Monday
Jun132011
HTC Flyer review: day one
Monday, June 13, 2011 at 2:59AM 
Available from Clove for £562.80
Price
Let's discuss the price first. I can see some of you thinking 'How much?!?' when you look at the price tag for the Flyer, but there are some points to bear in mind. A 32GB iPad 2 with 3G and Wi-Fi costs £579. The Flyer has 32GB plus 3G, Wi-Fi and the ability to add up to 32GB of extra storage. It also comes with a digital stylus which I will cover at length later on. The Flyer is a 7" tablet which many see as the sweet point for tablet screen sizing, but the rest feel that the 9.7" iPad display is sweeter still. Again, I will cover this later on. I don't believe the Flyer is overpriced.
What's unique?
It is all too easy to look at any non-iPad tablet and presume that it cannot compete and this is an understandable feeling. No tablet yet has come close to the iPad 1 let alone the 2, but things are gradually changing. Here are some notable quotes from Clove which sum up the unique areas of the Flyer-
"Built into the HTC Flyer is HTC Scribe technology which provides the ability to accept input via a stylus or digital pen. Such a feature means you can use the Flyer as if it were a normal notepad – except everything will be stored digitally, not something many other tablets can do! Such a feature demonstrates how the Flyer could easily fit into personal and business scenarios. Whether it be for making notes in a meeting, getting customers to sign for delivery of something, the Scribe technology gives a world of opportunities. What good would this technology be without a digital pen? Well thankfully a HTC digital pen/stylus is included."
I have spent a good amount of time with the Flyer so far and have been quite impressed with the set up here and the way the various features blend together. I am going to concentrate on the most talked about feature first which is the stylus.
"For the ‘power user’ a feature called Timemark enables you to capture the audio of a meeting in line with your written notes, so tapping on a word in your notes instantly takes you to that exact place in time in the audio recording of the meeting. Notes are also integrated with the calendar so when there is an appointment reminder you are automatically prompted with an opportunity to begin a new note or in the case of recurring meetings, to continue where the last meeting left off. In an industry first, the HTC Flyer tablet also features built-in synchronisation with Evernote, the world-leading notes application and service. If you spend half your working day in a meeting of some form, you can probably see the benefit of this."
"The HTC Flyer tablet premieres HTC Watch, HTC's new video download service. This service enables low-cost on-demand progressive downloading of hundreds of High-Definition movies from major studios. Perfect for those movie fans, or those who could benefit from something to watch when on a trip."
"As if the HTC Flyer feature list was not extensive enough, gaming is taken to an entirely new level by being the first mobile device in the world to integrate OnLive Inc.'s revolutionary cloud-based gaming service. OnLive is leading in the home gaming market by letting you play top video games on your television without the need to buy expensive gaming hardware or software. When integrated fully, the OnLive service will enable you to pipe the OnLive service through the HTC Flyer tablet's broadband wirelessly to your television set, or of course played directly on the tablet."
It's an intriguing mix of high-end business and high-end entertainment features and that is not something often seen in an Android tablet.
In the box
I was pleasantly surprised by the box contents. Besides the usual AC charger, headphones and sync cable, there is a very smart leather pouch with a loop for the stylus and the stylus itself. It doesn't sound like a huge bundle, but this is the first mobile product I have used in a long time that gives you everything you need to get started. The pouch is white which does make it look rather feminine and the design is also responsible for that, but it affords a great deal of protection and strangely makes the Flyer look smaller than it already is. The stylus loop is a tight fit which of course is required to stop it coming loose and overall I have to say that I am impressed by the bundle.
Design
This is hard to explain because the design is split into two halves, front and back, which look completely different. On the back you get the typically high-end HTC look with brushed metal dominating and two smaller white plastic panels at either end. It looks completely different to all other tablets and much more expensive. However, the front looks like almost every other Android tablet. The screen surround is black plastic with just a hint of metal and white plastic at the top and bottom. Each end is slightly raised, but not significantly and thus we end up with an industry standard front design.
