HTC S740 hands-on

You certainly wouldn't know it from the deluge of Windows Mobile Professional devices in every segment of the market these days, but believe it or not, Microsoft's still trudging along with the Standard edition for the handful of us who still favor the smallest package possible (and a physical numeric keypad, for that matter) to a touchscreen. HTC -- which has always had a penchant for packaging WinMo in as many form factors as it possibly can -- has distilled Standard into what can only be described as its ultimate execution in the S740, a bangin' little candybar that carries over the Touch Diamond's distinctive styling elements to a decidedly slimmer package.

We had a chance to put our hands on an S740 recently, and let's just put it this way: if there's a phone that could convince us Windows Mobile Standard was the way to roll, this would be it, no questions asked. It's stunningly beautiful, has one of the best displays we've ever seen on a device of this size and form factor, and you're still packing a full QWERTY keyboard should the need arise. We're told that the matte keypad will be replaced with a glossy one on the final production device, which is only going to bump the chic look yet another notch. Strong work, HTC -- now just cut us an American version to sell unlocked through Best Buy, and we'll call it a day.

HTC Releasing Touch Diamond in White

Yesterday HTC quietly released a new HTC Touch Diamond into the mix: it seems it's identical in every way to the current Diamonds on the market now, it's just got a new look. I like the white quite a bit, largely because it would help hide the ridiculously smudge-prone surface that HTC wrapped the diamond in. Want to see an even bigger version? Here's the full resolution image.

Samsung Omnia i900 First Thoughts Review

When the Samsung Omnia i900 was unveiled a few months ago, this smartphone's features quickly drew attention as a possible worthy competitor for the iPhone.

Samsung Omnia i900

I've had a demo unit for a few days, and I'm going share some of my preliminary impressions about this device and its massive feature-set.

First thing's first: I'd be remiss if I didn't throw a shout out to the folks over at eXpansys, who happily and quite painlessly provided my review unit.

They sell the Omnia in its factory fresh state, including multiple colors and both the 8 GB and 16 GB models, and they only ask your first-born child in return. In all seriousness, the 8 GB model runs $730.

It's not like you're not getting anything for your money, though. The Omnia is, arguably, one of the most high-end Windows Mobile devices available on the market today, if not the most high end.

In enumerating the Omnia's hardware, the best question to ask is, what doesn't it have? While it lacks a high-res screen like the HTC Touch Pro and Sony Xperia X1 have, it does have widescreen, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio, TV-out, DivX playback certification, tilt sensor, 5 MPx camera with image stabilization, 8 GB or 16 GB of internal flash on top of its MicroSDHC slot...

It does not, however, make bagels.

Samsung Omnia i900For all that stuff inside it, the Omnia is surprisingly light and compact. Putting it to your ear won't make you feel like you look funny, and it comfortably slips into a pocket.

I will tell you what the Omnia doesn't come with, though -- a decent keyboard. There's no hardware input buttons, so everything goes through the touchscreen, and the included software keyboard is not great. In fact, it's not even particularly good. Replace it with Resco Keyboard and you'll be a lot happier.

The second issue is that being originally intended for release outside the U.S., the Omnia doesn't support the 3G bands used in North America. That means no high-speed Internet, only EDGE. There's persistent rumors about an NA-friendly version of the Omnia slated for later this year, but as yet those are still only rumors.

Ports of Touch Viva's new TouchFLO 2D appear for older HTC devices

With HTC's Opal will come an entirely new flavor of TouchFLO, so it seems, with leaks of the updated skin already leaking out onto -- you guessed it -- xda-developers. The name "TouchFLO 2D" is being thrown around on the interwebs, and as the name implies, the package looks like a flattened version of the TouchFLO 3D we're now well acquainted with that's presumably been optimized for use on devices with lower resolutions, meeker processors, or a combination of the two. That makes it a prime candidate for adaptation to older phones, of course, and that's where the whiz kids at xda-devs come into play: without so much as an official reveal on HTC's part, it's already been verified for use on a who's who of handsets from the past couple years ranging from the original Touch to the TyTN II and pretty much everything in between. As usual, proceed with caution -- but if you take the plunge, do let us know how it treats you, alright?

AT&T talks about linking iPhone with U-verse, home control

We've already seen that Apple's iPhone is a mighty fine home controller, but it looks as if AT&T bigwigs are just now getting wind of that. At a recent event where the company showcased some of its newly developed technology, it talked up eventually linking the iPhone and its fiber-based U-verse service. More specifically, the iPhone could be used "as a remote control," and iPhone owners could also listen to voicemails on their television or watch recorded shows on their handset. There's no word on when said features could eventually be rolled out, but may we implore AT&T to spend more on U-verse expansion before making it even more awesome for those lucky enough to have it?