HTC HD2 Ultimate Guide to Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Introduction to HTC HD2

The HTC HD2 was a revolutionary device introduced to the market in November 2009. As one of the first smartphones to bring high specifications and a large touchscreen to the forefront, it played a pivotal role in shaping future smartphone designs. Running on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional operating system and featuring HTC's Sense UI, the HD2 was a popular choice among tech enthusiasts who valued customization and versatility.

Design and Build

The HTC HD2 was designed with a keen attention to detail, boasting a robust yet sleek body. Its dimensions were 120.5 x 67 x 11 mm and weighed 157 grams. Despite its larger size for its time, the device was ergonomic, fitting comfortably in the user's hand and providing easy access to its features. The phone used a Mini-SIM and came only in the Black color option.

Display

A standout feature of the HD2 was its 4.3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, a generous size compared to the standards of 2009. This screen, offering 65K colors and a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, provided vivid and clear display quality with a pixel density of approximately 217 PPI. The screen's large size accounted for about 65.2% of the device's front surface, making it a pleasure for viewing media and browsing the internet.

Performance

Under the hood, the HTC HD2 was powered by a Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon S1 chipset with a 1.0 GHz Scorpion CPU and an Adreno 200 GPU. These specifications provided the device with enough power to smoothly run applications and perform multitasking functions. Coupled with 448MB RAM and 512MB ROM, the HD2 was capable of handling a variety of tasks effectively.

Camera Technology

The HTC HD2 featured a single rear camera setup with a 5-megapixel sensor. This camera was equipped with autofocus and dual-LED flash, enabling users to take quality photos even in low-light conditions. The camera could also record videos at 480p@30fps. However, it did not have a front-facing camera, which was a common trend among devices at that time.

Storage

For storage needs, the HTC HD2 included a dedicated microSDHC slot, allowing users to expand storage as needed. The internal memory consisted of 448MB RAM, which was considered sufficient for running the operating system and a variety of apps available at the time.

Connectivity Options

The HD2 was well-equipped with multiple options for connectivity. It supported GSM and HSPA network technologies, featuring 2G bands (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and 3G bands (HSDPA 900/2100). The device could reach speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps on HSPA. Other connectivity features included Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with Wi-Fi router capability, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, GPS with A-GPS and NaviPanel, as well as stereo FM radio with RDS. The microUSB port helped in charging and data transfer operations.

Battery Life

The HTC HD2 was powered by a removable Li-Ion 1230 mAh battery. Although battery life was not as extended as modern devices, it was capable of providing up to 490 hours of standby time on 2G (390 hours on 3G), up to 6 hours and 20 minutes of talk time on 2G (5 hours and 40 minutes on 3G), and up to 12 hours of music playback.

Unique Features and Sensors

The phone was equipped with several sensors like an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and a compass, enhancing its functionality and user experience. It had a variety of software features like WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML browsing capabilities. The HTC HD2 also included a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm audio jack, which were essential for multimedia consumption.

Legacy and Discontinuation

Despite being discontinued, the HTC HD2 holds a significant place in smartphone history. It is often remembered as a highly customizable device, being one of the earliest to support booting multiple operating systems, such as Linux and Android, thanks to the enthusiastic community of developers and modifiers. Priced around 140 EUR at launch, it provided a compelling value proposition for its capabilities.

Conclusion

The HTC HD2 demonstrated the potential for what smartphones could achieve, blending high-end specifications with a notable design that other manufacturers, including HTC itself, would take inspiration from. Even today, the device is often brought up in discussions about legendary smartphones that helped define what a mobile device could be.