What's Good: Beautiful unibody aluminum frame, optical trackpad, appears to be less laggy than its 528 MHz counterparts (DROID Eris, Hero, etc.).
What's Bad: No multitouch in Google Maps.
Verdict: The Legend is the most beautiful mid-range Android device I've worked with. Too bad it's not available in the United States just yet.
I'll get right to the point - from a design perspective, the HTC Legend is the most beautiful Android device on the market today. The unibody aluminum case looks perfect with the black accents around the battery door and camera, and it's incredibly minimalistic in nature. Though the Legend sports physical buttons below the display (versus the capacitive touch buttons we're used to on devices like the DROID, Incredible, and EVO 4G), it does offer HTC's optical trackpad.
The Legend offers a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 HVGA touchscreen, and while it's no 3.7-inch display, it gets the job done and looks nice to boot (I'll admit, I'm a bit spoiled after working with the Nexus One and the Incredible). Specifications include a 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, 512 MB ROM/384 MB RAM, Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense UI, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card slot with support for up to 32 GB. Since the Legend I'm working with is unbranded, packaging is subject to change depending on what country you're purchasing it from. That being said, the device shipped with an AC adapter, USB cable (which doubles as the charging cord), and earbuds.
The 5.0-megapixel camera is similar to what's found on the Eris and Hero, and picture quality was equally good. Colors were crisp, and the autofocus works well. Editing options include brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, color effect, white balance, resolution (four different options), quality (high, fine, or normal), and more.
The Legend I'm working with is an unlocked European version (900/2100 MHz), so I haven't been able to test anything beyond EDGE on T-Mobile. Still, data speeds are reasonable given the limitations, and call quality has been very good. Callers were able to hear me, and I was able to hear them without issue. I took the device to a known T-Mobile trouble spot in the Charlotte area today, and found the call quality to be very good (despite the occasional drop out). My Plantronics Voyager Pro headset connected with ease.
I haven't had the device long enough to perform any battery life tests, but I can say that the 1300 mAh battery has performed well throughout the day. Then again, I'm sure EDGE versus 3G contributes to the numbers, so I'll hold off on battery comments until I can get some extended hands-on time with the unit.
Sure, it doesn't compete with Snapdragon-powered devices like the Nexus One, EVO 4G, and the DROID Incredible, but the HTC Legend is a great mid-range device that is absolutely gorgeous. As the successor (in theory, at least) to the DROID Eris/Hero, it's my hope that we'll see this device in the States before the end of the year.
As always, be sure to check out Noah's video review, and stay tuned for more Legend coverage!
