The HTC ChaCha is a peculiar handset amongst the Android family and it's not because of it's dedicated Facebook button either. The full QWERTY candy bar style with the landscape screen orientation will further add to the fragmentation of Android itself for some, but I personally think it tackles issues Android hasn't experienced yet.
Hardware
The Cha Cha comes in a mixture of white plastic and silver metallic casing. It has a full QWERTY thumb pad, touch Android user buttons, whilst the dedicated Facebook button sits at the bottom of the "chin" found on older HTC handsets such as the Hero and Dream (G1). The included charger is also white and there is a snazzy twist clip function, although one wonders how long the plastic on plastic twisting would take to ear it out.
Physically I found the handset to be smaller than expected, the press and advertised images make it look a lot bigger than it actually is. At most I'd say it's a half centimetre wider than the Desire, whilst it being a half centimetre shorter. It fits comfortably in one hand, although one handed operation isn't easy, nor does it seem it was designed for one handed use either.
The HTC chin is back on the ChaCha. Design wise it's not too bad, I didn't find any advantages to this design. It might make viewing the screen more optimal, but I think the screen needs more help than just a little tilt upwards. The rounded edges and the smooth finish on this handset make it slightly slippery, I would think the chin plays a little part in this.
Keyboard
The rounded keys and little spaces in-between them make typing away on the ChaCha easy to get used to. Once familiarised with the layout (here we have yet another variation) and where to access the FN (function) key for your access to symbols and special characters, you'll be updating your status, commenting and chattering away on Facebook pretty quickly.
What I found missing was the lack of a trackball, whilst the arrow keys do make up for them, having them in the bottom right corner instead of in the centre under the screen is somewhat undesirable. Most Nokia and Blackberry models have that setup, the ChaCha does not, so this might take a little getting used to. But as the ChaCha does have touch screen functionality there is some compensation.
The two dedicate answer / reject buttons just under the touch Android buttons went unnoticed, it would be better utilising this space for more screen real estate.
Screen
The screen maybe a higher resolution to some other similar handsets the ChaCha will be competing in the market against, but I think there are a few factors which hinder the experience.
First and foremost, Android is not optimised for landscape use. Whilst there are a few options to make it usable, using any Android device in landscape mode all the time will be painful and the lack of support and optimisations will be clear. Apps in the market have not been optimised to run landscape nor on this resolution (480 x 320), which really make getting as much info on screen at one time very hard. Screen retail space is a major concern here. There is a real feel of claustrophobia when using the ChaCha for long periods of time. Those used to the landscape mode may not experience it as much, but coming from a larger screen, it was definitely something I had to consciously get used to.
The screens other fault is the viewing angle. The viewing angle is not as wide as I would have liked, whilst the reflective nature make it hard to see when outdoors. At times viewing images or a video at a slightly slanted angle weren't crisp or as sharp I'd like. Having to view them almost straight on or past that line of limit is not ideal.
Camera
The 5 mega pixel camera on the back of the ChaCha is not really the selling point of this handset, so I wouldn't expect amazing images from it. But the images captured were good enough for sharing to Facebook. In good lighting conditions it wasn't a problem whilst in lowlight it performed OK, whilst the LED flash wasn't as blinding as on my Desire. The option to take images in a 3:2 widescreen resolution is a nice bonus. The 480p video capture ability is sufficient for grabbing quick videos in good light, but in lowlight it's not advisable. There is also the option to capture in widescreen mode here too - 720x480. A couple of sample images and comparison with the Desire can be found below. Click them to open in higher resolutions.
ChaCha vs Desire (Auto)
ChaCha vs Desire Auto (Flash)
ChaCha Closeup
It wasn't easy trying to get the pictures as desired due to the fact the ChaCha doesn't have a dedicated camera button and also the fact the pictures were taken using the phone vertically. It's not comfortable at all.
The ChaCha's main selling point is the Facebook integration. Not only does it have a dedicated button for quick access to Facebook, the ChaCha's software has also been optimised to utilise this. Like most of the HTC's Android handset loaded with Sense, Facebook comes as part of a pre installed package. But HTC have gone the extra yard to make use of the dedicated Facebook button. When pressed it loads up a quick status screen where one can update their status, upload a picture from the gallery or snap one using the camera to post something on one of theirs or their friend's walls. The integration works well and it's super quick to do. Holding the button down allows the user to check-in to a place by using Facebook places. Again, very easy and quick to do.
FB Chat is also preloaded on the ChaCha. This allows the user to quickly see who's online and available to chat. There are also various widgets to stay alert with the latest from Facebook on your homepage. Whilst HTC's optimised Friend stream is a one stop shop to see what everyone is up to or what they are sharing. All of which can be filtered by categories; Photos, Status Updates, Links etc.
Conclusion
The HTC ChaCha is clearly aimed at a specific crowd. I'm not sure whether it excels at what it's aimed to do. But if the handset can be priced at a decent market, then there would be relative success. High end users on the whole would prefer a different setup or handset. There is too much change and adaptability for them. I think if it's aimed at the budget market the ChaCha may succeed, but put it up against a Blackberry Curve for example and it would have no chance, despite it's overwhelming features.
The ChaCha for me is a good experiment to see where Android users could end up and how far they would go to try something different. I don't quite agree having a dedicated Facebook button would make it a more social handset. There are plenty of apps, widgets and customisations in the Market to easily turn any generic Android handset into a "Facebook" phone. I'd rather HTC and others concentrate on doing what they have and expand on those, the HTC G2 and Desire Z are great examples. A dedicated camera button instead of a Facebook button would be a starting point.
The HTC ChaCha asks more questions than it actually answers. Can Android cope with handsets purely designed to work in Landscape mode. Are developers aware of Landscape mode and are they optimising their apps to utilise these options. Can Android become flexible enough to cope with varying different resolutions and handset design without fragmenting itself even more? I for one hope so.
Pros
Pros
- Keyboard has great feedback and is easy to use.
- Facebook users will love the integration.
- The Camera isn't bad for everyday use and point and shoot scenarios.
- Small, compact and very ergonomic.
- The White on Silver design works well.
- The landscape screen is alien to regular Android users.
- The lack of a trackball won't help those coming from Blackberry and similar setups.
- Lack of apps optimised for landscape.
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