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HTC Desire HD Review

 
  Review: September 2010  
 

Phone rating: 5 stars

In a nutshell: The HTC Desire HD delivers more power than probably any other smartphone currently available, with the Android Froyo operating system, a 4.3 inch screen, 8 megapixel camera, HD video recording, GPS, 1GHz processor, 14.4 Mbps internet access and 1.5GB of internal memory. It may be big, it may be costly, but if you're excited by the opportunities that the phone offers, you won't find better.

 

The HTC Desire has been the number one smartphone in the first half of 2010, so it makes sense for HTC to build on this success by rolling out more variants of a successful formula. But they haven't been resting on their laurels. The new Desire HD is a phone that really pushes the boundaries of what a smartphone can do. We don't expect it to be as big a seller as the HTC Desire because it's just too big and too expensive to become a mainstream phone. But if you want the very best of what smartphone technology can deliver in 2010, then you've probably found it in the Desire HD.

Essentially the HD is a souped-up version of the Desire. HTC have clearly followed the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach, and have taken a very successful platform and simply made it better. So, what's new? First the device has grown in size, but surprisingly only by about 15%. But it's seriously put on weight, tipping the scales at a massive 164g, which is second only to the Nokia N900. But the increase in size has enabled HTC to stick a mouth-watering 4.3 inch screen on the Desire HD, making it a superb device for the mobile internet. They've also doubled the data connection speed to 14.4 Mbps download, and brought in Adobe® Flash® Player 10. The operating system is Android™ 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC Sense - no surprises there. The internal memory has been increased to 1.5 GB (with an option to add up to 32GB of microSD memory), and the camera has been upgraded to 8 megapixels, with a dual LED flash and video recording in 720p HD. Oh, they've also added in Dolby® Mobile and SRS virtual surround sound and DLNA connectivity, so you can connect your Desire HD to a suitable TV.

Is there any downside to any of this? Well, apart from the increased size, weight and cost, we're rather surprised to note that the battery has just a 1230 mAh capacity. We don't think that's big enough, but we'll have to see how the Desire HD behaves in the long run.

Still, you'd have to be a meany to dislike this phone. Just make sure you understand what kind of beast it is before you buy.

Features of the HTC Desire HD include:

  • 8 megapixel camera with autofocus, face detection and dual LED flash
  • 720p HD video recording
  • Display: Super-LCD capacitive touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom capability, 480 x 800 pixels (4.3 inches) with auto-rotate
  • GPS receiver with digital compass, Google Maps, HTC Footprints and geo-tagging
  • Music player (aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma formats)
  • FM radio
  • Dolby® Mobile and SRS virtual surround sound
  • Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
  • Ringtones: MP3 ringtones
  • Internet: GPRS, EDGE, HSPA (14.4 Mbps download, 5.76 Mbps upload), Adobe® Flash® Player 10
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate, mini-USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack, DLNA
  • Memory: 1.5GB plus microSD memory card (up to 32GB)
  • Vibration alert
  • Quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) plus HSPA/WCDMA (900/2100 MHz)
  • Size: 123 x 68 x 11.8 mm
  • Weight: 164g
  • Battery: 1230 mAh
  • Talktime: 320 - 550 minutes
  • Battery standby: 420 - 490 hours

HTC Desire HD User Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

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Phone rating:

Average rating from 118 reviews:

Reviewed by Sav from UK on 26th Jun 2012
Looks good, feels good and is a lovely phone to use. After initial battery life issues it settled down and I get a day's worth of use out of it ok if I don't hammer mobile data.
The problem is the shocking build quality. After 14 months my phone is pretty much broken and unusable. It regularly turns itself off and the volume buttons don't work. When you have a 24 month contract that's a nightmare.
It's the last time I buy a HTC Phone.
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Reviewed by Nicki from UK on 9th Apr 2012
this phone is better than a blackbery by far, but the only moan i will have is the battery life, its on charge every day, and when i hang up after a phone call the end call needs to be pressed more than once, but this is only on certian contacts,other than that,this phone is slick, easy to use, and im happy with it.
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Reviewed by Raka from Nepal on 5th Mar 2012
It is amazing!!!!
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Reviewed by Hamzah Nawaz from England on 14th Feb 2012
it is an awesome phone
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Reviewed by Vidal from Brazil on 24th Jan 2012
Don´t buy it!!! Very sorry I bought it! It´s incompatible with new android version, and HTC turned their back to the costumers!!! I put verson 2.3.5 and it stopped working!!! The speaker, the camera, the gps, the screen, all cracked!! Beware!!! DO NOT CHANGE THE ORIGINAL ANDROID VERSION!!! And be sure they have assistance in your country! Brazil is off list... Not kidding! My email is fabiohmv@gmail.com.
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Reply by Rob briggs from uk on 11th Feb 2012
Not sure why you are saying this mate, i upgraded to 2.3.5 on this phone with no trouble at all. I have had this phone 18 month and not a problem. I have even dropped it a few times and all ok. The best smartphone by far.

