REVIEW: HTC HD7

PRICE: RM 2,399

The pick of the first wave of Windows Phone 7 handsets is a solidly built unit from HTC with a crisp 4.3in, 800x480 display. Powered by a 1GHz processor, the HD7's capacitive touchscreen is sensitive to every tap and glancing stroke.

Its Zune music player sounds dynamic, especially with the help of HTC's Sound Enhancer app and the built-in Dolby Mobile, while movie fans also benefit from an immersive SRS WOW HD surround sound mode. The 5MP camera and 720p video recording are far from class- leading, but good enough for social network sharing.
Windows Phone 7 is a dramatic departure from the menu system of Windows Mobile. The stylish new OS is intuitive and enjoyable to use, and also easy to customise with apps and features. A hub system neatly arranges the core functions into logical areas.

Web browsing on the streamlined Internet Explorer is now super quick, with an agile pinch-to-zoom action and simple bookmark management. There are some teething troubles - support for Flash 10.1 will arrive at some point, but the lack of multitasking and the currently meagre choice of apps to download from the Marketplace betrays its status as a newbie. However, for a debut it's seriously impressive, and even as it stands is a compelling option, especially for the smartphone novice.

VERDICT: WP7 is far from the finished article, but the HD7 is a worthy champion for Microsoft's new OS.

RATING: 4.5 stars