HTC Desire HD review

Instead of duplicating Android’s apps, HTC might consider adding new functions, such as a full office document editor rather than the view-only trial version of QuickOffice that’s installed. It’s also added an ebook reader – not a patch on Amazon’s free Kindle app – a copy of SoundHound’s music recognition app and various utilities, including one that turns your phone into a WiFi access point so you can share your 3G data connection.

As with most phone cameras, the Desire HD’s 8-megapixel sensor isn’t matched to a decent sensor so pictures are smudged by compression artefacts. Colours were accurate, though, and videos are surprisingly good. It’s also worth noting that the phone has both Dolby Mobile and SRS Wow audio enhancement technology, so whether you’re watching films or listening to music you have a range of effects to choose from.

As with most large-screen phones, battery life suffers in everyday use. The Desire HD managed just under 23 hours in our light-usage battery life test, which is average, but with a fair amount of WiFi, 3G and GPS use you’ll need to charge the phone every night.

While having a large screen makes many things easier, the Desire HD is bulky and heavy, and although we’re still great fans of HTC’s Sense software and the ability to plug in new services is a bonus, the new additions run the risk of duplicating existing functions. It’s also expensive, and doesn’t really offer much more than smaller phones such as the excellent Motorola Defy, which has the same screen resolution but feels far more compact.