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The HD7 arrived in full HTC consumer release packaging with the box being surprisingly small and compact. The packaging follows the new HTC house style with large photographs of the HD7 itself surrounded by the expected 'cartoon' graphics.
The back of the case shows the specifications of the machine itself:
- Size: 122 x 68 x 11.2mm
- Weight: 162 grams
- Processor: 1Ghz Snapdragon
- Platform: Windows Phone OS 7
- Internal Storage: 16Gb (specially increased from 8Gb for O2)
- ROM: 512Mb, RAM: 576Mb
- Camera: 5MP, autofocus with dual LED, 720p HD video recording, built in scenes
- Connectors: 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, Standard micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
- Sensors: G-Sensor, Digital compass, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor
- Internet:
- 3G (Up to 7.2 Mbps download speed, Up to 2 Mbps upload speed), GPRS (Up to 114 kbps downloading), EDGE (Up to 560 kbps downloading), Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- HTC Hub: Weather, Stocks, Converter, Photo Enhancer, Sound Enhancer, and more. Downloadable apps and games
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, Other supported profiles: AVRCP, HFP, HSP, PBAP
- Social Networking: Facebook and Windows Live, Share photos on Facebook or Windows Live SkyDrive
- Multimedia: See photos from your camera, Facebook and Windows Live accounts in the Pictures hub, Music and Videos Hub powered by Zune lets you listen to radio, download music, and more, Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound
- Audio supported formats: .m4a, .m4b, .mp3, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)
- Video supported formats: Playback:.3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m4v, .mbr., .wmv (Windows Media Video 9 and VC-1), Recording:.mp4
- Location: Internal GPS antenna, Bing Maps
- Power & Battery: Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, Capacity: 1230 mAh. Talk time: (WCDMA: Up to 320 mins, GSM: Up to 380 mins). Standby time: (WCDMA: Up to 320 hours, GSM: Up to 310 hours)
- Network: Europe:(HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz, GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz), Asia Pacific: (HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz, GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
- Special Features: Kickstand, Customize your phone with live tiles which dynamically update all key information right on the Start screen, Choose from thousands of video titles and music tracks via integrated Zune services, Play console-quality video games with XBox LIVE integration
- Recommended Windows System Requirements: Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, Zune software
as well as the specific data on the particular machine itself.
To get at the HD7 one slides the inner box out of the sleeve and the HD7 is revealed in its glory wrapped in the usual protective sleeving which carries the warning about care of the device and screen usage. The layer that the HD7 nestles into can be lifted out via a 'finger hole' and underneath can be found the supplied accessories.
These comprise:
- Two piece charger into which the USB cable fits
- The micro-USB sync / charge cable
- Headset with rubber buds
- Safely Information, Warranty, Quick Start guide etc
The HD7 once removed and examined proves to be sleek and black with the most recognisable aspect being the massive 4.3" screen which dominates the device, while underneath the obligatory Microsoft specified 'Back, Windows, and Search' buttons. Above the screen at the top of the front fascia is the speaker which is cunningly styled so as to be almost invisible at first glance.
The screen is also brightly lit (as can be seen above when booting) and is free from any discolouration or banding that may occur through poor screen design.
For such a large phone the HD7 feels light and manageable when held in the hand, the contoured shape and rounded edges work well to ensure that the HD7 is comfortable in the palm and there are no hard edges and slippery surfaces (Apple iPhone 4) that give concerns about the device escaping from the grip.
The only drawback with the large screen (as with the HTC Desire, iPhone 4, etc) is that it is a magnet for finger marks. Be prepared to have something handy for use as a screen wipe!
The base of the phone is sparse indeed containing only the 3.5mm jack plug and the micro-USB sync / charge port.
Similarly the top of the HD7 holds only the power on / sleep switch.
The left hand side is completely unadorned holding no controls of any kind.
The right hand side sports the volume up / down rocker as well as the dedicated camera (wake / shoot) button.
The camera button is one of the items specified by Microsoft in the design of 'chassis 1' for Windows Phone, as it can be used (default configuration) to wake the machine into camera readiness mode. This special mode can be activated even when the phone is locked and when triggered by pressing the camera button for a second or two unlocks the phone and loads the camera application so that a photo can be taken very quickly indeed. Kudos to Microsoft here!
The camera button does take a firm press to activate it which avoids it being triggered accidentally although it does mean you have to make sure you have a good grip on the HD7 it you want it to respond quickly.
The back of the device is much more interesting as it contains the battery cover (which is made of soft plastic and removed via inserting a fingernail in the 'removal slot' - top left). The battery cover also holds within it the piercings for the camera and twin LED flash as well as the kick plate.
Below the cover is the HD7 model branding as well as the Windows Phone logo.
As you can see the kick plate can be gently flipped up into it's in use position whereby an internal spring holds it in position (open or closed).
And the HD7 can then be positioned comfortably on the desk while one sits back and watches a video.
The HD7 will always be compared both on specifications and size to the HD2 which preceded it to the market (and ran Windows Mobile 6.5). As you can see the machines are nigh on identical with the HD7 only being different with respect to slight housing design changes and the lack of front facing controls compared to the HD2.
Even though the HD7 weighs in at some 5 grams heavier than the HD2 and is 1-2mm greater in size it feels slightly lighter and smaller, which indicates good ergonomic design by HTC's engineers!
Once the SIM card has been fitted into the HD7 and the on button pressed to wake the machine it boots up initially to a white screen (see above) followed by the green HTC logo.
A second or two later this is replaced by the O2 welcome logo.
Which after around 20 seconds clears to reveal the initial 'Welcome' screen belonging to Windows Phone. Once you tap the 'get started' button you are taken through the basic configuration of the phone.
