HTC ChaCha Hands-on

HTC ChaCha Hands-on

Going hands-on with the HTC ChaCha!

HTC ChaCha Hands-on!

The HTC ChaCha has been in the market for a couple of months already (launched locally in July) and it’s pretty much received mixed reviews. We finally got our hands on one when we got a couple of units for our social media team at the office. Expect the full review soon but for now allow us to share with you some of our initial impressions during the first few minutes we had with the phones.

A Quick Refresher

Before the initial impressions let’s quickly do refresher on the specs and features of the HTC ChaCha. This smartphone has a 2.6 inches capacitive touch screen (480 x 320 pixels) and a full QWERTY keyboard. It has gorilla glass display giving it more protection from scratches and bumps. It’s a pretty light and thin phone as well making it easy to pocket and take out while you’re on the go. What makes the HTC ChaCha a little bit special though is the dedicated Facebook button at the lower right part of the keypad.

Here's the "Facebook Button"

How about the specs? It packs a decent 800MHz processor and 512 RAM. It also runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense.

Lastly it has a 5MP camera (auto-focus, LED flash) and it can record 720p video.

Initial Impressions

HTC ChaCha: Easy-to-use, social, and dependable smartphone

Having been stuck in the land of iOS and Android Touch Screens for the last few months it was totally refreshing to be able to type on a tactile QWERTY keypad again. Sending out text messages, posting updates on Twitter, and typing e-mails promises to be much easier! I also appreciated the spacing of the keys. Very ergonomic and easy-to-use.

Here's what the black looks like

The display was a bit of a disappointment for me. Maybe because my eyes were spoiled already with the Retina Display of the iPhone 4. I also had a hard time unlocking the phone with the HTC Sense ring thing at the front because of the small display.

What about the Facebook button? Well it’s actually not just a way to open the Facebook app. It has different functions based on what you’re doing. The default setting though if you’re at the home page is that you can quickly post status updates if you click it.

My biggest criticism of the ChaCha right now is how some apps are displayed. The HTC ChaCha renders your screen in landscape mode. This means that if the app you’re viewing was made only for portrait you’ll literally have to turn your phone sideways (with the keypad to the side) and use the app via the touchscreen alone. This can definitely be frustrating.

These are just our initial impressions. Will definitely have more insights and details once we spend more time with the HTC ChaCha.

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