HTC Rhyme Android Phone Review
My first introduction to HTC products was in August. HTC sent me a Flyer tablet to review and use at Blogher. Then I was invited to attend a private informal session at Blogher with a handful of fantastic bloggers. We participated in a discussion about our collective vision of the perfect phone.
We are an exclusively Apple/Mac household however both my husband and I like Google products and are curious about the Android operating system. The Rhyme runs on Android's 2.3 'Gingerbread' operating system. I enjoyed exploring the "Market" and shopping for apps. I love the extensive offerings due to Google's support of third-party developers. One thing about Apple that has always bugged me is the difficulty the company's secrecy can pose to developers. Sometimes they ban or delay apps for seemingly weird reasons and that can be a bummer.
The phone is beautiful and light. The 3.7 inch, 400x800 resolution touchscreen screen resists smudges well, is clear and easy for a blind old lady such as myself to use without my glasses on, and is very intuitive. The keyboard is great and works for really small fingers (me, I have little monkey hands) and large fingers (my giant husband) alike. One of my favorite things about HTC products is the slight vibration feature when typing. It is little thing that makes a big difference to me by helping me cut down on spelling mistakes.
The camera is fantastic and the picture quality is better than I had expected. 5 mega pixels, autofocus, and more. Video was great too. Oh! and it serves as a mobile hotspot. I am a big fan of hotspots. I wish I was a hotspot. I hate being without internet access. The battery life is perfect. No complaints there.
Here is what got me really excited about this phone:
Tangle free headphones: Self-explanatory. My headphones are always a hot mess.
Charm call indicator: It lights up when you receive a text or phone call. Think about this. Do you know how many times a day I misplace my phone inside my huge handbag or stroller basket? The indicator is a HUGE help. Huge.
There is a freaking dock that comes with the phone. I am sorry but that is cool. It serves as a charger, alarm clock, and external speakers. I fell in love.
I work hard at keeping my reviews critical and honest. I did not find anything to dislike with this phone or else I would share it with you. It is awesome. Perhaps if it was my forever phone a few things would pop up but during the time period I had to write the review I was blown away.
The HTC Rhyme is clean, simple, and impressive in its ability to take former nuisances (phone getting lost in my purse, can't hear music well from phone because I don't own a dock, etc.) and turn them into fantastic features. If you are looking for a new phone or giving one as a gift for Holidays head to Verizon and check out the HTC Rhyme. You will love it.