Anyone Using Htc Smartphones?

[backstairs]

Had a look at the HTC Desire smart phone on 2nd floor Central. Looks as good as all the good reviews on Amazon and everywhere. Anyone using one in Phuket? How does phone, Android, Apps and all go down here?

[FarangBuddha]

Wonderful phone...I bought mine in Pattaya about 5 mos ago and no problems. I too did my online research and nothing but praise for this phone. I also wasn't going to be another one of Steve's b#tches so was not going to buy an iPhone. Even my b#tch friends with iPhones like my Desire and its gorgeous screen.

The only downside is that only the apps that are free (ad-supported) are available from the Android Market here in Thailand. To buy paid apps, one has to pay for them using a Google check-out account, which isn't supported in Thailand yet.

Downloading free apps directly from the Market to the phone is a blast and updates are automatic as well. Plenty of great free apps available and stuff that can costs BIG money on other b#tch phone platforms, like navigation and mapping apps, are FREE on any Android phone.

Also automatic OS downloads over the EDGE network...like the Froyo update and the upcoming Gingerbread update early next year.

[SeanPhuket]

I use a HTC, had it over a year. Without wishing to sound to negative, I don't like it and will be heading towards another brand next. The screen constantly freezes and the after sales service of the said shop at Central was beyond non-existent. Also a massive annoyance for me was the pen stick is designed to break so you have to keep buying a new one and when writing a message you need a magnifying glass as the letters tiny!

Could it just be a one off? Well my sister back home has one too and she encounters the same problems.

My advice - look at another brand, doesn't have to be an iPhone or if you still fancy a HTC at least buy it from another shop!

Sean

[FarangBuddha]

I use a HTC, had it over a year. Without wishing to sound to negative, I don't like it and will be heading towards another brand next. The screen constantly freezes and the after sales service of the said shop at Central was beyond non-existent. Also a massive annoyance for me was the pen stick is designed to break so you have to keep buying a new one and when writing a message you need a magnifying glass as the letters tiny!

Could it just be a one off? Well my sister back home has one too and she encounters the same problems.

My advice - look at another brand, doesn't have to be an iPhone or if you still fancy a HTC at least buy it from another shop!

Sean

The HTC Desire is a touch screen smartphone. Basically it's a Google Nexus One and does not come with any "pen" interface.

[Tywais]

The HTC Desire is a touch screen smartphone. Basically it's a Google Nexus One and does not come with any "pen" interface.

Also painting an entire company for one model problem is not quite fair. iPhone has had it share of problems also with the antennae issue and broken screens. I also have a HTC Desire for several months now and very happy with it.

[Krungbin]

I have been using HTC phones for the last 5 years, different models and different SIM cards. They are just but great and... the HTC after sales service (at Fortune if you are in Bangkok) is very very good.

[Pria]

I used the HTC Hero when it first came out and found it a little slow. Then changed to HTC built Google Nexus One and found them great. I've been using two of them for the last five months (now selling one only because it's not needed).

The Hero was under speced by HTC with a slow processor and no flash. Samsung has repeated that with the Galaxy (no flash).

I looked at the Desire recently but it really is a down-speced Nexus One.

I still consider the Nexus One to be the best Android phone on the market at the moment. Voice quality is superb, OTA system updates, and fast.

After using Nokia for more than 20-years there's no way I would go back to Symbian OS and despite using a Mac since 1985 won't look at the iPhone

[angiud]

I used an HTC Tattoo (cheap but useful) and I falled in love with this brand.

Now I'm waiting a few weeks to buy the new Desire HD, admiral-phone of the company.

4.3" screen 16 million colors 480 x 800

New Android Froyo (2.2)

Processor 1 Ghz, Rom 1.5 gb Ram 768 Mb

*8 Mpixel camera & video 720p HD

Just to say some

Battery of course limited (1-1.5 days)

[smartecosse]

have worked my way thru a few htc's over the last few years, currently have an HD mini as the desire it too big for what i need

xda forums are a wonderful place for apps and all sorts

[LivinLOS]

HTC nexus one.. Still my favorite android phone due to the lack of mods to the OS means faster more reliable updates and new features.

[backstairs]

Thank you all for giving me so much opinion within 24 hours. I have two questions to add if I may. Is the Desire HD about to come out or is it already in the malls? A neighbour scoffed at all this dialogue and remarked,'If you are gonna spend 17,500baht why not add 3000 more and get the Samsung Galaxy?' It appears from Googling that the Desire and the Galaxy are being favourably compared. Any more thoughts dear forumongers?

