HTC HD Mini Review: Hardware

In part two of my HTC HD Mini review, we look at the hardware, rather than the software.

Hit the link below to see the review.

The HD Mini is according to HTC a smaller, but similarly featured compliment to the HTC HD2, and whilst things like Sense, and some of the design aspects are similar between the devices, to me, the HD Mini replaces the Diamond, rather than the HD2.

Specs wise, the comparison to the Diamond is also fairly good, with the HD Mini featuring:

• Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz Processor
• 512MB/384MB ROM/RAM
• 3.2” HVGA (320 x 480) Capacitive Touch Screen
• 1200 mAh Lithium-Ion battery
• 5MP camera
• Bluetooth 2.1
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• microUSB

Whilst some of these specs may seem a little low (the most powerful devices feature upwards of 500MB of RAM, and 1GHz processors) the device is actually very capable, with processor power never being an issue.

In the box, you get the normal set of cables, adapters and booklets, though HTCs charging adapter seems to have changed a little, and is now a lot smaller (though that may just be my review device).

Around the device, there’s a fairly minimalist approach to connectors and buttons

The left hand side features a volume rocker.

The top has the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a small slot to help remove the back cover.

The right hand side is completely devoid of any connectors.

The bottom has the microUSB port, as well as a microphone and space for a lanyard.

On the back of the device, there are four bolts which keep the handset together, and protrude through the back casing, making the whole device feel industrial and solid, whilst still looking understated. Removing the back cover changes the understated part, with a very bright yellow coating everywhere. It does look stunning, though I do prefer the matt black look when in polite company.

 

Size wise, the HD Mini is a little larger than the original Diamond, and considerably smaller than the HD2.

In hand, the device feels very comfortable, with the soft touch rubber coating, and curvy sides matching the had perfectly. The coating is also fairly fingerprint resistant (which is more than can be said for the screen) and provides ample grip to avoid dropping the phone. Because of the 3.2” touch screen (much smaller than the HD2s at 4.3”) the device fits in the hand entirely, and doesn’t look odd when held to the ear.

Oddly, the headphone socket is positioned in such a way that you can never plug the headphones in fully. This doesn’t seem to have an effect on the sound quality, but does look a little odd, and might prove a weak point in the future. 

The screen is remarkably bright for an LCD, and blacks are deep and rich. The screen is also great for playing back films on, and colours look great on it. Unfortunately, on my device at least, whites appear very red, though after a few minutes, it looks perfectly natural.

The speaker on the back is fine at fairly low levels, but take the volume too high, and sound becomes very tinny and distorted, and you have to resort to the headphones. For a generally fairly media centric device, this is a little disappointing.

The 5MP camera is if anything better than the one on the HD2, as it doesn’t feature the odd red splodge in the middle of the screen. In good light levels, the camera performs great, with tap to focus happening very quickly, and shutter lag kept to a minimum. Video is similarly good, recording in VGA resolution at 25fps. In low light however, the camera  is pretty bad, and would benefit greatly from a flash of some kinds.

If you want a device that does most of what the HD2 does, and doesn’t require as deep pockets (in both senses of the phrase) then the HD Mini is great. It’s compact, well featured and built, and is a great experience to use. There are no show stopping flaws, or any major faults, but the HD Mini does seem a little bit late to the market, with WP7 impending.

Thanks to Clove for supplying the device, which is available no for £323.13 including VAT here.