Touch-And-Type HTC Chacha: A Good Idea?

31.1.12 The Reporter 2 Comments

Before the Blackberry, the "CandyBar" phone had dominated the market, thanks to Nokia's 3210, 3310 to 8210/8250 innovations. Prior to the 3210, the 3310 and their ilk, mobile phones had an antenna as part of its standard design. Eventually, CandyBar phones became the norm.

Enter the Blackberry. With its QWERTY keyboard eliciting nothing but hours of pure addiction to typing out SMS', emails and anything text-related on its yummy keyboard, it was no surprise that it was termed the "Crackberry." Like crack, addiction to emails, WORK emails included, happened like wildfire across Blackberry users in the US. Eventually, the rest of the world caught on.

That's why I personally am hesitant to use a touch screen device. In fact, getting the Cherry Mobile Nova was an urgent necessity for me. Managing this Web Magazine without an Android of my own was a bit senseless. BUT that doesn't mean that I authored that idea and wanted a touch screen device in the first place.

And while I am happy-happy-happy with my Cherry Mobile Nova now, and I am loving the fact that it's a touch screen device, it has never replaced my Blackberry. And the rest of my QWERTY phones (which I use as phones) for that matter.

Gee, I have an addiction to phones, especially QWERTY's. I didn't notice. :p

That is why the HTC Chacha is a definite must-have in my Android wishlist. It has the beauty of the Android OS, with the relief of the physical keyboard.

Check out this comparison chart from GSM Arena:

CLICK HERE for full size

This is a "shootout" between the HTC Chacha and the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos.

While technically, it's the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro which should be compared with it, the Galaxy Y Pro Duos puts up a better fight.

I first got to take a look and play with the HTC Chacha in PLDT Jump Experience Center. My first impressions were that I hated the drab dashboard background. But then later, I realized that a user may be able to change that, using the customizations that every Android has.

Other than the drab background, the HTC Chacha has these pros:

• Awesome Gorilla Glass touch screen. Very sturdy and firm to the touch.
• Comfortable keypad.
• The fact that it's touch-and-type.

One major plus for touch-and-type devices is that users won't need to change their mobile device habits between devices. For me, one major adjustment in my early days with the Cherry Mobile Nova was that when I would go back to my non-touch-screen Blackberry Sprint World Edition 8830, I'd find myself absentmindedly touching the screen, in an attempt to use the phone's controls. A split-second later, I realize that I'm no longer on my Cherry Mobile Nova. Thus, it was then that I figured that a touch-and-type device may be an awesome idea.

For a great, thorough review of the HTC Chacha, here is Pocket-Lint.