HTC Flyer
Manufacturer: HTC Part number: HTCFlyerP512
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The HTC Flyer puts a new spin on the 7-inch Android tablet, but its high price and smartphone-style OS are a tough sell next to its bigger, cheaper Honeycomb kin.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/17/2012 |
CNET editors' review
HTC Flyer price range: $355.99
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Reviewed on: 05/24/2011
- Released on: 05/22/2011
The good: Fans of 7-inch tablets will appreciate the HTC Flyer's screen quality, durable construction, HD video recording, and unique features, such as digital pen compatibility and HTC's Sense UI customization.
The bad: The Flyer is small, thick, and pricey, and isn't running Google's Android 3.0 tablet OS. Its most unique feature, the Magic Pen, may not come included and is expensive to replace.
The bottom line: The HTC Flyer puts a new spin on the 7-inch Android tablet, but its high price and smartphone-style OS are a tough sell next to its bigger, cheaper Honeycomb kin.
Editors' note: As the exclusive retailer of the Wi-Fi-only HTC Flyer, Best Buy has lowered the tablet's price to $299 and cut the price of the Scribe pen accessory to $40.
While the rest of the industry is rushing to produce 10-inch tablets that compete directly against the Apple iPad 2, HTC is throwing out a curveball called the HTC Flyer. Using a 7-inch screen and running Android 2.3, the HTC Flyer feels like an echo of 2010's Samsung Galaxy Tab. Its pricing is also a little behind the times, with a 16GB model priced at $499 in a time when dual-core 10-inch tablets can be had for a hundred dollars less.
Does the Flyer have its head in the sand, or is this portable 7-inch tablet worth every penny? Let's take a look.
Hardware design
The Flyer looks and feels like a high-end take on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The 7-inch screen size and surrounding bezel are identical, but HTC wraps its tablet in iPad-like aluminum with two strips of nonslip rubber padding on the back. With a little brute force, the topmost rubber fitting can be removed to reveal a microSD memory expansion slot, which is a convenient design trick adopted from the world of smartphones.
Across the bottom of the screen you'll find the typical trio of Android smartphone navigation buttons (Home, Menu, and Back) along with an illuminated button that responds only to HTC's optional Magic Pen accessory, which we'll explain in the next section. One impressive feature of the navigation controls is that they'll reorient to the bottom of the screen regardless of whether you're holding the tablet in portrait or landscape. It's a neat and practical trick, and one we haven't seen before. That said, it's a trick that today's Android 3.0 tablets don't need to employ, since all navigation is moved to the screen.
On the top edge of the Flyer you'll find a headphone jack and a power button/screen lock. The right edge offers an ample-size volume rocker along with two pinhole microphones. The back holds a pair of small speaker grilles and a 5-megapixel camera lens capable of HD video recording (though lacking an integrated flash).
On the bottom edge of the Flyer is a unique 12-pin Micro-USB port, compatible with the included USB sync cable and charging adapter. At first blush, we found it annoying that HTC would use a specialized connector for syncing and charging, but it turns out that our old trusty five-pin Micro-USB (type B) cable works just fine. All those extra pins are just there for HTC's line of audio/video output accessories. In the end, it's a model example of how manufacturers can maintain basic connection standards, while still incorporating specialized accessories.
Overall, the HTC Flyer is a solidly built little tablet with a lot of attention paid to details. But in comparison with Apple's highly successful iPad 2, the HTC Flyer is relatively thick and its screen area is around half that of the iPad. There's an argument to be made for tablets with the Flyer's smaller, more portable screen size, but for us, the experience often overlaps too much with using a smartphone and still feels constricted for Web browsing.
Features
As a 7-inch tablet running Android 2.3, the Flyer doesn't show us much we haven't seen on the Samsung Galaxy Tab running Android 2.2. Granted, we do appreciate HTC's Sense UI customizations for social network feeds and commonly used applications (Mail, Internet, Stocks, Weather, Reader), but that hardly makes up for the $150 premium over the Tab. There are a few little things that made us smile, such as Adobe Flash 10.1 being preinstalled, and the browser's default setting to load full sites instead of their mobile-optimized versions. Still, these are refinements of an OS designed for smartphones, at a time when Google is pushing a distinctly different OS (Honeycomb) for use on tablets. It's going too far to say that HTC is putting lipstick on a pig, but HTC is definitely putting considerable effort into dressing up Android 2.3 to make it tablet-worthy.
