Mobility Digest Review: HTC TITAN

The all mighty TITAN has finally been released, and it is every bit of worthy as the name it carries. As part of the second generation devices for Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, the TITAN offers a few features to make sure it stands out from the crowd.

First and most obvious is the mammoth Super LCD display featured on this thing. Measuring in at 4.7 inches, it’s definitely something to behold. Although not the Super AMOLED offerings of its competitors, the Super LCD screen holds its own. When compared to an older device like the HD7, the improved quality of the TITAN’s display is easy to see and appreciate.

Along with such a big display must come a fairly unique design to make sure the device doesn’t feeling too obnoxious in the hand. Fortunately, HTC has executed this to perfection. Again, when compared to the HD7, the TITAN’s design shines even more. Not only is it thinner than its predecessor, it is actually notably lighter. The seemingly uni-body design feels very sturdy in the hand, while the metal finish is pleasing to the touch. The build quality of the device is up front and center and really draws you into its allure.

The Windows Phone second generation hardware specs bring with them a few things to be enjoyed, mainly the Monstrous 1.5 GHz Snapdragon processor. Much to the surprise of some, the processor is single core. I’m sure you could find plenty of tech whores to tell you otherwise, but to make life easier, trust me when I tell you; Windows Phone does not need dual core processors right now. The phone is not only much faster than preview generation Windows Phones, but also pretty much the fastest smart phone I have used to date. Thanks to the buttery smooth OS and its eye candy transitions, the performance of the phone met and exceeded expectations.

Another perk of the second generation devices is the front facing camera. This is a bitter sweet achievement; it’s nice to finally see it supported on the platform, but there is only one app to take advantage of it. Luckily, the Tango app is cross platform and used by many, so in some aspects it’s a win. Although, some Microsofties like myself have been waiting for the game changer Skype to make its way to the platform. When it does, it’s comforting to know I am covered on the hardware front.

The front facing camera is not the star of the optics however. The TITAN includes a stunning 8mp rear camera for your photo pleasures. We’ve seen these on other phones before, but never like this. HTC wanted to make sure this device was something special, and that’s exactly what they did! The camera features a f/2.2, which means your indoor and low light pictures will be sucking a lot less. The lens works incredible quick, and if you listen closely you can even hear it focusing. The software options like macro, landscape and even panoramic are all actually useful and very much welcomed. The TITAN is without doubt in the top running for best smartphone camera.

HTC has added tons of their own software to make the device a bit more friendly and useable. Things like the HTC hub to display weather on the home screen, HTC Watch to rent movies while on the go and even a DLNA app called Connected Media to share your media experience with your home theater devices.

Speaking of media, the TITAN is a media powerhouse. Movies are covered by HTC watch and Netflix, while music can be experienced like never before with Zune and a Zune Pass all you can eat subscription. With a fully capable camera and a super easy layout of managing images by the OS, viewing, organizing and sharing pictures are also on a new level. When all of these are combined with the TITAN’s delicious display, you’ll start to realize the power you have in your hands.

It isn’t all about play; the TITAN is a serious contender for work. Featuring the best mail client I have yet to use on a mobile device, the display size makes viewing mail and messages a joy. Likewise when browsing the web, entire pages render super quick and are displayed with great quality. Thanks to the Windows Phone OS, you get a full fledge version of Mobile Microsoft Office. Needless to say, typing, editing Word docs or even viewing Excel sheets are painless because of the TITAN’s display. So much so, that this entire review was written on the device.

The TITAN isn’t without fault, the device ships with 16 GB of storage. Which means, by the time you buy into the whole “media powerhouse” thing, you’re damn near half way through your storage space. Not cool! HTC should have really knocked this one out the park and give the TITAN 32GB or even 64GB. And that lovely display I’ve been talking about? Well, it might simply be too big for some, which is a shame. Both my wife and my mother love this device. They do something oddly similar, they hold it, look at it and try to convince themselves it’s not too big for their hands. I find myself bringing them back to reality every time.

When you put it all together, the TITAN is exactly that. A well designed slab of technology with a mysterious allure. It’s as sleek and solid as they come, all the while maintaining functionality. Windows Phone’s grace has finally met a piece of hardware worthy of its partnership. With one of the best camera offerings of any smartphone on the market and some strong media presence, the TITAN is ready for all aspects of your life. Kudos to HTC for a job well done. Now, only if they could find it in their heart to release a TITAN Mini, I know more than a few people who would love that!

Originally Posted At LifeStylesDefined.com