HTC Imagio Review

The HTC Imagio is a high-end smartphone from Verizon that is one of the first with Windows Mobile 6.5.

This multimedia-oriented smartphone has a 3.6-inch, WVGA touchscreen, mobile broadband, Wi-Fi, and GPS, and is one of the successors of the HTC Touch HD.

It's available now for $200 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service agreement.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

In terms of physical design, the Imagio is probably the closest thing to a pure iPhone clone that we've yet seen running Windows Mobile. Unlike some of the previous attempts, it mimics the rounded back of the iPhone, the visual and physical stylings, right down to the "slide to unlock" feature.

Of course, it has a slightly larger display than the iPhone's, at a much higher screen resolution. The 3.6-inch, WVGA screen is big and beautiful.

It also has substantially more buttons, but that's expected too.

There's not a whole lot else to say about the design. It is, fundamentally, a no-frills tablet-type device. There aren't many fancy add-ons or facets to the design, with one notable exception: a built in stand. Push the little black button on the back, and a silver plastic "arm" pops out that you can unfold and use to keep the device held up when on a desk or other hard surface. Of course you can't have a USB cable or other charger connected while you're doing that, nor can you use the headphone jack, so it's limited in it's usefulness. But still kind of neat.

It's a bit heavier than some other smartphones -- although the Imagio is only slightly larger than my Samsung Jack, the Jack feels like it's about half the Imagio's weight. That's a little bit of an exaggeration, since difference is only 102 versus 150 grams. Still, the balance of the Imagio in the hand is pretty nice, not awkward at all.

I'm very pleased with the build quality; it feels like HTC's classic units, just this side of bomb proof.