Reviewed by amy from UK on 22nd Jan 2012
Great Phone, the Screen is Out of this World, Makes iphone look Like a Wimp, If only it Had a Front Camera & Better Battery Life it would Be Perfect Mobile.
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Reviewed by Jeremy from England on 17th Jan 2012
it should have been front facing camera it would be the best phone if it had i will buy for my son and i will have a sensation
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Reviewed by abb from uk on 12th Jan 2012
Very Slick Phone, Nice Screen & Some nice features,Fast operating System, Only downside is no Front Camera & Below Average Battery life,
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Reviewed by Igor from BiH on 15th Dec 2011
Only front camera missing to be perfect, other than that pretty good.
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Reviewed by Gary from England on 15th Dec 2011
Had my Desire HD since Feb, yes the battery life is not the best but can honestly say It's the best phone I've ever had. Always try to get new phones when they come out to keep up with new tech but am very happy to just keep this one as It's basically future proof.
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Reviewed by adrianeds from UK on 12th Dec 2011
Majority here moan about the battery life of the HTC Desire HD which is perfectly understandable.I have had mine nearly a year now & its still a mega phone,what I did was buy a 1600mAH also I bought a table top charger,this charges the phone & also it can charge a spare battery if you have one.With the table charger you also get a 1550mAH as well & it costs £20.Believe me the 1600mAH battery & the 1550mAH both work fantastic & will last way more than a day.Hope this helps you all out a bit.
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Reviewed by Simon from UK on 6th Dec 2011
I've had my HTC Desire HD for 6 months now and in that time it has performed with a brilliance second to none. No words can describe how effortlessly it makes my every use and customization a joy to own . Yes yes the device sucks the battery but what can be expected from a phone that just about covers every function one can think of . Most of my friends are I phone 4 lovers - Little do they know the DHD runs rings round their little sheep fold . HTC . Yes they are quietly brilliant unbelievably so.
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Reviewed by Daniel from United Kingdom on 3rd Dec 2011
Awesome smartphone, is way too clever, knows more about me than I do. Could not be without it. Running such a piece of kit is bound to suck power, so keep a charger handy, one in the house, one in the car.
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Reviewed by Danesh from New Zealand on 2nd Dec 2011
Very reliable phone with amazing in-built features. A must have for any Android lover.
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Reviewed by Vinny from London, UK on 25th Nov 2011
This is the best pocket PC there is, and a bonus point, it comes with a phone built in! Fantastic, makes even the iPhone 4S look old. If you want a device that doesn't limit you in what you can do with it, get a HTC Desire HD.
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Reviewed by Zubin from India on 25th Nov 2011
HTC Desire HD the King of all phones.. Must buy and the only problem is the battery . But for a huge screen like this and soooooo many applications running, but natural the battery will drain out . Few Tips: The best way to save ur battery is to keep the task killer on auto and the second most important is the Auto-Sync (Use Super-Task Killer) should not be kept ON. Tip 2" Go to settings/Display and change the Animation to "No Animation" and Brightness on "Auto" Screen Timeout -1 minute. That's it for now.. need more tips send a mail on zubin1971@gmail.com .
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Reviewed by donna from pembrokeshire on 20th Nov 2011
Had the HTC desire hd for less then a month when had to take it back, battery runs out very very quickly the internet stopped working and then phone kept saying I'm in London when I'm in haverfordwest and phone didn't reconise that as a place. Iv now had my new one for about 3 month's and now it won't stop crashing, its doing it non stop. Phone keeps saying no sim and then shuts down. Battery is still terrible, you only have to make a few phone calls and most your battery is gone. Wish I never got this phone.
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Reply by nicki from uk on 12th Apr 2012
Sounds like you need to do a software update, my phone said the same, but said i was in bristol when i was about 30 miles outside, yes i agree the battery life if poor,but i wastold by a custumer service advisor that its because the weather app, with the rain drops or snowflakes, try not using that appandsee how it goes,my sim card holder is broken, have a lookto see what thats like, hope this helps

