HTC HD2 review

This really is a tale of two different phones.

The first is the new T-Mobile HD2 -- truly a sight to behold as far as the hardware is concerned.

It's made by HTC, producer of the Google Nexus One, the DROID Incredible and many more top-of-the-line smartphones.

Some highlights from the HD2's impressive specifications:

• Magnificent 4.3-inch (480x800 pixels) touch-sensitive screen
• A speedy, 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 5-megapixel digital camera with dual flash
• HTC's Sense UI skin
• The Barnes & Noble eBook reader software
• Movies on Demand from Blockbuster
• Guitar Hero
• GSM/EDGE/HDPA connectivity
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS
• Estimated talk time of more than 6 hours per charge
• microSDHC support - 16GB card included

The other phone I'm discussing here is actually the same phone, the new T-Mobile HD2. Only this time I want to talk about the software inside.

This HD2 runs on the soon-to-be-outdated Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

In the grand scheme, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Windows Mobile 6.5 is greatly improved over older versions of the OS.

That said, even in updated form it's way behind when you compare it to other modern-day operating systems like Google's Android, Apple's iPhone OS, Nokia's Maemo OS and Palm's webOS.

Although, Windows Mobile 6.5 added some new features over version 6.1 (like a new Today home screen, a slightly better Web browser and the obligatory app store) it still feels like an old operating system -- which it is. Fit and finish is nowhere near iPhone, Android, webOS or even some Symbian/Maemo devices.

HTC's Sense UI skin gives the phone a great look. It's as slick as can be, but it can't improve upon what's not there to begin with. Sense UI works perfectly with Android smartphones. Unfortunately there isn't much it can do with Windows Mobile 6.5.

What makes all of this worse is that Microsoft has announced its next OS, Windows Phone 7, is coming later this year. And we've been told that the HD2 is not upgradable to Windows Phone 7, which is definitely another strike against the massive multimedia phone.

I'm sure there will be similar, new HTC hardware running on "7" but at this point, why would you spend a few hundred on a non-upgradable "6.5" phone when new handsets, loaded with a gazillion new features are coming soon? That just doesn't make much sense.

On the other hand, the HD2 is a fantastic smartphone in its own right. Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- who has seen this phone falls in love with the design. The huge screen and the precision feel of all the controls makes this phone a winner.

HTC and T-Mobile have installed a copy of the full-length feature movie "Transformers" on each and every HD2. The companies did that for a reason. Movies look absolutely amazing on this smartphone. The screen size and resolution makes watching an HD movie on a phone a reality.

Passers-by who have seen my HD2 playing the movie have stopped to watch. And watch. And watch. Videos look THAT good!

Setting up the HD2 is relatively simple, though I did have a problem setting-up my Google mail, calendar and contact lists. Despite online help from Google describing running how to configure its services on a Windows smartphone, all that I could get working was email. The HD2 joins a long list of non-Android phones that can't easily handle Google contacts and calendar.

If you need access to a Microsoft Exchange Server however, ignore everything I just said. HTC's HD2 is the ultimate Exchange device.

After living with iPhones, Android phones, Pres and N900s, having to deal with Microsoft's Marketplace is slightly underwhelming. I mean, there are lots of apps available and many of them are free. But most of them are the same -- or similar to what you can find in the other online app stores. I'm guessing things will improve with the release of Windows Phone 7 thanks to its improved feature set and increased sex appeal for consumers and developers alike.

Despite the fact that OS 6.5 is doomed, if you buy an HD2 right now you'll be able to get plenty of great use and loads of enjoyment out of it. It is truly a fantastic piece of equipment just the way it is right now.

And thanks to a very active mobile hacking community, there will almost certainly be a way to get the HD2 running Windows Phone 7 even before the first true WP7 phones launch.

Despite the fact that the OS is on its last legs, the HD2 is supposedly selling quite well. T-Mobile even had trouble keeping the HD2 in stock for a while. I can't remember the last time a Windows Mobile smartphone got people this excited.