LMT for HTC!

When we were invited by HTC Philippines to help them launch their new phones, we were over the moon! Together with fellow travel blogger Jerik de Guzman of Pinoy Boy Journals, we were given one phone each: Christy (Rhyme), Patti (Radar), Jerik (Explorer).

They were assigned to us based on the type of travel we do, and after testing them for about a week, we got to share our personal experiences at the HTC Year End Party at Skye in Bonifacio Global City.

This took place on December 7th, in front of a crowd of a few hundred. Quite daunting for a couple of girls who are accustomed to hiding behind our words, not reciting them in public.

Whereas Jerik bravely faced the crowd with no cue card in sight (!!), we prepared our spiels in advance in case our nerves got the better of us. Fortunately, we survived, and the spiels serve a double purpose as we can share them here with you to best explain why the Rhyme and Radar are the perfect smartphones for us.

Christy on the Rhyme

Why do I love it so much? Let me count the ways.

For a blogger like me who writes about fashion and culture and the nightlife, it’s pretty useful to have a phone as good looking as this one. I’m a fashion designer too when I get time off from doing writing, so being an artist makes me appreciative of good design just like this.

But apart from its looks, there are a couple of specific features in the Rhyme that sometimes make me think it was made especially for me. Well, especially for girls anyway. It’s got a mirror, for one thing. Believe it or not, I never carry one when I’m out so this phone is a Godsend. Two, it’s got this nifty little charm that you connect to the phone that lights up when you’ve got a message. Again, perfect for me because I like to keep my phone on silent mode. Perfect for any other person when they happen to be in a dark place with loud music because if you have this little charm sticking out of your bag, you don’t have to worry about not hearing your messages because you’ll see them!

Second, it’s ideal for networking. Admittedly, I’m not the most tech-savvy of persons. But learning about the kinds of things I can do with this little thing actually inspires me to have a better online presence. It has this feature called the FriendStream which shows you all the updates from Twitter to Facebook all in one page. So it’s very convenient and most importantly, it’s very easy to use. Checking Life’s My Trip updates through my phone and finding out what my friends are up to is not a chore with this phone. And now that I’ve made peace with the fact that I’m a person who is always on the go, I recognize that I need a really good phone to help me through everything I need to do for work and for the blog.

Third and finally, it also takes great pictures. As a blogger, you’d have to take really good ones. Patti is usually the one that takes all the really fantastic photos for Life’s My Trip. But in moments where I’m traveling by myself, I have to come up with the goods too. So having the Rhyme with me is perfect as I don’t carry a camera with me all the time.

Over the weekend, as you will see in the next presentation, I managed to take some photos for articles I’m planning to put up on the blog. One is about bazaar culture in Manila and one about the INK exhibit currently on display at the Ayala Museum. Not too shabby for someone who isn’t a photographer, right?

With the HTC Rhyme, I have the complete package. I have instant social networking capability and can take awesome photos in one sleek and stylish phone. It’s Rhyme AND Reason! What’s not to love?

Patti on the Radar

When Christy and I go on trips for our blog, I’m the one who usually takes on the role of photographer. And this means having to carry around a DSLR and several lenses everywhere I go.

But there are certain events where having to bring a clunky black camera just doesn’t feel appropriate. Weddings and other formal events, for instance. And there are places DSLRs aren’t even allowed. Like at certain clubs, at concerts, and some sporting events.

As dependent as I am on my camera, what’s more important to me is the ability to capture significant moments at all of these events.

That’s where the HTC Radar helps me. It features a 5-megapixel camera with a 2.2 lens which allows me to take pictures at every event I attend. Its versatility also works for all sorts of settings: daytime, evening, outdoor, indoor.

The best part is, since I can’t afford to invest in a multitude of lenses for the DSLR, the Radar lets me shoot in modes that my basic lenses can’t offer. Macro and burst shooting at five photos/second being my favorites. I can also use Photo Enhancer on the images and share them right away through various social networks.

I also like the overall minimalist approach to the Windows interface. Clear, clean fonts, a sharp display, and all sharing, connectivity, and entertainment easily accessible.

Another great part about the phone is how all my accounts are integrated. I don’t have to access different apps to view my notifications or contact lists: they all appear in a single window, so if I want to get in touch with a friend, I can just go to his name and choose whether I want to call, text, tweet, or post a message on his Facebook Wall.

It definitely isn’t a high maintenance phone, which is perfect for those of us who still prefer having a mobile phone function the way a mobile phone should.

It’s convenient.

And design-wise? The Radar is sleek, nice to hold, easy to use, and stunningly beautiful.

The best way for me to sum the HTC Radar up would be this: it’s the rediscovery that there is such a thing as love at first sight.

It goes without saying that both the HTC Rhyme and HTC Radar have far more many functions than we mention in this story. You can get all the details on the HTC website and on the HTC Philippines Facebook Page. For Jerik’s personal reflection on the HTC Explorer, visit Pinoy Boy Journals. And keep up to date with more photos, news, and links about Life’s My Trip and our HTC adventures by liking us on Facebook as well.:)

Thanks to Kiko Torno of HTC, Bernice Angeles of Ardent, and Nathan Cabigao for taking photos during the event.