One of the most sought-after Windows Mobile <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/4566-6452_7-0.html">smart phones</a> is the HTC Vox S710, offering a best-of-breed design that's hard to resist. Sadly, it has yet to make its debut in the United States, but we got our hands on an unlocked version. Take a photo tour here, and check out our review to see if its performance can match its good looks.
Underneath all the fancy hardware, the HTC Vox S710 isn't much different than other Windows Mobile smart phones. The quad-band S710 runs the latest Windows Mobile 6 operating system and offers a 2-megapixel camera and integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Our only disappointment? The lack of 3G connectivity.
The trade-off is that the S710 is on the thicker side, so it will make for a tighter fit in a pants pocket, but you shouldn't have problems slipping it into a bag.
The S710 measures 3.9 inches long by 1.9 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and 4.2 ounces with a candy-bar style and soft-touch finish, making it more comfortable to hold and use as a phone than the bulky AT&T 8525 or wider T-Mobile Dash.
Located on the back of the phone, the HTC S710 is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera with zoom and video recording capabilities. However, it lacks a flash, which may be why the camera produced some off-colored photos.
...if you push the front cover to the left, you're presented with a full QWERTY keyboard that's surprisingly easy to use and quite useful for firing off e-mails and text messages. The sliding movement is smooth and solidly locks into place. In addition, exposing the keyboard triggers the screen to automatically switch from portrait mode to landscape mode, but as we've come to notice with similar slider smart phones, the S710 experienced a delay when changing screen orientation.
In a unique twist, the SIM card slot is located on the back of the front cover, which you can access when the phone is in its open state. At this point, the S710 is only available in the United States as an unlocked phone, so you can use it with your AT&T Wireless or T-Mobile SIM card.
Below the display, you'll find a dedicated alphanumeric keypad that allows you to easily dial numbers. In addition, you get the standard array of navigation controls, including two soft keys, a shortcut to the Home menu, and a back button.
