State of the art November 23, 2011

Reviewer:  S. Ponjican  (Winston-Salem, NC) -

I don't know which is more impressive, the hTC Rezound or Verizon's 4G LTE network. I switched from the hTC EVO 4G on Sprint to this phone and the difference couldn't possibly be more dramatic.

Display:
Physically, the phones are a similar size. These large format smartphones take some getting used to, from carrying them in your pocket to the fine art of one-handed touchscreen action where you stretch your thumb across the screen. The Rezound actually sits well in my pocket and once you get spoiled with the larger display, it is nearly impossible to use any other phone without squinting and thinking "this thing is too small!".
The pixel density is outstanding and colors are good. Not quite SAMOLED but still very good. With this resolution, I was worried about the lag I had been reading about, particularly with the latest hTC Sense. I did notice the occasional short lag when you inundate the GPU with a lot of actions like swiping several screens and then hitting the home button. But it was surprisingly good. I loaded GO Launcher and it eliminated all lag (and gave me the 5x5 icon layout with no labels that I prefer).
In direct sunlight, the screen has a bright enough setting to be functional, but you'll always struggle in direct sunlight with a glass screen.

Network:
Since Amazon/Verizon is enticing new contracts with aggressive pricing, it bears mentioning that Verizon's 4G LTE network is second to none. They've invested in this network heavily this year, and it shows. If I drive out of town and into the country, I might lose LTE signal briefly, but coverage is astounding. Great work, Verizon.
Speed is even more astounding. Even in the metal building I work in (that would drain the hTC EVO battery dry when desperately reaching out for a Sprint signal), I generally achieve 10,000 - 13,000 kbps. The highest download rate I've experienced is 32,000kbps! My local cable High Speed Internet doesn't even touch this. Again, great work, Verizon! They've raised the bar and I hope they can keep it there.
That said, the tiered data plans take careful considering. I went through 2GB in my first week, enjoying the fast network speeds perhaps a little too much! Ironic that I reluctantly connect to a WiFi network to reduce my data usage and the relative speed differential becomes even more evident.

Battery Life:
I can't move on to review any other aspect of phone without raising the subject of battery life. I tried to manage my expectations for battery life with this phone. With what was sure to be a gas-guzzling dual barrel 1.5GHz processor on the LTE network and the highest pixel density in the industry, I couldn't bring myself to hope that the battery would take me through a typical 10 hour workday. The Rezound again delivers. Even with the excitement of a slick new phone on the best network in the business, I still managed to make it through a 10 hour day on a battery charge. As the excitement wears down, I can even make it through 16 hours of awake time without charging. But I've already picked up a spare battery, as it seems to defeat the purpose of a wireless device to be tethered to a charger all the time. This is a powerful mobile device, much like a laptop. You wouldn't expect your laptop to run all day on a charge so just get used to the idea that this is no ordinary phone.

Camera:
This was a huge consideration, for me. I'm an amateur photographer, and don't always have my DSLR handy, and so I end up taking a great deal of photos using the phone's camera. In broad daylight, some pictures have come out good enough to be published. The key advantage is always having a competent camera handy when an incredible opportunity arises with perfect lighting, autumn scenery and that amazing backdrop that makes you wish the DSLR was in the back seat. The impressive f2.2 aperture and competent 8 megapixel sensor in the Rezound does a really great job at capturing light, even when it is limited. In optimal lighting situations, coupled with the "Backlight HDR" setting (which seems to do some post processing tone mapping to improve visible dynamic range), the results are downright stunning. There is still some noise in low-light situations, but I'm happy to see just black in dark shadows rather than noise.

Phone:
Oh yeah, this thing has a phone? I didn't make a phone call until I'd already had the phone for four days and was very impressed with the call quality. I don't ask for much, but my last phone didn't quite have enough volume and I was happy to find that the Rezound has plenty enough volume to spare. I actually had to turn down the call volume a bit, which a nice luxury.

Beats:
There has been a lot of hype about the beats headphones included with this phone, and the "beats profile" that tweaks sound settings for optimal sound reproduction. I have to admit to being a little bit of a sound quality snob. Not the kind that spends $300 on speaker wire and snake oil. But I've spent many hours utilizing measuring equipment in the automotive environment in pursuit of sound quality and even more hours of critical listening and believe I can recognize good sound. Having made an attempt at qualifying my opinion of the Rezounds ability in the sound department: I think they sound great. Really. I mean, they're not going to replace a good set of cans and simply can't approach the dynamics and spatial imaging achieveable in a car or home. But they sound good. I already had a set of decent entry level earbuds (V-Moda Vibe Duo) and I'd say the Beats by Dr Dre buds by Monster are in the same neighborhood, but not quite as good. With the beats profile enabled, music seems louder and more crisp, but not necessarily better. I was able to replicate the effect in PowerAmp with equalization pretty closely. The Beats earbuds might be a little boomy, with not enough extension in the first octave. They are detailed, but midrange is a little more muddy than the V-Modas. I'll keep them as very competent spares, but continue to enjoy the V-Modas for now.

After a week of ownership, I should be able to think of a few criticisms for this phone. I do wish that we were given the option of an AOSP interface, why not Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)? But that is indeed wishful thinking. This phone is sure to be popular with developers, though, and it won't be long before they tap into the true power in this very capable phone. It is a bit annoying to see Verizon bloat the phone with nonsense like V-Cast, that seem more suited for feature phones rather than a powerful Android phone. Would it be a valid complaint that I'm eating through a lot of data? That would be like saying I'm enjoying it too much. Maybe I am.

Good phone - until you root unlock bootloader - then it's GREAT January 2, 2012

Reviewer:  Hien Nguyen "scatterbrained"  (Houston, TX United States) -

Update - August, 2012:
Verizon has finally updated and released a Global firmware update that updates the radio and software for global GSM roaming! What does this mean? You can update the phone and use any SIM if you're roaming (or if you want to use it on a different carrier). For example, I put my friend's Tmobile US SIM in there, and switched to Global mode (from CDMA/LTE) and immediately was connected to Tmobile's network. After setting up the APN, I could browse the web (though only at EDGE speeds due to the different frequencies Tmobile uses). I will be taking the phone overseas soon and will update again after using a prepaid GSM SIM. This really makes this a GREAT phone - no doubt. Android 4.0 ICS, 720p screen, dual-core, unlocked GSM and CDMA/LTE

Original review:
I've been an Android phone user since it first came out on the G1 and I've had many different phones and tablets that I like to hack/mod to optimize and customize the devices using root access or custom ROMs.