Reviewed by craig from uk on 13th Nov 2011
well i have had my htc now for 7 months , in a nutshell a fantastic phone does everything i want a phone to do , and it can make calls too , nice big clear screen, great functions , the only bug bear is the battery , but if you can put up with charging it more than most other phones your onto a winner , i would find it hard to find a replacement .
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Reviewed by dj from uk on 25th Apr 2011
what can i say, its simply best phone out there, i would rather lose 1 of my hands than lose my HD DESIRE.The GPS works brillantly and got me out of trouble when my sat nav was avin a bad moment,the HD DESIRE got me there better than the tomtom. i love this phone,i wouldnt have anyting else, HTC lead the way and are the kings of the smart phones
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Reviewed by Manoj from Rwanda on 23rd Apr 2011
I love the big screen. Oustanding performance, options and applications than any other phones I happen to see or used. Only battery is getting dry within a short time. Needs to charge at least twice a day.
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Reviewed by Pranay from UK on 22nd Apr 2011
Have had the phone for 3months and is very awesome GPS signal works indoors unlike my Galaxy s wchich i sold to get this. Love the size and weight. An excellent phone!
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Reviewed by Avishay from Israel on 21st Apr 2011
Ok, people have GOT to stop posting their opinion about a device one day or one week after they bought it. Honeymoon period opinions are not helpful. I have it for a month and i have to say i love the phone, kills the 3gs i had before. HOWEVER, it does have some flaws that drove me crazy. the signal, the camera, the battery. for the battery, you can purchase a 1600mAh replacement from ebay so that is solved. as for the camera, sometimes when i take pics with flash the phone shuts down and wont boot unless i take out the battery. and last flaw, the signal, sometimes randomly it cant get no signal and at underground places which other phones get signal this one will never get. if you can live with that, buy it its amazing in general.
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Reviewed by John McGoldrick from Scotland on 19th Apr 2011
Just had the phone a day and it's awesome, highly recommend, just getting to grips with it all, but i'm glad i made HTC the choice instead of Iphone
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Reviewed by Elaine Wilson from UK on 15th Apr 2011
The only downside I can see is that You tube and Iplayer don't like android and I havent found a way of listening to the raidio and being able to look at other screens, as you can do with the Nokia 95, which is quite a pain where I am concerned. Other than this and the fact that you have to carry your charger with you for top ups its fantastic
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Reviewed by Lizz from Jungle of Bunnies on 14th Apr 2011
Fantastic phone, always had LG before but now never look back, me fell in love with that big bright screen.
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Reviewed by ghjy from england on 13th Apr 2011
just got this about an hour ago, im already worried looking at the size of it, it looks far too big for me... apart from that its great
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Reviewed by adrianeds from Wales on 9th Apr 2011
I have had the Desire HD for about a couple of months,I wanted a Blackberry Bold 9780,but it seems to me that every youngster and teenagers everywhere has one.I have been a blackberry person for a while,even my eldest son got a blackberry,so I opted to get something different.And I went for the Desire HD,which I must admit I was apprehensive but since having it I see why people like it,it is honestly,totally awesome in every way.I wont go into detail just say it's absolutely mega.Im sad to say that my sons Blackberry bold looks a quality piece of kit,but on the inside it is old fashioned,the dhd does everything,I run my business off it organiser,emails etc,etc.As for battery life,it last's me about a day and a half that's good for how much I use it,but when i got it at the beginning I charged it and let it run flat several times.First class phone there's nothing close to it at the moment,if I could i would give it 10 stars.
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Reviewed by fozzy from UK on 9th Apr 2011
Cracking features. Just don't believe a "mobile" phone should only just about give a days use on a charge if you're lucky.
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Reviewed by Ark from England on 7th Apr 2011
I have had the HTC Desire HD now for about 3 weeks and i love it, it becomes a bigger part of daily lifeeveryday, and the great thing about it is..although i know its already a Smart Phone Great i also know there is still much more to discover and learn about it, i agree with a higher comment here too, the incredible S can't improve in my opinion also think about it, some ppl have Qualms about the Battery life, but it lasts me all day, and if your getting such high performance it's going to use alot of energy
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Reviewed by Eckmort from Ireland on 7th Apr 2011
Have the phone 4 months now It is superb dunno how you can also give HTS Desire S 5 stars....there is nothing to beat this phone on the planet...and ive had a boring iPhone also...
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Reviewed by guy from UK on 5th Apr 2011
this phone is awesome don't let the battery life put you off.
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Reviewed by Mike from Wales on 2nd Apr 2011
I am having a phone upgrade on 11th April, this is the phone I am choosing, reguards battery life, look on ebay, type in the search box : htc desire hd battery 1600, and you will find lots of batteries there for about £5, these 1600 batteries are more powerful and should last a lot longer than the supplied one. I have already ordered one, will let you all know what they are like when I finally get this awesome phone...
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Reviewed by Pete from UK on 28th Mar 2011
Great phone better than the Hero but again the battery is the down side that needs sorting its about time HTC got the message and did something about the lack of power. Would recomend this phone to anyone
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Reviewed by Larry from uk on 27th Mar 2011
I have had this phone since October last year and still the best. I travel a lot around UK for work, staying at hotels and the WiFi hotspot has saved me hundreds of pounds in WiFi charges. I use the hotspot to connect my laptop to the internet all the time. Fantastic!!!. When I get bored, I play games, in fact this is more than a phone. To me it is still the king of all smartphones. Beats all the iphones, Nokias, blackberries etc. 5*+++ for you ' KING HTC Desire HD'
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Reviewed by Krash from UK on 25th Mar 2011
Excellent phone - I much prefer it to my iphone and aside from the battery life and the low speaker volume I don't have a bad thing to say about it. Hasn't crashed once, really fast processor and top quality camera. I've had HTCsmartphones and iphones for the past few years and this is a big leap forward.
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Reviewed by Paul Briden from UK on 25th Mar 2011
Having tried the Samsung Galaxy S and found that Kies would not work on 3 different computers, i then tried the HTC Desire and my Girlfriend the HTC Desire HD. I was concerned about the size of the HD, but in the case, its the same size as the Galaxy and Desire. As soon as i could see what the HD could do i sent the standard desire back and obtained the Hd. It is brilliant,the speed it runs is the most impressive thing about it. It does everything it says it should and more,i like the two phone books, one surname first the other christian names first. As for battery like,its no better or worse than any other Android phone. An excellent phone
