Post up those HTC Arrive reviews. I want to know what you think of your Arrive the first Windows Phone available on Sprint. When I have time I will add my review.
Dave
Dave
HTC Arrive Reviews
- Thread starter Dave Blake
- Start date
kingp
New member
I think the HTC Arrive is a great device. It would be my daily driver if I didn't have to pay the $10 smartphone tax. So until I can get a 4G Windows Phone on Sprint, I'll stick with my EVO.
My favorite features on the HTC Arrive are in my review I posted at EnterConnected.com (formerly ZuneSpring.com):
Review: HTC Arrive - EntertainmentConnected : EntertainmentConnected
To sum it up, the screen is gorgeous for a tft LCD (I originally thought it to be Super LCD, but was corrected by HTC). The Keyboard, and of course the Zune integration are also favorites of mine. The Marketplace is a bit clunky at this point, and the app selection isn't the best, but it is improving.
I wish that MS would have taken seriously, the idea of Cloud integration with SkyDrive/Zune back in 2009. MS could've been an "innovator" with a feature like that.
My favorite features on the HTC Arrive are in my review I posted at EnterConnected.com (formerly ZuneSpring.com):
Review: HTC Arrive - EntertainmentConnected : EntertainmentConnected
To sum it up, the screen is gorgeous for a tft LCD (I originally thought it to be Super LCD, but was corrected by HTC). The Keyboard, and of course the Zune integration are also favorites of mine. The Marketplace is a bit clunky at this point, and the app selection isn't the best, but it is improving.
I wish that MS would have taken seriously, the idea of Cloud integration with SkyDrive/Zune back in 2009. MS could've been an "innovator" with a feature like that.
I'll just weigh in real quick. I've had the Arrive since the end of March, so just over two months. I'm very happy with it. I agree with several things that kingp mentioned: the screen is great for a tft LCD (especially when compared to an Evo; it blows the Evo's screen away), Zune is great, and the keyboard is a godsend. I was so fed up with the on-screen Android keyboard - I never want to go back to a virtual keyboard ever again. The keyboard on the Arrive is ALMOST perfect - it needs a Tab key. A very minor niggle but otherwise I love it.
I thought I'd miss Google services a lot more than I actually miss them. Flory works very poorly but it gets the job done. I still miss Latitude but have learned to live without it. GMail and GCalendar work fine for me, mainly because I only have one Google Calendar. Outlook integration is obviously flawless.
Bing Maps pales in comparison to Google Maps, though. I also miss Google Navigation but Telenav is a decent replacement.
Basically I've become accustomed to how WP7 works and am perfectly satisfied. Still, the Evo3D is tempting me, even if only a little bit... but I'm not upgrading again until either a Nokia WP7 device is released for Sprint, or a ridiculously spec'd Android phone is released. Or maybe the elusive Sprint Pre3...
I thought I'd miss Google services a lot more than I actually miss them. Flory works very poorly but it gets the job done. I still miss Latitude but have learned to live without it. GMail and GCalendar work fine for me, mainly because I only have one Google Calendar. Outlook integration is obviously flawless.
Bing Maps pales in comparison to Google Maps, though. I also miss Google Navigation but Telenav is a decent replacement.
Basically I've become accustomed to how WP7 works and am perfectly satisfied. Still, the Evo3D is tempting me, even if only a little bit... but I'm not upgrading again until either a Nokia WP7 device is released for Sprint, or a ridiculously spec'd Android phone is released. Or maybe the elusive Sprint Pre3...