There are some good hardware features under the hood, but it's hard to say if you'll really notice them during everyday use. The Flyer runs on a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM, while the lower-priced Galaxy Tab uses a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor with 592GB of RAM. Both include Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11n Wi-Fi. Both use brilliant 1,024x600-pixel-resolution screens covered in durable, scratch-resistant glass. The Flyer uses a 1.3-megapixel front camera (same as the Tab) and a 5-megapixel camera on the back. By comparison, the Tab's rear camera is limited by a 3-megapixel sensor, but has the advantage of an integrated flash. If you ask us, cameras on tablets always feel a bit awkward, and tend to only come in handy for video chat. Unfortunately, you'll have to find your own video chat software for the Flyer, since the included Google Talk app isn't the same video-enabled app found in Honeycomb.
Really, the Flyer's only significant differentiating feature is its Magic Pen or HTC Scribe technology (provided by N-trig). Using a combination of screen sensors and digital pen technology, the HTC Flyer can be used to scribble detailed notes, highlight text, make annotations, sign digital documents, and create intricate, multicolored drawings. Oddly, for this U.S. version, the pen itself does not necessarily come included with the tablet. Instead, you may be asked to pay up to $80 to purchase the pen as an optional accessory. It's a shame; without the Magic Pen, the tablet's dedicated button for launching pen utilities is just taunting you every time you pick it up.
On the other hand, the pen introduces an extra layer of complexity that not everyone will appreciate. For example, you can't actually operate the tablet with the pen. When you tap the pen on the screen, it inexplicably snaps a screenshot of whatever you're viewing and allows you to mark it up with virtual ink. Any navigation, page scrolling, or app launching still requires your fingers, which leads to a back-and-forth dance between fingers and pen. Put the pen down, and it rolls right off the table. Put the pen in your pocket, and its clipless design is likely to tumble to the floor if you reach down to pick something up. If this were a $2 pen, we wouldn't complain so much--but again, these pens are $80 each.
Performance
The HTC Flyer is undeniably fun to use. The interface is fast and responsive. The HTC Sense interface puts an emphasis on connecting with your friends and social networks. Google's excellent core apps are included, such as Gmail, Calendar, Gallery, Maps, Latitude, Navigation, Places, Talk, and, of course, Marketplace. The included multitouch keyboard is excellent and easy to type with using your thumbs in both landscape and portrait orientation. Apps (including the camera) launch within seconds. The Web browser is lean and powerful, with an impressive selection of advanced settings that can be adjusted. All in all, it's everything you'd hope for from a first-class HTC smartphone.
Unfortunately, we can't help but feel that the tablet-as-giant-smartphone concept already wore out its welcome in 2010, with the launch of products like the Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab. It's a given now that consumers already own a smartphone and expect a tablet to offer something different beyond a bigger screen. The closest the HTC Flyer comes to achieving this is the inclusion of the Scribe technology, but we're not convinced that's a feature most people are looking for, and as a selling point it's hampered by the confusion over the pen's inclusion and prohibitively expensive replacement price.
That said, as the rich man's Galaxy Tab, the HTC Flyer has plenty to brag about. The LCD panel quality is beautiful and offers excellent viewing angles and brightness. Image and video capture quality are adequate, though not exceptional. And if you've been looking for a tablet with sophisticated tools for note taking and document annotation, the Flyer's Scribe technology is the best game in town.
Here are our official CNET Labs-tested battery life results. More tablet testing results can be found here.
| Video battery life (in hours) | Maximum brightness (in cd/m2) | Default brightness (in cd/m2) | Maximum black level (in cd/m2) | Default black level (in cd/m2) | Default contrast ratio | Contrast ratio (max brightness) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTC Flyer | 5.9 | 372 | 151 | 0.37 | 0.16 | 943:1 | 1005:1 |
Final thoughts
The HTC Flyer is a beautiful little tablet that resembles HTC's celebrated line of Android smartphones. Unfortunately, the Flyer is still a 7-inch Gingerbread tablet living in an increasingly 10-inch, Honeycomb world. HTC may eventually be able to carve out a niche for the 7-inch pen-enabled tablet, but not at this price.
User reviews
-
-
Everything I was looking for (but pricey)
by Savage937 on May 25, 2011
Pros: 7" form factor = perfect portability
Access to the Android market
Healthy battery life
Better specs than its 7" brethren (Galaxy Tab, etc)Cons: $500, without the stylus, is a bit steep. If that's a major factor for you, just wait - the price'll go down.
Summary: I've been waiting and waiting for a great 7" tablet - and the Flyer fits the bill, in my opinion. I've only had it since the weekend but ...
