HTC Rhyme Pro Reviews

It's been a long time since we last saw a phone exclusively targeted at women. Was the Nokia 6600 fold or the Samsung Diva the last ones? Well, if you remember those, you are old enough to remember old jokes how women can't park and men hate advice. We're not so sure about that though. Men don't ask advice but they certainly read gadget reviews. As for the gals, we're sure they can handle gadgets well, even the big bad droids. Speaking of which, the HTC Rhyme is not an Android - it's more like a Fembot. On a serious note, HTC don't like to call it a smartphone, let alone mention Android anywhere in the conversation. However women are clearly the HTC Rhyme's demographic whether HTC admits it or not. Rich in features and generously accessorized, on top of being quite attractive, it will easily connect with its target audience. It doesn't look like a particularly hard one to make either. Decisively similar to the Desire S, the only actual difference being the updated Sense UI, the Rhyme is still keen on offering robust user experience and good performance.

A competent smartphone with some fun accessories, but it's not particularly inspiring.

I really wanted to love the HTC Rhyme -- even though the techie in me wanted to be insulted by the idea of a phone specifically aimed at women, my heart did melt a little when I first opened up the box and saw that sleek purple exterior. The charging cradle, headphones, and call indicator dangle are great additions to the overall package, but unfortunately the phone itself failed to deliver in key areas.Yes it has great battery life and adequate performance, but the camera is somewhat underpowered in the resolution department and the voice quality is extremely disappointing.Now that I've had some time to think about it, I have absolutely nothing against a female-oriented phone -- as long as it delivers. But unfortunately, the Rhyme falls somewhat short of impressing this techie goddess; though for many women who may not be quite as hard to please, the Rhyme may be an intriguing option worthy of closer examination especially if size is an issue.

The HTC Rhyme for Verizon Wireless is certainly a decent phone. It handles most tasks with aplomb, and offers an interesting mix of add-ons to make the experience unique. As far as basics go, the Rhyme has a good screen, decent signal performance, and worked well for voice calls. Battery life was slightly above average for an Android smartphone. The hardware is put together well, and were it not for the microUSB hatch and the non-removable battery, I'd say it's a great piece of kit. Whether or not lavender is your color -- well, only you can answer that one. The Rhyme's messaging prowess is just as good as any other HTC Sense phone, the media capabilities are solid, and the camera does a consistently better-than-average job. Throw in the dock, charm, and headphones, and you could call it the total package. For $199.99, it seems like a bargain, but I am sure some users would prefer to have the accessories available as an option and save $50 on the purchase price of the phone. Would I recommend the Rhyme? Sure, for those looking for an off-the-beaten-path Android experience, it has the right charms to make it an appealing phone (even if it is purple).

While the HTC Rhyme is a stylish version of a phone that's already great in its own right, this mid-range smartphone doesn't bring anything new to the table except a few fancy accessories.

At its most basic level the HTC Rhyme is a nice handset. It's simple design is lovely, it has enough performance to get by, and the included speaker dock is a nice addition. However, the Charm accessory and headphones don't really add much to the package, and given you do pay a small premium for them it becomes hard to recommend this phone. It's a perfectly decent mid-range handset, but no bargain.

The HTC Rhyme is a comfortable, capable Android smartphone that comes with a nice bundle of accessories, but is held back by a lack of 4G and midrange specs.

Overall there isn't much to dislike about HTC Rhyme: it's a solid performer, and despite the aim of cutting down on some of the geekery of HTC Sense, you'll still find it is fully-functional. Sure, there are places where we think it is a little over-engineered, but you certainly get a lot in the HTC Rhyme package. The run of accessories is welcomed, making the HTC Rhyme feel like a complete offering. But at the same time there is nothing that really makes the HTC Rhyme stand out: you'll find better screens, better design and better cameras elsewhere. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S Plus and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S are a similar size but give you more screen space, even if they don't offer such a comprehensive overall package out of the box. But the question still stands: is this a phone only for girls? No, it isn't. There are no moon charts or shopping apps, nothing that stinks of crass stereotyping: it's just a respectable Android mobile phone. The perception of a female identity may well deter male shoppers, but this is really about branding, rather than functionality. Good all-round performance and a battery life that caught us by surprise do the HTC Rhyme credit, but it faces tough competition.

The HTC Rhyme may be targeting women, but this stylish and user friendly smartphone should appeal to a broader market.

Despite the transparent marketing ploy to target women, the HTC Rhyme is a enjoyable device. It's an attractive phone with an intuitive user interface and a sharp camera. The inclusion of the speaker dock, headphones, and Charm give the phone additional functionality, but $199 is a lot to pay for an Android phone that doesn't offer a dual-core processor or 4G data.

Though certain aspects of the phone limit its appeal to a larger audience, the HTC Rhyme is a solid and stylish midrange Android device that comes with some nice accessories.

If you like the plum color, then you should take a look at the HTC Rhyme, as it offers a lot, including the new HTC Sense 3.5 interface, 5MP camera, good call quality and battery life. But we can’t help but think that some people will be turned-off by the plum color, and would not consider the Rhyme because of it, despite it being a good phone otherwise. Because of this, it would be nice if the Rhyme were available in a few other color choices to appeal to a broader audience. Also, with the Rhyme’s current price of $199.99 with a 2-year contract, you might think about going with the HTC ThunderBolt at $249.99 if you are in a 4G area, as you would benefit from the faster data speeds.

This device does exactly what Verizon and HTC have set out to do – create a device that appeals to the feminine side of any smartphone seeker. If they’d have released it in limited numbers at a certain time of the afternoon in only major cities, there’d be hoards of giddy customers tapping away at their old iPhone 3GS units at the doors, just waiting to trade up at the strike of noon. Don’t believe me? Try it out with a special edition bubblegum pink edition, complete with Lady Gaga HeartBeats. You wont be disappointed.