Windows Phone Thoughts: Leader of The Empire: The HTC TyTN II Reviewed

The Camera
One of the most interesting things about the TyTN II is the inclusion of a 3 megapixel camera, a nice jump over the 2 megapixel cameras that HTC had previously used (the Sprint Mogul & T-Mobile Wing both include a 2 MP camera). It appears that HTC was really eager to get users to understand that the camera in the TyTN II was not just for show as it had been in previous versions. First they built in an autofocus component and designed the shutter key to have two levels of press (press half-way for focus, press all the way for shutter). This is similar to most digital camera designs, and it's evident that HTC felt that a 3 MP camera warranted a bit more than a standard button. The camera software is also revamped from earlier Pocket PC camera software (it's actually very similar to the camera software on the T-Mobile Dash), including numerous useful (white balance), novelty (Sepia & negative view options), and oddly un-editable (filename prefix) features. While the camera on the back may be 3 MP, the front-facing camera for video conferencing is only 640x480 resolution (of course, this was the resolution just 4 years back on the XDA II devices). The camera software, however, does let you specify the front camera for picture taking, so for an impromptu self-photo at low resolution, it's not bad. It would probably be great for contact pictures!

So how do the pictures look? Well, below are a series of example shots I grabbed. Click on any picture to see the full, unedited 3 MP version.


Figure 12: People waiting for a free lunch! Bright conditions.


Figure 13: A wonderful example of University of Toledo architecture. Sun to the back of the image.


Figure 14: My grim reaper that hangs outside my office. Under overhead fluorescent lighting. Note that the wall should be white, and I could have adjusted the white balance on the phone, however I wanted to give unaltered photos as if you had shot them quickly.


Figure 15: A cat, unhappy that its owner is soon to wake and leave the bed. Natural light from the left.