T-Mobile Dash 3G reviewed, liked

One of the strangest things about the HTC Snap roll-out has been how different the devices are on the many networks in USA.  There has been some advantages to this however, in that while the Sprint Snap has been a disappointment the Dash 3G seems to be a much better device.

 Bonnie Cha from CNET has reviewed the device and appears to have come off with a good impression.

On the design she says:

Now this is the smartphone that we saw and admired at CTIA 2009. Unlike the slick, plasticky Sprint HTC Snap, the T-Mobile Dash 3G is a much more attractive device for a number of reasons. The soft-touch finish on the back makes the biggest difference in our opinion, giving the messaging smartphone a more sophisticated look and high-quality feel. The Sprint Snap just looks like a toy next to it. The Dash 3G is also slightly slimmer at 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick (compared with Sprint’s version at 4.5 inches by 2.5 inches by 0.5 inch), and is comfortable to hold while on a phone call or typing messages. The handset will also easily slip into a pants pocket and won’t weigh you down at 4.2 ounces.

She likes the keyboard also:

The T-Mobile Dash 3G’s QWERTY keyboard is one of the better ones we’ve seen in this slate-style phone. A lot of the time there’s a bit of a trade-off where the keyboard takes a hit to keep the phone sleek and slim, but HTC managed to fit in a decent-size keyboard while keeping a compact design. Even though there isn’t much spacing between the keys, the buttons are large and have a slight curve to them so they’re easy to press. They also feel sturdy and not quite as clicky as the BlackBerry Curve’s. Finally, we like that the letters and numbers are easy to read thanks to its bold and red markings, and we always appreciate the shortcut keys on the bottom row.

She does lament the lack of UMA as found on the T-Mobile Shadow, the annoying lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack (though an adaptor is included)  and find the $169 price on contract a bit high compared to the price on other networks.

Read the full review here, and see the video version below.