HTC Desire Review

£from freeMar 2010

Stuff says

A premium smartphone with lots going for it, and the HTC Sense extras make it a compelling alternative to the Google Nexus One

Images

Stuff magazine Wed, Mar 24 2010, 6:00AM

Typical; you wait an age for an Android 2.1 phone to arrive, and then three come along at once. Google’s Nexus One and two HTC phones – the Desire and the Legend – are hitting the shops at about the same time.

While the Legend is a reinvented Hero, the Desire is strikingly similar to the Nexus One – near identical in shape and styling, though with physical buttons at the base of the screen instead of the touch-sensitive lights on the Nexus One. The real ones here are more reassuring and work more reliably.

Wakey, wakey
Neither phone can be woken from sleep from any of these front buttons, which is annoying if the phone’s on the desk and you just want to see the time. Reaching over to press the top button is no hardship but just not quite as convenient as it could be.

Like the Nexus One, there’s a range of animated wallpapers to add sparkle to your home screens (and deplete the battery). The HTC Sense UI means there are seven of these screens to choose from.

You can swipe between the screens as usual, or use the touch-sensitive button – another change from the Nexus One’s trackball – to scroll between screens.

Multi-touch capabilities
Even better, pinch together on any of the home screens and you get to view all seven pages in miniature so you can see where you put the signature HTC clock and weather widget. Other HTC clocks and the dull old Android analogue clock are also there for you to choose from.

The Desire also has Friend Stream, which aggregates Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates in one place. This is handy, though if you prefer you can just stick to Peep, HTC’s cool little Twitter feed app.

Email extras
Look deeper and there are other neat added features like the email app, which allows you to put mails in different orders including unread, favourite senders and more, instead of just making do with reverse time order. There’s also Exchange support and support for flash video, both of which are missing in the Nexus One.

Review continues after the break...

Sadly, the Desire doesn’t have voice input for text messages and emails. The Nexus One’s voice input is far from perfect but it’s good fun and works well, so it’s a shame it’s not here.

Pin-sharp screen
The Desire has a high-resolution OLED screen and looks great – vibrant, contrasty and colourful. The size makes it big enough to make your video and photos look impressive, too.

You can shoot both, of course, and the 5MP camera is typical of most smartphones: sharp, effective but dogged with shutter lag.

Overall, the Desire is a highly, er, desirable object and makes Android shine. If you prefer the extra home screens and widgets HTC Sense offers, it’s a shoo-in over the Nexus One.

Available from T-Mobile

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Comments

doibi

1 year ago

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Thomas13

1 year ago

I like this phone. But I have no chance to buy it now. Because I have already two phones. house painters san diego ca

Ginge3

1 year ago

Hmmm, like the phone, think the sound quality is very tinny if you play music through it. Also, a problem with internal memory means I now can't upgrade the software, not got as far as gingerbread. Will make it a waste of space in a few upgrades time.

Ginge3

1 year ago

ezhanebrand

1 year ago

Absolutely fantastic phone. Yes the battery doesn't last forever but it's not that bad. And the camera is alright too, you do get a decent shot.uggs boots

vinnienonose

1 year ago

Great phone. Needs to be rooted to fully enjoy it though because of the remarkably low internal memory.Very customizable but battery life is also on the short side. Still, I would recommend it.

dr_who

2 years ago

brilliant phone the only niggle is the battery life but with a phone this good hell i can live with that .

GeorgeLawin

2 years ago

Amazing phone. Better than iPhone for me.

nodder

2 years ago

top phone, got one after i got bored of my i phone 3gs

David Wallis

2 years ago

Fab phone ... best yet

jdmcevoy

2 years ago

Good and reliable, updates vastly increased battery life. Free apps variable quality but read the reviews and weed out the crap. Inboard memory poor, lots of apps won't load onto sd so need to watch that, but iPhone rival for a lot less and without apple restrictions,

Zak_G

2 years ago

did the got want had thing let's see if it get's me a DS3

Scott.bain87

2 years ago

Fantastic phone, great apps. Worth buying. Android rocks!!!

admin

2 years ago

Hmm does look like it doesn't it...will draw it to the Ed's attention!

zahirro

2 years ago

Wrong picture???

