HTC Desire HD

Available now
15th September 2010

The HTC Desire HD is a scaled-up version of the current HTC Desire with a bigger screen, more powerful processor and support for Android 2.2 out of the box.

Perhaps it is better to think of the Desire HD as an Android version of the HTC HD2, rather than a replacement for the original Desire. Why? Well, the Desire HD is 21% heavier and 16% bigger than the original "iPhone sized" Desire, so it's likely that we will see the Desire around for some time to come.

The 4.3" display is an 800 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen panel, although we're not sure at the moment if this is an OLED or SuperLCD unit. Inside is a optimized 1GHz processor coupled with an impressive 768MB of RAM and 1.5GB of Flash storage, and of course Flash can be expanded through the microSD slot.

On the back is an 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, capable of taking 720p HD video. Inside is a large 1230mAh battery that is quoted as giving 5 hours talktime and 20 days standby time on 3G.

Of course, the HTC Desire HD also has GPS and Google Maps Navigation. The large screen should make it an excellent in-car navigation device, although HTC have gone further with what appears to be their own built-in mapping and navigation software too.

The construction is an elegant aluminium unibody design which is both light and strong at the same time.. but it does really just look like a big black slab, as did the HD2.

This is a 3.5G device apparently supporting HSPA+ giving maximum download speeds of up to 14 Mbps. The Desire HD also supports WiFi including "N" networks, plus all the usual connectivity features such as Bluetooth 2.1 and USB.

This is an Android 2.2 device, so it has access to the full set of Google applications and many thousands more through the Android Market. HTC have also updated their Sense interface which is now integrated with a new service called HTCSense.com which synchronises contacts and messages and also has some cool features to enable you to find your phone if you have lost it.

The HTC Desire HD should be available in certain European and Asian markets from October, although no guidance was given on price. Our best bet is that this very high-end device is likely to cost more than €600 or £500 at retailers.