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Reviewed by Unit from UK on 23rd Mar 2011
It's ok, but just not as nice an an iPhone 4, just simply not as slick, and crashed within 5 minutes of be borrowing it.
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Reviewed by Nick C from United Kingdom on 16th Mar 2011
I've had this phone for the past week and am very impressed. The last phone I had was the HTC hero which is basically the same user experience only far smoother, quicker and just so much nicer on the Desire HD. Very happy with how it handles surfing the web, very quick and clear to read all sites I've thrown at it! Regarding battery life, I'm not a heavy user and get a good day from the phone, which isn't much less than the hero to be honest. Overall I'm very impressed and also love that I've got it on a 12 month contract as well, thank you Vodafone! If you get this phone I think you'll be very happy, just be realistic with how long to expect the battery to last. Enjoy!
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Reviewed by Adil from UK on 16th Mar 2011
this phone is a flawed beauty... Absolutely brilliant in all areas but a fundamental one. The battery life is appalling, you need to charge at least 2-3 times a day!
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Reviewed by Ross from Scotland on 15th Mar 2011
Owning the Desire HD is a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, what the phone is capable of is incredible. Having previously owned an iPhone, I was increasingly frustrated by the restrictions set by apple and therefore was attracted by the android platform. I have been massively impressed by the Desire HD. It's so easy to use and adding items to the phone managed as a hard disk drive through windows is a breeze. The down side...and it's a huge problem. The battery is totally underpowered for the phone. Not underpowered in that you will need to charge it at night everyday...you'll need to charge it at least twice a day if you use it at all for gaming, wifi or using and apps that require the screen being on for any amount of time. I have switched off all background apps, wifi and set the brightness to 30% and it still runs down ridiculously fast. What's the point of all these features, if when it comes down to it, the phone can't be relied on to keep the charge. This is well documented on the internet and there are many 'solutions' to manage the battery better, but other than what I've done...do you really want to have to worry so much about having enough power to run the phone? It's meant to be used and you can use it, if you're not too far from a power outlet. Totally goes against the idea of having a mobile device. Seriously give it some thought before buying the phone. I thought battery would be poor like the 3GS iPhone, but it's a totally different ballgame. Really easy to be swayed when you read the stats and see it in the flesh, but it's heartbreaking when you've spent a fortune and come to the horrible realisation about the battery. Oh one last comment, the much advertised HTC sense is not available in this country at the present. It's advertised that it comes with orange and is present on the phone and you can register but there's not a cat in hells chance you'll be able to register to use it in the UK anytime soon. Love the phone but hate the crippling downsides...hence my Star rating. In no way an outstanding phone as it stands. No way, never. Sort out HTC sense and the battery issues and then it will be deserving of that rating. A flawed beauty.
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Reviewed by Trevor Hibbert from England on 14th Mar 2011
I'm not a youngster and still have difficulty in fully understanding the Television remote control. My Orange contract is due to expire and i kinda got elbowed into this phone. And what a phone it is, very easy to use and very intuitive. I considered a Galaxy S but then found it had no flash and 5mp camera so opted for the Desire HD. Got good contract with unlimited data on T-Mobile. The sat nav on the phone is not brilliant but it does get you there, ok, it'll never replace my Garmin but is useable, tried it three times and not put aa foot wrong. Camera is really good and Bluetooth works fine. But, there is always a "but" I have to charge sometimes twice a day but then it's a new toy for me and i just keep messing about with it, once the novelty has worn a little maybe just one charge a day, still not good though, why on earth do HTC (and other android phone manufactures for that matter) put weak batteries in these phones, they are going to be used so provide a decent battery, please. If the battery was man enough for the job I'd give it 5 stars but can really only rate it at 4, That said my friend just got Galaxy S, he complains of exactly the same problems. Great phone the HTC Desire HD, Buy one.
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Reviewed by Sue from UK on 12th Mar 2011
I got this phone a few days ago and I love it, everything about it, its so easy to use, I just can't put it down. I am finding out new things about it every day. The battery life is what I expected it to be, as you can do a lot on this phone an like I said I want to use it all the time. It is very responsive as a touch screen, and the screen is very clear. It was between this phone and the iphone and I am so glad I choose this phone. I wish I got an android phone sooner and I am glad I picked the HTC Desire HD.
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Reviewed by Chiva from England on 11th Mar 2011
This phone does everything advertised and does it faster than just about any other handset. The battery seems to be a problem though. My own experience may help. After a week or so the battery life became very short, not even a full day?! I removed the battery and then put it back into the handset. Since then the battery has lasted as well as any other phone I have owned. So if the battery life is an issue, give this a try.
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Reviewed by PJF from England on 7th Mar 2011
Awesome phone, everything you would want. For the battery life issue, make sure you download HTC's latest software update it makes the phone much much more efficient and will double your battery life. Can't fault the phone, it'll be with me for a long time. If your looking for a new phone - look no further. Follow the sheep - get an Iphone, but if you like being an individual - get a HTC Desire HD.
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Reviewed by JD from ENGLAND on 5th Mar 2011
Amazing phone, packed with stuff to do. Android market is sweet. Battery life is poor if u have everything running constantly on the phone, but the phone has got really good power saving features on it and my battery lasts longer than 2 days now. I'm so glad i got this phone.
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Reviewed by Tom from England on 2nd Mar 2011
the phone itself isnt too bad but.. and it is a big but i am on my 3rd phone in four weeks! one had a battery life of 3 hours without touching it. second one had a little game that involved it turning itself off when it felt like it. love it but wish it had a bigger battery!
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Reviewed by TOP SHOTA from England on 28th Feb 2011
This phone is the best phone in da world better than the iphone 4. who says da battery is rubbish. TOP SHOTAS ARE BACK!!!!
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Reviewed by Dave from South Africa on 28th Feb 2011
I have a problem with the small font on messaging/phonebook apps. The battery is fine..IF you don't play with it all the time. Admittedly I manually control bluetooth, GPS, wireless and mobile-data (I am not on a data plan and this phone can eat data relentlessly). Otherwise a great phone
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Reviewed by Chris from Saltash, England on 23rd Feb 2011
