HTC Legend

amazon HTC Legend reviews

HTC Legend, Android handset with special aluminum block design. Actually, HTC Legend is an upgrade of the HTC Hero, with Android 2.1 (Eclair) operating system, the new Sense interface.

The most notable features of this model.

Dimensions: 112 x 56.3 x 11.5 mm, weight 126 grams.

Operating System: Android 2.1.

Connectivity: 3G / HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, GPS with A-GPS.

Display: 3.2 inch AMOLED display, 320 x 480 pixel resolution, capacitive touch, multi-point.

Memory: 384 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, microSD card slot, comes with 2GB memory card.

Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7227 600 MHz.

Camera: 5 Megapixel, LED, autofocus.

Interface: Sense, multi-point support.

Introduction

When the HTC Legend was first introduced in 2010, it was considered one of the most innovative and stylish smartphones on the market. Building on the success of its predecessor, the HTC Hero, the Legend featured a distinctive unibody design and introduced several improvements that set it apart from the competition. While the smartphone landscape has evolved significantly since then, the HTC Legend remains a noteworthy device that laid the groundwork for many of the features we now take for granted in modern smartphones. This review delves into the design, performance, software, camera capabilities, and overall user experience of the HTC Legend, reflecting on its impact and legacy in the smartphone industry.

Design and Build Quality

One of the most striking aspects of the HTC Legend is its design. The phone features an aluminum unibody construction, which was a rarity at the time. This design choice not only made the phone feel premium and solid in the hand but also set it apart from the plastic-bodied competitors of its era. The unibody design meant that the HTC Legend was carved from a single piece of aluminum, giving it a seamless and sleek appearance. The device’s slightly curved shape, combined with its compact size, made it comfortable to hold and use with one hand, something that is often missing in today’s larger smartphones.

The Legend’s unibody construction was not just about aesthetics; it also contributed to the device’s durability. The phone could withstand minor drops and knocks without showing signs of wear, which was a significant advantage over other smartphones of its time. The decision to use metal in the construction also gave the Legend a premium feel that resonated well with users who were looking for something more than just a functional device.

The front of the HTC Legend was dominated by a 3.2-inch AMOLED display, which was protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass. While the screen size might seem small by today’s standards, it was quite adequate for the time, providing a good balance between portability and usability. Below the display, the phone featured a physical trackball, which was a carryover from the HTC Hero. This trackball allowed users to navigate through the phone’s interface without having to touch the screen, providing an alternative method of interaction that was appreciated by many.

The bottom of the phone housed the micro-USB port for charging and data transfer, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack—a standard feature that is now often omitted in modern smartphones. The volume rocker was located on the left side of the device, while the power button was placed on the top. The placement of these buttons was intuitive and made it easy to operate the phone with one hand.

Overall, the design and build quality of the HTC Legend were among its strongest selling points. The phone’s unibody aluminum construction, combined with its compact and ergonomic design, made it a standout device in a market that was increasingly dominated by plastic smartphones.

Display

The HTC Legend featured a 3.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels. While these specifications might seem modest by today’s standards, the display was one of the highlights of the phone when it was released. AMOLED technology was relatively new at the time, and it offered several advantages over traditional LCD displays, including deeper blacks, more vibrant colors, and better energy efficiency.

The Legend’s display was bright and colorful, making it ideal for viewing photos, videos, and other multimedia content. The screen’s color reproduction was impressive, with rich and saturated hues that made images pop. The deep blacks provided by the AMOLED technology also enhanced the contrast, making text and other elements on the screen appear sharp and clear.

The screen’s resolution of 320 x 480 pixels translated to a pixel density of approximately 180 pixels per inch (PPI). While this was not the highest resolution available at the time, it was more than adequate for a 3.2-inch display. Text and icons were crisp and easy to read, and the overall sharpness of the display was sufficient for most tasks. However, when compared to higher-resolution displays that became available in the following years, the Legend’s screen does show its age.

One of the advantages of AMOLED technology is its ability to conserve battery life by turning off individual pixels when displaying black. This feature was particularly beneficial for the HTC Legend, as it helped extend the phone’s battery life—a critical factor given the relatively small battery capacity of the device.