I've had the arrive for two months or so and I love it coming from webos it is wayyyy different mango insures that my next device will be a wp7 the arrive has amazing hardware and 7.5/10 software. Its smooth and easy to use missing things are my only gripe. Wouldnt mind a bigger screen expandable memory and 4g either. If you don't want Android and want to upgrade now get this device its as good as a evo and a nexus s without a doubt. Wp7 will only get better and hardware will only upgrade. The next set of 4g devices coming from sprint will be Android wp7 and webos I would choose a wp7 over the other two anyday at this point.
snowmutt
New member
Thanks to all for their reviews. My wife and I are most likely moving to Sprint from AT&T in November, and the Arrive looks as though it will still be the only option for me if I want W7. I was not blown away by it when using it. I loved both the Samsung Focus and the HDH7s at AT&T. It just seems that less than a 4" screen really is a deal breaker for me. Need some input, and need some pros and cons on owning the Arrive. It having a keyboard is the only saving grace on the smaller screen. Please keep the reviews coming. I am sold on W7, but not this one. Would it have killed HTC to put a 4" screen on this??
Can Fonts Zoom or be made larger?
I love the Arrive and got it the first week it came out. what is killing me is that the fonts, specifically the phone numbers in the address book cannot be made larger. Am I the only baby boomer with this problem? I'm speaking specifically of the PROFILE screen. Having to take out my glasses to read a number is unacceptable, especially when that screen, even with Mango, is devoid of other info so there is plenty of room to make numbers larger. Almost every phone I've ever had and EVERY other smartphone has this feature.
Would it have killed MS to make this happen?
I love the Arrive and got it the first week it came out. what is killing me is that the fonts, specifically the phone numbers in the address book cannot be made larger. Am I the only baby boomer with this problem? I'm speaking specifically of the PROFILE screen. Having to take out my glasses to read a number is unacceptable, especially when that screen, even with Mango, is devoid of other info so there is plenty of room to make numbers larger. Almost every phone I've ever had and EVERY other smartphone has this feature.
Would it have killed MS to make this happen?
Man in the back of the room slowly raises his hand... I have this issue... I can't wait for Sprint to get a larger screen device. Try red as your theme color it helps me to have the brighter color. Also try the light theme I use it with purple it helps me.
I can't wait for Sprint to get a larger screen device. Try red as your theme color it helps me to have the brighter color. Also try the light theme I use it with purple it helps me.Man in the back of the room slowly raises his hand... I have this issue...
watch him say something about being male and using a female color now.
who cares what color if your gay dont try tell us what color to use.Man in the back of the room slowly raises his hand... I have this issue...
Mitlov
New member
I first owned an HTC Trophy with Mango with Verizon, but returned it after a week and got an HTC 7 Pro through US Cellular because they have better family plans and, at least in my town, better customer service. So I can compare the two.
I'll start with the bad, and then get to the good.
THE BAD:
The first thing to realize about the 7 Pro/Arrive is that it really does have a small screen. 3.6" doesn't sound much smaller than 3.8," but you can see the difference. In fact, while playing Bejeweled, I sometimes touch the jewel next to the one I wanted, not a problem I remember with the 3.8" Trophy.
Also, it's a somewhat heavy and thick device. This is an inevitable result of the sliding keyboard.
Third, viewing angles aren't good. Colors are vibrant when viewed head-on, but wash out quickly when viewed from an angle.
Fourth, the volume, power, and camera buttons all feel less substantial and precise than the buttons on the HTC Trophy.
Fifth, app selection sucks compared to iOS. There are some great Microsoft apps (XBox Live games, Microsoft Office mobile apps, plus the built-in mail and calendar apps are fantastic), but third-party app selection just can't compete with iOS or Android right now.
THE GOOD (because, despite those five things, I looooooove this phone):
The operating system is nothing short of fantastic. It's intuitive, simple, and attractive. It's versatile, too: my tech-illiterate wife can use the phone just fine for social media (we actually have matching his-and-hers 7 Pros), but I can also use it effectively for work (emailing, Microsoft Office, mobile version of Westlaw Next), as well as gaming.
The slide-out keyboard is a dream. Key actions are crisp and precise. I can hammer out emails like nobody's business. This is a really, really good keyboard. Touchscreen-only keyboards like those on the HTC Trophy and similar devices are fine for status updates and tweets, but just can't compare for five-paragraph emails.
