HTC Smart: Stepping Stone or Stepping Back?
The HTC Smart will be released sometime during the early part of this year. The Smart handset will be one of the companies more inexpensive options. It is rumored to be designed for either someone new to the mobile phone market or for those who aren't in a position to spend a lot of money on a handset but who still wants the basics. The hope is that once they become familiar with HTC and begin to feel comfortable with the phone, when they are ready to move up and spend more money, they will do so with the company.
Though the Smart has many of the same the features and specs that a lower priced smartphone might have, it is not a smartphone in the traditional sense. It runs on the Qualcomm’s Brew Mobile Platform. AT&T also has some phones that run on this same platform.
The HTC Smart has a 3.0 megapixel camera which is actually pretty nice. It runs on a Euro friendly 3G network plus Quadband EDGE. It has 256MB of internal memory. More memory can be added. Individuals that wish to upgrade the amount of memory on the handset will only need to purchase a microSD card. Individuals will be able browse the Internet, though the phone’s processors speed is pretty slow as 300MHz.
The display is a QVGA touchscreen and is just shy of 3.0 inches (2.8 in). Individuals will be able to use the phone hands-free via the mobile’s Bluetooth connectivity. As of right now, there will be no WiFi or GPS.
The Smart is essentially a lower priced, budget phone either for those new to the mobile phone market or who aren’t in the financial position to purchase one of the higher priced smartphones. This seems to be the trend for 2010. Many handset manufacturers are looking to offer consumers affordable, mobile phones, not just HTC. Due to the state of the global economy this seems to be an approach that makes sense.