Now, we've tested a handful of Windows Mobile 6 Standard devices to date, including the HTC Vox and HTC Touch, and we've found that these devices can sometimes be sluggish in the performance department. It may be that the processor speeds can't keep up with the demands of the new operating system, but the Cavalier takes care of that problem by using a 400MHz Samsung SC32443 processor, where the other two devices used a 200MHz processor and a 201MHz processor, respectively. The extra horsepower is definitely a welcome addition, as it greatly improves overall response time (see the Performance section for more). On-board memory is 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM, with about 57MB of user accessible storage and 53MB program memory.
The HTC Cavalier S630 also gets a speed boost in another category: wireless connectivity. Unlike the T-Mobile Dash, the Cavalier now supports 3G speeds (UMTS/HSDPA) so you can enjoy broadband-like speeds, averaging around 400kbps to 700kbps, compared to EDGE speeds of 90kbps. In addition to 3G, you still get integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0. The smart phone supports a number of Bluetooth profiles, including those for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, object exchange, file sharing, and A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headsets.
As for voice features, the quad-band world phone offers a speakerphone, smart dialing, voice commands and voice dialing, and text and multimedia messaging. The address book is only limited by the available memory, while the SIM card can hold an additional 250 contacts. You can store up to 12 numbers for a single entry, as well as home and work addresses, e-mail, IM screen names, birthdays, a spouse's name, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can pair a contact with a photo, a caller group, or one of 25 polyphonic ring tones.
Like the latest crop of smart phones, the HTC Cavalier is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera with 8X zoom and video recording capabilities. The options are pretty standard for a camera phone. You have your choice of five resolutions and four quality settings. While there's no flash, you do get white balance settings, including one for night shots, as well as various effects you can add to your picture. There's also a self timer, a time stamp option, a picture counter, and flicker adjustment, among other features. For video, you can capture clips with or without sound in MPEG4, Motion JPEG, or H.263 format. There are only two resolution choices, but you do get the same white balance and color effect settings. Picture quality was sharp, but without a flash, we couldn't get a decent indoor shot with accurate colors.
Finally, you can enjoy more multimedia fun from Windows Media Player Mobile, which allows you to check out your favorite tunes and video clips right on the phone itself. Supported file formats include AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, MPEG 4, and WMV, to name a few. If you have TV shows recorded on your Windows Media Center PC, you can transfer them to your device for on-the-go viewing. Like the HTC Vox, the S630 includes an Audio Manager application as an alternative music browser and player.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) HTC Cavalier S630 in San Francisco using both T-Mobile and AT&T, and call quality was decent. For the most part, we enjoyed clear audio but voices sounded muffled at times. Our friends reported no interference on their end. We also had no problems interacting with our banks' voice-automated systems. Speakerphone quality was slightly disappointing. We thought voices sounded a bit weak and tinny, while our friends said there was a slight echo on their end. The good news is that we had no problems pairing the phone to the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.
As we mentioned earlier, the addition of a 400MHz processor improves the overall speed and responsiveness of the smart phone. The S630 was quick to open various work documents and multimedia files, although there was a slight delay when activating the camera. Still, this is one fast device, and this speediness extends to Web browsing. We also had no problem synchronizing our Outlook e-mail, calendar, and contact information with the device using ActiveSync.
Multimedia performance was OK. Songs sounded tinny through the Cavalier's weak speaker, and turning up the volume only blew out the audio. However, we suspect you'll be using earbuds most of the time, and though they're uncomfortable, the included pair does make music sound sweeter. While you get the occasional pixelation, videos looked good on the S630's sharp screen. We still wouldn't recommend watching any full-length films on this device, but it's still not bad for short spurts.
The HTC Cavalier is rated for 6 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time. Our battery tests yielded mixed results. Using the T-Mobile service, we were able to get the rated 6 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge. However, when we tested the phone using AT&T service, we only got 3 hours of talk time. Why such a dramatic difference? Of the two carriers, AT&T is the only one that has launched its 3G network, and the wireless radio can have an effect on battery life. We are currently conducting more drain tests, and will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the S630 has a digital SAR rating of 1.3 watts per kilogram.
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