Introduction
As promised, here is the second review of HOT HD9 Dual SIM, that will now cover only the operating system part, now running Android. I flashed the Android ROM just two days ago, so I haven't really had the time to fully enjoy my "new" phone. Yes, I can say that it became a completely new and different phone because Android is simply amazing and runs really well on it.
The first boot...
Flashing a new ROM always makes me nervous, so it's a relief when the boot screen finally appears...
Android user interface
I believe that you already know or heard about Google's operating system for mobiles - the Android. This is the stock user interface.
And the default lock screen...
I let you with a video of the official Android 2.2 features:
Functionality
In the first part of this review, I did told that this phone runs Windows Mobile quite smoothly, but Android runs much better.
From the moment you start the experience of Android with the phone, it can be easily noticed that there was a very thorough development of the dual SIM support. As before, the user can choose from which SIM to initiate the call from the dialler. In call history screen, missed / received / made calls can be checked with the indication of the SIM number. In addition, you can filter calls by SIM.
The messaging application displays threaded conversations, just like internet messengers. There's also the indication of the SIM from which the message was sent or received.
It's a breeze to set up e-mail accounts (especially if you have Google accounts), make calls and send text messages, surf the web and add new programs from the Android Market.
The ability for the user to choose the SIM that can establish a data connection is still present, as well as the schedule power on / off feature.
Just as I expected, the battery lifetime with Android was reduced. As you can see from the next chart, the average lifetime of some native Android smartphones is almost 6 hours.
Don't worry, HD9 is way above the average and beats all those phones. In the first two days of my Android experience, the battery had to be charged every day. Although, I used GPS and Wi-Fi a lot, along with my normal usage... about 2 hours of calls, Bluetooth always on and GPRS data connection from time to time.
The camera
The default camera application, once again with lots of settings.
Final thoughts
I have to say to you that this is not my first dual SIM smartphone, however it is the first one that supports both Windows Mobile and Android. Now that I have tried Android, I can say for sure that I will never go back to Windows Mobile.
I will let you with my conclusions about highs and lows when comparing this phone running Android versus Windows Mobile.
Highs:
- Smoother operation
- Multi-touch functions works much smoother
- Better dual SIM integration
Lows:
- Decreased battery lifetime (Android is known for being more power hungry)
- Camera driver only supports 3MP resolution photos (may be solved in future ROM updates)