[Head-To-Head] HTC HD2 vs. Apple iPhone 3G

First published by me over at Tech@Play and also added to the HD2 thread over at MobilitySite.com - re-published here on my Blog also...

"I decided to have a look at both my old iPhone 3G and my new HTC HD2 and compare some of the functions that they have and give my personal view on what I like. The iPhone is running OS 3.1.3 and is not Jail broken, the HD2 is running Sense 2.5 on stock rom 1.66 (WWE) it has only one tweak Co0kies Home Tab.

Background: For all of 2009 I was using the iPhone 3G, the last time I used a WinMo touch screen device was my old Dell Axim X51v (Non-Phone) and my Apache (PPC-6700) in 2008. Now this is my PERSONAL view so take it as it is... enjoy.

LOCK SCREEN

Lock Sceen

As you can see the lock screens have similar information like the – Time, Date, Battery Indicator, Network, and unlock system. Now the HD2 has three very important differences that I love (^)

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Time, Date, Battery Indicator, Network, and unlock system
2. Calendar info on lock screen^
3. Slider moves left and right giving better one handed operation ^
4. Notification alerts via unlock button – tap shows alert – swipe left or right opens application.^

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Time, Date, Battery Indicator, Network, and unlock system
2. No Calendar info
3. Slider only moves left to right
4. Notification pop-up, once unlocked have to navigate to application manually

For me the HD2 wins this round, just with the Calender info and the ability to go straight to application via notification is a big one for me.

HTC HD2: 1
iPhone 3G: 0

Read more after the break...

TODAY SCREEN

Today Screen

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Time, Date, Battery Indicator, Network, and unlock system
2. Start menu button
3. Large time display
4. Weather, temperature, location updated on time intervals.
5. Calender info – NOTE: Install Co0kie’s Home Tab cab file to give swipe down access to more calendar info.
6. Main tabs 13 – Home, People, Twitter, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Weather, Photos & Videos, Footprints, Internet, Music, Settings, and Stocks. NOTE: With Co0kie’s Home tab allows access to more shot cut icons on the Home Tab with 3x3, 4x4 or 5x5 icon grids with up to 3 pages.
7. Five hardware buttons at bottom – Phone, Home, Menu, Back, Power/ End button.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Time, Date, Battery Indicator, Network, and unlock system
2. No menu button
3. Small time display at taskbar
4. No Weather info on main screen
5. iPhone has no calendar info
6. 11 pages of Apps – 176 icons only, with 4 main apps at the bottom.
7. One hardware button - Home.

With HTC’s aim to make everything flow and be at a fingertip with Sence 2.5, this round again goes to the HD2, just beautiful looking main display, it also helps with the 4.3 inch screen.

HTC HD2: 2
iPhone 3G: 0

CONTACTS

Contacts

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. The HTC has a more finger friendly button to add a new contact and another button at the top right to search.
2. Search: By clicking the search button will give you some further options – you can use a keypad style or hand writing to enter your search contact name.
3. Has photo icons for your contacts.
4. Has 5 main screen buttons – All, Favourites, Groups, Updates & Events (Link to Facebook) & Call History (All). You also get to soft key buttons Back & Menu (Edit Contact, Delete Contact, Send Contact by Message, Save Contact to SIM, Save to My Contact Card, See More Information).
5. Smooth scrolling up & down.
6. Once accessing contacts has more options with 5 on screen buttons – Card, SMS (Send message directly from Contacts), Email (Send email directly from Contacts), Events, Call History.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. The iPhone has a search box at the top with a ‘+’ to add new contacts to the top right.
2. Search: Standard iPhone key pad to search for contact
3. No Photo contacts unless using a 3rd party app.
4. No further main menu options.
5. Smooth scrolling up & down.
6. Only three further onscreen buttons – Text message (takes you out of contacts to message/ SMS apps), Share contact (Email, MMS), Add to Favourites (In phone section).

With so much at my fingertips (yes that word again) the HD2 shines again, giving me so much more power to view, edit and interact with my contacts information, the thing I like is I can send an SMS or email straight from the contacts app without having to leave it. Also the HD2 can Bluetooth my contacts to other handsets. On HD2 you can access your most used contacts via the People tab which gives you 15 photo contacts.

HTC HD2: 3
iPhone 3G: 0

MESSAGES / SMS

Messages / SMS

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. The HTC has a more finger friendly button to create a new message at the top.
2. Has photo icons for your contacts
3. Lists name, Message header, time/ Date. HD2 also has message count (xx).
4. Shows SIM card contacts.
5. Smooth sliding up and down.
6. Shows: Contacts name, photo to top right hand corner, threaded messages with contact and your photo to left hand side, Large text are, Attachment button - Photo, Music, V-Card, Appointment, Slide Show.
7. Once accessing messages has more options with 5 on screen buttons – Card, SMS (Send message directly from Contacts), Email (Send email directly from Contacts), Events, Call History.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Small button to top right hand corner, also edit button to top left.
2. No photos for contacts.
3. Lists name, 2 lines of Message header, time/ Date. No Message count.
4. Does not indicate SIM card contact
5. Smooth sliding up and down.
6. Shows: Back button to Messages top left corner, Contacts name, Edit button top right corner, Call and Contact info buttons above messages, Date and time above messages, Threaded messages two toned Green for you and Grey for contact, Camera button bottom left corner, Small text box with send button bottom right corner.

