Not loving HTC's HD2

 The big-screen HD2 is available in the UAE for AED 3,299

You expect a lot from a phone that starts up with the message ‘quietly brilliant'. Or atleast I did.

HTC's HD2 is a remarkable piece of hardware and the most obvious feature is its more than generous 4.3" screen with a row of useful little buttons at the bottom. That, coupled with capacitive touch technology, means that playing with multimedia on this beast is a pleasant experience. And the battery life isn't as bad considering what it packs in.

 The 5 megapixel camera took crisp photographs in natural light, but less than stellar ones at night, even with a flash.  There isn't even a dedicated camera button on this device. Or a lens cover.

The HD2 operates Windows Mobile 6.5 and HTC's Sense user interface with big icons and classy visuals reflects the best of it. Navigation isn't quite as easy as you'd expect, with different menus and options to sift through before you can find what you're looking for. There is a customisable homescreen option so it's not like you'll have to keep looking for preferred applications, but I just feel there's no need for it be so complicated.

In fact, none of it made Sense to me in the end. For example, I had issues with network connectivity as well as basic SMS on the device: I couldn't send or receive messages. I initially thought it could be blamed on my SIM but I tried using it on another phone and it seemed fine. I tried fiddling with the Message Setting options and had other colleagues try their luck as well, but I gave up in the end. Maybe the issue has a quick-fix but that's not the point - it just shouldn't happen.

 I'd blame it on the software to be honest because I really believe HTC tried with this one. Maybe a little too hard even. Yes, it's fast and big and perhaps one of the most ambitious hardware designs I've seen in a while. But it's just not good.

Apple to Launch a 4-inch iPhone, Claims New Report

 A new report of a 4-inch iPhone 5 has surfaced, rekindling flames of past rumors pegging an upcoming Apple smartphone with a larger screen.

With Hitachi and Sony tipped to have already begun shipping 4-inch LCD panels for a new Apple iOS device, it appears a larger iPhone could be on the horizon, though the unconfirmed report did not specifically state that the 4-inch display is for that rumored iPhone 5.  

 This new finding contradicts an earlier report that claimed a 4-inch iPhone model was cancelled due to former CEO, Steve Jobs’, fear of fragmenting the iOS market. With apps currently able to support two resolutions – 960 x 260 for smartphones and 1024 x 768 for the iPad – Apple would be forced to include a third resolution, as a larger screen would mean a higher resolution. According to this report, Jobs pulled the device a few months before the launch.

Yet, with a new CEO, Apple could be working past these issues and may soon offer a 4-inch smartphone. Previous rumors claim the device will be about 8mm longer than the current iPhone and will sport a metal casing, though not the distinctive teardrop-shaped profile that had people talking months ago. The phone is also said to be LTE-enabled and will feature a 10MP camera, which would be an upgrade to the 8MP shooter currently on the iPhone 4S. With optimists believing the company will introduce the sixth generation iPhone in June 2012, we could be seeing more of this device sometime soon.