Description
We want to like the HTC Rhyme. It's a smart phone that looks like it's had a little more thought put into it than most, with stylish design and cute accessories to appeal to customers who aren't interested in processor speeds or Android updates. But does the result live up to the promise?Rhyme of fashionThe Rhyme is pleasing to look at and hold, with rounded corners and subtly curved sides. It comes in a two-tone purple case, which is a bit flimsy but the colour makes a change from the glossy black look of so many iPhone clones. The Rhyme sports a colourful 3.7-inch touchscreen. Unfortunately it's a real fingerprint magnet, which can make the screen hard to read when you're outdoors and in bright sunlight. Many phones nowadays have something called an oleophobic layer to prevent this problem, but not the Rhyme.Prime RhymeThe Rhyme sits comfortably in the middle of the smart phone world. The respectably-powered 1GHz processor with 768MB of RAM give it the power required to handle more complex tasks like web browsing, videos and games with plenty of zip and without glitches or pauses. It slows down on web pages with lots of video or animation, but that's to be expected.On the front is a video camera for filming your face when you make video calls. On the back is the 5-megapixel main camera with autofocus, and an LED flash for when things are a little dark. The main camera shoots 720p high definition video, which you can play back on a hi-def TV or share to the Web.The phone connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi when you're in a hotspot, or when you're out and about via 3G. Wi-Fi is preferable because it's faster, can handle more data for things like video, and doesn't eat into your data allowance -- but it does run the battery down faster. You have to pay for 3G data as part of your phone contract, but you're more likely to have a 3G signal when there isn't a Wi-Fi hotspot handy. GPS is also on board, so you can find your way on Google Maps. And you can connect to a Bluetooth headset, stereo headphones, or another device with Bluetooth 3.0. If you have a TV, games console or Blu-ray player with DLNA, you can zap your HD video direct from your phone to your TV, console or player without having to plug the phone in.There's 1GB of storage built-in for your music, movies and photos, and you can add more by slotting in a microSD memory card.What's Rhyme is yoursThe Rhyme is powered by Android software, which makes using the phone both simple and highly personal. The phone can be tailored exactly the way you want it, by adding shortcuts on the home screen to your favourite features and apps.Apps perform a particular task, from taking a picture or showing you the weather to playing a game or accessing a specific website such as Facebook or Twitter. Basic apps like your email, calendar and address book are already on the phone, and you can download more in mere moments from the Android App Market. You can browse the App Market on your phone without having to plug into a computer. Many apps are free, and most are under a pound.Once you've downloaded an app, you can add a shortcut to your home screen so it's right at your fingertips. Android is great for customising your phone, so you can change simple things like the background picture on your home screen as well as things like changing the default keyboard.HTC adds features to the basic Android experience with its Sense user interface. Version 3.5 of Sense, included on the Rhyme, is simple to use and clearly laid out. It offers little extras that you won't find on other phones such as shortcuts to selected important features and settings. Not every added extra is useful though, like the animated spinning effect that whizzes through all your home screens, but it's still one of the better Android interfaces.The Rhyme uses Android 2.3.4, known as Gingerbread. There is a newer version of Android, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, but it doesn't look like the Rhyme will be updated to that new version.Connecting to the Web and using apps all the time uses a lot of power, but that's not a problem for the Rhyme: battery life is excellent. Even if you're constantly whipping your phone out, the Rhyme should comfortably last the day before needing to be charged.Rhyme and punishmentBrowsing the Web and using apps is all very well, but this is first and foremost a phone. Unfortunately the Rhyme's call quality isn't great, as voices sound flat even when you have a decent signal.The Rhyme's camera is also disappointing, and is definitely no replacement for a compact camera. Photos lack detail and the results in low light, such as when out with friends, are near unusable. The 720p video can technically call itself high definition, but won't survive being shown on a proper HDTV as the results are pixelised and unwatchably jerky. And we found the headphones were uncomfortably shaped. Still, it's always worth ditching the headphones that come with any pho
