The Best of Both Phone, and TabletHTC Rezound (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: HTC Part number: REZOUNDVZW
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While it may have a hefty build, the HTC Rezound's beautiful display, commendable performance, and multimedia-rich features make it a top phone for Verizon customers.
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CNET editors' review
HTC Rezound (Verizon Wireless) price range: $99.99 - $199.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 11/11/2011
The good: The HTC Rezound has a gorgeous 4.3-inch 720p HD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and Verizon's 4G/LTE speeds. It ships with a pair of Beats earbuds along with a Beats Audio algorithm designed to enhance audio quality.
The bad: The HTC Rezound is quite bulky and call quality could be better. The Beats Audio software can only be toggled in the Music app.
The bottom line: While it may have a hefty build, the HTC Rezound's beautiful display, commendable performance, and multimedia-rich features make it a top phone for Verizon customers.
CNET Senior Editor Donald Bell contributed to the Beats Audio portion of this review.
The HTC Rezound is one of three hot new Android handsets headed to Verizon this holiday season--the other two are the superskinny Motorola Droid Razr and the Google-approved Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It's an embarrassment of riches for Verizon customers: they're all top-of-the-line phones with dual-core processors, support for Verizon's 4G LTE network, and features galore.
What sets the Rezound apart from its brethren, however, is that it is the first U.S.-bound handset with Beats Audio Technology, which HTC developed after it bought a majority stake in Dr. Dre's Beats Electronics. The phone ships with a pair of Beats Audio earbuds that are supposedly worth around $100 on their own. When they are plugged into the Rezound, the phone will instantly recognize them as Beats earbuds and the user will then be able to boost the sound via a special Beats Audio algorithm.
The Rezound is a rather hefty phone, but it's also blessed with an amazing 720p HD display that showcases HTC's attractive Sense 3.5 user interface. It sits atop the Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread OS, but HTC has promised that Ice Cream Sandwich will be available for the Rezound "early next year." It also boasts an impressive 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 sensor, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, 1080p HD video capture, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and of course support for Verizon's 4G LTE network.
Design
Out of all the 4G LTE handsets we've handled, the Rezound is probably the bulkiest. At 5.08 inches tall by 2.58 inches wide by 0.54 inch thick, the Rezound is undeniably beefy, and at 5.78 ounces, it's not that light either. The flip side to such heft is that it feels fairly solid in the hand. Clad in a matte soft-touch material similar to the coating on the Incredible and the Incredible 2, the Rezound has rounded corners and a topographic back cover that adds character to an otherwise simple slab. There's a wide island of ridges on the back to help with grip. The narrow bezel and tapered edges helped our small hands hold the phone without much discomfort.
Similarly to the first Droid Incredible, the insides of the phone are red, which complements the phone's red and black coloring. Sure, no one will notice it unless the cover is taken off, but we appreciate HTC's attempt at making the phone beautiful inside and out. HTC carries the touch of red to other parts of the phone, like the ring around the camera lens, the speaker grille, the touch sensor lights, and the wired cord of the Beats earbuds. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Beats logo has the same color scheme as well, and is prominently placed on the battery cover.
All eyes will likely focus on the Rezound's stunning 4.3-inch Super LCD display instead, however. The display boasts 1,280x720-pixel resolution, which places it at 720p HD quality. Frankly, it's simply gorgeous. Images and text are buttery-smooth, with amazing clarity and vivid colors to boot. The colors look almost painted on. Video looks luscious on such a generous screen size, and browsing the Web is a treat.
The capacitive touch screen felt very responsive, thanks to the Rezound's 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor. There's a slight lag when scrolling through the browser, but on the whole, we were pleased with the snappiness we experienced when swiping and tapping. It offers pinch-to-zoom as well as a built-in accelerometer, light sensor, and proximity sensor. The LCD display does wash out slightly under the bright sunlight.
Like the HTC Rhyme, the HTC Rezound runs HTC Sense 3.5. This includes a new lock screen that provides instant access to four of your favorite apps--simply slide the appropriate shortcut over the metal ring and it'll launch immediately. Other welcome improvements include a three-dimensional home screen carousel, refined widgets, and the ability to add and remove home screen panels--you can have up to seven home screens overall. The main menu is divided into all apps, frequently used apps, downloaded apps, and Verizon apps.