[angiud]

Actually the Samsung Galaxy is a serious competitor with HTC Desire HD. Some better feature, like the gorgeous AMOLED screen, some worst, like the crappy (IMHO) interface design.

2 serious winner challengers to the Iphone 4

[FarangBuddha]

Actually the Samsung Galaxy is a serious competitor with HTC Desire HD. Some better feature, like the gorgeous AMOLED screen, some worst, like the crappy (IMHO) interface design.

2 serious winner challengers to the Iphone 4

The Desire IS an AMOLED screen...basically it's the best phone screen one can buy right now

And as to someone's comment that it's a down-speced Nexus One...that's incorrect, it's actually an UP-speced Nexus One as it had hardware and software features more advanced and better than the Nexus.

[angiud]

Sadly Desire HD is only LCD.

From Gsmarena.com:

Type LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size 480 x 800 pixels, 4.3 inches

- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

- HTC Sense UI

- Multi-touch input method

[eXplosief]

I would be surprised if the Desire HD doesn't have an AMOLED screen, but i can not find it in the specs either. The regular Desire does have an AMOLED.I also have a Desire now for several months. I bought it weeks before the official introduction in Thailand, i later found out. Seems i bought one of the first produced series and was imported from france. At first i was very satisfied with it (and to some extend i still am), but after some time it started to malfunction, constant rebooting, making it useless in the end. REading more on the internet it seems that this was a hardware problem with the first series. As i turned to the thai HTC support desk i was told that the serialnumber was registered to france and it would need to be serviced at 1 of the 5 worldwide HTC service centra. The shop also tried to have it serviced in BKK, but had to sent it off to Hongkong as BKK wouldn't do it. It has now been 2 months since i returned it to the shop and i am still waiting for it's return.My advice: it is a wonderfull phone, a good choice. But especially if you would consider the HD version, make sure you do not buy a grey import. (if you are living in thailand)

[LivinLOS]

The Desire IS an AMOLED screen...basically it's the best phone screen one can buy right now

And as to someone's comment that it's a down-speced Nexus One...that's incorrect, it's actually an UP-speced Nexus One as it had hardware and software features more advanced and better than the Nexus.

Sorry but having to wait every time theres an upgrade while the sense UI is customized is not an upgrade.. Expect gingerbread updates to drop any week now and I will bet the nexus one has it weeks maybe months ahead of the Desire HD.

[Tywais]

Sorry but having to wait every time theres an upgrade while the sense UI is customized is not an upgrade.. Expect gingerbread updates to drop any week now and I will bet the nexus one has it weeks maybe months ahead of the Desire HD.

HTC is not the only one that has to wait for customization for upgrades, Samsung Galaxy S for example only has just started getting 2.2 upgrades which is several months behind HTC. A friend of mine is still waiting for it on his Galaxy here in Thailand. There are other brands also. Came across an article of the 10 most needed fixes for Android, one is consistency in upgrade availability and timing across all Android brands.

[angiud]

To have some ideas about Desire HD check this forum out:

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire_hd-reviews-3468.php

88 pages of posts....

Pros and cons, there isn't the "perfect" phone. Just some very good phones with some very good or amazing features, ready to be obsolete the next 12 months .

[LivinLOS]

Sorry but having to wait every time theres an upgrade while the sense UI is customized is not an upgrade.. Expect gingerbread updates to drop any week now and I will bet the nexus one has it weeks maybe months ahead of the Desire HD.

HTC is not the only one that has to wait for customization for upgrades, Samsung Galaxy S for example only has just started getting 2.2 upgrades which is several months behind HTC. A friend of mine is still waiting for it on his Galaxy here in Thailand. There are other brands also. Came across an article of the 10 most needed fixes for Android, one is consistency in upgrade availability and timing across all Android brands.

Agreed but the poster is saying Desire HD v Nexus one..

I dislike the skinning of android and even if I didnt have a nexus / vanilla android install I would flash a custom ROM to remove that.

[crgram]

I have had an HTC Hero for over a year and have been very happy with it. It does have the slower processor but since the Droid 2.1 upgrade it runs fine. I'm on AIS which only has Edge available in Phuket so processor speed isn't much of an issue. The speed, or lack there of, updates is an issue. I would like to get 2.2 without having to flash a custom ROM. Over all I'm happy with the hero and HTC, been using various flavored HTC phones for years.

cr

[FarangBuddha]

Sorry but having to wait every time theres an upgrade while the sense UI is customized is not an upgrade.. Expect gingerbread updates to drop any week now and I will bet the nexus one has it weeks maybe months ahead of the Desire HD.