Root - basically gives you superuser access to do what you want to the device (stop/remove programs that the carrier installs aka bloatware, use apps like wifi tether without paying extra - data is data!).

ROMs - basically a different version of the phone's operating system. Typically it's customized/optimized to have less or no bloat and better features/tweaks (speed, stability, battery/CPU management, etc.)

I took advantage of the Amazon Wireless holiday specials and picked up two Rezounds (NOT for the Beats which is just an EQ and marketing hype) since they were the most powerful and high-resolution phones that VZW had at the time. I guess that title is shared now with the Galaxy Nexus.

After owning many different types of slippery smartphones, I was very pleasantly surprised to learn the Rezound has non-slip rubber back which really aids in comfortably holding and gripping the phone.

Using the phone is intuitive for anyone that is comfortable with any recent Android phone. Being an HTC phone, it ships with HTC Sense (basically a skin over the stock Android operating system) which is, in my opinion, the most tasteful manufacturer skin (compared to Samsung's and LG's). The powerful dual-core processor makes the phone very responsive as you swipe through menus and applications. The 720p screen is great - bright, clear and makes it a joy to look at pictures, videos and browse (in landscape, it's comparable to a laptop).

Unfortunately, with all the bloatware from Verizon (two sample games and a multitude of other apps) and the 4G LTE, the battery just gets annihilated. Making a few phone calls and speed tests (42 megs down peak so far in Houston) and my phone is at 50%. I keep this phone tethered to a charger when I'm in the car or office to make sure I have enough juice to last the day.

I've also (along with other people) have overheating problems that are sometimes fixed (sometimes not) by powering off and powering back on while on LTE all day. Switching to wifi when in the house helps, but I have 10 gigs of data, so why not keep LTE on til I'm near the cap?

The phone was locked by Verizon (HTC allows for unlocked bootloaders, but it's up to the carrier) and I was about to sell the phone on ebay and pick up a Galaxy Nexus so I could customize it and get rid of the bloat when HTC stepped up and added the HTC Rezound to the list of phones it will provide unlock codes for! XDA-developers has all the info and it came out just after Christmas 2011. Now there are at least 4 custom ROMs and permanent root (there was temporary root before, but it was random when it broke) access.

I've since cleaned up the bloat (and that fixed the overheating problems as well as made the battery last a lot longer!) and switch to CleanROM.

The phone is a powerful phone that is crippled by bloatware from Verizon. If you own this phone and are unhappy with the heat and/or battery life, you owe it to yourself to try unlocking it and removing some of the bloat. You could easily do this by rooting the phone and then using Root Toolkit to remove the apps you don't want if you're not ready to take the plunge to a custom ROM.

Ended up going with Rezound over Galaxy Nexus..Here's Why December 15, 2011

Reviewer:  Sajid Ansari 

I was absolutely torn between Nexus vs Rezound. Both are great phones, but in the end, I ended up with the rezound, and I THINK I made the right choice. In brief, while the nexus has the bigger screen and ICS, the rezound, undoutbley has the better hardware, and will get ICS early 2012 anyway. You can upgrade the software, but you cannot upgrade the hardware. The rezound beats out the nexus in several major categories: 1.) SD card slot 2.) Disk-drive Mode. 3.) Faster processor. 4.) Slightly higher resolution 5.) Beats audio (more on that later) 6.) 8 MP vs 5 MP camera. The Nexus has its advantages over the rezound, but they end up not being as important: 1.) Slightly bigger screen. 2.) Slightly thinner/lighter. 3.) ICS

Of course, ICS is a big advantage of the nexus over the rezound, but again, the rezound will get ICS is the upcoming weeks anyway, rendering the major advantage that the nexus has, moot.

I came from Sprint using the HTC Evo, and I actually like the physical look of the Evo better, since it's a little shorter and slimmer with the same size screen, so it almost felt like a slight downgrade getting a phone that was a little less attractive on the exterior. The transition from Evo to Rezound was a smooth one. The rezound is essentially what the Evo SHOULD have been, but wasn't. It was nice because I felt like I was using my same phone that I always liked and was used to, but it was faster, more responsive, and more reliable. HTC finally got it right, for the most part, with this phone, as it is smooth, crisp, and responsive on all fronts. It isn't NEARLY as choppy and sluggish as the Evo, and the upgraded hardware combined with verizon's speedy and reliable network make this a truly remarkable device.

I was also eager to find out what all the hype was about the Beats feature. Essentially, Beats is a sound enhancer that intelligently equalizes the bass and treble bands, making the music sound the way it was meant to be heard. At first, I was thinking it was just a simple equalizer found in apps like poweramp, but after comparing the sound between poweramp and beats, I can absolutley tell the difference. I wanted to see if Beats was just a pre-set equalizer setting, so I tried to fine-tune the equalizer in poweramp to match the sound of the Beats enhancer. On one song (Xxplosive by Dr. Dre), I nearly matched the sound of my poweramp equalizer to Beats, and figured I decoded the secret equalizer settings. However, with the same equalizer settings on the next song, the Beats enhancer again sounded different, and better than the poweramp equalizer with the settings I just set. This led me to the conclusion that Beats is more than just one secret equalizer setting, rather, it is a comprehensive software that somehow, finds the very best mix of bass and treble bands for each specific song. The end result is a really awesome mp3 player that's got BEATS!

As for the criticisms, there are few, but they are noteworthy:
-Battery life hasn't gotten any better from other HTC models (Evo, Thunderbolt, and other high-powered devices).
-While the interface is generally smoother and quicker, it STILL has a little work to do as you get some choppiness when switching screens quickly. The responsiveness isn't up to speed with the iphone yet.
-Beats ONLY works on the built-in music app, and doesn't work through google music. This a bummer because google music is the best way to wirelessly and seamlessly keep my music library on my comp in sync with my phone. I used the feature in google music to have my music available offline, thinking that it would store my music in a location accessible to the stock music app on the phone, and thus, be able to use Beats. For some reason, the location of the google music folder is very obscure and not visible to the stock music app, so in order to use the Beats enhancer, you have to manually sync your music from your computer to your phone. Also, the phone's stock music app doesn't do a good job of locating album art, if your ID3 tag doesn't identify the album. google music and other players easily identify album art even if you don't have the name of the album.
-General media syncing/cloud integration is a step behind the iphone, but google music is a great step in the right direction.
-The stock SD card is a class 4, and works reasonably well. I was able to transfer files at speeds of 6-8 mpbs, BUT this is still much slower than the file transfer rate of the iphone, so the android community still has a little catching up to do there.
-Not a huge deal, but permanent root still isn't ready on this phone and I miss the custom OS I had on my Evo and the ability to use wireless tether, remove bloatware, and block ads. I am sure in time the community will develop a permanent root solution, however.

