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HTC Smart Mobile Phone
HTC has had quite a bit success with their slew of Android devices that seem immensely popular with all demographics. However so far, they haven’t really been able to tap into the budget segment i.e. under Rs. 10,000 , the Smart is undoubtedly their attempt to bridge the gap. This is their cheapest Smartphone yet and here’s my opinion on whether or not it’s worth the money and lives up to its name.
Form Factor
The Smart is a pretty sleek new handset that’s got just that right amount of weight (108g) for good balance. It’s just 12.8mm thin so it’s easy to carry around without leaving a bulge in your pocket. HTC has gone with a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen that has a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. Although it’s not too visually appealing I have no complaints about the overall clarity even in the bright outdoors, wherever you can find it these days.
The button set up is not one of my favourite things about the handset. It has a small key just below display that’s can pull up the menus, it’s quite tiny. The large ‘Arrow’ key is for returning to the previous menu or if pressed and held will return you directly to the main desktop menu. A 3.5mm handsfree port is located at the top with a mini USB (although it may look like one) port at the bottom. The volume keys are neatly camouflaged along the chromed border and a camera shutter release is located on the other side in the same way. A hot swap MicroSD card slot is located just under the rear panel on one side.
It’s a simple yet professional looking handset.
Features and Performance
Interface
The Smart is running on a new OS designed by Qualcomm, called Brew Mobile which comes off as quite Android-ish complete with multiple desktops, full page widgets, shortcuts etc. The settings options and other subtle functions all appear that way too. Nevertheless it’s easy to manage, customize and navigate. It’s fluid and the Smart’s 300MHz processor enables speedy delivery of access to the various features and functions. I like the layout, it’s comfortable, however multitasking is not the handset’s strongest point. A standard mobile keypad of the virtual variety obviously is available, however you do have the option of switching to landscape with a QWERTY option as well. Don’t let the small keys fool you, if you’ve calibrated the screen properly, it’s very handy for speedy typing.
If you’re used to hitting the ‘Call End’ to return to the main screen you’ll have to re-learn that habit. The Smart’s end key will lock the screen, so you’ll have to press and hold the Arrow button to return to the main desktop.
Media
Unfortunately, just like the Android’s player, this one is also strictly play and listen with no customizable options to alter audio output. However, on the plus side, the tone quality is really good and the decibel level is high enough for you to listen to your music peacefully even in the obnoxiously loud local trains at peak hour. Playlists can be created on the device itself but it doesn’t allow for individual folder viewing/playback in case that’s how you categorize your music. The FM radio worked out really well with clear reception almost everywhere I went. It scanned and saved all available stations in about 8 seconds which is quite impressive. Video Playback is limited to just 3GP and standard mobile MPEG 4 formats. Playback and viewing is quite comfortable on the 2.8-inch display. Large JPEG files may take a little while to load but that’s only to be expected for lower end handsets.
Connectivity
The HTC Smart is loaded with all basic connectivity options which is quite adequate. It’s a 3G enabled device which also offers EDGE/GPRS connectivity for Web browsing or social networking. The browser is quite basic with a double-tap to zoom option that also brings up a Zoom bar if you want to manually choose the level of zoom. There’s also an option to change the orientation to landscape for a better viewing angle.
For the social networking community, HTC has included their FriendStream App with full page widget that allows you to view and post onto Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. You can also upload images via the same, comment and reply to the same. Photos from the gallery can also be uploaded on to Facebook and or emailed or sent via Bluetooth (2.0 with A2DP) or transferred to your PC via USB 2.0. You can also link your phone contacts with our Facebook account. It’s a manual process but it’s a one time thing at the end of the day. Setting up your email accounts (full page widget also available) is also quite an easy task for POP or IMAP (Push) email accounts. A weather application that ties in to the Sense UI’s Clock interface is also on board.
Sadly, although the handset does support Java based apps. I was unable to download Google apps like Maps or their Gmail for Mobile application. There was no chat application provided either so I tried downloading Nimbuzz on more than one occasion but it just refused to start the download. The Airtel app store might have other options supported, but if you're not an Airtel customer, then this is a big problem. If you get it through Airtel, their App Central option will be preloaded.
Misc. Features
Basic mobile features like an Alarm Clock, Calendar for appointments and schedules and a calculator are present and accounted for. What seems to be missing is a unit converter which is quite strange. Off beat apps like Flash Light with controllable intensity for the camera’s LED flash can be quite handy. A few games like Memory and Whac’Em have been thrown in as well for entertainment value.
Camera
A 3 megapixel fixed focus camera with the aforementioned LED flash comes with settings that includes Brightness and Contrast control, a few effects and White Balance. It’s not much but it does come in handy. Picture quality is not too bad however there was a slight issue with focus in some areas. In bright outdoor conditions images are quite crisp (for a mobile phone camera) but indoors is where the focus tends to get a bit off in certain parts.
Battery
The battery life of the Smart did not impress me at all. On a single charge I was able to use the handset for just about a day and half with a few calls, messages, music and social networking thrown in. I did expect a little more. Talk time averaged in at just about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
The Bottom Line
At Rs. 9,990 (MRP) the Smart isn’t quite the ‘smartest tool in the box’. It’s bundled with Airtel who offers a few free apps and access to their online app store, but it’s not a network locked device. Although it does have quite a bit to offer that could categorize it as a ‘smart-ish’ phone, I don't recommend it. The Brew Mobile Platform combined with HTC’s Sense UI does make for an interesting blend of usage as mobile handsets go but it does lack quite a few features like Google Maps (even without GPS) and Wi-Fi. I’d say the price would be a little more justified if it had these features built-in. If you are looking for similar features you should consider handsets like the Samsung Corby Pro that has Wi-Fi and a slide out QWERTY keypad or the Monte which is much better in terms of looks or even the Nokia 5233.
