The HTC Legend’s screen is laid down as one of its big selling points. That’s down to it being AMOLED, which should mean it smashes smartphone competitors with less glare, richer colours and enough brightness to signal a starship. But how does it shape up? And is tapping away on the HTC Legend’s touchscreen all it’s cracked up to be? Read our HTC Legend screen review, and we’ll break it down for you.
Read the rest of our HTC Legend review
HTC Legend review: Overall verdict
HTC Legend review: HTC Sense
HTC Legend review: Design and build quality
The HTC Legend boasts a 320×480 AMOLED panel. So far, so geeky, but what you really need to know is it’s a bright, punchy screen, and more colourful than a carnival on acid, and while we can’t deny that pictures look sharp and pretty when you pull them up via the camera, or play them back in the video player, something is amiss here.
See, while we were braced for a bowling over, the HTC Legend’s screen isn’t as stunning as it’s cracked up to be, yes, colours are detailed, but we were really expecting to be wowed by the HTC Legend’s visual prowess. Instead, we can’t really say it’s noticeably better than that on the iPhone 3GS.
HTC Legend review: Design and build
It’s also somewhat hampered by its size. At 3.2-inches, it’s a smidge smaller than the 3.5-inch effort on the iPhone and visibly less capacious than the 3.7-inch number on the Motorola Milestone. Consequently, things can occasionally feel cramped. Not in a debilitating way, but it is something you’ll notice occasionally while zipping around the screen and using different HTC Sense-based apps.
To the touch though, the capacitive touchscreen on the HTC Legend is excellent. It’s not just the addition of pinch to zoom, used most effectively in the Leap feature (see our HTC Legend: HTC Sense review for more on that). It’s also way more tactile than any other phone currently available.
The implementation of haptic feedback is pitch perfect. It’s noticeable, but at last HTC has cracked the winning formula, and avoided it being overpowering. It doesn’t cause frustration, as with some Samsung touchphones, and gives a reassuring buzz that your tap has been registered. It’s short, sharp and doesn’t cause instant annoyance. Quite a coup.
But it’s when you delve beyond the fancy interface, knuckle down to some serious typing and begin using the HTC Legend’s on-screen keyboard you realise just how good the HTC Legend’s screen really is.
It’s the most accurate effort we’ve ever used on a touchscreen Android phone. Mistakes are rare and it isn’s so sensitive as to pick up slight nudges. If you have digits the size of Lincolnshire sausages, you’ll find it a welcome relief.
Compared to that on the Acer Liquid, it’s a revelation. It also beats the iPhone and Motorola Milestone into submission. It’s fast, accurate and reassuringly reliable. The only real issue we have is with the number pad button being on the left hand side of the space bar. We prefer it on the right, but you can call us picky.
In short, the HTC Legend is an erratic affair. The touchscreen keyboard is amazing, the touchscreen tech peerless, but while gawping at snaps and watching video, its AMOLED display left us strangely disappointed. It’s not that it’s awful, just that we hoped it would be world beating, just like the rest of the phone.
Read the rest of our HTC Legend review
HTC Legend review: Overall verdict
HTC Legend review: HTC Sense
HTC Legend review: Design and build quality
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