That’s right it is finally here (well only in some markets right now, and not NYC where I live yet), AT&T has finally stopped with that faux 4G BS, and has got some truly LTE 4G. Two of the first phones to support LTE for AT&T are the Samsung Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid. I was waiting for HTC to send a Vivid our way, but I went on and purchased it for myself and the misses. So let’s dive in!
Style
I’m not going to lie to you, HTC hasn’t really evolved on the whole rectangle shaped device, with screen on front and some sort of unique look on the back for each device. This is pretty much the case with the HTC Vivid, all screen up front, but when it comes to the back, there isn’t much to brag about. But fortunately for the Vivid, the screen of the front is awesome and looks great. I can over look the back of the device or not make too much of a big deal because 99% of the time I will be looking at the front of it. While most of it is mainly plastic, it does have one metal piece that is the battery cover on the back.
Performance
Though the Samsung Skyrocket has a 1.5Ghz processor compared to the Vivid’s 1.2Ghz, it isn’t a deal breaking here. The device is speeding, smooth, and gets the job quick. So far I hasn’t see any lag time doing anything I need to on the device. When it comes to data, though we’re not rocking LTE yet in New York City, I did notice that on that faux 4G HSPA+ I seen to be getting a little more speed from it than on my old HTC Inspire 4G, go figure, but it is a nice fall back until we are LTE ready here. It is also comforting to know that once LTE is turn on in New York City, if I ever fall back from that to HSPA+, it won’t be as much as a shock as maybe Verizon when they fall back to 3G speeds.
Then there is battery life. Trust me the HTC Vivid isn’t going to be winning any contests here, and this is someone at least for the time being I have made piece with. Most Android and most smartphones that have 4G (faux or not), aren’t known for being great on battery. So maybe one day, but for now I kind of expected as much. Now I’m consider myself a heavy user, so I noticed that if I unplug at 7am, I was down to 52% by 1:30 ish. By 3:45pm I was down to 19%, so you’ll want to keep a charger with you or just pick up a SaFPWR Fusion 2 (didn’t find it on their site, but you should be able to get it from an AT&T store where I got mines), and you’ll have power all day.
Experience
My experience so far has been good. I loved my HTC Inspire 4G, and this looks like a worthy upgrade to that. Its performance was snappy, the screen is awesome, and the data speed was good. Once LTE is turned on in New York City, I’ll be even happier, so using this device is great. I will say I thought it would take some getting use to holding the device. With the screen coming in at 4.5 inches, I thought it might take some getting use to after the Inspire 4G was 4.3, but nope no troubles at all. Another note, get yourself a case. That plastic makes for one slippery fellow! I haven’t had any near drops yet, but when holding it I’m on edge, because I can feel there is a chance of it happening. This phone is a slider. But if your get yourself a case with some rubber grip, you’ll be ok!
Overall
Overall the HTC Vivid is one of the best Android AT&T phones to get right now. It’s performance is great, it has LTE 4G speeds (or will soon in your area), and it is on HTC’s short list of devices that will be getting Android Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) soon. What else could you ask for at the moment. Check it out now, as it is currently going for $99.99 on new contract or if your available for upgrade. Seriously an LTE 4G phone for $99! Better jump on that before AT&T changes their mind on price
