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HTC Titan II drops jaws with 16MP camera, 4.7-in screen

Just how impressive is that 16-megapixel camera on the U.S.' first-announced LTE Windows Phone? Pretty darn good.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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Watch this: HTC Titan II does not disappoint (hands on)

LAS VEGAS--HTC should be feeling pretty proud of itself right about now.

This morning at CES, the smartphone maker managed to bag two U.S. firsts. Not only was its Titan II the first to announce the world's first 4G LTE Windows Phone, but it also contains the highest-megapixel smartphone camera we've heard of stateside, a 16-megapixel whopper.

Just after the smartphone was announced today, I got a chance to get eye-to-eye with the Titan II. At first blush, it looks nearly identical to the original Titan, which is new to the scene in its own right. There are some subtle differences, you may call them, but I find them improvements.

HTC Titan II's 4G LTE Windows phone takes great pics (photos)

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For instance, instead of a hard plastic backing, the Titan II is covered everywhere with a soft-touch finish of a lighter gray, and there's some pocked texturing over the battery cover at the base of the phone's back. Overall, it's a lot more comfortable in the hand.

The phone still has its hungry-man build and its 4.7-inch Super LCD display, which nicely showcases the clean, simple Windows Phone interface. There's a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front as well.

It's the back of the phone that's the most thrilling: a 16-megapixel camera that has the capability to beat the pants off every other high-end 8-megapixel camera out there (the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion that was announced today has a 12-megapixel camera, FYI.)

The HTC Titan II took this really impressive shot.
The HTC Titan II took this impressive outdoor shot, which has been cropped, but not resized. Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

I took a few minutes to see how well the camera actually performed. There was an abundance of natural light, so I wasn't able to stress test the Titan II in low-lighting situations or night shots. The photos that I did take were very impressive indeed, with accurate focus and sharp edges throughout. There were some weird lighting gradients with the front-facing camera, but so far the 16-megapixel camera is truly a winner.

In addition to the camera boost, the Titan II has a larger battery, now 1,730mAh, up from 1,650mAh on the original Titan. This is one handset I can't wait to try out in the real world, whenever that is. Unfortunately, AT&T and HTC are still mum on pricing and availability.

Catch all of CNET's CES coverage here.