HTC Titan Pro Reviews

The HTC Titan puts Windows Phone 7.5 into an enormous chassis, and the big screen has its advantages. However, there’s no Flash or external memory support, and the operating system lacks some key features found on other handsets here.

For some the HTC Titan will simply be too large. For others, the lack of Flash may be the killer blow. Windows Phone 7.5 is certainly an advance on its predecessor, though, and if you like the way it emphasises content over apps you could be won over.

If you're not afraid to have something 4.7 inches in your pants, yes. If you want the most visually pleasing birthing of the most visually pleasing smartphone UI out there, yes. If you want something more compact and battery-conscious—and that's OK!—probably not. But the Titan is more than just a gimmick phone. Unlike its Android peers that point at their AMOLED crotches and grin, HTC's big boy isn't big for the sake of its size. Windows Phone sings at this size. There's a reason supermodels are tall.

The HTC Titan is the king of the Windows Phone 7 Mango hill at the moment. It offers an excellent array of features, all-around good performance, and a few items that set it ahead of the pack. For example, the industry-leading 4.7-inch display is second-to-none in terms of size, and the performance is on par with the Super AMOLED displays from Samsung. The industrial design is appealing, and despite the device's size, it still feels good to use. The wireless performance across several networks was good, and phone calls sounded good. Perhaps the biggest chink in the Titan's armor is battery life, which I found to be lacking. On the communications and media side of things, the Titan offers all the tools that are on other smartphones: email, social networking, messaging, and contacts/calendar support. Its media prowess -- thanks in part to App Connect -- is excellent and visually appealing. The camera and video camera perform extremely well, and the results are sure to please most users. The HTC Titan is a terrific phone in almost all respects. Looking to out-power your smartphone-using friends? The Titan is the totally tubular tech gadget to tout over your friends' tiny telephones.

Although it’s not as heavy or as thick as a big phone could be, you’re never going to lose the HTC Titan in a pocket. Still, it’s handsome, speedy and shows off the capabilities Windows Phone 7 OS in its current Mango flavour. Indeed, it appears that the HTC Titan is more of a statement phone, made for those who like to go large.

Collectively, second-generation Windows Phones are in limited supply as of right now, but thankfully the HTC Titan is here to get things rolling for the fledging mobile platform. Showcasing its larger than life presence, thanks to its unbelievably large display, the Titan is definitely a captivating handset on its own, but more importantly, it stands above most Windows Phones we’ve been checking out of late. When you compare it to the existing crop of Windows Phone Mango devices, it’s absolutely something that stand out prominently. For $199.99 on-contract, it’s undoubtedly a fitting price point that will appease those who are tinkering on the idea of moving into a Windows Phone of some sort. However, if you haven't decided on the OS yet, there are lots of competitive Android phones. For example, AT&T offers the 4.5” HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, plus there is a bunch of 4.3” phones. And, if you are looking for a really big screen, the Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65” one with 720p resolution, and comes with the awesome Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but you'll have to wait a bit, because it's still not offered by U.S. carriers Stateside.

Of all the different handsets that pass through our hands, many are good, some are bad, but there's only very few that surprise us. The Titan can certainly count itself among that standout minority, thanks to the way its oversized display, superb camera and overall build quality jibe so well with the generally slick and wonderful Windows Phone OS. Not all the surprises are positive, though. The WVGA panel delivers poor pixel density, the 16GB of flash storage is inexplicably non-expandable and the lack of apps and occasional bugginess of the OS may all be bothersome, depending on your priorities and temperament. Perhaps there's an argument for waiting to see what Nokia has in store for us -- those guys also know a thing or two about design, and Nokia World is just ten days away. However, if you're ready to make room in your pocket for a phone this big, and room in your heart for a fledgling OS that occasionally requires some patience, then you will love the Titan.