I've had this phone now for 4 months and I have to say firstly this is the first phone I’ve had that I'm not already board of and wanting to change. I agree though with other comments about the battery life but what do you really expect, it’s the same one that’s in the standard Desire, which has a much smaller screen. I’ve not really got a problem with this, as my last phone was the HTC HD2 (basically the same just uses WinMo rather than Android), so I've already bought a cradle for the car and for my desk. So far I have only come across a couple of issues with this phone. Firstly the lock/unlock and the volume buttons are not that easy to use. They can be a bit fiddly at times even to the point that when your trying to lock the phone you can by mistake change the ring volume. Secondly the fact that HTC did not put a devoted camera button on the side was a shame as the camera itself is brilliant. Although you cant zoom when using filming in HD. But to be honest even this is only really a grumble rather than a real problem. But then comes to my biggest problem with the phone, I know how sad this will sound but I have found it quite annoying that you are unable to use anything other than the standerd tones for text messages although this can be done if you download one of the many SMS apps. Overall this is probably in my opinion the best phone on the market today. So good in fact that I cant really see why anyone would spend the money on an Iphone 4, which in my opinion I a far inferior phone. I would have to say that HTC are at the moment making some of the best phones on the market right now and the Desire HD is one of the best. The only reason not to get this phone is if it’s to big for you, then get its baby brother the standard Desire or the Wildfire.
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Reviewed by Robin from UK on 23rd Feb 2011
its NOT an I PHONE so dont be dissapointed when you discover theres little if any product support.
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Reviewed by Lee from UK on 19th Feb 2011
I have had my phone for a few days now. I absolutely love it. Its so easy to personalize and change the home screens. The software is fluid and hasn't crashed or anything like that. The battery life is poor. But this should be expected from such a high spec phone. the first day i got about 6 hours of use but i had been on it constantly. With normal use you can get a day out of it easily. The batteries are quite cheap so invest in another battle or simply taker the charger out with you and its fine! Love the phone and the Iphone/Ipods seem primitive after using this. I like the app store too. Not as huge as apples but this just means less junk apps!
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Reviewed by DYLAN from COVENTRY,ENGLAND on 17th Feb 2011
Got this phone free on T-Mobile for £25 month..best thing i ever did. I contract for T-mobile so never without full HSDPA. The internet is incredibly fast and i can open and read all the attachments from work email pretty much doing away with laptop. As for the battery,just turn off the mobile network until you want to use the internet as it is on all the time which in turn opens other apps you may not be aware of,maps.locations etc.. i can get 2 days from my battery just by going into manage apps and turning the ones off i dont need or the ones the app killer does'nt turn off. Sorry,just cannot find a bad word to say!!
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Reviewed by Capt Snoopy from UK on 16th Feb 2011
I love this phone. Had Nokia's for years and the small ones. However, got this phone because I wanted more. It does the lot, phone, calendar, mp3, internet, and it can act as wireless hotspot. But in part I well agree with other peoples comments about battery life. It does love to eat it but then I've found its all how you use it. If you have ever service turned on then yes battery goes fast, but turn services of you don't need then its good. I've got two days out of it. I only turn on like 3g, gps, wireless and other when needed.
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Reviewed by sarah from wales on 16th Feb 2011
has anyone had problems with this phone turning itself off? im on my 2nd handset in 6 weeks!
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Reviewed by sj from Uk on 15th Feb 2011
I bought this as an upgrade, severe problems with the signal, same place in my office if I use Nokia fantastic signal but HD is useless. I went to carphone warehouse and changed the handset twice but no luck...same problem persists even with a brand new handset.
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Reviewed by Syed from UK on 15th Feb 2011
Brilliant. What more can I say. Android along with the HTC Sense UI work brilliantly together.So easy to use from day 1. People who say Android is difficult to use honestly need to try it for a day before ocmplaining. iPhone is too basic. I like the custimisability The only negatives I can say about this phone are Battery: You'll need to charge it twice a day. I've often found this to be a problem so I always keep a small USB lead with me in my pocket wherever I go. If I'm near a PC, I charge my phone. Size: For some it may be too big. For me it's fine. Galaxy S is about the perfect ideal size for me but this is good too. Feels like a proper phone in the pocket. SLCD screen: This is no Super AMOLED here. Galaxy S screen IMHO is the best screen I've seen on a phone (yes that includes the iPhone Retina display) and honestly the Super AMOLED screen you can see in any light condition. Even if you're outside and it's bright and sunny with the sun shining onto the screen, you'l see the screen and not your reflection. Unfortunately the Desire HD doesn't have SAMOLED. Would have been nice tho. Indoors you'll have no problem but outdoors you may need to hold it up close in sunny conditions Conclusion: Buy this phone. Galaxy S is a good alternative tho. Both brilliant phones and I would prefer either of those to the iPhone 4
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Reviewed by Nigel from Endland on 14th Feb 2011
I just love this phone, more than my iphone 4 BUT I HATE THE BATTERY LIFE............ I have to carry a spare because it will run out as they say buyer beware !!!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by tiddy from england on 10th Feb 2011
great phone ive tried lots of the new smart phones desire/galaxy s/iphone etc i must say this has to be the best the app store not as good as the iphone but not far behind but far better than the new iphone the only problem is the battery like a lot of people have said but for the cost of £6 to get a upgrade battery off ebay its alot better now i get over a day with it very happy
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Reviewed by dj tyson from england on 10th Feb 2011
I had the HTC desire which I was very happy with, my only gripe was the internal memory is so small, there's an app called ApptoSD that puts any apps that can be moved to SD card can be ( but not many) the same goes with the desire HD, it as got a bigger internal memory but nowhere near as big as it should be, also the desire I had first time felt so quick and smooth, for some reason it feels laggy, sometimes the live wallpaper stutters, and I've installed an app killer and close everything down and it does a temporary fix, but it goes back to its old ways, it also lags when I'm typing like now, I find myself waiting for text to catch up. I avnt got nearly half as much stuff on this desire HD, I do like it, but expected more after avin the desire,the camera is amazing and the screen feel much bigger than that tiny desire. I might av a dodge one, I'm still under the 14day return policy, might take it back n try get a right one. Oh and the battery life is shocking, I use the Wi Fi a lot at home and it sucks the life out of it.
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Reviewed by kellie james from uk on 9th Feb 2011
i love the phone!! brill, but i seem to be the only one having problems with the battery life. I'm lucky to get 8 hrs out of it! I wonder if i'm doing something wrong or if their is something wrong with my battery. I let it run down and fully recharge overnight. I'm puzzled???
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Reviewed by smg from UK on 8th Feb 2011
