HTC HD2 review

November 25th, 2009 | Category: Gadget Corner

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/HTC_HD2_review_Engadget’; When Microsoft finally launched Windows Mobile 6.5 earlier that year, there may have been lots of fanfare, but there was little honest excitement. After a tepid showing at MWC in Barcelona followed by the proper launch that October, no one was precisely up in arms by the OS, though support from the big M’s partners was characteristically plentiful. Still, there was nary a ray of light to be seen in the otherwise bleak and basic landscape of handset offerings… until the HD2 came along. In August of that year, HTC showed off what seemed to be one of the few Windows Mobile devices capable of generating honest enthusiasm. The massive, full touchscreen device boasts impressive specs: a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a generous 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive WVGA touchscreen display, a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, and lots of other bells and whistles. But the centerpiece here isn’t the hardware, it’s HTC’s totally revamped user interface,

Sense, which doesn’t just hide Windows Mobile 6.5 — it all but zaps it out of existence. Sadly for Microsoft, that’s the most enticing part of that equation. So, is the HD2’s new face decent to quell the poor vibes of Windows Mobile and assemble the platform seem viable again, or is that a challenge which takes more than just a coat of paint? We’ve taken a hard look at the phone… so read on to find out.

Gallery: HD2 hands-on