HTC Vox unveiled: Where's the 3G?

HTC Vox

(Credit: Engadget Mobile)

So, I kind of have a secret to tell you guys. I, um, don't actually own a smart phone. I know, I know. I make a living reviewing these devices, and I don't even own one? But I have my reasons. First, because of my job, I'm lucky enough to have hands-on time with a lot of these devices, and with the recent explosion of smart phones, I can't remember the last time I haven't had one to toodle around with for a while. Also, I'm a big stickler about design. I'm a huge texter, so I like having a full QWERTY keyboard, but I also like my phones small, and those two elements are hard to combine. So I was pretty stoked when I heard about the HTC Vox. It's a candy bar-style phone that slides out to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, but it's compact enough for me to throw into a small purse when going out--perfect! Eh, not so fast. Today, HTC officially unveiled the HTC Vox at 3GSM, and though there were rumors about its lack of 3G support, I was hoping the reports were wrong. Looks like I was wrong--honeymoon over. The Vox is a quad-band EDGE device, which is fine I guess, but I've had a taste of the 3G speed, and I like it. There's still plenty to love about the HTC Vox, though. It runs Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition and has integrated Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel camera, 128MB of flash memory, 64MB of RAM, a micro SD slot, and a 2.4-inch display. These phone manufacturers continue to tease us, as no information has been released about U.S. availability or pricing.

[murrayw76]

Wait for the Wings ...

I was pretty excited to hear about the Vox, but disappointed about its lack of 3G as well. I've kept my eye on HTC's products since getting my first smartphone years ago, the i-mate SP3i (aka HTC Feeler). That being said, the recent addition of GPS and 3G to some models has got me itching for the Wings, an update to the Vox that is rumored to add both to the Vox form factor. If the rumors are true, then the only thing the Wings won't have is a touchscreen, which I can do without given the QWERTY keypad and abundance of other features.