I need some help from the techs and phone freaks in here. My phone contract ends in a few months and as a new phone I want a smartphone. So far 9 out of 10 people advice me to go for an Android phone, so that narrowed the choice down quite a bit. I've looked on the website of my provider and narrowed my choice down to the HTC Wildfire or the HTC Desire. Now I can get the Wildfire for free with a 2 year contract and the Desire for €109 with a 2 year contract.

Now all I will do with the phone is call, send txt messages, update twitter every now and then when I'm away from home with possibly adding a pic via twitpic, ping with whatsapp and check my email. I won't be watching video's nor playing games.

What's the better choice? Is the Desire worth the extra €109 or will the wildfire be sufficient for my needs? Would love to get some advice here.
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Ferdie, the main difference between those two phones is the screen size and processing power. With HTC Sense (the HTC user interface overlay) there is not going to be much of a difference in the functionality of the phones - the software is EXACTLY the same, Android 2.1 (for now) running HTC Sense - as a matter of fact some reviewers are calling the Wildfire the "Desire Mini". They both can do the exact same thing, there's not something that Desire can do that the Wildfire can't. It's just matter of one does it 2x faster on a bigger screen with much, much higher resolution.

I'm not sure how it works in the Netherlands but can you actually go to a store and get your hands on the phones to get a feel for the size and speed difference? The Desire has a 3.7 inch screen with 480x800 resolution which is pretty much the industry standard resolution for high-end devices. The Wildfire has a 3.2 inch screen with 240x320 resolution. The Desire has a 1ghz processor with 576 mb of RAM (which is still competitive with the fastest phones on the market today) where the Wildfire is only 512mhz processor and 384mb RAM.

Personally, I would get the Desire for the larger screen size alone. With an all touch screen phone (no QWERTY keyboard) that is the ONLY way to interface with this phone. On screen keyboard typing will be a lot easier with the bigger, and more importantly, high resolution screen. Now add in the fact that the Desire is over 2x faster (on paper at least) and it makes it even more compelling. I'm a big fan of Android phones and my old phone was an HTC Eris which is very, very similar to the Wildfire. It's a great phone but the processor is getting outdated and having a hard time keeping up with the new Android updates. I do really like HTC Sense and miss it on my new phone.

Most users (not sure if you fall into this category) are going to ride out that 2 year contract with the same phone. Think about that money spread out over the course of 2 years and it's not such a big deal. Also think about in 1.5 years from now when the 2ghz phones are out, you'd have a better chance being able to keep with the software and OS with a 1ghz phone than a 528mhz phone.
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Thanks Andrew,

I had the pleasure handling the HTC desire yesterday as Misha (local herf crew and CA inmate) has one. I never liked touchscreens, but changed my mind after playing with the Desire for a while.

I will ride out the 2 year contract with the same phone, and as this is the first time I will have a smartphone I have no idea on how fast the software upgrades go in the smartphone world. I was actually thinking of getting the wildfire as I won't be watching video's or playing games anyway. Does the difference in resolution and display really makes a difference in a little webbrowsing and txt messaging?

Going to a shop and try both phones makes sence, think I'll go do some physical research this week.
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Ferdie, think of them as low-end computers, as that is what they really are.
Do you still have a 15" CRT screen, or are you using something with an LCD? - Think of it as the same way. If you are going to be with the device for 2 years, do you really want to start with the older technology?
I am looking at them too, and have been thinking about it like a PC.
You may not do a lot now, but it is likely that you may start doing more, once you have the capability. It is a small, portable computer after all....
The resolution will affect the way a site shows on your screen, not just how movies/videos/games look.

And the price? I would look at it as equal to 1 cigar a month, for the 2 year contract.
Is it still too much to add?


As a side note, when we get ours (wife & I) I will look at adding the insurance. We've had the Voyagers for this last contract, and mine is starting to have issues. Hers, the touch screen died a few months ago.
They can't "fix" hers, and they haven't been willing to provide any discount for us to get her a new phone as we are so close to our 'new every two' timeframe.
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good points Dan, never thought of it that way.
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No problem.

YES, YES, YES! Bigger screen = bigger "keys" on the virtual keyboard. Think of it like this, would you rather have a keyboard on your computer with keys that are 1/2inch by 1/2inch or 1/6inch by 1/6inch? I can attest from personal experience, I went from a phone with a 3.2inch display to a phone with a 4.1inch display and I am much more willing to text or use my phone for web browsing now.

But going to the shop to see them both in person would be a good idea if you can do it.
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