The Radar features a 3.8 inch 480 x 800 pixel S-LCD screen and weighs approximately 137 grams.  The body is made from aluminium and features three physical keys in addition to the touchscreen.  These are: the power button, the camera shutter keys, and the volume control.  Touch sensitive keys located at the bottom of the screen support home, back, and search functions.

Inside, the HTC Radar features a 1 GHz processor with 512 MB of RAM.  Don’t let these numbers fool you though; the inclusion of a Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset means this handset can really perform.

Internal storage is at 8 GB and, unfortunately, because Windows Phone does not support external storage, there is no micro SD card support.  Battery life for the Radar is good, lasting approximately one and a half days during testing.

The rear facing camera supports photos at 5 megapixels and features an f/2.2 lens which improves results for images taken in low light conditions.  While camera performance is adequate, imaging isn’t one of this handset’s stronger points.

Because the unit features Windows Phone 7.5, Internet Explorer 9 is supported, which means the HTC Radar provides one of the best browsing experiences currently found on mobile offerings.  Voice Search is also supported and results were fairly satisfactory.  There were some issues with inaccuracy, but short and specific voice commands tended to find their mark.

Recombu considers the HTC Radar to be a pretty good all-around phone, with adequate camera and an excellent OS.  However, the absence of Flash and the lack of expandable storage ensure that this handset stays firmly in the middle range of smartphones.

HTC Sense also provides users with a Friend Stream, which is actually a combination of social media news streams gathered from various sites, including Twitter, Facebook and any other social media connection.

HTC Sense on the HTC Incredible S offers a unique way to display all the programs that are running at the same time. At the top of the phone’s screen there is a menu. Upon scrolling down, users will see exactly which programs are running, what application updates are available, missed calls, a list of completed downloads and messages waiting. This feature makes it very easy to monitor phone activity, something truly unique to the HTC Sense. One of the most popular models in the range equipped with HTC Sense is the HTC Desire.

As well as the superb rear-facing camera, the phone comes with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, which is perfect for video calling.  Out of the box, the phone comes equipped with the 2.2 version of Android’s operating system, although this is easily upgradable.  The HTC Incredible S has been compared to both the HTC Desire S and the HTC Wildfire S, and, judging by looks alone, it is easy to see why.  However, technologically speaking, the Incredible S lends itself much more to the Desire HD, with its massive 4-inch capacitive screen and its wonderful 8-megapixel camera.  Like the Desire S, the Incredible S comes equipped with 1.1GB of internal memory, 768MB of RAM and the option to increase the memory to 32GB with the insertion of a MicroSD™ card.

One criticism of HTC in the past is its failure to address poor battery-life issues.  While various software updates have been rolled out by the firm in order to correct the issue, none have really worked.  However, HTC now feels that it has addressed this issue by fitting the Incredible S with a high-powered battery (1450mAh) and boasts that the phone will produce 9.7 hours of talk time from a fully charged battery.  Due to this, the Incredible S should definitely be a consideration for a consumer wanting a reliable, feature-filled smartphone.

HTC Sense is a graphical user interface that adds extra functionality to Android. The home screen consists of seven different screens. These include the HTC clock, date and weather is the central screen. There are also four shortcuts to the main functions, Messages, Internet, Mail and Camera. You can cycle through the screens by moving your finger either to the left or the right.  You can pinch your fingers to zoom out and see all the main home screens and then select the one you want to use next. You can effectively build your own home screen, or screens, to suit your needs at different times.

The latest feature in Sense is the ‘Friend Stream’. This combines social networking websites Facebook, Twitter and Flickr into one feed. Icons differentiate which account information is being viewed from. The Status tab sorts things to just Facebook and Twitter but apps dedicated to these are probably more suitable if you have many friends or follow lots of people. The Friend Stream app also transfers Flickr and Facebook photos to your phone. There are tabs for your own photos, your Facebook photos and one for your Flickr photos.

HTC Sense also enables Flash support on your browser. There are other small interface enhancements that make HTC Sense a great addition to the basic Android functionality.

Owned by Google, the Android platform is compatible with a number of new, highly rated smartphones. These include the Samsung Omnia 7, made by Samsung mobile phones, the LG Optimus 2X, and the HTC Desire S, which scores highly in all departments. Sony Ericsson mobile phones have recently brought to the marketplace their Sony Ericsson Arc model, powered by Android 2.3, an extremely stylish handset showcasing a superb touch screen enhanced by Sony BRAVIA technology, giving a fabulously bright appearance. Similarly, the HTC Desire S, incorporating HTC Sense, is another extremely well received model that has a superb 5-megapixel camera and high quality HD video recording. What is HTC Sense exactly? It is an innovative, user-friendly experience that allows your HTC handset to anticipate all kinds of activities and aims to give the phone user the fastest and best possible experience.

Competing with Android smartphones are the latest models from BlackBerry. What is BlackBerry? It is the premier choice of business users throughout the UK, combining traditional and classic aspects such as the QWERTY keyboard with excellent hardware, sharp text and high resolution.