The angled screen when the keyboard is slid out is great--makes it far easier to read the screen. The hinge feels durable too. Nice touch.
If you have a $10/month Zune subscription, you can pack it full of music you've never purchased, including new hot releases, and continue listening to as many albums as you want without buying any of them so long as you pay your monthly Zune subscription. After the demise of Zune hardware, Windows phones are the only portable devices where you can play Zune downloads. I've got dozens of albums downloaded for free from Zune, and I download more everyday (sometimes just to see if I like the album), and I'm not paying a penny beyond my $10/month subscription. Fantastic.
Call quality is very good. Clear with no feedback.
The camera, while not "great," is definitely "good." The one trick is that you need to hold the button-down halfway until you see the autofocus snap into place; otherwise the image won't be focused. But once you learn to do that, you can get some pretty decent pictures. Facebook integration for posting the images and videos works beautifully, by the way.
CONCLUSION:
The 7 Pro/Arrive is not as stylish as some other smartphones on the market, but it works well, it's versatile, it's practical, it's well made, and it's inexpensive. Plus, you can use US Cellular with it, lesser-known than Sprint/AT&T/Verizon/etc, but fantastic with coverage in the rural US, and generally well-liked by people who have it, in my experience.
I'll start with the bad, and then get to the good.
THE BAD:
The first thing to realize about the 7 Pro/Arrive is that it really does have a small screen. 3.6" doesn't sound much smaller than 3.8," but you can see the difference. In fact, while playing Bejeweled, I sometimes touch the jewel next to the one I wanted, not a problem I remember with the 3.8" Trophy.
Also, it's a somewhat heavy and thick device. This is an inevitable result of the sliding keyboard.
Third, viewing angles aren't good. Colors are vibrant when viewed head-on, but wash out quickly when viewed from an angle.
Fourth, the volume, power, and camera buttons all feel less substantial and precise than the buttons on the HTC Trophy.
Fifth, app selection sucks compared to iOS. There are some great Microsoft apps (XBox Live games, Microsoft Office mobile apps, plus the built-in mail and calendar apps are fantastic), but third-party app selection just can't compete with iOS or Android right now.
THE GOOD (because, despite those five things, I looooooove this phone):
The operating system is nothing short of fantastic. It's intuitive, simple, and attractive. It's versatile, too: my tech-illiterate wife can use the phone just fine for social media (we actually have matching his-and-hers 7 Pros), but I can also use it effectively for work (emailing, Microsoft Office, mobile version of Westlaw Next), as well as gaming.
The slide-out keyboard is a dream. Key actions are crisp and precise. I can hammer out emails like nobody's business. This is a really, really good keyboard. Touchscreen-only keyboards like those on the HTC Trophy and similar devices are fine for status updates and tweets, but just can't compare for five-paragraph emails.
The angled screen when the keyboard is slid out is great--makes it far easier to read the screen. The hinge feels durable too. Nice touch.
If you have a $10/month Zune subscription, you can pack it full of music you've never purchased, including new hot releases, and continue listening to as many albums as you want without buying any of them so long as you pay your monthly Zune subscription. After the demise of Zune hardware, Windows phones are the only portable devices where you can play Zune downloads. I've got dozens of albums downloaded for free from Zune, and I download more everyday (sometimes just to see if I like the album), and I'm not paying a penny beyond my $10/month subscription. Fantastic.
Call quality is very good. Clear with no feedback.
The camera, while not "great," is definitely "good." The one trick is that you need to hold the button-down halfway until you see the autofocus snap into place; otherwise the image won't be focused. But once you learn to do that, you can get some pretty decent pictures. Facebook integration for posting the images and videos works beautifully, by the way.
CONCLUSION:
The 7 Pro/Arrive is not as stylish as some other smartphones on the market, but it works well, it's versatile, it's practical, it's well made, and it's inexpensive. Plus, you can use US Cellular with it, lesser-known than Sprint/AT&T/Verizon/etc, but fantastic with coverage in the rural US, and generally well-liked by people who have it, in my experience.