Beneath the display are the usual four touch-sensitive controls for the home, menu, back, and search functions. On the right spine is the volume rocker, while the Micro-USB charging port is on the left. The Micro-USB port doubles as an MHL (Mobile High-definition Link) port that you can hook up to an HDMI adapter. The 3.5mm headset jack sits on top. The front-facing 2-megapixel camera is located on the upper-right corner of the display and the rear 8-megapixel sits on the back along with the LED flash.
Beats Audio experience
The Monster Beats brand has found its way into this phone in two ways. First, there's the included pair of Monster Beats in-ear headphones. These headphones come with all the expected Beats branding, red cable, and multiple ear fittings, as well as on-cable track control buttons and a microphone for taking calls. They sound great, though we wouldn't confuse their flimsy design with Monster's more durable $149 Dr. Dre Tour in-ear headphones.
The second part of HTC's Beats infusion is a software button that toggles a sound enhancement effect on and off. The enhancement boosts the audio's volume, the bass is deepened, and the audio simply sounds rounder and fuller. This button is accessible from the notifications pull-down while you're playing music in the stock Music app, but, oddly, the button isn't available in other multimedia apps, including Google's own Music app (a separate but worthwhile download). Still, the Beats enhancements seem to carry over sonically to any running multimedia app, but only the stock Music player will afford you the displeasure of hearing the enhancement disengaged.
If you're buying this phone strictly on the basis of its superior sound quality, you may want to reconsider. Any comparable smartphone will be able to step up to this same sound quality with an investment in some high-grade headphones, which you'll probably end up buying anyhow, since the included headphones use a cable design that seems designed to fail.
Features
The HTC Rezound ships with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, which brings plenty of user interface improvements to Android 2.2 Froyo before it. As with all Android phones, the Rezound has support for Google's array of apps and services, many of which are preinstalled on the phone. They include Gmail, Google Talk, Google Search with Voice, Google Maps with Navigation, Google Books, Places, Latitude, and YouTube. Essential smartphone tools are also present, such as the usual phone and PIM tools like a calendar, an alarm clock, a calculator, a task manager, a to-do list, voice command support, and a speakerphone.
In addition to the Rezound's support for 4G LTE (which we'll get to in the Performance section), the phone has other connectivity features like Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and Wi-Fi. You can use the Rezound as a mobile hot spot for up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices, but bear in mind that the mobile hot-spot option costs around $20 extra per month. As we mentioned earlier, you can use an MHL-to-HDMI adapter to hook the phone up to an HD television. The Rezound also supports 5.1 surround sound and SRS Wow HD surround when hooked up to your home theater. You can also send your media wirelessly to a DLNA-compatible television.
HTC and Verizon have packed the Rezound with plenty of preinstalled apps, which some might characterize as bloatware. They include Amazon.com's Kindle app, Blockbuster, Facebook, Footprints, Friend Stream, Hot Pursuit, Let's Golf 2, Polaris Office, Scan (a QR code scanner), Slacker radio, Video Surf, NFL Mobile, My Verizon Mobile, Mobile IM, V Cast Music, V Cast Videos, and VZ Navigator. There's also Visual Voicemail, which costs $2.99 a month. Unfortunately there's no option to uninstall these apps.
Like other HTC smartphones, the Rezound ships with HTC Watch, HTC's video download and rental service. You can rent or purchase TV shows and movies. Rental prices range from $2.99 to $3.99, while purchase prices range from around $8.99 to $14.99 for movies. We weren't able to check TV show prices with our review unit.
The HTC Rezound ships with the standard Android music player, which isn't a bad thing. The music is sorted via artist, album, and genre, and you can create and edit your own playlists. The phone comes with 16GB of onboard memory along with a 16GB preinstalled microSD card for you to store your music on. It supports up to 32GB cards if you want even more space.
Another notable feature of the Rezound is its 8-megapixel camera. It inherits the camera of the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide, with its f/2.2 and 28mm wide-angle lens with a BSI (backside-illuminated) sensor. The BSI sensor is there to improve the camera's performance in low-light conditions, and purports to improve the image's dynamic range. There's also a dual-LED flash for the darkest conditions. The camera has tons of features like automatic face detection, panorama mode, and burst shot. You can read our review of the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide for more on the camera's features.