In the end, I'm happy with the phone. I echo all the standard array of compliments (good call quality, Beats, fast and smooth UI, etc). The feel of it is pretty similar to what I had with my Evo, but the faster, more reliable network, and the upgraded hardware makes this phone much more fun, and usable.

Great Phone, Bad Battery December 12, 2011

Reviewer:  L. Mills "Maniacal laugh.... Maniacal laugh!"  (Staten Island, NY, United States) -

*Once a 4.5 star review, then down to 3.5. Now this review has been rewritten with one conclusion: DON'T EVEN BOTHER!*

TESTS:
------
This review used to contain a breakdown of two test scenarios (from 100% battery down to 10%) conducted and repeated within the first 30 days of using this phone. The results were good and acceptable for most people, though not great. However, now it's impossible to get anything approaching the battery life I got during that early time unless you I barely use the phone. My usage has increased, but so has the drain from standard tasks. Those early tests included multiple full days after I had turned on hourly Twitter updates, push email, auto podcast downloads, and hourly weather updates. I had turned off the HTC fullscreen weather animations (see TIP at bottom), and I was either fully on Wi-FI or 3G/4G.

**UPDATE - Spring 2012**
There was a minor update by HTC/Verizon (BOTH of them, but blame here goes to Verizon) in January 2012 that first chopped battery life off at the waist (not even the knees), and then once stabilized, battery life is at best two thirds (2/3) what it was... Frustration... Also, phone calls seem to drain a lot more now. Your mileage may vary, but my use patterns haven't changed much--moderate at best, and still no Facebook use.

**FINAL UPDATE - 09-23-12**
My phone has been stock HTC/VZW software from day one. Now, well over a month after the ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich)software update in August 2012, battery life while NOT on Wi-Fi is abysmal. With ICS, the phone is actually snappier, and some well deserved improvements have appeared.

If you don't mind plugging in your *mobile* phone all the time, wherever you are, then there's no problem. For everyone else who isn't at home all the time, DON'T BOTHER! MOVE ON! To this day, HTC hasn't gotten the message that they need to practically overcompensate on battery size for the crap American carriers will do after a phone ships. It's too bad, but in this 4G era, when a phone that is purposefully set only to use 3G performs this poorly, their overall sales reflect it.

TIP:
-----
-Turning off the fullscreen weather animations (raindrops + windshield wiper on the home screen, etc.) helps a lot on HTC phones:
> Press + hold the main homes creen weather widget > Options to EDIT or REMOVE will appear on bottom of screen > Drag widget to EDIT > Click CURRENT LOCATION or [YOUR CITY] > Uncheck SHOW FULL SCREEN ANIMATION

Good all around phone with some issues November 15, 2011

Reviewer:  E. Batzer 

I've had a Rezound for a couple days and it has pretty much reached my expectations with a few caveats. The 720p screen looks great and the phone seems to have very little lag when using apps or browsing the web. The camera is also pretty good, although it does have trouble in low light situations and it can't take pictures very quickly. The phone also comes with Beats audio in-ear headphones to go along with its built in Beats audio system, the headphones are way better the typical ones that come with phones, although they seem fragile and being forced to either have Beats enabled or have flat equalization can be a big negative if you don't listen to the bass heavy music that Beats was designed for. Voice quality is pretty mixed, it is easy to hear the other person but your voice will be noticeably distorted on the other end. Reception was solid and the 4G is very quick, though that's pretty much the standard for LTE phones. The big letdown was the battery life, I really had to watch my usage in order for it to last through the day and have ended up taking the charger with me just to be safe. It also comes with a ton of Verizon bloatware which can't be removed and the HTC Sense modifications really didn't do anything for me, plus it won't be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) for a while, so I would hold out if you like the features being added in that update. Finally, the phone itself is a bit thick, but I found it comfortable to use and carry in a pocket, but you might want to try it out in person just to be safe.

+
Great Screen
Very quick (Apps and web browsing)
Included Headphones
Reception
Camera

-
Battery Life
Outgoing voice quality
No ICS yet
Loaded with bloatware

Back to Verizon and the HTC Rezound after straying with many November 21, 2011

Reviewer:  androidiscool 

Not the slimest and not the coolest. But everythying works and it passed the train test of streaming Netflix in the station and all the way home on the train from downtown Chicago to the burbs. Camera works great. Size if best for me. Had the 4.5 inch and too big. Before I tried all the latest phones I had the Thunderbolt. Got very tired of the extended battery (only way to last a day).

More later...

11/22/11 Update:
Very Happy with Battery Life after having RAZR and coming from Tbolt.
I get up at 5:00am and take off charge. at 2:00pm it is at 60%. Charge it for an hour and it goes to 100%.
Leave work and go home. On the train stream netflix and it lasts till I go to bed at 9:00pm.
Yes it would be nice it no charge at 2, but one charge I can handle. The tbolt took 2 in a day before I got the extended battery.

Razr charges more slowly and loses charge faster.

Everything works well on the rezound. HTC got it right after ra number of issues with the tbolt.
Phone feels good in hand. Better than tbolt, razr and ATT Skyrocket. Display is nice although I have gotten used to the samsung super Amoled. I will keep this phone as I still have the unlimtied data plan. Once contract is up I may switch to ATT as better phones adn their LTE was just as fast. Just failed the train test for me.

If on verizon, buy this phone if you want a solid 4g performer.

Experianced HTC user review November 26, 2011

Reviewer:  Erik 

I have been using the phone for about a week. I have had a couple of HTC phones and this one is by far the best.

