HTC 7 Trophy

Of the three Windows Phone 7 mobiles launched by HTC this month, the 7 Trophy is the least extraordinary, and, as a result, the most affordable. 

Compared to its competitors, it's got a modest set of features that only just meet the criteria imposed by Microsoft for its new OS: a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5 Megapixel camera, a 3.8'' touchscreen and 8 GB of internal memory (that you can't expand).  So what's HTC's entry-level WP7 handset like?

An impeccable finish

After testing so many of them, we have to admit that HTC is always scrupulously careful to ensure its handsets have an excellent finish.  The materials are always top quality and nothing is left to chance, even on an entry-level phone like this.  The 7 Trophy feels reassuringly solid.


Another common feature of the Taiwanese manufacturer's phones is a rather masculine look, that's lacking both fun and glamour and the 7 Trophy is no exception.  Given the manufacturer's attempts to expand the appeal of its smartphones toward a wider customer base, including more female users, a less imposing exterior wouldn't go amiss.



The 3.8'' multitouch capacitative display responds well to input, but its contrast levels and colour reproduction can't hope to beat the best phone screens of the moment.  It still manages to be easy on the eye, despite slightly pale blacks (the contrast ratio is 511:1, compared to 800:1 on the iPhone 4) and a noticeable blue tinge (the deltaE is 8, where a good screen hopes to have this figure under 3).  In any case, to the naked eye, it looks perfectly good.

Interface, navigation and responsiveness

The 7 Trophy is a Windows Phone 7 like all the rest, so it features the same interface as its friends which share Microsoft's innovative new OS.  We took a detailed look at what's on offer in our test of the LG Optimus 7.  Following Microsoft's instructions-which ban any type of customisation by manufacturers, unlike with Android-the phone sports its logical, intuitive new user experience.


HTC has still managed to include the HTC Hub, which takes after the manufacturer's own Sense software.  It's the only part of the software where the hardware company can add a personal touch.  Open it up and you'll find a list of real-time services (weather, stocks, news) that are grouped together on a single screen.


One of the strengths of WP7 is its real-time support for social networks and e-mail accounts, which is on offer here of course, and it's as effective as ever.

Multimedia

Although it claims to be designed for mobile gaming, it's hard to see what this smartphone has that any others doesn't.  Like any other WP7 handset, users can log into the Xbox Live hub to access an avatar created on an Xbox 360 and all of the games available there.


Despite having a 5 Megapixel camera, the bare minimum required by Microsoft, the 7 Trophy can't take very good photos.  We can't say it often enough: just adding more pixels to the sensor won't automatically improve the quality of the photos that a camearphone produces.  Whatever the light conditions, the photos are mediocre, but they're even worse if you're in a dark room.

You'll have to make do with jumpy video because there's no real stabilisation system.



This phone won't win any awards for audio either, even if the music player in WP7 has a nice interface: there's a permanent hiss on the signal coming from the headphone jack.  To copy your music (or your photos and videos for that matter), you have to use Zune, Microsoft's equivalent of iTunes, which is easier to use than Apple's version.

We should also mention the MarketPlace, where apps are available for purchase.  As time goes by, more and more titles are available, and it's fair to say that all the main names are there now, including social networking sites, games and media.  As we've already mentioned, the majority of apps work very well with WP7's new interface.

Finally, let's look at the somewhat weak battery life of the 7 Trophy, which struggles to last more than a day even if you only use 3G and WiFi occasionally.

For more information about the new Windows Phone 7 OS, as well as photos and videos of it in action, check our reviews of the Omnia 7 and Optimus 7.