HTC Titan II Pro Reviews

The HTC Titan II is a very good Windows Phone handset that excels in a number of ways, from the stellar (and bulging) camera to its smooth interface performance and solid battery life. But to answer the above question: it's tough to give the HTC Titan II the nod over the striking Lumia 900 at twice the on-contract price. The two handsets are similar in many ways, but the cheaper Nokia handset is not only very capable, but also looks and feels impressive, while the Titan II is just a solid revision of a past release. At a cheaper price, it's worth a look – but as things stand, this stellar Windows Phone plays second fiddle to Nokia's headline option.

Overall, we have very few qualms with the HTC Titan II. Despite its clumsier design, it certainly has more to offer than its predecessor, which was already considered a great phone when it was released on AT&T a scant five months ago (six months if you count the European launch). But is there any reason to fork out $200 for a Windows Phone that has roughly the same feature set as the less expensive Nokia Lumia 900, which is getting subsidized beyond our wildest dreams? Unless you're a camera enthusiast, we think your money could be put to better use elsewhere.

There are things to like about the Titan II, but it has two fatal flaws: an operating system that’s still a cycle behind... and the competition. If you're in the market for a smartphone, be sure Windows Phone is the OS you need. At the moment it’s still in its infancy, and well behind iOS and Android in some key areas. Unless you're absolutely committed to a still-growing platform, you might be better off with the iPhone 4 or 4S, or waiting for HTC's own One X to arrive on AT&T. If you're sold on Windows Phone, however, it's still tough to recommend the Titan II; because of Microsoft's stringent requirements, there's little difference in performance from phone to phone. That means it's all about the hardware, and the Lumia 900's build quality and design simply blow the Titan II out of the water. The Lumia also has a number of good Nokia-specific apps available that you can't get on the Titan, like Drive and Transit. The Titan II’s camera is certainly better than the Lumia’s, but it’s not superior enough to make the Titan II a more appealing option — especially given that it costs an extra $100 over the $99 Nokia handset. AT&T has a number of compelling phones, and the Titan II just isn’t one of them.

If you're a huge fan of HTC, large 4.7 inch screens with lower pixel densities, LTE, the Windows Phone operating system, and want bragging rights with a 16 megapixel camera, then the Titan II might be worth the extra money. If it was the same price as the Lumia 900, then the Titan II would be much more competitive. Still the Titan II is a great Windows Phone, but it's disappointing that HTC will probably not put as much marketing muscle behind it compared to what Nokia is doing with their Lumia 900.

In the end, the HTC Titan II is a tiny bit of a let down. I was expecting better. Aside from perhaps being a bit on the heavy side, the Titan II's hardware is fine. The display looks good and calls sound great. However, the waffle-y LTE 4G signal performance and poor 4G battery life leave me with some reservations. The user interface is owned by Microsoft, and that means the Titan II offers a consistent experience when compared to other Windows Phones. It is speedy, powerful, and offers plenty of tools for managing your communications, photos, media, and other apps/services. HTC did nothing special or extraordinary with the software on this device to make it stand apart from other Windows Phones. In fact, it did far less than Nokia to enhance the user experience. The camera, though, is the biggest disappointment. I mean, it's good, but when you buy into the whole "16-megapixel camera, dude!" concept, you expect better performance. In sum, the Titan II isn't going to sink like the Titanic - not by any means - but it's a hard call between the Lumia 900 and the Titan II. I'd recommend fans of Windows Phone go to an AT&T store and play with both in order to make the best decision.

The HTC Titan II offers arguably the best hardware, found in a Windows Phone smartphone. Its 16MP camera unit and LTE network connectivity might even sway a few users away from devices, running on competing platforms. After all, Microsoft has been working hard to expand the Windows Phone ecosystem, with the Marketplace expanding on an hourly basis. Furthermore, like a typical HTC, the Titan II is superbly well put together. Even the most nitpicking users will have a hard time finding anything to frown at. The handset's measures are also a pleasant surprise. The phone is quite light, given its massive physical proportions. Of course, not everything about the smartphone is perfect. Its design is ageing quickly, now that the One Series has been released by HTC. The same goes for the smartphone's hardware. Given the recent controversy, surrounding the future updates to Windows Phone Apollo, locking yourself up with a two-year contract to have the Titan II (or any other current Windows Phone device for that matter) might be something to think over quite carefully.