Positives
1. This phone works for surfing the internet 3g/4g while on the phone. Emails come in while your talking which is great if you use your phone for business.
2. The processor speed and screen are amazing. No loading times and lightning fast speeds.
3. LTE is amazing.
4. Lots of storage and found an MHL micro to HDMI on amazon for $20 that allows me to watch my phone screen on my 60 inch LCD, its great!
5. Decided I don't need a tablet, the screen and functionality of this phone are enough to do it all.

Observation
Battery life is decent. If you turn off LTE 4g/GPS/wifi you will get a lot more time. With them all on I get 5-6 hours of medium to heavy use during the work day. Plug it in when you can.

Negatives
1. Clock on phone isn't working (Known issue), just an FYI. My clock resets to incorrect time all day. You can fix by entering manual time but if you travel your clock dosen't update automatically, hopefully fixed soon.
2. Call quality is not great. I have used the phone all over Phoenix and get 4 bars at my house and the call quality has been less than perfect. I give call quality a B-.

Overall the best functional device I own. I wish they would have made the call quality better but overall its been an infrequent minor annoyance.

Wow! Just Wow! HTC Rezound ! January 28, 2012

Reviewer:  P. Perry  (Lutz, Florida) -

A few years back, I went looking for a Smartphone with a decent camera, great screen, that was very fast and loaded with features; what I ended up with, was the Droid Incredible and honestly, after having used the Incredible, I can safely say it was the best phone on the market at the time (Yes, even better than AT&T's iPhone 4).

Jump ahead about 1.5 years and, I was wooed by the idea of LTE and quickly moved to sell the Incredible for my Upgrade to the Thunderbolt! Well, the Thunderbolt was nice but it wasn't the same experience that the Incredible delivered and I found myself wishing I had never sold the Incredible!

Jump a little bit further ahead and I was again tempted to try the next big thing, The iPhone 4s on Verizon! Again, this failed to live up to the hype and still failed to match my experience from the original Incredible!

Well, about last week, I decided I had, had enough of the serious limitations and the heavily gimped feature set that is, in some circles, affectionately known as the iPhone 4s. So, I sold my Verizon 4s for $400 and found a brand new HTC Rezound for $350 on a rather well known forum and I took the Plunge!

Okay, enough with the back story, lets get on with the review!

BUILD QUALITY

HTC Might not be known for slim phones or have the eye of the yuppie elite but there's one thing they've always been known for and that's their build quality! You will not find a better built phone than the HTC and honestly, the Rezound is just one more great example of this fact.

DISPLAY

This is seriously, one of these best Displays on the market and even though it isn't Amoled, the pixel density, sharpness and vibrance and contrast are very good and I would say this is pretty even with the Galaxy Nexus and the latest LG offerings. I won't say it is better and I won't say it is the same in every area as the other phones but it has enough strengths where I would say it is overall as good as those displays (Believe me, I'm a big fan of Amoled and my Incredible is to thank for that).

Seriously, 1280x720P, 4.3" screen with class leading PPI, running 24-bit color... Is there really anything more to ask for? Enough Said!

AUDIO

This is really huge! Seeing the Beats Audio on the back really wasn't a big deal to me as I'm not a fan of their more expensive headsets (they're over priced compared to my Sennheiser HD518 Headphones) and from what I had ready the technology only worked with the Monster Headphones! Needless to say, I was prepared to be disappointed by this area of the phone.

Sometimes, being a skeptic has its advantages, especially when you're blown away by the actual experience.

The Beats Optimization is no longer limited to the Monster Brand Headphones and it now works with every pair of headphones you can throw at it! Needless to say, My Sennheiser headphones are sufficiently powered by the Rezound and they produce what I would honestly say is the best listening experience I've ever seen on a Smartphone, or MP3 Player, Period!

The Headphones supplied are actually a huge step above the cheap earbuds supplied with the 4s and they're a similar leap forward over those supplied with the Galaxy line of phones. Of course the competitors headphones are cheap $30 phones and the beats have a suggested retail price of $149 (Street is lower).

NETWORK

Again, I'm floored by this phone! The LTE speeds this phone is capable of, simply are far and away so much better than any other phone on the market and while I've seen 14 to 18 Megs down from other devices, I've seen close to 30 from the Rezound!

Basically, if you want LTE, don't waste your time with the other phones, just get the best of breed Rezound!

STORAGE

The Internal storage of the phone is 16 Gig and the a 16 Gig card is also included with the phone. As many are used to, the expandable storage is a strength of many Android phones and this is currently capable of running a 32 Gig Micro SD Card and larger cards could be available in the future.

Basically, this is typical Android Smartphone fare and a step above some of the Galaxy Line and iPhones on the market.

PERFORMANCE

I had heard everything from , "The Phone is Blazing Fast!" to "Sense 3.5 really slows it down at times." but, my experience has been that the phone is actually very fast and I haven't seen any slowdown from Sense at all!

Again, I have pretty much only run this phone with the Android Update released a few days ago so it is possible all of these issues were corrected. Bottom line, don't worry about it because the issues aren't there now.

CAMERAS

The Front Camera is great, works excellent for all intents and purposes.

The Rear Camera is Great With Good Lighting (Literally, the best on the market) but when lighting becomes less ideal, the Camera stumbles badly! This is compounded by the fact that HTC threw dual LEDs on the phone and then basically brute forced their output! Flash based shooting thus, leaves you with serious hotspots and this has always been an area where I felt that HTC could improve their quality (I wrote them a letter asking them why they don't diffuse the flash as this would have created a much better shooting experience).

Another note about the cameras, the White Balance Sensor isn't the best I've seen and it does leave quite a bit to be desired.

Bottom line, the Cameras are excellent for Family Outings during the day but not so much good at other times. They do offer the typical Android Flexibility you expect from them and in that area alone are they better than the competition.

GPS

I had to single this out for two reasons... One, because I was so ticked off that the 4s didn't have it and wouldn't allow 3rd party apps to interact so I could use this functionality to it's fullest and Two, because the GPS Chip in this phone is fast, just like every other part of the phone.

Seriously, the Rezound GPS Technology will lock on to satellites in seconds even if you have it turned off and that's a much needed boost for cellphones where Battery is a big issue!

BATTERY

Well, every super thing has to have a weakness right? There is no free ride here and all the speed for GPS, LTE, and the UI as well as the Screen Performance take a toll on the battery.

