HTC Desire Z

• y
• yugam11
• ut{
• 22 Nov 2010

Stuntman, 22 Nov 2010I think it is more personal preference than design flaw. I... moreplease help........
is hinge irritating or its just fine?
and do u think hinge is durable like say a period of 2-3 years?
and last
do you think hinge has became comparatively loose then it was on the day when u bought the phone??
thanks in advance...it will be hugely helpful if u do replied

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• S
• Stuntman
• 4A$
• 22 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 21 Nov 2010Yea, the nature of the Z mechanism means that the top row i... moreI think it is more personal preference than design flaw. I've used 3 different smartphones with keyboards: Nokia N97, BlackBerry Tour and HTC Desire Z. All three are designed differently and have a completely different feel to it.

I am most used to the N97 as I used it most often and have had it for 7 months. The BB keys are just way too close for my liking. I also rarely type on it, so I always have difficulties using it when I do. I got this at work shortly after getting the N97, but still have difficulties using it.

The Desire Z is the one I have that replaced the N97. Initially, I did have difficulties using it. I can understand the issue of the top row being close to the screen. At least for me, it took some time to get used to and adjust my technique. It took me several weeks before I was able to reach a comfortable typing speed on my N97. My typing on the Desire Z is not there yet, but I have made steady improvement over the past two weeks of using it.

The hinge I would say could have been designed better. I think users would prefer a hinge that can remain in place against the force of gravity. Gravity does not cause the N97 keyboard from closing, but it does cause the Desire Z from closing. If I am lying on my back with the phone above me, I have to prop the screen open with my index fingers to prevent gravity from causing it to flip down and close on the keyboard while I use my thumbs to type.

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• s
• sidd
• mp0
• 21 Nov 2010

yotavzki, 18 Nov 2010does it hav a flash supportYes it does ..Flash 10

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• Anonymous
• v}P
• 21 Nov 2010

when will this phone be available in asian countries??????
i m waiting for this phone for a long time. the other option available is samsung galaxy s which i liked very much. but i dont want to settle for it. i want to go for desire z.
also is the z hinge very bad?
pls anyone who has bought this phone tell me its price. i hav a budget of 550 to 600 dollars. but not more than that.
pls guys waiting for your reply. pls help me out.

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• ?
• Anonymous
• Rxf
• 21 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 16 Nov 2010whats the main prblm with the keyboard for u? The top row i... moreYea, the nature of the Z mechanism means that the top row is waaay too close the screen. Serious design flaw that. Also, although the overall feel is solid, I do find the Z hinge to be a little too loose for my tastes.

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• H
• Haneef
• H4u
• 21 Nov 2010

yotavzki, 18 Nov 2010does it hav a flash supportIt shud have Flash considering the fact that it will come with 2.2 Froyo

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• Anonymous
• M}b
• 19 Nov 2010

Did any of you try multiple phones at once?

Today I compared various Android phones: (among others) HTC Desire, Desire Z, Samsung Galaxy S, SE Experia X10 Mini Pro and Nokia C3, C6, N8, E71, E72, BlackBerry Torch, 9700, 8520, Motorola Droid in search for a decent software and/or hardware keyboard, comparable to the 7 year old BB I use daily.

Conclusion: no such keyboard is available (anymore). The only software keyboard that worked for me (sort of) was in the Desire Z (the hardware keyboard is just as bad as all the others, almost no pressure point, upper key row too close to the screen body). The best hardware keyboard I found on the Blackberry Curve 8520 because of the space between the keys. Second comes Experia X10 Mini Pro, problem only being the upper keys being too close to the screen body.

I also liked the keyboard on the Motorola Droid, but the security thumb reader on the right made it difficult to hold and type at the same time. The keyboard on the Google G1 works best for me. The Droid II will probably come closest to the G1 layout.

