The HTC Desire S may not have been crafted out of adamantium, but it’s the very next best thing: a unibody aluminium mobile, carved out of a block of metal. This unique method of birthing a blower has given it the power of super strength, but it’s not lacking in any other department.
Read on and join us on a journey as we explore how the HTC Desire S’ desirable looks, durable build and software skills combine to make the strong man of smartphones.
The Man Of Steel
Well, mobile. And well, not steel, but one better: aluminium. The material you might be used to seeing on pricey laptops has been put to good use by HTC, refashioning last year’s already attractive Desire into a single, solid hunk of a handset. There are no front and back panels on the HTC Desire S, just a continuous surface, and it looks bloomin’ gorgeous.
It’s not just about looks however: the overhauled design process means the frame becomes the support for the screen, the parts, everything. It’s an exoskeleton of sorts, and it means the HTC Desire S is super strong, with no weaknesses – Kryptonite ain’t got nothing on it. We’ve gone into much more detail about the process and history of unibody forging, so be sure to check out our feature for all the details.
Bullet speed
The HTC Desire S is no lumbering slugger of a mobile however: it’s more Silver Surfer than Juggernaut thanks to its top notch innards. At its beating core is a second generation Snapdragon processor clocked at 1GHz, and it’s paired with a hearty 768MB of RAM.
What that means for you is a blazingly fast experience running Android on the HTC Desire S. Web pages pop up on its sharp WVGA 3.7-inch touchscreen before you can say “Jiminy Jilickers”; video shot at 720p HD resolution on its five megapixel camera come out crisp and flicker free, and you’ll have no trouble firing up the latest, most graphically intensive games. You can find out more about the HTC Desire S’ Mach speed performance in our guide right here.
Super senses
Because the HTC Desire S is crammed full of all the latest sensors, it’s hyper aware of everything around it. With GPS inside, you can check into locations on your social network of choice automatically; a compass makes sure you’re looking in the right direction when you fire up maps; it’ll silence when you flip it over, or ring louder when it’s in your bag so you hear it. There’s even a front facing camera for video chat, if the urge takes you. If it seems like the HTC Desire S has thought of everything, it’s because it’s as close to omniscient as a smartphone gets right now: check out five of the Herculean feats you can pull off using these sensors.
Super software
The HTC Desire S also masks Android with its own software that gives Google’s operating system newfound powers. It’s called HTC Sense, and it’s seriously savvy. HTC’s pushed Android key cloud computing services to the next level, seamlessly connecting your phonebook (and Gmail) contacts with your Facebook friends and Twitter idols, and providing its own mapping service, Locations, which works even without 3G connection. Plus, should you lose your phone, you can even track it down using Phone Finder: it’s like a Bat Signal in your browser, and one the dastardly villain who lifted it won’t see.
Read more about the HTC Desire S
HTC Desire S: Super-sonic speed shows off Android’s true potential
HTC Desire S: Unibody super strength explained
HTC Desire S: Five Herculean feats to show off its super-sensors