Picture quality on the whole was very good. Images of the great outdoors were crisp and bright, with vibrant colors. Low-light photos were sharp enough, but they seemed a little dimmer than we would like. Shutter speed was a bit inconsistent--at times we would get no shutter lag, while there were times when it would hesitate a little before snapping a photo. The camera can also record 1080p HD video. We weren't able to give the camcorder a full spin, but the short video clips that we captured looked good--we noticed very little blur or pixelation.
Performance
We tested the HTC Rezound in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless. Call quality was average. On our end, callers sounded decent enough, with good volume and clear voice quality. We did detect the occasional static hiccup in the background, but it was not distracting.
Callers could hear us loud and clear as well, but they said our voice quality was heavily distorted, and did not sound natural at all. They also heard odd audio fluctuations in the background at times. In speakerphone mode, callers said we sounded distant and soft, and we had to speak up more often than not.
HTC Rezound call quality sample
Listen now:
We were very impressed with the data speeds exhibited on the HTC Rezound. Using Ookla's Speedtest.net app, we averaged download speeds of around 18Mbps and upload speeds of around 9Mbps. We loaded CNET's mobile page in 6 seconds and the full CNET home page in 14 seconds. We streamed YouTube videos in high quality with almost no buffering. The 1.5GHz dual-core processor resulted in zippy navigation, and we launched most apps without lag. The accelerometer took barely a second to kick in, and multitasking felt seamless.
The HTC Rezound has a 1,620mAH battery. We'll have to run more tests to judge its actual talk time. Anecdotally, however, the battery seems to drain fairly quickly after a solid few hours of playing music, surfing the Web, and streaming video.
According to the FCC, the HTC Rezound has a digital SAR of 0.427 watt per kilogram.
Conclusion
The HTC Rezound definitely holds its own against the other two Android superphones from Verizon. It has an amazing HD display, an impressive 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4G LTE speeds, a great camera, and plenty of multimedia features, and it ships with a nice pair of earbuds even if they don't seem the most durable. The Beats Audio software does boost the sound quality, but we're not sure if that should be the sole reason for purchasing the Rezound. We're also suspicious of its battery life, and its hefty build might put off those who want a slimmer handset. Yet, its powerful features and unique design could be enough for you to drop $299.99 after a two-year agreement for it.
User reviews
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State of the Art!
by JasonCoats on December 21, 2011
Pros: + The Rezound is pretty zippy, with a 1.5 GHz dual core processor
+ Screen: It is beautiful and incredibly clear and realistic
+ Camera on the Rezound is fantastic!
+ Call quality is very good
+ LTE signal is strong and consistently fast for meCons: - Rezound gets really hot when playing certain games!
- Ringtone and notification volume seems rather low even with volume setting on maxSummary: I don't know which is more impressive, the hTC Rezound or Verizon's 4G LTE network. I switched from the hTC EVO 4G on Sprint to this phone and ...
Summary: I don't know which is more impressive, the hTC Rezound or Verizon's 4G LTE network. I switched from the hTC EVO 4G on Sprint to this phone and the difference couldn't possibly be more dramatic.
Display:
Physically, the phones are a similar size. These large format smartphones take some getting used to, from carrying them in your pocket to the fine art of one-handed touchscreen action where you stretch your thumb across the screen. The Rezound actually sits well in my pocket and once you get spoiled with the larger display, it is nearly impossible to use any other phone without squinting and thinking "this thing is too small!".
The pixel density is outstanding and colors are good. Not quite SAMOLED but still very good. With this resolution, I was worried about the lag I had been reading about, particularly with the latest hTC Sense. I did notice the occasional short lag when you inundate the GPU with a lot of actions like swiping several screens and then hitting the home button. But it was surprisingly good. I loaded GO Launcher and it eliminated all lag (and gave me the 5x5 icon layout with no labels that I prefer).
In direct sunlight, the screen has a bright enough setting to be functional, but you'll always struggle in direct sunlight with a glass screen.
Network:
Since Amazon/Verizon is enticing new contracts with aggressive pricing, it bears mentioning that Verizon's 4G LTE network is second to none. They've invested in this network heavily this year, and it shows. If I drive out of town and into the country, I might lose LTE signal briefly, but coverage is astounding. Great work, Verizon.
Speed is even more astounding. Even in the metal building I work in (that would drain the hTC EVO battery dry when desperately reaching out for a Sprint signal), I generally achieve 10,000 - 13,000 kbps. The highest download rate I've experienced is 32,000kbps! My local cable High Speed Internet doesn't even touch this. Again, great work, Verizon! They've raised the bar and I hope they can keep it there.
