HTC S740: HTC Hasn't Given Up on Windows Mobile Standard After All! [Archive]

Jason Dunn

08-26-2008, 04:32 AM

<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1219720306.usr1.jpg" border="0" />Alright, either I've completely missed the rumours about this device (entirely possible) or HTC managed to keep this one a secret up to the very end. This is an interesting phone! Here are all the specs, pulled right from the press release I was sent earlier tonight.• Size: 116.3 x 43.4 x 16.3 mm • Weight: 140g with battery • Networks: WCDMA/HSDPA: 900/2100 MHz for EU and Asia • GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz • Maximum speed: UL = 384 kbps; DL = 3.6/7.2 Mbps** • Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Standard • Display: 2.4-inch QVGA screen • Camera: 3.2 megapixel with fixed focus • Internal memory: 256 MB flash; 256 MB RAM • Memory card: microSD • WLAN: 802.11b/g • Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR • GPS: GPS/AGPS • Interface: HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed) • Battery: 1000 mAh • Talk time: WCDMA: Up to 320 minutes*** / GSM: Up to 380 minutes*** • Standby time: WCDMA: Up to 400 hours*** / GSM: Up to 280 hours*** • Special features: Sliding QWERTY keyboard, FM radio, Google Maps, RSS Hub • Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225, 528 MHzLooking at that list, a few things stand out. First, it's an EU/Asia release first, so no North American 3G bands - meaning where I am, it's an EDGE-only phone. The good news though is that it's a GSM quad-band phone, so as far as voice coverage is concerned, it will be solid. The 2.4 inch QVGA screen is a bit of a disappointment - I was hoping for a VGA screen. This thing looks so much like the Diamond, why not give it the same screen? 256 MB RAM is plentiful on a Windows Mobile Standard device, and with the microSD card slot this thing can load up with a lot of storage. Built-in GPS is nice, but couldn't they do better than a 1000 mAh battery? Perhaps that will give stellar battery life since there's no VGA screen... <MORE />The potential down-side? As a slider, it's going to be thicker than a candy-bar style phone. The thickness of the S740 is 16.3 mm. The previous generation slider from HTC is the S710, and it's 18.6 mm - so they've managed to shave 2.3 mm off. My Blackjack II is 13 mm thick in comparison, and my all-time favourite Windows Mobile Standard phone, the HTC S620 (aka T-Mobile Dash), is 12.8 mm.Regardless, I'm heartended to see that HTC hasn't abandoned the Windows Mobile Standard platform like it seemed they had. Bring us more non-touchscreen phones HTC!

Darius Wey

08-26-2008, 07:07 AM

Looking at that list, a few things stand out. First, it's an EU/Asia release first, so no North American 3G bands - meaning where I am, it's an EDGE-only phone.

Australia, too - that is, if you're on Telstra's Next G network. The other four carriers use 900/2100MHz.

The 2.4 inch QVGA screen is a bit of a disappointment - I was hoping for a VGA screen. This thing looks so much like the Diamond, why not give it the same screen?

Not with Standard, unfortunately. The max supported is 320 x 320 or 240 x 440. A 240 x 440 display on this device would have been nice.

256 MB RAM is plentiful on a Windows Mobile Standard device, and with the microSD card slot this thing can load up with a lot of storage.

Yeah. :eek: I'm liking this even more than the Diamond at the moment.

Stinger

08-26-2008, 09:24 AM

I wish HTC would include a proper 3.5mm headphone socket. Other than that (and the camera), it looks great!

Jorlin

08-26-2008, 03:48 PM

I guess this aims at all the future customers that just aren't geeky enough to go for a "full-sized" PDA phone... I really wonder how HTC will alter WM6 to make it disappear... (touchflo3D will not be enough if you have no stylus and this kind of super mini touch screen).

Jason Dunn

08-26-2008, 04:09 PM

Not with Standard, unfortunately. The max supported is 320 x 320 or 240 x 440. A 240 x 440 display on this device would have been nice.

Really? I didn't know there was a resolution limit on Windows Mobile Standard that's different than Windows Mobile Professional. You learn something new every day. :)

Rocco Augusto

08-26-2008, 06:07 PM

I really like the look of the handset but I wish their was a North American version. You would think they would by now HTC would release some new handsets in NA the same time as EU/Asia. I know there really isn't a market for unlocked phones here in the US (not sure about Canada) but I feel a large portion of that problem is almost no one besides Dell sells unlocked handsets and Dell only sell's Nokia handsets.

possmann

11-05-2008, 07:51 PM

http://www.phonenews.com/htc-s740-rose-slider-gains-us-fcc-approval-lacks-3g-support-4799/

Nice to see, but useless to me (Verizon) and no sign of that comming over any time soon (sigh).

Verizon will now allow people to activate non-Verizon phones on their network - has anyone succesfully done this?