A review of the HTC S710 Smartphone
The S710 is the latest offering from HTC in the smartphone form-factor range. It boasts a slide-out full Qwerty keyboard, as well as Bluetooth and WiFi and a 2.0 MegaPixel camera. And because it runs Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Standard, you get Exchange push email, Office Mobile, ActiveSync, MSN Messenger, etc.
In the sales package you get the usual HTC goodies:
S710
Mains charger
USB connection cable
Stereo headphones
CD & User Manual
The slide-out keyboard does make the S710 thicker than other Smartphones, but amazingly does not seem at all heavier than slimmer units. The build quality is good and the unit feels like it could take some punishment!
Here are some bigger pictures:
When powered on for the first time, the S710 runs through some configuration routines and reboots itself again.
Once powered on, the S710 does not automatically configure your network settings as its Pocket PC big brothers do, but creating an Internet connection is a quick and painless process and the keyboard is surprisingly easy to use and accurate...even with my thumbs! The menus are sensibly arranged, so setting up a new Internet connection lives under Start --> Settings --> Connections --> GPRS, as you would expect.
A word on specs, the device information screen on the device gives the following summary:
CPU: TI OMAP850
Speed: 210MHz
RAM: 64MB
FLASH: 128MB
Display Resolution: 240 x 320
Color: 65536
The Programs list reads as follows:
Messaging
Call History
Inernet Explorer
Camera
Contacts
Calendar
Tasks
Messenger
ActiveSync
Windows Media
Games à Bubble Breaker & Solitaire
Expert à Clear Storage, SAP Settings, SIM Manager
Office Mobile à Adobe Reader LE, Calculator, Excel Mobile, Powerpoint Mobile, Voice Notes, Word Mobile
File Explorer
Audio Manager
Bluetooth Explorer
Comm Manager
Internet Sharing
Java
Quick Notes
Speed Dial
Task Manager
Voice Recorder
Windows Live
Setting up Exchange Push Email on the device is quick and painless, and adding your own digital certificates to the device is simply a question of copying the certificate to the device via ActiveSync from your PC, then selecting the file within File Explorer to install it.
Once in the Messaging application, things have been moved around slightly by Microsoft in Windows Mobile 6. The default action for the left-hand soft key is now 'Delete' as opposed to 'New' as it was in previous versions of the operating system:
A small change, but one that I nearly fell foul of!
You can synchronise all of the folders within your Exchange mailbox, including subfolders.
Using the S710 as a USB modem with your PC is equally simply. You will need ActiveSync 4.5 or later installed on your PC. Connect the S710 to the PC via the USB cable supplied. On the S710 select Start --> Internet Sharing:
Select USB as the connection method, select the Internet connection you want to use, then simply press Connect. Windows will detect the new hardware automatically and install a new network adapter. The S710 will connect to the Internet and once the connection has been established, you will be able to use that conneciton to the Internet from your PC or laptop.
Also included in Windows Mobile 6 is the Windows Update service: your S710 will periodically check for updates and download any patches, improvements or enhancements automatically: meaning that your S710 will always be up to date and performing with the most up-to-date drivers and features currently available.
Windows Live is also incorporated into Windows Mobile 6. This feature allows you to manage your Hotmail email account: similar to Exchange Direct Push - any mail arriving in your Hotmail account is downloaded to your device automatically. Similarly, at the same time as logging into Hotmail, you can choose to log into Windows Messenger at the same time, so that you can instantly communicate with your friends and colleagues, see which of them is online at any given moment, and allow your availability to be similarly advertised to others. This feature can be run in parallel with Exchange Direct Push without any interference between the two.
There is also a plugin for the Home screen so you canquickly view or change your status and launch into any of the Windows Live applications without needing to press the Start button and scroll to the icon for the program.
In summary then, the HTC S710 is the perfect mobile companion for remaining connected, informed and up to date while out of the office, while at the same time providing a fun, friendly and feature-packed user experience for when work is over!
James Liddiard
Network Manager