- 3G-enabled, Android 2.1-powered smartphone with 3.2-inch touchscreen display and customizable HTC Sense home screens
- Compatible with AT&T Navigator GPS turn-by-turn directions; free access to over 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide
- 5-megapixel camera/camcorder; Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth stereo music; microSD expansion to 32 GB; access to personal and work e-mail
- Up to 6 hours of talk time, up to 372 hours (15.5 days) of standby time
- What’s in the Box: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, 2 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
Amazon.com Product Description
Pocket-sized and packing the power of the Android 2.1 platform, the HTC Aria mobile smartphone for AT&T offers a combination of fast 3G speeds, a responsive capacitive touchscreen display and an optical joystick help you stay in touch on Facebook, Google Talk, Flickr, and more while on the go. Offering an amazingly comfortable design, the HTC Aria weighs less than 4 ounces and measures less than a half-inch thin. The 3.2-inch display is complemented by a … More >>
Well, my wife and I have been using our new Aria phones for about a week now. I switched from a Blackberry Bold and she was using a 1st generation iPhone (although hers didn’t have any data plan). We also purchased one of the 3G MicroCells from AT&T at the same time – so our cell signal at home is now better than I thought would be possible.
As far as our profiles go: I’m a tech addict – I work at home as a C/C++ programmer and tend to be an early adopter of anything tech related. My wife is kind of the opposite – she relies on me to keep the tech stuff going and tends to resist new technology since she knows it can often be more of a headache than it is worth:).
Fortunately, this phone is working for both of us. The Android OS has been great – although there are some features in the next version (Froyo) that I wish were on this phone already. I spent several hours yesterday figuring out how to ‘root’ this phone and I did end up getting it done last night. My wife’s went a lot faster since I already understood the process.
Here are some things I like about the Aria:
Web browsing is very snappy and easy. This is an area where the Blackberry really sucked, so I’m loving the real browser with Flash.
1) The size of the Aria is perfect. It is smaller than either the Blackberry Bold or the iPhone, yet the screen is very usable. This is a very ‘pocketable’ phone.
2) The touch screen works great. It supports all the common touch controls like zooming, swiping, etc…
3) There is a version of Kindle available for Android! And it works great – I’ll still use my Kindle, but this will work when I’m out without it.
4) I like being able to mix programs and widgets on each screen. It took a few days of playing with it, but we both now have our phones setup to work well for us.
5) The text input works well; but, if you decide to root your phone, do yourself a favor and install the latest version of Swype. This has turned out to be an unbelievably great method of inputting text and both my wife and I are loving it for e-mails and texting!
6) The selection of apps available to this phone through the market is great! I’ve been able to find apps for everything I want, and I’m looking into writing some myself just to see how it works.
7) The voice quality is excellent. When I first started using the phone I would get that ‘Wow!’ impression every time I talked to someone – even when out of range of the MicroCell.
9) Once I figured out the task switching and status bar at the top, I’ve found them very useful. On the other hand, I’m not sure my wife will ever take the time to look into those features.
10) I really like that I can get both my personal e-mail (GMail) and work e-mail (Exchange) – and they integrate together very intuitively. I’m using multiple GMail accounts on this phone with no problem.
11) This is one of those phones that really doesn’t need a protective case. The back cover is ‘rubbery’ and easy to grip – and actually seems to be as protective as any additional cover would be. I like the protective cover much more than the decorative cover that comes on the iPhone (that most people end up covering anyway).
12) This phone supports pattern unlocking; which is a much easier form of security than typing a PIN or password. Once again, this is an area where Android comes through against the iPhone. (NOTE: If you connect to Exchange, the pattern unlock feature can be disabled by your Exchange policy – but this can be worked around if you’re willing to do some tweaking.)
13) I’ve been playing around with the voice input for a couple of days and it works great (although it isn’t perfect). You can use it anywhere you can enter text – and it just converts your voice to text. I’ve been alternating between voice input and Swype, depending on whether other people are around who would make fun of me talking to my phone.
Things I’m looking forward to:
1) This phone does not support voice dialing through BlueTooth – but the next version (Froyo) does. I am excited to get that feature on this phone.
2) This phone has some nice accessories that seem to be in the pipeline, but they aren’t available yet. iPhones, on the other hand, have gobs of accessories available from day one. (My wife wants a red cover for hers so we can tell them apart more easily.)
Things that could be improved:
1) As with any phone, I think we can always wish for better battery life. If I use the phone non-stop through the day (which I did at first), the battery will last an entire day. I can get through about 2 days of normal use without charging. There is an app called ‘Advanced Task Killer’ in the market that helps with battery life.