The display was also responsive to touch inputs, making navigation through the phone’s interface smooth and intuitive. The capacitive touchscreen supported multi-touch gestures, allowing users to pinch-to-zoom in photos and web pages, which was a relatively new feature at the time.

However, the Legend’s display was not without its drawbacks. One of the limitations of early AMOLED technology was the potential for screen burn-in, where static images could leave a permanent mark on the display. While this issue was not widespread, it was something that some users experienced after prolonged use.

In terms of outdoor visibility, the Legend’s display performed reasonably well. The screen was bright enough to be used in direct sunlight, although reflections and glare could sometimes make it difficult to see the content on the screen. The use of Gorilla Glass provided some protection against scratches and minor impacts, helping to keep the display in good condition over time.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the HTC Legend was powered by a Qualcomm MSM7227 processor clocked at 600 MHz, paired with 384 MB of RAM. While these specifications might seem underwhelming by today’s standards, they were quite typical for smartphones of that era. The Legend’s hardware was capable of handling most tasks that users would throw at it, including web browsing, social media, and multimedia playback.

The Qualcomm MSM7227 processor was based on the ARMv6 architecture, which was widely used in entry-level and mid-range smartphones at the time. While it was not the fastest processor available, it provided a good balance between performance and power efficiency. The Legend’s processor was sufficient for running the Android 2.1 Eclair operating system that the phone shipped with, as well as many of the apps available on the Android Market (now Google Play Store) at the time.

In terms of multitasking, the HTC Legend’s 384 MB of RAM was adequate for most users’ needs. The phone could handle multiple apps running in the background without significant slowdowns, although heavy multitaskers might have noticed some lag when switching between resource-intensive applications. The limited amount of RAM also meant that the phone was not well-suited for running the most demanding games and apps that became available in the following years.

For storage, the HTC Legend came with 512 MB of internal storage, of which around 384 MB was available to the user. This was quite limited, especially by today’s standards, but it was not uncommon for smartphones of that era. Fortunately, the phone featured a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand the storage by up to 32 GB. This was a welcome feature, as it provided enough space for storing photos, videos, music, and other files.

In terms of graphics performance, the Legend was equipped with an Adreno 200 GPU. While this was not the most powerful GPU available, it was sufficient for handling the phone’s display and running most apps and games available at the time. Casual games like Angry Birds and Doodle Jump ran smoothly on the Legend, although more graphically demanding games could struggle to maintain a consistent frame rate.

One of the key aspects of the HTC Legend’s hardware was its battery life. The phone was equipped with a 1,300 mAh removable battery, which provided enough power to get through a full day of moderate use. The combination of the relatively low-power processor and the energy-efficient AMOLED display helped to conserve battery life, making the Legend a reliable companion for users who needed their phone to last throughout the day.

However, heavy users who spent a lot of time browsing the web, playing games, or using GPS might have found themselves reaching for the charger before the day was over. The removable battery was a useful feature, as it allowed users to carry a spare battery and swap it out when needed—something that is no longer possible with most modern smartphones.

In terms of connectivity, the HTC Legend supported 3G HSDPA networks, providing decent mobile data speeds for web browsing and app downloads. The phone also featured Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, and GPS with A-GPS support. These connectivity options were standard for smartphones of that era and provided a good range of options for staying connected on the go.

Overall, the performance and hardware of the HTC Legend were solid for its time. While the phone might struggle to keep up with modern smartphones, it was more than capable of handling the tasks that users would expect from a device released in 2010.

Software and User Interface

The HTC Legend shipped with Android 2.1 Eclair, which was the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system at the time. However, what set the Legend apart from other Android devices was HTC’s custom user interface, known as HTC Sense. HTC Sense was one of the first custom skins to be applied to Android, and it introduced a number of features and design elements that enhanced the user experience.

One of the key features of HTC Sense was the customizable home screen, which allowed users to add widgets, shortcuts, and folders to their home screen panels. This level of customization was not as common in the early days of Android, and it provided users with a way to personalize their phone to suit their needs. HTC also included a number of their own widgets, such as the iconic flip clock and weather widget, which became a hallmark of HTC devices.

