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Unitech HT730

State-of-the-art rugged Android-based handheld terminal with integrated industrial-grade scanning
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Unitech announced the HT730 in March 2021 as "a handheld terminal with the user in mind; built for efficiency and comfort from the inside out." The device was designed for one-handed operation and can as easily be used by lefthand as by right-handed personnel. Primarily created as a data collection tool for warehousing, field service and retail, the HT730 can be deployed in numerous other fields and applications.

State-of-the-art technology

On the hardware side, the HT730 is based on the very highly integrated Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G mobile platform that was first introduced early 2020. It's an octa-core design running at up to 2.3GHz and includes an Adreno 618 GPU. The platform can also found be found in a variety of state-of-the-art Samsung, Realme, Vivo, Oppo smartphones. There's 4GB of RAM and 64GB of Flash that can be augmented by up to 128GB via a microSDXC Card slot. A powerful 24.8 watt-hours (hot-swappable) battery is good for 20-26 hours on a charge, easily making it through several shifts.

The Unitech HT730 has a 4.0-inch capacitive multi-touch LCD display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution. That's 223 pixels per inch — less than today's super-sharp consumer phones, but plenty sharp enough for the job. Unitech says the screen, which offers 400 nits luminance, can be operated with gloves and when it's wet. There is no user-facing camera, but the HT730 comes with a rear 16-megapixel autofocus camera with flash for documentation.

As is the case with most Android devices these days, the standard three Android buttons (Back, Home, and Open Apps) are implemented in software. There are scan buttons on each side of the device, a volume rocker on the left, and also a function key and a dedicated camera key.

The Unitech HT700 is based on Android 10, which as of April 2021 has by far the largest Android version marketshare (about 40%).

Powerful data collection capabilities

Like most of Unitech's handhelds, the HT730 is designed to meet the needs of a large variety of data collection tasks. The device is available with your choice of three different integrated Honeywell 2D scan engines: the Honeywell N3603 with a laser aiming system, the extended read range Honeywell N6703 with both laser and LED aimers, and the extended FlexRange Honeywell EX30 that can read a very wide range from four inches all the way to about 65 feet.

The Unitech HT730 is available with an optional gun grip for scan-intensive applications, and there is a 30-degree tilt scan capability for more comfortable scanning. Such design details can have a major impact on minimizing operator fatigue.

Depending on user preference and intended application, the Unitech HT730 comes with either a 29-key numeric or a 38-key function-numeric keypad, with the latter adding F1 through F9 physical function keys. Both keypads include a central scanning key flanked by two programmable function keys.

On the wireless communication side, there's dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi that's also 802.11ax-ready, Bluetooth 5.1, as well 2G/3G/4G LTE TDD/FDD WWAN for wide area cellular voice and data connections.

While many enterprise keypad handhelds with integrated industrial-grade scanning are on the big and bulky side, the HT730 is quite compact with a 2.8 x 7.6 inch foot print. The ergonomically shaped device is about 1.3 inches thick and weighs 13.9 ounces. The design follows contemporary enterprise handheld standards with flush frontal glass, and a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Protective rubber bumpers on top and bottom instantly identify the HT730 as a device that can take a beating.

And as far as ruggedness goes, the Unitech HT730 does deliver with an impressive six foot drop spec and IP67 sealing where the "6" means the device is fully dustproof, and the "7" that it can handle even full immersion. There's also a wide -4 to 122 degree Fahrenheit operating temperature range, and presumably a slew of other tests and certifications.

Bottomline

The Unitech HT730 combines the traditional "flashlight"-style keypad handheld design with modern hardware (capacitive multi-touch display and high-performance Snapdragon processor) and software (Android 10). The Unitech HT730 also comes with long battery life, true battery hot-swapping, industrial-grade scanning, and ruggedness far beyond anything a consumer device can offer. -- Conrad Blickenstorfer, April 2021
Specifications Unitech HT730
Added/changed Added 04/2021
Form-factor Rugged handheld Android computer
CPU/Speed Octa-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm 720G
Graphics Adreno 618
OS Android 10 with GMS
RAM/ROM 4GB RAM/64GB Flash
Card slots 1 x MicroSDXC Card Slot, 2 x Nano SIM
Storage 64GB Flash
Display type TFT with Gorilla Glass 3, 400 nits
Display size/res 4.0-inch/480 x 800 pixel LCD (233 ppi)
Digitizer/pens Capacitive multi-touch (wet, glove, stylus, finger)
Keyboard/keys 29-key numeric or 38-key function numeric with backlight
Navigation Touch
Housing Impact-resistant plastic
Operating Temp -4° to 122°F (-20° to 50°C)
Sealing IP65/IP67
Drop 5-foot drop
Tumbles 5 ft (0.5m) tumbles for 300 cycles and 600 drops
Regulatory CE, FCC, NCC, IC, VCCI, TELEC, CCC, SRRC, RoHS, CEC, BQB, GMS, N-Mark
Size (WxHxD) 7.6 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches (195 x 72 x 34 mm)
Weight 13.9 oz. (395 grams) with battery
Power Hot-swappable 3.7V 6,700mAH 24.8 watt-hour Li-polymer
Sensors G-sensor, proximity, light, digital compass, gyroscope
Camera Rear: 13mp camera with autofocus, LED flashlight
Data collection Integrated 2D scan engine, 13.56MHz HF-RFID/NFC
Interface 1 x USB 3.1 OTG Type-C, integrated 2D scan engine (Honeywell N3603, Honeywell N6703, or Honeywell EX30), 13.56MHz HF-RFID/NFC
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 802.11ax-ready, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS (GPS/ GLONASS/ Gallileo/ Beidou), WWAN 4G LTE, LTE (FDD) Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20, 28; LTE (TDD)Bands 38, 39, 40, 41; UMTS/HSPA+ (3G) Bands 1, 2, 5, 8; GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad-Band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
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Web page HT730 web page
Unitech HT730