HTC HD mini hands-on
By Sean Cooper 
posted February 16th 2010 7:42AM
posted February 16th 2010 7:42AM
HTC's launch today also gives us the HD mini, and, as a result, we're starting to have a problem sticking with a favorite with each post we put up -- really, they're all that nice. Unfortunately for us we didn't have an HD2 to throw down and do a real side by side comparison, but just looking at the pic above and comparing it to any other we've posted and you'll see the difference right away. The display is bright and crisp and the OS was responsive enough -- and with the device set to ship in April, things are looking pretty positive to meet that date -- and while the display doesn't wow like the HTC HD2, it doesn't seem too cramped to be usable. We're digging this mini trend, and hope we catch some more of these at the show. Gallery after the break and a video as soon as we can get one.
I'm curious as to what version of Sense it's running. I'm also wondering what they did with the task manager that used to be at the top right, before WM 6.5.X
@EGOvoruhk
From what I have heard, the task manager is berried in the "all settings" under the settings tab.
@EGOvoruhk
Yeah Task manager in sence (on HD2 at least) is under settings tab-other-task manager. I wish they left it where it was TBH.
@EGOvoruhk
it looks like the latest version of Manila 2d used on the htc mega.
@305BuddyLuv
That's a shame because I think the WinMo top-right mini task manager is an integral part of my phone experience. In fact I refuse to upgrade to 6.5.3 just because it's more difficult to get to the task manager.
@EGOvoruhk
Well, since it's Windows Mobile, this can be easily tweaked and fixed. So the fix is to download ArkSwitch, which will make a tap on the empty area up top launch a very nice task manager.
@EGOvoruhk there is tweaks that u can install, my favorite one and the quickest one is arckswitch which opens on any screen when you tap the top left corner, i don't think this is winmo to be honest there is no start button on the bottom left corner of the screen.
I think they have a bloody good winner here. Smartphone for those who want a 'normal' sized phone. I have an iPhone at the moment and I still get people saying OMG that's a brick.
@Wolfhound HTC HD chibby
@Wolfhound Yes, this is a great trend. I'd like to use a smartphone but not while they are giant (we can still make nice resolution screens in small sizes - so if you want to browse the web or something, hold it closer).
But how big is this? Can we have a size in millimetres please rather than just 'mini'... I realise Engadget writers probably don't carry a ruler, but maybe that is the next piece of essential tech equipment :)
Okay, so it was easy to find on Google - 103 x 58 x 12. Compare against iphone at 116 x 62 x 12. So, not bad for a smartphone, but still kind of chunky widthwise.
(While on this rant, I hate the way half the time they only tell you how thick the phone is! hello I don't care, it will not be too THICK to fit comfortably in my pocket... but how big are the other dimensions...)
looks nice
i hope this will come with wm7
@oawalker if it ships in April, then it won't have WM7 preinstalled.
@oawalker
Pretty sure WM7 requires a 1ghz processor.
@sonicyoof
This has a 1 ghz.
@Raffi256
its got a 600MHz. check there official website
http://www.htc.com/uk/product/hdmini/specification.html
Where is the 3.5mm jack??
On the top
@EGOvoruhk
All I see is a power button and a chrome bezel. On the bottom, a mini usb port. Are we looking at the same device?
Bad lighting. Look at the 7th shot, where you can see the entire back of the device. It's kind of embedded into the back/top of the device, opposite of the power button
@EGOvoruhk
Poor lighting in the picture and too early for my eyes to adjust...but dang, there it is!
Thanks.
th whole point of the hd series is the large screens...... this thing is a joke.
@adamlovezu not so much the size of the screen but the resolution. This think brings it back to 320x480, the res of "normal" screens. The original HD had a 480x800 res on a 3.7" display, so a true "mini HD" would sport the same res on a lower sized screen.
Also, this had been done before. If anybody's been following HTC's lineups, they released the Touch2 at the same time as the HD2. The Touch2 didn't do to well, so they used that form factor, amped up the specs a little, and released this, piggybacking on the HD2 name, what a shame.
After the release of WinMo 7 I can't help wondering how HTC will deal with the transition, specifically as there seems a very real chance that WinMo 7 wont be skin-able.
