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HTC Advantage X7501 First Impressions Review - Tour & Design

Alfredo Padilla Published on March 28, 2007 Comment on this

Intro Messaging Battery Value

Tour & Design Organizer Connectivity Conclusion

Imaging Multimedia Hardware Ratings & Specs

Placing & Receiving Calls Software Other

Front
When closed the front of the HTC Advantage X7501 is covered by the keyboard, which attaches with magnets. There is a clear plastic section at the top of the device that allows you to view indicator icons for things like battery, time and signal strength.

Left
On the left side of the Advantage are a volume slide switch at the top, and near the bottom 3 ports, a TV Out, HTC's Ext USB port for data and power and what looked like a standard 3.5mm headset jack.

Bottom
The bottom of the HTC Advantage X7501 houses the magnets that connect to the keyboard when opened and the data port that transfers information between the device and the keyboard. You also find the cover for the Mini SD card and SIM card on the bottom of the device

Right
The right side of the HTC Advantage X7501 houses a key that opens the Communications Manager application, a dedicated camera key and the power button. At the top you will also see the top of the included stylus, which is clear plastic with a black top. We found the stylus to be rather small.

Back
The back of the HTC Advantage X7501 houses the 3 megapixel auto focus camera and flash near the top right of the device

Front Open
The Advantage X7501 "opens" by removing the keyboard/cover. You can then either use the device as a pure touch screen interface or attach the keyboard to the bottom of the device. The keyboard attaches with magnets.
The front of the device is dominated by an extremely large 5" VGA (640 x 480 pixel) resolution touchscreen display. To the left of the display is a joystick near the top and two navigation buttons, the Start and OK keys, are near the bottom. Above the display on the left is the HTC logo and on the right are three LED's. To the right of the display is a VGA camera for video conferencing near the top and a dedicated Internet Explorer key near the bottom.  The bottom part of the clamshell contains the QWERTY keyboard and control keys. Above the QWERTY keyboard are a row of number keys, and above this a row of application keys. To the left of the keyboard are some function keys, like shift and tab, as well as dedicated keys to control the keyboard backlight and manage your buttons. To the right of the keyboard is a directional pad with a back key below it and a large enter key on the bottom right. The keyboard on the advantage has 44 keys, including various control keys near the top and arrow keys at the bottom left for navigating the interface. The call and end keys are located at the top left and right of the keyboard respectively.

Handling
The HTC Advantage is a large device, at 5.256 x 3.86" x .63" when closed. It weighs in at an hefty 12.66 ounces. This means the Advantage is not your typical cell phone; you certainly wouldn't want to hold it up to your head for any length of time. We also found the Advantage uncomfortable to hold when the keyboard was attached, when used purely as a touchscreen device it is a little more comfortable, but especially those with small hands are going to find the device difficult to handle.

Portability
With its large size and weight the Advantage is certainly not what we would call portable. It isn't going to fit in an average pocket, and is probably too large for some purses as well. The advantage is best carried around in a bag or in your hand as you would a notebook.

Aesthetic
With its matte black finish the HTC Advantage exudes a certain business like charm, but its not a sexy device by any means.

Durability
The HTC Advantage felt well constructed, giving off no creaks. Any device with a large screen is a concern, however if you use the keyboard to cover the front the screen will be well protected for storage. The advantage does not have any large moving parts, but we are still unsure about how the magnetic connectors for the keyboard will hold up. When connected to the face of the device we found the keyboard could slide fairly easily. When connected to the bottom for typing the keyboard locked into place much more firmly.

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