And what about Android, Blackberry or Nokia OS? Android and Apple are just the same to me when you consider user experience. The Blackberry is very fast if you only want to use your thumb for browsing (with phone in one hand). BB is much faster than the HTC Android thumb dials. The NOKIA interface looks (and feels) like you are back in the Middle Ages. The N8 software keyboard is very disappointing (and the HDMI output to flatscreen could be better too).

Another nice thing about the Desire Z was the screen. I found it less glaring than that of the Galaxy S. Because of the price of the Desire Z, and the disappointing keyboard, I would not go for this phone right now (although everything else, like the Android 2.2 and the body quality, is TOP)

My advice if you want to go for the best of several worlds, and a hardware keyboard, wait for the Motorola Droid II (with the promise of an excellent keyboard and Android 2.2), or the Nokia E7 if you insist on the Symbian experience but want a decent hardware keyboard and good camera (8 MP is just as good as 12 MP if you don't have optical zoom).

Good luck with your choices!

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• S
• Stuntman
• 4A$
• 19 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 19 Nov 2010those are very limited browsers for mobile devices. Kee... moreI primarily use my Desire Z for internet browsing. The browsing experience is great. The only reason for me to choose a PC over the Desire Z is if I plan to do a lot of typing. There is no web site that I need a PC to view over the Desire Z.

I find that the zoom and font size I have it set at allows me to comfortably see the site without needing to zoom most of the time. If I do need to zoom, the great feature of the D Z browser is it automatically wraps the text so you do not need to horizontally scroll. Pinch zoom is always featured, but I can go for days without needing it.

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• ?
• Anonymous
• m7I
• 19 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 18 Nov 2010Solution: Use a different browser. Dolphin browser is what ... morethose are very limited browsers for mobile devices.

Keep in mind that N900 is not much a cellfone, its more an internet tablet, and its browser is based on firefox, not any mobile limited functionality. Its hard to use "mobile browsers" after getting used to having PC-like internet. Be sure that N900 users are not easy to impress when it comes to webbrowsing, we are spoiled by the best.

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• ?
• Anonymous
• QZ4
• 19 Nov 2010

Ive had the phone for just over a week now and these are the things I've noticed.

Good.

1. Extremely fast, even with a ton of apps running.
2. Hinge seems very sturdy but still moves easily.
3. I have fat fingers and the top row of the keyboard has enough space to press easily I don't know what people are talking about who say otherwise.
4. Touch screen is very accurate.

Badish

1. Headphones jack is in a bad place, when listening to music it pushes your hand further away making it a bit harder to type.

2. Hitting the fn key for numbers sucks.

3. Screen display uses a lot of power, Daily charging required.

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• y
• yotavzki
• vj1
• 18 Nov 2010

does it hav a flash support

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• ?
• Anonymous
• 4AA
• 18 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 17 Nov 2010i think nokia still has the best browser, Maemo on N900 tha... moreSolution: Use a different browser. Dolphin browser is what I use. I hear Opera also came out with a new browser although I haven't personally tested it.

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• A
• Arzoo
• Isj
• 18 Nov 2010

the hardness of the keys on the physical keyboard go away after you use it for a week or so.. it becomes softer to press.. i used to dig my nail into it, but now i just press em and they work fine..

I had a legend before this..I LOVED IT but this, as someone already said, blows everything out of the water. I'm a mac person, and i still don't like the iphone, this is brilliant and sleek and not only gorgeous to look at, but the browsing experience is unparalleled. I read the whole of Anna Karenina from Kobo on it and it did wonderfully.

Everything runs smoothly and efficiently and people who have a problem with the phone have not had the chance to get used to it yet.

I bought it from Bell in Canada for $470-ish. Worth every penny =)

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• Stuntman
• NGf
• 18 Nov 2010

For a demonstration of the hinge, check out the first video on this site: http://mobilesyrup.com/2010/11/06/video-bell-htc-desire-z-hardware-and-speed-test-review/

The reviewer is pretty rough on the phone. It also shows how easy it is to open due to the loose hinge.

