Photos of the HTC Athena Emerge

[Brandon Miniman]

The HTC Athena is a new Pocket PC phone. It's a bit different than previous HTC devices in that the keyboard is apparently detachable, which would allow you to place the keyboard on a table for easier text entry. I'm curious as to how they integrated this function.

Regarding specs, the GSM Athena packs a Samsung 400MHz processor, 256MB, 64MB RAM, 802.11b/g, and USB 1.1 (why not 2.0?). Also - the spec sheet didn't list UMTS/HSDPA or even EDGE.

It's got a large, 3.5" QVGA screen - as a reference, the Dell Axim x51/50 has a 3.5" as well, while the HTC Wizard's screen is 2.8". At such a large size and low resolution, the screen is bound to look quite grainy, but with a detachable keyboard, perhaps this device isn't made to be used close up like a traditional Pocket PC, but almost like a laptop, or UMPC, at arm's length.

For more information, check at the post at BGR (http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2006/12/14/htc-arthena-unveiled/).

[Pony99CA]

The HTC Athena is a new Pocket PC phone. It's a bit different than previous HTC devices in that the keyboard is apparently detachable, which would allow you to place the keyboard on a table for easier text entry. I'm curious as to how they integrated this function.
It would be very cool if it used a Bluetooth keyboard which docked in the PDA body. That would probably make the keyboard too big, though, because it would need its own batteries.

It's got a large, 3.5" QVGA screen - as a reference, the Dell Axim x51/50 has a 3.5" as well, while the HTC Wizard's screen is 2.8". At such a large size and low resolution, the screen is bound to look quite grainy, but with a detachable keyboard, perhaps this device isn't made to be used close up like a traditional Pocket PC, but almost like a laptop, or UMPC, at arm's length.
I don't think the screen will look "quite grainy"; just the opposite, it should be more readable to those of us nearsighted people. Did you think the older sleeve-compatible iPAQs were grainy with their 3.8" screens? I didn't.

I also wouldn't call the screen "low resolution", either. In the Pocket PC world, that's "standard resolution". How many Pocket PCs (and Smartphones now) have QVGA screens compared to VGA screens? I think a large majority do.

If any screens deserve to the low-resolution moniker, it's the 240x240 ones. :D

Steve

[Brandon Miniman]

Well -- yeah, a lot depends on your eye sight and how close you hold the device to your face.