Product ReviewsHTC Radar - 8 GB - White (T-Mobile)

A nice value and size for a traditional smart phone. Windows--great!

I purchased this as a replacement for Samsung Galaxy S. My frustrations with the Galaxy S were responsiveness and freezing up. So far, I really enjoy the Windows user interface; it is very smooth and easy to add and delete items. One tning I don't like so far is the user interface. I may have to making some adjustments so it's not as big a factor.

The size and feel of this phone are great. Very substantial and more metal than plastic. The screen is smaller--as compared with some of the newer phones--but it has great clarity. I am enjoying the variety of ringtones as well; a nice switch.Read full review...

There is some bad with the good and a little ugly, too

I am an old coger and this is my first smart phone. After almost a month, I am still learning what the phone will do and can't do. I like it, but I definitely have some frustrations with it. Calling support has been useless, but the staff at the local T-Mobile store have been very helpful, but some issues apparently don't have a fix.

The Good.....Screen sensitivity is good even with protective film. It's good at capturing a cell signal and holding it for the duration of the call. The speaker is loud and clear. Navigating is easy. The voice recognition for dictating text messages, etc., is very good. It feels solid and has more heft than some smart phones.

The Bad.....The ring time is only about 17 seconds (about 19 seconds with first vibration). There is no adjustment and support is useless and ignorant about this. It should be at least 25-30 seconds, for sufficient time to put down tools, and/or dig the phone out of a pocket or purse.
It constantly freezes my computer (Windows XP Pro) whenever I try to sync the phone to it and once again support is friendly and useless. So, I am unable to download or upload anything to or from my computer. My four cameras, MP3 players, Ipod, etc have no problem syncing, only my Windows based phone can't work with my Windows based computer. Grrrrrrr......

The Ugly......a mediocre selection of apps available and not all that easy to find the ones that are available. You have to really dig to find apps. And sure enough, the one app and tool that I really want (Square credit card reader) is not and will not be available for Windows.Read full review...

Great value comparison to iPhone!

Great windows based phone for those who are wanting the iPhone feel and quality with a smaller price tag. I have owned both Android and iPhone and good and not so great about both. I had the HTC Sensation and liked it alot, but after my daughter got this one for Christmas I liked it and sold mine for the Radar also. I do miss the swype texting, but the Radar seems to have better resolution and camera. I also prefer the size overall of the Radar, like the iPhone, but lighter weight. Great phone!Read full review...

Great phone expetially for the price!

I love using this phone! I lost my Htc MyTouch then started using my old back up phone which was a a Nokia 5530 Xpress Music, it was not really a smartphone so I was itching to have something to to be on par with my old MyTouch. I decided on this phone and I got exactly what was described in all reviews i looked at. There are some features it doesn't have because windows phones are fairly new but I really like it and does everything I want it to do most of the time. I would recommend this for first time Windows Phone users, either this or hold out for the Nokia Lumia 900, if you have the service it's under (I have t-mobile). The phones easy to use looks sleek and clean, i watch Netflix on it all the time and batter life is a little better than my old Android so Overall I'm pleased with my choice ^_^.Read full review...

Really like it! Wish it had more memory but great otherwise.

This is a first rate alternative to an iphone. I had an iphone 3gs for about 2 1/2 years and I was a little worried about giving it up. I was thinking about getting a iphone 4g but AT&T and Verizon are just too expensive. I heard Apple gets $19 per month for every iphone used which is what drives up the monthly bill. I loved my iphone but if you can back away from the hype, this phone proves that there are just as good options out there in the world. Easy to use. Crisp screen display and good operating system design. I like it way better than android. It's got it's own cool way of working, doing things and navigating that I like better than the iphone interface.
The only thing I don't like about it is that it has only 8 gigs memory and no SD slot. There is not an alternate version with 16 gigs. If it had some more memory as an option, I think it would be the perfect phone. I suppose you can use the Skydrive and keep stuff off the phone.
I saw somebody picking on it for being small but again, it's about the size of an iphone which is obviously it's target audience. I like the size of it. Fits in your pocket. For a person who doesn't want their phone to be the "be all" "end all" device in their life it's great. It's a phone for crying out loud.
...........Why is this a good choice? If you want to try out the savings of T-mobile don't get fooled....T-Mobile can not run the iphone quite correctly in most markets. They cannot support the iphone visual voicemail at all. (That was a real deal killer for me.) The iphone runs at 2g in most markets on T-mobile. To me the interface is just as good or better than the iphone. Do yourself a favor, try this thing out, like it, and save $50 a month in service fees ($600 per year). Runs at 4G. Voice texting works great.
My 17 year old daughter has a G2X Android and wanted an iphone but when I let her try my new Radar 4G she said she'd take it as a substitute all day long. That's saying something.Read full review...

Above average low end smartphone

I needed a replacement phone for my son after he lost his. This little HTC seems to do the trick. I purchased a refurbished HTC Radar on ebay in excellent condition. Although I am an android fan, Windows mobile seems to be a bit less buggy than androids. I haven't noticed the same kind of lagging, screen flickering and forced closed messages that I've experienced even with high end android phones. I consider this phone to be above par compared to other low end smartphones in its price range. It has a front facing camera but at 0.3 MP you can't expect too much. The processor is descent. My son is an xbox fan so syncing his phone with activities on xbox is another benefit. Overall my son seems to like it. If Windows mobile increases the app market I may consider one in the future.Read full review...