The buttons are as you would expect; a power button top-right next to the 3.5mm headphone jack, volume buttons on the right hand side (presumably to stop you accidentally hitting them when using it in landscape) and the microUSB jack is at the bottom which could be handy for docking. There are also two speakers on the back with a large camera lens top left. The lens isn't protected, but the surround is just pronounced enough to stop it being scratched when laid flat.
I like the design of the Flyer overall, but the materials used do make it slippery in the hand. Metal and plastic look great together and add to the aesthetic appeal, but it is all too easy to drop when you are in a hurry.
The Magic Pen
I have spent a good amount of time with the Flyer so far and have been quite impressed with the set up here and the way the various features blend together. I am going to concentrate on the most talked about feature first which is the stylus.
Apple doesn't so styluses and it shows with the Heath Robinson selection of accessories and apps designed to make the iPad feel like a paper pad. None of them succeed in bringing true digital handwriting to iOS, in my opinion, and I have found the iPad to be poor in this area. HTC has taken another track and bundled a Magic Pen which is supposed to offer greater accuracy and a more realistic writing experience, and it does. It was the very first feature I tested and felt quite real to me. I'm not going to go into the technical detail here because that's not important. The Magic Pen and the Flyer feel good together, they really do.
I found myself writing longer written notes than I ever did with the iPad in the first few minutes and there are many extra tricks included to make your own notes and annotations stand out. First up there is a selection of pens, pencils and ink pens along with a range of colours and other options. This lets you highlights particular words or parts of a document and easily share them with others. The notes app makes excellent use of the pen and includes a direct link to Evernote so that you can keep everything you want backed and stored online for use elsewhere. Tapping the small icon below the screen brings up a menu at the bottom which lets you take a 'snap' of the current screen (in most apps). From here you can annotate the image and then share it in a variety of ways or send to Evernote.
There are some inconvenient aspects to using a pen like this. For example, when you have clicked the pen icon you then need to use your finger to selection an option. I can't see how HTC can get around this, but it takes some getting used to.
This is by far the best digital inking solution I have used to date and shows that a truly great solution should be possible in the future. It is likely that updates will be released for the Flyer that help the pen feature work even better, but for now I have to say that it works well enough for me to use it in meetings and for whenever I want to take notes. I have not been able to say that about any other tablet or smartphone.
I have done a lot more on day one such as testing the music and video functionality, using Flash in web and exploring various other aspects of the system, but those will wait for the next write up. Day one has been a revelation for me though and the Flyer has barely left my hand. I didn't expect it to get under my skin so quickly.
Reader Comments (39)
I've used the AluPen with the iPad for a few months now - very pleased with it, as it's just like writing on paper.
Why not a program to convert your handwritten notes to "text"? ala Palm's Grafitti?
For me that would increase it's usefulness immensely.
Also I think there is no removable/changeable battery ala Apple.
What is it with these manufacturers that you would have to return the device to them for a battery.
In my country HTC is not available so this itself is a deal breaker.
Bring on the Toshiba.
Flyer prices are already coming down. As Shaun says, the options for stylus input for the iPad are add-ons while with the Flyer the Wacom digitiser means it is a inherent feature of the hardware.
@Shofar, Evernote has an option for transcription. All Flyer notes are sync'd with Evernote.
Thanks Jah.
Now if they would only allow us to replace the battery.
Does anyone have a GOOD reason they, apple, samsung etc do not allow customer replacement of the battery?
Does anyone have a GOOD reason they, apple, samsung etc do not allow customer replacement of the battery?
They do not have to factor this function into the hardware design.
The user is more dependent on the manufacturer / provider.
When it dies, people are more likely to upgrade to the newest model.
I can't imagine many people paying 600 quid for a 7 inch tablet, no matter what the software or specs.
@tonyk, my decision on technology is usually based on a value decision. Having all my electronic notes and written notes available in one device that also enables great PIM means I can be much more productive. I suspect the next HTC tablet, the 10.1" device, is more likely to be attractive from a price perspective. But as I said, the 3G Flyer is already £40 below rrp (just do a quick google search) and the wifi only will also get cheaper (less than the current £480).
