HTC Desire S Build

In typical HTC style, the HTC Desire S is hewn from a single block of aluminium for a sleek and solid finish. The design will be familiar to anyone who's played with or owned its previous incarnation, the original HTC Desire, with smooth, cuving edges and a cool metal feel to the touch. However, small adjustments have been made to the successor: the Desire S has lost the clickable buttons at the bottom of the handset and replaced them with touch sensitive icons, and the optical trackball has gone, too, resulting in a phone that is marginally lighter (130 grams) and smaller (115mm x 59.8mm x 11.6mm) than its predecessor.

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HTC Desire S Android

The HTC Desire S comes running Android 2.2 FroYo, but HTC are promising an upgrade to 2.3 Gingerbread in the near future, presumably with its excellent Sense UI spread neatly over the top. We love the Sense UI on the current stable of HTC phones, but we're not fans of how the HTC MWC candidates are all launching with a behind-the-times operating system, especially with Android 2.3 Gingerbread featuring so prominently on other MWC competing handsets.

HTC Desire S Screen

The screen is actually a step down from the original Desire (at its initial launch), owing to the global shortage of AMOLED screens. So, while the original Desire sported pitch blacks and vivid contrasts, its bigger brother has to make do with what HTC call a Super LCD screen - kinder to batteries than regular LCD, but more power hungry and less vivd than AMOLED.

HTC Desire S Camera

The camera is a standard 5MP snapper with auto focus and an LED flash. It also records video in the now-standard 720p HD. Furthermore, the post-iPhone 4 standard front facing camera also makes an appearance, for those into video calling.

HTC Desire S Battery

The battery on the Desire S has had a slight upgrade from the original Desire, boosting up from 1400 mAh to 1500 mAh, which would normally mean the phone could keep going for longer off a single charge. However, the original Desire also boasted an AMOLED screen, which apart from offering fantastic contrast also uses less power than the Super LCD screen that appears on the new Desire S. Still, battery life rests on more than just mAh, so we'll have to wait until we're gifted one by the folks at HTC to see how it really measures up to its predecessor.

HTC Desire S Price

Amazon.co.uk has the HTC Desire S listed for pre-order on their site, priced at £419.99.

HTC Desire S Launch Date

Amazon put the release date for the Desire S at April 18th, 2011.