Bottom Line here, either put the phone's power setting in Normal Mode (changes the radio to 3G / CDMA only) or get the extended battery (it is the same battery as is offered for the Thunderbolt but the back is different so you cannot use that without purchasing the back). The good news though, Verizon Wireless is selling these batteries for 50% off right now and it only adds a little heft to the phone.

OPERATING SYSTEM

Everything that iOS is not, Android with Sense is! My biggest problems with the iPhone 4s were the fact that you couldn't integrate one app with another (like Dragon Dictate requiring you to cut and paste because it didn't work with Pages, Email or iMessages) and if an Application worked better than the stock app, you were not allowed to set that app as the default.

With Android, you have total control over your environment and everything can interact, enhance, or replace a lesser application. This means I can download an EQ and it should work with every music player I have... It also means that I can literally replace the whole sense launcher with another one which might add functionality or even speed up the phone.

The Bottom Line here, there's no other OS on the market that is as flexible or feature rich as Android and if you use these features then all the hype in the world will never make you a fan of iOS period.

APPS

Android has more than 500,000 Apps the work on pretty much every device running 2.1 or higher! Yes the iPhone has more but part of that is to make up for the functionality that Android already has and part of that is just duplication of existing applications. For the most part, 90% of the top quality apps on the iOS exist on Android and more are ported to the platform every day.

Bottom line, you need to do something, there is more than likely an Application to do that and if you find something that doesn't exist, please send me the idea because I would love nothing more than to make an Application with no Competition! =D

CONCLUSION

I've finally found the phone that is going to make me forget about the Incredible and I will not make the same mistake as I did with the Incredible, I will be keeping this phone for some time to come! I want to rate the phone higher but the iPhone 4s has me a little gun shy and feeling a little like Brendan Fraser In Bedazzled so for now, I will give it a conservative 4 stars and note that it should at least be a 4.5 star phone.

Bottom line, You will be hard pressed to find a better all around phone on any network and honestly, from my perspective, the iPhone 4s (with all of its hype and gimmicks) just doesn't compete with the Rezound in any area but the camera. With that said, run, don't walk if you're seriously considering this phone!

DISCLAIMERS

*Disclaimer, I had not had this phone long before the bug fix release was issued so I have very little experience with the phone prior to that.

*If you want to see the limitations of the 4s that drove me nuts, I review that phone on here as well.

* I also find it ironic that HTC Keeps releasing these phones, that are simply better, right around the same time as Apple's latest Flagship Phone! Last time it was the Incredible and EVO, this time it is the Rezound!

REZOUND versus RAZR January 3, 2012

Reviewer:  Peter Jones  (VA) -

Buy the Rezound, you won't regret it.

The HTC Rezound is an incredible smartphone. I've owned mine for about two months now. Initially, I thought I was going to buy a RAZR. My brother and I went to Best Buy and when we walked out, I owned this phone and he owned the RAZR. Our plan was to see whose we liked better before our one month return timeframe was up. We both ended up keeping the phones we walked out with.

(Actually, my brother exchanged his RAZR for another one due to a slight problem with the screen when it was displaying a black image, for instance when watching a video. There were faintly visible blotches and lines present in the dark areas. The new one he received had the same problem, but he felt it wasn't anything major, so he kept it. It's not very visible unless you actually look for it, and apparently it is a small problem with the RAZR's screens in general).

BODY
I researched quite a few different smartphones before I decided on this one. I really like its size and weight, compared to the RAZR. The slightly thicker body and rounded edges make it easier to hold and more comfortable in the hand. It fits in my pocket well. I'm not a big fan of the ultra thinness of the RAZR. I can't really explain why.

SCREEN
The screen on this phone is incredible. My friends were wowed. 720p resolution looks amazing. I played the same YouTube video on the Rezound and the RAZR at the same time, and while each seemed equally sharp to me, the Rezound had warmer, more natural colors. The high pixel density (I'm pretty confident it's the highest of any phone out there right now) makes it possible to read even the tiniest of text.

BATTERY
I was hesitant at first because the RAZR has a 1750mAh battery, compared to the Rezound's 1620. I shouldn't have been, because the battery life on this thing is epic for what it can do. I keep 4G on, cycle through GPS and Wifi a handful of times, stream a couple songs every few hours, make a dozen (shortish, 1-3 minutes) phone calls, watch a YouTube video or 3, send huge amounts of texts, make a couple words with friends moves, and browse the internet for a while, all on one charge. I'm averaging about 20-24 hours of battery life with the above usage. Of course, a good 6-10 hours of that is when I am sleeping (with wifi and GPS off). I haven't yet needed to recharge it to get through a day. Brightness is set to about 30% except under direct sunlight, in which case I turn it up a bit. I'm not sure what effect, if any, it has on my battery life, but for the first month or so of owning this phone, I would try my best to drain the battery completely before fully recharging it. Another point I should mention is that the battery life gets better after the first few charge/discharge cycles. I have a few other battery savings tricks I use too, if anyone is that interested.

EVERYTHING ELSE
..about this phone is history. It has the fastest processor available, a great UI, and Verizon's AMAZING 4G network. (It is dangerously fast). I have 4 GB of data, and with the usage above, I rarely get up to 2 GB per month, usually much less. I have apps on this thing to control my Onkyo 7.2 channel receiver, manage my finances, check the weather (I disabled the huge HTC weather/clock widget and selected a smaller one of theirs), check my Gmail, play games, listen to music, etc etc etc. The camera is excellent. I'll post a picture I took with it from right outside the Best Buy store when I get around to it. My brother took the same picture with his RAZR and it was much lower quality.

PROBLEMS
Nothing major, just little nitpicky things I have noticed, and which probably are problems with the Android OS and not this phone.
- Sometimes when I try to go back and delete a word in a text message I am actively writing, if the word was auto corrected, it won't delete. I have to back out of the message (it saves as a draft) and click back on that person's name again. This happens rarely.
- Some settings are confusing. Mainly in reference to screen brightness and battery settings between different profiles (Android's Economy, Normal, and Performance). I think this is because I have a few different apps that try and help manage my battery life.
- Confirmations whenever I enable any of the 3 different GPS services (i.e, "Enabling this could potentially allow others to know your location and could pose a security risk, blah blah blah."
- Included ring tones and beeps are few. I liked the Blackberry's simple beeps and low tones for when I received texts, emails, FB posts, etc. Haven't found how to assign particular tones to the above messages.
- External speaker/speakerphone could be louder. But it's decent as background music for a couple guys sitting around drinking beers.
- Wish it came with gorilla glass like the RAZR, but a cheap screen protector has saved it from a scratch or two it would otherwise have.

