| With the S710, HTC arguably developed one of | | | | streamlined to make way for a repositioning |
| the most user-friendly smartphones of recent | | | | of the soft keys. As well as this the keys on |
| times. This was down to the innovative design | | | | the slide-out QWERTY keypad have been |
| that incorporated the looks and simplicity of | | | | modelled more directly on a PC keyboard to |
| a straight-forward bar phone on the surface | | | | make typing a little more user-friendly. |
| and the increased usability of a QWERTY | | | | |
| keypad underneath. | | | | The S730 also rectifies the omission of 3G |
| | | | from the S710 with the addition of 3G HSDPA |
| HTC are clearly intent on building-on the fan | | | | enabling download speeds of up to 3.6mbps, |
| base developed by its well-received | | | | making this a more plausible device for |
| predecessor with the release of the S730; by | | | | mobile-office needs. |
| making tweaks to the design and features | | | | |
| rather than wholesale changes. | | | | The most notable improvement to the S710 |
| | | | though is the upgrading of the processor from |
| One of the main plus-points of the S710 was | | | | 200 MHz to 400 MHz which makes a major |
| the dual keypad design and thankfully this | | | | difference. The most notable improvement due |
| remains in place. There has been a noticeable | | | | to this is the speed the screen switches when |
| increase in the weight of the S730 when | | | | sliding the phone between keypads, which was |
| compared to the previous model; this has gone | | | | a notable issue with the S710. |
| up from 120g in the S710 to 150g in the S730 | | | | |
| and although it does make the S730 feel | | | | The HTC home page has been implemented as an |
| particularly solid, it is something worth | | | | additional extra to complement the |
| taking into consideration. The looks have | | | | now-standard Windows Mobile platform, which |
| undergone a slight renovation, but it isn't | | | | is of course the same OS seen in the S710. |
| necessarily for the better as the curved | | | | |
| edges along with the silver & black colour | | | | Perhaps it was too much to ask, but it would |
| scheme has been removed to make way for muted | | | | have been nice if the tweaks and improvements |
| greys and square edges. Not quite the best | | | | had extended to the camera functionality. |
| decision I must say. | | | | Still present is the same 2MP (without |
| | | | autofocus or flash) seen in the S710 - no |
| There have been some changes on the front | | | | change there then. |
| keypad and the design has been a little more | | | | |