HTC Desire , First few hours ...

[miffed]

Forget all that "initial Charge" stuff ! , if I mess this battery up I'll get another !! (Although to be honest that has been my philosophy on pretty much all of the handsets I've bought lately , and the only time I ever had to by a new battery was for an N80 I got second hand anyway !! )

Well , first things first , build quality is far better than I envisaged , I suppose seeing the Legend and then comparing it with the Desire , I was expecting it to have a cheap , flimsy feel - but in reality it is a robust , quality looking beast ! the buttons being metallic and the black bits being sort of rubberised makes the whole thing feel better quality in the hand than it looks in pictures.

The Screen is lovely too , I was a tad dissappointed initially , I knew the dimensions , but having got used to the giant screen of the HD2 , it did feel a little small (Glad I didn't opt for the Legend now !!) But in reality it is plenty big enough really.

I am quite familiar with Android , having a Pulse and an HTC Magic , so I knew what to expect pretty much , and I am over the moon with the speed and performance compared to those two devices , but I have a little bit of a problem - and that problem is HTC Sense (...one man's poison and all that ) AS lot of people consider Sense to be a huge asset to HTC , and make no mistale , it is essential on Windows Mobile - But I really do find it a hinderance on the Desire (or Android perhaps )
One of the best things about Android is that you just put your Google details in once and you are cooking ! - Well , this didn't seem to be the case , and I blame Sense !!
I put in my details during set up - then , when it was all up and running , I noticed the mail widget was reading "no account set up" -So I put the details in again !
The same happened when I tried to access the Marketplace , and it then told me I had no Internet connection (Grrr , I did !! ) - I feel like I entered my details around 6 times , which REALLY defeats the obiject IMO !!
I also had some problems with a few of the Widgets , the HTC Calender Widget appeared to be working , then when I tried to scroll to june it went blank and stopped responding - I thought "sod this" , cleared all the homescreens of HTC's rubbish and put my usual array of widgets up there ! - I am a much happier bunny now , but If anyone finds a simple way to turn sense off , I'll be all ears !! (I have seen that video on Youtube, that doesn't work on retail units !)

Fortunately , removing the HTC Widgets seemed to make things a lot more pleasurable , to the point I am pretty sure I am going to get along with this phone ! , It now hosts my o2 sim , and will have the pleasure of being my main device for a while at least !!
(Can't help thinking I'd have been happier with a Nexus One though )

[Hands0n]

Not sure why you had to enter your credentials so many times in the HTC Desire. After de-branding my lads with a bog standard HTC Desire ROM he only entered his once and everything else lit up fine.

I know what you mean about the Sense UI - it is appealing at first, and then starts to get in the way. But there are ways and means and, if you're really not happy, you can load up a Nexus One ROM - the hardware will cope with it.

[Ben]

Great to hear your experience, miffed! Naturally I cannot advocate using anything other than an iPhone as a primary device, but I'm exercising tolerance today as a show of support for our coalition/compromise government ;)

[miffed]

Typical , after months of 1.6 crapness , I get my 2.1 device yesterday ........Then all of a sudden I note there is a 2.1 available for the pulse !! (leaked beta)

It never rains eh ?

[miffed]

Well now I have had it for a day , I am loving this device more and more ! , the more I play with it , the more I feel the quality of this phone - its funny , compared to the Legend I felt the Desire looked cheap and plasticy, but this was something I was willing to accept to get the nice screen and power - But in the hand the Desire feels as solid and robust as the HTC HD2 did , and the bronzey finish , with rubberized black bits and metal buttons ( or metallic finished at least ) give a real impression of class , in fact the device reminds me of the OQO 01+ ,

The credentials thing I mentioned earlier - To be honest I didn't actually count the amount of times I entered them , but it FELT like 6 !! .... For some reason , the HTC Sense mail widget seems to work completely seperately from the Gmail app (not sure if it is linked to the Android mail app ? ...probably !! ) , the result was my Mail triggers two notifications - I prefer the Gmail client so want to use that and not the Android mail client .... In fact typing this out here has finally made the penny drop !! just wish there was a Widget for the gmail app too !

I was impressed by android on cheap devices , but on a premium device it really does impress ! I have just installed 2.1 on the Pulse too - I like the idea that I can have a "proper" phone and a cheap work phone running the same OS !! , should make my life easier.

