Microsoft has made several forays into the world of smartphones with their range of Windows 7 phones. One of these is the HTC Mozart 7, largely thought to be the most successful of the bunch. Well, is it? One of the obvious draws is the camera, which comes with 8 megapixels and Xenon flash, compared with 5 megapixels and an LED flash on the other Windows phone offerings. This sounds impressive, but while the pictures are good, theyre a little soft and maybe not as good as youd hope.
There are some good apps to be had on the Mozart 7. Microsofts launch partners HTC have their app, the Hub on there. This is limited but still manages to be interesting and there are other offerings on the phone. Notes, Converter, Stocks and the other basic apps all work well; although its widely thought that network-specific apps are a bit of a letdown as they were released too early. The Photo Enhancer is good, though, for applying filters to pictures.
The hardware on the HTC Mozart 7 is generally excellent. Key features include 8GB of storage capacity and an overall attractive appearance. There are volume, power and camera buttons built into the casing, and they are good for easy access to key features. Theres an LED indicator and a shiny grill that forms the earpiece, which is a nice touch. The side edges are quite sharp, however, which is distracting and uncomfortable when using the phone for any great length of time.
The battery life on this phone is around 7 to 8 hours with fairly heavy usage, which is about standard for a smartphone. Another plus is the attractive and stylish feature thats made of the back of the phone. There are, however, a couple of qualms with the hardware. The design of the camera lens means that it traps lint as it is sunk back below the rubber rim, although this does prevent the glass from damage. The positioning of the volume rocker isnt ideal for left-handed people.
Overall, while there are a few issues with the HTC Mozart 7, this doesnt stop it being the most stylish phone in its range. Major disappointments include the quality of the earphones and the camera, especially as this has been billed as a positive of the phone. However, the 3.7 inch screen makes it pocket friendly, especially when compared to the 4.3 inch HD7. Also, both the HTC apps at Microsofts operating system run well on the phone and it has great build quality.
