Hands-on with the Telus HTC S640, aka HTC Iris
By Sean Cooper 
posted Nov 15th 2007 12:58PM
posted Nov 15th 2007 12:58PM
Telus was kind enough to zip over another handset for our viewing enjoyment, the pretty fab -- though somewhat homely -- HTC S640. This little rubber-finished handset packs EV-DO, Windows Mobile 6 standard, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, and a pretty well planned QWERTY effort for mobile messaging speed demons. So what do we think in a few lines or less? We like the handset's form factor, the finish -- which is really nice as your hands do stick quite well to the material -- and we love the two rocker style "soft keys," they're hands down the best thing about the device's design. Sure, the keypad is a wee bit cramped, but without growing the S640's chin in a big way (Canadians, think Brian Mulroney), we think they've done well with the layout. The S640 can be grabbed right now for about $150 on a 3 year contract. Read on for a pile of pics -- including a few nice comparisons with Telus' HTC Touch.
Will an unlocked version work on Verizon?
I'm honestly getting DESPERATE over here for a new smartphone from Verizon...seriously this is ridiculous. How is Canada turning out CDMA hand-sets at quadruple the rate of the US carriers (*clears throat Spring and Verizon*)
I feel your pain, Im waiting for a smart phone for Verizon that's thin and ISNT yet another damn rebranded version of the Q. What I'd really love is the HTC touch, but I dont think its going to happen.
Not to worry....
http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=13496
Looks like the Centro or what the Centro should of been.
What's with the completely unrelated and bizarre "speed demons" link?
Questions:
1. I see there's a headphone jack on the bottom of the device next to the ExtUSB port. That makes this the first HTC-manufactured device in a while to offer an actual audio port instead of requiring an ExtUSB-to-3.5mm converter. Can you confirm if the jack on the Iris is 2.5mm or 3.5mm?
2. Early leaks about the Iris indicated it includes A-GPS. Can you confirm if this model has it?
Comment:
I have the GSM version of this device, the HTC Cavalier, and absolutely love it. It's the first time in ages I've kept a single phone for more than three or four months. ;)
Is it me or is this thing a duplicate of the Android virtual machine? Does that mean it's going to be the first phone out for developers to work hands on with Android??
Do you honestly think Android was first with that design? The Iris is the CDMA version of the HTC Cavalier, which has been on the market since July. The Cavalier, for its part, is an update to the HTC Excalibur (aka T-Mobile Dash) that has been on the market since 2006. Look at any of these devices -- or any Treo or BlackBerry, for that matter; are they all just "duplicates of the Android virtual machine?"
Can someone explain how the rocker style "soft keys" function? My biggest complaint with WinMo standard devices is the physical navigation mechanisms (i.e. - dPads on the BlackJack, Q, etc). This makes it far too difficult to perform simple tasks. Do these new rocker style keys do anything to address this?
is this thinner than the s620 or thicker. it looks thicker.
Whoa...one of those pictures of the top part of the phone shows a green LED right next to the speaker. Could that be a notifcation LED? Say it is so!!!