3radical

2 years ago

Absolutely fantastic phone. Yes the battery doesn't last forever but it's not that bad. And the camera is alright too, you do get a decent shot. The Desire will become legendary.

mancsteveuk

2 years ago

Awesome phone, easy to use, sensitive touch screen, decent music player, loads of features and apps. Cons are poor signal reception in some places compared to my previous phones, camera isn't ground breaking and photo quality isn't great. No dedicated camera button. It has its faults but the pros far outweigh the cons.

rogerhallorkney

2 years ago

great phone but quite possibly the worst battery life ever!!!!!!

pmw395

2 years ago

vie had this phone since august (o2-uk) another great phone by HTC and android. the 1GHz works amazing well even with a load of apps all running together, although a good task manager is a good buy and a very good investment. it is a good idea to have a fair sized microSD card installed (i've got 16GB) it helps because with 2.2 you can install some apps to the SD card so it keeps the internal memory free for essential services. the battery is a bit so-so but it does totally depend on the user, if you keep bluetooth, gps,wifi on constantly the battery will last about 3 hours just use what you need when u need it and it should last about 10-12 hours. the screen is vibrant and clear colours. I only have small hands but i find it eay to use one handed 95% of the time, the stock keyboard is fine although plenty of 3rd party apps are available. the phone is a great unit to use and it sits in my pocket well and is not too bulky. it is, a great alternative to an iphone, any type of nokia or even a blackberry (depends what you want the phone for). it does need to be used in a store before you buy it but you will bot be disappointed.

TheOnlyRick

2 years ago

Excellent phone, in spite of the day-or-so battery life. Three things you must do if you get one: 1: Buy a spare battery. Very handy - you KNOW you will forget to charge it at some point. 2: Check out a few of the 'top apps for android' articles online. They will help you to get the most from your phone. Also check out the ready-installed apps and widgets - there are some handy little gems there, waiting to be discovered. 3: Buy an anti-scratch cover NOW! (Only a couple of quid in the UK.) If you don't get it immediately, by the time you do, the screen will be scratched. (The screen's not very delicate, it's just that it will get scratched, even if you make a point of keeping it in a different pocket to your keys.) Top apps: Handcent (for texting) The alternate keyboard that guess what words you want (can't remember its name) Solitaire RoboDefense Gtasks (if you use google tasks) Extended controls for easy switching off WiFi, GPS etc (maximises batt life

y_adeleke

2 years ago

Very very spectacular Phone kit. Great functionality and great sense interface I recommend it 100% http://gadgets.freebiejeebies.co.uk/145933itemid15 How do I get a Free HTC Desire? Easy. I got my Free iPhone 3GS from freebiejeebies and so can you! It's so easy to get your free HTC Desire through these easy to follow steps because these companies bank on you thinking they are scams, but once you know how to earn one free gift, you can earn them all. http://gadgets.freebiejeebies.co.uk/145933itemid15

taurus_mick19

2 years ago

Totally 'blown away' with my 'Desire'. I researched all the features before deciding - including 'handling' friends iPhones. But I'm glad I made the decision. Even girl in phone shop said she preferred the Desire to her iPhone and she had the choice of either!

Usil

2 years ago

Who wants a 'free iphone' when the HTC Desire is the mutts nuts in smartphone awesomeness. People commenting about the battery life should realise that this is not specific to this phone to but all high end smart phones - EVEN the iphone (impossible I hear some of you say, the iPhone can even cure cancer!). Seriously, this phone is incredible and the new Froyo 2.2 update has made it even more fantastic. Its pure pleasure to use and 'customise' exactly how you want. Ohh, and you can view flash websites on it. BBC news site? No problem. Take that iPhone :)

thx67

2 years ago

Can stuff delete these f***ing freebiejeebie posts. Please.. Scroungers trying to get something for nothing. A free iPhone4???? Really..

thx67

2 years ago

Stop with the freebie jeebie posts. We're not interested. Not convinced you can get an iPhone4 that you cannot buy anywhere for free... Enough. Very tempted with this phone so thanks for the user reviews

dannymc5

2 years ago

I changed from an iPhone 3GS to the Desire and can honestly say that it's by far the better of the two phones. Better screen, quicker & more responsive, infinitely customisable and guess what? NO ITUNES!!!!! Oh, and Tunee music from the Market is a must have.

