This last week has been a big week in the smartphone market, with the most widely publicised handset launch being that of the Nexus One from Google. Other phones which were unveiled last week included the Backflip from Motorola, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10, both due to be available from some point in Q1 2010 and HTC’s Smart to be available in the spring of 2010.
The HTC Smart may have been slightly overshadowed by the launch of the Nexus One but I think it could make just as much of an impact in the market. Where the Nexus One is looking to wow us with its powerful snapdragon processor and impressive high resolution display, HTC plans to bring smartphones to the masses with the Smart which it says is “a new type of smartphone that creates a new category of easy-to-use, connected smartphones that are accessible by people all over the world”. It has also been touted as a budget smartphone, with some suggesting you could get it on contract for as little as £15 per month.
It will run on the Qualcomm Brew operating system, be using the HTC Sense user interface and apart from Wi-Fi it will come with most features you would find on other smartphones. Which leads to the question, how can this device cost so much less than its competitors?
Provided that the price is indeed low, the HTC Smart is sure to attract a lot of attention from consumers who want the added features of owning a smartphone such as internet, apps, etc, but don’t want to pay the premium. If this happens, I think it could set a new precedent in the cost of a smartphone and could lead to other vendors reviewing their pricing strategies.
Tags: Google, HTC, htc sense, htc smart, motorola backflip, Nexus One, Qualcomm, qualcomm brew, xperia
After receiving the BACKFLIP within the mail I was satisfied yo know I could update the new firmware. I missed the rush, and it was lucky. I’ve had the Backflip for over a month several details 3 or 4 crashes inside a 30 days not negative for 15-20 apps open New WIFI points, plus a bigger edge dada than previous Nokia E61 and N93 Good that the BACKFLIP includes a flex keyboard, the screen is really a bit hard about the edges. You get 500 messages per day from Twitter, Facebook, Yaho, and who ever else yopu want. If you have 30-60 accurate close friends, this really is a excellent mobile phone if you could have far more it is going to grab too very much info. Just a 30 days but a great telephone.