HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

The HTC Inspire 4G ships running Android 2.2 and the newest version of HTC Sense. The Inspire is actually the first smartphone in the U.S. to feature HTC's revamped custom user interface. For anyone who has owned an HTC smartphone, the change may not be immediately noticeable, as the overall look of the UI is the same. You still get seven customizable home screens, the Leap screen function, which provides thumbnail views of all your home screens for easy access, and various widgets, such as Friend Stream and Group Contacts. At the top of each screen, there's also a pull-down tray where you can view alerts and notifications and access your most recently used apps.

What has changed about HTC Sense is that it's faster. HTC CEO Peter Chou said that with the new Sense you'd be able to use the phone within 10 seconds of booting it up (subsequent to initial setup), and we can definitely vouch for that. On previous HTC phones we've tested, there was a bit of wait time for the devices to boot up but with the Inspire, it was ready to go within a few seconds of turning it on. Also, general use and navigation felt snappier and more fluid.

There are other enhancements as well. You now get a unified inbox and new tools in the camera app, which we'll expand on in the Features section, but one other piece you should be aware of is HTCSense.com. This new site lets you register your smartphone, so you can back up and manage the contents of your phone. There's also a phone locator function that will set off the ringer (even if in silent mode) in case you've misplaced your handset and if it is lost or stolen, the site gives you the ability to remotely wipe your handset.

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G

HTC Inspire 4G