HTC is showing the HTC Snap smartphone, at CTIA in Las Vegas. The "snappy feature" on this smartphone, called "Inner Circle" makes access to frequent email contacts a snap.
The HTC Snap has a full QWERTY keyboard, and 3G connectivity that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard. It is expected to have a low price point and is geared towards the text and email crowd. It looks like the T-Mobile Dash crossed with a BlackBerry Bold.
With the HTC Snap Inner Circle communications from the most important contacts are prioritized and available at the touch of a finger which should reduce time spent digging through emails and contact.
Other features include, 2.4 inchQVGA (no-touch) display, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 2 megapixel camera/camcorder. It uses the 528MHz Qualcomm CPU with 256MB of ROM,with128MB of RAM. and has microSD/SDHC expansion slot. It measures 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.4 inch deep.
A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by HT* found that 44 percent of U.S. adults are often overwhelmed by the amount of e-mail they receive, and over half (55 percent) of U.S. adults prioritize five or fewer people with whom they communicate via e-mail. In response to these issues, HTC's innovative Inner Circle feature allows HTC Snap users to press a dedicated Inner Circle key to bring e-mails from a preselected group of people to the top of their inbox, enabling important messages to be acted upon immediately.
The HTC Snap is expected to be available in select channels during the second quarter of 2009, rolling out in markets around the world throughout the second half of the year. In addition, an unlocked version supporting HSDPA at 850/1900MHz for the U.S. market will be made available under the name HTC S522 during the summer.
"Recognizing that people are being overwhelmed by an avalanche of e-mail, the HTC Snap introduces Inner Circle, an HTC innovation that makes it easy for people to prioritize messages from the most important people in their lives at the press of a button," said John Wang, chief marketing officer at HTC. "The HTC Snap represents the latest step in HTC's mission to create a range of innovative smartphones, each with specific benefits designed to both surprise and delight our customers."
With a slim, sleek profile designed to fit perfectly in the hand, the HTC Snap measures less than a half-inch thick (12 mm), yet it can deliver up to eight and a half hours of talk time with the standard 1500mAh battery. The full QWERTY keyboard is ergonomically designed with extra-large domed keys and responsive tactile feedback to make typing e-mail and text messages fast, accurate and comfortable. High-speed 3G HSPA connectivity makes it quick and easy to send pictures to friends, access favorite social networking sites, or download large files while on the go.
The HTC Snap is powerful enough for experienced business users looking for an affordable, straightforward choice for remotely synchronizing e-mail, calendar and contacts with their Microsoft Exchange server. However, the flexible Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard platform allows the HTC Snap to also be simple enough for first-time smartphone users wanting to keep their family life organized.