Everyone is currently talking about the Google Nexus One, HTC Desire, HTC Legend etc and loads of other Android 2.1 based smartphones. I would like to divert some attention for a moment to the lil’ wonder named HTC Tattoo running on the Android 1.6 aka Donut.
HTC Tattoo
With a price tag of just RM 999 with 2 years warranty it has almost everything it’s elder sibling has to offer. The basic spec of the phone are listed below
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I’ve had this lil’ wonder with me for at least 1/2 a year now and despite the temptation to change to the HTC Legend or even the mighty HTC Desire, I still love how the HTC Tattoo feels in my hands and how I can easily type messages with just one hand.
Various colors of the Tattoo
The Tattoo comes preloaded with enough software to get you started. There’s Google’s Gmail support, Google Talk, Peep is HTC’s answer to a Twitter client, Messages for your texting needs which thank god supports threaded SMS, Google Map for your navigating needs just make sure you have an unlimited data plan, Browser which is for your web browing and your usual Albums to view images, media etc.
HTC comes with it’s customised UI called Sense UI, once you’ve used it you’ll just absolutely love it.
Tatoo home screen
Those who have played around with the HTC Hero will definitely see the similiarity between the home screens, however the difference becomes apparent when you compare the real estate between the two devices with the Tatoo definitely loosing out. You can customise each of the pages to your liking and add on any widgets or shortcuts of your choice.
Pressing the phone button invokes the Contacts database where you can easily navigate through your contacts to make a call.
Call screen
Spelling out the name allows the phone to choose the correct or closest match to the person you’re trying to call.
Sms screen
Using the default Messages application sending sms is just like any other phone. Choose the person(s) you want to send the text to and type away. Typing on the QWERTY keyboard can take quite a bit of getting used to as the keys are quite close together and the probably of typing it wrongly is quite high. The predictive input can be cumbersome at times especially if you want to type something other than English. Keeping an eye on what appears on the screen before sending is highly recommedend. I myself have sent a few text messages with the wrong words before !! Thank god I have understanding friends 
The phone comes with a pretty average 3.2 MP camera that doesn’t have auto focus, so for those who would like to take close up shots you’ll definitely be dissapointed. With sufficient light though especially in broad daylight, it takes pretty decent pictures.
 Sunrise |
 Waterfall |
Taken indoors during Kings of Convenience concert
Taken inside a shopping mall
The Music that comes with the Tattoo has all your basic features and suprisingly it even comes with Cover Flow but at times you wonder where’s the flow as it can get pretty slow when you have loads of songs on the phone.
Music player
One neat feature I really like is that when your phone is locked and the screen is off you don’t have to unlock it to play around with the Music player. Skipping or pausing the song is available on the screen itself !!!
Music controls while the phone is locked
The Tattoo even comes with a FM Radio !! Like most phones you need your headphones attached to enjoy this feature. Comes in useful whenever you need to listen to the radio for whatever reason. I use it when I’m in the office waiting for the queue to call so I can try winning some prizes !!!
FM Radio
Peep, HTC’s solution for Twitter.
Peep
Browsing the web is easy with the built in browser and even supports flash to a certain extent. Sites with videos/youtube will automatically launch the Youtube application which is not really a very bad thing considering browsing on such a small screen is quite a challenge as it is.
Calendar allows you to create appointments and the best part is it automatically syncs with your Google Calendar and vice versa. Creating an appointment in Google Calendar automatically gets synced with the phone.
Calendar
Creating an appointment
The phone also has A-GPS support though only a few GPS software supports turn-by-turn for the Android platform at the moment.
Another awesome feature on the Tattoo is the ability to choose how you want the device to connect to your PC when plugged in.
Connection options
You can sync the phone with the pc, use it as a disk drive or even use your phone connection to connect your pc to the internet. All this with just a click of a button !!
If you’ve ever wondered what the Android is all about then the Tattoo is a very inexpensive way to do exactly that. In fact that’s the exact reason as to why I got the Tattoo in the first place. I wanted to experience first hand the world of Android and now I’m hooked and waiting eagerly to get my hands on either the HTC Legend or HTC Desire, budget permitting of course 
Here are some personal experience on the Tattoo
Likes
- Size – It fits snugly into the palm
- Social site integration (Facebook,Flickr, Twitter,Gmail)
- Weight – Doesn’t feel too heavy in the pockets
- Radio – Comes in handy
- Compass – Never know when you need one
Dislikes
- Screen Resolution – QVGA (320×200) just doesn’t cut it anymore
- Design – The round navigation button just looks too big
- Battery – Doesn’t get through a day especially with 3G and GPS enabled
