As one of the earliest players in the Windows Phone 7 market the HTC HD7 aroused a great deal of interest in the industry, but ultimately does it impress or disappoint? With expectation high there is bound to be scope for a fall.
Wow - what a screen!
The 4.3 inch 480x800 pixel screen will undoubtedly be the HD7's major selling point and rightly so. This is a similar device to that on the market leading HTC Desire HD and is just as impressive here. The size of the screen is a pointer to how much the entertainment functions are the major point about this handset, and while it is a heavy 162g it is also very slim at only 11mm. The size will, however, divide opinion; is it too big, or is it just superbly impressive?
The operating system is well suited to the sizeable screen and looks great; this is a massively improved version of the Windows Mobile system and it shows in more ways than you could imagine. Menus are easy to use and well presented, the system is responsive and handles well, and the quick processor that the HD7 boasts is certainly a bonus. Highly responsive touch screen functions also impress, and this is an easy system to use.
We loved the way the OS is easy to sync with a computer - something that it has been specifically designed for - and the clever links to the social networking sites is a neat touch, plus we love the way it interfaces seamlessly with other Microsoft products, something that will be attractive to business users - perhaps not the main market but an interesting aside.
Media - it's good!
The media player is the main talking point about the HD7, and that was always going to be the case. With excellent video and image playback, superb sound and full support for surround and Dolby functions this is a great phone; the two speakers are excellent and there is the option of a standard audio jack or a Bluetooth headset. At only 5 megapixels the camera is not the greatest in terms of power but it is very good and does the job perfectly well; an LED flash and good video recording is also present, while the HD7 can also be integrated with Xbox Live, a very impressive move that puts it ahead of rivals in this respect.
So is it worth it?
One thing that is a concern is the relatively poor battery power which, when we look at the sheer number of functions offered on the phone - and the size of the screen - may be a let-down. HTC has this problem with a couple of its handsets and when it comes to rivals there is much to be said for looking at handsets with better battery capability. However, if you want a phone with full Windows capability that offers the latest operating system and some quite fantastic entertainment features, you want the HD7.
Wow - what a screen!
The 4.3 inch 480x800 pixel screen will undoubtedly be the HD7's major selling point and rightly so. This is a similar device to that on the market leading HTC Desire HD and is just as impressive here. The size of the screen is a pointer to how much the entertainment functions are the major point about this handset, and while it is a heavy 162g it is also very slim at only 11mm. The size will, however, divide opinion; is it too big, or is it just superbly impressive?
The operating system is well suited to the sizeable screen and looks great; this is a massively improved version of the Windows Mobile system and it shows in more ways than you could imagine. Menus are easy to use and well presented, the system is responsive and handles well, and the quick processor that the HD7 boasts is certainly a bonus. Highly responsive touch screen functions also impress, and this is an easy system to use.
We loved the way the OS is easy to sync with a computer - something that it has been specifically designed for - and the clever links to the social networking sites is a neat touch, plus we love the way it interfaces seamlessly with other Microsoft products, something that will be attractive to business users - perhaps not the main market but an interesting aside.
Media - it's good!
The media player is the main talking point about the HD7, and that was always going to be the case. With excellent video and image playback, superb sound and full support for surround and Dolby functions this is a great phone; the two speakers are excellent and there is the option of a standard audio jack or a Bluetooth headset. At only 5 megapixels the camera is not the greatest in terms of power but it is very good and does the job perfectly well; an LED flash and good video recording is also present, while the HD7 can also be integrated with Xbox Live, a very impressive move that puts it ahead of rivals in this respect.
So is it worth it?
One thing that is a concern is the relatively poor battery power which, when we look at the sheer number of functions offered on the phone - and the size of the screen - may be a let-down. HTC has this problem with a couple of its handsets and when it comes to rivals there is much to be said for looking at handsets with better battery capability. However, if you want a phone with full Windows capability that offers the latest operating system and some quite fantastic entertainment features, you want the HD7.
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