HTC Desire Z review: Desires A-to-Z

Introduction

A few months ago, the original Desire was teaching younger Droids the ropes. Though it's no time to retire just yet, the next generation is ready to take over. And we're talking no rookie here - the new Desire Z means business with a great QWERTY keyboard and Froyo. The two phones don't even look distantly related but the Desire genes and the bumped up specs bode well for the droid messenger.

HTC Desire Z official photos

Androids are friendly creatures in general but you might want to be careful with a metal-clad QWERTY messenger. We've come to expect solid build quality and premium finish from HTC and the Desire Z is ready to deliver. Another thing to watch for is new S-LCD screen. Froyo is a promise for a major performance boost and the latest Sense is also in the mix.

Key features:

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 3.7" 16M-color capacitive S-LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480x 800 pixel)
• Android OS v2.2 Froyo with HTC Sense UI
• Comfortable 4-row QWERTY keyboard
• 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230 processor
• 512 MB RAM and 1.5 GB ROM
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
• 720p video recording @ 25fps
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• microSD slot up to 32GB (8GB card included)
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Optical trackpad with confirm action
• Quick boot
• Metal finish
• Smart dialing
• DivX/XviD support
• Very good audio reproduction quality

Main disadvantages:

• The S-LCD screen is average (in terms of contrast, reflectiveness and sunlight legibility)
• Non hot-swappable memory card
• No front facing camera
• Loose hinge
• Quite heavy at 180 g

HTC have quite a flair for Android phones. Another thing they're good at is QWERTY messengers. Not that we've seen much proof lately but let's hope it's like riding a bike. If they're good at Android and if they haven't completely lost the messenger knack, a win should be in the bag for the HTC Desire Z.

HTC Desire Z live shots

It's been over a year since we had the pleasure of an HTC QWERTY messenger. You probably remember that the first of the droids came with a QWERTY keyboard. We guess it was only a matter of time for HTC to eventually get back to phones such as the G1, or even the the TyTN and the Touch Pro. Well, it's finally time for the new droid generation to get its own Pro. The HTC Desire Z is reporting for duty.

Looks like we're ready to get to business too. Our tour starts right after the break with unboxing and hardware inspection.

Dell Streak Android 2.2 update screenshots

The official Android 2.2 update for the Dell Streak is getting closer, everyone.

Stand by!

Click on any photo to enlarge.

The "Download & Install" button doesn't lead to anywhere just yet, but it's only a matter of time before it goes live. Keep checking for the update!

Menu -> Settings -> About phone -> System updates.
Menu -> Settings -> About phone -> System updates.
Menu -> Settings -> About phone -> System updates.

Thanks, BenFrank!

Samsung I9020 a.k.a. Nexus S is the next Google phone?

The rumors on the upcoming Samsung-made Nexus 2 a.k.a. Nexus S have just been reborn. The first hands-on shots of the smartphone have just surfaced and so have some details on it, thanks to the FCC website.

The next-gen Nexus phone was first expected to show up on 8 November 2010, but Samsung announced the Continuum instead and we almost lost hope that we will ever see a second Nexus phone.

Yet over the past 24 hours the Samsung-made Google Nexus S popped up on a bunch of websites (of the FCC, Wi-Fi Alliance and Best Buy Mobile) and, most excitingly, we finally got to enjoy some live shots of the smartphone.

Samsung Google Nexus S

And while the I9020 Nexus S doesn't look much like the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S on the outside, those are said to be identical on the inside, save for the Android 2.3 a.k.a. Gingerbread that the Nexus S should be powered by.

We can expect a 5MP AF camera with HD video recording, Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity and maybe the gorgeous 4" Super AMOLED touchscreen found on the Galaxy S.

There is still no word on the Nexus S launch date and price tag but keeping in mind that the Gingerbread should come any moment now, we shouldn't wait for too long to get all our questions answered.