Product: HTC Status

Price: $399.99 ($49.99 with 2-year agreement)

What is it?

Available exclusively from AT&T, the Status — also known as “the Facebook phone” — is one of the latest smartphones by HTC.

It runs on an Android operating system and has access to thousands of apps on the Android Market.

Classic capabilities, new feel

If you’re not familiar with the Android operating system, it can be difficult to get used to at first. But even for myself, being slightly technologically impaired, I found I was surfing the Internet with the greatest of ease within minutes.

The Status also features a mobile hot spot, which means it can share its Internet connection with up to four other devices.

The Status features an ultra-responsive, upward-tilted touch screen, which takes up about half the phone. But for those who are not yet ready to convert to a world without buttons, the Status has a full QWERTY keyboard that lights up with keys about the same size as a BlackBerry’s, which might only be suitable for people with dainty thumbs.

Too much Facebook?

What I thought was unnecessary was the most novel feature about the Status, the Facebook share button that glows whenever the user takes a picture or video to prompt the user to post the content. It can also post a website to the owner’s Facebook profile.

However, the Facebook app is just as easily downloaded to any smartphone, making this feature irrelevant.

The 5-megapixel main camera was not up to snuff, as most smartphones’ cameras these days are replacing digital cameras. The Status also features a front-facing camera, which is a cool addition but still, not of great quality.

The bombardment of social media was overwhelming. On the home screen, there is a slide show of recent Facebook updates. Then there is a feature called “Friend Stream” which is essentially the user’s Facebook news feed. Facebook chat is the next screen.

If you connect your Twitter and Flickr accounts, as it prompts you to do on start up, you will never miss a tweet.

But is this a good thing?

The HTC Status potentially has its place in the smartphone world for those who seriously have an addiction to social media. But I think there are plenty of other phones on the market that have the same features as the Status, plus more. If you’re in the market for a smartphone, skip the Status.