A Whole Slew of HTC Goodness
More phones? Well, that only means one thing: more choices. At today's regional launch, HTC unveiled a total of four new smartphones catering to different lifestyles. Catch our coverage after the jump.
A Serving of the New HTC Delights
In the midst of the flurry of smartphone news (iPhone 4S, Steve Job's passing and the Samsung Nexus Prime), HTC has parked a spot for its own new lineup: the HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio, HTC Rhyme, HTC Radar and HTC Explorer. Different names for different games - well, it stands true in this case as these phones are specific in that they clearly cater to different groups of people. Take a quick look at what we saw during the Taiwanese company's regional launch today.
Bass with HTC Sensation XE
Sensation - sounds familiar? Well, we are talking about HTC's very own dual-core Sensation, released just a few months back (review here). The HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio is essentially a souped-up version of its sibling with an emphasis on providing the ultimate audio experience via an included Beats Audio sound profile and exclusive custom-made Beats headset. Other note-worthy improvements include a faster and more powerful processor (1.5GHz dual-core processor vs Sensation's 1.2GHz dual-core processor) and a bigger battery capacity (1730mAh vs Sensation's 1520mAh). For $30 more, the Sensation XE definitely offers much more than its Beats Audio-less sibling.
Aesthetically, the phone hasn't changed much save for a couple of choice red finishing and highlights.
The phone shares the same dimensions with the HTC Sensation and is 3g heavier at 151g. As mentioned, the red touch buttons clearly differentiate it from its predecessor.
At the back, the Sensation XE spots a 8-MP camera with dual-LED flash. The smartphone comes with a unibody black chassis just like the Sensation but spots a few cosmetic changes at the back such as the Beats Audio logo.
You can either select to enable or disable the Beats Audio profile from the Sound enhancer tab after launching the HTC Music app. Alternatively, an easier way would be accessing the option from the notifications tab.
Want more bass? Packed with the HTC Sensation XE, the exclusive custom-made Beats headset comes with a remote control and extra earplugs.
Key highlights of the HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio
|
Bells' n' Whistles with HTC Rhyme
The fashionable and mid-range HTC Rhyme comes with a suite of dedicated accessories, including the HTC Rhyme Docking Station, HTC Rhyme Tangle-Free Headphones and the HTC Rhyme Charm - all of which would be bundled along with the smartphone. If you like to complete the HTC Rhyme collection and have the cash to spare, you can choose from other accessories that are sold separately, namely the HTC Rhyme Sports Armband, Bluetooth Headset and Bluetooth Car Speaker. While the smartphone isn't equipped with what we call state-of-the-art hardware specifications, its 3.7-inch touchscreen, 1GHz processor with 768MB of RAM, 5-megapixel camera and 1600 mAh battery will satisfy the average user.
The HTC Rhyme is equipped with the Android 2.3 OS as well as the latest HTC Sense 3.5 UI. Having given the UI a light spin, we found that the latter is similar to its Sense 3.0 cousin, offering a few cosmetic changes and more HTC widgets.
Check out the three contact points at the back of the HTC Rhyme. Then check out the Docking Station. The station recharges the phone while transforming your phone into an alarm clock and music player of sorts. The station comes with built‐in Bluetooth capable speakers for the required morning blast of music.
While in the dock mode, the HTC Rhyme retains some of its smartphone features... in a non-obtrusive fashion. You can access your apps via the extreme left bottom icon; on the other hand, you can assign two app shortcuts to the main screen.
Connect the Charm to the Rhyme's 3.5mm jack and voila, the light-emitting cube acts as a notification light of sorts. Dangling from a cord, the Charm is meant to be clipped on to the outside of your bag so that you can be easily alerted to activity on your phone even while it's buried deep with your belongings.
To light the Charm up when messages are received or only for incoming calls and missed calls? It's your choice under the Settings menu > Charm section.
Key highlights of the HTC Rhyme
|
HTC Brings Mango to the Plate with HTC Radar
The HTC Radar will be the company's first Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone, released a year after after 2010 launch of three HTC dedicated Windows 7 handsets. Design-wise, the Radar follows closely in the footsteps of its Android cousins, boasting of an aluminium uni-body chassis.
We spotted the HTC Radar at an earlier Windows Phone event, so we weren't taken aback by its appearance today at the launch event. The smartphone runs on the Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) OS and comes with three touch controls.
It is easy to mistake the HTC Radar for another HTC Android phone if not for the Windows Phone logo and text. The smartphone will come with a 5-megapixel camera with F2.2 lens, LED flash, and back-illuminated sensor.
A dedicated hardware camera button sits next to the volume button on the Radar's right profile.
Key highlights of the HTC Radar
|
HTC Explorer
The final HTC Android device we spotted, was the HTC Explorer which was announced earlier on. According to HTC, the Explorer will be making an appearance in India, and the device's key demographic lies with the emergent market. Unfortunately, that means this entry-level smartphone won't be making an appearance in Singapore.
The HTC Explorer comes with a 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen as well as the latest Sense 3.5 UI.
The entry-level option is rather oddly-shaped and characteristically rounder than the usual HTC smartphones. You can personalize the smartphone via a series of exchangeable back covers.i
Key highlights of the HTC Explorer
|
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.