HTC 7 Trophy smartphone running Windows 7

The main smartphone operating systems are from Apple (used on the iPhone) and Android, used by several manufacturers.

HTC makes a lot of Android phones but it also makes phones using the newer Microsoft Windows Phone 7 operating system.

We have been impressed with previous phones' large screens and sleek designs, and the new Trophy handset is similarly impressive.

The Trophy is a good looking smartphone, with a bright and clear 3.8in screen. Both images and videos looked impressive. Thanks to Microsoft's rather specific minimum requirements for Windows 7 phones, it's also fast, able to keep up with even the most demanding of tasks.

However, while it looked great and was easy to use, some options were too hidden away, and changing settings was difficult. Also, it can't connect to hidden wireless networks: Microsoft's reasoning is that hidden networks are less secure but for those who have to use them it's a big omission.

Otherwise, Windows Phone 7 is a very good mobile operating system. The home screen icons regularly update themselves with new pictures, social-network updates, appointments and emails, making it easy to follow what's going on. The HTC Hub is also a welcome addition to the interface with apps for checking the weather, playing online games and watching videos on Youtube.

The software that Windows Phone 7 uses to connect to the computer is called Zune and unfortunately it isn't very good. We found it irritating and fiddly to navigate – Microsoft has jazzed it up but has sacrificed substance for style.

The five-megapixel camera was excellent. Photos were crisp with well-defined colours, and the auto-focus lens was very quick, even when taking photos of objects quite close-by. The flash was poor, however, making photographs taken in low-light conditions look very washed-out.

There's also 8GB of storage, it connects to Bluetooth devices, and it has a GPS receiver for navigating using the pre-installed Bing Maps application.

The HTC Trophy 7 is a very capable phone with a great screen and excellent camera. All-round, it's one of the best smartphones we have seen.

The HTC 7 Trophy is available from Expansys (0845 467 7000)