AT&T HTC HD7S Hardware Tour & HD7 Comparison

The HTC HD7S on AT&T is very similar to the older HD7 on T-Mobile, however there are some significant differences and improvements. As with most Windows Phone 7 devices, the HTC HD7S is running a 1Ghz Snapdragon QSD8250 processor with 576Mb RAM, 512MB ROM, and 16Gb of storage. The 4.3" SuperLCD screen has a 480x800 pixel resolution and 4 point multi-touch. You've also got the usual WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, Assisted GPS, 5Mp camera with dual LED flash, 1230mAh battery, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, and a Micro-USB 2.0 port. The device dimensions are 68 x 122 x 11.2 millimeters, and it weighs 162 grams.

What's different about this device is its Super LCD screen that's supposed to be better than the older LCD screen on the HD7. The HD7S also has some improvements in the camera as well as the hardware buttons (thankfully!) The hardware buttons on the HD7S, and especially the camera button, are now actually usable. The camera button's half-press is easy to feel and the full press is much more distinguishable than the older HD7. The power button has a nice click to it as well. Unfortunately capacitive buttons are still capacitive buttons.

Now what about that screen? The brightness seems about the same as the older HD7, but the color reproduction definitely looks better on the HD7S. The blacks are a bit blacker as well, but the whites are more grey, and the older HD7 clearly has a better range of contrast as you'll notice in our display tests. The HD7S also does not handle continuous tones very well. Ugly lines (banding) show up in graphic blends and gradients. You'll see this in your photos occasionally as well. This is, in part, due to the number of colors that Windows Phone 7 is currently allowed to display. Which screen do you like better, the HD7S or the HD7?