That said, the tiered data plans take careful considering. I went through 2GB in my first week, enjoying the fast network speeds perhaps a little too much! Ironic that I reluctantly connect to a WiFi network to reduce my data usage and the relative speed differential becomes even more evident.
Battery Life:
I can't move on to review any other aspect of phone without raising the subject of battery life. I tried to manage my expectations for battery life with this phone. With what was sure to be a gas-guzzling dual barrel 1.5GHz processor on the LTE network and the highest pixel density in the industry, I couldn't bring myself to hope that the battery would take me through a typical 10 hour workday. The Rezound again delivers.
Even with the excitement of a slick new phone on the best network in the business, I still managed to make it through a 10 hour day on a battery charge. As the excitement wears down, I can even make it through 16 hours of awake time without charging. But I've already picked up a spare battery, as it seems to defeat the purpose of a wireless device to be tethered to a charger all the time. This is a powerful mobile device, much like a laptop. You wouldn't expect your laptop to run all day on a charge so just get used to the idea that this is no ordinary phone.
Camera:
This was a huge consideration, for me. I'm an amateur photographer, and don't always have my DSLR handy, and so I end up taking a great deal of photos using the phone's camera. In broad daylight, some pictures have come out good enough to be published. The key advantage is always having a competent camera handy when an incredible opportunity arises with perfect lighting, autumn scenery and that amazing backdrop that makes you wish the DSLR was in the back seat. The impressive f2.2 aperture and competent 8 megapixel sensor in the Rezound does a really great job at capturing light, even when it is limited.
In optimal lighting situations, coupled with the "Backlight HDR" setting (which seems to do some post processing tone mapping to improve visible dynamic range), the results are downright stunning. There is still some noise in low-light situations, but I'm happy to see just black in dark shadows rather than noise.
Phone:
Oh yeah, this thing has a phone? I didn't make a phone call until I'd already had the phone for four days and was very impressed with the call quality. I don't ask for much, but my last phone didn't quite have enough volume and I was happy to find that the Rezound has plenty enough volume to spare. I actually had to turn down the call volume a bit, which a nice luxury.
Beats:
There has been a lot of hype about the beats headphones included with this phone, and the "beats profile" that tweaks sound settings for optimal sound reproduction. I have to admit to being a little bit of a sound quality snob. Not the kind that spends $300 on speaker wire and snake oil. But I've spent many hours utilizing measuring equipment in the automotive environment in pursuit of sound quality and even more hours of critical listening and believe I can recognize good sound. Having made an attempt at qualifying my opinion of the Rezounds ability in the sound department: I think they sound great.
Really. I mean, they're not going to replace a good set of cans and simply can't approach the dynamics and spatial imaging achieveable in a car or home. But they sound good. I already had a set of decent entry level earbuds (V-Moda Vibe Duo) and I'd say the Beats by Dr Dre buds by Monster are in the same neighborhood, but not quite as good. With the beats profile enabled, music seems louder and more crisp, but not necessarily better. I was able to replicate the effect in PowerAmp with equalization pretty closely. The Beats earbuds might be a little boomy, with not enough extension in the first octave. They are detailed, but midrange is a little more muddy than the V-Modas. I'll keep them as very competent spares, but continue to enjoy the V-Modas for now.
After a week of ownership, I should be able to think of a few criticisms for this phone. I do wish that we were given the option of an AOSP interface, why not Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)? But that is indeed wishful thinking. This phone is sure to be popular with developers, though, and it won't be long before they tap into the true power in this very capable phone. It is a bit annoying to see Verizon bloat the phone with nonsense like V-Cast, that seem more suited for feature phones rather than a powerful Android phone. Would it be a valid complaint that I'm eating through a lot of data? That would be like saying I'm enjoying it too much. Maybe I am. (If you are looking for best deal for the HTC Rezound, I suggest you have to check it before you decide at: Androidcheaper.blogspot.com/2011/12/htc-rezound.html
Good Luck!20 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Rezound has me smiling from ear to ear.
by lastanswer on November 16, 2011
Pros: + Gorgeous, well-crafted screen that pops with color and makes text crisp and easy-to-read.