You must have noticed by now that, despite quite a few similarities, the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II have developed some quite different characters. The Lumia 900 wins the design contest. It is far more likely to turn heads than the generic looking Titan II. Build quality is top notch too, and so is the ClearBlack AMOLED display. The latter is possibly the best way to enjoy the Windows Phone OS. Our only grievance here is the slightly cheap and flimsy feel of the Lumia's hardware buttons. The Nokia will also last longer on a single charge than the HTC. The HTC Titan II on the other hand, is lighter, while being just as solidly built. Its bigger screen is likely to find some followers, despite its lower pixel density. It is also better equipped in the software department out of the box. The camera comparison is a rather curious tie between the two devices. The Lumia 900 takes better still photos. The HTC Titan II on the other hand, captures much better 720p videos, where the constant autofocus is not that big of a nuisance like in the case of the Nokia. With the Nokia Lumia 900 enjoying massive coverage, and costing half as much as the HTC Titan II, it is easy to guess that it will outsell its rival by quite a margin. This doesn't mean however, that the Titan II is not a good Windows Phone handset - it easily stacks up to the Lumia, and even does better than it on more than one occasion.

The HTC Titan 2 is the largest phone I've reviewed, and it definitely has its charms. Yes, the screen is fuzzy at times, and the video recording may not be the best, but the Titan 2's LTE connectivity and excellent picture-taking capabilities more than make up for those faults. If you think the phone is too big (and some people may feel that way), I recommend looking at the Nokia Lumia 900 instead; its camera may not be as good, but it will still give you a nice, big helping of Windows Phone goodness.

Whether you want a device with such a big screen will be a decision only you can make. The HTC Titan II certainly delivers one of those and if you think the Nokia Lumia 900 is big, this will seem even bigger. While the Titan II isn't as cool looking, nor does it come with as many "free" apps bolted on as the Nokia devices, we do like the Titan II if you've got the money to spare over the heavily discounted Nokia Lumia 900. The performance is great, the design, while a little "old", is still strong and solid, and the camera really does perform well. Should you buy it instead of the Nokia Lumia 900? Sadly for HTC it's still playing second fiddle here to Nokia, and that's a shame. HTC Watch, while great, can easily be replaced with other streaming services. While the in-camera features aren't enough to really make it that much different to the Lumia 900, especially given the more expensive price tag. If you want a big-screened Windows Phone 7 device, we suspect that while the HTC Titan II offers what you'll want, you'll end up plumping for the Lumia 900.

The HTC Titan II is a good but not great Windows Phone, as its high-end camera doesn't perform up to expectations.

Here you’ve got a device that takes everything great about Windows Phone and places it on the most high-quality gigantic device in the field. HTC knows what they’re doing when it comes to delivering top-class smartphones, the HTC One series for Android is proof of that. This device isn’t quite as premium as the HTC One series, as it turns out, but it’s certainly one of the nicest all-round Windows Phones on the market. You’ll have quite a time choosing between the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II – and you’ll want to hold both of them before you pop your credit card out. The Titan isn’t as iconic as the Lumia, but it’s got its high points. HTC is here for the long haul with Windows Phone, and the experience they’ve delivered here does more justice to Microsoft’s vision for smartphones than any that have come before.

As we reach the end of our comparison, the last piece to the puzzle that stands in the way of proclaiming a winner is pricing. Admittedly, it’s hard not to like the $99.99 on-contract price attached to the Nokia Lumia 900. In fact, it’s the main reason why it stands out so much, as it consciously coughs up that perfect balance of quality performance and impeccable design. Sure, you can pay the extra money to get the HTC Titan II for $199.99 on-contract, which is still a great smartphone in many ways, but the thing you’ll be gaining is a handset that’s better equipped for shooting photos. If you can somehow live with the results produced by the Nokia Lumia 900’s camera, we’d recommend it any day of the week – plus, you’ll be saving a cool $100 at the same time!

In the end the HTC Titan II is a decent upgrade to the original Titan, but it is less an upgrade and more a refresh. It is good to see HTC continue its string of 4G firsts by having one of the first AT&T LTE Windows Phone devices, and the bump to 16MP on the camera produced noticeably better videos than the original Titan did. Still, the improvements are incremental, so if you purchased the Titan recently don’t feel too left out. Everything we liked about the original carries over to the new device to go along with these improvements. Since they cannot leave their mark with software, HTC does a good job of delivering impressive hardware on the Titan II.

Under most other circumstances, the $199.99 HTC Titan II would be a strong challenger to even robust Android machines. Its 16-megapixel camera certainly sets it apart from the field of typical smartphones with standard 8MP sensors, on paper at least. These aren't ordinary times, however, especially with Nokia making an overtly aggressive, and some say last-ditch, WP7 push. And at just $99, the Nokia Lumia 900 has a more attractive screen, similar performance, fast LTE 4G, the same Windows UI, and a pretty good camera. What's more, it looks a heck of a lot more interesting.