Price and specifications of HTC 7 Pro advantages, disadvantages, and a comprehensive explanation

Introduction to HTC 7 Pro

The HTC 7 Pro, released in early 2011, was one of HTC's flagship devices, designed to offer a unique and compelling Windows Phone 7 experience. This smartphone catered to professionals who needed more than just a typical phone for calls and messages, offering robust hardware and software specifications for the time.

Design and Build Quality

HTC 7 Pro boasts a distinctive design with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, making it stand out among its peers. The body dimensions are 117.5 x 59 x 15.5 mm, and it weighs 185 grams, which feels solid and well-balanced in hand. The choice of materials and the phone’s matte finish give it a premium look that appeals to users seeking a professional and stylish device. The keyboard mechanism is smooth, providing a satisfying typing experience, especially beneficial for users who prefer physical keys over touchscreens.

Display

The device is equipped with a 3.6-inch TFT display. It offers a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, ensuring clear and vibrant visuals. With a pixel density of approximately 259 ppi, the screen provides good readability, although it might not match the crispness of modern high-resolution displays. The display is responsive, adequately handling the multi-touch gestures of Windows Phone 7.

Performance

Under the hood, the HTC 7 Pro features the Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon S1 chipset, with a 1.0 GHz Scorpion CPU and Adreno 200 GPU. These components ensure smooth performance for daily tasks and decent handling of multimedia content and gaming, although it's not designed for resource-heavy applications. The 576MB RAM complements the processor, providing a reasonably fast user experience for multi-tasking within the limitations of the time’s technology.

Operating System

The smartphone runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 7, which was an innovative OS at its release. Windows Phone 7 provided a fluid and intuitive interface, with live tiles and hubs for quick access to apps and continuous updates. It geared towards providing a unified experience across Microsoft services and tools, making it convenient for those invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Storage and Memory

HTC 7 Pro comes with 8GB of internal storage and no card slot for expandable storage. This could limit users who require significant space for their applications, media files, and documents. Due to this limitation, users must manage their storage carefully, relying on cloud services or a regular transfer of files to keep adequate free space.

Camera Capabilities

The device features a 5 MP autofocus rear camera with an LED flash. It supports video recording at 720p@25fps, providing users with acceptable photo and video quality, although it doesn't compare to current smartphone camera standards. The lack of a front-facing camera is a notable omission for users interested in selfies or video calls.

Battery Life

Equipped with a removable Li-Ion 1230 mAh battery, the HTC 7 Pro offers a standby time of up to 275 hours on 2G and 255 hours on 3G networks. The talk time is up to 4 hours on 2G and approximately 4 hours and 16 minutes on 3G. While the battery life was adequate for its time, it may not suit heavy users who require longer battery performance.

Connectivity

HTC 7 Pro supports GSM / HSPA networks, offering 2G and 3G bands with speeds of up to 7.2/2 Mbps. It includes Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, GPS with A-GPS, and stereo FM radio with RDS. The device also includes a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.

Additional Features

The smartphone incorporates several sensors, including an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and digital compass. These sensors enable various applications and improve the functionality of the device. The built-in HTML browser allows for basic internet surfing, though it's limited compared to modern web standards.

Market Position and Conclusion

Upon its release, the HTC 7 Pro was priced around 190 EUR, positioning it as a competitive choice for users seeking a smartphone with a physical keyboard and Windows OS. Although it has been discontinued, the device holds a place in the evolution of smartphones as being part of the early adopters of the Windows Phone platform. It represents an era of innovation and experimentation in smartphone design, appealing to niche markets and delivering a unique user experience.