- One drawback that I didn't think of at first but that I find very annoying are the volume rocker buttons. They are hard to press without a case on, and with one, frustratingly so. You'll need a fingernail, and forget about doing it with the phone up to your ear or in the dark.

The Dre Beats headphones and software did not factor into my decision to buy the phone. But they're a nice touch and the earbuds definitely sound good. (At least much better than the series of Apple earbuds that I have been using for the past 10 years).

This phone has a better camera, better screen, and better form factor than the RAZR does. Don't get me wrong, the RAZR is a great phone too, but the Rezound beats it in a lot of key ways. Go get one! Once you go smartphone, you won't go back.

Great Phone - Battery Saving Tips for Owners April 4, 2012

Reviewer:  William McCurdy  (Winthrop, MA United States) -

I am very pleased with my Rezound. All the other reviews do a great job detailing the phone's features, so I wanted to highlight some of the things I've learned about saving the battery, which is the phones biggest issue IMO. I have owned it since December and it has been a great experience other than the battery life, which was shockingly short. Turns out it was just a simple default setting I needed to change.

Open Settings --> Power --> Power Mode --> Change the Power Mode to Economy.
My phone went from lasting about 6 hours to 18 to 20 hours by making that change. I haven't noticed much of a difference in performance, now apps don't open "instantaneously" but that's because they are not all running in the background all the time. I have no idea why I overlooked this small step but I'm glad I found it, makes a HUGE difference. There are three settings: High Performance (this is what it was set to), Normal & Economy. I compared Normal and Economy and didn't notice a difference other than Normal used more battery. I am a full convert to Economy Mode.
Here are some more tweaks you can try: When you set your phone to Economy Mode a new option opens "Economy Mode settings". Here you can set if the battery gets below 30% turn off XXXX. I have it set if my battery gets below 20% it turns off background data (no updates for any app, you can manually turn back on things like email but you have to go to each app and turn the auto updates on, no way to filter) turn of screen brightness, wifi, bluetooth, and Vibration Feedback.

Here are some other things I use to save battery:
Advanced Task Killer app: Set the Auto Kill Level to "Crazy" and Auto Kill Frequency to "When Screen Off". This will try to stop apps from launching when you are not using your phone. And its free.

3G/4G Switch - There are lots of apps for this, but really they are just a shortcut to the settings on your phone to turn off 4G. You will get a huge battery savings it you turn off 4G unless you are browsing or uploading/download data. You dont need 4G for background updates.

If anyone wants more advice please leave a comment.

Amazing phone, just needs a battery December 6, 2011

Reviewer:  Rob  (Dallas) -

This phone is a powerful and amazing phone with few shortcomings. It's blazingly fast running applications and rarely stutters, even with the massive amount of overhead caused by HTC's skin (Sense) and Verizon's bloatware.

It's display is brilliant. A true 720p display, comparable to what you'll find on many plasma TVs and small LCD TVs. It's very bright, viewable even in sunlight.

Unfortunately, it's greatest asset appears to be the cause of its downfall. The display absolutely obliterates the battery. When reading Google Reader or using lightweight applications, the phone becomes warm in my hand after a few minutes of casual reading from the display draining the battery so fast. In five hours of moderate use (reading RSS feeds, sending a text message per hour), half the battery was gone. The biggest offender? Over half of the battery drain was from the display.

Sound quality on phone calls has been inconsistent. At times, it is crystal clear. At other times (with decent signal) it sounds as though the speaker is blown. Audio through the included headphones is distorted and a buzz comes when plugging the phone into the audio input in my car before audio starts playing.

The battery life is poor enough I am considering returning the phone. I can deal with the audio issues, but the battery is bad enough I will need to carry a spare battery to feel safe.

The amazing performance and amazing display are almost enough to tip me in favor of keeping the phone. We'll see what the Galaxy Nexus looks like on VZW...

Quit looking at this and BUY IT! November 28, 2011

Reviewer:  Anthony J. Benson 

Phone Rocks. PERIOD. Manage your power usage and the phone's battery will last all day. The screen is amazing (compared to ALL other phones). The camera is awesome. Sense 3.5 is visually stunning. If your scared that "HTC SENSE SLOWS DOWN YOUR PHONE"... give me a break its a 1.5Ghz Dual Core Processor. The headphones that come with it rock and have an in-line mic for "headset" applications. Love this phone. I waited for the galaxy nexus (as you probably are reading this) and I was afraid I would be disappointed. This phone is great. Love the size (other say bulky, I say perfect). They do make an extended battery for this phone if you feel it is necessary. Do the research but this phone is awesome.

The Engadget review was great (if you ask me) and helped me make my decision.

SEE HERE - [...]

Rezound Stuck in Boot Loop? Here's a fix January 2, 2012

Reviewer:  Cory McEntee  (Fairfax, VA United States) -

The phone is great, fast, the camera is awesome. It was a huge upgrade over my DInc that I love(d).

I noticed after the 2nd day with it that I wasn't connecting to 4G, only 3G. There were a couple other oddities too (weather wasn't updating, etc) - so I decided to reboot... and it continued to reboot itself for the next 20 minutes until I took out the battery and did some research online.

It seems that the phone's internal settings for which network to connect aren't quite correct and causes a clash with the 4G SIM card. From the many posts in multiple forums it appears to be a pretty common.

Here's the steps I took to correct my phone:

Take out battery
Remove SIM card
Boot phone
From the dialer press *#*#4636#*#* to get into the phones sub menu
From there select Phone Information
Set the network to CDMAEVDO/LTE - Auto

I found this information here:
[...]

Now my phone is humming along. I could not be happier with my rezound.

Love this phone : Ex iphone 4 user December 29, 2011

Reviewer:  Sarah 

I switched to this phone from an iphone 4. Love this phone its easy to use has great features, sound, screen ect ... Could have a bit better of battery life but if it becomes an issue for you, you can always buy and extended batter for it. I don't find this phone bulky at all it fits in your had nicely and has a great camera for a cell phone. personally I would call the raza bulky because of its wideness even though its lighter(my hubby got that phone) but both are great phones. As for Verizon we switched to them from AT&T, we haven't really had any issues with Verizon service expect when they where having 4g lte issues. call quality has been great with this phone no issues with people hearing me or me hearing them.