Interesting that the version you have is shipping with the stylus as there seems to be quite a bit of confusion over this. I've seen info on versions without the stylus and versions with, both here and in the US. If you get a version without a stylus, it costs an extra £49!
The stylus issue is an odd one. I haven't seen the Flyer available without the stylus so far. Seems to be bundled on them no matter who sells them.
Anyone seen them for sale without a stylus?
Not in Best Buy.... http://androidspin.com/2011/05/20/stylus-not-included-with-htc-flyer-best-buy-confirms/
All Euro Flyers with stylus and pouch - not the case for US versions.
I've been intrigued by the device ever since it was announced, and the more I read about it the more attractive it seems. I do own an iPad 2 and am quite happy with it, especially since it has the programs I need (which Android, unfortunately does not). I am, however, very put off by the fact that this device in the US does NOT come with the stylus, but is an extra $80 purchase. I don't know if this is something that HTC decided or something that Best Buy (the only retailer for the device in the US so far) decided, but to me it's pretty bone-headed. The stylus and accompanying software for it is what makes this device stand out and they are only hurting themselves by charging such an exorbitant amount for it here. For this reason alone, I'd not buy one. I hope that when other retailers start carrying this device, the stylus will be included in the price.
@jah: I understand your value based decision making, I just don't see a great demand for these amonst the general public. In terms of technology perhaps it's good value but £600 is more than many would consider spending on a laptop/PC. To sell in any quantity this would need to tap into the iPad market and I can't see many people paying more money for a stylus and a smaller screen.
@tonkyk, I agree. This is a tool for business people and students. The extra cost of the Wacom hardware does not make sense for most people that would normally be attracted to the iPad, remembering the iPad is a content delivery tablet while the Flyer is trying to be a content creation device. I think there is a market for both types of devices. However, long term I see a two box solution being more flexible. That is an iPad and an ASUS input tablet, designed only for monochrome hand writting input and sold at less than £200.
the Flyer is trying to be a content creation device
With a smaller screen, no handwriting recognition and no physical keyboard, I'm not sure it does this any better than the iPad would - in fact, given the smaller screen, arguably worse!
"With a smaller screen, no handwriting recognition and no physical keyboard, I'm not sure it does this any better than the iPad would - in fact, given the smaller screen, arguably worse!"
Impossible to say if you haven't used the Flyer. I haven't tried the AluPen, but there is something very different about the way the magic pen works. It doesn't feel like writing on an iPad screen at all.
the Flyer is trying to be a content creation device
Oh please, I've seen a ton a content produced produced on iPads - people from writers, musicians, artists, business people and students are all using these things.
How does the Flyer fare any better in this area?
@Neil, as I use both the iPad and Flyer I can say that having hardware support for input with a stylus makes input a lot easier. The point about content creation and consumption is a general point - just look at the s/w HTC have developed. A PDF reader that allows you to save annotations, a n Ebook reader that allows you to record your highlights and an office app that also allows annotations to be saved and the way in which screen shots are saved into a "day book" and sync'd with Evernote., etc
@Neil, also when you annotate office documents you can email Word documents (which I have tested) as Word documents with the annotations preserved to see them using MS Office.
@lazyboy, see my other posts. The hardware is designed to allow pen input and s/w to integrate input etc. Obviously if Android apps were as good a Apple apps, the Flyer could do everything the iPad can do with iPad content creation apps. But its all about the hardware and base s/w integration - as you receive it in native form. As consumers we have a choice now - go for specific h/w support or choose the iPad. I prefer choice.
I agree that dedicated hardware support for inking is a differentiator, but I'm still not sure how this makes the Flyer a better "content creation" device than the iPad. I don't see many people creating content using pen and paper, and for those that do, a real pen and paper is still going to offer a superior experience, if the screenshots above are anything to go by.
"How does the Flyer fare any better in this area?"
All I can say is that it has to be used to understand. For a long time I have wanted a device that allowed me handwriting input in normal use and the Flyer is the nearest I have seen to this.
Not knocking the iPad, but don't dismiss the Flyer just because no-one has created drawings etc. on it yet. For handwriting it is way ahead of anything else I have used to date. I haven't used everything out there or every accessory, but HTC has done well with this particular feature. Very well.