2) I wish there was a way to change sound profiles when charging. I found a program called ‘Setting Profiles Lite’ that does this, but it seems like it should be built into the Android OS like it is in the Blackberry.
3) The contact manager could be improved. When sending a text, for example, it gives the option of every phone number for a contact instead of just mobile numbers…
Anyway, I’ve probably yammered on enough already; but I really am enjoying this phone. If you’re using AT&T, and looking for an alternative to the over-hyped iPhone, then I think this is probably THE phone to get at this point.
Rating: 5 / 5
I left iPhone for Android because I don’t like the Apple (i.e. Steve Jobs) attitude that they should decide what I need and when I need it. Steve hates Flash so we don’t get it. Steve hates widgets so we cannot use them. Steve doesn’t want me to use the free, phenomenally cool and exceptionally useful Google Voice that automagically transcribes you voice mail and puts it in my email inbox- so Steve prohibited it from the Apple app store.
That’s why I left iPhone. But it isn’t why I am staying with Android. Here is why:
- My Android phone is MY phone and I can use it to run whatever software I want. This includes Google Voice. It also includes Flash – which, by the way, is needed for most of the web’s video.
- Android is an open platform. That means more competition and that means, ultimately, more (and better) choices for the consumers. If you go with iPhone you have one choice for hardware. If you go with Android, you can pick from a wide variety of features and sizes to get the phone you want. If two cameras on one phone isn’t important to you then you don’t have to pay for them. If you prefer a smaller phone (like me) there are some great options (like the Aria – which I think is a fantastic phone).
- No Android handset manufacturer would ever dare tell you that their antenna design mistake was your fault for holding the phone wrong (which is exactly what Steve Jobs did) – because you’d simply get your Android phone from another manufacturer. Steve knows you don’t have a choice and he seems to likes to rub your nose in it.
- Widgets – small applications that run continually right on your phone’s “desktop”. If I want a quick Twitter, Facebook, News, or Weather update I can get it just by turning on my phone without needing to launch any application. Yes, they use some battery (as does Flash) – but so does turning on the phone in the first place. That’s why I bought it – to do useful things. I expect it to use battery power. I’m waiting for Steve Jobs to tell me how many phone calls I can make in a days so he can brag about the phone’s battery life.
- An App store that lets you return apps that fall short of your expectations. That’s right – uninstall any paid app within 24 hours of purchasing and you can get your money back. I’d be a a lot richer if that was the case with the Apple app store.
- Upgradeable phones thanks to Android’s reliance on industry standard micro SD cards. That means when you run out of room for music you don’t have to buy a new phone (which is what you have to do if you have an iPhone). If your iPhone runs out of room you either live with it – or throw out the phone and buy a new one.
- User replaceable battery. We all know that phone batteries degrade and with each day they can hold less and less charge. When your iPhone battery needs to be replaced you have to ship the phone off to Apple, pay them almost [...], and they send back your phone with all your data wiped off (http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/service/battery/). With an Android like the Aria, the battery will cost you about [...] and you change it like you change batteries in your flashlight. And you don’t lose all your data.
- A hundred little things – like letting you use any MP3 file for a ring tone or notification sound without having to buy it from one company.
As for the HTC Aria? Fits easily in my pocket, can run any of the tens of thousands of Android apps in the Android Market, has a very good camera and a video recorder. Solid battery life.
In short – the best phone I’ve ever owned.
Rating: 5 / 5
Just received my new Aria last night. This is my first ever Android phone – Full Disclosure: I am coming from an old Blackberry & Moto Slvr so I am not exactly on the bleeding edge of smartphone development. My initial impression after about 4 hours of use is – fantastic phone!
Things did not get off to a good start however when I couldn’t get the phone apart to put the battery and SIM card in. I found the trick was to put my fingernail into the slot where you are supposed to split the phone apart and slide it to the left and right to get the top catches to release – others have said pushing the front out by pressing on the speakerphone in back while also using the slot works but I was hesitant to do that.
The size and weight are perfect for my needs as I didn’t want something the size of the Sprint Evo 4G, etc. Although the big displays on that phone and similar phones are great I just felt they were too big for my daily use (and I had to stay on AT&T). The upside is with the resolution on this screen on a physically smaller screen than say my son’s iPhone 3G the “crispness” of the display (especially text) is super.
Physically the phone feels fantastic in hand and the build quality is excellent.
