HTC Desire Review (in progress)

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pih

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#320449 19-Apr-2010 20:55

NZtechfreak: Yeah, I'm aware of the free Google Nav alternative, couldn't be bothered with the bugs, not a function I mind paying for.

Yep, each to his own but it works for me. I also have to recommend Google's "My Tracks" as a GPS (not nav though) app, if you're into any kind of outdoors or long-distance activity (Hunting, fishing, tramping, 4WD, etc) - pretty simple but powerful GPS mapping application.

(Sorry, OT I know, but I thought I'd throw that in - maybe I need to start another thread for favourite apps)

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leonchai

4 posts

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#320477 19-Apr-2010 22:29

Can someone here please confirm that they can get mobile network on PREPAY on their Desire??

I've finally hard rebooted the phone - still no mobile network!

Have tried all the APN settings as suggested here...

NZtechfreak

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#320492 19-Apr-2010 23:42

For 'my tracks' type functionality I use run.gps, which integrates with my bluetooth heart rate monitor (good times!).

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leonchai

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#320494 19-Apr-2010 23:45

Sorry..didnt mean to hijack the thread, but I've found the problem...it's the sim card!

I put my wife's sim card in and everything's working without a hitch - hers is the old 16K card and mine is the 64K one.

I will go and get a new sim card tomorrow...

I hope this may help someone with a similar problem

meanderingmark

65 posts

Master Geek

#320568 20-Apr-2010 09:56

@NZTechFreak

Thanks for the reviews!

kiwitrc

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#320590 20-Apr-2010 10:51

If you have a desire I have started a Tips, tricks and apps thread for specific support regarding the Desire. http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=11&topicid=60136

dpw

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#323425 27-Apr-2010 10:01

NZtechfreak: First impressions

Build quality and Design

Build quality is excellent, no creaks, just excellent materials with a lovely soft touch matte finish. For me the only real negative would be the N97-styled battery cover, which you have to bend/peel off. It feels a little dangerous, and you just don’t need a basic manoeuvre provoking that kind of anxiety handling your brand new expensive smartphone. If I were to nitpick in the extreme I would point out a very, very small gap around the screen that may occasion to collect some dust. A ‘rub-over’ finish there would have been better. A little more on the design side of things after another day and half of use: The hardware buttons are all fine. In particular the placement of the Back key is nice, since in both portrait and landscape orientations your thumb lies directly over the button, the portrait positioning of the button working really well for one-handed use. I have mixed feelings about the placement of the power/screen on button, at the top left of the device. For one-handed use its in quite a nice position, but I notice when I take the phone from my pocket that in that position I always seem to awaken the screen which I’d rather it didn’t do. The optical trackpad I think I prefer over a trackball, but I’ll talk a little more about that in the UI side of things, along with some further comments on the power button.

Problems highlighted in other reviews? One reviewer had problems with the Back key, but I’ve experienced no worries with that here.

I have to agree with you on the optical trackpad. It is far to sensitive too - I often accidentally swipe it when I move between the buttons either side of it. My other biggest bug-bear is the volume rocker. Unfortunately it is a bad position when I am typing in landscape mode. Has anyone else accidentally pressed it while holding the phone in landscape and typing?

Other than that, the phone is uber-frosty!

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pih

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#323444 27-Apr-2010 10:23

dpw: I have to agree with you on the optical trackpad. It is far to sensitive too - I often accidentally swipe it when I move between the buttons either side of it. My other biggest bug-bear is the volume rocker. Unfortunately it is a bad position when I am typing in landscape mode. Has anyone else accidentally pressed it while holding the phone in landscape and typing?

Other than that, the phone is uber-frosty!

Hmmm, interesting reading for a Nexus One user - I find the trackball a little too slow at times (when I want to move the cursor back 10 chars, say, it takes a few swipes to get there - should be variable speed based on how fast you swipe I think). Volume rocker is definitely and issue for landscape use, particularly for taking photos, where your left hand has to grip top and bottom (so as not to cover the lens) while your right hand hits the trackball or onscreen shutter button. Same problem with the power button placement too - I'm often hitting it when I don't want to. I personally feel, however, that the buttons are mostly positioned right, but they are just too big - make them about 2/3 the size, and I'd be happy. Alternatively (or additionally), there should be some software logic that makes accidental presses less frustrating (eg. why would you want to change the volume in camera mode while holding it landscape? - aside from quieting the shutter sound, which should be a setup option anyway).

insane

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#333841 24-May-2010 01:30

I played with a SE X10 at vadafone a few days ago, does anyone have any comments regarding text imput as I found that the X10 made no attempt to auto-correct any spelling mistakes while typing, even then the keyboard was set to standard android and auto correction enabled.

Does the desire properly auto-correct and can someone compare this to the iphone?

I had a SE W950i a while ago and that really put me off smartphones...

NZtechfreak

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#333857 24-May-2010 07:52

I also own an X10, and as per what most of the professional reviews online said, its keyboard is terrible.

You can change it to the HTC one though, and it comes with stock Android keyboard as an alternative (which is far better than SE's terrible attempt at a keyboard). Swype of course is installable also.

The Desires keyboard is brillient, using that one I don't even bother to type neatly, it nearly always knows what I mean to say. Can't compare it to an iPhone for typing, but professional reviewers loved it and many said it was better than the iPhone for text entry (your mileage may vary of course).

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kyhwana2

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#333880 24-May-2010 09:26

Nice one nztechfreak.. Hopefully the KB on the desire will do for me going from a decent HW keyboard..

How do you go through so many phones though? I'm just about to flog off that HTC Touch Pro I bought off you!

Jerry123456

88 posts

Master Geek

#333886 24-May-2010 09:33

Have to agree with TechFreak - i find the desire easy to text on - and in landscape orientation its even easier as you can use both thumbs super quick which is good for emails, forum posts etc that are usually longer than texts

NZtechfreak

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#333893 24-May-2010 10:00

kyhwana2: Nice one nztechfreak.. Hopefully the KB on the desire will do for me going from a decent HW keyboard..

How do you go through so many phones though? I'm just about to flog off that HTC Touch Pro I bought off you!

I didn't take too long adjusting to onscreen KB's when I went from my X1 to my i8910, and the i8910 is nowhere near as good as the Desire's one.

Regards how oftenI go through phones - I have a fund where I syphon off a small portion of my income each payday, the sales of old phones go towards that fund, also I make the occasional profit here and there (like nearly $400 on my N900) and that keeps it essentially self-sustaining.

Twitter: @nztechfreak
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