Phone isn't worth the money!

The phone is alright, everytime I wanna search something the internet goes so slow even with WiFi, instead of 4g it feels like 1g (if that even exists). The battery life is horrible, I barley use the phone and it still sucks the battery life. It can go from fully charged to half a battery 15-20 min later. Phone is to small, and when I'm on the internet it always closes and makes me start all over again. And for some reason I can't download flash. All I use the phone for is for text email and call. Other than that everything sucks.Read full review...

Almost a great phone, but lots of limitations ruin it's long-term potential

Originally, I was completely turned off by the idea of having a white phone. That said, the looks of the phone grew on me fairly quickly and I became a little bit smitten with it's appearance. If the lack of color options is a turn-off for you, as it was for me, you might also find yourself surprised by the phones looks in person. Pictures do not do this phone justice (although the bottom white bar is kinda bumper-car hideous, cheap looking, and will be filthy in short order).

As for the phone itself, for all of it's great features, it is very difficult to rate this phone higher than "Average" due to the limitations built in to the unit. The biggest drawback in my opinion is the 8gb storage capacity (6gb of usable space in reality) - this is simply not sufficient storage capacity for the options the Windows OS offers. You will be limited with Apps, limited with music, and you can forget about video altogether. For an OS built with a Zune and XBox live included, this lack of storage capacity is ultimately a deal-breaker. If you buy this phone, be fully prepared to spend considerable time managing how much stuff you store on it, lots of time wasted deleting things that you otherwise would not think about on other phones.

Also on the negative side, for whatever reason, and despite it's claims of 4G connectivity, this phone is painfully slow in loading almost anything - regardless of whether you are on WiFi, or your data connection. It was less than amusing to watch my old 3G HD7 load everything faster on the Data Connection (even when the Radar was running at 4G speeds), and on WiFi, it wasn't even close. Not sure if something is wrong with these phones as I have seen other comments detailing this exact same problem (the latest update for the phone did not correct these issues). Call quality was also mediocre. People said I sounded great on their end, but they sounded as if we were on a weak connection every time on my end.

The last knock on the phone is a personal preference - but that screen is simply too small. Next to the big androids, or even the HD7 which it unfortunately has replaced, it looks like a toy).

The positive points I noticed with this phone is that it sports the first decent camera I have ever seen on an HTC phone (especially compared to the awful camera on the HD7), has better than expected battery life, and feels good and solid in the hand (this can't be understated - especially compared to most android phones and the Lumia 710 it directly competes with. Plastic phones that feel cheap and fragile. The Radar feels like a machine that could withstand a lot of punishment).

In conclusion, for me the drawbacks to this phone make it impossible to live with, despite the temptations of it's positive attributes. I sent mine back and went back to the HD7 until a replacement comes along that doesn't simply match each improvement over the HD7 with a feature that is lesser than the older model.

I would only recommend this phone as a started phone for a teenager, or for someone who has never had a smart phone and wants to get their feet wet with a great OS.

T-Mobile desperately needs a proper Windows Phone worth of the OS in it's stable, a replacement for the aging but still competent (and better equipped) HD7.Read full review...

Awesome phone if you don't plan on making calls

I actually love this phone but my only complaint is the call quality. Several times, my phone calls have been dropped. I've had a lot of trouble with people cutting in and out. My previous phone didn't do this with the same service. However, it is easy to use and fun. It's fast! I drain the battery pretty quickly but I stream Netflix movies/shows a lot. When I don't use the phone as much, the battery is just fine. Overall great phone though.Read full review...

Top-notch build, slick operating system despite lacking advanced features, best for first time buyers

The HTC Radar 4G has a top-notch build, sporting a stylish, all-white aluminum design that is comfortable to hold. The display is crisp, with a front-facing camera that enables video calls, HD camcorder with autofocus along with a five mega pixel camera. Unfortunately, the video sharing process is painstaking and recording could use improvement.

Call quality is excellent, with a loud speakerphone and effective contact integration. Wi-Fi calling is unavailable, unlike most Windows Phones. Despite having a powerful internal battery, this may be discouraging to those who prefer a detachable battery. The device has 8GB storage without an SD card port, implying that the memory is not expandable.

First-time buyers who are upgrading or those seeking alternatives to Android and iOS will appreciate Windows Phone Mango’s (7.5) slick responsiveness interface, consistently smooth performance, clear text, fantastic keyboard, and a great browser. Hackers and more advanced users, however, may be less fond of the limited skinning and customization options.

Advantages:
Loud speakerphone
Contacts integration
Fantastic Keyboard
Browser is great and text looks clear
Windows Phone Mango
Top-notch build
HD camcorder with auto-focus
5-megapixel camera
Front-facing camera enables video calls.
Good battery life
Excellent call quality
Stylish, all-white aluminum design
Crisp display
Comfortable to hold
Good camera

Disadvantages:
Video sharing
Limited skinning and customization
No Wi-Fi calling
Video recording could be better
Internal battery
No microSD card slot

Suitable:
First-time buyers
Dislike Android or iOS

Unsuitable:
Advanced users
HackersRead full review...

Verified purchase: No