I must admit I am finding it very hard to sway to the iPhone with this head to head combat. The HD2 just scores high marks again in my view, again just for what is avaliable just with in the messaging app. So far HD2 is 4 up on the iPhone.

HTC HD2: 4
iPhone 3G: 0

INTERNET BROWSER

HD2: Opera 10, iPhone: Safari

Both HD2 and iPhone browsers zoomed in. HD2: tap, iPhone: double tap.

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Large 4.3" WVGA screen (480x800).
2. Address bar and search bar at top.
3. Back, forward, refresh/ cancel, pages & services buttons at the bottom
4. Smooth scrolling
5. Multiple pages.
6. Tap screen to zoom in (Under settings change zoom in to - 60%, 80%, 100%, 120%, 140%, 160% & 200%)
7. Tapping Services: Bookmarks | History | Start Page | Saved Pages | Downloads | Settings | Find in Page | Help | Exit.
8. Settings: Load Images | Opera Turbo | Opera Link | Mobile View | Fullscreen | Zoom | Privacy & Advanced
9. Multitasking: ability to run Opera browser in the background.
10. Downloads: Ability to download to either main memory or SD card (Cab files, RAR Files, Image Files)
11. Flash player - limited ability. (Awaiting Flash Player 10.1)

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. 3.5" screen (480x320).
2. Address bar and search bar at top.
3. Back, forward, Add (Bookmark, to Home Screen, Mail Link), Bookmarks, Pages.
4. Smooth scrolling
5. Multiple pages.
6. Double Tap or Pinch to Zoom.
7. Settings: No settings button via Safari.
8. Have to go out of Safari and go to Settings button to change Safari Settings.
9. Multitasking: None (Multi-tasking to be released with of OS 4.0 update, however iPhone 3G will not have this option due to hardware issues)
10. Downloads: Ability to only download Image Files.
11. Flash player - None.

I feel like I am iPhone bashing or have been taken over by the HD2 bug, but again the HD2 in my personal view still beats the iPhone 3G hands down, I mean come on 4.3" screen, just so much more. I must admit that I am really liking Opera 10 with zoom set at 100%. Another thing I like now is the ability to download .CAB files OTA and install my apps all from the Web Browser.

HTC HD2: 5
iPhone 3G: 0

EMAIL

Email Portrait view.

Email Landscape view.

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Start menu top right corner
2. BCC, CC, From, To, Subject, Body Text.
3. Send, Keyboard, Menu buttons at bottom.
4. Both Portrait and Landscape views.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Cancel, Send buttons at top.
2. To, Cc/Bcc, Subject, Body Text.
3. No buttons, other than Keyboard.
4. Both Portrait and Landscape views.

Not much difference between the iPhone and HD2 in regards to the email clients, the only extra mark that the HD2 gets is that you can access your emails from HTC Sence email tab. So to be fair I will have to award a point each.

HTC HD2: 6
iPhone 3G: 1

NOTES

Notes

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Start menu button at top
2. Notes text body
3. Text, Draw, record voice
4. New Note, Menu
5. Email note.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Notes, Done buttons
2. Notes text body - with Today, Date & Time.
3. Back, eMail, Delete, Forward buttons

I thought this one was going to go the same way as the eMail one above but the HD2 won this round with the added ability to use drawing & voice recording. Its looking like a blood bath here folks.

HTC HD2: 7
iPhone 3G: 1

TWITTER

HD2: HTC Peep, iPhone: Tweetie 2

NOTE: The iPhone does not use a defult or built in Twitter client so using Tweetie 2 as comparison.

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Twitter (Peep) Tab on HTC Sence
2. Tweet entry at top
3. Refresh top right under Tweet entry field
4. Tweet body text
5. All Tweets, Mentions, Direct Messages, Favorites buttons at the bottom.
6. Back & Menu buttons.
7. Tap Tweet: Pop menu - Reply, Send Direct Message, Retweet, Add to Favorites, Show Profile.
8. Tiny URL: Click opens default Browser (Opera 10)

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Accounts and New Tweet buttons at top
2. Tweet body text
3. All Tweets, Mentions, Direct Messages, Search, Settings.
4. No other menu buttons
5. Tap Tweet: Opens Tweet, Menue buttons at bottom: Reply, ReTweet, Favourite, Link (Mail Link, Repost Link, Read Later), Forward (Quote Tweet, Post Link to Tweet, Mail Tweet, Translate).
6. Tiny URL: Opens to browser with in Twiter.

