The HTC S740 is a member of a breed of smartphone that is slowly diminishing in numbers: the Windows Mobile Standard smartphone. In this case we are talking version 6.1 of the operating system designed for smartphones without touchscreens. Our review sample came from Orange where it is available on various business tariffs. But you can also get it for around £250 SIM-free.

The S740 is a candybar style handset, though at 140g it weighs more than some touchscreen-toting smartphones. The reason for the weight, and also for its overall size of 116.3 x 43.4 x 16.6mm, is that it incorporates a sliding keyboard.

Now, the vital question has to be whether a keyboard really works in hardware this small. The answer will depend on how small your hands are and how adept you are at typing.

There is no number row on the keyboard so the number keys are embedded in the top row of QWERTY keys. Fair enough, given the constrained space. More significantly, perhaps, the keys, as you might expect, are a bit small and particularly suffer in the height department. We had to slow typing down considerably in order not to sacrifice accuracy. It can be lived with, but you may need to try before you buy to be on the safe side.

Another reason you may want to check this handset out before taking the plunge is to see whether HTC's bizarre chassis design works for you. The phone is styled in black plastic, which is fine to look at, but the backplate has a raised uneven patterning on it which looks quite nice but means the phone does not lie flat on a desk. The problem comes when you want to press either number pad or keyboard, as the phone wobbles and rocks rather than lying flat. We found this irritating.

We also found it irritating that the SIM and microSD card slots are together under a flap that is only visible when the keyboard is out. This is probably something you're going to need to access rarely, but if you are a keen microSD card swapper it may rankle, especially as you have to take the SIM out to get to the microSD card.

On the other hand, the general specifications of the HTC S740 are impressive: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with stereo to headphones, 3.2-megapixel camera and HSDPA to 7.2Mbps. Google Maps is pre-installed and there is an FM radio and RSS reader to augment the usual Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard applications.

There is no front camera for two-way video calls, though, and the one-piece headset which connects via miniUSB won't appeal to music fans keen on using better quality headphones with a 3.5mm connector. But battery life is good and you ought to be able to keep going for two days if you don't push the HSDPA, Wi-Fi or GPS too much.

Verdict
The 2.4-inch screen palls in comparison to the modern array of touchscreens out there and the S740 doesn't have the best physical design we've seen. But it does have a range of key features, and if the keyboard is not too small for you it is a pocketable smartphone.

Company: HTC

Contact: 0800 079 4000

Tags: microsd universal serial bus htc corporation subscriber identity module wi-fi fm broadcasting global positioning system bluetooth