Desire v Desire HD - what's the difference?

[Mekrel]

Seems to be a bit crazy to be slating a phone which obviously isn't working properly, my DHD isn't laggy in the slightest, the touch sensitive buttons work flawlessly and are easily as responsive as physical buttons maybe even more so, and until Google Maps updated to version 5 the HTC locations app was superior.

If the only downside of the new sense is that they added a few apps that you don't like well then it's not a huge downside.

It's not only the unneeded applications, it's the fact they've slaughtered all of the menus.

For example, when you long press the home screen, you're greeted with a load of crap unlike on the original Sense. Long pressing the home screen should be for adding widgets and short cuts.

The new Sense skins look as if they've been made by amateurs in Gimp portable imaging suite, I mean Wood, really?

The "recent applications" in the notification menu is not well thought out because you see a 4x1 row of applications, allowing you to see maximum of four latest applications.

That's no improvement to holding down the home button and seeing a 4x2 overlay, enabling you to see all eight without the need to scroll.

Only benefit to the video's I've seen of HTC Locations is the fact the maps are off line, but I would rather have the latest POI's from the cloud any day of the week.

Also the more junk you have running, the more sqlite writes will be happening which is what I believe is happening on the DesireHD and no amount of RAM will help there seeing as each data base write is forced to the disk upon write.

I bought my Desire at launch, and the DesireHD just seems so bloated in comparison and the experience left me disappointed.

 

[Broken Hope]

Only benefit to the video's I've seen of HTC Locations is the fact the maps are off line, but I would rather have the latest POI's from the cloud any day of the week.

Before version 5 of Google Maps it didn't have compass mode, vector based graphics or the ability to switch to 3D mode, HTC Locations had these features.

Also the more junk you have running, the more sqlite writes will be happening which is what I believe is happening on the DesireHD and no amount of RAM will help there seeing as each data base write is forced to the disk upon write.

No, what's sometimes happening on the DHD is the /init process bug where it hogs the CPU, causes the phone to be laggy and eats the battery, but this seems to be an Android bug, rather than a HTC bug since I've seen reports of it happening on other phones.

 

[Mekrel]

Before version 5 of Google Maps it didn't have compass mode, vector based graphics or the ability to switch to 3D mode, HTC Locations had these features.



No, what's sometimes happening on the DHD is the /init process bug where it hogs the CPU, causes the phone to be laggy and eats the battery, but this seems to be an Android bug, rather than a HTC bug since I've seen reports of it happening on other phones.

3D mode is pointless though, even on Google Maps - it doesn't make it any easier to navigate anywhere.

I find having a photo flash up of your destination a much more useful feature.

Ahh, I saw the init UID come up in the list of things that were using the battery the most but didn't know what it was, seeing as I've never encountered this bug on my normal Desire

How does he stop this init bug happening?

 

[Broken Hope]

Ahh, I saw the init UID come up in the list of things that were using the battery the most but didn't know what it was, seeing as I've never encountered this bug on my normal Desire

How does he stop this init bug happening?

It doesn't happen that often, but it's an android bug, as seen here, happening on a Nexus one.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=7da0c666e8ffbc36&hl=en

To fix the problem you can do the following.

Menu/settings/applications/development/turn on Usb debugging

If you have that setting already set on your Desire, then it's likely that's why you haven't seen the problem.

 

[Uhtred]

Agreed, played with my work colleagues DesireHD on Wednesday which was the first real extensive play with the phone.

It was extremely laggy compared to my Desire and he's been having awful battery performance issues. 5 hours since unplugged and 60% of his battery had gone.

He had auto sync turned off, mobile data turned off but WiFi on. I appreciate this battery usage isn't normal for this phone, but nothing appeared to be draining his battery when looking at the info panel (dialing *#*#4636#*#*).

The ROM on the DesireHD is also extremely bloated with software that adds nothing to the end user, but adds a lot of commercial income into HTC's back pocket I bet.

For example, Route66 navigation that requires you to buy a license for full features even though the new Google Maps 5.0 is a brilliant piece of software for navigation.

Yes, the hardware is better but the Desire certainly isn't a slouch and the new Sense software on the DesireHD is a step backwards. The on line stuff doesn't work that well from what people have been saying, char limits on sending texts on line.

As for HTC Likes? Duplication of Android Market much?

Like I said, it was definitely laggy and it's no surprise seeing how HTC have bloated out Sense. I'm a massive fan of HTC, but if Sense keeps going closer to being a resource hungry UI, like Motoblur. I'll be buying a different phone when I feel it's time to upgrade.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that. Sense is just growing too much, it worries me that Android has to have this extra 'layer' why isn't Android good enough for its interface to to be all you need? My brother's hd was laggy and i'll stick with my desire for a next gen handset.

 

[Tetsujin]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that. Sense is just growing too much, it worries me that Android has to have this extra 'layer' why isn't Android good enough for its interface to to be all you need? My brother's hd was laggy and i'll stick with my desire for a next gen handset.

Doesn't matter how good the core interface is; if vendors, and carriers, have the ability to stick custom software on there then they will, in an effort to differentiate their own offerings from the rest in whatever way they can.

SonyEricsson's stock interface on its candybars was always spot on and so simple, and nicely customisable; didn't stop Orange (and the rest) from adding their own crap layer on top to make it look different and follow whatever ethos they wanted to push themselves.

 

[Broken Hope]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that. Sense is just growing too much, it worries me that Android has to have this extra 'layer' why isn't Android good enough for its interface to to be all you need? My brother's hd was laggy and i'll stick with my desire for a next gen handset.

