Sometimes being in the tech blogging game has its rewards and this is one of those instances. I’ve managed to score an HTC HD2 from a “hush hush” source and they are allowing me some hands on time with a full review coming later on. First impressions are with all sincerity, damn impressive. The touchscreen works amazingly well, is responsive, accurate and while I’ve seen a hiccup or two inside Opera selecting links, typing up a text or sending an email has proven effortless. The camera is sharp and the weather effects are just freaking cool. The browser renders pages quickly and accurately, especially considering this is the European version so I’m running EDGE only here. The Sense UI all but completely hides the Windows interface and while you’re sure to see traces of it once you hit the menu, but if you didn’t know any better, Windows can be pretty well hidden. The built in Twitter app and YouTube app work flawlessly as YouTube videos rendered clearly on Wi-Fi and sluggishly but decently on EDGE. I have perused the app store but have yet to download anything. I plan on putting the Windows app market through plenty of paces during the next few days and will of course compare it to the Android Market and Apple app store.

Overall, first impressions are beyond favorable and those looking for this phone to fulfill their technology fetish are sure to be pleased. I’ll need some more time with it to play around, test it out and you know take as long as I “need” to ensure that I provide a quality review. Stay tuned for more!