Review: HTC HD2
Web browser
The HD2 uses the Opera Mobile browser, a good choice, though the latest Internet Explorer options aren't so terrible anymore. Opera loads pages quickly, and most of my favorite sites came through looking good in their full desktop iterations. CNN loaded in full desktop mode, but the New York Times unfortunately stuck me with the mobile version of the site. Most importantly, PhoneScoop looked great on the HD2's Web display.
As I mentioned earlier, there were some problems with the touchscreen in the browser. Often my clicks went unnoticed, and, occasionally, swiping gestures were jerky. The pinch and zoom gesture works in Opera Mobile, but not very well, and Web pages did not resize perfectly every time, sometimes leaving text hanging off the zoomed browser pane.
Browsing speeds were pretty good. In my tests in the Dallas suburbs, where signal is usually strong and fast, the HD2 performed on par with most other T-Mobile smartphones I've tested, hovering close to 1 Mbps downloads. Both CNN and our PhoneScoop.com homepage both took about 12 seconds to load.
Customize
There is little you can do to customize the HD2, which is ironic considering the entire UI is itself a customization of Windows Mobile. You can add shortcuts to the main Home tab, or add contacts' pictures to the People tab. You can also customize the home screen and lock screen, though the home screen is so busy that it's tough to see your own image behind. You can't change the theme; you can't rearrange the individual tabs on the home screen. HTC's Sense UI on Android is all about choices; it offers 12 different clock designs. On the Windows Phone HD2, there is only one clock.
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