It's not that Android 'has' to have this extra layer, it's just manufactures like to differentiate themselves from others, though it does help that Sense does add a ton of features that vanilla android doesn't have, or makes existing features easier to use, it also tends to have better apps such as the email client.

 

[Jabbs]

The trouble with adding these extra layers it takes longer to get the updates lets fact it I be most use launcher pro etc anyway, stock android would mean faster updates.

 

[Mekrel]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that. Sense is just growing too much, it worries me that Android has to have this extra 'layer' why isn't Android good enough for its interface to to be all you need? My brother's hd was laggy and i'll stick with my desire for a next gen handset.

With the original SenseUI on the original Desire, it was a perfect mix. It added features that stock Android didn't have whilst not slowing the phone down or being intrusive:

• Touch focus camera, face detection focus
• Better email client, allowing conversation view, out of office setting and being able to send meeting invites
• Better social API integration with contacts, everything I need about a contact is in my phone book. I can fire up their Facebook albumns via the contact tab and clicking a photo loads it into the gallery
• Better web browser with more features
• T9 Dialer

Also, SenseUI adds a polish that Android just doesn't have - without SenseUI, Android is just pure ugly and the applications above leave a lot to be desired.

With the new SenseUI 2.0 on the DesireHD, you get all of that but you can clearly see some commercial decisions have taken place where HTC are shipping other companies software with their phones in return for some reward.

Original Sense, perfect. The latest iteration is a step in the wrong direction, just look at MotoBlur and how horrible that UI is.

My dream would be for Google to improve stock Android, so it can compete and better iOS in every department, be it functionality and looks.

That way, I can buy either a Google phone and not have to worry about manufacturers clogging down my phone for their commercial gain or I can hopefully root the phone and install an ASOP build.

The Honeycomb UI looks fantastic, so I'm hoping my dream will become reality.

 

[Tetsujin]

The trouble with adding these extra layers it takes longer to get the updates lets fact it I be most use launcher pro etc anyway, stock android would mean faster updates.

No doubt, I hate them. Just explaining why they exist.

 

[V4NT0M]

I don't see the problem with the new sense, much better camera software, much better browser, ability to get different skins there is barely anything resource wise that sense is even running when I'm using launcher pro. And I'm pretty sure the only app that came pre-installed was soundhound and facebook I think...Both useful and sounhound now has unlimited tags.

Also not sure what is wrong with everyone's laggy HDs...

 

[Trifid]

I don't see the problem with the new sense, much better camera software, much better browser, ability to get different skins there is barely anything resource wise that sense is even running when I'm using launcher pro. And I'm pretty sure the only app that came pre-installed was soundhound and facebook I think...Both useful and sounhound now has unlimited tags.

Sense ROM on my HD uses around 450MB after a reboot (with Launcher Pro). AOSP uses 160MB?

The thing is there are a lot of things I miss when using stock android. Facebook integration, copy and paste, keyboard (can be added), htcsense.com. I'm sure there were more than this but it all adds up to a more polished phone which is why I use a Sense based ROM with Launcher Pro for the dock.

(I hate the look of the Sense dock).


And for people saying the standard Desire is a midrange phone, LOL. The power it has is still impressive today, over 6 months after launch, the only thing slightly annoying would be the lack of storage space on the phone for apps but there are ways around that. The HD is only a little improvement in general power (quite a bit in 3d if you care about that), the only thing better is the screen size which makes browsing the web a bit more pleasant.

 

[V4NT0M]

What would you people say are midrange Android phones then?

 

[manveruppd]

Multitouch that actually works, the multitouch on the desire is 2 point and only really works for pinching and a few other things, can't play games like NOVA on it, Desire HD is 4 points of full multitouch.

I've been wondering about that actually, is the original Desire's multitouch a hardware limitation of the touchscreens they used? Or is it just a software issue, in which case either HTC or some hacker will no doubt bring the HD's 4-point multitouch to the original Desire sooner or later?

 

[Uhtred]

Also, SenseUI adds a polish that Android just doesn't have - without SenseUI, Android is just pure ugly and the applications above leave a lot to be desired.

With the new SenseUI 2.0 on the DesireHD, you get all of that but you can clearly see some commercial decisions have taken place where HTC are shipping other companies software with their phones in return for some reward.

Original Sense, perfect. The latest iteration is a step in the wrong direction, just look at MotoBlur and how horrible that UI is.

My dream would be for Google to improve stock Android, so it can compete and better iOS in every department, be it functionality and looks.

That way, I can buy either a Google phone and not have to worry about manufacturers clogging down my phone for their commercial gain or I can hopefully root the phone and install an ASOP build.

The Honeycomb UI looks fantastic, so I'm hoping my dream will become reality.

That's exactly my feeling, i'm surprised that android hasn't progressed faster, if microsoft can create something better ui wise in a matter of months then I would expect android to be far more polished than it is by now.

I do like android a lot but it's so fragmented, a perfect example is my gf's x10 mini pro which is on vodaphone. SE updated it from 1.6 to 2.1 a couple of months ago and vodaphone have yet to release the update (if they ever will)due to all their 360 RUBBISH.

It's enough for me to want to try something new in March, WIndows mobile 7 looks promising.

 

[Trifid]

What would you people say are midrange Android phones then?

Legend?

 

[[TW]Fox]

What would you people say are midrange Android phones then?

I guess stuff like the Legend but there isn't enough variety in devices for it to be easy to say 'Thats low, thats mid and thats high end'.

The Desire is a high end Android device.