Smartphone Thoughts: HTC S740 Reviewed by CoolSmartPhone.com

"If you've never seen a Windows Mobile device without a touch screen then we should perhaps bring you up to speed. Firstly, there's a different interface (durr) with programs and selections being made using the navigation control or numbered keys. For example, the menu system is structured in a three-by-three grid pattern. Press "5" on your numeric keypad and you'll get the very centre option. Press "3" and you'll get the top-right option. This is all part of the standard Windows Mobile interface. You'll also get your contacts, email, tasks and appointments sync'd over the air or via the supplied USB cable. Office Mobile is included too, although the "WM Standard" version won't let you create documents, just edit them. Don't ask me why, because the easy "get around" is to just create a blank Word Document (or Excel etc), save it to your PC, copy it to the device and then edit that instead - just save it to a different name and away you go."

While I'm not a big fan of slider phones - generally because they tend to be thicker than the front-facing QWERTY-style phones - I'm positively thrilled to see HTC release a non-touchscreen Windows Mobile phone. I love flashy Windows Mobile touch-screen phones as much as the next guy, but I always find, time and time again, that when it comes right down to getting my work done, nothing beats Windows Mobile Standard phones. Whether it's the faster, more stable flavour of Windows Mobile, or the fact that I don't have to protect the phone by keeping it in a case, I find I can do more in less time with the right kind of phone. The S740 looks like a solid contender, though secretly I'm hoping HTC is working on a modern version of the T-Mobile Dash that I'm so fond of. Come on HTC, don't let me down!