The HTC Amaze 4G has stolen the MyTouch 4G Slide's claim of having the most advanced camera on a smartphone. Check out hands-on photos of T-Mobile's latest Android device.
Bonnie Cha
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Just four months ago, T-Mobile and HTC introduced the MyTouch 4G Slide and said it had the most advanced camera on a smartphone. However, that title now belongs to the HTC Amaze 4G, which brings a couple of new camera features to help create and highlight the best photos. The Android smartphone is available now for $259.99 with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate.
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Features
Though the camera might be the Amaze's key feature, the Gingerbread smartphone has plenty more to offer, including a dual-core processor, support for T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 network, and 16GB of internal memory.
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Design
At 5.12 inches tall by 2.58 inches wide by 0.46 inch thick and 6.1 ounces, the HTC Amaze 4G is a larger and heavier device than average. However, it has a very solid construction.
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Top view
A 3.5mm headphone jack and power/lock button are located on top of the phone.
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Right side
On the smartphone's right spine, you'll find a volume rocker as well as a dedicated camera key and a dedicated video button. Either can be used to activate the camera/camcorder even if the phone is locked.
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Camera features
The Amaze 4G's main 8-megapixel camera offers a dual-LED flash, 1080p HD video recording, and a backside-illuminated sensor for better low-light performance. Among the new features is SmartShot mode, which takes a series of pictures and combines elements of each in an effort to create that perfect picture of everyone smiling. Also new is the Perfect Pics gallery that takes the top 10 percent most technically correct photos (based on predefined parameters) from your camera roll and automatically combines them in a separate album.
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Picture quality
The camera took excellent photos and videos outdoors, but it still struggled a bit in low-light conditions. Our standard studio shot came out looking a bit soft and washed-out.
