HTC Surround Review

Introduction:

Looking back at it now, it's clear that HTC was one of the prominent mobile handset manufacturers that somehow defied the odds by providing some attention to Microsoft's Windows Mobile. Even though they didn't have the notoriety back then versus how they're perceived now in the industry, HTC almost single-handedly kept the aging platform afloat amidst the rising tide of true mobile platforms developing in the last few years. And it's that relationship between the two companies, that aided devices like the HTC Touch Pro2 and the HTC Touch Diamond to still be relevant amongst the brethren of high-end smartphones out there.

Almost as instantly Microsoft uttered the words about developing a brand new platform built from the ground up, HTC was quick in grabbing a piece of the pie by committing to being a development partner with the Redmond-based company. Needless to say that HTC, who has become one of the premier powerhouses in the smartphone industry, would react so suddenly with the opportunity of being a launch partner for Windows Phone 7. And it's that bond between the two that fuels their drive to evolve and innovate in this ever changing industry.

On one side, Microsoft is banking on Windows Phone 7 to take hold of its almost depleted market share and turn it around so that it can once again, become a vigilant figure in the mobile space that's already littered with heated competition. Meanwhile, HTC is of course going to showcase its offering with the HTC Surround T8788 (also known as HTC 7 Surround) for AT&T as it's set to go on sale in the US for $199.99 on-contract starting on November 8th. With HTC's reputation of crafting spectacular smartphones and Microsoft's fledgling new mobile platform in tow, the HTC Surround aims to be one of the launch handsets to attract consumers to its all encompassing gaze.

The Package contains:

• HTC Surround T8788
• microUSB cable
• Wall Charger
• 3.5mm Stereo Headset
• Quickstart Guide

Design:

Since Windows Phone 7 completely removes any customization options for handset manufacturers, the HTC Surround places its uniqueness with its multimedia-centric persona. From a quick glance, its industrial design radiates all of the common qualities we expect out of the handset manufacturer. Heavily employing some metallic elements to its construction, the brushed aluminum look outlining of the front of the device clearly dictates it as a premium device. Not only does it add that comfort of durability, but its choice of refinements makes it one of the better looking and feeling launch Windows Phone 7 devices out there. At the same time, it's tastefully complemented with that soft touch feeling coating used on its rear to provide some ruggedness to this already quality smartphone. Although it's still relatively compact (0.51” thick), its metallic exterior makes it one heavy feeling (5.82 oz) device when held in the hand. However, the most unique part about the Surround is the fact that the semi-sliding handset tucks away a large speaker and a kickstand to provide you that conducive multimedia setup – for on the go.



You can compare the HTC Surround with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Instead of finding the HTC Surround sporting the usual customary of late 3.7” sized display, it opts to go with a slightly larger 3.8” capacitive LCD touchscreen which packs WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels). Blessed with such a healthy sized display, we can't find too many issues regarding it aside from  the fact that it doesn't look quite as stunning compared to the Super AMOLED panel used with the Samsung Focus. Regardless of that, it's still able to exhibit some stunning detail thanks to its better pixel density and superior performance in outdoor settings when it's in the direct line of sight with the sun. In addition, its color production will satisfy just about anyone, but it will show of its greyish looking black colors when pitted next to the high-contrast look of the Super AMOLED panel on the Samsung Focus. Finally, we are happy to say that it's quite responsive to the touch and its sturdy feel will naturally repel any foreign objects that collide with it – thus preventing it from scratching.

As we've witnessed with some Android powered phones, their capacitive buttons can sometimes prove to become more of an annoyance. However, it's quite the opposite with the HTC 7 Surround since it places the three buttons, the back/previous, Start, and search, far enough from one another and away from the edges of the phone. It's that design scheme that allowed us to use the device freely without any instances of accidentally pressing any of them.


Both the 3.5mm headset jack and dedicated power button are found fittingly on the top edge of the phone. We especially like the pronounced power button, which is slightly raised, as it feels quite responsive in its natural location.

The entire left area of the device is completely clean while the right side houses the nice sized two-level shutter key and narrow looking, but still distinct feeling, volume rocker that has a stiff push to it.

All by its lonely self squarely in the middle of the bottom edge of the phone, you'll find the microUSB port for charging and connection to a PC.



