CTIA 2009: Live Report

The T-Mobile Dash (known as Excalibur in Europe) went over with a bang and we’ve always wondered why HTC hasn´t used this form factor in more of its models. Now, the new Snap (S522 in the States) will feature it, for these who want to have a QWERTY at at hand all the time. And it isn’t just a keyboard, but an excellent one – HTC knows how to make high-quality phones. Kudos to the Taiwanese manufacturer for the large characters onto the buttons as well, the special characters are really easy to find. The build quality is also exceptional and the phone looks solid, although it is less than a half inch thick and its weight is decent. We also like the metal strip between the display and the QWERTY, which is just a petty detail but gives to its overall look. The rubber covered back isn’t too pretty, but is a welcome feature in such phone.



HTC doesn´t plan on putting the Snap forward as an all inclusive device,  – you won’t find a fancy camera or extra multimedia features. Still, it has what its target audience calls for – it is fast, has got great battery life (8.5 hours of talk time), GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G. It is the first model to come out with HTC’s Inner Circle feature. It allows you to bring emails from a selected group of people at the top of the email client with but a click of a button. This allows to set your mailbox priorities in snap and see the messages you deem most important first.

Well done HTC, thumbs up for the Snap!

HTC Snap Specifications
HTC S522 Specifications