The HTC HD7 is the only Windows Phone 7 device for T-Mobile, and it just so happens to be the only WP7 smartphone on market with the 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen – the largest display you’re going to find on any Windows Phone. Luckily, we had one of these bad boys dropped on our laps recently, so naturally we had to unbox the phone and give our readers a quick little tour of the HTC HD7 hardware. With that huge screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 16GB of onboard storage, 5-megapixel camera and an integrated kickstand, we couldn’t wait to tear open the retail packaging and get our dirty mitts all over the phone.
To start, the retail package is clean and simple. It reminds us of the Google Nexus One retail box. We like it. Opening the box up reveals the phone sitting on top, with the requisite wired headset/headphones, microUSB cable, charging brick accessory bundle located underneath. The box could have been a little slimmer and more eco-friendly, but that’s just a niggle that we’re not going to worry about too much.
The phone itself looks a lot like the other HTC smartphones that boast the 4.3-inch touchscreen. The front face is dominated by the massive display, with touch-sensitive navigation buttons located beneath the display. When you’re looking to make a slate-style smartphone that emphasizes the massive screen, there’s only so much wiggle room when it comes to industrial design – it makes sense that all these phones look similar. That said, the HD7 is one of the slimmest of the bunch – and it sports unique design elements like an integrated kickstand that doubles as a camera lens bezel, dedicated camera shutter button, and metallic mesh grills above and below the display.
If you’ve ever held a Sprint HTC EVO 4G in your hand, you’ll immediately notice that the HD7 is a lot slimmer and easier to hold. The soft-touch rear feels like its made from slightly rubbery satin. The camera shutter button is ergonomically located to help you take quality, shake-free photos. And, the 3.5mm headphone jack is located on the bottom of the phone so that you can use the phone whilst listening to music without having to be self-conscious about your headphone jack sticking out from the top.
One thing that you’ll likely notice right away is that the HTC HD7’s big screen makes typing on the on-screen keyboard easier than any other WP7 phone. The wide screen allows for a wider keyboard, and it really makes a big difference.
As far as specs are concerned, the HD7 is a powerhouse. It’s packed with the 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 5-megapixel camera (with dual-LED flash), 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, WiFi (B/G/N), GPS, 16GB onboard storage, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, integrated kickstand, and of course Windows Phone 7.
We’ll have our complete HTC HD7 review posted shortly. In the meantime, check out our unboxing photo gallery, as well as our hardware tour and software tour videos (in 1080p HD).