Sliding the front portion of the phone to the left, it'll expose its wide speaker which encompasses the entire exposed area with a single button that'll cycle through the various audio modes. In fact, the name of the handset is fitting since it offers Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound. At the same time, when the speaker is in its fixed open position, it'll also provide you access to its kickstand in the rear. The spring activated kickstand propels itself into an angular position which enables it to prop the handset without being held.


With its rear, you'll notice the chrome printed HTC branding and the 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash. Removing the back cover is a simple process which only involves yanking it off from the bottom edge. From there, you'll get access to the SIM card slot and battery, however, an area that appears to be the location for a microSD card slot is completely covered by a metallic plating.

Interface:

So here we are finally witnessing the all encompassing reality that Microsoft's next-gen mobile platform powering the HTC Surround, and like most other big launches prior to this one, will be inspected from head to toe in an attempt to see how it compares or improves upon the current standing crop of competition. If there is one thing we have to say about Windows Phone 7 more than anything else, it has to be that it's extremely quick – and we mean exquisitely one of the most responsive platforms to date. The HTC Surround itself is running a current generation 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood which presents itself as being sufficient in dealing with the platform's intricate processes. Windows Phone 7 relies heaving on using various transition effects and animations to provide the end user an experience that's consistently uplifting.

At its core, the Metro UI provides a standard look and feel for the entire platform – which obviously translates to a unified experience that doesn't change from handset to handset. Depending on your taste, you might build a liking for the Metro UI since it employs a custom made Microsoft font which purposely allows words to run off the screen – so you'll have to do some scrolling left/right to completely read it. Think of it more like a homescreen with 3 or 4 panels to move through; that's what the Metro UI feels like. .



When you first gaze at Windows Phone 7 on the HTC Surround, you'll be looking straight at its homescreen which consists of various square and rectangular tiles, with some being dynamic and others simply static. For example, the “People” tile will continuously loop various contact photos which of course adds to the general appeal to the platform. Another, the “Me” tile will aggregate a variety of content, like status messages and recently uploaded photos to Facebook, which provides even more eye candy to the platform. Now the homescreen is only visible in portrait mode, and as you play around with other hubs and apps, you will quickly take note that it will only support portrait orientation in most places. You can add additional tiles, like a contact or an app, by essentially “pinning” them – which can generally be done by long pressing a specific item in the Start menu or other applications (orie bookmarks). Unfortunately, the system dictates the size of the tiles and there is no way to set it manually – so that means some hubs/apps will get more love with their rectangular size than others.



Social networking is undoubtedly going to be the heart and soul that enables us to personalize the device to our liking, while at the same time, allowing us to check up on the most important people in our lives. Similar to what we saw with the KIN platform, Windows Phone 7 ties in closely with Facebook and Windows Live, but unfortunately Twitter is out of the mix – for now. When you set up your social networking accounts, it'll automatically try its best to link existing contacts with the respective Facebook/Windows Live account. When you run the “People” Hub, it'll be the centralized area for you to get acquainted with the most up-to-date news surrounding your friends. You can view photos they've posted to their wall, see status messages, like something, and even reply with a comment. However, it still doesn't feel as tightly integrated as we'd like compared to other mobile platforms. Sure you can post your own status message directly in the “Me” hub, but it doesn't offer things like uploading a picture to a friend's wall or sharing web sites on your wall. Of course, this additional functionality will hopefully be integrated with future update, but for now, it does a decent job with it.



Notifications are accompanied by sound, and the different Live Tiles will let you know if there something new that you should be aware of. For example, an email inbox tile can display the number of unread messages that you have. With the lock-screen, the system continues to categorize a variety of notifications so you'll know exactly what they pertain to – like a Yahoo! email, text message, or Hotmail email.

Since there is a sense of linearity with Windows Phone 7, everything you do with the handset is recorded accordingly as you go – meaning that clicking the back/previous button will go to the previous thing you were doing. There is no full multi-tasking support available, but the back/previous button proves to come in handy in situations when you're trying to juggle a variety of things. For example, we found that while running the Twitt app, clicking a link in a tweet will open up the web browser, but when you click the back/previous button, it'll essentially bring you back to the state you were in previously in the Twitt app.