@lazyboy, I used my iPad for note taking (hand written) for many months and have recommended to many colleagues. But for me the Flyer is a better fit for me. But does not preclude others from preferring the iPad. I also appreciate the current price is a barrier. Also this is a V1 device and I think the V2 from HTC will be much better (screen still to slippery for my liking).
"but don't dismiss the Flyer just because no-one has created drawings etc"
I'm not dismissing it. I was responding to the point that it was somehow conceived of as more of a content creation device than the iPad, and I'm not sure how the note scribbling feature does that.
@jah
A PDF reader that allows you to save annotations,
...
when you annotate office documents you can email Word documents (which I have tested) as Word documents with the annotations preserved to see them using MS Office.
That's pretty good functionality to have built in.
I guess that, for me, I'm happily annotating PDFs on my iPad, and hand-writing notes, so the Flyer, with a smaller screen, has little appeal - but I could see why someone who did not already have an investment in a device / platform might be tempted.
I have not used one, but, based on what's written above, nothing about the stylus is particularly appealing, but perhaps that's because I don't have a problem with the iPad for note-taking. If I'd had a bad experience, I could understand it more...
My wife tried to use various note taking apps on the iPad and failed, she thinks this because she is left handed. She asked me why she can't have a device like the Flyer! I rest my case.
It's all about the feel, the sensation when writing.
Apple does not do styluses.
I have used pens and pencils all my life and the flyer feels so natural to me.
The iPad does not feel natural at all for writing.
@jah is right. Use them both and 'feel' the difference.
This is supposed to be an area Apple exceeds others at. The feel and sense of touch but the flyer out-feels the iPad for me.
The iPad does not feel natural at all for writing.
I guess it's very much a "whatever works for you" situation; I'd be interested to try a Flyer, but I couldn't say that writing on the iPad does not feel natural - PenUltimate has been an almost complete replacement for handwritten notes in meetings for me. I say "almost", but I can't think of the last occasion when I used pen and paper, actually - for meeting notes or otherwise.
Different people, different experiences, perhaps.
"I can't think of the last occasion when I used pen and paper, actually - for meeting notes or otherwise."
Likewise.
"Different people, different experiences, perhaps."
Absolutely.
My wife has always taken written notes, and would never dream of doing it any other way. Having said that, the typical pocket Moleskin does not appeal to her either. She uses an letter sized notepad so she has plenty of space to write and leave notes in the margin. Neither a Flyer, nor an iPad, nor a traditional Microsoft PC would hack it for her.
I meant to say "Windows tablet" instead of Microsoft PC.
Today sums up what I love about this site. Lots of great content to read on the train to work and lots of intelligent discussion to check up on during the day.
You should be proud Shaun. It just gets better and better here!
No battery removal is not an issue for me, in fact I now prefer it as it means a nice solid device. There's hardly been a history of battery problems for iPhones, iPads and other non-iOS devices that don't have removable battery covers to date.
I had a play with a Flyer at the weekend. It is very nice but quite heavy. The guys at AndroidCentral described it as being too much like a bigger smartphone than a standalone tablet...any view on that Shaun? It wouldn't bother me personally....
"AndroidCentral described it as being too much like a bigger smartphone than a standalone tablet...any view on that Shaun? "
Hmmm. Difficult one that. It feels more like a tablet to me and I am coming round to the size as the best for a tablet (for me).
"You should be proud Shaun. It just gets better and better here!"
I will be proud when it gets the visitor numbers it deserves, but I appreciate the comment Bill. Cheered me up:)
There's hardly been a history of battery problems for iPhones, iPads and other non-iOS devices that don't have removable battery covers to date.
I thought iPods were (perhaps previously) renowned for battery problems?
@Murray, Honeycomb is on its way for the Flyer.
Great review, I think next time i change my phone I'll try this one.
is htc flyer 3g +wifi a cellphone?
im getting mine from Singapore this week,please help me. I want a tab and a phone at the same time,like samsung galaxy tab. thanks.