The HTC Rhyme on Verizon

For me phones are all about the software, and I have to start out this review saying that so far I’m not a fan of the android software. I think if I made a permanent switch I might like it, I’ve had plenty of friends tell me that they love it and I should make the switch, but for now and only about two weeks of trying it. I just have to say I’m not ready to switch.

However, there are aspects of a phone’s hardware that can be quite redeeming for a new phone on the android platform. HTC sent me the HTC Rhyme on Verizon and these are my thoughts on the phone itself.

The HTC Rhyme is a beautiful phone. It comes in my favorite color purple and includes a charm. It is perfect for stylish socialites or parents juggling schedules who are looking for advanced features but want a phone that is sleek lasting a full day of social media usage. You know taking photos, uploading them to Facebook and sharing them on twitter.

The HTC Rhyme offers unique accessories.

Tired of fumbling for cords at your bedside to charge your phone? The HTC Rhyme comes with a chic docking station that plugs in over USB, just drop your phone into the dock and watch as it becomes transformed into an alarm clock and a music station. So it’s charging while you’re still using it. This is the best way to plug this phone in because the plug on the side of the phone has a door (I think it should just be an always open hole that you plug the chord into) that makes it more of a challenge to get the plug in.

How many times have you missed a call in the thick of shopping’s hustle and bustle?  Well, be prepared to never miss one again with the Charm indicator, which plugs into your phone and dangles out of your bag, emitting a soft glow to inform you of an incoming call or text message. Instead of rummaging through your bag and turning it inside and out to find your phone, you simply use the cord to pull the phone from your bag. I only received one text message while testing out this phone and I think I missed the charm going off.

The enhanced HTC Sense experience brings the most important parts of your life to the forefront. With the new and improved clock makes it so you can more prominently feature pictures of your kids, friends or pets on the homepage. I do love personalizing my phone and having an easy to read clock is important. My current phone doesn’t allow me to see the clock until I unlock the phone, the HTC Rhyme puts the time right there in front before I even unlock it.

Instead of a screen full of icons, HTC Rhyme gives you the most commonly used apps right up front. Each of these icons lives on a preview tab that gives you a quick glimpse into your calendar, messages, mail, photos, and more. The icons aren’t static – they update in real-time to reflect what is happening in your life. For example, the Photos icon will show the most recent pictures in your library and the Music icon lets you play and change your music right from the home screen. HTC Rhyme is just $199.99 exclusively at Verizon Wireless. For high-resolution device images and specification information, please visit www.htc-press.com.

The Positives:

I love the color

I love the four buttons on the bottom, home, search, back and menu

I love the dedicated camera button

I love the battery on this phone

The negatives:

It’s just the android software is harder to learn than other phone operating systems out there.

I’m not fond of the plug door flap

We received a phone on loan from HTC for this review.