HTC ChaCha

The basics

The HTC ChaCha is an Android smartphone with a difference, packing in a fixed QWERTY keypad below the 2.6-inch screen. It also comes with Facebook software pre-installed, along with a button to launch a Facebook app at the flick of a finger.

The good

As always, the Android operating system is a particular highlight on this handset. Sure, it's not quite as slick as the iOS software found on Apple's iPhone, but it's a lot more customisable, with the ability to fill the homepage with comprehensive apps such as calendar entries or messages.

The ChaCha's form factor will also appeal to lots of users, offering a proper keyboard in a compact design – just like RIM's BlackBerry. Unlike the BlackBerry, however, you'll have thousands of Android apps at your disposal.

As with other Android handsets, social networking apps on the ChaCha are excellent, letting you keep in touch with your friends wherever you go. There's even a dedicated Facebook button to launch an app, where you can then take full advantage of that proper keypad.

Despite having a relatively small screen, at 2.6 inches, the HTC ChaCha features a sharp 480 x 320-pixel resolution, and it's more than good enough for catching up with the news or checking out Facebook. It's also a touchscreen panel, making it easy to navigate Android.

The bad

In a world of smartphones with huge touchscreens, the HTC ChaCha may offer a welcome change when it comes to usability, but the design looks positively frumpy when compared with handsets like the iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S II.

The bottom line

With an 800MHz processor, the HTC ChaCha is a fast, capable and comfortable handset. It's not the most stylish, but it's affordable and is packed with features – including a 5-megapixel camera, 3G/HSDPA connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. Check it out if you want a smartphone for texting and chatting on.