Android HTC Aria Rated 3.5 out 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews
Reviewers found the lightweight Android HTC Aria (AT&T) to live up to its name. The Aria sings when it comes to web browsing, social networking, camera and voice quality. The HTC Aria was called cute, fun, and exceptionally goo. All reviewers found the HTC Sense to be a great add-on user interface making social updates, email, and multimedia easier and smother.(For HTC Sense Tips check out tips revealed to Wireless and Mobile News by HTC's very own Eric Lin.)
All the reviews did not like the fact that AT&T only allows apps found on Android Market to be loaded onto the HTC Aria, you can't install beta apps or outside (home-brewed) apps. Reviews also found the processor responsive, fast and smooth. Some reviewers raved about the onscreen keyboard, while one found it to be small and cramped. The screen on the HTC Aria is smaller than other Android phones at 3.1 inches, which looks fine indoors but it harder to see in direct sunlight. Although Bluetooth works well, you can't give the voice commands over Bluetooth (an Android glitch). The good news is that the Android operating system will be updated to the super fast Android 2.2 FroYo.
Review of Reviews Top Ten Best Android an' Droid Phones Now an' Later
The HTC Aria is priced at $129 after a 100 promotion card rebate from AT&T Wireless. Don't forget to use the Wireless and Mobile News' coupon link for $50 Off AT&T Wireless with Plan for New Customers with a Contract
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Bonnie Cha at CNET rated the HTC Aria 3.5 out 5 for its HTC Sense UI, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G network. She did not like the smaller than Android average display. She also did not like that AT&T restricts third party Android apps that do come from the Android Market. Because the Aria is a mid-level Android phone, she suggests power-users wait for the Samsung Captivate. At a light 4 ounces, the touch screen is only 3.2 inches diagonally at 320 x 480 pixels, making the onscreen keyboard cramped and harder to use. HTC will update it to Android 2.2 FroYo. AT&T added AT&T Navigator, Yellow Pages, Radio, and MobiTV with monthly subscriptions. You can't voice dial over Bluetooth. She liked the HTC addition of the streamlined music player. The camera doesn't have flash, therefore indoor photos looked dull and dreary. Call quality was mostly good. The processor was responsive and had good battery life.
Sascha Sega at PCMag rated the HTC Aria 3.5 out of 5. He found it cute, fun, ad usable. He found the added AT&T software, bloated, redundant and evil. The Aria looks like a HTC EVO 4G that has been shrunken. His small hands were able to type on the onscreen small keyboard. Voice calls were decent. The speaker phone was not loud enough. The web browser was excellent and he found the processor wroked well. He liked the HTC Sense features, Twitter, Facebook and contact integration. He found the multimedia functions such as music playing and video. He found the camera to be one of the best with sharp photos
Brian Neal at Laptop.mag rated the HTC Aria 3.5 out of 5. He found the Aria to be be exceptionally good and as powerful as the its sister HTC Sense HTC smartphnones the Droid Incredible and HTC EVO 4G. He liked the optical controls and found the screen to look good indoors, in direct sunlight it was hard to see. The HTC Sense keyboard was better than Android. The performance of the processor was good and smooth. Web browsing was fast and accurate. The Sense music app is nicely done and polished. Photo quality and call quality was great. The speakerphone was not loud enough in noisy places. Battery life was good.