-Hi, I'm Bonnie Cha, Senior Editor at CNET.com, and I'm here with your first look of the HTC Wildfire for Alltel Wireless.
We actually looked at the unlocked version of the Wildfire a while back, but HTC is now bringing the phone to North American regional carriers including Alltel, where it's available for just $30 with a 2-year contract and mail-in rebate.
The design of the phone is very much the same as the unlocked version.
It's compact and light but has a very solid construction.
One of the tradeoffs for the cheaper price tag though is a smaller and lower resolution screen.
The display measures 2.2 inches diagonally and has a QVGA resolution.
So, it's not the best for viewing webpages or video.
Also, because of the smaller screen size, the keyboard is also cramped.
So, it can be a bit frustrating if you're typing longer messages.
Below the display, you get touch-sensitive buttons to your home screen, menu, back, and search.
The Wildfire is running Android 2.1 with HTC Sense user interface,
which includes some like Leap screen, where you can see thumbnail versions of all your home screens.
There's also widgets for your favorite contacts, weather, and social networking feeds.
You get a full range of wireless options including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G.
HTC also throws in a couple of extras such as its Twitter client, Peep, and Footprints, which is a geotagging and travel app.
It also has a 5 megapixel camera and LED flash and video capture, but the picture
quality wasn't all that great.
Another downside is that it has a slower 528 megahertz processor.
So, the phone can be sluggish at times, especially when you're working in multiple programs.
If you are on a tight budget, you should certainly check out the Wildfire.
But if you can afford to spend a little more, take a look at the HTC Desire.
I'm Bonnie Cha.
This has been your first look at the HTC Wildfire for Alltel Wireless.
