HTC S710: The Balance Between Form and Function

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archives/aug07/htcs710.aspx' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archives/aug07/htcs710.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>&quot;Form and function. These sometimes conflicting goals have driven manufacturers crazy ever since the first mobile device was on the drawing boards. Manufacturers want to market compelling, feature-rich devices, but every feature they add to a device increases its size and weight, thus decreasing its portability. The most recent attempt to find this &quot;sweet spot&quot; comes from HTC in the form of their recently announced S710 Smartphone (a.k.a., HTC Vox).&quot;</em></p><p><img alt="" border="1" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/500/spt/auto/1187362952.usr6.jpg" /></p><p>This phone is truly a joy to use. The slide out keyboard has made the pain of typing on this form factor a thing of the past. You can still use dial pad text typing if you like but it is so nice to have the option. Here is a nice review outlining some of the other features of this great creation.</p>

[Mike Temporale]

Wow.... I didn't realize how much you liked this phone. I haven't heard much about it since you got it, so I figured it wasn't too high on the favorite list.

[redbluff]

I tried the 710 but could not type on the keyboard very well and the phone was really thick and heavey. I have used just about every HTC device there is but I must say my most recent purchase of the HTC Touch is by far the best device I have ever used and this includes my Dash.

The Touch with the new on screen touch keyboard that you can really type of with your thumbs is great and yes while it is advertised as a triband only device it is now proven to be a quad band device. I really cant say enough about it size and functionalty which I found to be far superior to the Dash and the 710. Sure it could be faster and support 3g but it is great to use.

[Rocco Augusto]

i wish there was a 3G version in the US :(

[karinatwork]

Did anybody else notice some wear on the back key? I feel sometimes it's like "stuck", although it's not, but it feels like it. Still works well and responds well, but it doesn't pop out as much as before...

[Mike Temporale]

Did anybody else notice some wear on the back key? I feel sometimes it's like "stuck", although it's not, but it feels like it. Still works well and responds well, but it doesn't pop out as much as before...

I don't have this phone - but which back key are you refering too? There's one on the face of the device, and I assume there is also one on the keyboard. It's not a good sign if either is sticking, but I would really be concerned about the quality if the main back key is having problems. :confused:

[karinatwork]

It's the main back key, the one on the face of the device with the little left arrow on it. Yeah, sad. As I said, it works perfectly fine, but the feel is quirky.

[Mechanicaldan]

I've been using a S710 (Vodafone V1415) for about 6 weeks now, and it's a great package. I have big hands and have no problem using the keyboard, which I just LOVE! The keypad and 5-function pad are also great.

The phone is a little slow, and it's locked up a few times, and after restarting goes into a permentant restart cycle, but pull the microSD card out, pull the battery out, and then put the battery in, turn the phone on, and insert the SD card, and everything is right back to normal. I do not have an issue with any of this because I truely love the phone. If and when the S730 ever comes out, it will be a no-brainer to upgrade to the faster processer and GPS. But I wasn't going to wait on a maybe.

I replaced my old Audiovox SMT5600 with the S710. Windows Mobile 6 is really nice. I like the addition of Wi-Fi, especially because my company SIM is internet access blocked. So, I check movie times at hot spots, and check emial from Yahoo and Google which is pushed directly to my phone.

I have loaded Windows Live and Google Maps, and generally like both.

I've used Word to compose some small documents and later sync it to my laptop and finish the document. I haven't used Power Point or Excel yet, but I'm sure I will in the future. I sync all my Outlook appointments, contacts, and tasks. I do have some music on the microSD card.

I wake up to the phone's alarm every morning, and I think battery life is great. I mostly charge the battery while it's syncing to my laptop with the USB cable.

My one current issue is finding a homescreen that fits my needs.