Phonebook:

When setting up the phone for the very first time, it'll ask you to set up your email and social networking accounts. The platform will be able to sync existing contacts with Facebook, Windows Live, and Gmail. Although it's not perfect, Windows Phone 7 does its best in linking all of your contacts together, but thankfully you can manually link items yourself. You can add additional contacts to the handset within the “People” Hub, and much like other competing platforms, it offers a wide array of detailed information that can be associated with each person. From phone numbers to email addresses, it'll offer the bare essentials as well as unique ones like anniversary dates and significant others. Since there is no universal search, you can launch the “People” hub and hit the magnifying glass to look for a specific contact. You can essentially add as many contacts that the phone's memory can hold.


You can access voice dialing, which upon other things can perform a variety of actions from opening apps or performing a web search, by simply performing a long press with the Start button. Surprisingly, the client works rather well in recognizing specific actions like “Call Joe mobile” and we didn't find too many times that it faltered.

HTC was able to beautify Windows Mobile thanks its unique customizations found with TouchFLO 3D and eventually developed its current Sense UI. However, the core user experience with Windows Phone 7 is unchanged from handset to handset, but luckily they're still able to bring some Sense to the platform with the Surround's “HTC Hub.” Upon launching the hub, either from the homescreen or Start menu, you'll instantly recognize the all too familiar look of Sense. Since it's a location aware application, it'll display the time, date, temperature, and weather information of your current location. Essentially, it's the common Sense interface we're accustomed to seeing on other platforms – such as the weather animations that it plays when refreshing. If you happen to click in the area where the clock is located, it'll display to the weather forecast of the upcoming days – plus you can personalize it to show the weather conditions of various locations. Additionally, the “HTC Hub” enables you to fetch additional content thanks to some of the HTC featured apps that it showcases – like stocks, photo enhancer, and notes. Although we are greeted to that familiar Sense UI experience, it would've been nice to see the HTC Hub tile on the homescreen display some useful information – which would lessen the need to jump into the actual app.

Organizer:

Just like syncing contacts, you can sync your calendar from Gmail and Windows Live – but there is no love for other clients like Yahoo. The “Calendar” app allows you to see you daily agenda which breaks down your schedule to an hour by hour basis. In addition, you can also jump to seeing the month view which will display in text some of your upcoming events, however, it's very tiny and difficult to make out – so clicking the specific date will get you to see it a bit better. When it comes down to adding a new appointment, it offers all the bare essentials like the location, time, and reminder. Plus, your appointments are color coded between your synced calendars to provide a little bit of organization when viewing your entire calendar. Although Windows Phone 7 might be more in line as a consumer end product right now, it still manages to retain some elements geared for business customers with its ability to setup Exchange Server on the device.



Messaging:

Following to the tooth with its overall responsive nature, we are happy to say that the messaging experience on the Surround is a fantastic one – even with its spacious 3.8” display. You won't have to worry about getting confused with lengthy conversations when messaging someone because they are displayed in threaded view. We particularly adore the responsive and accurate feel of the on-screen keyboard – both portrait and landscape. However, buttons are all evenly sized and the landscape options doesn't take advantage of the extra room. Nevertheless, speedy typers will in fact jump for joy with its quick response as you begin typing – which even will present you some word options above the keyboard in its attempt to figure out what you're typing. Auto-correct is on board and we were more than amazed to find it working extremely well as we casually typed something up. As for editing, it's a well known fact that copy & paste is omitted for now, but it's expected to make its debut via an update some time in early 2011. In dealing with the cursor placement, Microsoft implements a simple action by simply performing a long press anywhere within the message – and eventually a cursor pops up which can be moved to a specific location. When you think about some of the best on-screen keyboards out there, the one found with Windows Phone 7 is definitely up there as it'll perfectly adjust to the needs of any heavy users out there.


