Speed test: Samsung Focus vs HTC HD7 [video]

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

The Samsung Focus comes with 8GB NAND memory whereas the HTC HD7 comes with 8GB NAND (presumably) and an 8GB microSD card. Of course the Focus can be upgraded by adding a microSD card, but it does not come with one. The theory has it that the HD7 will probably perform slower due to the memory card and indeed, in our tests, this is the case.

Overall, the Focus feels faster in everyday tasks, navigating the UI and of course loading Need for Speed Undercover, in comparison to the HD7. But, that may be due to the Focus not having an SD card. Either way, the difference is obvious in this video.

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

13 Comments
  • This can't be accurate. att itself has encouraged the expandable memory of the focus. Haven't you seen the ads and discuss at wmpoweruser? So for the focus to be faster and the reason you state, it being due to the HD7 using a microsd card, just can't be accurate. It has to be that HTC is using inferior cards to those used in the Focus. Because its clear, and there are plenty of pictures on the web, showing the expansion area of the focus and how easy it is to access, compared to the HD7. This article is disappointing.
  • The Focus does NOT have nor come with a storage card. Get your facts straight. Ipso facto, your argument is invalid. And AT&T is now backtracking on the "upgrade your memory" thing: http://wpcentral.com/ATT-do-not-upgrade-your-memory-focus
  • so you are backtracking now? Its clear that the Focus has a storage card. Just search the internet for the pictures.
  • Backtracking? Why do I have to "search the internet"? I actually have a Focus, you, do not. There is no storage card. There is a slot for a storage card. Big difference. Understand yet?
  • I have a focus with a storage card in mine and while playing your tests mine is not always the same speed its always slightly slower that your focus but 95% of the time it still beats the HD7
  • That's interesting. I may dig up a microSD and put in the Focus. Though I hate to hardreset my phone, I still have barely been able to use it (writing too much).
  • But Daniel said that it doesn't come with one. Though att's website says its does, of a 8gb variety. with another 8 gb of NAND. Do you have a magical device?
  • No Chef, it has 8GB. In the video it is running with just 8GB. There is no storage card loaded. It does not come with a storage card, in fact it says "Sold separately" on the box. Link me to the site where it says it comes with an 8GB microSD card, kthx.
  • The speed is something to see, but the thing that I see that would make me want the Focus over the HD7 was just how the video looked comparitively between the two. The Focus just looked so much better even in that video clip.
  • Yes Daniel is correct there is no SD card in the focus I purchased a 16 gig type 2 card and installed it
    I actually synced my phone before I realized that it was not reading the memory card so I did as claimed I hard reset the phone and now I have the extra storage ...
    I do agree that its not perfect with the exta storage it is a little buggy but it is very usable.. I hope the bug fix comes out soon... I do want to comment on the focus sound I find that it is not loud at all I wish there was some kind of booster for the sound
    I just cant turn is up loud enough at the gym..
  • Hasn't the HD7 been shown to ship using slow Class 0 microSD cards from HTC? I remember that folks are finding those cards in HTC phones so i'm thinking you can gain back some good speed if you swap in a faster class 4 or so card. What really needs to be done is to benchmark the HTC phones with the defaul card, then swap in a faster one and see what changes.
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  • Using a Dell Venue Pro with a 32GB Sandisk class 4, NFS Undercover loads at least 9 seconds faster than the Samsung Focus in the video.  However, this is probably more to do with having Mango than the speed of the memory.
    I got the impression that HD7s are slow in general.  Seems like a lot of HD7 owners make comments in reviews that games don't run smoothly.