[December 12, 2011] HTC Rezound makes play for best phone sound Tweet Dec 12, 2011 (Boston Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The HTC Rezound is the latest entry into the high-end smartphone market, competing with Apple, Samsung and Motorola latest offerings. What the Rezound offers is the first smartphone in the United States that integrates the popular Beats by Dr. Dre high-end audio through a set of included iBeats earbuds. And the phone is also the first offered by a U.S. carrier that has true HD 720p display that offers ultrasharp, HDTV-like video. Like its competitors, the Rezound has a dual-core processor and 1 gigabyte of RAM for added speed, along with 16 gigabytes of external storage and an included 16-gig microSD card. It runs on the Android "Gingerbread" operating system and can be upgraded to the soon-to-be-released game-changing Android 4.0 ("Ice Cream Sandwich"). But the first thing I noticed about the Rezound was its 6-ounce weight, making it much heavier than the 4.09-ounce Samsung Galaxy S II, the 4.5-ounce Motorola Droid Razr and the 4.9-ounce Apple iPhone 4S. And the Rezound is nearly twice as thick as the Razr. Its heft and girth makes it feel like a previous generation smartphone. HTC phones need to slim down and lighten up. That said, the Rezound has as much to offer at the leading high-end smartphones -- and more. For one thing, it has best audio of any smartphone on the market right now. Music sounds fantastic over the included $100 iBeats earbuds, with a thumping bass that brings out the best in electronic music from Moby to Deadmau5. The 4.3-inch 720p display is a wonder to behold, with higher pixel density than any other smartphone out there. I played "Midnight in Paris" and it looked as sharp and glowing as when I watched on my flat-screen TV (albeit smaller). And YouTube videos have never looked or sounded better and it's hard to tear yourself away from watching music videos and clips all day on this phone. The Rezound, which costs $299 with a two-year contract, has very fast and easy Web surfing and quick downloading with Verizon's 4G LTE network. Phone call clarity was excellent. It uses HTC's decent Sense interface, but it's not as customizable as those on other recent smartphones. Setting up email and social media accounts was a simple matter, and messages come fast and furious and information is laid out well. The Rezound's 8-megapixel camera has decent image quality, though not as good as the Samsung Galaxy SII or the iPhone 4S. The Rezound is a high-quality smartphone that delivers a lot despite its heft. It features a gorgeous display and great sound, especially for those who like the heavy bass sound of Beats, but it's not the best option for someone looking for phone that's more customizable. [email protected] ___ (c)2011 the Boston Herald Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]