Email setup is pretty much a simple process nowadays with most modern mobile platforms since you'll only be required to provide an email address and password for it to set up. We were able to get some generic clients to load up without any problems, but others like our PhoneArena email, requires additional information like server addresses to complete. For starters, there is no unified or universal inbox, but all your email accounts are placed in the homescreen with their tiles. If you happen to receive a message, it'll display the amount of unread messages in their respective tiles. Additionally, emails aren't displayed in threaded view, so that means you'll have to look through some long lists for any backtracking of conversations. When clicking to the left of an email, it initiates the process of selecting multiple emails, which can then be moved or deleted. Of course you can do the same thing when you actually click and read it, but this does present a good way of getting rid of multiple ones. Aside from those items, the experience is pretty much what you would expect it to be.


If there is one item that's sorely missing with the platform, it has to be an integrated instant messaging client. In fact, there isn't even one for Windows Live Messenger, which is something that one would expect from a Microsoft built platform. However, it's worth assuming for right now that some kind of third party one will most likely become available in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. But from a stock experience point of view, it's almost hard to see an always connected platform like Windows Phone 7 to omit one.

Connectivity & Data:

Similar to its brethren of GSM phones, the HTC Surround offers quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and tri-bands UMTS (850/1900/2100MHz) connectivity which should be an ideal solution for the global trotter. If that isn't enough for you, the HTC Surround also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, and aGPS.

Pocket Internet Explorer was never a major hit in the Windows Mobile scene, and at the same time, its age was exposed thanks to the eclectic mix of feature that competing mobile browsers exhibited. However, this isn't your ordinary Internet Explorer since it offers one of the most satisfying experiences to date that we have witnessed. Although it might not have Flash support from the onset, Internet Explorer blows away most of the competition in terms of responsiveness, fluidity, and rendering. We are just utterly amazed at how quick it's able to load pages and execute kinetic scrolling without any hint of slowdown whatsoever. Multi-touch gestures are naturally in place to cap the experience so that you can zoom in or out via pinching motions. With WVGA resolution on board, the smallest of text is easily legible with the HTC Surround's 3.8” display. At the same time, you can load up to 6 different tabs which will load content in the background in real time. It's hands down one of the most gratifying web experiences we've seen in a phone.

Camera:

When looking at the “Pictures” tile on the homescreen of the HTC Surround, you'll commonly find it changing photos every now and then – giving it that dynamic look each and every time. The “Pictures” hub is broken down to  your most recent shots, images posted by friends in their social networking account, and categories. Once you get into the gallery, it's further broken down to your camera roll and any albums found with your social networking account. For example, it'll compile all of your profile photos for Facebook conveniently within the “Pictures” hub. Meanwhile, you can view all of your photos by simply swiping – which we have to say is fluid of course. In addition, you can zoom in/out by using the all too obvious pinching gestures. Regrettably, Windows Phone 7 lacks any editing functions directly within the image gallery – so you'll most likely have to find an alternative app solution for that. However, there is a share function that will let you send a photo as a picture message, an attachment in an email, or upload it directly to SkyDrive or Facebook.



The camera interface on the HTC Surround can be accessed instantly by either clicking the icon in the Start menu or more easily by pressing down the shutter key. As for the interface, it's very straightforward, uncluttered, and is an exact facsimile found with the Samsung Focus – so you can get a solid view of what you're trying to take without any distraction. On the right side, you'll find a toggle switch for video/photo mode, the digital zoom control, and the settings icon. If you swipe over the left area of the camera interface, you'll essentially find yourself scrolling through the list of content you've taken with the phone – which is nice in quickly previewing your shots. Unlike the Samsung Focus, there aren't as many settings at our disposal and only offers some basic options to be modified – such as the scene, effects, resolution, metering mode, and flicker adjustment. But if there is one major gripe we have with the interface, it has to be that it doesn't save the settings you've made. So that means it'll reset each time whenever you exit out of the applications – so you'll essentially have to manually set it to turn off the flash each and every time; annoying!



Shooting an image can be accomplished by slightly holding down the shutter key to allow it to focus, and then pressing it all the way down to take the shot. Without modifying any of the settings, we basically used the HTC Surround just like any other basic point and shoot digital camera out there. If there's one thing going for the Surround's picture quality, it has to be that it's able to capture some sharp looking visuals outdoors, but the overall high-contrast look washes out colors slightly – making it look somewhat over-exposed. Luckily, there isn't as much noise in shots taken in low lighting conditions, but you clearly receive softer looking details. When using the LED flash to illuminate the scenery, it casts a bluish hue to the entire image – making color reproduction in general look off balance. Finally, macro shots poses no problems with the handset since it focuses in on the subject correctly, but the overall picture quality isn't as sharp as the ones produced by the Samsung Focus. Without going into additional comparisons with other Windows Phone 7 devices, the HTC Surround is definitely a worthy candidate for anyone who wants to take photos without much effort.




