HTC TITAN Sim Free Windows 7.5 Smartphone

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Brilliant handset, 11 Oct 2011

I was lucky enough to walk into my highstreet and grab a HTC TITAN over the first weekend of October (seemingly a good 2 weeks before launch elsewhere) and I’ve been so impressed that I thought I’d upload a review, that will hopefully fill in the blanks for you if you’re looking to purchase this phone:

First impressions:
The TITAN, living up to its name, is big. To put it into perspective, if you are upgrading from a previous 4.3 inch phone, you might not notice the extra size as the bevel is much smaller on this phone than on similar 4.3 inch models, to the point where the dimensions wouldn’t be much bigger. If, on the other hand, you are upgrading from a 3.5 inch or similar model, you’ll notice a substantial increase on the face, that might take a while to get accustomed to. Whilst that might be said, it’s also worth noting that the phone is stated as 9.9mm thin, but this is at its maximum, in reality I measure it closer to 9.6, making it on par with the iPhone 4, but not quite the same level as the Samsung GS2. It’s worth noting that although the handset is very large, due to the thinness, and the ratio due to the phone being a bit wider, it sits really well in the hand.

Is it pocket friendly?:
This is a double edged sword. I’m a regular guy with a 32 inch waist that wears normal (practical) jeans, cargos and the occasional leopard-skin leotard and I have to say that I haven’t found a pocket this phone wouldn’t fit into. And that’s not to say that it `just’ fits. In fact, it always has room to spare, so do not fear if you sound similar to me there. If you’re keen on skinny jeans, I doubt you’ll fit this phone in your front pockets, rather stick it in your handbag (because if you wear skinny jeans you OBVIOUSLY have a handbag to go with it ;

Build quality:
Two pieces, both solid. The phone unit is actually cradled inside the aluminium chassis, which is released with a solid feeling button at the bottom of the handset. It’s incredibly well built, and the removable battery is always a plus. Make note however, that this phone does not support expandable memory, and thus you are left with the 16GB in-built flash only. Swapping the SIM on the go is pretty difficult due to the fact that it needs to be inserted before the battery goes in, effectively locking it in place. Looking at it, you can ‘modify’ it to allow anytime SIM removal with judicious use of a nail file, but that’d be at your own risk, and I’m not sure it’d work!

Screen quality:
This is my first experience with `S-LCD’ also known as SUPER-LCD to some. I come from an iPhone 4 background, as well as having briefly dabbled with the GS2, just so you know where I stand, comparatively speaking. The screen on the TITAN is leaps and bounds ahead of the iPhone, with richer colours, deeper blacks and ever-so-slightly better viewing angles. Whilst the resolution is higher on the iPhone, the Titan doesn’t display any form of aliasing (jagged edges) and appears incredibly sharp throughout, especially when viewing photos. Between the TITAN and the GS2, it’s a much closer call, and I’d have to go with the GS2 as having the edge. Although, to put it into perspective: The only way you’d ever be able to tell one is better than the other is to have the two side-by-side constantly, which, let’s face it, is never going to happen. The TITAN has an incredible screen, and it’s a joy to use.

Speaker:
Not so great, fairly quiet even at max volume, so not great for music or phone calls, but it does have slightly deeper bass than the `tinny’ sounds of other phones. In any case, headphones are the way to go for this one.

Camera:
8MP, twin LED flash, 720p video, advanced ISO/editing/panorama/burst options…sounds good. Oh, and an f/2.2 lens. I’m a photographer, so I knew this was marketing babble from the get go, and don’t be fooled, this isn’t going to replace your compact any day soon, but in daylight it actually does a fantastic job. I know I started off negative, but I just don’t like it when claims are made that don’t live up to their expectations, and so far this TITAN has exceeded every claim made by HTC (except maybe their slogan: The best thing you’ve ever held. Which is subjective, at best) So basically, the shots are grainy at night, but in daylight are great, perfect for web uploading and small prints. HD video is nice, quite good quality and upscales fairly well. At the end of the day, camera technology isn’t perfect in smartphones, there are too many compromises, but HTC does a great job at mitigating those issues and delivering a package that makes a decent walkabout companion.

Battery life:
On par with iPhone 4, GS2 and such. It’ll give you a days worth with moderate use, no problem, but still the kind of phone you’ll want to charge overnight.

Internet:
The TITAN supports HSPDA+ (a better version of 3G) which allows…

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