Let’s compare the three Flyers available from HTC. Only differences are shown. Data is from the HTC website.

Model	U.S. Cellular Flyer	T-Mobile Flyer	Best Buy Flyer
Memory	1GB RAM	1GB RAM	512MB RAM
Connectivity	3G with U.S. Cellular, WiFi	3G with T-Mobile, WiFi	Wi-Fi Only

If you’re considering an HTC Flyer, it’s a great time to buy one on eBay.

The HTC Jetstream has some better features than it’s Flyer and Evo View siblings:

• Operating System: The Jetstream is the only HTC tablet running Android 3.1 Honeycomb. The Flyer and the Evo View 4G tablets are running Android 2.3.
• Connectivity: The Jetstream works with AT&T’s 4G network. The Evo View 4G works with Sprint’s 4G network. The T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular Flyers offer 3G connectivity, and the Best Buy Flyer is WiFi-only.
• Display: The Jetstream has a 10.1″ 1200 x 800 display, compared with the Flyer and Evo 4G’s 7″ 1024 x 600 display.
• Battery: The Flyer and the Evo View 4G share a 4000 mAh battery, which is dwarfed by the Jetstream’s 7300 mAh battery.

Note: When the Jetstream was in development, it was referred to as the HTC Puccini.

Toreon Jones!

But for all of you who didn’t win this time, don’t despair. We’ll be having more giveaways in the future and will be keeping you up to date on our Facebook page and our Twitter account.

Some Statistics from the HTC Flyer Giveaway

• Smith and Johnson were the most popular last names. I guess the stats that they are the #1 and #2 in the US has some merit
• A breakdown of where the entries came from:
  • 8% entries were on Facebook (This surprised me – I expected more entries from Facebook.)
  • 18.89% entries were on Twitter
  • 72.77% entries were on the website
• Around 12% of all entries were duplicates - When people see “giveaway,” they immediately think “I’ll enter myself multiple times with different emails!” or “I’ll tweet this from a bunch of Twitter accounts” – sorry folks, you’ve been removed of the contest to make way for more honest folks.

Here’s how the drawing will work.

We’ve taken the entries from the website, Twitter, and Facebook and added them into one big spreadsheet. Each valid giveaway entry is given one row on the spreadsheet.

The super-duper-random-number-picking-script

Where is the suspense in having a script pick a random number? There is none! That’s why the HTC Tablet Giveaway is using our custom-created random number picker.

It generates one random number for each entry, then throws it out. This repeats for the number of entries, and then the final random number generated will be used to pick the winner.

If we verify the winner is eligible (not related, in the US, over 18, etc.), they are the winner. If, however, the winner is not eligible, there will be another drawing.

Stay tuned…the winner will be picked today!

I was surprised that I preferred holding the Flyer considering it weighs slightly more than the [Galaxy] Tab….I do like the 7-inch form. It’s very friendly for one-handed operation.

I found myself more looking forward to what HTC will do with its Sense interface on Honeycomb than I did appreciating what it added in the here and now.

Read the full article: HTC Flyer: First Impressions

[The leaked image of the HTC Puccini] will be one of the first devices compatible with AT&T’s “true 4G” LTE network, deploying this year….it’s likely to run Android 3.x Honeycomb and support HTC’s Scribe capacitive pen input technology. Since Giacomo Puccini was a 19th and 20th century opera composer (La Boheme, Madame Butterfly), there may be a musical focus here as well.
PocketNow

Bloggers are upset that the Flyer promotes the Digital Pen (also known as the Magic Pen) as being the differentiating factor for the tablet, yet it costs extra.

The high cost of low tablet prices.

There is lots of pressure on HTC to make the Flyer price competitive against the iPad. By launching the Flyer at $499—less expensive than previously thought—HTC has matched the price of an iPad. If they were to bundle the stylus, the price would have been $580, which is nearly the price of a 32BG iPad. By selling these items separately, HTC allows users to feel like the tablet is priced reasonably and that the stylus is an add-on; an accessory. The problem is that they marketed the Flyer with the stylus.

A separate stylus is a marketing mistake, not a sales mistake.

The big mistake that HTC made during the Flyer launch was to focus on the stylus and the Scribe UI. By marketing Scribe and the stylus as the stand-apart feature, the Digital Pen is viewed as integral to the Flyer tablet.

If HTC made it clear from launch that the pen would be sold separately, there would be some initial grumbling, but by the time the Flyer was launched, people would be prepared for the sticker price. HTC should have gotten the “unpleasantries” out of the way and allowed time for the dust to settle. ¹

The hullabaloo about the stylus pricing is simply a marketing and PR miscalculation. Users want to know that they have to pay extra for features up front, even if they pretend all they care about is the base cost.

You can purchase the pen and other Flyer accessories on the HTCTablet.net Flyer accessories page.

Best Buy has landed an exclusivity agreement with HTC to sell the Flyer when it launches, according to the Best Buy and HTC press releases on March 22.

The press release announced an exclusive sales agreement, but did not mention the length of the terms of exclusivity. In the release, the relationship is stated as a “national retail launch exclusive,” which implies that after the launch of the Flyer, it will be available at other stores.

The exclusive arrangement will allow for a tighter inventory control while incentivizing a strong marketing campaign by Best Buy.

Best Buy begins promoting the Flyer on BestBuy.com

Best Buy is letting people know the Flyer is coming.

Starting on March 22, if you do a search for HTC Flyer on Best Buy, you will see a banner ad promoting the Flyer. If you click through the link, you get taken to a landing page that boasts “Get it first only at Best Buy.”

The slated springtime launch is a problem for HTC

The press release (re-printed after the break) declares that the Flyer is slated to be launched this spring.

This delay could be problematic for the Flyer, as competitors are coming out with dual-core, faster, thinner tablets running Android 3.0, while the Flyer is single-core running Android 2.2.

The longer the launch is delayed, HTC will need to:

• cut prices to make the Flyer competitive;
• promote more aggressively HTC Scribe, its unique stylus-optimized layer on top of Android;
• be more transparent with how long it will be until the Flyer will be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and how that upgrade process will work.

By having the launch of the Flyer put off until after the iPad 2, HTC has given time for the competitors to preview next-generations of their offerings, such as the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1. Since the Flyer is not yet launched, HTC cannot reveal the Flyer’s second generation, for fear of cannibalizing the sales of the first-generation Flyer.

One thing is clear: how HTC handles the Flyer launch will largely impact the product line’s success.

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.

When the HTC Flyer was announced, it was clear what the major differentiating factor was for the tablet: the capacitive stylus and the HTC Scribe software.

Adding a stylus and integrating it into the HTC Sense experience makes the Flyer unique among Android tablets, which focus primarily on finger-based input.

Engadget has a great write-up of the Flyer’s screen, stylus and Scribe, which you should check out. Their conclusion:

…if HTC can manage to build out the inking software experience and integrate it throughout the OS, we’re sure those who still believe in the power of the pen and want to use a tablet as a content creation device will be all over this

HTC Fans Love the Flyer

The reactions over on the HTC Tablet Facebook Page have been huge – users love the Flyer, and can’t wait to order one if they don’t win the HTC Flyer Giveaway contest.

• “Finally a tablet that lets u write in margins on ebook and other docs. It only makes sense”
• “I have a Galaxy Tablet..sending it back to wait for HTC..I’m thinking it will go great with my EVO”
• “…the best tablet ever produced thus far! Itis not a gadget, it is a great resource tool”