HTC Legend
If we were to run a one-word review of the HTC Legend then that word would be ‘WANT’. In capitals. We’re really smitten with this phone’s smooth metal casing and rubberised chin – as we’ve said before it looks a lot like a minature version of the aluminium MacBook. HTC’s Sense user interface has been given a revamp and includes a new viewing mode called ‘Leap’. Best described as ‘helicopter mode’, it allows you to pinch in and view of all your home screens at once, so you can hover between menus without having to thumb through them individually. That said, while the screen measures a not inconsiderable 3.2-inches, both the Google Nexus One and the HTC Bravo pack slightly bigger 3.7-inch displays.
HTC Google Nexus One
Now that the HTC Legend and HTC Desire have been announced, the poor old Nexus One is in danger of being forgotten. The Nexus One doesn’t have a full metal jacket like the Legend so it’s slightly less easy on the eyes, but we’re hoping that the Nexus One Desktop Dock will wing its way over to these shores soon for wireless music playback. The Nexus One features a neat active noise cancellation system utlising two microphones so you can be sure of clear calls. Additionally, while the general consensus is that optical trackpads are preferable to trackballs, some of us prefer our phones with balls than without.
HTC Desire
Formerly known as the HTC Bravo, the HTC Desire is pretty much the same handset as the Nexus One, but comes with the revamped HTC Sense interface and an optical trackpad in place of the trackball. The screen size is the same (3.7-inches) as is the camera (5-megapixels and LED flash) as is the processor (Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon chip). The HTC Desire’s exterior isn’t quite as stylish as the Legend’s metallic hull and it doesn’t (yet) have the range of skins that are available for the Nexus One. That said if you prefer the Sense UI to native Android then the HTC Desire sounds like a smart bet.
HTC HD mini
It’s tempting to write the HTC HD mini off as the runt of the litter, but it’s worth taking another look. OK, so the screen measures 3.2-inches compared to the 3.7-inch beasts of the Nexus One and the Desire but then again it matches the screen size of the infintley cooler HTC Legend. One neat aspect of the HTC HD mini is that it allows for tethering via Wi-Fi, which means you can effectively turn the phone into a portable wireless router – something you can’t currently do on any of the three Androids above. However, there are downsides. We really don’t like the fact that the HTC HD mini packs a 5-megapixel camera (same as the rest) but has no flash. Also, while it does have the lovely Sense UI, it’s running on top of Windows Mobile 6.5.
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