Forgewizard
New member
My Arrive has been a great phone/PDA/Camcorder/Camera/Mini Tablet!
Pros:
Slide Out keyboard! Has crisp action, no "oreo" effect, brilliant tilt of view screen for table top use!
Buttery smooth screen, no pixelation, vibrant colors, smooth video playback.
Processor is fast, no white screens of death, practically no need to reset device (except occasionally when using Zune).
Fantastic ability to personalize my home screen.
Live tiles in native apps and developer apps keep me updated and create interest!
Nice heft to device, metal housing and framing impart durability, no plastic creak and crunch!
Size is just about right -not too small, not too big. I'm not the type to watch feature length movies on my phone,but short video clips get presented very nicely and are comfortable to watch.
On Board MS OFFICE installed ready to use - YAY! Except.... see cons below....
Battery life is off he charts! Every other cell phone I've EVER had I ALWAYS purchased an extended battery or a secondary battery. This is my first phone that has a real world all day battery!
Marketplace keeps offering new apps and has plenty already!
Call clarity couldn't be better.
Reception is great - even in the boonies and known poor areas. Still here are some dead spots - towers need more towers!
Speaker sound is decent for being a monophone. The HTC equalizer is great when connected to external speakers - I use it all the time at work!
Camera is good - for a phone camera. When I want REAL digital photos, I break out my REAL digital camera. Although for snapshots, the Arrive actually can snap faster!
Love the LED flash and LED NIGHT light for video!
Dedicated camera button is a boon! Except for.... see below....
All in all this is a solid, performing, comfortable workhorse!
Cons:
MS Office apps can ONLY sync with 2010 MS Office! Any older files have to be converted which means purchasing MS Office 2010.
Button positioning is abysmal! The volume rocker is much too long and way too close to the corner of the device. When using as a camera the volume button is right under the thumb and inadvertently lowers the volume. The Camera button too is much too close to the corner of the device. Trying to hold on to the phone for camera mode puts the phone in a precarious grip. Placement of the buttons closer towards the middle of the device would have allowed a better grip and still let the user enable the buttons.
Speaker - leaving the phone closed but flat on its back practically muffles all sound from the speaker! Would it have cost that much more to put a secondary front facing speaker on the device?
Custom alert tones - good grief, what imbecile sent this device to the masses without an ability to custom set alerts for messages, ringtones, scheduling, alarms etc ??
Volume separations - must have been the same idiot that approved the alert tones, that sent this out without an ability to set different volumes for alarms, media, games, system settings etc! Thousands of us have been pleading with Microsoft for a fix and yet our alerts fall upon deaf ears! tch tch. It really is annoying to have to babysit the volume levels of a smartphone, when on my old flip dumbphone I can set it and forget it Ronco style!
Calendar, WHAT happens in a week? How much free time do I have? How are my appointments allotted? What is planned at the end of the week or the middle or the start? Who knows? I can't SEE a week at a glance! Only an agenda list and a daytime schedule! Forget about trying the full month view - any appointments set are illegible and cannot be zoomed in to view either!
All in all, I am very happy with my Arrive, hardware from HTC is solid, durable and for the most part functional; Software has a few niggling irritations that really should be tended to. Although personal job situations have recently forced my to turn off the smartphone and go back to a dumb phone; I still use the Arrive as a pocket sized wi-fi tablet, PDA, Camcorder, Camera and MP3 player. When the 2nd job picks up, I'll go back to using its full capabilities.
Am looking forward to Windows 8 and hopefully full phone to PC integration too! I highly recommend an HTC Arrive, especially for anyone moving away from a Palm Pre or other slide out Qwerty board device!
Cheers!
Pros:
Slide Out keyboard! Has crisp action, no "oreo" effect, brilliant tilt of view screen for table top use!