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• S
• Stuntman
• NGf
• 17 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 17 Nov 2010i think nokia still has the best browser, Maemo on N900 tha... moreI played around with the browser on the Galaxy S at a store a few months ago when I was considering ditching my N97 for that. The GPS issues on the Galaxy S (and lack of a QWERTY) held me back. From what I can remember, the browser on the Galaxy S is very similar to the Desire Z's browser. It's heads and shoulders above the N97. (What isn't?) The only thing that the Android browser cannot do is manage my bookmarks well. No folders and cannot rearrage the order.

I have never tried the N900, so I cannot comment on that. I'm interested to know why you feel the N900 browser is superior to the Galaxy S browser.

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• ?
• Anonymous
• m7I
• 17 Nov 2010

Stuntman, 17 Nov 2010I personally prefer the N97 tilt and slide mechanism. I li... morei think nokia still has the best browser, Maemo on N900 that is. I will have to wait and see if i can be as satisfied with the web on android 2.2. I tried froyo on a galaxy S and so far i prefer the Maemo browser, N900 is hard to beat for webbrowsing. Will take at least a weak before my desire Z is shipped so i juz have to imagine for now =)

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• S
• Stuntman
• 4A$
• 17 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 17 Nov 2010thanx a lot for reply. i currently have an N900 which i lov... moreI personally prefer the N97 tilt and slide mechanism. I like to be able to put it on a table and have it tilt up at me. I didn't have any problems with it. I think you just need to know where to apply pressure as it was very easy for me to open the keyboard on the N97 once you know how.

I was really considering the E7 as I like the tilt and slide mechanism on that, too. I guess it's just personal preference. I just got tired of waiting for the E7 to be released. The Desire Z was released here, in Canada, first, so I snapped it up.

I am very happy with the Desire Z. I really wanted a good browser. The browsers on the Nokias didn't seem very good and word is, the new updated browser won't be available until February.

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• ?
• Anonymous
• m7I
• 17 Nov 2010

Stuntman, 17 Nov 2010I also used to own an N97. I ditched it for this. Compare... morethanx a lot for reply. i currently have an N900 which i love, its still close to perfect for me, and i was gonna wait for the successor of n900 with meego; but when i saw that it will use the terrible slider mechanism from N97 i almost cried and seeing that they also choose the same mechanism for E7 convinced me that it will take years before nokia will release a qwerty unit wit a slider that is practically usable.

Im happy to hear the desire z will open easily, a lil loose is ok with me i hope.

nokia shud have improved on the n900 mechanism to make space for a four row keyboard. its soft and smooth and loving, i rather slide open the keyboard than to use the unlock sliding button on the side, while on N97 part of life becomes a struggle to avoid opening the keyboard.

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• S
• Stuntman
• 4A$
• 17 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 16 Nov 2010whats the main prblm with the keyboard for u? The top row i... moreI also used to own an N97. I ditched it for this. Compared to the N97, the Desire Z is easier to open. The hinge mechanism is rather loose and this makes it easy to open the keyboard. You can easily use one hand to open and close it. It requires very little force. As I understand it, the designers made it loose so it would be easy to open and close. The only disadvantage of the loose hinge is that if you are lying on your back and holding the phone above your head, gravity will force the keyboard to close unless you grip both the keyboard and screen section.

The feel of the keyboard on the Desire Z is different than the N97. I am still trying to make the adjustment to the Desire Z keyboard. The most significant difference I see is that you need to press the keys harder on the Desire Z than on the N97. The extra force I need to use is making me prone to some errors. I have used it for a week now and am getting better at it now. The keys are fairly spaced apart like the N97. The layout of the keys is a bit better. More commonly used punctuation marks like the at symbol and comma do not requre a shift to press.

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• ?
• Anonymous
• m7I
• 16 Nov 2010

Anonymous, 16 Nov 2010Yea, the keyboard is way too cramped and thus completely us... morewhats the main prblm with the keyboard for u? The top row is to close to the lcd?

What you think about the sliding mechanism, does it require too much initial force to open, does it slam hard wen open/close? I ask coz i hated nokia N97 wit its brain ret@rded slider.

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