CES 2009: Live Report
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The HTC S743 is the North American version of the S740, sporting 850/1900 MHz 3G bands, making it suitable for AT&T customers. This model is an evidence that HTC doesn't forget that there are people who are not obsessed with touch screens and prefer the traditional hardware keypads. The narrow smart phone resembles a hi-tech remote control, but in addition to a numeric keypad below its 2.4" QVGA display, there is also a side-sliding 4-row QWERTY - something your remote definitely doesn't have. The keyboard is not as good as the one of the Touch Pro, but S743 is not as big either. Yet, it manages to pack all the bells and whistles of its elder brother and is something we'd recommend to those who look for a Windows Mobile standard phone. Just keep in mind that your mother in law may ask you how to turn the TV on using it.
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T-Mobile Shadow
The original Shadow was released by T-Mobile back in October, 2007. In a nutshell, it is Windows Mobile Standard device (no touch screen) which offered SureType keyboard found in the Blackberries, with keys arranged in 5x4 instead of the regular 3x4 formation. At the time when we reviewed it, we were pretty happy but noted sluggish performance, poor incoming sound quality and unappealing color as the main drawbacks. It seems HTC and T-Mobile took note (we like to think because of us) and the second iteration hopefully resolves all those issues.
The design is definitely refreshed, with more rounded corners and somewhat resembling TYTN II’s forms. The weight is kept at 5.29oz and even though this is considered heavy, it is very well balanced and feels a lot lighter when held. Dimension-wise, both devices are pretty much identical (could this be the reason why the new one still called Shadow and not Shadow 2). Just as on the original, the keypad is just great – easy to press with good feedback. The same goes for the shortcuts and volume keys and well as the D-pad which can be used as a traditional one, there’s also the option of turning it, just like the iPod except it’s physical instead of digital. Unlike the dull dark and light color scheme of the original, the new Shadow will comes in two flavors – with black front and red slider and black front, white sides and kind of light grey slider.
The feature set and specifications are upgraded as well. The battery talk/stand-by times are almost doubled to 8h talk and 340h stand-by. The processor speed is increased to 260 MHz, and even though this might look as insignificant change the overall performance of the device is just lighting fast. The OS as can be expected is now Windows Mobile 6.1. Added is support for T-Mobile Unlimited HotSpot Calling Service as well.
Our overall first impressions are very positive. If HTC manages to fix the sound quality issues we encountered in the original Shadow, the sequel is definitely something you should consider if you are looking for this type of device.
Officially, the new Shadows is expected to be released in the upcoming week, while our sources indicate a release date of Jan. 28th at selected T-Mobile retail stores and online.
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The design is definitely refreshed, with more rounded corners and somewhat resembling TYTN II’s forms. The weight is kept at 5.29oz and even though this is considered heavy, it is very well balanced and feels a lot lighter when held. Dimension-wise, both devices are pretty much identical (could this be the reason why the new one still called Shadow and not Shadow 2). Just as on the original, the keypad is just great – easy to press with good feedback. The same goes for the shortcuts and volume keys and well as the D-pad which can be used as a traditional one, there’s also the option of turning it, just like the iPod except it’s physical instead of digital. Unlike the dull dark and light color scheme of the original, the new Shadow will comes in two flavors – with black front and red slider and black front, white sides and kind of light grey slider.
 |
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The feature set and specifications are upgraded as well. The battery talk/stand-by times are almost doubled to 8h talk and 340h stand-by. The processor speed is increased to 260 MHz, and even though this might look as insignificant change the overall performance of the device is just lighting fast. The OS as can be expected is now Windows Mobile 6.1. Added is support for T-Mobile Unlimited HotSpot Calling Service as well.
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Interface | ||
Our overall first impressions are very positive. If HTC manages to fix the sound quality issues we encountered in the original Shadow, the sequel is definitely something you should consider if you are looking for this type of device.
Officially, the new Shadows is expected to be released in the upcoming week, while our sources indicate a release date of Jan. 28th at selected T-Mobile retail stores and online.
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2 Comments
1. darthvegas posted on 20 Oct 2010, 01:42 0 0
I'll take one. And I guess I'll need one of those Touchstone wireless chargers as well.
2. zzyxer posted on 21 May 2009, 13:13 0 0
this is a good article! im sorry, but it definitely needs to be cleaned up--serious grammatical errors and poor syntax plague the entire page.
