First Impressions: HTC Rezound

This is not a formal review, but a list of initial thoughts on the device.

The HTC Rezound for Verizon is a true media phone. Great screen, good sound... though, for some reason, HTC neglects to advertise the gorgeous screen on this phone.  It has a pixel density greater than the iPhone's Retina Display, yet you'd never know it by watching HTC's commercials.  Instead, they insist on only advertising the audio capabilities of the phone, which are indeed decent.  The speaker is certainly a step up from the HTC EVO 3D's tinny speaker (my EVO 3D review is coming shortly).

But that's just it.  The speaker is decent, not great, not game-changing, and definitely not a preferred way to listen to music, even the music you store on the phone.  The speaker is still a tiny phone speaker and it sounds no better than your laptop--which also may be rocking Dr. Dre's Beats. I wonder how much more money Dr. Dre is going to make on Beats until the rest of the populace realize what audiophiles have been telling me for years: his products are marginal upgrades on the speakers and headphones that you pick out of the bargain bin at Marshall's.  But I digress.

The HD (1280 x 720 pixels) screen makes the Rezound the first HD phone in the US, soon to be followed by the Galaxy Nexus.  However, unlike the Galaxy Nexus, HTC crams all those pixels into a 4.3 inch screen, meaning it has a pixel density of 342 ppi.  This bests even the iPhone's screen (330 ppi).  It has a better pixel density than any phone announced, including the Galaxy Nexus.

The only drawback?  Most of time you probably won't notice it.  Unlike the iPhone, where stock apps appear with high resolution, Android 2.3 and Sense 3.5 aren't taking advantage of this high resolution screen.  Instead, the home screen has the typical, pixel-y apps and widgets.  The only places where you can see the density shine are pictures, video, and small text in webpages.  I took some pictures and looked at one of the videos on the device and they were gorgeous.  I took a picture of my hand and not only could I see my skin cells, I could see into the future where liver spots are going to appear in 60 years.  Well, almost.

HD wallpapers also look great on this.  There's a Beats wallpaper that comes with the phone and it looks awesome.  If only it weren't hidden behind those icons and widgets.

Sense 3.5 comes on this phone, which has its downsides.  One downside is that they've needlessly rearranged some HTC app settings, like the camera and general phone settings.  Sense also means this phone won't get Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for at least a few months.  And while Sense is the most beautiful manufacturer skin and certainly prettier than Gingerbread, I doubt it's prettier than Ice Cream Sandwich will be.  I'm having trouble thinking of any upsides to Sense 3.5.  Perhaps, the software rearrangement will prove to be a benefit when a user gets used to it.

No dedicated camera button.  Lame.

To sum up, don't buy this.  Get the Galaxy Nexus instead, which is certain to drop in December or January, since it's already being sold in other countries.