HTC Desire HD Accessories Now Available!

There have been just two massively popular phones released this year – the HTC Desire and of course iPhone 4. Other handsets have been popular too, but nowhere near the scale of these two. That’s all about to change over the next few weeks when some eagerly awaited handsets hit the market. Over the next 6 weeks we’ll finally get the Nokia N8, HTC Desire Z and the eagerly awaited HTC Desire HD.

The Desire HD is a significant upgrade over the current model. It boasts a bigger screen, more internal memory, faster internet speeds, faster Wi-Fi, 8MP camera with HD video recording, a bigger screen and an operating system that supports flash. It’s bigger and heavier than it’s predecessor, which means most of your existing accessories aren’t going to fit.

If you’re planning on getting one as soon as it’s released (8th October) you’ll want a few accessories to help you make the most of your new phone. To give you a head start, here are 10 of my favourite HTC Desire HD Accessories.

HTC Desire HD Pouch – PO S550

The PO S550 is a case from HTC that’s made specifically for the Wildfire. It’s a simple carry pouch with a built in pull strap. When your phone is in the case the strap sits under your phone, when you want to remove your Desire HD, just give the strap a gentle tug and it will raise your phone from the case quickly and effortlessly. The case is made from a high quality leather and has a soft interior that helps keep the screen clean and prevent scratches.

SanDisk MicroSDHC Card – 16GB

Despite it’s generous dimensions, the Desire HD only has a fairly small amount of internal storage – just 1.5GB. This is considerably more than most phone’s out there, but it’s also nowhere near what you get on an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S. As a result, one of the first purchases you will need to make is a memory card. You might have got a small capacity card in the box with the phone, but this will fill up quickly with photos and video so a larger card is a must. A 16GB memory card will let you store over 2000 high quality photos, 2000 songs and around 1 hour of standard definition video with room left over for your apps. A larger 32GB Micro SD HC memory card is also available if you need even more storage space.

Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Speakerphone

I’ve recommended the Jabra Cruiser in most of my posts, and it’s still one of the best car kits you can get – and surprisingly no-one as yet has really produced a decent alternative to it. The Cruiser is a must have accessory if you want to listen to music from your Desire HD in your car. The Cruiser is a small, slim portable car kit that combines an FM transmitter with a Bluetooth Car Kit. The Jabra Cruiser simply clips to the sun visor of your car and pairs to your Desire HD using Bluetooth. The Cruiser streams music from your phone over Bluetooth and you can control your music using the built in controls – this is great as it means you can still play/control your music even if you’ve left your phone in your bag on the back seat.

There are two choices when it comes to listening to your music. You can either play your music back through the built in speaker or through your car stereo using its built in FM Transmitter. It’s currently the only car kit to have dual microphones for improved noise reduction. If you spend a lot of time in the car taking calls and are bored of listening to the radio then the Jabra Cruiser really should be top of your wish list. If you don’t want/need the music controls then take a look at the Jabra SP700. It does more or less the same job but without the music controls and noise cancelling dual microphones.

Clingo Universal Vent Mount

I’m not normally a fan of universal phone holders, but this one is excellent. Clingo holders use a special adhesive pad to keep your phone firmly in place. Placing your phone on it might seem a little scary at first as there are no spring loaded grips and no visible support for your phone at all. We’ve tested these with the heaviest of phones and they just don’t fall off – not even when you bounce over speed bumps. It can rotate through 360 degrees, so it’s perfect for using with the sat nav app on your phone. To remove your phone, you simply lift it off the pad. No fiddly clamps and no sticky mess on your phone. If you’re not convinced, head over to the product pages where you’ll be able to see a video of it in action.

HTC Desire HD Screen Protector SP P430 – Twin Pack

One of the biggest changes to the Desire HD compared to the original Desire is to the screen. The Desire HD has a massive 4.3″ screen – the same as the HTC HD2. It’s a gorgeous display and one that you’re not going to want to damage. The best way to keep the screen free from scratches and looking like new is to fit a screen protector. These screen protectors from HTC are precision cut to size and are quick and easy to install.

Sony Ericsson MW600 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The MW600 is another accessory that features in a lot of my top 10’s. It’s a great buy at less than £40, has some amazing features and no-one else can come close to it. It’s a multipoint stereo bluetooth headset with a built in FM radio. This means that you can listen to your music from your phone in stereo without any wires. What’s more, you can connect this to a second device at the same time – this could be your work mobile, your PC for VoIP calling or your PS3 for online gaming – it works with them all. If a call comes in, the headset will automatically switch to your phone and allow you to take the call without any messing about. As soon as the call is over you’ll be returned to your music or gaming.

DAGi Smartphone Slim Line Capacitive Stylus

Although the Desire HD has one of the best touch screens available, not everyone likes using their finger to control it – especially anyone who is used to using a stylus on a previous phone. If you’ve tried to use a traditional stylus with the Desire HD you’ll have already noticed that they don’t work on as the Desire HD has a capacitive touch screen that doesn’t rely on pressure to activate it. There is a way round this though – the Dagi Capacitive Stylus.

There are 3 sizes of Dagi Capacitive Stylus to choose from as well as a HTC branded one for the HTC Desire HD. What makes these different to a regular stylus is that instead of having a point to press your screen, they have a flat circular disc at the end that works in a similar way to how your finger would. They’re great for drawing, making handwritten notes and sketching things out, but not as fast/accurate as your fingers are when you’re typing on the on screen keyboard.

Jawbone ICON Bluetooth Headset – The Thinker – Black

If you use your Desire HD in the car but prefer a bluetooth headset then take a look at the Jawbone Icon. Bluetooth headsets are the safest and legal way to use your phone for calling when you’re driving. As with Desire HD cases, the range of bluetooth headsets can be overwhelming as there are just so many to choose from – all promising the same thing – exceptional call quality and easy to use controls. The Jawbone Icon delivers on both of these promises. It uses the latest Jawbone technology that not only detects vibrations in your jawbone but also uses dual microphones to eliminate background noise.

What makes this headset my favourite for the Desire HD is the extra stuff it does. It supports ‘voice apps’ – small downloadable apps that add extra functionality to the headset – for example voice overs for battery levels and caller ID and support for A2DP (stereo audio).

HTC CC C200 Micro USB Car Charger

Ask any smartphone owner about their battery life and you’ll be met with a pretty negative response. Even though the battery in the Desire HD has been improved over that in the original Desire, it’s still going to drain quickly as soon as you start using your phone in the car with any GPS apps  – Sat Nav in particular. The HTC CC200 is a genuine HTC accessory that will keep your Desire HD charged in the car. Unlike some cheaper car chargers, the CC200 is powerful enough to charge the phone even when it’s being used for GPS.

These are just a handful of the HTC Desire Accessories so if you’ve not seen anything here that does what you want, don’t worry, just head over to the main site where you’ll be able to view plenty more accessories to help you make the most of your phone and keep it looking at its best.