Buttery smooth screen, no pixelation, vibrant colors, smooth video playback.
Processor is fast, no white screens of death, practically no need to reset device (except occasionally when using Zune).
Fantastic ability to personalize my home screen.
Live tiles in native apps and developer apps keep me updated and create interest!
Nice heft to device, metal housing and framing impart durability, no plastic creak and crunch!
Size is just about right -not too small, not too big. I'm not the type to watch feature length movies on my phone,but short video clips get presented very nicely and are comfortable to watch.
On Board MS OFFICE installed ready to use - YAY! Except.... see cons below....
Battery life is off he charts! Every other cell phone I've EVER had I ALWAYS purchased an extended battery or a secondary battery. This is my first phone that has a real world all day battery!
Marketplace keeps offering new apps and has plenty already!
Call clarity couldn't be better.
Reception is great - even in the boonies and known poor areas. Still here are some dead spots - towers need more towers!
Speaker sound is decent for being a monophone. The HTC equalizer is great when connected to external speakers - I use it all the time at work!
Camera is good - for a phone camera. When I want REAL digital photos, I break out my REAL digital camera. Although for snapshots, the Arrive actually can snap faster!
Love the LED flash and LED NIGHT light for video!
Dedicated camera button is a boon! Except for.... see below....
All in all this is a solid, performing, comfortable workhorse!
Cons:
MS Office apps can ONLY sync with 2010 MS Office! Any older files have to be converted which means purchasing MS Office 2010.
Button positioning is abysmal! The volume rocker is much too long and way too close to the corner of the device. When using as a camera the volume button is right under the thumb and inadvertently lowers the volume. The Camera button too is much too close to the corner of the device. Trying to hold on to the phone for camera mode puts the phone in a precarious grip. Placement of the buttons closer towards the middle of the device would have allowed a better grip and still let the user enable the buttons.
Speaker - leaving the phone closed but flat on its back practically muffles all sound from the speaker! Would it have cost that much more to put a secondary front facing speaker on the device?
Custom alert tones - good grief, what imbecile sent this device to the masses without an ability to custom set alerts for messages, ringtones, scheduling, alarms etc ??
Volume separations - must have been the same idiot that approved the alert tones, that sent this out without an ability to set different volumes for alarms, media, games, system settings etc! Thousands of us have been pleading with Microsoft for a fix and yet our alerts fall upon deaf ears! tch tch. It really is annoying to have to babysit the volume levels of a smartphone, when on my old flip dumbphone I can set it and forget it Ronco style!
Calendar, WHAT happens in a week? How much free time do I have? How are my appointments allotted? What is planned at the end of the week or the middle or the start? Who knows? I can't SEE a week at a glance! Only an agenda list and a daytime schedule! Forget about trying the full month view - any appointments set are illegible and cannot be zoomed in to view either!
All in all, I am very happy with my Arrive, hardware from HTC is solid, durable and for the most part functional; Software has a few niggling irritations that really should be tended to. Although personal job situations have recently forced my to turn off the smartphone and go back to a dumb phone; I still use the Arrive as a pocket sized wi-fi tablet, PDA, Camcorder, Camera and MP3 player. When the 2nd job picks up, I'll go back to using its full capabilities.
Am looking forward to Windows 8 and hopefully full phone to PC integration too! I highly recommend an HTC Arrive, especially for anyone moving away from a Palm Pre or other slide out Qwerty board device!
Cheers!
do u know you can't send multiple pictures using iPhone email which is a total joke yup awesome windows phone can send multiple pictures without leaving your email. this is why windows phone is best smartphone it is fast & fluid and gets things done quicker and no more too many clicks compare to iPhone the buggy phone or laggy battery eating android. Wp7.5 made arrive more better. I can't wait when windows phone 8 arrives hahaha just like name HTC arrive. I don't really care of nokia lumia 900 or other WP has they all have same WP 7.5 OS built in and arrive works awesome.
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