Keypad AND Keyboard anyone? Say hello to the new HTC S740 Smartphone

[Guest PPCInformer]

Out of the blue... here is the new baby from HTC, its the HTC S740!

So what's special about this new device....

Features:

• Windows Mobile® 6.1 Standard
• Slide-out four-row keyboard for quick and easy text entry
• 2.4-inch TFT-LCD screen housed within a slim and elegant design
• Mobile Internet - surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA and Wi-Fi®
• 3.2 megapixel camera for quality stills and video
• microSD™ slot for expandable storage
  

Check the HTC website for more information!

What do you guys think about this device?

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

At last, a new Smartphone!

I'd like to see a keypad only version that's super thin personally...

P

[Guest mo_sjo]

I'd like to see a keypad only version that's super thin personally...

I was just thinking the exact same thing!! :D

[Guest juliankay]

OMG! WANT! :D

[Guest Jakob]

At last, a new Smartphone!

I'd like to see a keypad only version that's super thin personally...

P

YES .. a PHONE..

not somekind of stupid useless touchscreen PDA. Now HTC, loose that crappy spacewasting QWERTY keyboard and make us a PHONE.

Make us the next C500, and call it whatever you want.. but please please please - no QWERTY keyboard.

/J

[Guest juliankay]

Yea to be honest I'd be fine if it didn't have a keyboard... though I do find the S710 one pretty handy at times. I just want a new phone with the same quaility as the other new devices but without Windows Mobile Professional.

Next question is - when can I get it on Orange?

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Looks rather tall though?

Still as Paul said it's a new Smartphone, could this replace my C550 I wonder?

[Guest Jakob]

S740 = 116.3 mm (L) x 43.4 mm (W) x 16.3 mm (T) ~ 82,3cu cm.

C500 = 108 mm (L) x 46 mm (W) x 16 mm (T) ~79,5cu cm.

C550 = 108 mm (L) x 46 mm (W) x 17 mm (T) ~ 84,5cu cm.

Yes - its taller than the C500 and volumewize bigger.

Now; just think of a nice package if they got rid of the keyboard :D

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Still got that horrible diamond back, I wonder if it rocks like the Diamond does :D

[Guest Neil5459]

Not in the original post, but it's got GPS and A-GPS as well :D

[Guest Mechanicaldan]

Wow, what a nice surprise! I love this time of year right before the holidays when new devices are released. :D This would be a great replacement for the S710. It's what the S730 should have been. I think my tastes are shifting though. I really like the Touch Pro. I've always had a Smartphone though. A dedicated keypad on my phone just made sense. I think I'm ready for the extra power of the Professional OS and additional software.

I don't think extra length will be an issue. For pockets, I think wide and thickness are more an issue.

I'm on Vodaphone, and they have both the S710 and Kaiser. They are gettitng the Touch Pro, SE X1, and I'd bet a pint that they'll be getting the S740 also. I'm just going to have to go into the shops when whey come in and do a hands on comparison.

Anyone want to guess a price? 300 - 350 GBP?

Comparison of iPhone, cards, S710, S730, S740

http://sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/16...730-vs-HTC-S740

Edited August 26, 2008 by Mechanicaldan

[Guest mstephenson]

WOW, just what i've been waiting for! Was just about to give in and get an S730 but think i'll hold out for this. Just hope they've sorted out that memory issue that plagued the S730

Just having a look at the full spec on the HTC site; 528mhz processor sounds very nice indeed! As does the 256mb rom and 256mb ram-can't wait to get my hands on one of these :D

Edited August 26, 2008 by mstephenson

[Guest PPCInformer]

:D So am I the only one who didnt like this phone

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Appears so :D

Hah!

P

[Guest Fizz_daz]

that's it decision made.. orange.. have your cr***y omnia back....

[Guest neilg]

hooooooooooorrrrraaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!

at last! not qwerty but at last a new smartphone!!

[Guest l3v5y]

I think, although I could well be wrong, that this may be the HTC Rose...

Looks nice, although I do like a touch screen... :D

[Guest rav1patel]

as much as i love my diamond smartphone is just so much quicker and more repsonsive than pocketpc. feels like a phone should without the sluggishness. but why a qwerty?

[Guest Alex (nedge2k)]

:D

deff gonna be my next device - unless a ppc with kb and keypad comes out :D

..shame no AF or flash though :angry:

[Guest Gorskar]

I've got to admit that is a nice device - I've had a HTC TYTN for ages, and really like the hardware keyboard - the touch screen I use far less, so I could easily lose that.