+ Freakishly fast processor. Thinks "Usain Bolt"
+ Premium build quality. Attractive and understated "blacked out" bezel with red accents. Feels good in hand.Cons: - Battery will last all day, but needs a recharge at night
- Thicker than the RAZR, iPhone, and Galaxy Nexus. Small hands need not apply.
- Beats needs integration w/ other music apps.
- Sense UI (HTC's customization of Android) needs to go on a dietSummary: Lost in the fanfare of the latest and greatest phones on the market (iPhone 4S, RAZR and Galaxy Nexus/S2) is the Rezound. I had not planned on buying this ...
Summary: Lost in the fanfare of the latest and greatest phones on the market (iPhone 4S, RAZR and Galaxy Nexus/S2) is the Rezound. I had not planned on buying this phone. But once I held and played with the Rezound in person, I was impressed by its build quality and speed. It also looks much nicer in person than it does in photos. The contoured back feels great; in contrast, the RAZR doesn't feel as good due to its angled back with sharper edges. Come to a Verizon store and try it for yourself.
Updated observations + shopping advice (Nov 21)
Since the technical details about the phone are explained in the CNET review, I will explain some of the qualitative reasons why I chose this over the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy Nexus:
The screen makes browsing the internet a joy. Once your eyes get used to the extra real estate, it's hard to downgrade to a smaller screen (a la the iPhone 4S). The displays on the RAZR and Nexus are fantastic, too, but lag behind the 4S and the Rezound.
The Beats integration is nice, but is still a work in progress until the software gets integrated w/ Spotify, Winamp, Pandora, and other 3rd party services. The headphones that are included are fantastic. I personally love them. When you are using the standard music player, the Beats software and headphones combo make rock and hip hop awesome to listen to.
The Sense UI is nice, but can use Slim Fast. My old phone was a Motorola Droid, and I can tell the customizations are ever so slightly holding the phone back. Still, Sense is easy to understand. It's easy to use the extras are fun. Plus, with a dual-core 1.5 GHZ processor, everything is fast and responsive.
Battery life is just OK. The Rezound ain't bad, but the other phones sound like they will have better battery performance. If you are a super heavy media user, then you're better off with the iPhone 4 (not the 4S) in my opinion. That thing sips on battery. For most people, battery life will be a minor issue. As of now, I'm at 85% and it's lunch time for me. Shrug.
Given the steep level of competition, I'd strongly advise cross-shopping this phone w/ others. I'd still recommend the iPhone 4 or 4S for moms and dads for ease of use and battery life. If you want ICS now, then you should wait for the Nexus. BUT if you like Android, then this phone has a ton to offer. Thanks for reading.
Updated on Nov 21, 2011
Cannot emphasize enough - visit a local Verizon retailer and play with all the phones you are cross-shopping with the Rezound! I would not buy ANY phone without seeing them in person.
Also, if you can, SLEEP ON IT! There are/will be some great deals online for these phones, as well as the release of the Galaxy Nexus. Waiting = more choice and possibly lower prices.
re battery life:
If you are coming from a non-4G smartphone, the battery life will be a step down. BUT, if you are coming from another 4G phone, this is a step UP. The Rezound should last an entire day with moderate use. Please buy a charger (or a micro USB cable) for the workplace OR a car charger - same goes for the Nexus, RAZR and iPhone 4S.
If you buy this phone, ask the Verizon rep to help you remove things like widgets that you don't want or need. Should help a little bit w/ overall speed and battery life.13 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best bang for the buck.
by corki2 on December 18, 2011
Pros: Excellent signal, excellent call quality, Sense UI, great camera, beautiful design, excellent build quality, perfect size, gorgeous display.
Cons: Battery is like any other 4g. Though I can get 12 hours if I don't play with it constantly.
Summary: I love everything about this phone. A lot of people don't like Sense. I love it. I had to put a custom ROM on my Droid X to get ...
Summary: I love everything about this phone. A lot of people don't like Sense. I love it. I had to put a custom ROM on my Droid X to get it to do what the Rezound does straight out of the box. Toggles in notification bar, native screen shots, reboot from the power button. Oh and I almost forgot to mention widget scrolling on the native home screen, this is a huge plus. As for the 78 widgets available.. I like 'em!
The call quality is excellent. I love being able to hear my callers through the handset. With the Droid X (don't get me wrong, I love my X) you had to move the phone around to get it in just the right place over your ear in order to hear the caller. Callers come through loud and clear on the Rezound no matter where you position it. I also use a CommandOne BT headset and the call quality through it is great as well.
