HTC Arrive is a Windows Phone 7 handset that has a slide out hardware keyboard. So how does this WP7 device compares to the rest of the Windows Phone devices out there? Let us find out.
HTC Arrive is all about social networking and music. Even though it has a smaller 3.6-inch display which is smaller than the popular HD7 WP7 phone, it packs the same amount of pixels. Its display sports a resolution of 800 x 480 which is a standard resolution for Windows Phones, but what makes it different from the rest of the crowd is its sliding keyboard. Its screen flips up at an angle that makes it look like a mini laptop. The phone is very comfortable to use when firing away emails or working with office documents. The keys are big enough for typing short messages or emails. HTC has incorporated an entire key for the smileys that brings up punctuation-based emotions that we are typically familiar with. I do wish that the spacebar key was a bit more easily accessible since it is quite a stretch to reach it with the thumbs.
If you are a person that prefers SIP (soft input panel) over a hardware keyboard, you will be happy to know that the on-screen keyboard is an absolute joy to use. Just like iPhone, it auto-corrects your mistakes as you type which is a nifty addition. It also lets you create MS Word and Excel documents. However, it does not allow you to make PowerPoint presentations. It is easy to set up both Gmail and Windows Live email accounts. You also get the option to sync contacts and calendar with either of the services. Google Calendar Sync service is not enabled by default but can be easily turned on.
Windows Phone 7 is not a fully landscape-optimized operating system and not all applications support this mode. That said, most of the core applications, including Messaging, Bing and Office apps work like a charm in landscape mode. Bing Maps has an amazing hybrid map view that combines both satellite imagery and road map. This works much better than Google Maps' hybrid view. In short, HTC Arrive works great as a navigation device.
Battery life is one of the strongest points of HTC Arrive. HTC has bundled a massive 1500mAh battery which is much more than what you get in typical touchscreen phones. Keep in mind that too much wireless web browsing can lead to short battery life.
Verdict – The HTC Arrive smartphone is a heaven for business users. It packs lots of horsepower and a really amazing keyboard that is very comfortable to digits.