The Taiwan-based High Tech Computer Corporation (HTC) was founded in 1997, and has long been producing high quality Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and smart phones now sold globally. One of their newest releases is the HTC Mogul, introduced in July 2007 and distributed by Sprint and Verizon Wireless at $399.99 inclusive of two-year subscription.
The HTC Mogul is a smart phone with vital statistics of 4.33 x 2.32 x 0.73 inches and weighs 5.8 ounces. The multi-touch LCD screen measures 2.8 inches with 240 x 320 pixels resolution and 65,000 color display. The phone comes with a stylus for touch screen input. When you slide the phone horizontally to the left, you can access the QWERTY keyboard with roomy buttons for easy tapping.
This smart phone works well with organizing contacts. Each contact can have entry for 12 phone numbers, email address, street address, IM ID, and others. Callers can be tagged with photo ID and polyphonic ring tone. Voice activated dialing is also supported. The HTC Mogul is capable of SMS, MMS, and email. As a PDA, the Mogul operates excellently with Microsoft Office applications, like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Files with compatible formats can be created or opened on the Mogul. The unit also is installed with Adobe Reader for opening PDF’s.
The Mogul has Wi-Fi capability and EVDO support. Surfing the web is snappy on the Mogul, and simpler with the installed Windows Internet Explorer Mobile browser. This smart phone has Bluetooth, Infrared, and USB connectivity. Sprint subscribers can access the Sprint Music Store where they can download songs at high speed and play them on their Moguls. The Mogul has 96MB internal memory, which can be expanded with an included 512MB microSD card. Plus, Sprint offers the Sprint TV service, so users can watch live TV broadcasts for news, sports, and others. The Mogul is also included with MSN Messenger software for IM on the go, and is GPS-enabled.
With the built-in 2.0 mega pixel digital camera, users can take photos up to 1200 x 1600 pixels resolution. It has an LED flash, up to 8x zoom, and photo editing tools. The digital camera can capture video up to 30 seconds, and can be saved in MPEG4 or motion JPG format. Photos and video can be attached to MMS and email.
Critics have some minor complaints about the HTC Mogul, it doesn’t perform well for a music phone. Music quality was substandard, although video playback was great. Also, the limited memory can also limit the productivity of the phone, so a larger microSD card is needed for purchase. Navigating with the touch screen and operating with the QWERTY went well, although the circular toggle button below the screen was a bit stiff. Download speeds are already fast, and depending on the service provider, the EVDO support on the HTC Mogul will soon be upgraded.
The HTC Mogul comes shipped with wall charger, CD-ROM software, USB cable, stereo headset, leather case, and the abovementioned 512MB memory card.