HTC announces S740: because two keypads are better than one

Looking for the Touch Pro in a slightly less conspicuous package? HTC (who else?) thinks it has the answer in the S740, the first thorough revamp of the S710 of old. The basic concept is the same -- wrap Windows Mobile Standard into a candybar package with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard -- but the S740 takes design cues from the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro for a thoroughly 2008-ish look. The feature list has naturally been refreshed, too, with 7.2Mbps HSDPA on the 900 and 2100MHz bands (read: screw you, North Americans), quadband EDGE, a 3.2-megapixel fixed focus cam, WiFi, GPS, and a 2.4-inch QVGA display. And, you know, if all that isn't enough to impress your snobby friends, just slide open that keyboard, say "boom," and watch the jaws drop. Look for it to filter across Europe starting next month.

[lou_ie @ Aug 26th 2008 4:06AM]

wow

[Bill Jobs @ Aug 26th 2008 8:54AM]

Now this is what I want. The lovechild of the Diamond and the Pro.

[OneLove @ Aug 26th 2008 11:59AM]

What they should've done was make it fold (not slide), like that old nokia communicator and put a bigger screen inside.

[Phoenix @ Aug 26th 2008 12:41PM]

@bill jobs

No it's not. This does NOT have a touchscreen!

[Fitz @ Aug 27th 2008 7:31PM]

Uummmm...I bought the HTC S710 (from European distributor) about 2 years ago and I've hung onto it for that time. Not sure why they never released it in US, but it works well for me. The 200MHz processor does need an upgrade though....hope the specs turn in that favor for the S740.

[Phoenix @ Aug 27th 2008 11:13AM]

@filz

Does 528MB sound good?

[Striker @ Aug 26th 2008 4:08AM]

Awwww... No VGA screen.

[moneytoo @ Aug 26th 2008 5:35AM]

VGA? How? Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard does not support VGA.

[Erwos @ Aug 26th 2008 8:54AM]

It most certainly does support VGA. And 800x480, I believe.

[1234321 @ Aug 26th 2008 9:25AM]

why is the dude low ranked, I do believe he's right
WinMo Pro supports upto WVGA (but only upto VGA if there's no GPU)
This thing has WinMo Std, meaning its NOT Touchscreen, unlike the Touch Pro and like the S710

[o rly @ Aug 26th 2008 11:07AM]

The S710 isn't touchscreen either; this is basically an update to that model.

[Sergio @ Aug 26th 2008 11:40AM]

Of course gorgeous WinMOB supports VGA like the Diamond and the Pro.
I belive the upper (diamond and Pro) are the highest resolutions screens on the market today on any cel phone.
I saw the screen on a Diamond and it looks AWSOME!!! You can really tell its high res.

[chillax68 @ Aug 27th 2008 4:26AM]

wtf why do you need a vga screen for winmo standard I mean i can't even imagine watching a movie on this phones screen or even web browsing for that matter this is obviously pointed towards the teens it's strong points will be music and texting something the new winmo 6.1 standard is excellent at I mean the new winmo 6.1 standard media-player is pretty and anything shiny and simple will have the teens flocking towards

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Aug 26th 2008 4:17AM]

QVGA! are we going backward!

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Aug 26th 2008 7:11AM]

it don't have to be VGA.... but QVGA on 2.4" is low 166 DPI (yes the iphone 160 DPI is low) .. for me phones should at least have 240 DPI .... if they use something like HVGA resolution it will about 235 DPI @ 2.4" Display ... now this is good res.

[ntlam @ Aug 26th 2008 4:18AM]

errr... wow.... and... feel like ugly.

This will make the phone look longer... and somehow weired with a offset from middle screen. Why don't just make the whole front face a touch screen + wide display? That will looks better.

[Phoenix @ Aug 26th 2008 4:38AM]

You mean the Touch Pro?

This is a smaller, non-touch screen one. Hence the requirement for a keypad on the front.


