At a glance, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense that HTC would be devoting time, money, and energy to moving downmarket into the dog-eat-dog world of dumbphones -- but after chatting a bit with the company today, we've got a slightly better sense for why the
Smart exists: it's a stepping stone, not a final destination. It's promoting the Qualcomm Brew MP-powered device as a way to get folks who would otherwise buy... say, a
Samsung Corby, and use it to get them interested in (and locked into) the Sense UI, which looks surprisingly similar here to what you'd find on anything else HTC makes. The Smart's screen animations are pleasantly fast and you've got basically all the stuff you'd expect to find on a basic new-in-box smartphone including full HTML browsing and support for Twitter, email, and so on. The 2.8-inch resistive display seemed totally usable to us; clearly, a full QWERTY keyboard won't be terribly comfortable on
any 2.8-inch screen, but it ain't bad. In a word, we're impressed -- we wouldn't buy it (and we suspect you wouldn't either), but it's definitely got a valid target demo. Follow the break for video.
posted January 7th 2010 1:26PM
Now if someone could slip Android onto it...
@Slaarg
Would not be surprised if this was built on a slimmed down android.
@glamajamma A linux kernel perhaps...
But I am curious..
What does it use as a platform?
@glamajamma I would be surprised, since it's it's running on top of Brew MP, no relation to Android at all.
@glamajamma
built on BREW
@Slaarg
Did you read the f*ckin' blog post? It's not supposed to have Android or WinMo OS's. It's supposed to get people who wouldn't by an Android or WinMo smartphone some of the experience of it. Then when they get their next phone, they might step up to the real smartphone.
It's a smart plan!
@(Unverified) Running on BREW, it's actually been painted with HTC's Sense interface which as you know, was last seen on the HD2. Processor speed is just 300MHz—pretty slow—and RAM is a fairly average 256MB. Internal memory is 256MB, but that's expandable by microSD. Well at least they are improving ayt? HTC smart details: http://bit.ly/htc-smart-details
It can probably at least run java apps.
That would mean at least we get a decent browser like Opera Mini 5.
@Wesley BREW is not java though.
I can see where HTC are coming from with this: my little sister is crazy jealous of our Mum's new Blackberry and my HD2, but she doesn't need something as powerful (or expensive) as a full-blown smartphone. This would suit her down to the ground.
Just think of this as HTC branching out into getting the kids hooked on the soft stuff. Gateway drugs are powerful things...
Well there is the Android running Tattoo, which has a nice XDA community with it.
@Patlex
Which Ugotamesij's sister would love...
@Imran
Not. Too smarty phone.
It IS reminiscent of the iPhone.
@bluemajik
I don't see how... would you mind explaining?
@HardToBelieve
I think it's better.
@HardToBelieve The iPhone always seemed kinda 'featurephone' to me, albeit a really high end featurephone. The HTC Smart kinda puts off the same vibe.
Just the type of device that I would be interested in - primarily because you wouldn't be forced to pay for a data plan.
Hope a version of it heads over to the US.
Sadly device like this on VZW and Sprint last i check generally require the feature phone data plan which is under $15 a month.
@Patlex
Really? That's ridiculous.
No joke, you want to buy the the Samsung Rogue, or another higher end touch screen feature phone on VZW you need their feature phone data plan. The same with the Samsung Instinct line.
I can think of a ton of people who only really need something like this. I think it's a great idea.
Im liking this, i really want a simple phone but that is really fast im fed up with them all struggling with stuff they arent really capable of running smoothly
@mark29
I think this would be an excellent phone for my mom. She is not into gadgets but this phone is simple enough and gives bonuses like a full QWERTY keyboard to make her look almost as cool as me.
Great move by HTC, a dumbphone with alot of modern smartphone features in its software, a bit like the samsung jet i suppose but without the crappy sammy interface. Pricing will be key.
looks like a smart-dumbphone, but not much else.
I love the Menu button.
Take an SE Xperia X10, make the hard keys touch sensitive like on the Droid, but with the dedicated functions: Home, Power, Search and align a hardware button like here for the Menu function and we've got pure SEX!
Weakkk
looking at the picture makes me cringe they havent figured out their design flaws from the touch pro dpad.
Boy I guess Hud got another camera man job.
Well, how much does it cost? HTC isn't exactly a company that produces cheap devices. If it's more than 150€, Samsung/LG's phones will eat it alive.
Some people I know who bitch about netbooks under 10" browse on a smartphone.
Do I see bubbles around icons?
I guess that means the Android Sense UI is heading back in time as well.
The only thing I don't like about these HTC phones is the way the bottom is rounded in an odd shape. It kinda reminds me of Jay Leno's big chin.
Still not okay with Engadget calling them dumbphones. I guess that's what happens when you have an online publication made entirely of people who all probably have smartphones and most likely consider themselves to be more technologically savvy then the average consume would would buy a *FEATURE PHONE*. I believe that's called condescension.
@kenny goo
Your comment made me think of this comic.
http://www.explosm.net/comics/1892/
Sounds like something that would be going to AT&T. It's based on BREW MP, which AT&T announced it's going to have on all of it's new featurephones soon.
So this is like a "gateway" phone lol. First hits always free(with 2 year agreement***) lol :)
***comment does not reflect actual price, joke purposes only ;)
Where the hell are you? Pandora?
The O.S. looks just like that of my Hero and is faster than mine too!
the former report said HTC Smart gets 256 RAM and ROM....2.8 touch screen....3.2 mega pix.....so i really doubt it's a replication of HTC touch series like Diamond or Viva....So anyway, i think we can have a try whether Smart could run Android or Windows Mobile