HTC Desire S

[EddyOS]

So, it's official. The Desire S has been unveiled

HTC Desire S | Reviews | CNET UK

OK, article says Android 2.4 but we can forgive it that!

Spec list:

 

[partridge]

I'm really disappointed with HTC's announcements. I was expecting some big releases but all we have is a mish mash of 2.2 and 2.3 and handsets almost indistinguishable from the existing set other than a front facing camera.

I won't be upgrading until the end of this year so I hope another batch of handsets will be on the shelves that will be more appealing.

Until today I'd have put money on my next phone being HTC, but after this lack lustre set of handsets, I'm thinking the Sony Ericsson Neo looks a better option.

 

[EddyOS]

I'm quite taken by the SGSII but seeing I've got about a year til my upgrade I'm not bothered!!

EDIT: Also turns out Android 2.4 IS the version running on this - it's 2.3 but with bug fixes included according to the CNET artical on the Wildfire S

 

[SUroot]

seeing I've got about a year til my upgrade I'm not bothered!!

Yeah even as an O2 "Gold" customer, with 3 month early upgrade, thats 11th Feb

 

[MikeC1408]

I don't have a contract so I can upgrade when I want to

But looking at this I won't be jumping to the front of the queue for the Desire S.

Think I'll hold onto my money a bit longer.

 

[solosaniok]

I am not impressed at all, this is the same Desire that i have with a few improuvments.
I expected something better at least Dual-Core

 

[chris 290]

Looks like this won't be the year of htc like last year.

interested that qualcom will release a quad core processor in 2012, hope htc is secretly working to dominate in 2012. Pleased for new people getting their first desire as this new phone will sort out the phone memory issue, but certainly not worth considering an upgrade to this unfortunately.

 

[deanshep85]

though with the new Salsa, ChaCah, Desire S and Wildfire S I see one beautiful little thing....they are all running Sense 2...least looks that way from the screenshots..

so...that means...we might be waiting for a OFFICIAL release from HTC for 2.3/2.4 with Sense updates...but it shouldn't be a vast wait till someone has a recompiled RUU though?

EDIT: I will add im getting sick and tired of Cnet's 'reporting'.....forget that EVERY single thing on the gets a iphone4 comparison....just waiting to see them compare it the the latest BMW saloon maybe lol or their really stupid 'face off' reviews when all their going by is rumoured specs on one device compared to a physical device they hold etc.....

no...what really bugs me is the same damn "don't get this confused with the Galaxy S" comment that is on their...Desire S, Wildfire S and Incredible S articles....are they REALLY dragging their arses on this? lol

 

[arkazain]

You know what bugs me with these?
None of them have physical buttons!

 

[bunnisher]

Maybe HTC knows that a lot of people are on 2 year contracts so it'd be too early to consider upgrades. They're just trying not to make us too jealous. Quite nice of them, I think.

 

[partridge]

^ You are kidding?

HTC have suddenly lost sight of what made them big in 2010.

The competition will pick up a lot of HTC customers if they are upgrading this year.

I'd also suggest that as far as the existing Desire range is concerned, we won't be seeing any further (official) firmware upgrades.

What a let down.

 

[turbohobbit]

Pretty disappointed with this offering to be honest. I love my Desire and going on to that from a G1 I vowed it’d be HTC all the way for me now. But this….. No leaps forward in processor, no upgraded screen (that I can see), no real advances at all to be honest with LG, Samsung, and SonyEricsson breathing down their necks. Massive FAIL. :-( That said, I'm not in for an upgrade until April 2012 (pesky Orange and their 24 month contracts - won't make that mistake again!) so I just hope our Taiwanese friends come up with somethign a little more mouthwatering at MWC '12!

In the meantime I'll be thinking about a tablet. And from what I've seen of the Flyer, it won't be HTC-branded.