In Love January 4, 2012

Reviewer:  CodiN. 

Pro : I love this phone. I had a samsung continuum which I wanted to throw at the wall every day. Even though I've only had this phone for 3 days, I haven't had any problems with it. The battery life is what I expected it to be. I do use a lot of apps, but it's held up through out the day so far. Its bigger than my samsung, but still small enough to fit into my back pocket . This phone is lightning fast compared to the continuum.

Cons: I hate that it doesn't have the option to have everything on vibrate like ringtone and notifications. It'll only vibrate for ringtone, and put everything else on silent. I also tend to take a lot of pictures and I found this phone has no side button for camera so its kinda hard and awkward to take pictures trying to just touch the screen button. Other than those 2 problems, I love it and so glad I spent the money

Very good, but certainly not perfect... December 9, 2011

Reviewer:  DRII 

FYI, I was up for an upgrade. I really wanted the Droid Razr, being that my last (and first) smart phone was the original Moto Droid - which i loved. However, found a great deal (one of few available to current customers!!!) on the HTC Rezound: 50 bucks at one of the big box warehouse websites.

The Bad:

1) Let's start with the inherent problems with the Rezound. First and foremost, for me, are the flush buttons on the phone itself; used to control volume and turn the phone on. The buttons are not raised hardly at all and therefore are relatively difficult to use, which is highly irritating.
2) Battery Life: I get about 6 hours out of this phone on one charge (I do use my phone for streaming of music at work), much less than I did with my Moto Droid.
3) Ringtone and notification volume seems rather low even with volume setting on max.
4) The Rezound gets really hot when playing certain games!

The Good / Acceptable:

1) Processing power: The Rezound is pretty zippy, with a 1.5 GHz dual core processor you would expect that, however it has struggled at times with `heavy' apps such as Weather Bug Elite or Google Earth. I do not know if this is because of my connection at the time or the processor itself. Compared with the Razr, I find that the Rezound is a tad slower. Using the phone's built in task manager app, it is possible to see how much of the Rezound's available 817 MB of RAM (out of 1 GB total Ram) is being used. Even with all `killable' programs stopped, the Rezound is using more than half (493 MB) of its available RAM. This is probably due to HTC's power hungry Sense skin or UI (user interface), which works on top of and in conjunction with the Android operating system.

2) Which gets me to HTC's Sense. I put this UI in the acceptable category. I am getting used to it, but overall find it gimmicky and way too flashy. Sure its pretty, but too often it gets in the way of what you're trying to do. Motorola's UI is much more efficient and to the point. HTC should realize that more than just teenage boys and girls will buy this phone, especially considering its one of the few Verizon phones that allow data usage and phone calls at the same time which can be very useful for business concerns.

3) Size and feel: I'm a big guy with big hands (can palm a basketball). I like the size and feel of the Rezound. It seems solid and substantial, although I'm sure some will think its kind of heavy. By comparison the Razr is too light and kind of oddly shaped. I think Motorola may have sacrificed a little too much to make the Razr so thin, although I find the design of the Razr to be very good if not striking for a cell phone. The Rezound is also designed well but with more of a form follows function approach (except for the ridiculous flush buttons) vs the eye-catching form factor of the Razr.

The Great:

1) These are the features that I think set the Rezound apart from many if not most other cell phones. First, the screen: It is beautiful and incredibly clear and realistic. The colors are not as vibrant, bright, or `pop' as much as with the Razr, but visuals are crisper and have far better resolution. Think plasma (Rezound) vs LED (Razr and other AMOLED devices); HD buffs will understand what I'm talking about. The Rezound uses the venerable, as in older, LCD technology screen (the 'eye' phone does as well) while the Razr and others use the newer AMOLED technology in their screens. As is the case with plasma vs LED, newer is not always better especially when accounting for realism!

2) The camera on the Rezound is fantastic! No, shutter lag - meaning instant pics with great customization settings and excellent resolution. Again, at first glance pictures might seem duller than with the Razr or `eye'-phone, but the execution is more realistic and the images are captured better. The dual LED is also great, providing excellent lighting. I do a lot of photo processing and the Rezound provides great raw material!

3) Sound is great from the Rezound! Besides the aforementioned ringtone and notification volume. The built in music player with beats audio is great and provides excellent sound quality. Another great feature of this phone is when you lay the phone down and play music or videos thru the external speaker the sound is amplified! Kind of like a mega-phone effect, which works great when multiple people want to hear the audio.

So overall I would give the HTC Rezound 3.9 stars. I am fairly impressed thus far.

Worth every penny! January 30, 2012

Reviewer:  N. Lind  (Modesto, CA) -

First of all, I sell phones for a living and have had the chance to use all the newest phones including the Razr and Nexus. There is no perfect phone out there. There are things I would improve about every model on the market.

That being said, this is a great phone, the best I've ever owned! And I have no regrets about choosing it over its competition. Honestly, this phone doesn't really stand out in any category. Though it has a faster processor than its competition, it's not quite as snappy as the Razr or Nexus. Though it has a 720p screen it doesn't look as vibrant as the Razr or Nexus. The Beats by Dre software is a joke, though the headphones are decent enough.

But, here's the catch! The HTC may not stand out in any one catagory but when you add it all together it makes for a better phone. I have never had a dropped call. I have not had a single connection issue, battery problem, software glitch, or hardware issue since I got the phone in November! I have not had a single customer return their Rezound because of a problem. The Nexus, Razr, and Bionic, on the other hand, come back on a daily basis for a variety of weird and annoying problems. This HTC is solid all around and still a top tier performer. I would recommend it to anyone.

Pros:
Beautiful screen
HTC Sense is sooo much better than Motoblur and Touchwiz!!!
Fast, great for multi tasking
takes great photos and video
comfortable in your hand, or pocket
4G, I regularly pull speeds over 20mbs on 4g network.
Good battery life, software manages wireless signals so you dont have to.
Free headphones
RELIABLE!

