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HTC Gratia review: Verdict
Has the Gratia managed to ingratiate itself with us then? Well, the answer's yes and no.
We think it's a great little handset with plenty going for it, but it has no obvious point of strength to leverage when trying to claim a niche of the market, beyond the respectable core experience.
Overall, it's much like the Gratia's own rear face – part sleek gloss, part industrious workhorse, flirting with both but managing neither fully.
We liked
There are plenty of things it does well: your contacts are ably managed, calling is good and you'll find it simple to send messages and surf the web.
What's more, the rock solid core of HTC Sense/Android usability is fantastic, and there are plenty of good widgets/apps onboard that will make the main bulk of your day-to-day Gratia experience pleasurable from the get-go.
We disliked
Sadly, there's more than one part of the Gratia experience that's lacking the meat it needs to be convincing. To name a few, the less-than-ideally organised camera app, the juice-sapping GPS and disappointing Flash support.
Throw in a few behind-the-curve features – no HD video, no camera flash, the quickly taxed battery, and the slower than average processor – and it's hard to recommend the Gratia to everyone.
Verdict
Whether or not you'll love the Gratia comes down to what you care about. If you're after an everyday smartphone at a reasonable price, this could more than ably scratch that itch. In fact, we'd recommend it over many other phones in this bracket.
If, however, you'd prefer a powerhouse packed with cutting-edge features, there's no doubt that this is too much of a compromise to satisfy. Camera cognoscenti also need not apply.
For the mid-priced market, though, some compromises are acceptable – if the Gratia's vices aren't concerns of yours, then buy this knowing you'll have a wonderful time.
