Gsmarena have posted their review of the HTC Tattoo. Here are the phone’s key features, main disadvantages and their final impression.

Key features

* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
* 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
* Heavily customizable: exchangeable covers
* Android OS v1.6 (Sense UI), upgradeable to 2.1 Eclair
* 2.8″ resistive touchscreen of QVGA resolution
* Qualcomm MSM 7225 528 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
* 3.15 megapixel fixed-focus camera
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
* Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
* Standard miniUSB port for charging and data
* Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
* microSD card slot, up to 8GB support (a 2GB card in the box)
* Standard 3.5mm audio jack
* Direct access to the official Android repository
* Smart dialing
* Stereo FM radio with RDS

Main disadvantages

* QVGA resolution doesn’t do Android/ Sense UI graphics justice
* No video-call camera
* Camera lacks auto focus, flash and has a rather basic UI
* CIF@15fps video recording (352 x 288 pixels) is below par
* No voice dialing
* No DivX or XviD video support or a third-party application to play that
* Poor MP4 playback performance – barely watchable in video resolution above QVGA
* No Flash support for the web browser
* No Bluetooth file transfers (not without rooting)
* No TV-out port

The HTC Tattoo took the plunge to a lower segment of the smartphone market to give Android some fresh air and open space. It was quite a while ago really but now that more and more droids are keen to think small, let’s see how it works for one of the pace setters. Compact size and reasonable price tag, the HTC Tattoo was among the first to try and sell Android to the masses.

The Tattoo will undoubtedly benefit from a recent surge in QVGA droids: the Android Market is always busy anyway but more native applications available are undoubtedly welcome. Not to mention the one-of-a-kind customization which lets it stay fresh (on the outside at least) for years.

Of course it’s not all rosy in the Tattoo garden. QVGA resolution is the Android way of staying within budget but Symbian will offer you nHD res even cheaper. It’s a matter of touchscreen experience against hardware and price tag, says the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

One should also make sure not to miss the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini if looking for a cheap and compact Android. The baby XPERIA doesn’t exactly fit the bill for cheap but is as compact as they get these days. The X10 mini pulls better imaging and overall performance which is not to be ignored as well.

If the low-res screen is a deal breaker, take a look at the Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica. It matches all the major features of the Tattoo and doubles the pixel count, but at an obviously higher price.

Then, there’s the HTC Touch2 for the unconvinced by Android. Coming with the Sense UI, it will make sure user experience feels familiar. A PocketPC in an equally compact package and signed by HTC – there must be plenty of users who believe they can’t go wrong with that one.

All that said, the HTC Tattoo doesn’t seem to have a direct rival in the classical sense of the word. There isn’t another handset with the exact same price tag and a close enough feature set to make the choice between the two strictly a mater of brand loyalty. And finding a niche is always a good thing, especially in the mid-range segment.

Even that aside, the HTC Tattoo is a pretty attractive package: customizable to the point of being one-of-a-kind, nice and shiny interface (well, QVGA but still), decent performance and a reasonable price tag. Cool and friendly smartphone, unbothered by the high-end hustle and bustle.