So, a while back everyone was talking about the HTC Click, which has since been renamed the HTC Tattoo and released in Europe (October) with reports of good call quality. Meanwhile, Americans have been left with word that the Tattoo will be available in the coming months. This is unfortunate, because like Volkswagen, the HTC Tattoo is being touted as the people’s Android – well, at least it’s priced to target the broader lower end of the market – and everyone should have the option to buy it.
Besides the low price of entry into a world full of widgets and apps, the Tattoo is an attractive option for anyone looking for a smartphone because of its customizability – starting with the cover. But it’s not just finding a handful of preselected covers and choosing the one that most closely resembles your personality (though that option exists); you can go online to HTC’s Web site and create your own cover. (I’d be at a crossroads if I were going to buy the Tattoo; would I go for the Eddie Van Halen-guitar look or a tribal band?)
All joking aside, the HTC Tattoo is a solid phone with relatively attractive and minimalist looks. The left edge features the volume rocker (while the right edge is clean), the back houses the camera lens and loudspeaker, and on the front you’ll find the 2.8-inch QVGA (240 x 320) resistive touchscreen, the combined earpiece and LED notification, home key, menu key, back key, search key, and call send and end keys. The usual scroll wheel has been replaced by a D-pad, which sort of makes navigation a bit easier. The top edge has the preferred 3.5 millimeter headphone jack and the bottom edge is the miniUSB port and the microphone pinhole.
Access to the SIM card slot, the microSD slot (2GB expandable), and the battery (which incidentally requires a charge everyday for moderate to heavy users) is easily attained by removing the rear cover.
Since the HTC Tattoo is an Android phone, you, of course, get access to the various Google services (Maps, Mail, and the Android Market), but that’s hardly exciting compared to some of the other features this phone has. For example, with the highly customizable contacts list you can link to their Facebook and Flickr accounts (meaning you don’t have to use the Web browser to access such things as their photos). You can also send all calls from a particular contact directly to your voice mail. Additionally, you can use the People widget to display a grid of images that represents your favorite contacts – and these images give you one-touch shortcuts to call, SMS, or e-mail them.
Undressing the HTC Tattoo
The HTC Tattoo uses the same Sense UI seen on the Hero, and that means no Windows Mobile on this 4.2” x 2.2” x 0.6” and 3.99 ounce smartphone. Other items onboard include 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, HSDPA, GPS and digital compass, 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor, 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM, 900/2100MHz (3G) HSPA/UMTS, and quad-band GSM/EDGE. Haptic feedback is present, although its strength seems a little random, and you’ll want to use the landscape virtual keyboard despite its delay instead of the portrait version (but there are other options).
Where the HTC Tattoo lacks is in its fixed-focus camera (3.2 megapixels with no flash) and in the 2.8-inch screen resistive touchscreen, which is sometimes unresponsive.
All in all, however, the HTC Tattoo is a good Android phone with intuitive controls, great customization (including seven customizable home screens with widgets, shortcuts, and wallpapers), good call quality, and a good UI.
