We haven't seen a sleek QWERTY device from HTC in a long time (think back to the T-Mobile Dash), so we were thrilled when the company announced the HTC Snap. A U.S. version of the Snap, called the HTC S522, will be sold unlocked this summer, but pricing was not revealed at CTIA 2009.
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Slim and thin
The Snap measures 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.4 inch deep and weighs has 4.2 ounces. While compact in size, the smartphone is packed with features, such as Windows Mobile 6.1, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, but it's not terribly different from the T-Mobile Dash.
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Left side
On the left side of the smartphone, you'll find a microSD expansion slot. The HTC Snap comes with 256MB ROM/192MB RAM.
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Better camera
One area where the Snap improves on the T-Mobile Dash is the camera. The HTC Snap upgrades to a 2-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities. The back of the phone also features a soft-touch finish, giving the device a nice nonslip texture.
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QWERTY keyboard
Given the design, it's no surprise that the handset is optimized for e-mail and messaging. The Snap's QWERTY keyboard has good-size buttons with nice, tactile feedback so it is comfortable and easy to type messages. You also get a standard navigation array of two soft keys, Talk and End buttons, a Home shortcut, a back button, and a new trackball navigator.
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Inner Circle
The Snap is the first HTC smartphone to include something called Inner Circle. The company created this feature to help users prioritize their e-mails based on personal preferences.
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By pressing the dedicated Inner Circle button (the green one on the bottom row), the HTC Snap will bring e-mails from a preselected group of people to the top of your in-box so you can read and reply to them immediately.
