HTC's WiFi-only Flyer launching exclusively with Best Buy 'this spring'

Now that it's received its big US debut courtesy of Sprint and under the name EVO View 4G, HTC's Flyer tablet is free to, um, fly under the radar with a WiFi version this spring, exclusively through Best Buy. Specs on the Flyer are somewhat atypical for the current crop of Android tablets, as it opts for Gingerbread instead of Honeycomb and a 1.5GHz Qualcomm chip intead of the popular Tegra 2 dual-core solution. That, and it's a 7-inch tablet with a capacitive stylus and an aluminum unibody shell. Notably, this WiFi-centric variant looks set to beat the WiMAX-capable EVO View (which Sprint expects in the summer) to market, so we'll be keeping a very curious eye on pricing as and when it is announced. For now, we have a retailer and a rapidly dwindling release window. Oh, and a press release, which you'll find just past the break, augmented with a neat little promo video.

[Thanks, Michael]

PRESS RELEASE

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.

Reuters (Yahoo! News)

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Samsung Galaxy S II Mini leaks out for Three, plus Nokia X7, Flyer and PlayBook release dates in UK

No, not the Galaxy Mini, that low-end Android sprout -- this looks like Samsung's smaller alternative to the upcoming Galaxy S II superphone. We just got handed UK carrier Three's entire spring-summer lineup, and the Android 2.3 handset certainly stands out, pretending to be miniature in spite of a 3.7-inch screen (think Droid), a 1.4GHz processor (think Pre 3) and 21Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. But that's the tip of the iceberg compared to what's in store for Three -- it looks like the Nokia X7 is alive, well, and tracking for a June release (not to mention the LG Optimus 3D), and tablets will drop too, with May bringing the HTC Flyer and the WiFi-only BlackBerry PlayBook launching in June. See specs and slated launch windows in our gallery below, and join us in hoping these documents portend a rapid US release.

Three UK leaked roadmap with Galaxy S II Mini

source: engadget

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Hands-Off Video Demo: The HTC Flyer Android Tablet

There she is, folks: HTC’s brand new, all-aluminum Android 2.4 tablet, the Flyer. Alas, as is somewhat standard protocol with ultra-early hardware, HTC wouldn’t let us actually touch the thing. They were more then willing to give us a quick tour around the device, though!

High fives to the lady at the end who decides the perfect place for her camera (holder of the Guinness’ Book’s record for Largest Camera On Earth) is directly in front of mine.