Firstly setting your default language.
Then agreeing to the terms of use.
Then finally choosing the settings. I chose to follow the 'recommended' option here as that is the one that most users will choose. However the 'custom' setting will allow one to choose to vary items such as; allowing cellular data usage and sending improvement information ot Microsoft.
Next the time zone is selected.
Finally your Windows Live ID is either entered or created and entered. This is one of the most important parts of the initial configuration as this will be used to set up your account for all Microsoft Online services (Live ID picture and file sharing, X-Box Live, the application store, etc). So if you have multiple IDs ensure you pick the one you use commonly. If you do not have an ID a wizard will take you through the process of generating one.
Be warned though if you do want to change ID at a later date as it is the cornerstone of the phones ID with respect to Microsoft the only way of making the change is to hard reset the phone and configure it from scratch!
Once the initial configuration has been completed you are advised of the fact and once you tap 'done' .......
It should be noted that in my opinion that only half of the configuration at this point is actually done. For my use as I have Wi-Fi at home I also had to enter the settings and link the machine to my Wi-Fi network. Plus as I'm a social type I had to go into the settings screens and set up my preferences for: Facebook, Home Email, Work Email, G-Mail, etc. These processes are not undertaken as part of the basic configuration wizard.
However all the settings for these were configured with the minimum of fuss and no problems were encountered.
..... you are taken to the new home screen of Windows Phone. You now have in front of you the live tiles that are the core of interfacing with the individual applications at the hubs which comprise the main aspects of the HD7.
The new start screen is a complete change of ethos compared to that found on older Windows Mobile devices and even compared to other competing OS's like Android and iOS. The system is navigated entirely by broad sweeping gestures up and down, left and right, accompanied with taps and flicks to enter various modes.
Initially when at the start screen you can flick up and down the list of pre-configured tiles, or tap the arrow (top right of the screen) to gain entry to the applications or systems screens. When initially manipulating the screen and the tiles one immediately noticed how fast and smooth the scrolling of the display is. Everything feels natural and fluid, there is no hint of slow down or lag at all.
The tiles are intelligent and serve to update themselves with information the 'People' tile for example updates with mini icons of images of friends avatars when an update is seen on Windows Live or Facebook, and tiles linked with Email accounts contain the number of new emails.
As standard the following tiles are shown after initialisation:
- Phone Hub - Allows you to access Phone functions
- People - Allows you to enter the People Hub whereby you can view / edit your contacts or see their status updates on Facebook or Live
- Messaging - Access SMS (TXT) Messages
- Me - See or update your status of Facebook of Live services
- Calendar Hub - Access your calendar(s)
- Music and Videos Hub - Enter the Zune system for music or video playback (or purchasing)
- Settings Hub - Change the settings of the HD7
- Pictures - View pictures either synced to the phone or downloaded from Facebook or Live Services
- Sound Enhancer (HTC extra) - Allows one to choose to enhance the sound via Dolby Mobile or SRS Enhancement
- Marketplace - Buy or Try Applications, Music or Games
- HTC Hub (HTC Extra) - Accesses HTC applications such as the wonderfully animated weather application
- Internet Explorer - Browse the web
- Photo Enhancer (HTC Extra) - Apply special effects to photos
Additional tiles for new email accounts appear as each are added via the Email Settings applet. If a tile is tapped and held it can be either unpinned, or moved to a new location. New tiles can be pinned into place by tapping and holding an application in the applications list as the option then appears to pin it to the start screen (or uninstall it for that matter).
The system works wonderfully well with all aspects either navigating, moving tiles, removing applications. Simplicity is the aim here and it is implemented well indeed.
From the above it is obvious that the HD7 and Windows Phone OS is heavily communications based as can access a lot of cloud services; email, Facebook, Windows Live, Feedback to Microsoft etc. Some options if so set can also allow the phone to automatically upload newly taken photographs onto the Windows Live Skydrive system.
Being a connected social individual I have all these options turned on as well as the 'Find My Phone' GPS facility which reports your phones location back to Microsoft's servers as a security measure in case your phone was lost or stolen. In addition I've set up three Exchange accounts, Hotmail, and G-Mail, all set to use push email. The point here is that there can be a lot of background activity taking place and that can indeed have an effect of battery life. The question is whether the 1230 mA battery has enough capacity to handle the load.
Under tests during the working day with all possible services turned on, a couple of phone calls made and a 45 minute hi-def video played back, the battery life looks to have reduced to just under fifty percent by 13:00 hours (leaving home at 7:30). This is not good news and I know that I for one will be investigating turning some of the background services (GPS in Find My Phone, and feedback, etc) off to see if this increases battery life.
Alas this brings to light one of my niggles with the phone, the notification bar and associated tasks / functions. In Windows Phone you have a clock top right on the start screen, this can be tapped on to bring down a 'blind' which shows basic phone signal strength, HSPDA, EDGE etc connectivity as well as battery charge indication. There is only the bar readout in the battery icon to indicate charge - you cannot get an exact charge figure anywhere.
Of course for every negative there is a positive and one aspect of Windows Phone OS 7 that scores (to me at least) is that of the lock screen. Once the phone has been turned off, or the timeout function activates which puts the phone to sleep - when it is turned back on the lock screen appears. This screen may be customised with respect to the background and displays important quick view information such as; your next appointment, any missed calls, new emails etc. It would be nice to have the weather on there too, but alas one can't have everything. To get past the lock screen and return to the Start menu one simply treats the screen as a 'window blind' and slides it upwards and out of the way - which reveals the Start screen underneath! Simple and Smooth!
More to follow!
[All images in this review have been processed by Snagit by Techsmith]
Hmm it may be the HArvest, just download the trial and I'm rather impressed already!
