Review

Review: Hands on With the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide

As a previous owner of the MyTouch 3G Slide, I was pretty excited to see how HTC did with the follow-up to their hardware keyboard version of the MyTouch 4G.  Like any Android device, it has its pros and cons, so let’s go through it and see how it measures up.

Let’s start it off with the spec sheet:

Height: 4.8″

Width: 2.6″

Depth: 0.54″

Weight: 6.5 oz

Display 3.7″ LCD

Camera: 8-megapixel Backside Illuminated with wide aperture lens, and dedicated camera button

Front Facing VGA Camera

Connectivity: 4G (14.4 Mbps max download speed), wifi 802.11 b/g/n, bluetooth 3.0 + EDR + A2DP

Processor 1.2 GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon

Memory and storage: 4GB internal storage, included 8GB micro SD card, 768 MB RAM

Software: Android 2.3.4

The Hardware:

The build quality, though it’s the standard hard plastic we’re used to with most phones, is pretty solid.  The phone looks great with the silver trim on black, and though the keyboard does add a bit more weight to the device, it’s still pretty light at 6.5 oz.  It’s certainly bigger than it’s older brother, the 3G Slide, but the screen size isn’t on par with the fullscreen devices like the G2X or the Sensation, also on T-Mobile.  Measuring 3.7″, you still get a good amount of screen real estate for taking pictures with that awesome rear camera HTC and T-Mo are boasting, but it’s not winning any awards for a big viewing space for movies.  It’s also good indoors, but I’m sure the quality would fail in direct sunlight.

There’s a pretty large bezel, and most of the lost screen area is due to the MyTouch Logo on top, and the Android keys across the bottom.  As we’re used to seeing, there’s the buttons for Home, Settings, Back and the Genius Button.  In the front-left corner you’ll also note the front-facing camera for video chat via Qik Video Chat (preinstalled), but with Android 2.3.4 you’ll also have the option to chat through Google Talk.

The keyboard is similar to the 3G Slide’s, with a 4 row QWERTY style, but the change in the button material is certainly noticeable is you’ve been typing on the 3G Slide.  The buttons are much softer and squishier, in contrast to the hard plastic buttons on the 3G Slide.  It’s certainly no deal breaker, but it will take some adjustment as the soft keys are a little more difficult to get that tactile feel of a key press with.  The keyboard slides out very easily, though, and is not spring-loaded.  The biggest drawback is the backlight in the keyboard, which only comes on in total darkness, making low-light typing a bit of a challenge.

The Software:

One of the biggest pros about the 4G Slide is that it comes preinstalled with Android 2.3.4, one of the latest versions of the mobile OS.  This version offers Netflix compatibility and GTalk Video Chat out of the box.  Onboard is also a custom version of HTC Sense 3.0, which fits in very nicely with the MyTouch theme.  Of course, you’ll get a fair amount of bloatware which can’t be removed without rooting, such as T-Mobile TV and Qik Video Chat, among others.

The storage is pretty nice for a start.  There’s 4GB of internal storage, of which about 2GB is available for apps.  The included 8GB card is a nice bonus, though the phone will take up to 32GB cards for future expansion.

The stock launcher is a nice 5-icon row, which is a step up from the stock 3-button launcher that come with the 3G Slide.

The camera app is pretty user friendly, and it’s the special software that really makes it work well.  The 4G Slide is being touted as “the best smartphone camera in the world” and while that’s mostly hype, it’s almost true.  Compared to the camera on my G2X, it’s no contest.  The 4G Slide camera is definitely an awesome piece of work.  The camera is an 8-megapixel, but built from scratch just for this device.  It has a backside-illuminated sensor with a wide-angle lens that’s meant for capturing just about every photo scenario you can think of.  While I didn’t have the chance to try the camera extensively, it has built in adjustments for things such as motion shots, low-light, night, daylight, panorama, the usual suspects.  They’re also pretty easy to find, as opposed to rooting through the settings menu for several minutes.

The zero shutter lag is very noticeable, as well.  You can pretty much just fire off shots in rapid succession with only a half second of processing time between.  If you need more there’s a setting that allows the camera to take 5 shots in row.  The dedicated camera button is great too.  HTC had a goal to bring the point-and-shoot experience to the smart phone, and for the most part they’ve succeeded.  You can click the camera button, with no need to unlock the screen first, and start shooting. Very handy for the photographer in a pinch with no time to set up a shot.  The camera also has a continual autofocus, so there’s no delay between snapping the picture and when it actually takes the shot.

The Verdict:

Picking a smartphone really depends on use.  The MyTouch 4G Slide is great for the texter and pic shooter.  If you’re in need of a big screen and slim design, then this one’s not for you.  It’s certainly no fatty, but if you’re of the opinion that slimmer is better then there are other choices for you.  We’re pretty sure this will be my wife’s next phone, as it fits her needs almost to a tee.  If you’re the on-the-go type that doesn’t want to pack a nice camera with you, then the 4G Slide is great.  There’s no denying that it takes a high-quality shot, and the keyboard is a great touch for the textaholic.  At $199.99 on a 2-year contract it’s also pretty affordable with some very top-notch hardware in it.  Give it a couple of months and we’d not be surprised to see the price go down a bit as new offerings become available.  Check out the gallery for a few more shots.

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