Form Factor
The Smart is a pretty sleek new handset that’s got just that right amount of weight (108g) for good balance. It’s just 12.8mm thin so it’s easy to carry around without leaving a bulge in your pocket. HTC has gone with a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen that has a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. Although it’s not too visually appealing I have no complaints about the overall clarity even in the bright outdoors, wherever you can find it these days.
The button set up is not one of my favourite things about the handset. It has a small key just below display that’s can pull up the menus, it’s quite tiny. The large ‘Arrow’ key is for returning to the previous menu or if pressed and held will return you directly to the main desktop menu. A 3.5mm handsfree port is located at the top with a mini USB (although it may look like one) port at the bottom. The volume keys are neatly camouflaged along the chromed border and a camera shutter release is located on the other side in the same way. A hot swap MicroSD card slot is located just under the rear panel on one side.
It’s a simple yet professional looking handset.
Features and Performance
Interface
The Smart is running on a new OS designed by Qualcomm, called Brew Mobile which comes off as quite Android-ish complete with multiple desktops, full page widgets, shortcuts etc. The settings options and other subtle functions all appear that way too. Nevertheless it’s easy to manage, customize and navigate. It’s fluid and the Smart’s 300MHz processor enables speedy delivery of access to the various features and functions. I like the layout, it’s comfortable, however multitasking is not the handset’s strongest point. A standard mobile keypad of the virtual variety obviously is available, however you do have the option of switching to landscape with a QWERTY option as well. Don’t let the small keys fool you, if you’ve calibrated the screen properly, it’s very handy for speedy typing.
If you’re used to hitting the ‘Call End’ to return to the main screen you’ll have to re-learn that habit. The Smart’s end key will lock the screen, so you’ll have to press and hold the Arrow button to return to the main desktop.
Media
Unfortunately, just like the Android’s player, this one is also strictly play and listen with no customizable options to alter audio output. However, on the plus side, the tone quality is really good and the decibel level is high enough for you to listen to your music peacefully even in the obnoxiously loud local trains at peak hour. Playlists can be created on the device itself but it doesn’t allow for individual folder viewing/playback in case that’s how you categorize your music. The FM radio worked out really well with clear reception almost everywhere I went. It scanned and saved all available stations in about 8 seconds which is quite impressive. Video Playback is limited to just 3GP and standard mobile MPEG 4 formats. Playback and viewing is quite comfortable on the 2.8-inch display. Large JPEG files may take a little while to load but that’s only to be expected for lower end handsets.
Connectivity
The HTC Smart is loaded with all basic connectivity options which is quite adequate. It’s a 3G enabled device which also offers EDGE/GPRS connectivity for Web browsing or social networking. The browser is quite basic with a double-tap to zoom option that also brings up a Zoom bar if you want to manually choose the level of zoom. There’s also an option to change the orientation to landscape for a better viewing angle.
For the social networking community, HTC has included their FriendStream App with full page widget that allows you to view and post onto Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. You can also upload images via the same, comment and reply to the same. Photos from the gallery can also be uploaded on to Facebook and or emailed or sent via Bluetooth (2.0 with A2DP) or transferred to your PC via USB 2.0. You can also link your phone contacts with our Facebook account. It’s a manual process but it’s a one time thing at the end of the day. Setting up your email accounts (full page widget also available) is also quite an easy task for POP or IMAP (Push) email accounts. A weather application that ties in to the Sense UI’s Clock interface is also on board.
Sadly, although the handset does support Java based apps. I was unable to download Google apps like Maps or their Gmail for Mobile application. There was no chat application provided either so I tried downloading Nimbuzz on more than one occasion but it just refused to start the download. The Airtel app store might have other options supported, but if you're not an Airtel customer, then this is a big problem. If you get it through Airtel, their App Central option will be preloaded.
Misc. Features
Basic mobile features like an Alarm Clock, Calendar for appointments and schedules and a calculator are present and accounted for. What seems to be missing is a unit converter which is quite strange. Off beat apps like Flash Light with controllable intensity for the camera’s LED flash can be quite handy. A few games like Memory and Whac’Em have been thrown in as well for entertainment value.
Camera
A 3 megapixel fixed focus camera with the aforementioned LED flash comes with settings that includes Brightness and Contrast control, a few effects and White Balance. It’s not much but it does come in handy. Picture quality is not too bad however there was a slight issue with focus in some areas. In bright outdoor conditions images are quite crisp (for a mobile phone camera) but indoors is where the focus tends to get a bit off in certain parts.
Battery
The battery life of the Smart did not impress me at all. On a single charge I was able to use the handset for just about a day and half with a few calls, messages, music and social networking thrown in. I did expect a little more. Talk time averaged in at just about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
The Bottom Line
At Rs. 9,990 (MRP) the Smart isn’t quite the ‘smartest tool in the box’. It’s bundled with Airtel who offers a few free apps and access to their online app store, but it’s not a network locked device. Although it does have quite a bit to offer that could categorize it as a ‘smart-ish’ phone, I don't recommend it. The Brew Mobile Platform combined with HTC’s Sense UI does make for an interesting blend of usage as mobile handsets go but it does lack quite a few features like Google Maps (even without GPS) and Wi-Fi. I’d say the price would be a little more justified if it had these features built-in. If you are looking for similar features you should consider handsets like the Samsung Corby Pro that has Wi-Fi and a slide out QWERTY keypad or the Monte which is much better in terms of looks or even the Nokia 5233.