Has HTC chosen the wrong flavour for its tablet?

Has HTC chosen the wrong flavour for its tablet?

  • Yes, this will end in disaster... give me Honeycomb!

    Votes: 5 19.2%
  • No, the HTC Sense UI will be what counts... GO SENSE!

    Votes: 3 11.5%
  • HTC will come out with a Honeycomb tab later... hopefully.

    Votes: 14 53.8%
  • I don't know. Why are you asking me this? Go away!

    Votes: 4 15.4%

  • Total voters
    26

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As anybody who has read about the 2011 Mobile World Congress will already know, HTC's new venture into the world of tablet computers tastes like gingerbread, while the competition are all filling their new tabs with a honeycomb centre. With Google's Honeycomb version of Android being optimised for tablets, while Gingerbread is designed for smartphones, will this end in disaster for HTC or will the general public not really care about the difference?

The new HTC Flyer is only a 7" tablet. That is the same size as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which also doesn't use Honeycomb. Hopefully this is just the beginning for HTC and they will have larger tablets in the pipeline. Otherwise they could be left behind. As this Cnet review points out, it is the Flyer's version of HTC's Sense user interface that will prove to be the key-

HTC Flyer
By Joseph Hanlon

HTC shrugs off Google's Honeycomb OS and opts for its own Sense user interface in the Flyer, a risky approach to the booming tablet market, but one that could certainly pay off.

htc-mwc_1.jpg


First impressions
Developing tablets is a big gamble for the world's smartphone manufacturers this year, but HTC is stepping further out on a limb with a tablet that is considerably different from the rest. Rather than taking the safe and perhaps cheap route of using Google's new Honeycomb tablet operating system, HTC has redeveloped its Sense user experience for a larger tablet display to overlay the latest Android smartphone system, Gingerbread.

The gamble is HTC's assumption that those shopping for a tablet don't really know or care about the difference between Honeycomb, Gingerbread or even iPad's iOS system for that matter. For this wager to pay off in HTC's favour the Flyer needs to deliver a superior user experience, and from what we've seen so far it could do just that. The new Sense is great to look at and HTC has done a great job of optimising individual apps to maximise the available screen real estate.

Its smaller size and weight also differentiates the Flyer from the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the LG Optimus Pad. HTC's tablet sports a 7-inch display and weighs 415 grams, or the same weight as an average paperback novel, according to HTC. But do users want a screen larger than 7 inches? No one really knows, or is likely to know until the end of this year.

Beyond size, shape and operating system, the HTC Flyer will ship with a bevy of unique digital services installed. HTC Watch is a new streaming video service that gives users access to a library of feature films to rent and buy. Also, HTC's new partnerships with OnLive cloud gaming and TomTom could prove to be powerful selling points.

There's also the very interesting addition of the HTC Scribe touchscreen pen, which the company showed off at Mobile World Congress. Besides simply letting you draw on the screen, the Scribe pen also allows you to annotate web pages and send the results via email to friends and colleagues, as well as take audio notes in a very similar way to the LiveScribe pen we reviewed last year. We can't imagine that this will be a major drawcard for tablet lovers, but it does add a unique value that no one else can match.

Outlook
HTC's commitment to its Sense user experience defines the 7-inch Flyer and only time will tell if this commitment is a gamble that pays off or one that dooms the Flyer. The Flyer is also the smallest and lightest of the tablets we've seen from major manufacturers, a fact we believe will be a positive for HTC when tablet shoppers weigh up their options when the device is released mid-year.

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HTC does seem to have created a fitting and unique tablet experience, starting with this 3D carousel-style home screen.

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HTC Watch
Luckily, HTC Watch doesn't refer to a phone you wear on your wrist. HTC Watch is a new video-on-demand service for the HTC Flyer, offering users the option to buy and download feature-length movies to watch on their tablet.

htc-mwc_5.jpg

Apps for Tabs
HTC proves Google isn't the only company with the skills to design a tablet-sized user experience, with apps like the gallery optimised to take advantage of the extra screen real estate.

htc-mwc_3.jpg

HTC Scribe
There had been rumours that HTC's tablet would be called the Scribe, but today the company revealed it had saved that title for its central tablet accessory ? a pen to annotate documents and web pages on the tablet.

Scribe works a lot like the Livescribe technology, with the ability to record ambient audio while you take notes in a feature that HTC has dubbed Timemark. When you return to your notes later you can press on any section of your scribbling to hear exactly what was being said when you took that specific note.

htc-mwc_6.jpg

OnLive = OMGAs we predicted, HTC's recent investment in cloud gaming service OnLive has produced a partnership that has the potential to make a huge change in the way we think about mobile gaming. The Flyer can connect to the OnLive servers and stream console games to play with customised on-screen controls.

Source: Cnet
 
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1. For many people a 7-in tablet is much more portable and comfortable than a 10-in that you would normally only use at home, with a 7-in many more people are inclined to take them out, either on person or in a backpack. So the 10-in tablet is not the end-all-be-all.
2. If HTC is good on their updates (as they seem to be, better than any other manufacturer), they can get Honeycomb or whatever comes next after, which will purportedly combine both the Honeycomb (tablet) and Gingerbread (phone) OS lines into one OS, onto this and other tablets, then they have no reason to fall behind.