Battery life is more like 1.5 days plus for me with usual use and mobile internet and film watching on the screen is amazing. Don't have a spare battery or usb cable following me around as i dont need it. Blows the iphone out of the water, camera could be better with better motion control but is great held steady, video doesnt suffer which is strange. Tried the nexus-s and glad i opted for this. Great phone - i agree with comments regarding phone volume, it is too easy to turn down.
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Reviewed by dobby from uk on 8th Feb 2011
I have had nothing but problems with this phone it keeps losing signal doesn't inform me of half my messages I have to manually check I have to keep installing apps and the gps is pants my iPhone 4 was far better I regret the day I sold it to buy this very dissapointed!
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Reviewed by tmk from uk on 5th Feb 2011
All I can say is THE BEST PHONE IN THE WORLD I has everything you would ever need. This phone has great specs The screen is better than any amoled as I compared it with the old desire which was blueish when ever there was a white background. After using it for a day I used iPhone 4 and typing was such a pain on iPhone the keyboad is just to small. This phone is great and the battery life is good as it can last 1.5 days so am happy atleast better than iphone 4's 7 hour I am really happy with my purchase and would recommend it to everyone.......:):):):):):):) Written this with my dhd
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Reviewed by Chris from UK on 27th Jan 2011
The best phone I've ever owned!! Yes, it has the odd niggle, but isn't that the same for every handset out there!? I initially found when I held it to make calls I accidently switch the in-call volume down. I have now altered my hand position and this isn't a problem! I also find it quite slippery to hold compared with previous phones I have owned. If this is a real problem for you, buy a silicon case. The battery is "poor" - but ONLY when you compare it to a basic Nokia 1100-type phone. This phone has Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, a huge screen... Its not going to last much more than a day! Its battery lasts me a day with average use. For a very smart smartphone this is fine. The key is having a means of charging it when you are out and about! My opinion, if you are after a smartphone buy this one. (Or the Samsung Galaxy S - thats really amazing too) ((But if you can afford the extra £'s, go for the Desire HD everytime!))
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Reviewed by gerry from scotland on 26th Jan 2011
in a few words fabby dabby dozy :-)
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Reviewed by John from UK on 24th Jan 2011
The best ever!
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Reviewed by a. morgan from england on 24th Jan 2011
the HTC desire hd is a astonishing phone. I've tried Google nexus s its no where near as good As the HTC the nexus s suffers page lag on occasions also you have to press the touch screen quite firm. but the HTC breezes through internet pages by just Feathering the screen. its a no brainer, the best on the market for sure, and probably for some considerable time.
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Reviewed by Fred from UK on 23rd Jan 2011
Phone easily last 24hr on one charge, 24 hr connected to Internet, retrieving emails, checking weather, news, making phone calls and sending sms. How long your laptop will last one one charge-max 8hr. Stop telling that phone has poor battery life, its excellent for smart phone. Best phone
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Reviewed by Jake from UK on 21st Jan 2011
Welcome to the world of modern day mobile phones. The manufacturer isn't going to supply the impotence-rendering batteries that this caliber of device require, is it... So let's just appreciate this beast of a phone. The iphone4 wets itslf in the presence of the Desire HD... Well it would, if it hadn't already just fainted after being handled by its pretentious owner.
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Reviewed by Carlo from UK on 19th Jan 2011
This phone is like a Ferrari with pedals instead of an engine. It's great, fantastic HD screen, fast browsing and email, apps for anything that you may fancy.....but no battery! Today, after a whole night on the charger, the phone was dead by 5PM. And as a consequence I lost a deal. T
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Reviewed by Graeme from UK on 18th Jan 2011
The perfect Android experience. For those who rate this phone down due to battery issues, I recommend buying off eBay a replacement 1600mAh battery and a battery charger (approx £4 each). You will never be without power, trust me.
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Reviewed by Claire from england on 18th Jan 2011
I had my htc desire hd for around 2 months now. Just yesterday I have used my dhd to make about 20mins of calls to arrange a day out, As a sat nav to get us there, To take around a hundred pictures once we arrived and around 5 mins of hd video. Then it was used to find us a resturant on the way home and guide us there. As well as all this It was also used to check my facebook and upload pictures frequently throughout the day. It managed all that and It had still only used half the battery by the time I got home in the evening. It proves itself invaluable time and time again (in a swiss army knife sort of way)And i cannot imagine being without it these days.
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Reviewed by Chris Winterburn from UK on 17th Jan 2011
I love it. Well built, 2.2 is a great OS and Sense UI must be the best UI out there. Great camera/camcorder. The only sticking point is battery life.
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Reviewed by Brian Jarman from UK on 16th Jan 2011
Had this phone for 2 weeks and can honestly say its the best phone i have ever had i have mostly had sonyericcsons but not impressed with latest offerings from them the last phone i had was the LG Viewty GC900 and i thought it was excellent but after a lot of checking decided to go for the desire hd and am glad i did. The screen is fantastic the speed is sublime it looks fantastic i really am impressed with it i too have purchased a spare battery because as others have said battery life is dire. The downside to this phone are: 1)battery is useless 2) ringtones and notification sounds are just not loud enough i work in a garage and can not hear it ring most of the time. 3) media playback not loud enough (ok through headphones)if HTC can fix these problems it would be a bonus, but i had researched all this beforehand so will not let it spoil what i believe to be the best phone on market, i got this free on a £25 month contract after checking other smartphones the iphone may have a brighter screen and more apps but why pay twice the price for that i believe the Desire Hd to be the best phone for value and looks, all my mates are well impressed with it,surfing the net is so fast better that my lap top and the screen size makes it a pleasure to use. HTC sense where you can track your phone from a computer does not work though i have contacted HTC and they say they know there are isues but they do not appear to be doing anything about it which i think is poor. To sum up if you are considering a smartphone i don't believe you will get better than this one.
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Reviewed by turner from uk on 12th Jan 2011
dis phone is sikkkkkk blad
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Reviewed by John C from Preston, England on 10th Jan 2011
Had this phon since week before Xmas and can honestly say it is the best phone I've ever had. Battery life was an issue but with a small investment of £5.50 have got a 1600 mAh battery form a certain internet auction and now lasts 2 days and I use it a helluva lot. I also have a Galaxy S but for smoothness, feel, overall use and appearance plus led flash the Desire HD is the miles better. To really appreciate this phone and get the best out of it I recommend using Visionary+ to root it (google it), you can then use AdFree and Titanium backup, which I would recommend for any Android phone. With these you can then get rid of all the rubbish that your phone (Orange in my case) provider puts on. I've gone a step further and installed a custom ROM but do that at your own risk, plenty of good guides on the web. The screen is fantastic and I cannot see how people get by these days with "tiny" 3" screens. Yes the Iphone 4 has better screen resolution but it is too small. All in all best phone I've ever had!
