HTC Ozone (Verizon Wireless) Video
HTC Ozone (Verizon Wireless) Video Transcript
>> Bonnie: Hi, I'm Bonnie Cha, Senior Editor at CNET.com and today we're taking a first look at the HTC Ozone for Verizon Wireless; this is basically Verizon's version of the HTC Snap which has also been released on Sprint and TMobile. It's a Windows Mobile based messaging Smartphone and Verizon probably offers the best deal for the device in terms of price. But first let's check out some of the design and features. The Ozone is much more similar to the Sprint Snap in design but at least the back has a soft-touch finish so it doesn't feel quite as plasticy and flick. Fortunately, the Ozone doesn't go with the same keyboard as the Sprint model. Instead it's like the TMobile Dash [inaudible] and it has larger rectangular buttons. They have a nice curve to them so they're easier to press. The display is the same on all three devices. It measures 2 point 4 inches and while it's easy enough to read I'd like to see slightly larger and sharper screen. It's not as vibrant or crisp as the BlackBerry Tour's. Feature wise the Ozone beats out the Sprint HTC Snap with a couple of additional features. First it offers WiFi and second it offers dual [inaudible] and functionality which means you can use the phone overseas. Verizon ships the phone with a SIM card so you can get voice and data coverage in different parts of the world, but just be aware that roaming charges will apply and the phone doesn't support international 3G bans so you'll be getting slower edge speeds. Verizon also offers VZ Navigator and visual voice mail services on the Ozone but they'll cost you extra. With the full QWERTY keyboard there's plenty of messaging support. The Ozone works with Exchange and personal email accounts and it also ships with instant messaging clients for AIM, Windows Live and Yahoo. Unfortunately the Ozone doesn't support HTC's Inner Circle feature which helped us better manage our email on the Sprint HTC Snap. All things considered though the HTC Ozone is a great messaging Smartphone and it delivered with good call quality and snappy performance. And all of this is made better by an incredibly affordable price. The Ozone is available now for $49.99 with a 2 year contract, which is a really great value for what you're getting so if you can't afford the BlackBerry Tour the Ozone is a great messaging Smartphone alternative. I'm Bonnie Cha and this has been your first look at the HTC Ozone for Verizon Wireless. ^M00:02:19 [ Music ]
Related Videos
The Samsung Byline offers more features than other phones in its class, but its voice quality could be improved.
Sprint's pretty Motorola Krzr K1m is similar to its Verizon counterpart. Though its EV-DO offerings are slightly better, its performance was a tad diminished.
The Parrot Boombox wireless Bluetooth speaker system ably combines elegant design, minimalist aesthetics, and better-than-average sound quality at an affordable price.
Macally TunePro iPod alarm clock
The Macally TunePro iPod alarm clock offers a gorgeous modern design, above-average audio quality, and an advanced set of controls at an affordable price.
The Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom, while not as adept at action photography as its name might lead you to expect, offers a lot of features and very good image quality for an affordable price.
The unremarkable sound quality of the Philips HTS6500 is outweighed by its winning combination of slick aesthetics, impressive features, and affordable pricing.
Panasonic SC PT750 home theater system
Panasonic's affordable SC-PT750 home theater in a box delivers DVD upscaling, wireless surround speakers, an iPod dock, and some surprisingly decent sound quality for a great price, though it's short on inputs.
Ultimate Ears MetroFi MetroFi 170 and 220vi
The Ultimate Ears MetroFi earphones are a solid step up from stock earbuds, offering improved sound quality and helpful features for not a ton of money. Be wary of fit and durability issues, though.
Though we're still not won over by the iTunes/Motorola marriage, and its call quality isn't the best, the Motorola Razr V3i offers music lovers a decent mix of design and features.
We found nothing inherently wrong with the Samsung SyncMaster 204T, a 20-inch LCD with an attractive design, decent image quality, and useful software, but other monitors offer more features for the price.
HTC Ozone (Verizon Wireless) Review
The good: The HTC Ozone offers an e-mail and messaging-centric feature set that includes EV-Do Rev. A, Wi-Fi, GPS and support for overseas GSM networks. Call quality is quite respectable.
The bad: The HTC Ozone's controls and keypad don't have the best design. Also, it lacks HTC's Inner Circle feature, the volume level is low and GSM data support tops out at EDGE.
The bottom line: Though its plastic design and photo quality are unchanged, the HTC Ozone offers a more affordable price tag, improved features, and better voice quality than its Sprint HTC Snap counterpart.
HTC Ozone (Verizon Wireless) Specs
Manufacturer: HTC
Part number: HTC Ozone
- Product Basic Spec
HTC Ozone (Verizon Wireless) Prices
Online stores
| Store | Certified rating | Inventory | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
|
 Rate this store See store profile |
In stock |
$49.99 |
%20video%20-%20CNET%20TV&srcUrl=http://cnettv.cnet.com/htc-ozone-verizon-wireless/9761-1_53-50074466.html){kind=small}