Image from HTC
The range of Windows Phone 7 handsets from HTC is gradually becoming the most comprehensive around. With the arrival of the HTC 7 Pro it seems to have all the bases covered as this business-oriented full QWERTY slider has a lot going for it. Of course there has yet to be an affordable PAYG Windows Phone 7 handset, but with Nokia entering the party this may not be the case for long.
The HTC 7 Pro is a reassuringly chunky smartphone which features a cleverly hidden QWERTY keypad which can be accessed by sliding its 3.6 inch touchscreen display sideways to reveal a decent array of keys. This kind of form factor is best suited to people who want the reassuring precision of a physical keypad when typing long emails or editing documents. Of course the keypad does add some bulk to the handset and it will look rather rotund compared to something slinky like the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. However, if you are tired of the virtual keypads and the often annoying experience of typing on a touchscreen this will be a compromise you are willing to make.
The slider mechanism deserves a paragraph all of its own, because not only does it move the screen out of the way of the keypad but it also angles the screen towards the user. This makes it more comfortable to type and interact with the phone and there is a sturdy, reassuring nature to the hinge which enables the tilting which will make it satisfying to move it into place each and every time.
Thanks to the minimum system requirements outlined by Microsoft, the 7 Pro is no slouch when it comes to hardware specifications. It has a 1GHz processor and a native resolution of 480×800 on its 3.6 inch display. Around the back you will find a five megapixel camera which can record HD video clips in 720p.
Windows Phone 7 has a few tricks up its sleeve, with the super-slick interface being one of the most obvious. You can arrange apps and services in live, interactive tiles on the main homescreen and swipe to the left to see a more extensive list of the available apps. With Xbox Live functionality there are tons of games which are not only fun to play but also improve your GamerScore to enhance your bragging rights amongst your friends. This is something the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc cannot match and PAYG users who consider themselves to be gamers will envy. You can get the 7 Pro on a PAYG contract, which is the same with any high end smartphone, but you will need to cover the cost of the handset upfront when signing on to a PAYG deal. The phone’s high end capabilities and speedy networking also make is unsuitable for PAYG.
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