Since 720p video recording is becoming an all too common occurrence among high-end smartphones, there are few noteworthy items that separate the quality of videos – like their capture rate. Luckily, the HTC Surround shoots at a decent 24fps situations where lighting is not a problem. To our dismay, it drops all the way down to a paltry and super jerky rate of 8fps in low light environments, which is safe to say quite a disappointment. Despite that shortcoming, there is a great deal of detail it's able to retain, and it also has continuous auto-focus – something that not too many handsets offer. When you're shooting an object, it'll automatically adjust its focus on the go as your subject gets closer or further away from the camera. In one video taken of a band playing a song, you can obviously see that it's chugging along at a dismal 8fps, but the more important thing is that the HTC Surround features noise suppression. In fact, it seems to do a manageable job in that video seeing that sounds aren't too choppy or crackly sounding. In the end, media buffs will surely be happy with the level of quality that the HTC Surround excels in shooting high definition videos.

HTC Surround Sample Video 1:



HTC Suround Sample Video 2:



Multimedia:

If music is your forte, you'll find Windows Phone 7's integration of Zune to be exquisitely joyful since it offers one of the best presentations we've seen on any music player. When running the “Photos and Videos” hub, which is Zune in all of its glory, you can select music and it will further break down your library by artists, albums, songs, playlists, and genres. After making a song selection, it'll display the associated album cover, track information, and a few on-screen controls. However, we like how the whole presentation is further complemented with the background image being downloaded of the respective artist. Also, the background image within the “Zune” hub, as well as the tile on the homescreen, will change to the downloaded image. It's such slick elements that make the overall presentation of the music player so intricately different from everything else out there in the market.



When going back to the homescreen, the song will naturally continue to play in the background, but you can access the mini player by pressing the volume rocker. If you happen to turn off the display and turn it back on, it'll still show the mini player at the lock screen – so you'll always have full control of your tunes. In its closed form, audio being emitted from the HTC Surround's speaker is still louder than most devices, but of course, exposing it will truly exemplify its true potential. When clicking the button to cycle between the various sound options, the initial one of course produces the weakest tones, with the second option drastically emitting stronger tones, and the final one adding just a little bit more punch to its tone. However, using a pair of headphones will seemingly tell the true telling between the three. Between the second and last audio options, the last one adds some noticeably heavier bass tones which reverberate more fittingly. And if you just decide to let the main speaker do all of the work, you'll still find it packing some audible and distinct tones that easily catapult it over some of the competition. Some of the supported formats include MP3, WMA, M4A, and M4B.



If you're looking to purchase additional tunes onto your handset, you can get your fix with the Zune Marketplace which holds a cornucopia of songs. Ranging in pricing, you can instantly purchase a song and download it right away over the air – which is then charged directly to your phone bill. And if you're not too sure about making a purchase, you can get a 30 second preview to aid finalize your decision. We adore the fact that Zune encompasses every aspect with its songs since you can search for various albums from a specific artist and even read their accompanying bio – all without navigating away from the hub. Though, we're saddened to find that Zune Pass is not offered with the device, but hopefully will become a staple down the road with some future update. If you're not familiar with Zune Pass, it's basically a monthly streaming service that enables subscribers to listen to as many tunes as they please in their vast catalog.

You know instantly that a device packing a kickstand will ultimately be one equipped device in dealing with video playback. With some high flying specs in tow with the HTC Surround, it seemingly would be a great candidate in this specific area. Without much effort, the smartphone is able to to play a movie trailer encoded in MPEG-4 1280 x 720 resolution. And thanks to its equally good looking and sufficiently sized display, it's probably one of the most conducive devices to watch videos as they casually run without any hint of slowdown. And if that's not enough for most people, its kickstand will enable anyone to sit back comfortably and enjoy a lengthy video. Finally, the handset is capable in dealing with videos encoded in MPEG4, 3G2, 3GP, and WMV.