Regarding the two primary AT&T induced drawbacks…no sideloading and AT&T bloatware: for the average user those are probably minor to non-issues. There are workarounds for both issues – the phone has already been rooted (check any of the Android developer forms) and custom ROMs are even available with the AT&T “features” removed. I was going to wait a few more weeks to let the hardware gurus fully explore the phone before making any modifications – but I really want that Swype keyboard.
After a look at some of the AT&T software I think I might have to agree with some of the conspiracy crowd that AT&T would rather not be forced to deal with Android. Initial opening of the AT&T Hotspot app and the page is not centered?? Come on AT&T – at least make it look like you are trying! Sorry – I have been ticked off with AT&T from day one with regard to Android as I never understood how it was in their interest to NOT sell a phone that their customers want given the REAL revenue is in the two year data agreement – not the hardware.
Lots more to explore but I don’t think you will be disappointed with the Aria (especially at Amazon’s price) if you decide to purchase one.
Rating: 5 / 5
Pros
1. The phone operations are flawless.
2. I can change the home screen to fit my style (unlike the I-phone)
3. It fits nicely in my hands (I am a woman, but not a tiny one).
4. It has adobe FLASH! (again, unlike the I-phone)
5. The phone is easy to maneuver for the less tech savvy, yet it also has the ability to be manipulated and personalized by “techies.” It is a win win!
Cons
1. No camera flash
2. At&t restricts you from non android marketplace applications
Overall, HTC hit the mark with this phone. It is not too bulky to fit nicely in your pocket, nor too small to be productive. Don’t let it’s diminutive size fool you, consider it to be a humble pocket giant. Both my husband and I tend to like windows mobile phones, however, this android has wormed its way into our hearts. There are a few quirks, as noted above, but the phone in its entirety is great. Unlike my husband, I do not spend time looking for obscure applications from the web, so my only true con (no camera flash) can be easily resolved by using my REAL camera. 
He has not purchased the Aria as of yet because he is waiting to see if htc wins his heart with a new(er) android/windows mobile super phone that may be coming out this Fall/Winter. He tends to prefer a phone with a keyboard (not sure if the htc android will ever have one). Also, some have complained about the screen size. Switching over from the htc Tilt, this wasn’t much of a problem for me considering the Aria is bigger. In all honesty the screen is a decent size (think back five years to your PDA or flip phone).
At any rate, do not be fooled into believing the “innovative” Apple I-phone is a better device. Far from it, actually. Unlike the I-phone, with the Aria, you can watch any video online. Be it on the actual youtube site or a video that is embedded in an article. They post it, you watch it! Ah yes and you can also manipulate your home screen to fit your personal style. Call me OCD, but I know that seeing the numerous applications that show up ALL the time on the I-phone would make my eyes twitch. I prefer the clean home-screen with a date, time, internet…etc.
Advice: if you are interested in this wonderful phone (and you should be by now) I suggest you read up on it before purchasing it. I say this because I had a comical experience in-store with a representative that not only failed to know any of the answers to my questions, but she also said (on numerous occasions ) ” I don’t know, but the I-phone…” Does nothing else exist but that “innovative”, restricted, cult forming device? Answer, yes! There are some fabulous alternatives that utilize the same technology.
Rating: 5 / 5
I sold my iPhone 3gs anticipating buying the new G4 iPhone and when they delayed allowing orders from the AT&T site I got this phone on a 30 day trial and by that evening I decided no way I am buying the G4 this phone is superior in so many ways and I used an iPhone for over a year. Some people make claims and have had no expierence with both but all the things I used to do on the iPhone are so much easier. I hope this spares some of you the iPhone experience while that was a good phone it is clunky and slow and akward compared to this phone.
You can see all your screens at once instead of scrolling through backward and fowards to find apps.
You have a street view of addresses you are searching for using google earth I suspect.
The keyboard has the inter active interaction when tying messages or numbers.
Better battery life.
Less upfront cost.
Much better screen resolution/pixels.
Much faster getting through screens and launching apps.
The future is Android and as people use these phones iPhone may have to adopt that operating system it is much
better and behind the launch date of iPhone by about 3 or 4 years but catching up rapidly.
I will no doubt someday switch to Verizon unless AT&T improves it network. I have one year left on 2 year committment and if I switch will be looking for Verizon Android phone I suspect. Verizon is getting iPhone
in January I recently read but that will not be my choice ever again.
Had a Motorola Back Flip for about a week and has old android system as I really like Motorola phone but it
was not even close to this Aria.
Rating: 5 / 5