Is it an HTC mobile phone or is it a Blackberry? Anyone giving the HTC Snap a quick glance would be forgiven for any confusion. Yes, it’s by HTC, but it certainly looks like a Blackberry, albeit a very thin one. Obviously taking aim at RIM’s business clientele, HTC has produced a phone that does everything well.
Of special note is the keyboard, which is very responsive, and the keys are large enough to avoid the kind of typos that can be endemic on some Blackberries. Since typing is important to the business market, anything that makes it easier helps with the handset’s appeal.
Even though there’s Windows Mobile under the bonnet, the HTC Snap is excellent for browsing, email – in fact virtually everything anyone would need. To be fair, this is the Standard edition, without all the fancy add-ons, but that’s good in this case.
As well as the expect Push mail support, the HTC Snap also supports IMAP and POP accounts, as well as Gmail, giving a wider range than its competitor. Users can also group email contacts via a new interface innovation called Inner Circle. It might not sound like much, but it can work very well.
Is there anything the HTC Snap doesn’t do well? About the only failing, at least on this version, is the omission of a 3.5mm headphone jack, and for this market that’s a minor failing.
For anyone wanting all the functionality of a Blackberry without actually buying a Blackberry, the HTC Snap is a great alternative. RIM should definitely be worried.