 

[EddyOS]

Quite glad I'm on a 24-month contract now, gives HTC a year to get back to scratch

 

[SUroot]

The thing is, generally if I get a phone contract, I purposely do not go for a handset that is a year old. Especially if there are newer phones for the same price / free on my tariff.

Maybe I'm not the only one. So for everyone who is not on the current desire, who wants a new phone, this desire "2" is a good option for people thinking the original desire is "too old". Perhaps a marketing trick?

 

[turbohobbit]

Maybe Dan.... But I can't help feeling this is really just a re-badged Desire HD. Which is a bit harsh if it is.

 

[EddyOS]

Even the Incredible S is a fail - smaller internal memory than the DHD

 

[williamj1]

I'm not sure what to think on this one.

- I love the new desire looks
- I love more than anything else, the fact that it has 1.1gb internal memory!
- I love that it has wifi N
- I love that it has HSDPA + (not that o2 will make use of that :/)
- I like that it has a front camera

- I hate that it has no physical buttons. Again, why?
- I hate that this is yet another HTC device, making my desire seem not only old, but also now nothing special amongst 10 or so other devices. And what's more, they don't even change much between devices. All the devices are now the same more or less, except an 8mp camera on some, and either a 800Mhz or 1Ghz processor. Why not just make one big device (DHD), one smaller (Desire / S), one with a keyboard (Desire Z) and a small cheaper one (Wildfire). There is no need to constantly refresh a linup. I much prefer apple's approach of 1 per 18 months with big changes. Even a year would suffice, but it's been what 4 since the last launch? AH HTC!

So all in all, I am quite undecided. Unlike you contracters, I am on pay as you go (but I get one hell of a deal). So I can upgrade whenever. Question is... will I? Well, actually I think that depends on cost now! If I could say, sell my Desire for

 

[KING LUFF]

I'm pretty let down with HTC at MWC. I upgraded from my HTC Magic to the Desire and enjoyed both phones but i don't see them as "pioneering" Android like they have done over the last couple of years.

* No Dual Core
* Minimal internal memory upgrades
* Minimal battery upgrades
* 2.2

These are all pretty big points in my opinion. Also, on a separate matter the tablet they have released is just wrong. At a show where everyone is showing off Honeycomb HTC comes out with a tablet focused purely on Sense, bad move HTC, bad move. Looks like they panicked a bit and knocked one up for MWC.

Regrettably, it’s looking like the Samsung Galaxy II is going to be my next phone …….

 

[turbohobbit]

Williamj1: In all fairness to HTC, your feelings of "now my phone's nothing special" is hardly their fault. What do you want them to do? Stop production / R&D (what little they have done...) to ensure that your phone remains top of the pile? And given that - unlike Apple - there there a number of other manufacturers also persuing their own advancements, this was never going to happen. Like Dan says, nothing stands still, and it's up to you to either buy the most cutting-edge phone at the time to remain "on top" for as long as possible, or cut your cloth according to your needs (and your purse). At least as a PAYG customer you are able to chop and change.

If anything, take heart that in the Desire you have is probably the best of the bunch and still kicked the butt of the iPhone 4. You know that. We know that. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

 

[williamj1]

Yeh, it doesn't make me love my desire any less that's for sure. It just annoys me, as I'm one of those "must have the latest thing types" but I can never afford to keep up

 

[turbohobbit]

Amen brother.

 

[Rastaman-FB]

btw, just because it says the cpu is 1ghz it doesnt mean its not dual core
its just bad reporting



wondering why htc havent shouted more about it from MWC

 

[EddyOS]

Surely the HTC spec sheet would say if it was dual core no?

 

[Rastaman-FB]

Surely the HTC spec sheet would say if it was dual core no?

you would imagine so eh, but its not very detailed about anything really is it
it doesnt even mention the chipset type
doesnt mention the front facing camera

theres something wierd here

 

[turbohobbit]

I would have thought so, Eddy. Maybe the reason HTC haven't been shouting about this is because actually they know it's not exactly an Optimus 3D / Galaxy II / Experia Arc-beater?