Will they really pump out a brand new OS to customers who paid for the Sense UI?
@martynmcfarquhar I love choice. Optional upgrade?
@martynmcfarquhar Maybe some kind of HTC specific widgets, like weather, footprints, friendstream and so on
I like the 4 oversized bolts on the back
Cute.
Needs more Android.
@sethmo
My thoughts exactly. HD2's "mini me" seems perfectly suited to Android. If the HTC Supersonic happens, a "subsonic" mini version would be awesome.
@sethmo
Arghghghghgh!!! Please, Android lovers, stop! It used to be the iPhone people, now you've taken over as the supreme douches of the land!
@sonicyoof
Not saying WIndows Phone 7 Series(Windows Mobile 7 Series sounds better) will be bad, but from the looks, it is kind of bland. Waiting on my final verdict when I have a Windows Phone 7 Series(lol) phone in my hands though.
But a Mini Android slate would be pretty sweet.
@sethmo android would be amazing
@ipads You're on a troll roll today, and good job for with the spam, pruning of your posts and ban are imminent
Wow, Engadget is doing an all out blitzkrieg on these smartphones!
I do kinda like this one though.. very pocket friendly. But, is that enough to survive the ocean of similar devices out there?
Minis suck.
Size do matter.
Gimme that 5" Dell.
@Plexus
The Dell Mini 5 is certainly interesting, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to do the whole "man purse" things. The moobs are bad enough!
@Plexus
That's what she said ; )
@scjessey Murse only necessary in balmy/warm weather, I'd rather wear a light coat in 62-65 degree, and lower temperatures, weather than a man purse. After that, what I tend to do is go back pocket and accidentally sit on the damn thing (maybe why my iphone 1st gen lost the touch sensing capability on the bottom, but that's what customer support and upgrades are for. Force myself into a annual upgrade :)) But I do understand the Murse idea.
LOVE the size of this thing.
But if it's going to run WinMo, at least give it 7.
@Hazdaz
WM7 isn't finished yet. What should they do until then?
@Tes
WinMo7 might not be finished, but I also doubt that this HTC HD is going to ship tomorrow. Basically, any phone released from here on out should be 100% compatible with the upcoming new OS... HTC seems to have a good relationship with MS so it's not like MS's new OS was developed without some of their phone partners knowing about it ahead of time.
Even if this particular phone is not going to run WinMo7, I truly hope that the SIZE of it gets copied on some future device that does indeed run the new OS.
@Hazdaz
This phone will probably be available in the next few weeks. WM7 is NOT ready for ANY device. Notice yesterday they didn't even open emails! They didn't open any of the Office apps...they didn't want to show the dialler! One of the guys did and then mumbled something and promptly turned it back to the home screen...it's not finished. WM6.5 is and is available now. I'm saying, what should HTC do for money in the next few weeks...sit on their hands waiting for MS to finish something they themselves have said will be ready by Xmas?
Anyone know the res of the display? I don't mind a smaller screen and resolution if the pixel density is good.
@Insomnihack Pretty sure it's 320x240 which is exactly the same as iPhone/hero etc at 3.2".
@lookseehear That res is qvga, what this and the Hero have is a HVGA display 480x320.
I'm posiitive that there is a typo in this post somewhere...
It is more of an update to HTC Touch (Touch 2 to be precise) line. Don't think it would be as powerful as the HD2 from the inside. Not complaining though, this thing looks good. But it seems highly improbable that it would get a WP7 upgrade, unlike the HD2.
@Abhi9
Agreed. This thing only has an HVGA (320x480) screen, like the iPhone. WP7S requires a minimum WVGA (480x800) screen (until they hack it).
@Abhi9
I don't know...I think there's going to be a LOT of disappointed people when is comes to WM7 and updates. People EXPECT it to be put on the HD2 and I just don't think it'll happen. MS was clear they didn't want stuff like that to happen from what I was hearing. They are pretty stoked about "simplifying" and having a consistent hardware config...which screams to me that they won't LET it run on the HD2's 5 button having device. The missing "Bing search" button is a big clue.
But who would buy this? Msoft just pulled the rug out of this market yesterday. You'd be buying a phone who's successor has already been previewed and is fully non-compatible with this one.