HTC MOBILE: HTC Dream

HTC Dream

When you visit your local Optus store to see the Dream, brace yourself for an underwhelming first contact. The overall aesthetic of the Dream is a lacklustre step backwards for HTC, who've been busy designing some of the industry's sexiest handsets in the last 12 months. It's the company's take on function over form with the matte charcoal finish and rounded edges that lack the sharp, sexy design of the Touch Diamond and Touch HD.

The centrepiece of the Dream is a 3.2-inch 320x480-pixel touchscreen display. While this resolution isn't as rich as the Touch HD's WVGA (480x800) screen, it is no less impressive and is great for everyday use.

Alongside the touchscreen, the Dream has a variety of input options. Just below the display is a panel of mechanical keys and a trackball for basic navigation, and under the slide the Dream sports an excellent full QWERTY keyboard. The sliding mechanism moves the screen sideways in a small arc motion, which reveals five rows of well spaced keys.