HTC Smartphones

HTC Smartphone: Buyers' Review

Since the launch of thee first HTC smartphone model, this Taiwanese company has come a long way. Today, HTC offers many impressive smart phones, all of which have some great features that set them apart from competing brands. Ranked the 31st 'most innovative company in the world' by Fast Company magazine, HTC is currently contemplating whether or not to create its own mobile phone OS to complete with the likes of Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 and Apple's iOS, which shows the credibility that HTC has been able to build in the mobile industry so quickly.

Most of HTC's current touch screen mobile phones run on the Android operating system. If you are looking to buy a smartphone, you can certainly put HTC on your list, but make sure you run a comparison with other phones such as the iPhone and other 3G smartphones. Here are some features of HTC smartphones that will help you judge whether these phones meet your requirements.

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Design and build quality

HTC mobile phones are distinguished by their large screens and high resolution touch screens, from 2.8 inches up to 4.3 inches. Constructed from high-tensile aluminium, these phones have a solid build quality, so you don't have to worry about damages caused by accidental slips and falls. The design is typically sleek, with a generic rectangular shape, smooth or slightly curved edges or sometimes a protruding chin (like in HTC Hero). The newer touch screen phones come with responsive optical trackpads instead of trackballs, a welcome design upgrade. HTC 3G phones that are offered with QWERTY keyboards are a little bulky, but still easy to hold and carry around.

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HTC Sense

HTC's user interface, called the 'HTC Sense' is focused on facilitating an easy interaction and enhanced user experience. The 'Friend Stream' widget aggregates all social networking interactions (including Flickr, Twitter and Facebook) into a single organised flow. It offers a more convenient way to keep track of what your friends are up to, see shared images, status updates and links. You can organise your online social circle into specific 'friends' or 'colleagues' groups. HTC Sense also brings improvements to browser and email applications. For better multi-tasking, an interface feature called Leap allows you to access thumbnail versions of all open pages with just one touch anywhere on the home screen. HTC Sense is undoubtedly one of HTC phones' best features and a major selling point.

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Connectivity and other features

Your HTC smartphone, even if it's a cheap one, will support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3G/HSPA. Multimedia support is as you would expect from any good phone, with audio, video and FM radio offered. Cameras with video shooting also come with most HTC phones. The higher-end models have very impressive resolutions, autofocus and flash with decent image quality. MicroSD memory card slots give you flexibility in terms of memory capacity. A 3.5 mm headphone jack is also are offered on the latest HTC models.

While smartphones can be quite expensive, HTC's products offer decent value for money. To make an informed purchase decision, compare features and look for the cheapest prices from all UK operators - 3 Mobile, Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2 and Orange. Read detailed HTC smartphone reviews and look for deals on Broadband Genie before you buy a phone.

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Manufacturers

• Acer
• Apple
• BlackBerry
• Dell
• Google
• LG
• Motorola
• Nokia
• Orange
• Samsung
• Sony Ericsson
• T-Mobile

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