HTC Arrive unboxing
What was originally known as the HTC 7 Pro is now known as the HTC Arrive.
You can pick one up this weekend for $199.99 on a two-year contract. But today, I got my demo unit from Sprint. I'm obviously not issuing a final verdict already, but I thought it would be beneficial for you guys to see what's inside the box and hear some initial impressions.
When I opened up the box, I was greeted by the gorgeous piece of hardware, surrounded by an ugly, generic box. Regardless of the hideous packaging, the device is very well designed. The screen is covered by a piece of glass, which is cut short on both the top and the bottom to reveal two separate speaker grilles. Towards the bottom, you'll find the normal array of capacitive Windows Phone buttons. If you remember, I complained earlier about not having either all capacitive or all mechanical buttons, so this is a great decision on HTC's part.
Turning the device around, you'll notice an incredibly polished back. The battery cover is made of a brushed metal, surrounded by the ultra grippy soft-touch plastic that so many manufacturers have started to use. There's also a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash. One unfortunate design move (in my opinion) is the hideous lone screw, situated on the lower-lefthand corner of the back. It looks out of place and cuts off some of that beautiful brushed metal.
Other than the phone itself, the box includes the typical array of accessories: micro-USB to USB, wall A/C adapter, and a pair of earbuds. They're all well-designed accessories, and I'm particularly fond of the HTC-branded wall charger. Of course, you also get a Getting Started guide that you'll never read.
Overall, the Arrive is an incredibly attractive Windows Phone 7 device. The design is top-notch, something you'd expect from HTC.
I'll be sure to keep you all covered, especially when the copy & paste update goes live at the end of this month.