[Hands0n]

If you've popped 2.1 on the Pulse and want the Hero keyboard you should install the HTC_IME.apk and Clicker.apk. Full details here --> https://talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?8032-HTC-Sense-keyboard-for-the-Nexus-One-G1-Magic-and-others

I keep fancying getting a Pulse Mini - but have to remind myself that I really do not need one!!! :D

[miffed]

Cherers mate , the 2.1 on the pulse is a Beta , and seems to be performing bloody well !! I knew 2.1 was on the cards for the pulse , but assumed it would be far too sluggish to be worth using - But I think the opposite is true TBH , it seems QUICKER than 1.5 !! It still astounds me that this phone was so cheap !

As for the sense thing .... well I have warmed to it a little , but I have also found this , which gives you the GN1 launcher , meaning the only trace of Sense on the homescreen is the black taskbar - TBH It is a look I like , so I will probably stick with this for a while - I considered Rooting , it doesn't look that hard for an Unbranded device (no Goldcard required ) but TBH I am not disgruntled enough with what I HAVE got to risk it ! , If a 2.2 ROM comes out and HTC drag their heels , then I will reconsider , but at the moment I am just going to enjoy the device as it is , even if it is littered with bits of HTC !

I am a little surprised with the Browsing TBH , over Wi-fi it is nothing short of blistering ! ! , my own experience is that it blows the 3GS away in terms of speed , The reason I find it strange is because all the reviews/ comparisons I have seen suggest the complete opposite ! (Does amaze me that some reviewers think it is helpful to compare page loading with devices running on two different Cellular networks and try to draw conclusions about the device though !! )

Not really a great fan of camera's on mobiles - as long as they produce reasonably sharp snapshot I think they have done their job . .... but the one Desire does seem bloody good , the thing that is "make or break" for me is not the amount of MP's ,it's not the white balance ..... it is the speed it takes a photo ! , nothing more annoying than missing a photo opportunity because your phone needs 5 seconds to take a snap ! And the Desire makes me happy on this point , simply point , press the button and it takes the photo ! just how it should be .

[Hands0n]

Cool ... my lad is enjoying his Desire with the Sense UI. What is the GN1 Launcher when its at home? I can't find any reference to it. How did you switch? And can you flip back to Sense easy enough?

The Android browsers are astonishingly fast on WiFi - limited only by the incumbent 3G network when away from WiFi. I found the Google Nexus One outstripped the iPhone 3GS by three or four to one in terms of sheer speed. Out in 3G-land you're subject to the vagaries of the network as usual so no comparison is fair unless both handsets are on the same network - and then there is that little issue of contention between both handsets for the same airtime interface to the local transmitter mast.

[miffed]

Sorry , by GN1 I meant "Google Nexus one" , an by installing the Launcher2.apk you don't actually get THE launcher from the Nexus , but it looks and behaves similarly - With the 3D animations in the drawer and everything


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBOquBVX1Q8&feature=fvw

Yes switching back is simple enough , in fact for trial purposes you can have the choice presented every time you press home , if ypu decide to keep it (or scrap it for that matter) you can simply set whichever launcher you want to keep as default - if you change your mind you simply go into Manage Applications and restore defaults in one of the two launchers , Simples !

[Hands0n]

Cool, that looks really neat. I'll see if the lad will let me play around with his HTC Desire over the weekend then :D

[Ben]

I hope I don't wonder into a phone shop today... :S

[miffed]

Go on Ben - you know you want to !

Have to say, I am glad I didn't go with my instincts - which was to favour the Nexus one's styling , as now I am coming around to loving the form factor and styling of the desire ! For update purposes I'd love a Nexus ROM on the beast , but I like the fact the trackball has been replace with a trackad (not that I use it ! ) and like the physical buttons - the only bit of the Nexus one I prefer now is the back , Which I think is rather pretty !

I think the people at Apple that are responsible for the intuitivity / Intuitiveness (
I was playing with the Pulse this morning , Yeah it's sluggish by Andoid / iPhone standards ..... But compare it to practically anything else out there (WM , Symbian or proprietry ) ... and it is positively flying !!

You could try a Pulse mini Ben - A GPS equipped Android 2.1 device for the price of a night out !! just to get a taste for it !

[Hands0n]

Yea, come on Ben :D . You really have no excuse these days. And the Nexus One and Desire are likely to be early Froyo devices (Nexus One certainly will).

I agree with miffed on the Android UI and experience. They are the closest to the iPhone in terms of intuitiveness and ease of use. The need for a manual is completely unnecessary. Pick up and go. Or I'd have thought so until my lad told me yesterday of his experience with one of our locals who bought the SE X10 and can't figure out how to use it!! So he's in and out of the P4U on a daily basis all this past week :D

Having played with the Sense UI that is on the Desire and made full and practical use of the bog-standard Android UI on the Nexus One and its predecessors I don't really have a leaning to either. I can see the appeal of Sense but also like the rawness that is the standard Android UI.