HTC don’t need to prove anything to anyone when it comes to Windows smartphones. They’ve just come a full circle from the TyTN II to the Titan. There have been enough opportunities for them to demonstrate their commitment. From PocketPC to Mango, Microsoft’s mobile OS has been forced to evolve to serve a new market. Smartphones used to only be relevant to corporate users – they’re now a lifestyle.

It's always easy to review a Windows Phone 7 device; you know what to expect in terms of software (thanks to the extremely limited freedom OEMs have when customizing the software), so it comes down to hardware and finding a form factor that works for you. For those looking for a smartphone that can handle web browsing and gaming with ease, plus can show off photos and video on a glorious 4.7" display, the HTC Titan is a fantastic choice. It's just too bad the camera under-performs.

The HTC Titan is a solid and well-built offering for those looking to jump ship to the Windows Phone OS. It has a large 4.7-inch display that makes it a treat to watch videos, though pixel density is not the greatest due to the WVGA resolution. Don't be deterred by the lack of a dual-core processor, as the 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor did its job just fine. It offers decent HSPA+ speeds and we applaud the fluid feel of Windows Phone's user interface. I'm also impressed with the quality of the phone's 8-megapixel rear camera, and the fact that there's a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. At $199, the Titan is a tough sell against powerful Android competitors, but I hope there are those who are willing to give it a chance.

True to its form over the past couple of years, HTC has delivered another thoroughly competent device with the Titan. Build quality is as good as — if not better than — any other phone in the company’s recent portfolio, while the improvements in Mango have pulled Windows Phone 7 right up alongside the best in the mobile business in a number of important aspects. The Titan’s 4.7-inch Super-LCD is a major step forward for watching video on your phone, though that move probably shouldn’t have been made without a commensurate increase in resolution. Ergonomics issues do arise due to the Titan’s sheer size. Only a limited demographic, likely dominated by professional basketball players, will find this smartphone a perfect fit, with most of the rest of us struggling to adapt to its atypical dimensions. App-crazy smartphone users might also be better off looking elsewhere, as the Windows Phone Marketplace still has some catching up to do to match its more illustrious and mature competitors. Ultimately, the verdict on the Titan depends on your priorities: if multimedia consumption is paramount for you and the idea of a more limited third-party app selection and a little extra bulk in your pocket doesn’t fill you with dread, the Titan’s an easy recommendation.

We’re seriously impressed by Windows Phone 7.5, and if you're willing to take the plunge the HTC Titan's huge screen makes it an ideal showcase for the OS.

The HTC Titan is possibly one of the most exciting Windows Phone 7 handsets yet, and raises the bar for the platform once more. With its 1.5GHz processor, 4.7 inch display, and fancy new camera, the Titan shows off HTC's prowess as one of the worlds leading smartphone manufacturers.

The HTC Titan reminds us of quite how enjoyable Windows Phone is to use. It's quick, intuitive and stylish. However, this phone also makes us realise quite how silly the trend for ever-expanding smartphone screens is. This is undoubtedly a great phone, but for most people it'll be just that bit too big.

The HTC Titan certainly lives up to its name. It's a big beast but also has the ability to make itself feel like it means business without taking over your pocket space. The screen is amazing and (minus Flash), we love the internet experience. Windows Phone 7.5 has a very glossy look and a lot of attention to detail has gone into getting that right.

The Titan is a phone of surprises. The big display leads you to expect a similarly impressive resolution, but HTC doesn’t deliver that; on the flip-side, it also leaves you cautious about battery life, but the Titan had no trouble there. Windows Phone is still a relatively new OS, but with the Mango update it’s already impressive. We know some still aren’t keen on the pared down UI, but Microsoft’s design language is consistent and a welcome change from what quickly seem over-stylized competing platforms.

Look past the features, the improved specs, and the new Mango update and the big question is whether that screen really is too big. Those who enjoy consuming media are going to love it. If you read a lot, watch a lot, play games a lot, surf the web a lot, you are definitely going to benefit here. Our wish list for improvements? Higher resolution and perhaps just a touch smaller.