Summary: I've been waiting and waiting for a great 7" tablet - and the Flyer fits the bill, in my opinion. I've only had it since the weekend but I'm IN LOVE! Why I didn't by the Blackberry Playbook: no apps, no built-in calendar or email functionality. Why I didn't buy the Galaxy Tab: weaker specs than the Flyer (memory, processor speed) and very unlikely to be upgraded to Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich. Donald Bell is just not sold on the 7" form factor and can't forgive a device for its diminutive size, yet 7" is precisely the sweet spot for someone who will be using a tablet for e-reading, the occasional web-surfing, emailing and calendar..er...referencing. 10" is not portable, not comfortable for reading. So if you're in the market for a 7" tablet, you're probably not in the market for a 10" tablet. Compared to all the 7" tablets out there, the HTC is clearly (for now!) your best option. One more thing: Honeycomb is still a work in progress, and HTC didn't want to hold off on getting a tablet into the market just so it could have Honeycomb; for now, an optimized Sense UI over Android 2.3.3 provides an elegant, streamlined experience - plus I've started to see a lot of apps optimized for the 7" tablet experience (Nook, NYTimes) - regardless of which Android operating system is running. So not having Honeycomb is really, really, not a con, as far as I'm concerned. Well done, HTC.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Best Portable Tablet that does anything you can imagine
by abubakr78 on March 16, 2012
Pros: Magic pen works excellent
Honeycomb upgrade gives a perfect tablet experience
Camera quality compares to iphone 4
Great gaming, Runs latest games such as Modern Combat 3
Easily add up additional storage through micro SD
Excellent battery timeCons: None so far
Summary: Its a complete tablet with everything you can imagine. Honeycomb upgrades provides a complete tablet experience. The integrated support for megic pen is a great plus point. Its a perfect ...
Summary: Its a complete tablet with everything you can imagine. Honeycomb upgrades provides a complete tablet experience. The integrated support for megic pen is a great plus point. Its a perfect travel companion.
From watching movies, to playing the latest games such as Modern Combat 3, Dead Space, Shadowgun. It does not disappoint you.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Best purchase in years.
by zendragon6 on December 2, 2011
Pros: Small form makes it convenient to carry with me everywhere (which I do).
Fast single core processor beats dual cores because true multitasking isn't needed or used.
The pen for sketching on the go or jotting down notes.
Great price.Cons: Marketing for the device has resulted in what looks like less support from HTC even though this is a superior machine to all other 7 inch tablets out there.
Summary: I was looking into a nook color or a fire when the price dropped on this. I did the research and found that the flyer was far superior, for only ...
Summary: I was looking into a nook color or a fire when the price dropped on this. I did the research and found that the flyer was far superior, for only a small amount more than the other tablets. Larger on board memory, expandableexternal sd slot capable of an additional 32gb. It has front and rear cameras, pen support and better market access. Basically, more memory, more options, more choices.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great for $150 less including the Pen
by GameDiversity on May 28, 2011
Pros: 7" size that allows landscape and portrait typing; incorporation of audio, video, pictures, typing and scribing in Notes to Evernote great idea ...
Cons: very poor audio quality; lack of hand/word recognition and easy to work video chat
Summary: I returned my pre-order after I tested the product. If it was $150 less including the pen, I would have kept it due to the pretty unique functionality .... just not ...
Summary: I returned my pre-order after I tested the product. If it was $150 less including the pen, I would have kept it due to the pretty unique functionality .... just not quite there yet ...
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
HTC Sense for Tablets + HTC Scribe = Something Magic
Pros: Sense for Tablets is the best middleground between complex Honeycomb and simple iPad. The Magic Pen with Scribe is a game changer.
Cons: No flash on camera, few accessories available at launch.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great 7 in tablet with Micro SD
by kculp on November 9, 2011
Pros: Sense skin from HTC makes 2.34 Android very elegant. There are also Widgets developed to exploit the 7 inch screen (email & calendar in landscape open up 2 "panes" and use the space nicely). Pen works in the ebook reader, notes, images, any screen cap
Cons: Lack of newer OS, weight, fingerprints on the screen.
-
Updated Price
by JonTripp on October 3, 2011
Pros: This is what you have come to expect in a tablet. Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. stylus for writing & data input (though not required for regular use), good battery life, and now the Huge price drop ($299) makes this a hard item to walk away from.
Cons: Handy, mobile, good battery, nice display and layout features, front & rear cameras, nice price ($299)
Summary: No HDMI output. no case, rear digital cam only 5.0 MP.
Summary: No HDMI output. no case, rear digital cam only 5.0 MP.
-
the best running android tab.
by nonizi on July 13, 2011
Pros: using my ruler in judging tab's, it's the IPAD competitor.
Cons: Ican't put my hand on any flap on this one, i wish they continue developing it.