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Reviewed by Gerrie Annandale from South Africa on 10th Jan 2011
Great phone (replaced 5800). Batt life after first charge was 7 hours untill it switched off and I then charged it for 12 hours over night, thereafter it kept going 26 hours. Just keep wifi, Bluetooth,etc off when not needed and don’t run apps in the background that can be switched off. Adjust appl updates not to be updated all the time. I don’t use an appl killer, just go out of appl. I think the phone is the best out there. At first it seemed BIG but now every time I see other phones I feel sorry for them. It deserves 5 stars!!!
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Reviewed by adrianeds from UK on 8th Jan 2011
Have had this phone for 6 weeks now & it is totally totally stunning,you'll never need a Laptop after using the HTC,well,just about,it is honestly that good, its as good as a Blackberry for business,& its as good as Android & Apple for entertainment & music & the camera is really really good,my mate has just got a Nokia N8 and the camera on the HTC is nearly nearly as good its big I know & battery could be bigger but its worth those 2 small niggles Fantastic in everything 5Stars.
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Reviewed by Kamal from UK on 7th Jan 2011
I have had this phone since Nov 10 and can say that its easily the only phone out there that can match or beat the iPhone 4 (which I also have albeit as a work phone). It is very fast and has a wealth of features due to the Android OS which I am still learning! Battery life compared to iPhone is similar, about 1-1.5 days on average. Phone is very big, but the bonus is the large screen is great for browsing and reading ebooks. The iPhone does score in the area of a better screen resolution and in typing accuracy. In summary, If I was to recommend the Desire HD over the iPhone, the HTC would definately be the winner because its cheaper (more value for your money), but more importantly its got tons of extra oomph!!
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Reviewed by Smudger from England on 6th Jan 2011
One word.....Brilliant!!
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Reviewed by Peter Norman from UK on 28th Dec 2010
In a word "FANTASTIC"
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Reviewed by Eleanor from England on 21st Dec 2010
Utterly brilliant phone. I used to be one of those people who thought that the iPhone was the most superior phone on the market, but after owning an iPhone 3G for almost two years I can safely say that I would never have one again. The Desire HD blows the iPhone completely out of the water in almost every aspect. You really can make this phone look gorgeous. The large screen display is brilliant. You can customise a whole lot with this phone and really put your own personal stamp on it. The Android market is probably not as large as the Apple App store yet but the range of apps available is still good. The user interface is great to, and extremely responsive. As many others have stated, this phone is severely let down by its battery life. If you have a live wallpaper running, with the screen brightness set relatively high, as well as using it to browse the internet etc, the battery will be sapped down to half in no time. It's such a let down on an otherwise superb phone. However don't let that put you off too much becuase the Desire HD has the ability to manage your battery life, so you can see which apps, live wallpapers or anything else on the phone, is using the most battery and terminate or change anything that uses the most to extend your phones life. There is plenty going on with this phone to keep you interested and pleased that you got it. After owning an iPhone for so long and finding it getting slower and slower as time went on, there is no way I would ever go back to Apple when choosing a phone in the future. There are fantastic other handsets out there, and the Desire HD is definitely one of them.
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Reviewed by Nelson from Macau on 14th Dec 2010
The good things of the phone had been mentioned by most review and users. However, there are a few things that HTC shall improve the phone. One is the battery capacity. To play the Wi-Fi and games etc., the 1200ma battery is not long enough. The speaker is the weakest part of the phone, very low volume that you almost miss all the phone calls if you put it in your jacket. The sound quality is like a tweeter you won't hear the drum when listering music. The screen is not AMOLED but still able to see under the daylight. Turn on the phone is really fast but if you remove the battery, then you will find the phone takes about a minute to turn on. Those are some factors for those users haven't buy this phone to consider.
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Reviewed by IOWBob from England on 9th Dec 2010
What a Phone! An all round excellent phone, slightly on the large side, though you soon get used to it. Super clear large screen and apps are superb. only downside is battery life which seems to disappear in no time at all.
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Reviewed by Cat from UK on 4th Dec 2010
Wow pretty awesome phone, screen is fantastic, apps are brill. I thought it was too big for me but I've got used to it already. I wish the menu buttons wern't touch screen though because it's such a large phone when reaching across with your thumb you can catch the menu buttons with your hand causing it to come off what your trying to do. I'll just have to get used to that. Quality phone though, love the HTC sense which is genius as I always lose my phone when its on silent you can go on your pc and ring it and it rings out loud. Brilliant sat nag too. Fantastic phone and I won't be getting bored anytime soon.
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Reviewed by ashpool2000 from UK on 4th Dec 2010
Just figured out you can't move preinstalled apps to the SD card but you can with ones you download from Android market...Still loving this phone! This is def an alternative to the iPhone, my mates all seem to have iPhones and to be fair they are pretty slick but the desire hd can do everything they can do and a lot more....like streaming high quality you tube vids! It's literally closer to a pda/tablet/netbook than a phone just because of the sheer functionality but its also very intuitive and easy to use...this is my first android phone since upgrading from a Nokia 5800 and I'm loving the user interface, awesome browser,excellent cam/vid,text correction,Google maps navigation,media player,games,apps,email,senseui,social network integration etc etc the list goes on! You can basically use phone in a whole new way,doing things that were previously impossible...No issues with battery, even with heavy use you can get a day out of it,and you can always change the battery if you need yo (unlike iPhone!) I got mine for 25 quid a month with free phone...that's like half the price of the average iphone4 plan and you gotta pay for the phone as well! Bit of a no brainer really... best phone I've ever had by quite a long way and probably the best phone out right now...and yes I'm writing this post on it as well! Awesome phone
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Reviewed by Ashpool2000 from United Kingdom on 1st Dec 2010
Nice 1 for the tip Rixsta! Enabling usb debugging it really seems to have sorted out the lag,like in the photo gallery etc... Just click menu > settings > applications > development and tick the usb debugging box btw does anyone know if you can move apps and stuff to the sd card? There is a "move to sd card" button in manage applications but it's not live...I thought you could install apps onto the sd card on froyo? Oh yeah almost forgot, this is phone is amazing! Loving the phone and the os...and I haven't even gone on the android market yet!