HTC Sense also introduced the concept of “Scenes,” which were essentially different home screen setups that could be easily switched between. For example, users could create a “Work” scene with productivity widgets and shortcuts to work-related apps, and a “Play” scene with social media and entertainment apps. This feature allowed users to quickly change the layout of their home screens based on their current activities or preferences, offering a level of flexibility that was quite innovative at the time.

Another significant feature of HTC Sense was the integration of social networking services. The “Friend Stream” app aggregated updates from multiple social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, into a single feed. This made it easier for users to stay connected with their friends and family without having to switch between different apps. While social media integration is now a standard feature in most smartphones, it was a relatively new concept in 2010, and HTC’s implementation was well-received by users.

HTC Sense also brought enhancements to the phone’s messaging and contact management features. The messaging app supported threaded SMS conversations, making it easier to keep track of conversations with individual contacts. The contacts app was integrated with social networks, allowing users to view their contacts’ latest updates and profile pictures directly within the app. This level of integration helped to create a more seamless and connected experience for users.

The interface of HTC Sense was visually appealing, with smooth animations and a consistent design language that gave the Legend a polished look and feel. The use of 3D effects, such as the “helicopter view” that allowed users to pinch-to-zoom out to see all their home screens at once, added a touch of flair to the user experience. The attention to detail in the design of HTC Sense was one of the reasons why many users preferred HTC devices over other Android smartphones.

However, the customizations made by HTC to the Android operating system also had some drawbacks. The most significant of these was the delay in receiving software updates. Because HTC had to adapt their Sense UI to each new version of Android, updates for HTC devices were often delayed compared to those for stock Android devices. This meant that users of the HTC Legend had to wait longer to receive new features and improvements introduced in later versions of Android.

In addition to the delays in updates, the customizations made by HTC also consumed system resources, which could lead to slower performance compared to devices running a stock version of Android. While the Legend’s hardware was sufficient to run HTC Sense smoothly at the time of its release, as the phone aged and apps became more demanding, some users may have noticed a decrease in performance.

Despite these drawbacks, HTC Sense was generally well-regarded for the additional features and polish it brought to the Android experience. It helped to differentiate HTC devices in a crowded market and provided users with a more refined and customizable user interface.

Camera

The HTC Legend was equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera, which was fairly standard for smartphones of its era. The camera featured autofocus and an LED flash, which helped improve photo quality in low-light conditions. While the camera specifications might seem modest today, the Legend’s camera was considered quite capable at the time, especially for casual photography.

In good lighting conditions, the HTC Legend’s camera produced sharp and vibrant images with accurate colors. The autofocus system was relatively quick, making it easy to capture photos of moving subjects or spontaneous moments. The camera’s performance was generally satisfactory for everyday photography, whether taking pictures of landscapes, portraits, or close-up shots.

The LED flash, while not as powerful as a Xenon flash, was useful for taking photos in low-light environments. However, like many smartphone cameras of the time, the Legend’s camera struggled in low-light conditions, producing images with noticeable noise and reduced detail. The small sensor size and lack of advanced image processing algorithms meant that the camera’s low-light performance was limited, but this was a common limitation across most smartphones of that era.

The camera app included a variety of shooting modes and settings, allowing users to adjust parameters such as white balance, ISO, and exposure compensation. The inclusion of these manual controls was appreciated by photography enthusiasts who wanted more control over their shots. Additionally, the Legend’s camera supported geotagging, allowing users to tag their photos with location data.

Video recording on the HTC Legend was limited to VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) at 30 frames per second. While this was sufficient for capturing short video clips, the quality was not on par with the high-definition video recording capabilities that became standard in later smartphones. The lack of HD video recording was one of the limitations of the Legend’s camera, but again, this was consistent with other devices released around the same time.

One of the notable features of the HTC Legend’s camera was the integration with HTC Sense’s “Gallery” app. The gallery app provided a visually appealing way to browse and organize photos and videos, with support for pinch-to-zoom gestures and slideshow playback. The app also integrated with social media, allowing users to easily share their photos and videos on platforms like Facebook and Flickr.