Hardware-wise, regardless of anything else, what really floats my boat vis a vis the Nexus One is its noise cancellation technology which is nothing short of superb. It is unique, as far as I can find out, in the industry. I've never minded trackballs, the Desire's trackpad is very accurate, and the Nexus One's softkeys are slightly misaligned right now, easily correctible in a future update. But nothing there to put me off the Nexus One still.

CNet did a comparison test of various handsets that claim noise control - you can see the short video here --> http://matthodology.com/n1/2010/04/05/noise-cancelling-on-nexus-one/ I won't spoil the results be telling you here :D

[miffed]

OMG !!!

Was in the car while the wife was driving yesterday , so I decided to have a quick look at Google Maps voice navigation feature - Very impressive , especially for a freebie !
I particularly liked the "streetview" thing , - so if you are in any doubt as to the instructions you can see a Picture of your next junction and the path to take. - Being able to speak your destination is cool too
Can't wait to use it in anger ! but for the for-seeable future I know how to get to pretty much everywhere I go !!

Impressed , but more impressed that this is part of the OS !

[Hands0n]

The other week I had the opportunity to use Google Maps Navigation for real as the Tom Tom was in use by another family member. The next day I had to re-do the journey and used the Tom Tom. Both gave me exactly the same routing information, which I had rather expected but it was nice to see anyway.

There is no reason at all why this could not be extended out to any other device that uses Google Maps. I wonder if we'll see their Nav making it on to the iPhone any time soon :)

If you're going to use Nav on your phone with any seriousness I strongly suggest getting a car charger or at least a car USB power source (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=1000ma+usb+car&_sacat=0&_odkw=1000ma+usb&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313) and MicroUSB cable. Otherwise by the time you get to your destination the handset's battery will be on its last gasp.

[miffed]

LOL ,yes the battery life is nothing short of Dismal - I am somewhat regretting being so flippant about the Initial charge now - But I was expecting the Desire's battery to be at least good for a day without any "special treatment" - Realistically , with Wi-fi and Live wallpaper running , and light - moderate use , I'd take it off an overnight charge at 7am , and it would be ready to shut down by around 4pm !! of course I ave ammended these things now , I stopped short of turning 3G off , as I find very suggestion an insult to my intelligence !! Why on earth would I pay £400 for a device based on high specs , then turn pretty much all of those features off ?

So , an car charger is a must , that will be ordered today ! ,along with an invisible sheild perhaps ? ...and maybe a spare battery , which I will treat lovingly from the start .... I can't see it making a huge difference though !!

[Hands0n]

Seriously! I have all of my "stuff" turned on with the Nexus One with the sole exception of Bluetooth. The WiFi is "intelligent" and turns itself off if no WLAN in range. The GPS only comes on when an app wants to use it. The GPRS only fires up when you actually ant to make use of it too. And so I manage a full day, from when it unplugs at 06:30 until it gets plugged back in around 23:00 in the evening. That is with [my] normal web, text and calls usage.

Once I start using anything that is going to fire up the GPS and run the screen continuously I tend to run it off the cable - mostly because I'm in the car when using that functionality.

That said, I do make sure that I have fairly good access to points where I can "opportunity charge" the Nexus One and the iPhone. That means a spare set of cables (eBay of course) in the car and at the office, a spare set for the rucksack or suitcase if I'm travelling. I also have about four USB Mains adaptors (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=usb+mains+adaptor&_sacat=0&_odkw=usb+solar+panel&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1311) left all over the place (i.e. at work) so that I can access a charge point without having to rely upon using my desktop or laptop works PC.

It may all sound a bit much but considering that modern phones are increasingly chargeable from a USB source, either with dedicated cable or MicroUSB, it makes entirely logical sense to have done this.

Out on the road (bike, motorcycle, on foot) I have a USB rechargeable battery pack (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-Battery-Pack-Charger-iPod-iPhone-3G-3GS-Kensington-/320532433071?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CE_MP3Access_RL&hash=item4aa138c8af#ht_3853wt_1120) - not this exact one - (and of course cable) to prolong the handset's internal battery charge.

I have researched Solar Panel technology (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=usb+solar+panel) - but I think it is a long way off still, unless they can significantly improve the efficiency of the conversion of solar energy to stored electricity. Right now, the kind of device that is available consists of Li-Pol or Li-Ion battery tech with a solar panel to charge it as one of several methods. The charge time under solar energy is in the 10 - 14 hours range! And that is before you even begin to use it to top up yoru handset. Useless gadgetry really.