Seeing that the HTC Surround is one rich media centric smartphone, it manages to pack 16GB of internal storage for all your needs. Unlike the Samsung Focus, there is a metallic plating which covers what appears to be a microSD card slot. Nonetheless, it should still prove to be an adequate solution for most people.

Software:

Like we witness on many occasions, AT&T manages to pack in a healthy amount of carrier branded apps with the HTC Surround. Although we love seeing AT&T Navigator on board, which offers the striking figure of voice guided turn-by-turn directions, it's hard to say the same for some of the others. Some of the other apps include AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T myWireless, AT&T Radio, and AT&T U-verse Mobile – the latter of which allows subscribers to browse U-verse TV content on the handset. So if you're big on watching television, AT&T U-verse mobile will provide you that satisfaction of scheduling and managing DVR recordings. Aside from that, all of the other AT&T branded apps are just like the what you find on other handsets.


Nowhere close to the level of innovation seen with mature map applications like Ovi Maps or Google Maps, Bing Maps for Windows Phone 7 offers the most basic of functions – which can be seen as a turn off for some that are used to the intricate dealings with the competition. There's no arguing that browsing the map is a quick and responsive experience; and we especially like the cloud-like animation as it renders the map to reveal more detail. You'll have the ability to find your exact location, search for points of interests, and even get some directions. Naturally, you'll also be treated to things like aerial and traffic view, but still pales in comparison to the wealth of features found with rival maps applications – like street view. As we've noted earlier, Bing maps does not offer voice guided turn-by-turn directions, so that means you'll have to rely on a third party source like AT&T Navigator for that. Directions though, you're only limited to driving and walking – so that means no mass transit or bicycle directions just yet. When you perform a search on the map, the result will enable you to obtain pertinent information regarding it, reviews (if applicable), and also some nearby businesses to it. Yes, Bing maps does show off its relatively new offering, but as with most things, it will most likely be refined with each installment.

Upon clicking the "me" icon, the map instantly pans out to a zoomed out view and eventually zooms into our general location which is displayed as a yellow dot on the map surrounded by a larger gray circle. It surely didn't take long for it to get a fix onto our location; like 5 seconds which is surprisingly good since it was the first thing we did after doing a cold boot with the handset. Mind you that when we did this indoors, it inevitably obtained our exact coordinates in a matter of less than 15 seconds.


One brand value proposition that Windows Phone 7 clearly has riding on its back is the fact that it integrates with XBOX Live – providing that missing link when you're not tearing it up on the console side. Since the HTC Surround is one armed handset with some strong hardware under its hood, it didn't flinch one bit as we downloaded and played a game. With the “Games” hub, it'll enable you to sign in with your XBOX Live account and see your very own avatar on the phone, see any friend requests, and view all the latest collection of games. Now the great thing about downloading games is that you'll have the option of “trying” it out before making that sometimes difficult purchase – which can lead to buyers remorse. Although a majority of the titles right off the bat might not exude the high flying action games seen with the standalone console, we'll slowly begin to see some games fitting for both platforms which will allow you to start playing it on the XBOX 360, and then continue the fun on the go with the HTC Surround.



When you press on the search button, it'll launch Bing Search which acts as it should in obtaining relevant searches. The background with it will change occasionally and will add some insightful concepts to the mix. Specifically, there are some squares that you can see which will provide a relevant search to the associated background image with Bing Search. So if you're ever bored and wanted to read about something random, you can tap on any of the boxes for some time killing. Meanwhile, specific search queries are broken down to the web, local, and news.

What's a smartphone without a centralized area for apps? Well, the Windows Phone 7 powered HTC Surround has the “Marketplace” hub which will provide owners the opportunity to download apps onto the handset. General to all Windows Phone 7 devices, the categories are broken down to apps, games, and music. However, there is a section specific to the Surround aptly named the “HTC Apps” which will allow you to download apps exclusive to HTC. The main panel within the “Marketplace” hub will also display any updates required for existing apps on the handset – most of which are downloaded over the air, while larger sized ones require a Wi-Fi connection. The general Marketplace categorizes apps into specific things like games, entertainment, music & video, lifestyle, news & weather, sports, health & fitness, finance, travel, navigation, social, productivity, tools, business, and books & reference. When you select a specific title, it'll provide details regarding it – like screenshots, overview, and reviews.




