HTC Legend gallery: speak to me… ‘aluminium’


HTC Legend is a rather typical mid-range Android OS running smartphone except  for one shiny little detail: it’s uni-body design that is made from a slightly brushed aluminum. It encompasses most of the phone, except for the trademark chin, where the battery and SIM card access slot is hidden, and the area around  the 5 MPix camera. The edges around the 3.2 inch touchscreen are noticeably sharper to boost the impression of the quality materials used, that altogether makes the HTC Legend en eye catching smarpthone to have, albeit with certain compromises in technology department. In particular, I wasn’t impressed with signal reception quality (especially wi-fi) and the below average battery life. Nevertheless, for people simply looking for a solidly built fashion phone with a colorful screen and decent set of features, this is one of the fewer Android’s to consider!

Below you will find the highlights of this device from different angles using my not-so-professional photo taking skills and camera, but I sincerely hope you will enjoy this gallery as much as I did making it!

As you can see, the legibility in the sun remains the weakest part of the traditional AMOLED screens, that was also used in HTC Legend. Super LCD technology that was used in more recent HTC phones fare noticeably better in clear outdoor conditions, sacrificing the somewhat warmer colors of the AMOLED screens in the process. The 3.2 inch screen is compact enough to be easily reachable with a thumb.

Screentest with Nokia N900 (TFT, 65K colors)  and Samsung I8910HD (AMOLED, 16M colors)

The stylish metal grill hides the earpiece and LED notification light, while the ambient light and proximity sensors gather behind the glossy black plastic and are also barely visible.

The optical joystick or ‘trackball’ is handy when increased precision in required, and it also serves as the central confirmation key. It doesn’t shine like the trackball on the Nexus One, for example. The physical keys under screen are the biggest disappointment though, as their modest look and feel bring uncharacteristic cheapness to this otherwise well-rounded package.

The back of the camera houses the mono loudspeaker grill, on the right, while the camera sensor with a single LED flash takes the middle. The dots on the right side of the camera are purely cosmetic.

Micro USB port and microphone are visible at the bottom of the phone. Due to the ‘chin’, they all face slightly upwards.

The famed ‘chin’  from it’s predecessor, the HTC Hero, is still present but has been noticeably reduced. It’s not irritating at all, and you will appreciate having it the moment you start working with the device, especially when reaching for the hardware keys below the touchscreen.  The back of the ‘chin’ can be removed to allow access to SIM and microSD card slots, as well as the  battery.

I’ve had my doubts about the longevity of the cover, but if fitted properly, there are no visible gaps and the cover sits perfectly.

The phone turns off when it detects the ‘chin’ has been removed, so switching memory cards on the fly is a no go, sadly. The removal of the battery is altogether a truly unique experience thanks to the construction of this smartphone. Behind the ‘chin’, there’s an additional plastic piece holding the removable components in place. Simply lift it up, pull the red handle, and the battery is jettisoned out of it’s recess.

The top of the phone is also kept clean and true to the minimalistic formula of the phone. Unlike HTC Desire, the power/screen lock key and 3.5 mm headset jack are on the opposite side. Whereas in HTC you’d unlock the  device with your index finger (if held in right hand), in HTC Legend you do it with your thumb.

And as a little bonus, I’ve added a few camera samples where I pit HTC Legend against another 5 Mpix shooter, the Nokia N900. The images are clickable to their original sizes, enjoy!

HTC Legend

Nokia N900

HTC Legend


Nokia N900

HTC Legend

Nokia N900

You can also visit my flickr photo album for other phone galleries that I’ve  produced so far!