I love the screen on this phone. I took it over to Verizon to compare it to the Nexus when it launched. Viewing the same web site with both, the Rezound looked much nicer.
I use my camera and video a lot. That was what interested me in this phone originally as the camera got such good reviews. I had planned on getting the Nexus and was disappointed the reviews the camera was getting. The Droid X had a so so camera. Hit or miss. Sometimes the pics were beautiful, sometimes horrible. I am happy to say the Rezound camera is great.
This phone is fast. I have no lag when using Sense. I did find that when I put Go Launcher, ADW or QQ Launcher, it gets choppy. No worries, I like Sense better anyway.
This is my first HTC phone. I love the build quality. It looks and feels great. The attention to details that HTC put into this build is surprising. Motorola build quality is excellent, but they look boxy and plain compared to my Rezound. It's sturdy and sexy.
I love the native print feature. I use my phone for business and I think it's about time Android phones start catching up with BB in that regard.
I was pretty well set on the Nexus when it was announced. After I started reading more on the specs, I started looking at all the 4g phones at Verizon. There, obscured by the Razr (I would never own a phone with a non removable battery)and the upcoming Nexus, was the Rezound. Information wasn't jumping out all over the place about it. Even the salesman at Verizon asked me if I knew about the Razr when I told him I wanted the Rezound. Why this device was downplayed is beyond me unless they were concerned that sales for the Razr and Nexus would be jeopardized if people knew how great the Rezound is. The salesman did finally admit that the Rezound is the top dog and would probably be for a while. I'm just glad I did my research and picked the best phone available on the Verizon network.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Phone, Great Features, Few Flaws
by seangun14 on December 30, 2011
Pros: -Gorgeous Display
-Swype Keyboard
-Fast 4G capability
-Beats Audio
-HTC Sense (best user interface of any smartphone)
-Fast Processor
-Extreme Customization
-Screen vibrates when touchedCons: -Gets hot with apps
-Awful Battery Life
-No ICS (yet)Summary: Having this phone makes me wonder why people could possibly want the iPhone. This phone has a better display, better camera, faster internet speeds, faster processor, better sound quality, its ...
Summary: Having this phone makes me wonder why people could possibly want the iPhone. This phone has a better display, better camera, faster internet speeds, faster processor, better sound quality, its durable, looks great, and of course, A 4.3-INCH SCREEN! Plus, it comes with google's navigation service which gives turn by turn directions free of charge (something an iPhone cannot do without paid apps), it more photograph effects including a panaroma feature, access to the amazon Appstore which gives users a paid app for free daily and an extensive library of music and movies superior to apple. Yeah, yeah iTunes is great and all but google music runs consistant sales for entire albums for $5, plus you can rent a movie from the HTC market for just $.49! Plus, you can customize your homescreen and lock screen with different shortcuts and widgets that give immediate information and the wallpaper can even move!
I could go on and on but I think I'll stop there. With the exception of Siri, the iPhone 4s is WAAYYYYYYYYYY of not only the Rezound's league but Android in general. It seems to me that the mass hysteria surrounding the 4s just goes to show how misinformed the general population is; they put popularity above functionality and its a shame. Google should be the most admired company in the world, not apple!
And all this while typing on an iMac...3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Former iPhone User
by tonyburke on December 17, 2011
Pros: Easy to use (HTC Sense 3.5)
HD Display
Blazing Fast Processor
Build Quality
Impressive Battery for an Android Phone
LTE (4G) SpeedCons: Verizon Bloatware
Summary: First disclaimer, I am a former iPhone owner. However, this time around I refused to be stuck on a two year contract with slow 3G speeds and small screen that ...