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Reviewed by Michael from UK on 30th Nov 2010
Brilliant phone, had it just over a month now & i've been very impressed by both Android & HTC Sense. Only complaint is the dismal battery life, it seriously pathetic. Ive remedied it by buying another battery & carrying it around with me. All in all definitely one of the best phones around at the moment.
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Reviewed by Tim H from Uk on 29th Nov 2010
This is my first non-Nokia phone for many many years and although it has taken a week or two, I am now fully up to speed with it. It would be easier to list what it doesn't do to be honest. The battery life is less than spectacular but that doesn't really affect me that much as I now have micro USB leads attached to every computer I use so the phone's always on charge. Also, I notice most online and media companies are quick to release a Fisher Price (i-Phone) official app but not an android one. Hopefully this will even out eventually as people start to drift away from Apple and their annoying usage restrictions. The one thing that has annoyed me about this phone is the inability to switch it off or set it firmly to silent. I went to the cinema to the other day (Harry Potter Deathly Hallows - very dark!) and realised once in there that although 'turned off', the slightest brush on the power button and it instantly switches back on again. Then add to that, when in 'silent' mode, again the slightest brush on the side volume button and you're back onto vibrate followed by full normal profile. I couldn't relax knowing that while in my pocket, it could easily switch back on to full volume after the merest of squirming that accompanies a 2.5+ hour film. I ended up taking the battery out in the dark which isn't the easiest thing to do on this phone. So I wonder whether some firmware will come out or someone is going to invent a clever app that make the power on toggle a long button press just like the switch off is. All phones normally have this, and this is why. Other than that, very happy with it.
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Reviewed by Les R from UK on 28th Nov 2010
Further to my last comments on this phone, I know the battery life is terrible but I got around this in some small way by buying a 1500mAh battery for it to replace the standard 1230mAh one (HTC say the processor in the HD is 20% more efficient than the standard Desire hence the smaller battery) and it genuinely made a difference, mine cost me about £7.50 from an internet auction. I hope this helps avert some frustrations.
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Reviewed by Jude from UK on 27th Nov 2010
I have had the phone for a few days; in the past i have always switched from one phone manufacturer to another depending on what is the best at the time. This is my first HTC and it is the best phone I have ever had and like I said I have had them all, anyone thinking about the iphone its close but this is definitely the best it works like a dream and has so many customisable features. One of the bonuses is that you can put your own music on it no itunes required! :). If you are still deciding like I was a few weeks ago don't bother just get this you will not regret it, and for those who actually value call quality I have never heard better. I cannot put this phone down I even used it to type these comments!
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Reviewed by adora from england on 26th Nov 2010
Owned this phone for about a week now and I love it. It's such a joy to surf the web on, super quick and responsive. The camera is fantastic and takes great pictures and the amount of apps available to download via the market is outstanding. I'm am a hard of hearing person and the quality of calls is crystal clear, and the ringing volume more than adequate for me to be aware of it ringing. The battery life is a downside as others have mentioned, but I am able to get around 12 hours out of this phone with quite abit of use so I am more than happy to charge every night.
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Reviewed by Michael from UK on 24th Nov 2010
Love the phone and Android but it's got to be said that the battery life is pretty terrible. With pretty light usage I can get around 10-12 hours but that really is with light usage (couple of calls and texts and a small amount of browsing). Everything else about the phone is great though, switched from an iPhone 3G and haven't looked back!
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Reviewed by LMG from England on 23rd Nov 2010
Well I have had the HTC DESIRE HD for about 4 weeks now (on the 3 network). The phone is excellent apart from 2 main areas. The first area of concern is the very very poor battery life. With what I consider to be mild daily use, the battery would last no more than 1 day (mild use being some internet exploring, using ebay to check auction status, and the general to and fro of emails). The 2nd main issue is with the 8mp camera - when you use it you need to have a very stable hand to stop the picture from bluring. All in all I am trading over to a Blackberry Torch 9800 to see how I fair.
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Reviewed by Michbeee from UK on 22nd Nov 2010
I absolutely ADORE this phone, the screen is absolutely brilliant! Only downside is my fingers are too podgy for the on screen keyboard so I am waiting for a stylus in the post. Just as good as the HD7 but £15 a month cheaper on contract. Well worth every penny!
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Reviewed by Ed Scratcher from u.k. on 21st Nov 2010
I have tried to connect to the HTC Desire hd with my sony via bluetooth,,, it says "paired but not connected" So on this phone then Android 2.2 (Froyo) doesn't work there! So that means for £415 simm free off Amazon (nov 2010)I can't move my mp3, movie, pdf, wav or jpg files from my sony phone to this HTC Desire hd phone. Oooops! bit of a drop off there HTC... Furthermore the supposed futuristic HTC 7 phone says "sony not supported"!!! = ONE STAR....(BTW, for this review I took it as red that for that price the phone would at least make calls and send texts and mms so I never checked.)
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Reviewed by Bakili from UK on 21st Nov 2010
What a phone. Excellent phone, love it.
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Reviewed by Chris from uk on 14th Nov 2010
WOW!!! That pretty much sums up this phone. I have had it for a week and it is just an amazing piece of kit. Super fast os, lightning touch response, great at multitasking, super range of apps etc. etc. the list goes on and on. The only flaw with this phone is the battery life, it last about a day depending on how much you use it. Still though, it is worth it for the extra amount of screen you get and the wow factor this phone has when you show it to your mates. 3 of my friends who have iPhones have just ordered these to replace them :p I would say it is the best phone available at the moment. The desire is better than the iPhone in many reviews and this is better than the standard desire. An absolute joy to own and use!
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Reviewed by Richie from uk on 13th Nov 2010
This is the best smartphone on the market right now. The battery life is not fantastic but I still get more hours out of this phone than my g1 and LG viewty. I only get max of 3 hours battery life out of my very expensive laptop and considering the fact that I am always on the internet on my desire hd and it lasts a whole day, I am happy. My only complain here is the speaker. It sounds like some cheap phone and not loud enough. Anyway it gets 5 * from me.
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Reviewed by Tim buck two from United Kingdom on 12th Nov 2010
Phone is 5* but it has really poor batt, I now carry a USB cable everywhere :-(
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