And it's QVGA because it's a smaller screen, I wouldn't wanna try squinting at VGA on that. a 2.8" full-face screen yes, but not that.

[armpit @ Aug 26th 2008 4:19AM]

iPhone 3G rulez!

[Rich @ Aug 26th 2008 7:13AM]

Is it me or are there more idiots on the Internet since the iPhone was released?

[Ruben @ Aug 26th 2008 7:22AM]

...at dropping calls.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Aug 26th 2008 8:30AM]

... and I bet none of them actually own an iPhone. Or any smartphone at all for that matter.

As for the HTC, the design is absolutely beautiful. The rest remains to be seen.

[Marq @ Aug 26th 2008 8:53AM]

They're the kids at the Apple store playing around on the phone knowing damn well they aren't buying one.

[Nick @ Aug 26th 2008 10:29AM]

@unix wow dude a positive comment about a non apple product.

[xValentine @ Aug 26th 2008 4:31AM]

Imagine it also has a touch screen keyboard.

Now the would be a first.

[BigDaddyM @ Aug 26th 2008 4:35AM]

I wish they would increase the screen on this and it would be perfect. I do not need a tiny slim phone. I need a usuable device for buisness. A larger screen woudl be awesome. I love my TILT but I think I will skip the Touch Pro version in hopes of something better.
M

[Phoenix @ Aug 26th 2008 4:38AM]

If you love your tilt then you wouldn't like this: No touch screen.

[zMastaa @ Sep 10th 2008 7:12AM]

wth

"
BigDaddyM @ Aug 26th 2008 4:35AM
I wish they would increase the screen on this and it would be perfect. I do not need a tiny slim phone. I need a usuable device for buisness. A larger screen woudl be awesome. I love my TILT but I think I will skip the Touch Pro version in hopes of something better.
M"

read what you have put

I wish they would increase the screen on this and it would be perfect. - Touch Pro (PPC) has a larger screen than this S740 (SMARTPHONE)

I do not need a tiny slim phone. - Touch Pro is only 2mm slimmer than your Tilt
I need a usuable device for buisness - Touch Pro
A larger screen woudl be awesome. - Touch Pro
I love my TILT - Touch Pro is a direct upgrade from Tilt

[Ike Turner @ Aug 26th 2008 4:37AM]

VGA would be overkill on a 2,4 screen! QVGA is plenty enough.

[yui @ Aug 26th 2008 4:48AM]

Not really. Nowadays its quite common to have a VGA screen in 2.4 inch.
All softbank and docomo high spec phones have VGA screen as a standard.
Also, if HTC aim for international release it should have better to be VGA. 2-byte text characters looks crappy in a QVGA screen.
By the way, doesnt it looks like Willcom 03 by sharp?

[nxtiak @ Aug 26th 2008 4:50AM]

Thing looks really long but it's hott.
Now, where's my HTC Dream!

[pfromg @ Aug 26th 2008 5:08AM]

thats a few buttons on the wrong side of silly.

[deimos @ Aug 26th 2008 5:26AM]

Very Sleek looking HTC design, I like how they are adressing diffrent aspects of functinality, without making one super wide, heavy all in one clunker that is a pain to carry around. Personally, the Touch Pro is my weapon of choice, even though the candy bar profile of the S740 is so sweet, it takes away the dedicated number row, yea the dedicated number pad is nice, but what about Doom?

[Mustaine @ Aug 26th 2008 5:45AM]

I like the old Nokia 9000. Kinda chunky but it's a decade old or thereabouts. It was a better design than this and for the life of me I don't know why it hasn't been improved upon further.

[=glu @ Aug 26th 2008 6:04AM]

...and the silliest phone style in the world (nokia 9110...brosnan bond touchpad bmw control) reemerges to once again shine a light on the bizarre breed of people who would actually buy a phone like this. Let me ask you, are you a commando operative or are you a 1992 PC World artists rendering of the future mobile user?

[Harry Wagstaff @ Aug 26th 2008 6:37AM]

I got an old 9110i off of one of my Dad's friends for free :-D. That phone is seriously awesome.

