HTC Inspire 4G Cell Phone Review

Introduction

The just-released HTC Inspire holds a number of firsts on the AT&T network. It is the first AT&T phone that is 4G-enabled. It is the first large (4.3”) touch screen phone on the AT&T network. And it is the first AT&T phone that uses Android 2.2 (Froyo). The specs of the Inspire are impressive, so we decided to take a look.

The Inspire comes in the typical orange and white AT&T box, shown in Figure 1. The box contents are clearly marked on the front of the box. As shown in Figure 2, they include the phone, a, AC charger, a Micro-USB sync cable, and a Quick Start Guide. The lithium ion battery and 8 GB MicroSD card, which are also included, are already in the phone.

Figure 1: The Inspire in the box

Figure 2: The contents of the box

At first glance, the Inspire, which is shown in Figure 3, looks very much like many other touch screen smart phones.

Figure 3: The Inspire

The phone is a typical black rectangle with slightly rounded corners. The first unusual feature is quite noticeable. Because of its large 4.3” screen, the Inspire at 4.8 x 2.7 x 0.5 inches (121.9 x 68.5 x 11.6 mm) is slightly larger than most other phones of this type. As shown in Figure 4, the Inspire is similar in size to the Motorola Droid X, with the Droid X being slightly longer.

Figure 4: The Inspire (on the left) and the Droid X

Only after closer inspection, you notice that this HTC phone is a uni-body construction. Instead of having a front and a back put together with a bezel, the entire phone is constructed of a single piece of brushed aluminum. Although the metal body adds a little weight (with the battery, the Inspire weighs in at 5.78 ounces or 163.8 grams), it leaves no fingerprints and gives this phone a good solid feel.