HTC Desire first hands-on (updated with video)

Well, we just got a little up close and personal with HTC's "superphone," the Desire. What you're looking at is basically the Nexus One, sans trackball (though plus an optical touch area). Certainly the specs are the same, though you've got the new Sense UI on board for good measure. At a glance the phone actually doesn't seem as snappy as we were expecting, and there are obviously a few kinks to work out with some of the new Sense concepts (Leap for instance -- the pinch-to-card view -- was giving our demo person some trouble). Still, the Desire is definitely high on our gadget lust list right now. We're obviously reserving final judgment for a later date, but until we get some more time with this guy, feast your eyes on the gallery below.

Update: Added a quick video after the break showing the Sense UI... not behaving.

Update 2: We've been told by an HTC rep that the Sense build on the Desire unit we played with is actually quite early, so it's probably not indicative of the actual performance of the pinch-to-card view. We played with a Legend that had a later, nearly final build of the UI and it was definitely snappier and more responsive.

HTC Desire first hands-on

[santela Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:34AM]

no BRAVO?

[insky Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:35AM]

@santela
It is the Bravo.

[santela Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:38AM]

@insky Huh? I thought Bravo was gonna have a 4.3 inch screen like the HD2? or was that something else?

[santela Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:42AM]

Okay, my bad, I guess there was never a HD2 version of android.

[Shoemeister Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:43AM]

@santela

That'd be the Supersonic from Sprint.

[Almo Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:44AM]

@santela

That was the HTC Supersonic leak, never announced.

[santela Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:48AM]

@Shoemeister Thanks for clarifying. Actually 3.7 inch is already more than enough for the battery to handle...

[Plexus Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:13AM]

@santela

I don't care about the name, if it performs at least as well as the N1 this is what is gonna take the place of my Hero, yes the Legend looks cooler but for me "specs 'n performance" is the name of the game.

[skidodo142 Posted Feb 16th 2010 8:13AM]

@santela thats the supersonic

[maryannewhalers Posted Feb 17th 2010 11:38AM]

@santela I love dedicated keys, and I really love when they’re not touch keys but real physical press and click keys. Touch is great for a lot of things and very flexible, but not for every single function. I also like a dedicated volume control and a dedicated power/lock button. I just don’t see any possible negatives to having those. If you want to duplicate those functions with touch as well, that’s fine, but give me my buttons.
Hopefully this one can live up to the expectation of the users: More: http://bit.ly/htc-desire-nexus-on-steroids

[trealtp Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:36AM]

Bravo (clap clap...)

[Shoemeister Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:48AM]

This phone gave me the clap!

[honeybee2 Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:08PM]

HTC has too many similar devices.
and the product name / code name stuff is really a mess.

[AdamSapnik Posted Feb 17th 2010 6:08AM]

@honeybee2 I know i seriously give up trying to find a decent phone, I find one I like -- Nexus One -- Then they release the Desire... I just want a flippin' phone but it's so hard :-(

[bsodmike Posted Feb 17th 2010 1:02PM]

@trealtp I'm really liking this quite a bit. The android SDK is pretty awesome too; am hoping to get the Desire to accompany my iPhone 3G which will be on a different network.

[jgp Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:37AM]

Wait, what? I thought the Desire was the codename for the Droid Eris.

[Patlex Posted Feb 16th 2010 12:39PM]

Yes that what I thought also. Hell even the guys at XDA have the Desire listed as the code name for the Eris.

[trealtp Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:39AM]

When WPS7 gets hardware like this I will be happy

[sumgoodman Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:39AM]

Why the insistence of ultra-thin super-svelte phones? I can't be the only hetero male tech enthusiast who prefers a ruggedly functional device with a nice chunky form factor.

[Dummy00001 Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:12AM]

You can always glue it to a brick. Just saying.

[ai4281 Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:25AM]

@sumgoodman get the droid

[ddwisdom Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:52AM]

@sumgoodman
Think this appeals to you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w83UQkiuNZQ

[sumgoodman Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:58AM]

@ddwisdom Thanks, I'm well aware of the Droid, its my favorite of all the smartphones on the market right now. Problem is, I'm with T-Mobile, cause I'm kind of a fucking idiot.

Still like my G1 though.

[Luffy Posted Feb 16th 2010 7:43AM]

@sumgoodman My girl pants are way too tight for a large ruggedy phone, I'll stick with my thin and svelte [and rugged] phones.

