Box Contents

Like most of our reviews we will quickly explain what you get inside the box. For a start you have a travel charger, USB/HTC ExtUSB cable, Stereo wired headset with microphone, Quick start guide, User manual & software CD.

Spec

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0
• 2.4” colour TFT LCD screen
• Auto-slide QWERTY keyboard
• 3G, HSDPA with Quad-band GSM/EDGE
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi
• 5-way navigation control
• HTC ExtUSB cable for PC connectivity
• 256MB Flash, 64MB RAM
• Qualcomm MSM7200, 400MHz
• microSD slot
• 105.8 x 51 x 19.4mm (H x W x D)
• 150g

Design

We have to admit that our first impressions of the S730 were a disappointment, it just did not look as good as the previous S710 (with a dull grey finish) and was slightly bulkier, plus a touch heavier at 150g compared to the latter’s 120g.

The 2.4" colour screen was bright and vibrant and this was joined by a tiny keypad at the base which was a touch harder to use due to its nature, but with practice it can be useful for producing the odd text message, though its xt9 protective text is really annoying.

Luckily you have got a slide out keyboard underneath the screen to ensure that typing emails or texts is a lot quicker. When the keyboard is slid-out the screen also changes automatically to landscape mode, it’s just a pity that the screen cannot be angled like it can be on the HTC TyTn II, as this gives it a more rigid nature.

To the left side of the smartphone you have a shortcut to your comms manager and volume controls, to the right you have your microSD card slot and your camera shortcut button.

To the base is the mini USB port and to the top is your on/off switch.

Software/Interface

As with most HTC products they have customised the standard Windows Mobile interface, so you have a HTC touch style home screen (though the screen is static i.e not touch sensitive) and there are several small utilities included for playing back music (as an alternative to Windows Media player)  for example and a modified Comms manager.

Other than this the standard Windows Mobile software kicks in, so you have mobile office viewers (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Windows Live components (Messenger, Live search) and standard PIM applications (calendar, notes, tasks) and of course Internet Explorer/Outlook.

Connectivity/Features

There have been rumours that the S730 includes a GPS function, but we can definitely say it is not enabled on the review version we had. Though we expect down the line a firmware update may reveal its hidden secrets.

Instead you do get a wealth of connectivity options, including the much anticipate 3G mode that was missing from the S710. This also supports the higher HSDPA standard (3.6mbps) which produced lightning fast web browsing during our tests.

Or if you are around Wi-Fi hotspots/routers you can take advantage of the built-in dual Wi-Fi support for even faster internet browsing.

Bringing up the rear is Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for stereo headsets and Quad band phone reception. We did get a smidgen of interference during our test calls, but it was only marginal, with both parties thinking the volume was audible and clear.

For the camera you get 2MP, but you won't find any macro function or flash support, so its use will be limited to some degree. Saying that the images that were taken were not bad when viewed back on our PC.

Performance

With a beefed up CPU (Qualcomm MSM7200, 400MHz) the HTC is better equipped for handling the software pre-installed. However one worrying aspect was its system memory, out of the 64MB Ram there was only 17MB free. This could have a consequence when running multiple programs or for accessing memory intensive tasks.

Saying that the device still coped when playing back videos, browsing the web and opening documents. With 124MB of storage free you can at least add some of your own music or data files before utilising the expansion slot.

Battery

HTC again only supply a 1050mAh ratted battery which does need beefing up slightly to handle the expanded connectivity options. As a result you will find that using the Wi-Fi or 3G options will require more frequent recharges.