Son of a Dash: The Dopod C730 is here!
 

Well, it's there, anyway. In Asia. I am a huge fan of the Dash, and this is terrific news.

Take the Dash, add WM6 out of the box, remove the annoying xt9, add copy/paste, and...what else? I know I'm forgetting some other small improvement.

Oh, yeah: global tri-band HSDPA.

They fixed the only thing that sucked about the Dash: it was cursed with yesteryear's dialup-speed data. Now that all the whyPhone users are slowly poking and pinching their way out onto AT&T's EDGE network, HTC is offering us a high-speed, 3.5G alternative.

Full hardware keyboard with tactile feedback: check
Full sync of contacts/mail/calendar/to-dos with Exchange: check
Runs thousands of Windows Mobile and Java apps: check
Data speeds up to 3.6Mb/s almost anywhere in the world: check
Bluetooth stereo audio, modem, and file exchange: check

Initial reviews are very positive. I'm ordering one today.
http://www.dopodasia.com/global/prod..._c730_fea.html

Does this work on Korea CDMA network and also in japan?

Yes, yes it does. It works pretty much anywhere there is a modern wireless network. Since it's sold unlocked, you can put in the SIM from any operator and use it locally.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 + GPRS + EDGE
WCDMA 850/1900/2100 UMTS + HSDPA

It works on Korean and Japanese WCDMA networks. Not on the bog standard CDMA networks. Might be an issue if you're heading to the hinterlands.

For touchscreenless smartphones this us the absolute UBER phone.

Between this and the upcoming Kaiser I'd say HTC is well on track to becoming the nr.1 smartphone company in the world!

It lists 3G....but does its 3G frequency match Cingular's? If it's EDGE-only in the US, it would be a deal-killer for me.

Any pricing on this or availability from importers? I would do just about anything to throw my Q out the window and get something else while I wait for the HTC S730 to come out.

Good luck to HTC, but they're going to continue to struggle getting into the mainstream with devices like this. All singing, all dancing devices they're getting really good at, and it's a nice niche for them. Number one smartphone company? Not in terms of volume, that's for sure...

I've been waiting for this! How much?

They sell their devices to every major operator in the world. Even the backwards mobile country the US is has several HTC devices in their assortment. The T-mobile MDA, SDA, Wing and Dash, the Sprint Mogul, the Cingular 82xx and 85xx devices etc...

They are about as mainstream as you can get.

In Europe operators like Orange ship massive amounts of HTC phones.

No idea why you claim they will struggle, they have already proven to be perfectly capable of selling to, and playing with the big boys. Their devices are highly desirable.

WCDMA 850/1900/2100 UMTS + HSDPA

that would mean it works just fine on Cingulars 3G network.

I just bought one (thanks, Scooby ;)) and it's on its way as we speak.

<--- happy camper

$437 unlocked

http://www.1shopmobile.com/catalog.p...41772/pd808788

Not bad for an unlocked phone. Now I just want to see this compared to the forthcoming Motorola q9 (because I'll be able to get that from AT&T at a subsidized price). I'm so glad that the iPhone is finally released so now maybe the wireless companies will release some other phones.

Selling to rather than playing with, is my take on it. They're still a little known brand outside geekdom, and that's also where their devices are aimed. BenQ can tell them a thing or two about what'd be likely to happen to ODM contracts were they to make a real brand-building effort...

I'm sure they'll continue to do well, I just can't see them being the number one player. Not through operators and certainly not under their own brand.

Please let us know your impressions of the phone, especially relating to stability. My chief problem with the Moto Q is it's dramatic instability, requiring multiple reboots and battery pulls throughout the day, a radio that turns itself off without warning and other idiosyncrasies that has me dreaming of throwing the thing against the wall.

Keep in mind, this is a virgin Moto Q without any hacks or changes and just Google Maps and the Opera Browser installed, so it's obviously inherent instability due to either the OS, the phone itself or the changes to the OS done by Sprint.

Perhaps a clean install of WM on an unlocked smartphone/pdaphone would be more stable than the hacked and modified versions installed on most US phones. If so, I would happily pick one of these phones up pending the S730 release - even if I would need to migrate to Cingular :(

I have a contact in HK and KL who could buy one locally and send it to me, but the 'where to buy' websites listed at the link did not have any pricing information...I hope it's available locally (without agreement) for less than the importer's price.

one major thing
 

there is ONE major additional FEATURE of this, carried over from the DASH that I wish they would just get rid of

it still has the junk the touch pad on the side, that is just junk junk junk.

I think it must be either a Moto or Sprint (or both thing). I have a TMobile Dash, which I have upgraded the ROM to WM6 on and it runs flawlessly. No freezes, etc in the few weeks I have had it. Im starting to really like it. Im pretty happy with TMobile so I will probably wait out their incredibly long awaited deployment of 3G. I should add that I also have a Treo 700w which has EVDO but I end up using TMo EDGE more, even though the network is slower, because of hangups etc with the Treo. As much as I like the Treo form factor, it just is really a pain to use sometimes because of the Treo. It is better if I get rid of all the extra software, but that is somewhat the point of having a smart phone.

I'll post a review as soon as I get my hands on it, along with a comparison to the Jeez-a-phone.

My Dash has never had stability problems, not one. Then again I don't load it up with a bunch of crap - a couple of Java apps and Live local search. I do, however, have problems with HTC phones durability. My TSM520 rubbed all the paint off the case and the keys within six months. My 8320 cracked the screen within three days. The Dash lasted about five months before I cracked the screen by getting into the car with the phone in my front pocket.

