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Hands-On: HTC Inspire 4G

Jan 6, 2011, 5:29 PM by Eric M. Zeman

Phone Scoop spent some time playing with HTC's HD2-inspired Inspire 4G for AT&T's network. HTC knows how to design hardware, though it wouldn't show us the Inspire's software. Read on for more.

The Inspire 4G is another impressive piece of hardware from HTC. Taking design cues from the HD2, HD7 and other recent smartphones, the Inspire 4G is a great mix of metal, plastics and glass. The feel of the aluminum shell is top notch, and the overall weight and feel of the Inspire 4G are good. Of course, given the massive 4.3-inch display, the phone is quite large and in fact might be too big for some.

The controls are typical to HTC hardware. The volume toggle is on the left side, and is a slim line that runs up the side of the phone. It has good travel and feedback.

Inspire

photo by Russ Hickman

There are no buttons on the right side, and disappointingly that means no dedicated camera button. You'll have to resort to the display for taking pictures.

One odd design choice, HTC placed the 3.5mm headset jack on the bottom of the phone. I much prefer it to be on the top, which generally allows users to silence incoming calls with the phone in their pocket. The microUSB port is also on the bottom of the phone.

The lone button on top is the power/lock key. It has good travel and feedback and is positioned well.

There are four capacitive buttons on the bottom of the display. I prefer capacitive buttons to physical ones, but not everyone feels that way. Here's a video tour of the Inspire 4G in action.

About the author, Eric M. Zeman:

Eric has been covering the mobile telecommunications industry for 17 years at various print and online publications. He studied at Rutgers Newark and University of Kentucky, and has a degree in writing. He likes playing guitar, attending concerts, listening to music, and driving sports cars.

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Comments

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BobbyPheonix

Jan 6, 2011, 7:17 PM

It's the American version of the Desire HD

Eric, You compared it to everything but what it actually is. The Desire HD for the USA. I wish they released it with T-Mobile bands. I already have the Desire HD, and don't mind only having 2G, but I would sell it in a second for a T-Mo version for the USA!

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