HTC Advantage x7510 Previewed

[Nurhisham Hussein]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=5475' target='_blank'>http://www.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=5475</a><br /><br /></div><img alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/500/spt/auto/1209363828.usr14226.jpg" /> <br /><br />Mobile01, a Taiwanese technology site, has a sneak peek at a pre-production version of HTC's upcoming refresh of the Advantage which has been imaginatively titled the x7510 (<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=5475&amp;langpair=zh|en&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Google translation here</a>). Along with some changes to the fascia (less buttons, no joystick), 16GB onboard flash memory, TouchFlo, a haptic keyboard, and WM6.1 - all of which we knew about - the preview drops the welcome news that the new Advantage will have USB2.0 connectivity and automatic screen orientation (you know, just like a certain Apple device). Check out the link for more!

[whydidnt]

I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the follow up to the X7500/7501. Replacing the micro-drive with Flash is a great step forward, but for this size device, why can't we have 32 GB? Also, the decision to remove the buttons from the front of the unit is a bit concerning. There is obviously space there for them, and they really do come in handy. It seems in the rage to compete with the iPhone, HTC decided we all WANT to touch the screen all the time, which just isn't true, especially since WM just wasn't designed that way. I would have thought that in the year plus since they released the X7500 we could have seen more of an upgrade. Considering the Size of the device, is WVGA really too much ask for - the screen is 5" after all. Also, perhaps they could have shaved a few millimeters thickness off it as well. Anyway, I don't think I'll be spending the money to upgrade from my X7501 to this any time soon, as much as I "want" to like it.

Finally, have to love Google Translation -- what exactly does this (from the linked review) mean? Read the front exterior, the data also probably know, next to a grapefruit-on software as well as the general's operation. :p:p

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Replacing the micro-drive with Flash is a great step forward, but for this size device, why can't we have 32 GB? Also, the decision to remove the buttons from the front of the unit is a bit concerning...Considering the Size of the device, is WVGA really too much ask for - the screen is 5" after all. Also, perhaps they could have shaved a few millimeters thickness off it as well.

Good points all, especially since the x7510 ROM has been "liberated" by a certain notorious forum. I'm not so sure about WVGA though, for software compatibility's sake.


Finally, have to love Google Translation...

I'm still trying to figure out what all the references to <i>Citron</i> means.:p

[virain]

Agreed with both posts, And just to conceder the pre-release price in the neighborhood of $1300, I'd say for that much money youo can have very dissent UMPC such as Sony UX, with FULL Windows experience, be it XP or Vista

P.S. Grapefruit software... Hm, sounds tasty! :)

[Menneisyys]

I too played with the 7510 at MWC in February. Didn't particularly like it (the new keyboard is very bad - much-much inferior to that of, say, the Universal) and consider it having a very bad price/performance ratio.

[Sheena]

It's like the designers are going backwards! Yes, the extra memory (& it being flash) is going in the right direction, but *less* buttons? No joystick? Did anyone actually use this thing?

BTW, I'm a proud owner of a 7501 & my 2 pet peeves on it are the tiny joystick as well as the 1/2-size stylus. With all that extra space, why can't both be at least 1/3 bigger? Now with no joystick at all, how do I page-down on ebooks, etc? I bought my Advantage mainly to read & the screen is to die for, so I can live with the not-so-perfect bits, but I certainly won't be upgrading it in the same brand if this is how they're "improving".

Oh, and the keyboard? Sure it works nice as a stand since there's no cradle, but what I like best about mine is that I can dump it in my backpack (away from my credit cards) & forget it exists.

Anyone out there from HTC? More buttons, please; bigger buttons! Remember most people will put it in a case, the tiny half-recessed ones on the 7501 need a nail to get pressed. Forget about the keyboard, leave that for the texting crowd, the rest of us use the screen (plenty of real estate there) & the indispensable buttons: power, joystick, ok, camera, communications, browser, plus programmed extra functions on them (flip screen, lock, etc). There's room to make them bigger & more convenient. Some of us even manage to use this big boy one-handed! How about a separate USB for charging? That way we can connect whatever while on a/c power.

Here's hoping there's a 7520 in the future that may make me feel like spending all that $ again. For now my finances are thankful even if the inner geek is pouting.

Rosie