There is no doubting that when the original Desire was launched in 2010 it was fantastic.  It was a feature-filled phone that heralded the progress of mobile technology companies and spawned many bigger and better models.  The Desire S, HTC hopes, has retained what made its predecessor so good as well as introducing new features and advancements, which will ensure this model line can still compete with the best.

To look at, the HTC Desire S has taken a big step forwards aesthetically.  No longer are the big buttons visible on the front of the phone, rather they are seamlessly integrated with the large 3.7-inch touchscreen which has been retained from older models.  Another noticeable difference is the introduction of a front-facing camera, which will support 3G video calling, a feature which manufacturers are keen to progress.

Inside, however, the HTC Desire S is not massively different to its older brother.  The phone packs 1.1GB of internal memory and 768MB RAM which is not greatly improved from the Desire.

All in all, while the HTC Desire S is something of an improvement from the original Desire, it doesn’t seem to have taken the huge leap forward which consumers want.

Physically, the phone looks nice, albeit a bit strange. There is a bend in it, which while making it fit the hand better, keeps it from sitting squarely on a table. But, who cares what it looks like lying down, that quirky little bend is also the secret to an excellent QWERTY keyboard.

Of course, when a mobile excels in one area, it tends to sacrifice in another. In the case of this HTC mobile phone, it is the screen that suffers slightly. A landscape shape, it offers a really nice and sharp 480 x 320 pixel image; unfortunately, it is also only 2.6 inches when measured corner to corner. In addition, the landscape shape means that the phone must be held sideways for portrait oriented applications.

Besides the QWERTY, the biggest selling point for the HTC ChaCha is the dedicated Facebook button. Sitting just below the keyboard, the button does just what you would expect. Looking at a photo? Press the Facebook button and the phone prepares it for upload to your page. Listening to music? Tell your friends what song you are hearing. Hold down the button long enough and Facebook Places is activated.

Overall, the HTC ChaCha is a really nice HTC mobile phone. While those used to a large display might not get past the screen, BlackBerry users wanting to switch to Android may find this to be the perfect route.

One trick to getting a deal on an HTC phone is shopping for refurbished phones.  Refurbished electronics deliver the same high-end technology at a lower cost.  Smartphones are among the many electronics offered in refurbished forms.  This type of HTC phone will not be brand new, but the differences between a new phone and a refurbished one are generally slight.  An example of an affordable refurbished smartphone model is the HTC HD7 from T-Mobile, which sells for £62 before any other discounts are applied.

Consumers in search of deals can also go to Phoneslimited, a UK website that specialises in discounted phones.  This site offers a number of HTC models, including the Desire.  Phoneslimited will sell the phone for £129.99 if customers also buy a monthly plan for 24 months that includes 300 talk minutes, 300 texts, and 500 MB of data for £12 per month. 

Other deals on the website are similar to this one, but include different data plans.  For example, an HTC Desire will cost £254.15 with a 24-month plan for £10 per month offering 100 talk minutes, 100 texts, and 500 MB of data.

The HTC Desire S is the latest incarnation of the HTC Desire model, which was highly acclaimed in 2010 for its features and functionality.  It retains the same sleek, solid finish, manufactured from a single block of aluminium, but tweaks and upgrades make it a worthy successor to the earlier model.

Design

Gone are the clickable buttons at the bottom of the handset, replaced by touch sensitive icons, and the optical trackball has been deleted.  This makes the handset smaller (115 mm x 59.8 mm x 11.6 mm) and lighter (130 grams).  However, this displays the cool metal feel of the phone and the sleek, curving lines of the handset to its best advantage.

Screen

With the global shortage of AMOLED screens, the HTC Desire S has to make do with a Super LCD screen, an upgrade from the previous standard LCD screen.  Therefore, even though the blacks are not as pitch dark and the contrast is not as sharp, the good news is there is less drain on the battery.

Battery

The battery in the HTC Desire S has been upgraded from 1400mAh to 1500mAh, offsetting the addition of the Super LCD screen.  Battery life will still be predicated on the user’s requirements, rather than the screen switch.

Camera

Users of the HTC Desire S will enjoy the 5-megapixel camera and the 720HD camcorder, and the front facing camera will delight those who enjoy video calling.

Interface

Running Android 2.2 FroYo is a little behind the times, although the 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade will be available soon.  This will come with the Sense UI spread that comes with other HTC phones running the 2.3 Gingerbread OS.

Phones4U often offer deals on a range of phones.  They even have a deal on the HTC Desire.  The white limited edition version of the phone can be purchased with a monthly data plan contract that is surprisingly cheap.  For a 24-month period, users can pay just £15 a month on contract.  This deal applies to a few of the Orange and Vodafone plans.  The Orange contract includes a mobile data allowance, albeit a small one: 250MB.  The contract runs anywhere from 15 to 24 months and includes 100 minutes and 3,000 text messages.

Carphone Warehouse is another supplier that offers deals on smartphones like the HTC Desire.  They offer an HTC Desire HD for free when you sign up for a £25 a month, 24-month contract.  The deal also includes 300 minutes a month and unlimited text messages.  However, consumers should be warned that there is no mention of an internet data allowance.  This could be a problem for those who do not want to be stuck doing all their browsing via wi-fi.