HTC Aria

“Let's get down to brass tacks: The much-hyped HTC Aria is worth singing about. Maybe not loudly (or in the shower), but it manages to nail most of the basics that some of AT&T's other Android phones have fumbled. The Aria's biggest asset is the fact that it's small. While other smartphones are chasing the ''big is beautiful'' trope, the compact Aria is constructed to fit comfortably in your pocket. The 480 x 320 touchscreen is a tight 3.2 inches and the phone's overall velvety black chassis is gussied up with sleek chrome accents. The super-glossy front is subtly outfitted with touch-sensitive softkeys below the screen, and the tiniest optical trackpad. To be fair, this diminutive design might frustrate the sausage-fingered but it's a minor quibble considering how intuitive the rest of the Aria feels.”

“Like it or not, the Aria is a hard sell on AT&T. Sure, it's the first Android phone that's even halfway respectable on the network, but the harsh reality is that the best Android phones reside on other networks. If you're out of your current contract, and you're jonesing to get a Google-fied handset in your pocket, we can't wholeheartedly recommend selecting AT&T as your carrier. Based on the issues we've experienced, it's hard to suggest AT&T as a voice carrier (data is another story) for anyone outside of iPhone loyalists and heavy international travelers, and the Aria's hamstrung version of Android 2.1 definitely doesn't help matters. We love the compact design and surprising amount of speed, and Sense remains one of our favorite UI overlays on the face of the planet. But could we recommend with a straight face that you spend a buck-thirty on a phone that you can't sideload applications to, not to mention one that won't see Froyo until AT&T says it will? No. The fact of the matter is that Apple's $99 8GB iPhone 3GS remains the best bargain smartphone on AT&T (heck, the Aria only comes with a 2GB microSD card), and if you're serious about Android, you'll either snag an AT&T compatible Nexus One or find yourself with a Googlephone on another network. Oh, and HTC -- if you're kind enough to let AT&T sell any more of your Android phones, tell 'em to keep their hands off of the software.”

“Not everyone will want to lug around an Android smartphone that offers a screen size larger than 4”, but thankfully the HTC Aria fits perfectly for those individuals that want a great Android experience that's wrapped up in a compact body. As for AT&T, the HTC Aria offers customers one of the better experiences out there as it presents them a wonderful user interface that strategically can play to the specific needs of each person. Even though it may look small and puny versus some of the recent high-end Android offerings of late, the HTC Aria is still able to offer an intuitive experience – plus there's barely any evidence of choppiness or lag when navigating about the platform. Priced at $129.99 with a 2-year contract, it's price point may be justified with its respectable performance while still retaining a compact form factor that will surely attract people.”

“The Gratia performs much better than its low-end 600MHz processor might suggest. Thanks to Android 2.2 and the well-optimised Sense software, this phone zips along at a pace not much slower than its 1GHz-chip big brothers. Only those that demand full Flash support or a high-powered camera need think twice about buying this phone.”