Many observers of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are waiting to see what kind of presence the open-source Android mobile-phone platform will have among new smartphones. Some have speculated that HTC, which makes the pioneering T-Mobile G1 Android handset, might release its own Android model.
But HTC currently is announcing only its new Windows Mobile 6.1 phone, the S743, which it described as “a compelling fusion of style and power.” The new model features a 12-key keypad with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 3.2-megapixel camera, an additional VGA camera for video calls, Bluetooth and support for high-speed HSDPA (850/1900-MHz) networks.
‘High Design, High Performance’
Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America, told news media that the S743’s “high design and high performance,” packed into 4.9 ounces, “is a great example of HTC’s rejection of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ philosophy.” He added that the company intends to bring “the benefits of mobile convergence to all consumers.”
HTC may be eschewing one size, but it has designed the handset to fit the average palm ergonomically, with a width of only 1.7 inches. The smartphone orients both vertically, for the keypad, and horizontally, for the pull-out keyboard, a “faceted” arrangement similar to the earlier HTC Touch Diamond. The resemblance to the Touch Diamond is a kinship HTC readily acknowledges.
The S743 also fits in with office and personal e-mail, as it is built to interface with Microsoft Exchange and POP3 and IMAP4 e-mail protocols.
At the moment, the S743 is not exclusive to a carrier, and is expected to be sold unlocked for any GSM network when it is released later this quarter. The company said it will be available through “independent channels” in the U.S., including dell.com and cdw.com. But without carrier subsidies, the price, rumored to be in the…