Ok so this one wasn't really head to head with default apps but as I use Twitter a lot decided to add it, now Peep which is HTCs default Twitter client, its not the best Twitter Client but is there by default so no further purchases are required. Now the HD2 does have some other Twitter clients like moTweets, TouchTwit which are more fully featured than Peep. But straight out of the box and getting on Twitter is very fast and easy with the HD2.

UPDATE: Twitter has bought out Tweetie 2 and made it the Official Twitter client for the iPhone and renamed it “Twitter”.

HTC HD2: 8
iPhone 3G: 1

WEATHER

Weather

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. HTC Sense 2.5: Weather in Home Tab & Weather Tab
2. Home Tab: Location, Weather Condition, Current Weather Condition Icon (Animated), Current Temp, High & Low Temp for the Day-Evening.
3. Weather Tab: Top left Current Temp, High Low Temp for the day, Current Weather Icon (Animated), Refreshed time top right, Next 4 day forecast at the bottom.
4. Update & Menu button at bottom.
5. Menu Button:Add Location, Remove Location, Rearrange Locations, Update Now, Fahrenheit , Settings
6. Multiply Cites - Locations - Swipe up & down.
7. Full Animation: Sunny - Shows Sun Rays, Cloudy - Clouds roll across screen, Rain - Shows rain drops on screen and window wiper clears screen of rain, Snow - Shows snowflakes, Thunder Storm - Shows clouds & lightning.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Weather App only
2. Top Shows: Location, High-Low Temps, Current Temp Icon (Non-Animated), Current Temp
3. List view for 5 days, including current day, small weather icons, high & low temps
4. Y! Button: Links to Yahoo! weather (Opens Safari web browser)
5. Info button: Add locations, delete locations, arrange locations, change temp type oF-oC.

Most people will not use the default weather app on the iPhone, my wife uses Pocket Weather for Australia gives so much more info, sorry folks again I am voting for the HD2 and Sense, I love the Animation and with the 1GHz processor the Animation is smooth.

HTC HD2: 9
iPhone 3G: 1

SETTINGS

Settings

HTC HD2 (16GB microSD)
1. Settings Tab: Personalize, Wireless controls, Sound & Display, Data Services, Location, Security, Application, SD Card & Phone Storage, Date & Time, Error Reporting, Other, About Phone.
2. Menu Button in Tab (All Settings): Bluetooth, Home, Clock & Alarms, Lock, Connections (folder), Sounds & Notifications, Personal (folder) , System (folder).
3. Connections (folder): Account Manager, Comm Manager, Advanced Network, Connection Setup, Domain Enroll, Connections, USB to PC, Wi-Fi.
4. Personal (folder): Buttons, Owner Information, Input, Phone.
5. System (folder): About, Certificates, Car Kit Mode, Clear Storage, Encryption, Device Information, External GPS, Location Settings, G-Sensor, Managed Programs, Memory, Power, Remove Programs, Regional Settings, Screen, Uploader.
6. Start Menu & Button: Settings Button - Takes you to Sense Settings Tab.

iPhone 3G 16GB Black
1. Settings Has: Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Carrier, Notifications, Sounds, Brightness, Wallpaper, General, Mail-Contacts-Calendars, Phone, Safari, Messages, iPod, Photos, Store, Settings for installed Apps.

If you are a Power user you love to get your hands on the nuts and bolts of your phone via your settings, in my book there is never too much information at your finger tips. The HD2 enable me to access settings for a wide range of programs and controls. The iPhone does have a nice easy setup but in my book falls way short of giving you control of your phone.

HTC HD2: 10
iPhone 3G: 1

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CONCLUSION

Well that was a very interest look for me 10 to 1 in favour of the HD2, as for all the iPhone fans out there who may think this head to head was a bit more of a WinMo fan boy bashing the iPhone, you will be sorry to hear that in fact for the past year I was bashing WinMo phones and at a drop of a hat would tell people, customers and anyone who would listen to get the iPhone.

I have using WinMo for 9 years before going to the dark side for all of 2009 with the iPhone. WinMo 6.5 (and for some 6.5.3 & 6.5.5) has come a long way from the early years of 2003, WM5, WM6 & WM6.1. We all know that WinMo is not perfect but with the added support of HTC's Sense 2.5 UI it makes it a great tool to use.

With the release of the latest iPhone due in July/August of this year, I would say could put it close to the HD2 but still would not meet and or exceed the capabilities of this mammoth handset. Another phone that I think would give the HD2 a run for its money is none other than another HTC device the HTC Desire running Android 2.1, one of my work mates is a TOTAL WinMo Fan Boy, but when his Diamond decided to kick the bucket, he was given an opportunity to get his hands on the Desire after a few days he now has found that the Desire is a great device, the first thing he liked is the Screen.

Please feel free to add your views, twists on this topic, that’s one of the reasons I like writing these types if Articles it leads to great conversations about people’s views the good, the bad and the ugly to coin a phrase.

Cheers

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Posted in: HD2,iPhone,Review