That phone looks very nice, and has nothing show stopping missing off the feature set!

Still unless it arrives before a Network subsidised Touch Pro I'll probably get that.

[Guest PPCInformer]

:D positive replies from everyone , thats interesting .. I havent used a WM Standard, I made a choice to go WM Professional from Symbian a few years back ... Is there any feature on the Standard that is not present on the Professional version of Windows Mobile ..

If you guys were to choose between Touch Pro / Diamond / S740 what would you choose ? ( Ignore the Price factor for this selection)

[Guest guybrush]

I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed with this device. I have been patiently waiting for a new Windows Mobile Standard (WMS) device from HTC. While the specs of the S740 handset are pretty impressive, I am not sure that this device has a market. I do not believe that the WMS market needs a QWERTY keyboard on its handsets, and I think that this is a serious design flaw.

This device blurs the line between WMS and Windows Mobile Professional (WMP) devices. There should be a distinction between WMS and WMP devices, both in specs and in price point. Because this device tried to be more that it should be in terms of specs, it missed the target on the price point, and that this a serious stumble that has repeated for most WMS devices.

If Microsoft wants to conquer the mobile phone market, it needs devices that are small, simple, and cheap. This device is thick, bloated, and will very likely be expensive. It simply misses the point of the WMS platform.

While the WMP platform is designed for touch devices that are spec heavy, relatively large, and mainly targeted to business users, media heavy users, and serious net mobile surfers, the WMS platform is/should be designed for devices that are minimal in specs, candy bar or clamshell in design, with simple 12 button keypads, and no QWERTY keyboards. WMS devices should be targeted to the everyday user or as a companion to the de facto business device (i.e., the Blackberry).

The everyday user needs a phone to mainly make calls, send SMS messages, check and update a schedule and a To-Do list, take simple notes, take the occasional picture, check non-time-sensitive e-mail, and look up something every once in a while. WMS devices (and the OS itself) should be designed to make these tasks as easy and as accessible as possible. The typical WMS device should not (in 2008), therefore, have GPS, 7.2 HSDPA, QWERTY keyboards, or other bells and whistles. WMS devices could have such features and more, but not on the main line of devices by Windows Mobile handset manufacturers (which on last count, Samsung and HTC standout as the only active and serious players).

So, where should the WMS and WMP platforms be? Let us take stock of the mobile phone market: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and LG are the big players (for now at least, as Motorola may be gone soon). While its share of headlines is multiples of its actual market share, the iPhone managed to make a splash in the market because it had a simple interface (some would say game changing for touch devices), associated with the dominating iPod, and it had Apple’s marketing backing. The Blackberry has and will continue to dominate the business market for a little longer.

Before the WMS and WMP platforms succeed, Microsoft and Windows Mobile device manufacturers need to determine which market segment to attack. They can choose from the mainstream mobile phone market (where Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson mainly play), the media and net surfer market (where the iPhone wants to dominate), or the business market (where Blackberry is currently king). I believe that with a little tweaking and with appropriately specced devices, the WMS platform can easily beat the offerings of its competition in the mainstream market (if not get embraced by the very manufacturers in that market). As for WMP, it appears that it is becoming a serious contender in the media and mobile net surfer market, as well as the business market. The devices are getting better and the OS is becoming easier to use, so WMP appears to be on the right track.

If HTC has a couple of more WMS devices up its sleeves that do not have QWERTY keyboards, and that are simple, thin, and cheap (see Samsung SGH-i200), then the state of the WMS platform could be saved. Otherwise, I am not sure where WMS goes from here, if anywhere.

Guy

[Guest noxide]

... WMS devices should be targeted to the everyday user or as a companion to the de facto business device (i.e., the Blackberry).

Why would Microsoft want to create a device to compliment a competitor??? I would think they'd be trying to replace it if anything. So in this device's case it has good phone functionality along with the hardware keyboard for ease of email writing ala the blackberry. Could even be cheaper that a blackberry too?

[Guest Looby]

Obviously the Vox and it's derivatives have sold well and are accepted as good devices so the S740 is the natural replacement. I would have liked the form-factor to have been more like below....a bit less like a TV-remote...

Edited August 27, 2008 by Looby

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Agreed!

P