HTC Desire HD vs Samsung Galaxy S

If we had to choose, we want a 4.3” Super AMOLED screen on an aluminum unibody handset, that is as thin as the Galaxy S, and carries the new HTC Sense UI on it. Any of the two chipsets will do. Just kidding, but it might happen next year.  

However, out of the HTC Desire HD and the Samsung Galaxy S, we would pick Samsung's finest, and we'll tell you why. It's not the silicon – both phones have excellent chipsets, and the theoretical advantage in the graphics department of Sammy's Hummingbird didn't translate into better frame rates in the 3D games we played. It's not the built-in 16GB of memory on the Galaxy S, and lack thereof on the HTC Desire HD. Memory cards are cheap these days, and the Desire HD beats the Galaxy S in the camera specs department with higher resolution cam and a ho-hum LED flash, which compensates the absence of in-built memory for us. 

Our preference was not based on the screens either – despite that we'd personally take the Super AMOLED before an LCD of the same resolution any day, the sheer size of the one on the HTC Desire HD is also quite appealing. We have to admit that the new HTC Sense UI almost tipped the scales for us, with its fast boot, amazing personalization options, cloud-based services and offline navigation functionalities. But it will be coming on all HTC Android handsets from now on, and inventive souls are working towards porting it over to the Galaxy S as well.

It's the battery life and the design approach. In practice, when the first “wows” subside around the sleek aluminum chassis of the HTC Desire HD, you'll be seeing the black rectangle where the screen is most of the time, but notice the considerable heft of the device, and the fact that you have to use both hands to operate it more often than not. The Galaxy S might be bland looking in its all-plastic body, but it is incredibly thin, light, durable and easy to handle because of that - for a handset with a 4” screen, that is. We also know that we'll be cursing ourselves that we chose a slightly bigger screen if the battery runs out after just an average day with the device, and we have no way to charge it. Of course, you can always buy and remember to carry a spare battery, but the new side-loading way of swapping it is a nuisance thanks to the stiff slot cover on the Desire HD. Bigger screens is the way to go, but only if the handsets are kept slim and light, and battery life is worth it, which is not the case with the HTC Desire HD. 

There are not many alternatives to the HTC Desire HD and the Samsung Galaxy S, considering the latest generation chipsets in both. Screenwise, there is no AMOLED like the Super AMOLED, and 4” is as large as it goes. The only other such screen is in the Samsung Omnia 7, with the fledgling Windows Phone 7. Also, devices with 4.3” LCD screens of HTC make, such as the EVO 4G, or the HTC HD7 with WP7 can do the trick for you. All of these phones are carrying first generation Snapdragon chipsets, which still run whatever you throw at them, so they could be viable alternatives to the HTC Desire HD, and the Samsung Galaxy S.