Hands-on with the HTC Rhyme

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Fresh out of HTC's purplicious press conference this morning, we have our first look at the HTC Rhyme, which is hitting Verizon on Sept. 29. They might not be actively marketing it toward women, but make not mistake about it, they're marketing it toward women.

So you've got your basic 3.7-inch candybar form factor, with Android 2.3. But it's Gingerbread in name only -- the Rhyme is rocking a new version of HTC Sense, much like the myTouch line on T-Mobile has custom builds.

Check out our hands-on video and photo gallery after the break.

Youtube link for mobile viewing

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
35 Comments
  • Wow sense 3.5 on a lower end hardware device. Would be nice to get sense 3.5 with GB on the Tbolt.
  • Exactly! I am confused, I thought 3.0+ couldn't run on old hardware because of restrictions. What does this phone have that both the Thunderbolt OR Incredible 2 DO NOT have. Any ideas? Anybody?
  • I seem to remember reading somewhere that they refined/streamlined the code between 3.0-3.5 basically removing a lot of the hardware restrictions of 3.0 so it runs smoother on lower end phones. I have a feeling that 3.5 is not just meant for lower end phones though.
  • The vigor is said to have sense 3.5. Maybe they refined it so it doesnt tax the dual core as much as with the sensation that caused lag. Here is to hoping the took out some of the fluff that made it so large and this will make it run smoother on all phones.
  • I know people on DInc 2s running Sense 3.0 ROMs, the vote seems to be that it works well... I think it may be more a marketing ploy than anything else? Make buying a new phone seem more desirable... you know.
  • my friend has a dinc2 running sense 3.0 i think he's running an incredible s rom. i know its a European rom. it sometimes hangs and he has to pull the battery but overall he says it runs fine
  • sense 3.5 is made for smaller screen phones and lower end phones that can't run 3.0. Personally I think it is ugly and that they don't put that on the vigor. Then again I will probably root and remove sense anyway if it does.
  • What is the hardware restriction though, is it dual core? For 3.0?
  • Oh yeah First Post!
  • Editing your first post would have worked as well :p
  • Please don't give him any more ideas. It's already annoying.
  • Yes was wondering the same. I want 3.5. If this phone can run it no reason why the bolt can't.
  • Sounds like Bolt owners will take anything at this point... Looks like TouchWiz to me.
  • Haha I know right? This sense is meant for lower end devices. I could see HTC porting this over to phones like the tbolt.
  • Slumming it over in AndroidVille, eh Daniel? It's okay, we still love you over at wpcentral.
  • Never thought I'd say this... but 3.5 is kinda boring... not much new
  • Agree I wish they would have stuck with 3.0 just lightened it up a little rather than going this route. I liked 3.0 just didn't like how it slowed down certain phones like the sensation.
  • Damn fragmentation sucks doesn't it?
  • Wow. Is this the only argument iDorks have? Fragmentation would suck if Android wasn't an open source OS. I have a ROOTED T-Bolt and have been running GB with Sense 3.0 for about 3 months now. Thanks to Team BAMF, I've already had a 3.5 ROM on my phone to play with.
  • Agree if android only made 1 phone with the same size screen across all of them then yeah maybe you would have something. Then again I like choices and the ability to install or use my phone how I want without being told what I can use or if i want to customize without needing to jailbreak. But have fun with that tiny little screen and the new 3g iphone while everyone else is getting lte and larger hd screens
  • Why is it automatically assumed that this is an iTroll? Fragmentation does suck at times, but on the other hand I'd say choice outweighs that negative. Very much like when you go to buy a car....
  • Yes, it does suck. However, iPhone users are beginning to see the same issue now too.
    The new iOS 5 leaves out the iPhone (Original), and iPhone 3G, leaving them on iOS 4.
    That will be causing some issues down the road too for developers.
  • Lock screen reminds me of widget locker. If that's what you like about Sense 3.5 check it out. My lock screen is pretty much the exact same as this but I am running stock Android using Widgetlocker. Edit - I guess it looks like maybe I was confusing the home screen with a lock screen...
  • I do really like the idea of including a charging dock with each device to make it an alarm clock/ stand for watching movies ect. Hope they begin to include the with more devices because I hate coming home late at night and having to track down the power cord for my phone.
  • This new "Sense 3.5" is awkward
  • danm all this hoopla for this? HTC fail.
  • Word. Where's my HTC Vigor news?
  • WTH? They only announced ONE device? And a mid-range, female centric device that will have limited sales to boot? WTF? I was really looking forward to info on the HTC Holiday. I couldn't care less about this phone and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. So dissapointed.
  • yeah but idiot soccer moms will guy this thinking they got a good phone, lol.
  • it's not even LTE either...FFFFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLLLL
  • I have a rooted htc sensation 4g and i flashed a rom with the bliss/sense 3.5 mod and too be honest it is kinda gay and awkward and does remind me of the espresso sense i had on my myTouch 3g slide smh
  • I do wish they would change the status bar and sub-menus to look slightly like the stock vanilla (gingerbread) in the next sense though and change some of the apps icons and mms to black:)
  • It's not clear from the video why you think it's marketed toward women - the color?
  • Well - I wish that I could get a Lloyd light up charm for my T-bolt. That would be very cool.
  • I've had this phone for quite a while. I will admit I was hooked by the purple and all the cool things that come with it that you will never use. The purse thing that lights up when your phone goes off, yeah, I used it..maybe twice. It was annoying. I have a problem with the phone just shutting off automatically, it freezes occasionally, and a few times it had turned off and when I tried to turn it back on, it wouldn't. It would just eventually go back on, automatically when I wasn't touching anything. I don't really like the feature of the battery being built in, I have no idea why, but that's just preference. I do love the dock you can put it on to charge. When playing music its louder and in stereo kinda. Your alarm goes off louder as well. But I am currently looking for a new phone because I just can't stand it any longer! Thank you.