Should I buy it?
Ask your Facebook friends and Twitter followers if you should buy the HTC Desire S
User reviews37
Tom Herring 26 September 2012
Good: Aluminium unibody, combination of capable processor and software, HTC Sense
Bad: Nothing - I cannot fault this phone
Comment: I adore this phone. Why? Because it's just right in every sense.
You can say the specs are dated but they are great - not so low as some Android phones which are still produced nor are they insanely high so as to wreck battery life and drive up cost.
I find the phone is just the right size - 3.7" is all I really want. I don't want a 5" monster to fit in my pocket. Despite having a bigger screen, my HTC Desire S has a smaller form factor than my old iPhone.
This is a great device for social networking - Android is a widely-used operating system so it means most communication solutions are open to you. On top of Android is HTC's Sense interface, which vastly improves on the stock Android experience. I consider myself luckier than those who have to use TouchWiz (particularly earlier versions) on their Samsung devices.
I ran this device on Android 2.3.5 and HTC Sense 3.0 and it was excellent. I ran this setup for about 4 months. HTC also recently released the ICS update for this phone which takes you to Android 4.0.4 running HTC Sense 3.6. This improved the device even more. increasing performance and making improvements to the Sense interface.
I think it's a stunning example of a phone for the masses. For people who have a fair budget but don't need a 42", nuclear fission-powered device.
whatever 4 August 2012
Good: Sleek design
Bad: build quality
Comment: This is a poor device. In less than a year I have had to take it back to the shop twice. Aside of the build quality there are technical issues which are beyond me and I wonder if they threw this out before testing. To top it off there is an attrocious battery life and I say this as a very moderate user as I'm in work all day. I kill my apps when not in use too so its not a background issue yet im on a quarter battery by the time I get home. I haven't had an iphone yet but this experience is leaning me towards it. Android however is not the let down here so perhaps a different manufacturer
Yusuf Oddy 20 January 2012
Good: Design, interface, camera
Bad: no serious improvement over last model
Comment: Could be more advanced than original desire but still a fantastic phone
rostroj 28 December 2011
Good: Nice layout, easy to use screens
Bad: The bug in the Android system that means textx take up to 30 hours to apear and the phone is often on emergency calls only
Comment: I have owned this phone for 4 months and it has worked for just one of those months so I'm getting a replacement that is not HTC. There is apparently an issue with the Android 2.2.3 version that means receiving texts and calls is hit and miss. The longest I waited for a text was 30 hours and people constantly phone me and say they receive a message that the phone is off when it isn't. HTC have a fix but its being rolled out incredibly slowly. According to forums, its across networks, funny how the mobile phone companies are still selling it. Or maybe not.
Hubbs 19 September 2011
Good: Superb performance, great apps, good screen, Camera and sleek design
Bad: Nothing to report
Comment: My first smart phone. Looked at the I Phone which seemed like a brick by comparison to my HTC. Very easy to text, excellent touch sensitive.
vh6666 11 September 2011
Good: It has everything I ever wanted in a phone and more
Bad: the fact you cannot remove some of the programs it came with nor stop them from running eg maps or HTC report agent
Comment: The critisisms above are so minor they do not make me want to part with this phone. I bought it as soon as they came out in April 2011 and have not regretted my purchase. I keep finding more and things I love about it the more I use it. Slick, beautiful, swift and intelligent are all words I associate with my HTC Desire S. It is getting on for 6 months now and normally I would have hated my phone by this time so this is saying something!!!
Luke Stephens 28 July 2011
Good: Android
Bad: Nothing at the moment
Comment: I had a HTC Wildfire i liked it but needed some with a bit more power i was considering a Windows Phone 7 but they have no expansion for SD cards i looked up the specs for the desire S and looked around i found on the contract i needed and since have the contract i loved the phone had a few problems at the start but now working to the way i want it
cpnowell 25 July 2011
Good: It's physical size for a phone is optimum. Sensation is too big by comparison.
Bad: Very little.
Comment: This is what the HTC Desire should have been the FIRST time around. Gone are the lack of memory problems of the older Desire without sacrificing on what I think is the ideal size for a smartphone. I tried the HTC Sensation and the only things it has over the Desire S is a dual-core CPU and a bigger screen. The "3D" version of Sense on the Sensation is really no great shakes so I went back to the "S" because it just felt more comfortable and balanced in the hand. Oh and btw CNetUK, your review is wrong in one aspect. It DOES have HDMI output; although, like the Sensation, you will need to buy an adaptor from HTC to make use of it...
Janez Zorman 13 July 2011
Good: android software
Bad: GPS is really bad (comparing to galaxy 2) and i cant connect it to PC! battery is good for 4h!
Comment: GPS is really bad (comparing to galaxy 2) and i cant connect it to PC! battery is good for 4h!
i dont recommend it!
Callum Nairne 11 July 2011
Good: great design battery life
Bad: nothing
Comment: Pretty good phone easy to use fast etc...