Review HTC Inspire 4G (AT&T) Review of Reviews

HTCinspire2.jpgHTC Inspire 4G rated 4 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews

The HTC Inspire 4G is the first HSPA+ smartphone on the AT&T network.  Reviewers all agreed that the price of $99 with a contract is a great value for super high-end features that rival the iPhone in some aspects.  Reviewers liked the good voice quality and photo quality.  Reviewers admired some aspects of the new HTC Sense, while it was considered bloatware by some.

The 4.3" screen size on the HTC Inspire 4G makes it great for watching videos although it lacks a kickstand and DLNA-out connector.

The processor was tested with the highest benchmarks for any single-core processor.  Network data speeds were underwhelming and only about 50% faster than AT&T's 3G network.  Battery life can be drained by Wi-Fi hotspot use and may not make it through an entire day without a recharge due to a smaller capacity.

The HTC Inspire runs Android 2.2 on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor with an 8-megapixel camera, 4GB of internal storage,
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, G-sensor, digital compass,
proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor.  It supports HSPA+ 4G and mobile hotspot.  When it was released, it was revealed that it will be updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread in the future.

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Bonnie Cha at CNET rated the HTC Inspire 4G 4 out of 5.  She liked the affordable price with a large toucscreen, Android 2.2, the faster HSPA+ data, new HTC Sense, and excellent photo quality from the 8MP camera.  She thought that the HTC Inspire 4G is large/heavy and the battery cover is hard to remove.  There is no front-facing camera.  She called the HTC Inspire 4G one of AT&T's best high-end Android phones for a great value with a lot of bang for your buck.  HTC Sense is faster and enables the phone to boot up faster.  CNET averaged download speeds of 1.38Mbps and upload speeds of 0.15Mbps, which is slower than T-Mobile's 4G.  Call quality was good.  The speakerphone didn't produce good sound.  Hotspot use drained the battery.

Sascha Segan at PCMag rated the HTC Inspire 4G 4 out of 5 for its inexpenisve price, power, built-in apps and features.  He didn't like that the 4G speeds were underwhelming and the Android customization.  He thought that the HTC Inspire 4G can hold its own against the iPhone 4.  He notes that the HTC Inspire 4G could be too big for dainty hands.  It has slightly more dropped calls than the iPhone 4.  Voice quality was good and worked will with Bluetooth.  The HSPA+ data speeds were only slightly faster than the iPhone with an average of 1.5Mbps down for the Inspire and 1Mbps down for the iPhone.  The processor had a higher benchmark score than any other single-core processor so far.  HTC Sense added a dedicated media player, priority sender functions for incoming email, and easy uploading of photos to Facebook and Flickr.  Photo quality was fine.  He liked it better than the Samsung Captivate.   

Aaron Baker at Phone Dog liked the HTC Inspire 4G for its new HTC Sense 2.0, its price, and large touchscreen, calling it a cool device.  The metal unibody form factor is impressive and it has a low price.  The only problem is that the 1230 mAH battery holds less power than the HTC EVO, so you may need an extra charger or battery (same as HTC HD7).  No camera shortcut button or HDMI connections.  The power button is recessed and a little hard to turn on and off.  The new version of HTC Sense lets you ring the phone, wipe data, and access to HTC Hub.  Wi-Fi hotpsot is nice to see included.  You can't remove AT&T apps and can't install non-market apps.  There are premade HTC widgets.  There are Gmail improvements with more buttons.