HTC made a name for itself in the mobile phone industry years ago. It continues reinforcement through release of model after model that continue to push one boundary after another. The HTC Rezound is one of HTC’s latest releases, and it’s about time we took a closer look at it.

Other names for this mobile phone include HTC ADR6425, HTC ThunderBolt 2, HTC Droid Incredible HD, HTC Vigor, so if those are what you’re looking for, you are in the right place.

Overview

At first impression, there’s nothing really dazzling about its appearance: Neither the rounded curves nor the plastic case really rock one’s boat. However, it does have a very nice feel to it in hand: Users don’t get the impression that if you blink wrong in its direction, it will crumble and crash.

Part of that solid feel is from the mobile phone’s rather high-scaled weight: At 170.1 grams, it’s even heavier than the Galaxy Ace Plus, and that device is considered a hybrid between a smartphone and mini-tablet.

The flat finish on the back panel helps avoid fingerprint markings, smudges and dirt. Let’s look inside that case and tell you what it does – and does not – deliver.

This is one of the models after September 2011 that is not unlockable: It’s a CDMA device, not a GSM device, although it is 4G LTE-capable.

Specifications

Dimensions: 129 x 65.5 x 13.7 mm / 170.1 g
Display: 4.3 inches / S-LCD capacitive touchscreen / 720 x 1280 pixels at 342 ppi
Operating System: Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. Not currently upgradeable to ICS
Speed: 1.5 GHz, dual core Scorpion
Memory: 1 GB RAM / 16 GB storage, expandable to 32 GB via microSD card.
Battery: 1620 mAh / Talk: up to 6.5 hours / Standby: up to 261 hours.
Camera: 8 MP / 3264 x 2448 pixels / autofocus / dual-LED flash / 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps / stereo sound recording. / Front: 2 MP.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot / CDMA 800 and 1900 / CDMA2000 1xEV-DO on 3G. / 4G: LTE.

Additional comments: Extremely high resolution figures – great for clarity but not so great for zooming. Disappointing talk and standby times for that size of battery. Result: A very power-hungry device. The video recording capabilities are top shelf. Add the stereo sound recording possible on the videos brings this camera above competitors’ models. Very good front camera specs. Stereo FM radio with RDS.

As an Android, users get the Google feature package. YouTube, social networking and Picasa integration. Google Talk chat capability. As a nice bonus surprise, users get TV-out (via MHL A/V link) and expanded video capabilities of a XviD / MP4 / H.263 / H.264 / WMV multi-media player, supplemented by a MP3 / AAC+ / WAV / WMA audio player.

Overall opinion: If it weren’t for the excessive battery drain, we’d rate this one of the top models within a 12-month period. We give it 9 out of 10 notches for its LTE capability and its camera.