Cons:
Beats by dre software sucks
Heavier and slightly bulkier than Razr and Nexus
Bluetooth signal is only solid from about 1-15 feet.
No dedicated HDMI out.

Worst phone I've every owned!!! November 30, 2012

Reviewer:  marmam67 

Went from a Droid 2 to the Rezound. Droid still functioned perfectly after two years of operation, but I was forced to "upgrade" equipment in order to keep my unlimited data plan with Verizon. I've had nothing but problems, not the least of which was a total lockup during a software update. Phone was replaced under warranty. Then, it needed to be replaced again due to slow/sluggish performance and daily crashes requiring a battery removal to power cycle. HTC/Verizon does not allow ad hoc wireless (so I can't operate my AR Drone), and hotspot connectivity costs extra to enable. Battery life isn't the greatest, especially connected to 4G. 4G is only marginally faster, but I don't know if that's HTC's or Verizon's fault. Power/comm cable connection is flimsy and not a standard mini USB. I have the docking station and use(ed) the phone for clock/alarm at night. Last night, while placing the phone into the dock, the phone connector broke. I could still connect the cable directly to the phone, but the docking station would not work. Menu structure makes finding features and functions difficult. I gave it one extra star for the screen clarity, but everything else is pretty crummy on this device.

This model has got problems August 11, 2012

Reviewer:  P. Corson 

I really wanted to stick with the Rezound, but I'm moving away from it after a combination of poor service from HTC and some chronic problems with the hardware itself. I've had four examples of this model, starting with a new one just a month after they came out. Three rebuilt examples later, and I've really lost faith in the model, not just the specific piece of hardware.

There are software design and component problems that make this a weak, unreliable model.

I had hoped the change from the "Gingerbread" operating system to "Ice Cream Sandwich" would have fixed issues that include jamming up, high battery consumption, loss of orientation, loss of signal coordination between 3G and 4G, and mysterious, sporadic slowdowns in getting from one function to another, random among functions.

But ICS did not help.

One reason I wanted to keep the Rezound, and gave HTC four tries, was a very good camera app that permits a wide range of user inputs with settings that are remembered between sessions. WONDERFUL.

Another reason is the swappable battery. I have the factory extended case and high-capacity battery. I've learned how to conserve power consumption through various settings, such as by going to 3G/CDMA only when I don't need 4G speeds, turning off wi-fi, and not using bluetooth. At times, without rhyme nor reason, I get many times the usual battery life, under identical operating conditions as far as I can tell.

The screen is great. The resolution and brightness among the best. The glass seems to be ruggedized, like "Gorilla" glass by Corning, but I was very disappointed to find out too late that the cover over the forward facing camera lens is PLASTIC. One of them scratched, another one showed scuff marks from ordinary use. I have a sleeve and belt clip but it was not adequate protection.

I've tentatively gone over to the Motorola Razr Maxx. The video resolution is better, with bitrates in the 15,000 range rather than the 9,000 seen at best on the HTC. I don't like the Motorola's camera interface. Won't remember settings, and no touch-to-focus on video. Blunt, crude adjustment for exposure rather than the refined Rezound UI.

The Maxx's battery life is equal to the extended battery of the Rezound. I happen to like the bulk of the Rezound with extended housing, and I don't like the grip I get on the Maxx. Too thin for my hands.

The Rezound has never been promoted/marketed by Verizon to the extent of other smartphones the company offers. I think the reason for that might be the company's own lack of faith in the HTC from reliability problems I and others have reported.

Too bad. I really like the HTC when it works. I cannot have a phone that randomly craps out, at times needing a factory reset with a loss of all downloaded apps, all email accounts, all settings, and any video/images that may mistakenly have gone to the phone instead of the microSD card.

That reminds me to say I like the Maxx's covered door to remove the microSD without having to pull off a cover in the HTC. Has anyone here had their microSD fly out of the phone when you slide it out??? Uh-HA ! Me too. Keep your thumb on it as it comes out of the slot.

And I should note that the extended factory cover, which contains all the antennas, does NOT have a very firm grip on the mainframe. The outer sleeve I have is probably the only thing holding the back cover in place reliably during occasional bumps and rough handling. I've refrained from using my spare extended battery and/or removing my microSD card because I don't want to wear out the marginal tangs that sit in the mainframe groove.

The micro-USB cable is an HTC variation on micro-USB seen throughout the smartphone world. It has additional flanges that provide mechanical strength, and I hope other makers adopt the design. Contradicting another review on here, CONVENTIONAL micro-USB chargers and feed cables WILL fit and the ReZound recognizes them when connected to a freestanding control computer. Using a laptop or desktop, and having the Rezound in "disc drive" mode is how I work-around the problem of an inconvenient microSD card.

But because of the overall reliability issue, and the short time between failures, I have to conclude Too Bad, HTC, I gave you the best chance I could afford.

Battery is ridiculous.... August 3, 2012

Reviewer:  Koontz Fan  (South, USA) -

I've now had the ReZound for 6 months, after having to abruptly turn in my Thunderbolt to Verizon (long story). The store I was in didn't have any Thunderbolts but the salesman assured me that I would love the ReZound and that the battery would far exceed the OEM extended battery on the T.B. That was just a flat-out lie. I immediately purchased an OEM extended battery for the RZ and still can't get through a workday with minimal use if the LTE or WiFi are turned on. Even without using the call functions -- text messaging alone drains the battery to nothing. To make matters worse, the phone is HUGE and HEAVY with the extended battery. I could cope with this if the extended battery actually got me through the day. BTW, the extended battery on the T.B. got me almost 2 days of use, so there is no excuse for the RZ chewing through a battery like it does. I have a battery saver app installed, the brightness set at about 50%, etc.

To be honest, I'm tired of getting locked into phones for 2 years only to find that I need an extended battery and still can't use the phone to its full operating potential (I shouldn't HAVE to dim the screen or turn off LTE or disable ANYTHING in order to have the phone limp through 3/4 of a work day!). It is time for these companies to step up and provide a battery that can support the phone.

And my last comment, don't tell me to root the phone. I am not a tech geek and shouldn't have to do anything to the OS after bringing it home in order to get the phone to work like it should. That's bullsh**. The battery shouldn't drain this fast and it shouldn't overheat like this one does. Period.

I also frequently have trouble with the 4G service but that is probably a Verizon issue rather than a RZ issue.