[gorilla]

For those who follow me on twitter you'll know that I am now the proud owner of the Desire.

I had some reservations about it, coming from the 3GS, but a trip to the Android market soon sorted me out with 90% of my iPhone Apps (the others are either in development or not available) and my mind at least thought that I was on parity with the iPhone. The Market (which does receive a lot of stick) seems just as easy to use as the App store and seems to have a similar range of apps. (I'd like to see some more categories though). I've not bought any apps (a big advantage already over the iPhone) but I suspect its just a matter of using google checkout?

The phone itself is better than the 3GS - bigger, better screen, a camera (as opposed to the hole on the back of the iPhone - ok maybe I'm being a bit harsh but who seriously managed to take a good picture indoors?), expandable memory, replaceable battery, better GPS, better mobile receiver coverage. The speaker is a joke, really tinny but I can live with that as it will rarely be used.
But this is a pointless argument, the 3GS is a year older than the Desire and you would expect the Desire to have better hardware. Still, it pleases me that I've made an 'upgrade' purchase.

Software - or OS:
Android is for the most part exactly the same as iOS. Gestures, scrolling, pinch etc all pretty easy to use and things work as an iPhone owner would expect. Out of the box, the Desire seems cluttered, which I believe is HTC Sense. I don't like, but I'm not sure if it's sense or the way a stock Android runs. I'm not a fan of widgets - to me they seem to get in the way. But I do see the benefit of such a content delivery system and I suspect its only a matter of time before I learn how to cope with Android and Sense.
I have at least 3 music players. I don't know why and I can't seem to find my pictures. Shouldn't there be a photo's app?

I have been really trying hard to find fault with the Desire and it comes down to this:
It takes a little bit of fiddling at the start to get your phone to the way you want it. And I have to learn a new OS. That's it.

That's not bad is it? I have resisted the urge to read Android forums before my purchase just so I would come at the phone as a complete newbie and would therefore be able to judge how difficult or easy it is to use. While it is like moving from windows (in my case Apple :) ) to Mac (Android ;) ) these days the UI experience is such that it doesn't really matter what the OS is, but rather that the hardware is good and the 'app' store has variety.

I am patiently waiting for 2.2 to drop, but I've been reading about hacking a 2.2 rom onto the desire and I admit this interests me, although there are rumours that HTC will release 2.2 in the coming weeks.

After all this I haven't even mentioned multi tasking. Well it works and I have now realised that I did in fact miss it when using the iPhone. No amount of justification can take this feeling away. Apple - you were wrong, have seen the error of your ways and have included it in iOS 4. Still doesn't work as well as Android though.

[gorilla]

I don't know why and I can't seem to find my pictures. Shouldn't there be a photo's app?

Ooops, found it. Now why didn't I see "photos" before?

[miffed]

How are you getting on with the Battery ? it pretty much turned into a dealbreaker for me , on more than one occasion I found myself out and about (away from a chargong point) ...ans scared to use the bloody thing through fear of running out of power and needing the phone ! - And TBH I am pretty easily pleased with battery performance , I am not fussed about having a week on standby , as long as it can last a day (by a day I mean 6am till 9pm) then I am happy , but the Desire really did find this a struggle , fortunately I was able to charge at work and in the car , but on a day out I felt I had to "ration" my usage !

I didn't actually part with the Desire BECAUSE of the battery ... But I think It may have come to that if I'd kept it.

Really nice piece of hardware though , no question !

[gorilla]

The battery is ok - not great but I can get it to last from 7am to 6pm easy. I have turned off friend stream and any widget that might be sucking power though. I have noticed that on Android I'm using much more data than I was on the iPhone (presumably all those apps phoning home?). I think by putting a stop to them conserves battery and TBH I can live without a 'live' wallpaper or the weather!

[a_ukboy]

Im another Iphone user turned to the darker side too, got my HTC desire on Thursday as un upgrade with Vodafone, decided that over the Iphone 4... Since i think i've made the wrong choice?? i miss my Iphone... LOL...

However i would like some help from any peeps that have the desire, does anyone have the Hullmail app? Mine doesn't seem to work very well, i don't get any notifications unless i open the app then i can see like 3 missed calls and a voicemail :( also Facebook, i have gone into the FB settings on the app and switched on notifications but don't get any :( Does the phone actually have push notifications? doesn't seem to except the email...

The battery life ain't great unless you turn off all the things like anomated wall papers and the weather app on the main screen which is the reason why i wanted the desire in the first place, so it defeats the object of the phone!! And no Whatsapp or sling player app :(

Apart from that i like it, just wish the battery was better and the push worked like the iphone!!!