Without any question, it's only fitting to find Microsoft Office integration with the HTC Surround. It's not something new, especially when it's the a common staple among Windows Mobile Professional devices, but of course will be looked on more intently now that it's making an appearance on a new platform. You'll be able to read Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files on the go, plus the added benefit of editing them as well. Seeing that it's always a nice feature to quickly write up a new Word document or Excel workbook, there are some basic formatting options you can enable. But when you compare them to the offering seen with Windows Mobile, it doesn't exactly include all of the formatting options you'd expect. Sure you can highlight, bold, italicize, and change the font color, but it's missing things like bulleting and manual indentation alignment. However, it still retains some of those basic elements that will allow users to start off a new document – while saving the rest later for use with a desktop. If you happen use SharePoint Workspace, you can even have the ability to view, edit, and download stored documents on Microsoft SharePoint Sever 2010.


Although the iPhone popularized the notion of syncing and retrieving data from a handset by using an application on your computer, Windows Phone 7 follows in almost a similar manner since it forgoes hot-swappable microSD cards. Before you do anything, it'd be wise to download and install Zune on your computer, and thankfully Mac users will also receive a version for OS X. Unlike other handsets, your computer won't recognize the smartphone as a removable mass storage device – which would obviously make it easy for most of us to quickly access data on the device; like photos or videos. Instead, you'll need to have Zune running on your computer which will then synchronize content such as photos, video, songs, and playlists.

Performance:

Depending on how you look at it , calling quality on the HTC Surround can sway to either side of the court. On one hand, its earpiece is utterly deafening when it's set to the loudest setting – making voices sound substantially pronounced, but voices still have a hissy sound to them. On the flip side, there is just so much noise that can be heard throughout conversations – and it's even present when the volume is placed on the middle setting.  Fortunately though, our callers didn't come across any situations when they couldn't clearly hear our voices, but we were told by our callers that we sound mute in volume. Naturally, its well endowed speakerphone will also make voices easily heard thanks to its above average tones.

Signal strength with the handset remains to be intact as we did not experience any dropped calls or major shifts in the amount of bars it displays while using it in the greater Philadelphia region.

Heavy users will want to constantly have a charger close by since the Surround does eat up a fair amount of battery. We managed to edge out over 12 hours of normal usage with it – so it should get most people a solid working shift without any recharge. Comparing it to the Samsung Focus, it clearly does not provide the ample battery life that the Super AMOLED display on that handset is able to exude. We had the Surround set to automatic brightness, but of course, manually adjusting certain settings will enable you to extend its battery life a bit more. The manufacturer has it rated for 4 hours of talk and 275 hours of standby time.

Conclusion: 

Based on our initial experience with Windows Phone 7, it's clear to say that Microsoft placed a lot of emphasis on its presentation – which is evident with its heavy usage of transition effects and dynamic tiles. Although it showcases plenty if stunning visuals throughout the platform, the constant theme of responsiveness reverberates throughout every aspect of the platform; from the smooth kinetic scrolling to the lightning quick pinch gestures. Sure it's still in its infancy and doesn't quite pack a deep experience that some of the other mature mobile platforms bring to the table. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic starting point for the platform as it'll easily attract those who are hungry for something new and stable. As much as some people might adore the various customizations found with other mobile operating system, the Metro UI in use with Windows Phone 7 is a healthy attraction for those who want a unique look.

When looking closely at the HTC 7 Surround, which is billed as one of the first launch devices for the new platform, it manages to differentiate itself from the other offerings solely because of its semi-sliding speaker and kickstand. Its design isn't anything we've seen before, as we should expect from a company known for their intricate industrial designs, but the HTC Surround's design doesn't blatantly take away the focus from the real star of the show; Windows Phone 7. Still, it's nice to see a wonderfully crafted device radiate a stunning and quality design that will easily attract some people to its uniqueness. And since Windows Phone 7 is a platform rich with media features, it's more than acceptable in accommodating the needs of users in a wide array of multimedia aspects.

Software version of the reviewed unit: 7.0.7004.0

HTC Surround Video Review: