Dopod C730

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Also known as the HTC Cavalier, the Dopod C730 is an update to the C720W, joining the ranks of devices running on the latest Windows Mobile 6 Standard platform. The main difference between the C730 and the C720W is the addition of 3G in the former, with support also for faster HSDPA connection.

Design
The sides and back of the C730 are made of stiff plastic with a brown metallic color. On the front, a brushed matte-silver surface surrounds the screen and keypad. While its general shape and size are similar to the C720W, the newer model comes across as more conventional and sophisticated in its design because of the lack of striking contrasts between the silver and brown parts.

With a side profile of 13.5mm, the C730 is a tad thicker but 10g lighter than the C720W with a 12.8mm girth and weighing 130g. Overall, the C730 still falls into the thin-and-light category and it sits comfortably in our pockets. More importantly, it feels good in the hands.

However, as a QWERTY handheld, the C730 doesn't quite impress. Although the array of controls below the 2.4-inch, QVGA display are large and provide tactile feedback, we can't say the same for the keyboard. The keys are rather small and there's no spacing between each button. So we ended up pecking on the keys instead of thumbing our messages. Not a big problem if you have small digits or are just sending a short text message, though we won't say the same if we had to edit a long Word document.

An interesting element which the C730 has brought over from its predecessor is the touch-sensitive strip on the right edge of the phone. It controls the volume, opens up the messaging application and allows us to return to the previous menu. But we're not huge fans of this touch strip.

There were times when it got a little temperamental and turned cranky on us. That said, it's not all that bad because other than the volume area, the other two touch-sensitive parts require the user to double-tap to activate. And if we really hated it, we could turn it off altogether or specify it to do only certain tasks, like adjust volume in-call.

Unlike the C720W which has the microSD expansion slot behind the battery cover along the right side, the media slot on the C730 is on the left edge of the unit, making it a whole lot easier to swap cards.

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