Only thing I don't see is whether these will have the next-gen dual-core chips, as that will make it much more future-proof than just a simple OS upgrade later on.
 
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It has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, but I don't know if it is dual or single core. It also has 1Gb RAM, 32Gb internal memory and a microSD slot.
 
I think it looks quite nice, aesthetically. I'm guessing it's aimed at Uni students/Office workers or people who can use it and then put it away in a bag or something, because it still looks a little big to just carry around all day in your palm.
 
1. For many people a 7-in tablet is much more portable and comfortable than a 10-in that you would normally only use at home, with a 7-in many more people are inclined to take them out, either on person or in a backpack. So the 10-in tablet is not the end-all-be-all.
.

I've brought my iPad on planes many times. I don't see your argument. It's not heavy nor difficult to use.
 
It's not like 10" is massive :b Personally, I think 10" is the better size - just to differentiate it a bit more from my phone :)

It's a moot point though, I don't own a tablet nor do I plan on buying one.. :b

I don't get HTC's decision about going with Gingerbread though. When you've got Honeycomb, it seems weird.. But who knows, maybe Sense is brilliant on a tablet :b I've tried the Galaxy Tablet, and I can't say I was impressed. Seemed like a half finished product to be honest :b
 
I've brought my iPad on planes many times. I don't see your argument. It's not heavy nor difficult to use.

I wasn't specifically saying me, but IIRC Jeff Jarvis on a recent TwiT podcast said it was the perfect size for him.
 
Reviews are in...

CNET:UK

Conclusion
The HTC Flyer's user interface does a good job of making Android more appealing to less techy users. But non-HTC apps in the Android Market can provide a rude reminder that most apps available for the Flyer were designed with phones, rather than a tablet, in mind. The device's comparatively short battery life is a major drawback too, which is a shame, as this is otherwise a sleek and highly portable tablet

1/2 stars

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/ipad-and-tablets/htc-flyer-review-50002609/#ixzz1MkXyoTRh[linky


TechRadar.

This is a sponsored article in association with HTC. <_<

Imagine if Ferrari made a car that wasn't just drop-dead gorgeous and staggeringly fast, but also capable of off-roading, deep sea exploration and flying to far-flung galaxies. The HTC Flyer is a bit like that.



No ordinary tablet

Stunning software deserves equally stunning hardware, and the HTC Flyer has the horsepower to make its software sing. With seamless multitasking, generous - and expandable - storage and HTC Scribe technology, the HTC Flyer is no ordinary tablet.

Linky

Some random tech blog.
In conclusion, the HTC Flyer isn?t future proofed, lacks key specifications and costs too much money for what it is. If you?re desperate for a HTC tablet device, we?d suggest that you hold fire until there?s some kind of price slash, or HTC releases another, better specced, device, which will no doubt be pretty soon.


I like the form factor, but the price is ridiculous.
 
I have to say that a 2.3 (or 2.2) tablet does feel like suicide, but at least this suicide is with a polished pistol, rather than what Samsung chose to do with the original Galaxy Tab by sledgehammering itself to death. The real shame is the application situation.
 
xda can fix anything.
 
I bought a Galaxy Tab when it was available from my carrier online for less than half-price and I've had no complaints about it at all.
 
It has a stupidly high price in the UK for some reason, from what I've heard it's not going to be too bad here
 
T3:
HTC Flyer: Verdict

There are some things we love about the Flyer: the high-quality build, the size, performance and HTC Sense is slick and efficient. Sure Sense lacks features of Honeycomb, but it?s arguably simpler to navigate. The Flyer is not a multimedia powerhouse, but if you?re main use of the tablet is browsing, playing back video and making notes, the 1.5Ghz processor will be more than adequate. Couple this with the portability of the seven-inch screen and for many people the Flyer will be the perfect tablet.


But we object to the extra ?40 cost of the pen, especially when you are paying a whopping ?599 for the 32GB 3G version of the tablet. Maybe it?s only ?20 more than the similarly-specified iPad 2, but Apple?s tablet has an entry point of ?399, the only alternative to version of the Flyer costs ?479 for the 16GB WiFi. This is ?100 more then the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, which has a bigger, better screen, faster processor and runs Honeycomb.

Linky
 
I think I'll pass on this one. If I get a tablet, I want something that has more screen real estate. I'm not too crazy on the price either.
 
Yeah, its definitely too expensive for a 7" Gingerbread tablet in a 10" Honeycomb world. Unless you really wanted the HTC Scribe feature, it wouldn't make much sense. Even if you did want Scribe, it may well be available on HTC's 10" "Puccini" and "Verdi" Honeycombs when they get around to announcing them.
 
I actually like that its smaller, would be nice for reading comics on (only use for a tablet that I can find) but at the same time so is the nook color and its way less money.
 
I don't do a lot of comics but when I tried a bit of manga on my 1024x600 netbook, I had some trouble with smaller text. Though zooming in would be a cinch with the touch screen so it might not be as big a problem. It's much better on my 1280x800 tablet.
 
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