I was glad to be able to get hold of the HTC Tattoo for a short review. I had it for a few days and it was very addictive for the fact that HTC has integrated social media into the phone UI (User Interface). With HTC Sense, everything seems to be linked. From the automatic update of weather forecast to the Facebook integration to the contact list. And the Twitter API is very nice 
.
However, having say that, do not expect the HTC Tattoo to be a high performer. It is not. It is actually an entry level Android phone.
Click Here to Check Out HTC Tattoo Specifications
It has a small screen (2.8-inch) and it does not have a capacitive touch screen. However, HTC has done quite a good job in making the touch screen very sensitive and smooth.
With the launch of HTC Tattoo, HTC has also launched another website that is dedicated to “tattoo” your phone.
Click Here to TattooMyHTC Website
The price is not too bad. You can even customize your own design or picture.
The phone has a 4-Way navigation control with Enter button, a HOME button, a MENU button, a BACK button, a SEARCH button and the usual RECEIVE call button and END call Button (Power on/off).
On the top, it has the 3.5mm jack for the earpiece.
At the bottom, it has the charging and sync port and a mic.
It has a 3.2 Megapixels camera. But it does not have any flash led.
The back cover can be taken out easily. Inside, you can see the battery, SIM card and MicroSD card slot.
The battery capacity is 1100mAh.
As mentioned earlier, the HTC Tattoo has Android 1.6 (Donut) OS and using HTC Sense UI. Here are a few pics of the HTC Sense.
I did a simple walkthrough video of the HTC Sense. Did not cover everything.
And if you have noticed, HTC Tattoo also comes with HTC Footprints. It is a very nice and simple software that captures not only the date and time, but the location information via GPS. Here is a short video of a demo on Footprints.
And here is a sample shot taken. No editing done.
Finally, I uses Google Maps to test out the Streetview function and the compass function. Very cool!
Overview
It is too fast for me to make an accurate comment. However, based on the few days of usage, I believe Android has the potential to be the next up and coming OS.
I actually installed Wikitude and Layars into the phone and I really love the functions. However, I was quite disappointment that the Android Market has very limited software. I could not find Google Skymap and I have to rely on third party software to installed software using APK files.
The screen and the keyboard is a little too small. However, knowing that this is an entry level phone, I am quite satisfied with its performance. The screen needs a little bit of maintenance as it is a finger print magnet.
November 11th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Is Tattoo plagued with the same problems as Hero? 4 or 5 widgets and the phone becomes really slow with Hero.
November 11th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Also, any news about Sony Xperia X10? That should definitely be the first real contender against the iPhone. It’s got like a 1GHz processor, 256mb of physical RAM and the most customised version of Android yet or rather the most multimedia-focused Android yet.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Hi, Ragflan, I had the Tattoo for just a few days. Did not really stress test the widget function.
And about Sony Xperia X10, I also do not have any news on it. I am also thinking this X10 is going to make a difference in Android phone.
Cheers.
Joe
December 18th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Tattoos talk a language of your heart. They bring out your emotions and lifestyle . You can use your tattoo designs as a style of expression. Many people use tattoos to speak varied things, necessarily their personality. Some also use them to express love and emotions.