HTC Desire HD review: Most wanted

11 November 2010
Proceed with caution, big Snapdroids ahead. We guess that sign is due wherever someone mentions Desire HD. It’s big and bad and it takes no prisoners. HTC certainly took their time with releasing a badass Android handset on our side of the pond but ...

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  • C
  • Carlos Mencia
  • 8yT
  • 14 Nov 2010

great review just as detailed as i would expect from gsmarena. Definitly know the fine details before i buy this fone.

Thanks :D

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • qJi
    • 14 Nov 2010

    Dear Gsmarena, you need to stop making a big buzz about S-Amoled displays. It drains the battery much faster compared to TFT/LCD displays. Samsung lied big time by claiming the opposite. I've two phones running the android 2.1- one with LCD another with S-Amoled. The one with LCD offers 5-6 more hours of battery life. You need to mention this disadvantage of S-Amoled. And the LCD display can be better than S-Amoled. Iphone 4/ X10 are good examples.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • m5d
      • 14 Nov 2010

      Mobile Phil, 13 Nov 2010Hi the sound is fine just go to settings then sound and cra... morehow exactly do we do this ?

        • r
        • ridhobtmn
        • wrd
        • 14 Nov 2010

        Anonymous, 13 Nov 2010wait, is that the samsung wave II i saw?!? GSMArena, REVIEW IT!!!Yes, i agree. I noticed it by the "Not For Sale" sign on his forehead.

          • J
          • Jaz
          • u{G
          • 14 Nov 2010

          Hi guys....i'm using DHD now....to be frank..DHD, Iphone 4, Samsung Galaxy S or others, there are good smartphones....there are Pros and Cons in each individual brands....so why must we fight each others phone.....If we think the phone is right and good to buy then buy it.......Well ask yourself did you guys out there really use all the apps and knows whats in your phone and what it can and can't do? Nothing else we always think of....only download games and play thats all.....

            • n
            • nyap
            • UDP
            • 14 Nov 2010

            i think symbian is the best

            1. dont need 1 ghz processor... the symbian is very light so 600 mhz symbian device is same with 1 ghz android phone
            2. more little cpu speed means better battery performance and saving energy
            3. if processor just use 600mhz... it means save money than use 1ghz

            i've just use symbian,android,winmo,and i os,
            only symbian can make an app direct on the phone.so its like a PC on your pocket.

            i think the problem just user interface....symbian not really ready for touch screen war...and maybe need a lot time for fix this.

            just look at non touchsreen smartphone.... symbian is the king!

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • pJG
              • 14 Nov 2010

              I am never getting another android handset as to top it off they have announced Netflix is not coming to android as it's too FRAGMENTED!!!
              I guess my desire wouldn't have the battery life to watch a film anyway though...

              Lock down android carrier releases quick otherwise more people will leave it for Iphone and Windows Phone 7!

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • pJG
                • 13 Nov 2010

                The battery doesn't last very long.

                  • D
                  • Demiourgos
                  • 0Z}
                  • 13 Nov 2010

                  Dear GSM Arena,

                  I have seen you audio quality test of Desire HD. As you show it's not as good as we all expected. But many people say that in their opinion music quality (via headphones) is flawless, great sweet etc.!
                  It is said that this device has a special audio chip and it sound waayyy better with enabled SRS or Dolby Mobile preset. It's like night and day.

                  I know that testing audio reproduction with activated equalized is silly, but maybe it's not so simple.
                  There's a conclusion - what if these two settings ( SRS and Dolby Mobile) are only presets that turns on audio chip?

                  Can you PLEASE measure audio quality again, in SRS mode on and again with Dolby Mobile preset?

                  Most people use only SRS mode in this phone, and wait for developers to make custom ROMs enabling this sound option in all applications, not only in music player.
                  It would be just an additional information to Desire HD review. I am sure that many people will be happy to see this.

                  I'm also curious - what are your personal feelings about music quality trough headphone, and what headset are you using?

                  Demiourgos

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 0Z}
                    • 13 Nov 2010

                    Emix, 13 Nov 2010I am disappointed with this phone!! Bad screen, poor camer... moreYou are dissapointed because of this you read here? Or you have this phone and you complain about what you have seen by yourself?

                      • M
                      • Muhammad
                      • LaN
                      • 13 Nov 2010

                      Hi peeps,

                      I waited for HTC Desire HD for such a long time, Im really diosappointed by the fact that the audio is so poor. I have been looking at forums and these seems to be a common theme, is this something that can be repaired? I mean Im really upset as to how a high end phone can be so bad in phone quality....really shocking! Any1 else got the same prob?

                        • S
                        • Snake
                        • fn$
                        • 13 Nov 2010

                        Nothing beats samsung when it comes to multimedia.

                          • E
                          • Emix
                          • S7x
                          • 13 Nov 2010

                          I am disappointed with this phone!!
                          Bad screen, poor camera and video, poor audio quality...
                          HTC u still need to learn!

                            • M
                            • Mobile Phil
                            • MSR
                            • 13 Nov 2010

                            Hi the sound is fine just go to settings then sound and crank up the volume to 100%. The volume is only set at about 1/4 way up by default. When set to 100% the sound is great. Cannot believe that no one has mentioned this.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • pJG
                              • 13 Nov 2010

                              Its pointless getting this phone as the battery can't even last half a day!

                                • c
                                • clement
                                • 2Is
                                • 13 Nov 2010

                                HI GSMARENA

                                can the poor audio quality be due to faulty hardware?
                                it is really disappointing to see such poor audio performance when i have been looking forward to this phone for so long.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • uRI
                                  • 13 Nov 2010

                                  wait, is that the samsung wave II i saw?!? GSMArena, REVIEW IT!!!

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • ttc
                                    • 13 Nov 2010

                                    kev, 13 Nov 2010ah not at all, I love samsung, i've had many of their phone... moreNever commented about the Galaxy S. Personally, I didn't like the material it was made of (it's too plasticky), and that made me go for the Wave (it's metal and feels great). Besides, I felt I didn't need such a high-end phone like the Galaxy S.

                                    Regarding "seeing it through your fingerprints," I've never had that issue on the Wave's SuperAMOLED. Maybe the Galaxy S does get smudgy (perhaps due to the quality of materials used; I haven't used it to know), but you can't blame it on the SAMOLED, as it doesn't happen on the Wave.

                                    A very minor percentage of users care about "colors being wrong," and that's precisely why SuperAMOLED has been such a hit. People just love it. And, with more and more manufacturers starting to jump on the AMOLED bandwagon, very soon, LCD is going to be redundant; at least on mid and high-end devices. So, I guess "fake colors" is something you're eventually going to have to live with.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • ttc
                                      • 13 Nov 2010

                                      m7svk, 12 Nov 2010not everybody care about screen, I need PRO smartphone, and... moreNever said a phone should be bought because of the display. Just responded to somebody's remark that SuperAMOLED was inferior to other displays.

                                        • 2
                                        • 255BB
                                        • PDG
                                        • 13 Nov 2010

                                        In my country ,the phone is not available yet. And after I 've read some reviews from websites, I think its battery is kinda bad. (GSM arena did not mention much about desire HD 's battery?)

                                        so I chose to buy a 8GB galaxy S and happy with it. I don't mind about plasticky body or no flash. But at least it has a front cam which may be useful in gingerbread. Waiting for official froyo.