I'm giving them one more try, and it the screen cracks on this one, I'm going to either have to get a new car or switch back to SE.

I use an HTC Touch (on the T-Mobile USA network) and an HTC Prophet aka i-mate Jamin (on non-US networks) but that Dopod/Son of Dash sure looks sweet. 3G support? That's perfect.

My only issue with the "old" Dash is that it has a non-touch screen. It seems that's the case with this "new"one. Also, how come it doesn't appear on the HTC website? It shows up on www.mobileplanet.com as the S630. Bizarre!

If I can get my hands on one, I just might ditch the Prophet and use the S630 for my non-US use. But the Prophet served me really well. I used and abused it but it never broke.

ON EDIT:

Found it on the Asian version of the HTC website. I was looking at the US version (my default) which doesn't showcase it. http://www.asia.htc.com/asia/product..._c730_fea.html

HTC are not currently selling this handset under their own name, only the Dopod brand. It is rumored that they will announce it outside of Asia as the S630 but this isn't confirmed yet.

Played with it today, and was VERY impressed. It is extremely sleek, much nicer design than the Dash/630.

You better not have gotten your grimy fingerprints all over it! :mad:

It is already advertised as the S630. Just go to http://www.mobileplanet.com/p.aspx?i=149749. Cheers.

It has arrived. (Thanks, ScottC!)

First impressions:

It's exactly what I expected, a DASH with HSDPA and a much better camera.

It feels faster as you zip around in the OS, zero lag switching applications, etc. The screen is quite a bit brighter. The keyboard is essentially the same, though the keys are slightly reshaped. I don't notice any difference in typing speed/accuracy.

With HSDPA it is FAST! Speed test of 302K/sec. :o

This I love: there is an option to turn off HSDPA but leave UMTS, presumably to trade off battery life and speed without resorting to EDGE/GPRS.

There is also a band selector with three options: US, Europe, and Japan.

It comes with a nifty RSS reader built into the home screen.

I'll post more once I've had a chance to play with it. My iPhone arrived today also so I'm quite busy. :)

The S630 is the HTC branded version (Cavalier), which I believe is just abit different than the Dopod C730, just as the S710 is different than the C500.

I think the differences are subtle, but some of the reviews I read about this phone seem to favor waiting for the S630 - while others figured the Dopod version was close enough in quality and function so one didn't have to cough up an extra $150 or so to buy the S630.

When I was at an office in Geneva recently they had their WiFi access point operating on channel 13, which is not a legal frequency in the US. My laptop had no problem connecting, but my Dash would not connect. (The Dash had no problem with the European cellphone frequency band, of course.) So it is not only the cellphone band you need to worry about, but also the WiFi channels. Do you think the 630/730 band selector also controls WiFi frequencies?

^:cool:

So Alan, how do you like it? I broke my 8125 and I'm thinking about this to replace it. Either that or the Q9 when it comes out.

Also, does it have a manufacturer's warranty? 1stshopmobile has a warranty option, but I highly doubt it's worth it.

It's great, basically. The software is stable and the touch strip is less fussy than on the Dash (but still a bad idea). I leave it in GPRS mode most of the time, though, because 3G eats the battery too fast.

HTC will repair it under warranty; I've had to send my 8310 back to them before with no issues.

Does anyone know if this model includes UMA?

It does not.

I cracked. I ordered it. I hold alanw responsible.

Can someone post a review or comparison?

It's here! I'm already in love. :)

So after two days with my baby, I'm very very pleased. A few comments and questions:

• It is smokin' fast. Both in responsiveness and interwebs speed. Blows my 8125 out of the water.
• alanw said that it's possible to neuter it to just EDGE. Where's the option for that (is it the Connections/HSDPA setting that requires a restart)?
• How do I make the light blink orange when I have a message waiting? This was really simple and in the same place I changed sounds on my 8125.
• How can I delete everything in the address bar of IE in one step? Holding the backspace key for a 50-character URL is annoying.

- Good!
- Set the phone band to GSM only, not GSM+WCDMA
- You can't
- You can't

This has been another edition of Short Answers to Phone Questions.

I love that show! The host can be a little nerdy though. :p

Anyone have access to the Aussie C730 ROMs? I'd LOVE to load a version that didn't have the Chinese customizations. Yes you can remove them but I'd prefer one set up for English with the ancillary software that isn't chinese only.

Its available for download from HTP Members Club. You need to setup an account and then you can doewnload country-specific ROM updates. For Australia they currently have the C730 WM6 customised for Optus and Vodafone Australia networks. Go to www.asia.htc.com then select Australia and then Service & Support. Follow your nose to the downloads section. If you don't have a members account then you will need to establish one first.

Right, but unless you have an Aussie specific serial number, no joy. My C730s are HK sourced and I can get THOSE roms... just not the Aussie version. And sadly XDA Developers have nothing for the C730 yet.

I found a nifty little program called DontForget that will blink the light (among other things) when you have a message waiting. It's not perfect (e.g. the light turning on/off isn't immediate--it seems like it polls every few minutes to check for a message notification), but it does the trick. I downloaded the beta so that it works with voicemail alerts.

A couple of other nifty things I discovered:

- With the JOGGR, on the second swipe, if you hold, it autoscrolls (but you probably knew that). If you wiggle your finger a little while holding, it accelerates.
- You can lock the phone by holding down the end call (red phone) key.