The HTC Rezound 4G LTE Android smartphone arrived on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network and is still exclusive to that wireless service provider. That handset debuted with a three digit price tag, and recently benefited from a retail price reduction to $99 with a standard new two-year activation and data plan when purchased at select retailers. Verizon has promised that Google’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system will be ported over the air by the end of July, and the handset was the first to deliver the full range Beats Audio sound system to a US smartphone.
What many smartphone shoppers do not realize is that the handset also includes a pair of iBeats ear buds specifically designed to work with the Beats Audio system, and that those ear buds are equipped with an in-line remote control and hands-free microphone. And the Rezound also delivers the most out-of-the-box, user accessible storage of any smartphone at 32 GB. The handset also delivers one of the fastest and most powerful central processors found on any current smartphone.
4G LTE speeds on the four major US wireless carriers promise uploads and downloads as much as 10 times faster than their respective 3G networks. And earlier this year independent wireless systems reviewer RootMetrics tested those four major carriers in the US, and found Verizon to be not only the fastest 4G LTE network, but also the most dependable in offering true 4G LTE speeds. The dual core 1.5 GHz Scorpion processor is a perfect match for the Verizon 4G LTE network, and the Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon microchip package includes a separate Adreno 220 GPU which handles all graphics duties.
The Rezound also delivers 1.0 GB of RAM memory, and the 4G-best 32 GB of out-of-the-box data storage includes 16 GB built in and a removable 16 GB microSD card that ships with the handset. Display size runs 4.30 inches and has one of the highest pixel densities and resolutions of any 4G smartphone, at 342 pixels per inch, for an overall screen resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels. The Super LCD capacitive touchscreen supports multitouch gestures, and talk time runs 6.73 hours from a single battery charge, with standby time up to 11 days.
The handset contains a rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder and front facing 2.0 megapixel chat cam in the camera combo, and that front snapper can capture portrait snapshots while also providing video call support. The rear snapper provides video capture at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (1,080p HD) and at 30 frames per second. The full range Beats Audio joins a proprietary YouTube video player, built-in music player with SRS WOW HD sound enhancement on board the HTC Rezound 4G.
