| HTC keeps non-touchscreen faith |
Aug. 26, 2008
 Though well-known for its "TouchFLO" enhancements to Windows Mobile, HTC has not abandoned non-touchscreen phones. The newly announced, candybar-style "S740" runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, sports a 3.2 megapixel camera, and includes GPS, WiFi, plus an FM radio.
(Click here for a larger view of HTC's S740)
The S740 uses a case design reminiscent of HTC's flagship, recently released Touch Pro and Touch Diamond. But, unlike those phones, it does not come with a touchscreen, nor with the "TouchFLO 3D" interface HTC has touted as a "great leap forward."
Instead, the S740 is "designed to offer the most flexible and efficient messaging experience on the market," says the company. The phone has both a 12-key keyboard, "for super-fast one-hand messaging," and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard "for those who prefer a two-handed messaging experience."
The 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 display switches to landscape mode automatically when the phone's QWERTY keyboard is extended, according to HTC. The company has apparently modified the Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard user interface with darker colors, but released no details of any further customizations.
Whatever software tweaks the S740 may include, it has solid hardware specifications, starting with a Qualcomm MSM7725 processor clocked at 524MHz. The phone features 256MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, and a microSD slot for memory expansion.
The S740 has a 3.2 megapixel, fixed-focus camera; built in microphone and speaker; and HTC's ExtUSB jack, which combines a mini-USB port and audio output into a single 11-pin jack. Wireless capabilities include quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) and dual-band (900/2100MHz) HSDPA/WCDMA cellular, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and even an FM radio.
Finally, the respectably compact phone measures 4.6 x 1.7 x 0.64 inches, and weighs 4.9 ounces including battery. The S740's battery provides up to six hours of talk time, HTC claims.
Features and specifications listed by HTC for the S640 include:- Processor -- Qualcomm MSM7725, clocked at 524MHz
- Memory -- 256MB of RAM and 256MB of flash
- Display -- 2.4-inch display with 320 x 240 resolution
- Keys -- 11-key numeric keypad and slide-out QWERTY keyboard
- Wireless:
- WAN -- quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) and dual-band (900/2100MHz) HSDPA/WCDMA
- WLAN -- WiFi
- PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- FM radio
- Other I/O -- ExtUSB port (combination of mini-USB port and proprietary audio jack)
- Expansion -- microSD slot
- Battery type/life:
- 1000mAh battery
- Talk time -- Up to 380 minutes on GSM, 320 minutes on WCDMA
- Standby time -- Up to 280 hours on GSM, 400 hours on WCDMA
- Dimensions -- 4.6 x 1.7 x 0.64 inches
- Weight -- 4.9 ounces
According to HTC, the S740 will be available "across Europe" in September 2008, though pricing was not released. Further information may be available on the company's website, here.
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