HTC is introducing something interesting to the local mobile market in the form of the HTC ChaCha which will initially be available to Smart subscribers only. In a nutshell, the HTC ChaCha is an Android phone targeting the Facebook generation with its tight integration with Facebook. It even has its own FB button.
Facebook phone?
Initially, I thought that Facebook is pretty easy to use on Android phones with all the widgets available but with the ChaCha, it gets more easier. We were able to spend a short while with a ChaCha earlier and the only thing I can say is, if you’re a 24/7 Facebook user (or close to it), you would definitely enjoy using this phone.
Aside from the built-in Facebook app, there’s also a Facebook Chat application making it easy to chat with your FB friends just like you’re sending SMS. The FB button has a lot of uses as well. On its own, it allows you to quickly post a status on your wall. Holding it for a few seconds will let you check-in on Facebook. While in the photo album, the FB button will let you upload multiple photos to your account. Pressing the FB button while in camera mode allows you to take a photo and upload it immediately. And there’s a whole lot more interaction with the FB button depending on what screen you’re on. I don’t see why you can’t call this a Facebook phone.
Under the hood
The HTC ChaCha is the first Android phone from HTC featuring a front QWERTY keypad. With this design, the display is limited to a 2.6-inch touchscreen using a landscape profile. Despite its limited real estate, it still packs an HVGA (480 x 320) resolution.
The ChaCha sports an 800MHz processor and runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with an HTC Sense UI modified for the small landscape screen. The lockscreen reminds me of the latest HTC Sense 3.0 which has some shortcut slots for your frequently-used apps so you don’t need to unlock your phone to use them. You can’t put a widget on the lockscreen though. It also has a 5-megapixel camera with flash as well as a VGA front-facing cam (hmm anticipating Facebook video chat?).
A SMART exclusive
We were told that the HTC ChaCha will be exclusive to SMART subscribers when it becomes available on July 16 at the following price point:
- Free at Plan 1500 (unlimited internet)
- Free at Plan 1000 (100MB/month)
- Php15,500 for prepaid
The ChaCha comes in White, Purple and Black. Unlocked units will be available probably mid-August.
HTC ChaCha Specs: |
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800 MHz, Qualcomm Adreno 200 GPU |
2.6″ multi-touch Gorilla Glass display with 480 x 320 resolution |
Android 2.3 Gingerbread with modified HTC Sense UI |
RAM: 512MB, ROM: 512MB |
microSD, up to 32GB |
HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 384 Kbps |
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot |
5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash |
VGA front cam |
Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP |
1250 mAh Li-On battery |
120 grams |
Colors: Black, White, Purple |
SRP: Php15,500 |