ITFCfan_gadget

2 years ago

Absolutely love this phone. The screen resolution and colour is excellent, although I sometimes find the touch-screen a little too sensitive so access the wrong app but otherwise it works well for me. The apps are also great, have downloaded quite a few which I use regularly (if not most days) including Spotify, TripIt, Qype and HulloMail.

colsand

2 years ago

This is a really nice phone. The screen is great but like others have said the battery does not last much more than a day if you are using it regularly. I have had 2 problems. The first was that the phone would take nearly an hour to switch off, I had only downloaded about 5 small apps so there was plenty phone memory left. Orange's advice was firstly to move all apps to the SD card which is not even possible but should be under the new 2.2 Android when it appears, the next advice was to "delete all downloaded apps then perhaps limit myself to 2 or 3 apps which are important to me"!!!! Not the sort of solution for a supposed high end phone. The problem has not returned but we shall see once I download a few more things. The other is to do with receiving email via POP through Orange, hopefully this will be resolved.

Toom

2 years ago

I think its wrong to say 'avoid like the plague' as above. Its a great phone well, well worthy of the top spot for best gadget. And next time check the box because you'll find that iPhones are a lot easier to break and after a little bit of keen use look worn down. HTC really do make phones for thos who know what a great piece of tech is.

evansph

2 years ago

"scwilson June 19, 2010 22:27 I had two of these. Both equally as disappointing as each other. They have major screen problems, probably because they are assembled on the cheap in a factory somewhere in china. These phones will fill up with dust under the screens. Avoid like the plague." Actually HTC are made/based in Taiwan but Apple make their products "on the cheap" in China. Look at the box on your iphone/ipad/mac etc!

adammcguk

2 years ago

I got one of these from 3 and while just as pretty as my iPhone in terms of hardware, I find the new Sense UI a pain in the butt. The iPhone is much easier to navigate and get things done. I just can't get my head around android OS. I'd advise everyone to take a look first at http://www.freeipodsuk.com to get their free iPhone.

oakleighdriver

2 years ago

So many people using http://apple.freebiejeebies.co.uk/257641 try my link and it will show you the way to more than just free iphones, in fact anything you want you can request...

Ray Webb

2 years ago

The HTC Desire is without doubt an awesome phone that I find very difficult to put down. Sadly the battery life is appalling, needing charging every day if you intend on making any use of its excellent features.Buy one and enjoy, but be aware of the need to charge often. Please HTC bring out a proper battery, not the supplied comedy one.

Shaun14

2 years ago

I got this phone to replace my iPhone 3gs, and overall this phone isbetter than the iPhone,only the app store let's it down, but itscatching up fast,but there is one major flaw with this phone and no one will admit it, myself and 3 of my friends have noticed that the audio is always out of sync. Why haven't htc sorted this????? Gets 4 out of 5 because of this issue. Happens on videos put on sd card, sky news app e.t.c

Ranga

2 years ago

Battery life of HTC's needs to be improved if they need to go ahead, Its very Bad

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3 years ago

I'm giving Freebie Jeebies a try for a free iPhone 3GS 32Gb: http://apple.freebiejeebies.co.uk/278525 Check it out if you want to try too. Nothing to lose, so why not.