Summary: First disclaimer, I am a former iPhone owner. However, this time around I refused to be stuck on a two year contract with slow 3G speeds and small screen that the iPhone 4S offered. However, I did purchase a new iPhone 4S for my wife when I purchased the HTC Rezound because that is what she wanted. As for me, I have been amazed at how easy the transition has been to the Rezound. I have had the phone for about a month. Set up was simple, even transferring all my iTunes music that I currently have, and may purchase in the future (there's an app for that!). iBeats is nice, but I already had a pair of iBeats headphones so I gave the new ones to my wife. The build quality of the phone is great. I love showing the display to my iPhone friends, then show them how fast the phone is. In my home, not on Wifi, I usually hit 18-19 Mbps download on average. Love LTE. As for apps, I found all I need, and more, in the Android Market. As for the battery, after all I heard, I was really concerned at first. However, I can get through two days easily with the battery that came with the phone. But then, I don't play games all day. The phone is also extremely comfortable in my hand and I really like the rubberized backing. Makes it feel like the phone isn't going to slip out of my hand. As for the camera, the quality has been good but I would give just a slight edge to the iPhone 4S, but it's not a deal breaker by any means. Bottom line, I am extremely pleased with the phone and I am more than satisfied with my purchase.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Underrated champion. Beats is cool, but look deeper.
by FcoTjPR on November 14, 2011
Pros: Lets talk about what makes this phone the best, its processor and screen! Not all 1.5 processors are the same, so it would truly be awesome if reviews expand these specifics a bit more.
Cons: Possibly battery life, we'll see after a few cycles.
Non-steel frameSummary: Best phone out there. Galaxy Nexus is supposed to be the next, but if you look under the hood, you will find that this phone has better components. Qualcomm's ...
Summary: Best phone out there. Galaxy Nexus is supposed to be the next, but if you look under the hood, you will find that this phone has better components. Qualcomm's 1.5!!
3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I'm very impressed
by chody1 on November 29, 2011
Pros: Great screen
Great headphones
HTC Sense 3.5
Very sleek device
Upgradeable to ICS
Battery(?)Cons: Thick-ish (I'll elaborate)
Headphone jack placement
Volume rocker is a little too flush
Does not have ICS yetSummary: I was waiting for the Galaxy Nexus, but after each rumor I became less and less anxious for the Nexus, so I sucked it up and bought the Rezound, and ...
Summary: I was waiting for the Galaxy Nexus, but after each rumor I became less and less anxious for the Nexus, so I sucked it up and bought the Rezound, and I'm very pleased I did.
Update: I've had the phone for about a month now, I'm still learning the phone, but I operate it pretty fluently. I've found the camera to be very good, for pictures at least, I haven't taken video. The battery is also pretty good, under pretty heavy use I still only need it to charge over night, only if I'm playing video games on it does the battery need charged through the day.
The Rezound's screen is gorgeous, 720p on a 4.3 in. screen is really something that needs to be seen to be believed.
The audio is fantastic, really it was one of the biggest selling points for me because I hate being without my music and I couldn't pass on Dre iBeats. The audio is great, perhaps Cnet is correct when they say that you can get similar quality with any pair of high end ear buds, but how many people want to buy a $300 phone and then buy $150 headphones?
When I said that the phone was thick, all I mean is that it is thicker than its Verizon competitors like the Razr and Galaxy Nexus, especially when I put it in my Otterbox, then it seems to double in size. When I have the Otterbox on it actually makes it more difficult to text in landscape, I can feel my thumbs stretching.
The processor is very quick, I've yet to have any sort of lag when opening apps or switching between them, even when I have a dozen apps open and looking through web pages. The battery is even holding up pretty well, I'm constantly doing something on this phone, be it music or angry birds or web browsing and I can make it through my on campus activities no problem and then I charge it while I sit at my computer for good measure, so no complaints really.
I do not like the headphone jack being on the top of the phone, I'm just not comfortable pulling it out of my back pocket like that, HTC should know better than that.
The volume rocker is very flush with the phone, I'm not used to this, I prefer the rocker to be split and a little thicker, just a personal preference.
Call quality is good, although I don't use it for phone calls very much.
I think this is a great phone, it could use some tweaks, but when ICS is out this will rival the Galaxy Nexus.
Updated on Dec 12, 20112 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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By far the fastest and most reliable phone
by asterling7830 on February 9, 2012
Pros: Picture Quality is amazing
Extremely Fast
Even though others may disagree this phone is not close to bulky or uncomfortable to carry or use in anyway.
