The HTC STRTrk is a quad-band mobile phone with EDGE connectivity that runs on Windows Mobile 5 and therefore comes with all the benefits and downsides of the Microsoft mobile OS. Included with the phone is a copy of Microsoft ActiveSync 4.1 and ClearVue Suite software. The ClearVue suite lets you view most Microsoft documents, including PDFs and Excel documents.
Once you've installed ActiveSync, you can then synchronise the phone with your PC or exchange server via the provided USB cable or a Bluetooth connection. We managed to synchronise our Microsoft Outlook contacts, calendar, email, tasks, Internet Explorer favourites and media with ease. Another great feature of ActiveSync is how easy it is to install third party applications. We downloaded the Concise Oxford English Dictionary from the mobile channel of CNET.co.uk's Downloads section and the program's install wizard automatically set it up on the phone.
Windows mobile gives you access to MSN Messenger and Hotmail too, so you can chat to your friends and check your personal email on the go. Direct Push Technology and Exchange 2003 SP2 give you access to your calendar, contacts, tasks and inbox over the air.
If you want to browse the Web you can do so via the Internet Explorer application, which can also be synchronised with your PC, so you have all your favourite sites on your phone as well as your computer. There's also a mini version of Windows Media Player, which lets you play MP3s and WMA files, and you can also watch videos.
The HTC STRTrk's camera only features a 1.3-megapixel sensor, which isn't as good as the Sony Ericsson K750i's 2-megapixel camera, but is satisfactory for MMS messages. There's also an option to put it in video mode but the picture is blurry and pixelated.
The STRTrk has 64MB ROM and 64MB RAM but there's also a microSD slot, which can support a 1GB card, so you can store your photos, videos and MP3 files. Other features include a voice recorder, calculator, loud speaker, polyphonic ringtones and a SIM toolkit that lets you access information on your SIM card.
PerformanceThe audio quality on calls is exceptional and conversations sounded as clear as on a landline telephone.
The camera doesn't shoot high-resolution pictures but they're suitable for MMS messages or contact pictures. If you want to turn your snapshots into regular 150x100mm (6x4-inch) prints, we recommend looking for a phone with a 2-megapixel camera.
The TI OMAP 850, 200MHz processor isn't fast and there is a delay during startup, shutdown and when accessing certain applications. Overall, we weren't impressed with loading times, but this is a problem on most Windows Mobile handsets.
Battery life lasts around 150 hours on standby and around 5 hours talktime.
Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Kate Macefield
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