First impressions of the AT&T HTC Aria, lots of power in a cute little smart phone

Similar to the HTC HD Mini in design, the Aria runs on Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense user interface and includes a good deal of features for its size

. It's certainly not the most powerful Android device on the market--power users might want to wait for the recently announced Samsung Captivate--and we're upset that AT&T has once again blocked third-party app downloads. However, the Aria is a solid midrange smartphone that's certainly better than the Motorola Backflip, AT&T's other Android offering.

Despite its diminutive size, the HTC Aria is a well-stocked smartphone. The handset runs on Android 2.1 with the HTC Sense user experience, but HTC has not announced plans for an Android 2.2 Froyo upgrade for the Aria yet. However, according the company, it is working closely with Google and its partners to bring updates as soon as possible. That said, HTC representatives said they expect some of these update during the second half of the year.

The Aria's screen measures 3.2-inches diagonally and has a 320x480-pixel HVGA resolution. It's not the biggest or sharpest display we've ever seen, but it's clear, bright, and surprisingly adequate for use in most tasks. The Aria's capacitive touch screen supports the pinch-to-zoom multitouch gesture, so if you have any problems seeing something on the display, you can easily magnify it. The only issue we ran into with the display is using its onscreen keyboard as it's pretty cramped, particularly in portrait mode; however, with the built-in accelerometer, you can rotate the phone and use the landscape keyboard that has slightly more room.

HTC Sense provides you with a nice user experience on the phone. You have seven home screen panels that you can customize till your heart's content with such widgets and shortcuts as the Friend Stream, Group Contacts, and weather. You can even switch "Scenes" to customize another set of panels based on themes--such as work, play, travel, and social. Though the Aria supports the Leap screen that shows a thumbnail view of all your home screens, it does not offer live wallpapers. Find some nice wallpapers at http://www.HTCAriaForum.com .

Until you consider the cost. In terms of AT&T's offerings, the Aria's $130 sticker price wedges it between the (cheaper) iPhone 3GS, and the much more expensive (and capable) Nexus One. This awkward middle space isn't the worst place to occupy, but when one considers how quickly the Aria will age it becomes a problematic choice. Bestsellers like the iPhone 3GS and the Nexus One are already being eclipsed by newer hardware like the iPhone 4, and this leaves even more to desire from the spec-challenged Aria.

First impressions of the AT&T HTC Aria, lots of power in a cute little smart phone

By: Denniscool wong

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