Photo: Old Shoe Woman / Flickr

Digital cameras brought photography to the people. Mobile phones brought photography to the masses, but only recently did the quality of a mobile phones camera become comparable to that on a dedicated digital camera. On the eve of Apple’s next major product reveal, we explore what the future of the consumer digital camera is.

The stand-alone digital camera will not die… completely

The first thing to note is that the stand-alone digital camera is not completely done for. Far from it, in fact, particularly with DSLR cameras steadily decreasing in price. But entry-level point and shoot digital cameras will either go the way of the dodo or become dirt, dirt, dirt cheap. This is a very good thing for consumers, but concerning for manufacturers.

The smartphone – tomorrow’s everything device

The mobile phone disrupted the fixed line telecommunications business. The smartphone is damaging the business of virtually every pocket-size consumer electronic gadget in the world. Handheld console? Check. GPS device? Check? Timepiece? Uhm, Check. The digital camera. Without a doubt, check. Since the phenomenal HTC Desire shipped with its 5 megapixel camera, and with the iPhone following suit, the gap between a basic point-and-shoot digital camera and what you can get on your smartphone has diminished rapidly. Now, with its 12 megapixel Nokia N8, the Finnish mobile giant wants to, well, finish the job.

The perennial disruptor: the iPod?

Photo: woolennium / Flickr

At Apple’s special music event tonight many expect Steve Jobs to unveil an updated iPod Touch with a front-facing and rear-facing camera, much like the iPod 4 has. Though Apple’s intention for the device is to forward its own personal FaceTime agenda, it could have huge ramifications for point-and-shoot digital cameras, and other consumer devices like Cisco’s Flip Cam.

The iPod is no stranger to disrupting markets, being significantly responsible for upending the music business, but does it have one more swansong in it by gutting the camera business and Cisco’ brilliant Flip Cam range, too?

All in all, with the advancements in mobile computing touching every corner of consumer electronics, the point-and-shoot digital camera cannot escape unscathed. How bad the market erosion will be is yet to be seen, though.

Photo: Apple

We know, we know. We’re just courting trouble with this post. No area in electronics is more competitive than smartphones right now and to do a top three list will, for many people, be heresy, particularly if their device is left off the list. Nonetheless, some people still want snapshots, and this is what this is: a snapshot of the best mobile phones released in 2010.

iPhone 4

You knew the iPhone 4 would be here. And you either celebrated this, or lamented it. The truth is, as the software catalogue for iOS gets better, the better the devices inherently becomes. Outside of that, though, the much-debated retina display, improved form factor with glass at the front and back, a 5MP camera capable of 720p HD recording, as well as the inclusion of the new mobile OS makes this iPhone 4 a shoe-in on anybody’s list. Sure the antenna problems are a shocking oversight, but 1.7 million people in three days just can’t be wrong (or they’re all swimming in the Kool-aid, not just sipping it).

HTC Desire

Photo: HTC

If you have been reading this site for any continuous period, you would know we think highly of HTC as a mobile phones manufacturer. Their 2010 got off to an unbelievable start with the one-two punch combo of the HTC Desire and HTC Legend and though the US-only HTC EVO 4G hasn’t amounted to its promise, anyone’s allowed a misstep. It’s surprising, then, that this second of our top three mobile phones of 2010 was released at the tail-end of Q1, but the HTC Desire is still tops. You can read our full review here to see why we love it so.

Sony Xperia X10 mini

Photo: Sony Ericsson

We were caught in a bit of a quandary as to whether to award this position to the Sony Xperia X10 mini or to the surprisingly good Samsung Galaxy S. The Sony Xperia X10 Mini harkens back to the days of the Motorola Razr where small phones were all the rage, but the clever design, implemented with intelligent UI usage of Android gives this phone that little bit more than just aesthetics for size. And let’s be fair, Sony Ericsson need a major victory. It’s also pretty affordable, to boot, which helps a ton.

So which is it for you? The iPhone 4, HTC Desire, or the Sony Xperia X10 Mini? Or, if not these, which other phone would you have on this list instead?

Photo: HTC

Pretty much everybody gets great tech long after the US does. Look what happened with the iPad and most every major smartphone in the world. So on the rare occasions we ‘international users’ (they even clump us under one title) get something remarkable before the US does, allow us a second to feel better about ourselves. This is the case, with the HTC Desire finally getting released in the US in August, with a catch.

Regional Carriers

The catch is the Google Android powered HTC Desire will not be released on major carriers nationwide, with HTC opting to give the phone to ‘select regional operators’ to carry. That means no AT&T, no Sprint and no T-Mobile, either. A veritable easter egg hunt may need to ensue if US-based customers want the HTC Desire so as to find out what we keep cooing about.

You’ll love it, promise

We’ve had the HTC Desire for some time already and, in case it wasn’t clear when we wrote our review, we loved it. We still do, in fact. This Google Android powered phone is easily one of HTC’s best devices and is still on the shortlist for handset of the year, even with the hugely impressive iPhone 4 and HTC’s very own powerful (but disappointing) HTC EVO 4G due to both be on market soon.

Oh, wait, fancy footwork

Photo: HTC

Our fellow tech lovers who stay in the US do have the escape route of saying the HTC Desire is merely a tweaked Google Nexus One, which the US got a long while before the rest of the world did. Though this debate is old, it’s hardly true with the phones different enough that we at least consider them two completely separate devices. Glass half empty or half full, right? And even then, can us ‘international’ users get a moment in the sun? Just a brief one.

So, US readers, does the news of one of the standout Google Android handsets excite you or not? And to those of us who are ‘international’ users, how has your experience with this HTC handset been so far?

Photo: HTC

HTC must have the most hyperactive R&D department in the smartphone world, planning several more smartphones this calendar year, still, with the rumoured HTC Vision being dubbed the HTC Desire with a Qwerty keyboard added for good measure.

Desire + keyboard = more desirable?

The simple question is: should you care? The simple answer is: it depends. It depends on whether you care for keyboard or not, because as a standalone device, the HTC Desire is one of the best mobile phones available on the market, period. So, if HTC somehow manages to keep all the HTC Desire functionality and attractive form factor, and somehow sneak a keyboard into the device for those who want tactile feedback, it’s almost impossible to not recommend purchasing it.

Expansion vs. convergence

As an aside, HTC, who have released a ton of phones this year, are showing no signs of slowing down. This strategy of releasing phones without pause is both fascinating, considering the constant stream of high quality devices, yet concerning in that it could dilute the product value in the long run. HTC, effectively, is to smartphones what Nokia was to feature phones a decade ago, in terms of release volume, at least.

The problem is this – when compared to the competition, which releases one phone per year every year meaning that handset gets all the focus put on that company’s mobiles, HTC may inadvertently lower the sales of its own individual phones.
If the Vision is released this year, that would bring HTC’s 2010 tally to nearly 10 devices, with the HTC Legend, HTC Incredible, HTC Wildfire, HTC Incredible, the aforementioned HTC Desire and the powerful HTC Evo 4G, to name but a few, and we’re not even in June yet.

Photo: HTC

Someone at HTC had the smart idea of letting you, Joe and Jane Public, name the company’s next phone by crowdsourcing on Facebook.

Options

In a note posted on Facebook, HTC says they are ‘looking for a name that is playful and full of youth’, before asking you to choose from one of four options. The options available are the HTC Zeal, HTC Wildfire, HTC Festi and the HTC Jovi.

What should it be?

If you’ve ever taken note of how HTC names their phones, only one should stand out. Between the Magic, Dream, Hero, Incredible, Desire, and Legend, surely it would be overzealous to overlook the HTC Zeal. It’s typical HTC grandiose fair, and who doesn’t like that?

The road previously traveled

Photo: HTC

Crowdsourcing – the act of engaging your audience as sources of product information and creation – has come of age recently, particularly with the Internet making it so simple. Mobile handsets giant Nokia recently went a step further than HTC, by crowdsourcing the design of a handset the company is working.

When HTC is not being lazy

In the last 12 months, HTC has released the well-reviewed HTC Legend and the amazing HTC Desire. In the months to come, its 4G HTC EVO is on the horizon, and early specs and impressions indicate it may be the most powerful phone in the world.

In addition, HTC is rumoured to be considering acquiring the ailing PDA giant, Palm, who were recently reported as having put themselves on the chopping block after months of bad results. The theory is the Palm acquisition would give HTC a powerful distribution and retail channel in North America where they’re waging war with Apple iPhone platform.

Now head on over to the Facebook page, and in your zeal, do what’s right. It would sit quite nicely next to HTC Legend.

Photo: HTC

We write about HTC handsets quite often here, and not because of any bias to the company, but because HTC’s products for the last 12 months have been as good as any other smartphone maker has ever released – yes, even Apple and its iPhone. And the company’s newly released quarterly results confirm what we’ve long suspected, and what the company is due – HTC smartphones are being hugely successful, particularly due to the company’s partnership with Google Android.

The numbers game

HTC’s Q1 revenue was $1.19 billion (£770 million), a 19.3 per cent increase over 2009’s Q1 results. Profit amounted to $158 million (£102 million), up $4 million from the year prior, making HTC the fourth largest smartphone maker, behind Nokia, Apple and Research in Motion (Blackberry), with a market share of about six per cent.

The handsets

Photo: HTC

Two things drive these sales. The first of which is the quality of the HTC smartphones, with HTC releasing the HTC Desire, HTC Legend, HTC Hero and HTC HD2 in the last 12 months, with what we believe to be the world’s most powerful phone (on specs, at least), the HTC EVO 4, scheduled for release soon.

The Google Android factor

Photo: HTC

The second sales driver is Google Android. Much of HTC’s growth, particularly in the US, has been on the back of Google Android. While HTC handsets have been amazing for years, their previous operating system of choice, Windows Mobile, was letting the company down considerably in terms of user interface and capabilities. Considering HTC has been running Google Android for a little over two years, the fact that seven of their top 15 phones are powered by that operating system is remarkable.

And, not to give too much credit to Google for HTC’s success, it’s arguable that Android would not be what it is without HTC handsets and the company’s support, with reports that HTC smartphones account for 61 per cent of the Android market. So, in saying it’s all Google would be unfair to HTC smartphones and their unbelievable quality. It’s no wonder Apple is suing HTC to get at Google since they’re clearly turning up the heat.

Photo: HTC

With embargos dropped, and wide availability across the UK, the opportunity to thoroughly review the beloved HTC Desire has come about. And, to little surprise, it does not disappoint.

Slim, sleek finish

The slim phone, measuring in at (in mm) 119 x 60 x 11.9, weighs a mere 133g. It has a rubberised grip, which is prone to slipping at inopportune times, and only has only six buttons on the phone: four front-facing buttons, which are standard fare on all HTC Android devices, and two side buttons.

More than a Nexus One clone

Photo: HTC

It must be prefaced that the similarities between this phone and the Google Nexus One – both are manufactured by HTC – are striking and for some, the addition of HTC’s Sense UI makes for a better device, whereas others would prefer it was not present. Sense is essentially HTC’s multiple home screens interface, that lets you widgetise all the apps you use frequently. You have seven screens you can alternate between, themed as you want, for quick access to groups of applications you use frequently.

The HTC Desire runs on Android 2.1, just like the Nexus One. It has a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 800 x 480, just like the Nexus One. It also has a 5-megapixel camera with native autofocus and 512mb of ROM, just like the Nexus One, too.

Where it differs from the Nexus One is in its optical track pad, which is fun to use for the rare occasions you will need to use it, and sits flush with the rest of the phone’s surface area.

Operating system and interface

Photo: HTC

Not much more can be said about Android 2.1 than has already been said. It’s a solid operating system, highly customisable in its ability to drop widgets to the home page as you need and, now with over 30,000 apps, finally has a decent base of applications for purchase. The phone’s touch screen is highly responsive and though it feels more ‘resistive’ than the iPhone’s, it works very well. Whether Sense UI is for you depends entirely on your preference.

Camera

The camera shoots images at an attractive 5:3 widescreen aspect ratio, which is different from the Nexus One’s 4:3 aspect ratio and the Legend’s 3:2 aspect ratio, even though all three phones have 5-megapixel cameras. The HTC Desire shoots videos in 800 x 480, which, though it isn’t quite 16:9 (it’s 15:9, for those who are interested), gives off great widescreen videos.

Thoughts

The HTC Desire is a smashing phone, in more ways than one. It is so well engineered, so well put together, that the fact that it’s a modified Google Nexus One fades very quickly from memory.

Photo: HTC

HTC reveal its latest handset, the HTC EVO 4G, which some tech pundits are already saying, from a technical specifications stand point, is the best mobile phone ever.

What’s in the box?

The HTC EVO 4G is a Google Android powered device, with the expected Sense UI interface built on top of Android. More importantly, though, is what this phone can do. It has a 4.3-inch TFT screen with a resolution of 480×800 pixels. Its processing is done by the blisteringly fast 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8650 with 512MB of RAM, too. There’s 1GB of built-in memory, with an 8GB MicroSD card included.

Photo: HTC

In addition, the HTC EVO 4G has a high quality flash-enabled 8 megapixel camera on the back of the phone, which is also capable of recording 720p HD video. A 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera rounds out the image capturing capabilities on the phone. Most importantly, the phone is very smooth, and transitions between menus and applications are genuinely seamless. This may change still, once it’s been through heavy use, but in its current incarnation, the phone is simply amazing.

Momentum, momentum, momentum?

Outside of Apple, no company has more momentum than HTC in the smartphone market. Though the momentum gathered from a slew of very well received phones like the HTC Hero, then the HTC Legend and the HTC Desire, seemed to be interrupted by an unexpected lawsuit, it seems HTC has pushed even that aside to carry on its charge in the smartphones market with the EVO 4G.

Photo: HTC

The HTC EVO 4G is being carried by Sprint in the US and with the phone being CMDA, it is still unclear whether it will be GSM adapted for the European market. Given that HTC enjoys much of its success in Asia and Europe, as is evidenced in initial sales of the HTC Legend and HTC Desire, it is likely this phone will be headed to Europe soon. It’s set to be released between June and September 2010, exclusively on Sprint.

Photo: Vodafone

Vodafone have recently announced they will be officially carrying the HTC Desire and HTC Legend in the UK starting this April.

Desirable and Legendary

Having been revealed at the Mobile World Conference earlier this year, the HTC Desire and HTC Legend have won accolades and praise from reviewers. Having reviewed the Legend recently, it’s clear that the praises are not without merit. So Vodafone carrying the HTC Legend and the HTC Desire could be a major sales coup for the company.

The pair of phones are also key entries in the Google Android lineup, which is still playing catch up with Apple’s iPhone and iPhone OS.

Subsidy and packages

Photo: HTC

While Vodafone has yet to reveal full details on packages and subsidy pricing, the company has both phones on its website right now, with the HTC Desire, specifically, dated for 1 April 2010.

The elephant in the room

For all the positivity surrounding its current lineup, HTC have one massive problem on their horizon: that Apple lawsuit. In a move that attacks Google’s Android more than anything else, HTC has become collateral damage as a result of being one of Android’s biggest partners. The lawsuit, which claims no less than 20 patents were infringed, could prove to be a major blow for the Taiwanese company.

Incredible

Photo: HTC

Recent leaks about the next phone, the HTC Incredible, have hit the Internet, but with official word of that device all but nonexistent, the HTC Desire and HTC Legend are the Taiwanese company’s flagship phones. And regardless of the Apple lawsuit, which is likely to go one for a long time, Vodafone users and HTC lovers alike will get to see what all the fuss is about in a little over two weeks.

Photo: HTC

Barcelona has been the centre of the most important even in mobile computing – the Mobile World Conference. HTC, who have emerged as a powerful competitor in the smartphone market in recent years, pulled the curtains back on three new handsets: The HTC Desire, HTC Legend and the HTC HD mini.

HTC Legend

Photo: HTC

The HTC Legend is the follow-up to the popular HTC Hero. It is powered by Android 2.1, has a unibody aluminium casing, a 600MHz processor as well as a new optical trackball. The screen, a rich AMOLED, has a surface area of 3.2 inches at a resolution of 320×480. The smartphone is scheduled to launch in Europe and Asia in March.

HTC HD Mini

Photo: HTC

The HTC HD Mini is, at its core, the HTC HD2 scaled down in size while retaining the 3.2-inch display (HVGA). This device has a clean black finish, with the screws that shut it a part of the aesthetic. It runs on a modified version of Windows Mobile 6.5.3, with HTC’s proprietary interface, Sense, included in it. This device is scheduled to ship in Europe and Asia come April.

HTC Desire

Photo: HTC

The HTC Desire is basically the Google Nexus One with an optical touch area instead of a trackball and HTC’s Sense interface laid on top of it. This means the 1GHz Snapdragon processor remains, the 3.7-inch AMOLED display remains, and Android 2.1 stays on it, too.  Sense is merely a matter of preference – some like it, others don’t – but Flash 10.1 is included in the device, something the Nexus One does not have. HTC has announced this smartphone will arrive some time in the second quarter in Europe and Asia.

Triple threat

HTC hopes this trio of phones will cement its position as the premiere Android OS and Windows Mobile handset manufacturer. The HTC Legend, HTC Desire and HTC HD Mini tick nearly all of the company’s boxes. However, given how things have transpired at Mobile World Conference, HTC’s hotly anticipated device is its as yet announced but imminent Windows Phone Series 7 device.