The headphones are better than my Skullcandy HeadphonesCons: The only con i really have as of right now, i just purchased the phone about a week ago, is that the battery, just like almost all smartphones, doesn't last as long as i feel like they could.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Traded in my Galaxy Nexus for this phone
by nef2er on January 11, 2012
Pros: HD 720p screen is beautiful, even compared to AMOLED (no banding or pixel issues)
Battery life is 14-20 hours with 4G
HDMI out through USB
Great signal quality
Beats headphones
Same size/feel as GNex
Superior camera
SD slot
Rootable, unlocked bootCons: Design isn't as sleek as some other phones
Verizon panel in the app drawer1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Would've given it 5 stars if not for one thing.
by KMon82 on December 28, 2011
Pros: >Awesome phone 30Mb. Speeds with 4g
>Incredible Display
>Compared it to Iphone 4s and blew it out of the water
>No Lag at all even when running multiple apps
>Great Audio better with my personal Skull Candies than the Dre beats ear-buds thCons: The fist one was defective, it kept restarting and losing 4g coverage (I checked it with other peoples 4g on Verizon and it was just my phone) Tried a reset twice and finally gave up and sent it back. The second one has worked great though.
Summary: I was very worried after having to send the first one back, but it had so many pluses I didn't want to give up on it right away. Aside ...
Summary: I was very worried after having to send the first one back, but it had so many pluses I didn't want to give up on it right away. Aside from a few small flaws the Keyboard, Bloatware, and Verizon's inability to keep their 4g up and running this month (Which is not the phones fault) This has been by far the most fun I have had with any Phone Period! I am a really heavy Data and App User (I have an old Unlimited Data Plan). I do everything on my phone from Banking and games to using it as a remote for my Laptop and using it to tether for my work laptop when there is no WiFi available. This phone does it all and it does it better than any other phone I have used. When compared to the most recent Droid releases ex: Nexus, Bionic, and Razor it's just more fun at least it was for me and the audio is great at home in my car and in the gym. Ill end with this If you like simplicity and paying a lot buy an IPhone, If Audio is not important to you, you can do with the Nexus, Bionic, or Razor but if it is than this is number one with a bullet! Hope this helps.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Part number: REZOUNDVZW
- Description: The HTC Rezound lets you hear music the way the artist intended, with no compromises. The Beats Audio digital signal processing mode delivers thundering bass, soaring midrange, and crisp highs. It's designed to work with the included Beats Audio headphones and you'll have an immersive musical experience that will rock your world.
General
- Product Type Smartphone
- Form Factor Touch
- Phone Design PDA
- Integrated Components Voice recorder,
2nd camera,
Digital camera,
Digital player - Width 2.6 in
- Depth 0.5 in
- Height 5.1 in
- Weight 6 oz
- Body Color Black
- Bundled with Beats Solo headphones
Cellular
- Technology LTE
- Band CDMA2000 1X 1900/800
- Mobile Broadband Generation 4G
- Service Provider Verizon Wireless
- Operating System Google Android 2.3
- User Interface HTC Sense
- Input Device(s) Touch sensitive screen
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services SMS,
MMS - Instant Messaging Services Yes
- Supported Social Networks and Blogs Yes
- Messaging & Data Features Text Massage,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
Instant Message,
E-Mail,
Voice mail,
HTML Browser - Mobile Services YouTube,
Gmail,
Google Search,
HTC Watch,
Google Play Communications
- Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11,
LTE - Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Call timer,
Conference call,
Speakerphone,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Additional Features Dual LED camera light
Organizer
- Personal Information Management Synchronization with PC,
Calendar,
Calculator,
Reminder,
Alarm clock
Processor
- Type QUALCOMM MSM8660
- Clock Speed 1.5 GHz
Memory
- RAM 1 GB
- Bult-in Memory 16 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSDHC
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 8 megapixels
- Lens Aperture F/2.2
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Camera Light Source LED light
- Video Recorder Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p)
- Features Video recording
Navigation System
- Navigation Software & Services Google Maps
Display
- Type LCD display - Color
- Technology Super LCD
- Diagonal Size 4.3 in
- Display Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
- Also Included microSDHC - 16 GB
Product series
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HTC Rezound (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: Verizon Wireless,
LTE,
Up to 404 min,
With digital camera/digital player,
6 oz,
8 megapixels,
4.3 in -
HTC Rezound (Verizon Wireless) - refurbished
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: Verizon Wireless,
CDMA2000 1X,
LTE,
Up to 404 min,
With digital camera/digital player,
6 oz,
8 megapixels,
4.3 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse HTC products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:HTC
- Address:
13920 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 - Phone: (425) 861-9174
- Email: info@htcamerica.net
- Fax: (425) 861-1715
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