HTC is not the only one that has to wait for customization for upgrades, Samsung Galaxy S for example only has just started getting 2.2 upgrades which is several months behind HTC. A friend of mine is still waiting for it on his Galaxy here in Thailand. There are other brands also. Came across an article of the 10 most needed fixes for Android, one is consistency in upgrade availability and timing across all Android brands.

Agreed but the poster is saying Desire HD v Nexus one..

I dislike the skinning of android and even if I didnt have a nexus / vanilla android install I would flash a custom ROM to remove that.

All my posts are for an HTC Desire, which I have. Don't know specs for the Desire HD.

My understanding is that the upcoming "Gingerbread" Android OS update will have a fixed UI and will not allow for customization aka "Sense."

[Tywais]

My understanding is that the upcoming "Gingerbread" Android OS update will have a fixed UI and will not allow for customization aka "Sense."

I've also read that for Gingerbread (Android 2.3) but many believe it is too major a change and will be in version 3.0 instead. Perhaps this will overcome the issue of varying time windows for updates across brands.

[LivinLOS]

Either way on what is or isnt in Gingerbread.. Yesterday google announced the first 2 phones to have gingerbread will be (drum roll please) the nexus one and the just announced samsung google phone.

So precisely my point.. The nexus one is / was the best supported android phone.

[FarangBuddha]

Either way on what is or isnt in Gingerbread.. Yesterday google announced the first 2 phones to have gingerbread will be (drum roll please) the nexus one and the just announced samsung google phone.

So precisely my point.. The nexus one is / was the best supported android phone.

Don't know what you're carping about...just got a notice over the air today about some Android OS update. It was about 5MB and downloaded it over the air (EDGE network) in a few minutes and then automatically installed on re-boot. So now running Android 2.2; kernel 2.6.32.15.

I don't know when various updates are available in other countries but if you live in Thailand, it really doesn't matter does it.

[LivinLOS]

Erm the 2.2 froyo update was out months ago for the Nexus one.. Thats my point, your an entire update cycle behind !! But I guess if thats the input we are not having a technical discussion !!

The update I am talking about is gingerbread.. 2.3..

[FarangBuddha]

Erm the 2.2 froyo update was out months ago for the Nexus one.. Thats my point, your an entire update cycle behind !! But I guess if thats the input we are not having a technical discussion !!

The update I am talking about is gingerbread.. 2.3..

Please don't post on stuff you don't know anything about...the update I received today was NOT Froyo! That came (again over the air) 3-4 months ago and was identified as the "Froyo" update in the download or not notice; what came today was some minor OS tweek (maybe a security update or something). My recollection is that the Froyo update in Thailand was maybe 4-6 weeks after it was available in Europe...sure not immediate but not much of a delay either.

Edited December 7, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[Tywais]

what came today was some minor OS tweek (maybe a security update or something).

Just to clarify a bit. The overall system - apps/kernel/etc is identified as 2.1 (Eclair), 2.2 (Froyo), 2.3 (Gingerbread) etc. Each piece of the system has it's own versioning. The kernel for 2.1 was based on 2.6.29, the version that is on 2.2 and has been since July is 2.6.32.15. The update just received on my Desire is a minor build change from 2.13.707.1 to 2.13.707.2. No change in the kernel which is where 2.3 (Gingerbread) will have a fair amount of work done.

//edit - forgot to mention that since this is a software/build update and not a kernel update it doesn't involve Sense UI but probably some application(s) on the phone thus a quick release.

[FarangBuddha]

what came today was some minor OS tweek (maybe a security update or something).

Just to clarify a bit. The overall system - apps/kernel/etc is identified as 2.1 (Eclair), 2.2 (Froyo), 2.3 (Gingerbread) etc. Each piece of the system has it's own versioning. The kernel for 2.1 was based on 2.6.29, the version that is on 2.2 and has been since July is 2.6.32.15. The update just received on my Desire is a minor build change from 2.13.707.1 to 2.13.707.2. No change in the kernel which is where 2.3 (Gingerbread) will have a fair amount of work done.

//edit - forgot to mention that since this is a software/build update and not a kernel update it doesn't involve Sense UI but probably some application(s) on the phone thus a quick release.

Thanks for the technical details. The update was to Android only; and was not related to HTC or the Sense overlay or any of the apps on the phone.

Edited December 7, 2010 by FarangBuddha