HTC Surround Review: A Pocket Boombox
by Brian Klug on November 13, 2010 2:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Windows Phone 7
- HTC Surround
- Mobile
To shoot video on WP7, you tap the video switcher in the top left after launching the camera application. Unfortunately, if you’re always firing up the camera app to shoot video, you’re going to have to tap this every time, as the setting isn’t saved. Frustratingly, the resolution of videos you shoot in the camera app also isn’t saved - you need to explicitly demand 720P each time if you want it, otherwise you’ll just get VGA.
HD 720P videos recorded on the HTC Surround (and I’m assuming the same applies to the other WP7 devices) are shot in 24 FPS MPEG-4 with stereo AAC audio. I recorded 34 seconds of 720P video 34.8 MB in size, for an average bitrate of around 8 megabits/s.
Video quality itself is decent, but what I noticed across two HTC Surrounds was that the camera runs the autofocus routine very frequently during the video, resulting in a pretty apparent zoom in, zoom out effect that can be very distracting. If you’ve used an autofocus smartphone camera, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It runs it sporadically.
The other problem is that the audio track recorded on the Surround sounds like it’s underwater - literally. There’s something very strange about it, and it sounds this way regardless of what audio recording setting the Surround was set to (Stereo, Normal, or Noise Reduction).
I’m left with pretty mixed feelings about the Surround (and WP7) camera application. Settings should be preserved when quitting the application and coming back, icons don’t rotate or give visual feedback that shooting in portrait is supported, and the default of not shooting in the highest quality video mode has continually resulted in me cursing under my breath when I realize later that video I shot is VGA, not 720P. Then we have the strange underwater audio recording on the Surround itself. Hopefully these are things that are actively being worked on and will get fixed in a patch.
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banvetor - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
Really? Wow, the US cellphone companies are really screwed... But anyway, I'm from Brazil and currently I live in Italy, and in both places you can have the plan you want with whatever cell phone you have...Since I believe that many Anandtech readers do not live in the US, the "offline" analysis should still be valid... and also, maybe this screwed behavior is only at AT&T?
strikeback03 - Monday, November 15, 2010 - link
No, common on the major US carriers at least. And while it is an added expense, IMO data on the go is the reason to have a smartphone. I almost never use mine on WiFi, as places I have WiFi I usually have a computer as well. If they did offer pay-as-you-go Data, it would likely be at high enough prices to encourage getting a plan anyway.Nataku - Monday, November 15, 2010 - link
really? they did that without telling you and that's legal?im amazed... now i need to think about whether or not I should even be getting one... I hope the rules aren't the same in Canada lol
Brian Klug - Monday, November 15, 2010 - link
Hey Leo,That's actually a very valid point - I realize we have a large international audience and am pushing to get a lot more international devices into our coverage. I realize so far it's been a bit myopic with this tunnel-vision like focus on devices for US carriers, but we're working hard to mix it up with everything from abroad as well. I've actually got the LG Optimus One here (which is UK/Orange bound, if I'm not mistaken), which will be our first international device.
Anyhow, I digress. Yeah, I'll definitely include some discussion about what you can do with data off. Thankfully WP7 does let you turn cellular data off entirely - then you're basically limited to text and voice when out and about. I know with WP7 everything is required to be cached, so apps should work, they just won't serve much purpose if they require a data connection. Obviously WiFi will work whenever you're connected as well.
Honestly these smartphones are of marginal use without cellular data. I think Vivek rolls without a data plan most of the time, and he manages to get by just fine with the G2 and a bunch of others.
Thanks again (sorry about the delayed response),
Brian
QueBert - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
So basically this is the loudest speaker on a cell phone, yet it's still close to 10db quieter than the Sunchip bag. Apple, Samsung, Moto, some cell phone manufacture obviously needs to incorporate the same technology Frito-Lay used to make the Sunchip biodegradable bag so damn loud.JimmiG - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
I can see this as becoming something very annoying in schools, on trains and buses etc. I think the world would have been a better place without this phone.DaveGirard - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
those photos are awful. It's all filter and no camera.Tros - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
Maybe the phone needs to be in boombox-aspect to expose the microphone properly.Brian Klug - Monday, November 15, 2010 - link
This is a very interesting suggestion - if I get time, I'll test it out. That actually might end up being the case.-Brian
rackley - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
Nice review - I'm looking forward to seeing the review of the Focus, especially since you mentioned the PenTile display.Personally I think the Focus's display of text looks pretty bad with PenTile next to a Surround or LG, but I'd love to hear your always-detailed analysis of the issue.