacturers of Android smartphones, like HTC, generally makes beautiful and high quality hardware. For now, let’s also set aside other hardware-related issues like an exchangeable battery- just pop in another one if you run out of juice- and microSD card- just buy a bigger card if you’re out of space.
 
No doubt Apple took a major step forward with the release of iOS 4, adding things like multitasking. But my recent experience with a HTC Desire leads me to a few pointers that Apple should take from Android.

First, Apple, you should break the link with iTunes. We can already download apps and music from the iPhone so why not add a way of backing up and restoring without a computer? I understand your desire to not cut the umbilical cord, so to speak, but it’s going to have to happen anyway sooner or later. Perhaps you have some plans in this territory involving the large data center in North Carolina?

Related to the first point, let us do software updates OTA (Over The Air). I don’t particularly like the idea of having to connect my iPhone to my Mac, download an almost 300MB update file, then sit and wait for it to install and everything. Updating the Desire to Android 2.2 “Froyo” was much more pleasant. I got a notification on the phone, it downloaded the 90MB update over the air and installed it.

The next one is controversial but Apple, please let Flash at least be an option for iPhone users. Flash is now becoming available for Android users and so many will want to have it installed. Put a switch in preferences so users can turn Flash on and off at the very least. I understand your arguments about increased battery consumption etc. but by and large we still want Flash.

Finally, I have to say I love Android’s notification system. It’s all collected in one place and you don’t have to deal with pop ups like on the iPhone, numbers on icons, etc. Just drag your finger from the top of the home screen and there they are, all notifications in one place.

To be fair, let me leave this off with two things that Apple clearly is doing better than Android. First, the App Store is still miles ahead of the Android Market in selection, functionality and usability. Second, the iTunes ecosystem is still unrivaled although music, movies and TV are not available in the Middle East.

There you have a few things Apple should learn from Android. I’m sure Apple has already considered all or most of them and perhaps something is coming in future iOS versions.

This article was originally published in Khaleej Times.

1 year ago  /  2 notes

Review: Samsung Galaxy S

Apple’s iPhone 4 may be stealing the headlines lately in the smartphone world but Samsung has an apparent success in the Galaxy S. Judging from early sales figures it’s doing well in different parts of the world and there is also a lot of interest here in the UAE. So what should you know about the Galaxy S?
 
Undoubtedly the main attraction of the Galaxy S is the 4-inch Super AMOLED display (480x800 pixels). This technology makes what you see on the screen appear bright even outside in sunlight. Colors are also more vivid and brighter than on any other smartphone display I’ve experienced. Sure, iPhone 4 has more pixels but, as mentioned, Galaxy S delivers in other ways.

Samsung has put together a speedy smartphone, largely due to a 1GHz processor and 512MB RAM. There’s plenty of built-in storage with 16GB of space and you can expand that with a microSD card. In terms of connectivity there is a microUSB port, 3G data, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0.

All this is packed in a very slim and sleek case, which feels very thin and light to hold and operate. To me the Galaxy S is one of the best looking smartphones available today. Unfortunately the all-glossy plastic case is a magnet for fingerprints, dust and dirt.

The 5-megapixel camera produces sharp photos with good contrast and colors. Also he 720p HD video comes out looking very good. However, there is no dedicated camera button on the outside, a strange omission, and there’s no flash so don’t expect to shoot in low light.

This hardware will require a lot of power obviously and the battery on the Galaxy S lasts a full working day if you’re lucky but like with most smartphones don’t venture too far away from somewhere you can charge. You can buy an extra battery though and just swap when you’re running low.

In terms of software the Galaxy S runs Android 2.1 but Samsung has said an upgrade to 2.2 is on the way. They’ve put some of their own software on it like TouchWiz interface and Social Hub for integrating your social networking activities. Samsung’s software is not bad, especially TouchWiz adds functionality to standard Android, but personally I prefer just a standard Android setup and then I can pick my own apps.

However, that’s a problem in the UAE as all Android smartphones officially sold here, including the Galaxy S, don’t have the Android Market app installed. That means it’s up to you to figure out how to get apps on to it, which is a major drawback for a high-end smartphone in my view.

The Samsung Galaxy S is available in local electronics retail stores for AED 2,699 and it’s simply put a great smartphone. Right now I’d say it’s the best Android phone in the market.
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times.

1 year ago  /  0 notes

Motorola Droid X looks mighty tempting

When the Motorola Milestone (Droid) launched in the Middle East I had the pleasure of trying it out and I really liked it. It’s my favorite Android device so far and I wouldn’t mind still using it, if Motorola’s PR just had “forgotten” about it (hint, hint).

Now the Droid X has just hit the US market and the more I read about it the more I like it. Let’s look at the specifications: 4.3-inch display (480 x 854 pixels); 1GHz CPU; 8GB memory, microSD card slot (up to 32GB); 8MP camera, autofocus, dual LED flash; records HD video, 720p 30fps; connect with HDMI to TV (only things you record); 1540mAh battery; 802.11n; DLNA; Android 2.1 (2.2 upgrade coming this summer apparently); create mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.

Sounds great, right? Well, don’t be too happy yet as the Droid X is for now only CDMA on Verizon in US. That means that you can’t use it here in UAE. I really hope they’re working on a GSM version, which we could use, perhaps a Milestone X?

1 year ago  /  0 notes

SE Xperia X10 OTA coming soon, but it’s not Android

Sony Ericsson has on their blog said that there is an OTA (Over The Air) update coming to Xperia X10 in the coming weeks. The update, according to Sony Ericsson, focuses on “improving the general performance, speed and responsiveness of Xperia X10. For example, there are speed improvements in messaging tasks and camera UI. In addition we add a free back up and restore application so you’ll never lose your settings and information. In selected markets, PlayNow™ with premium apps and games will also be added.” You may notice this is no an update of Android. As you may recall, Xperia X10 shipped with Android 1.6, something many users are confused and disappointed with. SE has announced that they will release an update to Android 2.1 in Q4 but with Android 2.2 Froy now reaching some smartphones it seems they should hurry up the upgrade process.

1 year ago  /  0 notes