Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC has been churning out an increasingly impressive array of Android-based smartphones in the past 18 months.
The HTC Desire — which TechCentral reviewed in July 2010 — and more recently the larger-screen HTC Desire HD are among the best Android smartphones money can buy.
Now HTC has introduced a third smartphone under the Desire moniker, the Desire Z (price: R5 880). It’s the first in the range with a full Qwerty keyboard, and, after using it for a week, we have to conclude that the company has minted another winner. The Z is the best Android-based touch-screen device with Qwerty keyboard we’ve seen.
Like the original Desire, the Desire Z has a 3,7-inch, 480×800-pixel touch screen. But let’s face it: typing long text messages or e-mails on any touch screen phone is a trial-and-error affair. Flip the Desire Z on its side, push up the screen, and a gorgeous, back-lit Qwerty keyboard pops out.
Keys are generously sized and spaced well, making typing on the device a breeze. And the screen automatically rotates to landscape mode when the keyboard is in use.
One concern about devices with slide-out keyboards is their fragility, but the engineers at HTC have done an excellent job ensuring the Desire Z is robust. The spring-loaded hinge — called the “Z-hinge” — appears sturdy and won’t break easily.
Understandably, the Desire Z is heavier (180g) than the Desire (135g), but it’s not so heavy it’ll weigh you down. It’ll still fit snugly in a jacket or pants pocket. And given the fact that has a full Qwerty keyboard, HTC has done remarkably well keeping the device relatively svelte — 0,56 inches versus the Desire’s 0,47 inches.
Another noticeable difference between the Desire Z and the original Desire is the former’s use of capacitive-touch buttons. This may not appeal to everyone, but they do make for a better-looking device. Also, the Z has a brushed aluminium back plate, versus the Desire’s plastic casing.
Battery life is average. Most users will have to charge the device at least once a day, but the Z should at least last through a day’s moderate to heavy use. Battery life seems slightly better than the Desire’s.
A slower processor — 800MHz vs 1GHz in the Desire — probably helps conserve battery. The slower clock speed doesn’t appear to make the Desire Z any less snappy, though, perhaps because it’s running the newer Android 2.2 operating system. HTC’s beautiful Sense user interface runs as smooth as silk on the Desire Z. And start-up and shutdown times have been improved dramatically. Booting the phone takes less than three seconds.
The device has everything one would expect in a modern smartphone: 3G up to 14,4Mbit/s, including support for 900MHz broadband connections (hello, Cell C); Wi-Fi b/g and n; Bluetooth; GPS; accelerometer; digital compass; proximity sensor; ambient light sensor; 3,5mm audio jacks; micro USB for charging; and micro SD slot for additional memory (8GB card included).
The Desire Z includes a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash that produces noticeably higher quality images than the 5-megapixel shooter in the original Desire. But it’s still not as good as the images produced by rival devices such as the iPhone 4 and the Nokia N8. The device also shoots high-definition video at 720p.
As with other Android smartphones from HTC, the Desire Z comes with a number of preinstalled applications, including Facebook and Peep (for Twitter). Naturally, Google services like search, instant messaging, maps (with StreetView) and Gmail are all included as part of the base install. More apps can be downloaded from the Android Market.
The Desire Z also works well as a traditional phone. Voice-call quality is good, though the speakerphone mode is a little tinny.
In conclusion, consumers wanting a touch-screen smartphone with a tactile Qwerty keyboard won’t regret investing in the Desire Z. And with MTN and Vodacom both now offering firmware and operating system updates over the air, they can be sure their phones will always have the latest software. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral
HTC Desire Z promotional video (via YouTube):
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