Toom

3 years ago

I have to say after getting this as an upgrade for £20 a month when paying £84.99 for the phone, I am the happiest HTC Desire buyer with a lets say, half full wallet. Its super quick, thanks to the 1GHz Snapdragon processor and the HTC Sense UI is much more user friendly and definitely a lot easier to use than the iPhone hands down.Its a good looking phone with an amazing AMOLED screen, which is one of the only screens I've seen that doesn't strain the eyes. It came with a few apps already, such as google maps, layar and google goggles (actually does what it says on the tin)and they far more than manage to match the iPhone app standards. What is also clever is that before downloading these apps, the Desire tells you what this app will be able to access and what effect it will have on the phone and most importantly the battery life. I have to say that the battery is a little poor, but even with full use it manages to last around 2 days. you can easily increase this by going on settings and the desire will guide you through any unwanted programs using energy. Is easily the best HTC phone so far, yes I am saying it trumps the HD2; but only because of Android as the OS and not Windows. Cool weather effects on live wallpapers such as windscreen wipers and floating clouds make it a real 'flasher' to friends and I have not yet shown a friend the Desire who hasn't said "WOW!". If anyone here is a Virgin Media customer a great deal can be done, with the phone being free on £25 a month with 400 minutes, unlimited text and web and also unlimited virgin to virgin calls. obviously I went for the £20 option and only paid £84.99 for the phone with a 'crave' reward. So keep away from the likes of Vodafone (who weirdly sell the worse Nexus One for more), Orange and T-Mobile who are charging around £30+ for this heck of a phone! What else can i say? the best phone money can buy, with everything anyone could want.

johnsail1983

3 years ago

or app...

johnsail1983

3 years ago

Hi there, does anyone know if the lack of voice-text input is something that could be changed with a future software update of app? Seriously thinking of getting this phone Thanks

Shaun14

3 years ago

My mate just got this one and its brilliant, phone very quick and user friendly, but have noticed a problem with lip sync being out on a few videos on you tube and sky news app, have you guys noticed it???

ColonelC81

3 years ago

I was told O2 will be offering this next month!

Mc_Lovin

3 years ago

Just an aftertought...why isn't this in Stuffs top 10 of everything list?

sidbob

3 years ago

Ok....first impressions as I only got the phone last night. The screen is excellent with fantastically vibrant colours, screen touch sensitivity is high and I have done things in error when simply handling the phone. Speed very impressive love the web viewing and flash capability. Apps are good and the android market place is great. Sense UI is lovely love the way you can custom position icons for apps on one of your personal screen views . Any previous readers will have read my review on the HD2 which I still use and love but I have to say first impressions on the Desire trump it. I won’t be ditching the HD2 as it is geekier and I am one (HD2 can act as a 3g+ wifi access point). The desire is a consumer polished product and contends easily with the Iphone 3GS. Would I buy a desire over a 3GS…yup that’s clearly what I did. I am happy as the ante has now been raised by HTC. Keen to see if Microsoft (winmo 7) can raise the bar again and to see what Apple do with Iphone v4. There will hopefully be only one way for this to go…tech fight.

Mc_Lovin

3 years ago

Got mine about a week ago after begging, pleading and offering my first born child to T-Mobile, and am glad I did! So what if it hasn't got text to speech, who actually is going to use that? Can you imagine talking to your phone on the train or the bus? Didn't think so, and there are apps on the android market that do text to speech for you so no big loss as far as I'm concerned, and the noise cancellation? I'm not too bothered about that because in exchange, you get HTC's sense UI, which is incredible...and most importantly you get multi touch too, which is brilliant when browsing the web. Also, I'm not too worried about the update issue either, because with the amount of units HTC are shipping of the Desire, they would be idiots not to stay on top of porting android updates over to the sense UI. After playing with an Iphone, an Xperia and the Legend, I can confidently say as an all round smart phone the Desire is the best on the market at the moment, the only let down, is the lack of aftermarket accessories, but I'm sure once demand picks up and the US gets the Desire, this will change. 5* phone as far as I'm concerned.

Usil

3 years ago

I have one of these and all I can say is that it is quite simply awesome! Stuff review says it does not like that you cannot wake it from sleep by pressing any of the front buttons. This to me is a huge BONUS as it means it cannot drain the battery when its it my pocket due to random accidental button presses. The screen is simply sublime to use and the Sense UI makes is such a joy to use. I have used an iPhone but the HTC desire, for me, totally wipes the floor with the iPhone. And that's coming from a Apple fan too. If anyone is unsure whether to get this phone, just get it. You will not be disapointed.

jacobxxx3

3 years ago

i personally cant wait to order mine. i think that this is the best phone coming out this year. all that said it do sent have voice-to-text input whats that all about but i still think this is the phone to get

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3 years ago

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