Summary: HTC should support this product, and come up with their own suitable app's specialy to support the special Pen features.
Summary: HTC should support this product, and come up with their own suitable app's specialy to support the special Pen features.
-
Good idea, price point to high.
by jtb19730 on June 5, 2011
Pros: Nice designed, fast, small
Cons: Not Honeycomb, another $80.00 for the pen, heavy, small
Summary: Great idea carried out well, but the price point is just to high. Even if the pen was included, $500 is $100 more than the Asus Transformer. Drop the price $...
Summary: Great idea carried out well, but the price point is just to high. Even if the pen was included, $500 is $100 more than the Asus Transformer. Drop the price $100, add the pen to the box and this thing is a must have. I enjoyed using it for a weekend, but I just couldn't justify the cost. Good thing Best Buy has a great return policy.
-
Hits the mark for a road warrior, stylus-less hurts.
by bjohnsonmn on June 5, 2011
Pros: Great performance, unbelievable battery, Android market, unexpected visual quality in SenseUI, Solid Build, frequently forgotten about DLNA support. Not running the 3.x OS!!!
Cons: Lack of in the box extras, lack of case options, cost prohibitive stylus, no HDMI output.
Summary: I picked up the Flyer 1hr after BestBuy opened and have been loving it ever since. I'm very happy to have replaced my iPad with this device. I originally ...
Summary: I picked up the Flyer 1hr after BestBuy opened and have been loving it ever since. I'm very happy to have replaced my iPad with this device. I originally had tried, and returned, the Zoom, but found 3.0/1 completely unusable. Bravo to HTC for sticking with a 2.x release. The device lives up to the hype by those who talk about size, weight, and quality of materials. Being an EVO 4G owner, I have grown to love HTC's approach to Android. There are some negatives such as Hulu, Netflix, and other service integrations, but those will come with time. There are some must have apps. Double Twist will make the transition from A$pple to Android easier.
Overall, I am very pleased. I now carry my Flyer around, an EVO 4G, and my Windows Phone 7 (say what you will, no one can touch Zine player/pass). I recommend this tablet to anyone, but only after the stylus price/exclusion is addressed, and suitable cases are made available. (Submitted from my Flyer)
Specifications
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Part number: HTCFlyerP512
- Description: Conveniently compact and light for travel, yet amazingly powerful, the HTC Flyer tablet with a 7" display and a superfast 1.5GHz processor is perfect for web browsing at home, in the car or on a business trip. To make it even better, it features Adobe Flash support, multi-window browsing with pinch to zoom, and a clever quick look-up that lets you tap into Wikipedia, YouTube and other web resources.
General
- Product Type Web tablet
- Operating System Android
Display
- Type 7 in,
TFT active matrix - Display Resolution 1024 x 600
Memory
- Flash Memory 32 GB
- RAM 1 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD,
microSDHC Processor
- Processor Clock Speed 1.5 GHz
Camera
- Rear-facing Camera 5 megapixels
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Capture Formats 3GP
- Front-facing Camera 1.3 Megapixel
Communications
- WWAN Protocols HSPA,
EDGE,
GPRS,
WCDMA,
GSM - Band W-CDMA 900/2100 / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- Max Transfer Rate 14.4 Mbps
- Wireless Connectivity Bluetooth 3.0,
802.11b/g/n - Bluetooth Profiles Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Location
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
Multimedia
- Supported Digital Video Formats WMV,
MPEG-4,
AVI,
3GP,
XviD,
MPEG-4 ASP - Audio Microphone , Speaker
- Supported Digital Audio Formats WMA,
AAC,
WAV,
OGG,
AMR,
MP3,
MIDI Software
- Preloaded Software HTC Sense,
Calendar,
Mail Expansion and Connectivity
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x microSDHC
- Interfaces 1 x USB,
1 x Audio - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm Battery
- Capacity 4000 mAh
Miscellaneous
- Sensors Ambient light sensor,
Digital compass - Features Bluetooth ,
Expandable memory ,
Rear camera ,
Front camera ,
GPS - Included Accessories Stylus
Power
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.92 in
- Depth 0.51 in
- Height 7.68 in
- Weight 14.8 oz
Product series
-
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: Android,
1 GB,
1.5 GHz,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11b,
Bluetooth 3.0,
IEEE 802.11g,
4.92 in x 0.51 in x 7.68 in,
7 in,
TFT active matrix,
14.8 oz -
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: Android,
4.92 in x 0.51 in x 7.68 in,
7 in,
14.8 oz
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse HTC products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:HTC
- Address:
13920 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 - Phone: (425) 861-9174
- Email: info@htcamerica.net
- Fax: (425) 861-1715