[XChrisX Posted Feb 16th 2010 8:39AM]

@sumgoodman Upranked because of "cause I'm kind of a fucking idiot." comment.

[ChansteR Posted Feb 16th 2010 10:19AM]

@ai4281
The droid is still pretty slim.

[1ofdakoolkidz Posted Feb 16th 2010 10:21AM]

@sumgoodman UM...yes, your the only Paul Bunyon lumberjack here, so kindly find your next iden phone and keep it moving.

[sumgoodman Posted Feb 16th 2010 11:00AM]

@1ofdakoolkidz I'm really more of a John Henry steel-driver. If we should ever cross paths, I'd glady demonstrate to you just how apt I am with a hammer.

[TrumanHW Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:39AM]

alright, pull the keyboard out. lets see it.

[TrumanHW Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:40AM]

No really. Quit fucking with me. No WAY they release 4 fucking phones on one carrier in a ROW, all without a single fucking keyboard. Right? C'mon. Pull it out.

[Bratyr Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:06AM]

@TrumanHW
So frustrating! I'd buy this thing the second it came out if it had a keyboard, even a shitty one like the droid has, but since it doesn't I guess I'm waiting to see how the Supersonic compares to the Dell Mini 5 or if something snapdragony with a keyboard is coming.

Goddamnit guys is it really so hard to make something with a keyboard, snapdragon and a > 3.7 inch screen??? Sounds basic!

[soulseller Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:25AM]

+1 for Keyboard, Snapdragon and > 3,7" inch screen.
Gimme!

[jgp Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:28AM]

@Bratyr

Yes to the keyboard and Snapdragon, no to the larger screen.

As long as the screen is WVGA, it can be less than 3" for all I care. Larger screens eat more battery, and when you enlarge the screen without enlarging the resolution, the image becomes less sharp. No thanks.

[bsodmike Posted Feb 17th 2010 1:01PM]

@jgp I'm pretty sure the site lists it with a higher resolution ~ 480 X 800 WVGA ?

[robertk Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:40AM]

very suitable name if you ask me

[TrumanHW Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:41AM]

QUIT FUCKING WITH ME AND PULL THE GODDAMMED KEYBOARD OUT!

[Shoemeister Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:08AM]

This thing has the only keyboard you'll ever need on it. Buy a damn Droid if you don't like it. Now put a sock in it, keyboard gripers and grumblers!

[Almo Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:43AM]

"Also, the new HTC Sense will be available in some of our existing products, like the Hero. Our current customers will get to experience those features. Thank you very much!"

Engadget - Please ask about HD2 getting the new HTC Sense!!!

[liquidmonkey Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:48AM]

SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC SUPERSONIC

where is it HTC?

[Wolfhound Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:48AM]

Looks very interesting now all I want to know is what's going to happen at the O2 UK/HTC press conference on Wednesday?? Have they held something back maybe?? Anyone else wondering what that's all about?

[alibanana Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:58AM]

@Wolfhound I didn't even know there was one - where did you read about that?

[Wolfhound Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:00AM]

@alibanana
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/blog/414833/o2_htc_handset_rumoured.html

[NODOGT Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:49AM]

dose it support HD Video Capture as it was rumored before?

[Shoemeister Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:51AM]

@NODOGT

Yeah, I'm definitely still hoping this thing does 720p as originally rumored.

[turkification Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:52AM]

@liquidmonkey

Agreed, where the hell is the supersonic? I want my HD 2 with android damnit!

[PattyXXX Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:52AM]

looks more refined than the nexus one. google should have obtained some exclusivity on the hardware. kind of steals their thunder.

[TrumanHW Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:54AM]

Im really pulling for motorola making the Nexus 2, as it seems they have the presence of mind to use the TI OMAP processors, which, albeit not a gigahert which all seem to be so concerned about, have a separate graphics and picture processor, which, as tests and usability have shown, matter more, at even HALF the clock speed. So much so that they underclock their CPU. Im hoping this announcement is at MWC!

[TrumanHW Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:55AM]

I'd imagine however, once these get subsidized by Tmobile that google's going to get a lesson in hardware agreements. LOL How many people will be paying 529 after existing tmo customers can have them for 199 or 179??

[EGOvoruhk Posted Feb 16th 2010 6:12AM]

@TrumanHW

You can already get the Nexus One for that price. T-Mobile isn't going to sell it that cheap to existing customers unless they tack on another 2 year agreement to what they already have

[Wolfhound Posted Feb 16th 2010 5:56AM]

Daily engadget podcast about this please?