<div>A flutter of excitement greeted the arrival of the HTC Butterfly as it alighted in India and was introduced to a small gathering of the tech media in Delhi. The folks at HTC correctly figured that reviewers would instantly clamour for units to get a closer look, and they arranged for everyone to get their hands on what is surely one of the most gorgeous looking phones I’ve ever seen. <br /> </div><div>To zoom in on what makes the Butterfly so breathtaking — it’s the 1080p x 1920 HD Super LCD3 display, gazing crisply back at you with a pixel density of 441 ppi. That is the most spectacular screen out there so far and it shows right away. Someone asked me if laymen could really tell the difference if there are more pixels. I have to say, yes; the experience is that much more pleasing.<br /> <br />And as for comparing with other phones, regular phone users don’t need to be doing that in any case. <br /> </div><div>But what has been equally breathtaking is the price of this smartphone. It’s upward of </div><div>Rs 46,000. While the iPhone and many other top-tier phones hover around the same price point, consumers feel HTC is not in a position to command such a high price perhaps, without enough of a differentiating factor. Other pixel-perfect screens are coming soon, after all, and so is the World Mobile Congress show where God-knows-what specs may be sitting on a slew of phones. <br /> </div><div>Still, the Butterfly is an extremely elegantly designed gadget. If you look closely, you’ll see the styling and detailing that’s gone into it, that too, using material that spells sophistication from the moment you see and feel this smartphone. The back, slightly curved for better ergonomics, is made of material similar to that of the HTC 8X. It’s smooth and soft and slightly rubbery. The front is, of course, that gleaming screen — slightly reflective though. All along the sides is a deep red dotted strip, adding a further touch of class to the device. The buttons are also carefully stylised. A few problems though, because nothing is perfect. The main power button is centre top and takes some getting used to. The slots for the cable, sim, etc. are covered with a flap that you must prise open and that’s not very easy to do frequently. But other than that, it’s a marvel of design as they have been able to put so much power into a form so very thin. Yes, thinner than the iPhone. This is a 5-inch phone and, given its specs, could have got away with being clunkier, but clunky is the last thing it is. HTC has managed to find the right width to make sure the Butterfly is comfortable to hold.<br /> <br /><strong>Also Read: <a href="http://www.businessworld.in/en/storypage/-/bw/rich-display-htc-butterfly-review/801387.37524/page/0">Tushar Kanwar's review of HTC Butterfly</a></strong><br /><br />For one-hand users, if you have a longish hand, you could reach across the screen, but in my experience, super responsive touch screens aren’t made for being swiped with a thumb like a mini windshield wiper. The Butterfly neither feels nor looks as big as it is, while at the same time, giving you enough screen space. That’s why, thankfully, the reluctance to put it in the phablet category.<br /> </div><div>The 8MP camera on this phone isn’t a specialist in any particular aspect of photography, but it does take very nice pictures. Of course, one of the reasons they look that good is because of the screen, but even transferred elsewhere, they’re pretty sharp. <br /> </div><div>The colours are very pretty and there’s enough detail. It doesn’t have any low light special abilities but does a pretty good job of macro. An annoyance is the lack of a dedicated camera button. It also has a 2 MP wide angle front facer and a great feature which lets you set a timer for self shots. <br /> </div><div>The sound is pretty good all around, including on calls. Beats audio is included but the headphones are regular. Still, Beats makes a difference to them and the sound is full. <br /> </div><div>As of now, it’s recommended for those who have the money and want a truly powerful premium phone plus the pleasure of always looking at a lovely screen. The Butterfly is classy beyond a doubt. There are other smartphones coming though, including the M7 from HTC and the Xperia Z from Sony. <br /><br />mala(dot)bhargava(at)gmail(dot)com<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 11-03-2013)</span><br /> </div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
