Wi-Fi HTC Flyer Announced as Best Buy Exclusive, Could Arrive as Soon as the End of March
Best Buy and HTC have announced that the Wi-Fi only HTC Flyer will be sold exclusively via the retail giant in the Unites States. With Sprint receiving its own version of the tablet under the name of the EVO View 4G, those wishing to get in on the 7-inch slate with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and HTC Sense without a wireless contract will need to turn to the big blue box store. The specs runthe same: 1.5GHz processor, dual cameras at 5MP (rear) and 1.3MP (front), HTC Scribe, etc..
Best Buy only mentions Spring in their release timeframe, but rumors from Digitimes suggest this could mean as soon as the end of March. That is only a couple weeks away, so we will keep our eye on this one. Full press release below.
Best Buy® and HTC Announce Exclusive Launch of the Wi-Fi HTC Flyer Tablet at CTIA Wireless 2011
Wi-Fi HTC Flyer slated to launch this spring
ORLANDO, Fla., March 22, 2011 – Best Buy and HTC today announced the exclusive launch of the highly-anticipated Wi-Fi only version of the HTC Flyer™ tablet. All Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores, as well as BestBuy.com, will have the tablet when it launches this spring.
The HTC Flyer is a fast, portable, light-weight tablet that integrates the immersive and highly intuitive HTC Sense™experience and enables content including videos, music, games and more to be easily accessed and enjoyed. For those attending CTIA, Best Buy and HTC will have devices on-hand at Pepcom’s Mobile Focus event on Tuesday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
“Over the past few months we’ve seen several new tablets enter the market, and we’re especially excited to partner with HTC to bring the Wi-Fi version of the HTC Flyer to our customers as a national retail launch exclusive,” said Scott Anderson, head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “We have worked hard to bring a large assortment of great tablets to Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores, and the HTC Flyer is a great example of that effort.”
The HTC Flyer features a strong aluminum unibody case that is lighter than an average paperback book. Truly separating the HTC Flyer from the pack is the integration of the acclaimed HTC Sense experience and unique HTC Scribe technology. The new HTC Sense experience offers an interface rethought for the tablet format which allows users to easily scroll and locate photos, entertainment, weather, calendar and mail. An optional HTC Scribe™ digital pen unlocks HTC Scribe technology, which enables the ability to capture and annotate any on-screen content with notes and drawings. Also, with Timemark, handwritten notes taken with the digital pen are synchronized with audio, as well as the popular Evernote™ application, turning handwritten notes into true meeting minutes. Additionally, with front and rear cameras, people can also make live video calls using a variety of available video chat applications available in the Android Market.
“Best Buy offers a number of the hottest products on the market, including the all-new 4G LTE HTC ThunderBolt™and now the Wi-Fi version of the groundbreaking HTC Flyer, which brings the acclaimed HTC Sense experience to a tablet for the first time,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas. “Like all HTC Sense products, the HTC Flyer was inspired by our customers, and offers the most simple and natural experience available on a tablet.”
Other key features of the HTC Flyer include:
Integration/compatibility with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 3.0
7″ 1024×600 display with multi-touch capability and an optional digital pen that enables users to take synchronized notes and annotate content
Built-in dual microphones for noise reduction
Android™operating system
Adobe® Flash® 10.1 support
5 MP Color CMOS camera with auto focus
1.3MP front camera for video chatting
16GB eMMC memory plus microSD card slot
4,000 mAh battery
Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Geek Squad Black Tie Protection, Buy Back and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their devices.