[Mustaine @ Aug 26th 2008 7:46AM]

I like clamshells. If I liked candybars I'd go for the Blackberry design. I think the screen is as worthy of protection as the keyboard. Maybe I'm a rougher than average user.
Yes, the old Nokias were as big as my glasses case, but that doesn't need to be the case now.
..oh, and don't forget Val Kilmer in The Saint. ;P

[Jash Sayani @ Aug 26th 2008 5:54AM]

Nice! Any guess about the price ?

[Kimmo @ Aug 26th 2008 6:05AM]

Wow it looks really nice, but the QVGA display... Hmm.. =/ Looks a lot like Nokia E90, but with one screen less.

[FllyZR4 @ Aug 26th 2008 6:06AM]

I´ve got a Touch Pro... this thing is way better than an Iphone. I use to have one before and sold it. Iphone is over-hyped. This design however is stupid.... I mean look at the screen interface size
...

[stevejobsmultitouchedme @ Aug 26th 2008 6:11AM]

I love my S710 but I can't say I'm too interested in this. It looks kind of awkward and clunky.

[Sean Fellowes @ Aug 26th 2008 6:45AM]

After two O2 handsets, two HTC handsets and 4 dreadfull experiences with that clunky, freeze prone, "damn my finger tip covers 4 icons", "I'll get a cup of coffee while this program fires up", Windows Mobile x.x, my new iPhone has it in the bag. Now if apple and HTC would combine... the offspring could be near perfection. Given hell will freeze over before that happens, it is a no brainer to use a 9/10 Apple operating system running on a 7/10 Apple handset.

[Phantom_Lord @ Aug 26th 2008 6:58AM]

One word! UGLY!

[Danny F. @ Aug 26th 2008 8:34AM]

What are you talking about?!?! Please tell me thats sarcasm..

This phone is sexy as hell, compared to the S710 and S730 thats a big step up.

[TareX @ Aug 26th 2008 6:59AM]

It looks nothing more than a Chinese joke. How did this go into production at HTC?

[deerpark @ Aug 26th 2008 7:04AM]

If it just had one more keyboard the world would be safe.

[Galley @ Aug 26th 2008 9:24AM]

Yeah, you would think they could add one more on the right side, another on the touch screen, and add support for an external bluetooth model.

[Phoenix @ Aug 26th 2008 11:23AM]

1) no touch screen
2) it /has/ bluetooth keyboard support.

[terry @ Aug 26th 2008 7:19AM]

ok, Apple didn't invent the smartphone but they did it better and the world is working overtime to replicate it. But here is the funny part. Apple has only introduced one model of the iphone in almost two years. The 3G is similar but not radical. The rest of them clowns throw out shit every week, and if you'd add up all the shit that has come up since then, you'll notice that Apple and it dynamic software and revolutionary phone has stood up to the competition with only ONE FUCKING MODEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is HTC like 100th model in the past three month. The big bad iphone killer. I'm laughing my ass off.
Same goes for their computers: the original imac, imac with the swivel neck and the current beast. 3 fucking models in a decade!
Same analysis goes for the ipod. And today Job Apple is worth more than Google based on about seven models of flag ship products in a decade!
All you haters go nibble on some hot c4.
Fanboy for life. Plaaaaayaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

[tony @ Aug 26th 2008 8:00AM]

Some people like to choose what they want, instead of having it chosen for them.

[ipubs bastard child @ Aug 26th 2008 9:03AM]

You realise of course that the iphone is about as much of a smartphone as this HTC is a small victorian fireplace?

HTC phones are business tools. Iphones are just.. fucking phones!

As lovely as they are they cannot compete with WM phones in the same markets, thats not me hating them just how it is!

HTC have and will release countless models before and after the iphone so I'm not sure how else I can say this other than, fuck off with your fucking iphone as can anbody else that can't see them for what they are. Phones.

Back on topic, this phone seems alright. I'd rather have the larger screened touch pro cousin though.