Overall, the HTC Legend’s camera was a capable performer for its time. While it might not hold up against the advanced camera systems found in modern smartphones, it was more than adequate for casual photography and everyday use in 2010. The camera’s performance, combined with the integration with HTC Sense’s gallery and social media features, made it a well-rounded package for users who enjoyed capturing and sharing photos.

Battery Life

The HTC Legend was powered by a 1,300 mAh removable battery, which was relatively modest in capacity compared to modern smartphones. However, given the phone’s efficient hardware and smaller display, the battery life was generally adequate for most users’ needs. The combination of the low-power Qualcomm MSM7227 processor and the energy-efficient AMOLED display helped to conserve battery life, allowing the Legend to provide a full day of usage on a single charge under moderate use.

For users who primarily used the HTC Legend for tasks such as phone calls, texting, and occasional web browsing, the battery life was sufficient to last from morning until night. However, more demanding activities, such as gaming, video playback, or extensive use of GPS, could drain the battery more quickly, requiring users to recharge the phone before the end of the day.

One of the advantages of the HTC Legend’s removable battery was the ability to carry a spare battery and swap it out when needed. This provided a convenient solution for users who needed extended battery life while on the go, without having to rely on external battery packs or chargers. The removable battery was also a useful feature for those who wanted to replace the battery after it had degraded over time, extending the overall lifespan of the device.

The phone included a micro-USB port for charging, which was the standard charging interface for most smartphones at the time. The included charger was capable of fully charging the battery in about two to three hours, depending on the starting charge level. The phone also supported charging via USB when connected to a computer, although this method was slower compared to using the included wall charger.

In terms of battery management, the HTC Legend’s Android operating system included basic power-saving features, such as the ability to reduce screen brightness, disable background data, and turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use. These features helped users extend their battery life when needed, although they were not as advanced as the power-saving modes found in modern smartphones.

Overall, the battery life of the HTC Legend was one of its stronger points, especially when considering the phone’s efficient hardware and the inclusion of a removable battery. While it may not have been the longest-lasting smartphone of its time, it provided a good balance between performance and battery life, making it a reliable choice for most users.

Connectivity and Network Performance

The HTC Legend supported a range of connectivity options that were standard for smartphones of its era. The phone was compatible with 3G HSDPA networks, providing mobile data speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. While this was not as fast as the 4G LTE speeds that became common in later years, it was sufficient for browsing the web, streaming music, and downloading apps on the go.

The Legend also included Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, allowing users to connect to wireless networks for faster internet access and reduced data usage. The Wi-Fi performance was reliable, with the phone maintaining a strong and stable connection to wireless networks in most environments. The inclusion of Wi-Fi was especially useful for users who wanted to take advantage of faster internet speeds when available, or who needed to conserve their mobile data allowance.

Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP was also supported, enabling users to connect wireless accessories such as headphones, speakers, and car kits. The Bluetooth connection was stable and provided good audio quality when paired with compatible devices. The inclusion of A2DP support allowed for stereo audio streaming, which was a welcome feature for users who enjoyed listening to music or podcasts on wireless headphones.

The HTC Legend featured GPS with A-GPS support, which was useful for navigation and location-based services. The GPS performance was generally accurate, with the phone quickly acquiring a satellite lock when outdoors. The inclusion of A-GPS (Assisted GPS) helped improve the speed and accuracy of location tracking by using data from nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi networks to assist with the initial positioning.

In terms of network performance, the HTC Legend performed well on 3G networks, providing good call quality and reliable data connections. The phone’s antenna design, combined with the aluminum unibody construction, provided strong signal reception in most areas. However, as with all smartphones, network performance could vary depending on the carrier, location, and network congestion.

The phone also included a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which allowed users to connect their wired headphones or earphones without the need for an adapter. This was a convenient feature that has since been removed from many modern smartphones, making the Legend more versatile for users who prefer using wired audio accessories.

Overall, the HTC Legend’s connectivity and network performance were solid for its time. The phone provided a range of options for staying connected, whether through mobile data, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, and delivered reliable performance across all of these connections.

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Strength

– Smooth interface, impressive

– AMOLED screen brilliant

– Camera has LED light

– Browser supports flash

– Beautiful design

Weak point

– No second camera

– Missing photo key

– Normal battery