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HTC Rezound: pictures, video, hands-on impressions

HTC Rezound: pictures, video, hands-on impressions

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We've just spent a few minutes with HTC's Rezound for Verizon, the high-spec handset rumored for the past few months as the Vigor.

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HTC Rezound
HTC Rezound

We've just spent a few minutes with HTC's Rezound for Verizon, the high-spec handset rumored for the past few months as the Vigor. Let's just cut to the chase: this is a beefy phone. As they did on the Sensation, HTC employs a trick in which it rounds the edges of the device to give the appearance (and feel) that it's a little less thick than it actually is, but the trick works with less dramatic effect here — there's just no lying about a shell this deep (13.65mm, according to the official fact sheet). The rear cover has a pretty pronounced non-stick effect; I wouldn't call it straight-up rubber, but needless to say, it's not going to slip out of your hands.

Fans of Verizon's HTC Incredible and Incredible 2 — both quite popular, well-liked phones — will be pleased to see that the Rezound has a similar set of graduated edges along the back. It's a nice effect if you're into phones that scream "technology!" but it may not be the best option if you're looking for something that prioritizes style and subtlety over raw power. In fact, it definitely isn't. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

And what about that 720p display? At a glance it's simply gorgeous, as you might expect. If you're familiar with the level of clarity and smoothness you get from the iPhone 4 and 4S, the Rezound is in the same class — the pixel density is essentially the same — and it'll blow your mind at this screen size. Of course, a screen this large isn't for everyone, but fans of devices in the 4.3- to 5-inch range will feel right at home here. (We can't wait to put it side-by-side with a Galaxy Nexus, which also features 720p resolution.)

The software's Gingerbread (for now, though an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is forthcoming) with Sense 3.5 — HTC's latest skin — though it's got a different homescreen look than the Rhyme; it's more akin to what we're used to seeing in Sense 3.0 devices. At any rate, this may very well be the fastest, smoothest Sense UI we've seen; the browser felt a little laggy, but otherwise, the 1.5GHz Snapdragon seems to be pulling its weight.

We haven't had a chance to put the Rezound's LTE radio through its paces yet, but we're working on it as a part of our review — along with a detailed look at the software, which is running Sense 3.5 (which debuted in the Rhyme) atop Gingerbread. Stay tuned!

HTC Rezound hands-on

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