Once again proving the point that smartphones can indeed be consumer friendly, the HTC Touch Dual has the same sleek features like its predecessor. With a sleek rubberised finish that feels as good as it looks, the HTC Touch Dual is a pleasure to have.

Novel TouchFLO design

The unique TouchFLO interface seems to be the most notable improvement in the HTC Touch Dual phone. Unlike the HTC Touch which had all the touch-friendly mechanisms and features but lacked in responsiveness to a certain degree, the HTC Touch Dual is extremely responsive. In spite of having the slide out hardware Keyboard present on it, it is surprisingly the touch functionality that seems to work the best on the phone. The shortcut keys such as the one to the browser etc. are usable and aesthetically pleasing. The sliding keypad doesn’t contribute to the overall weight much and packs in a good ergonomic design as well.

User-centric performance

The speed dial screen in the HTC Touch Dual allows you to tap on a favourite contact’s picture and dial him or her. In addition the call quality is definitely remarkably good. Messaging can pose to be a bit of a problem with the keyboard being rather small and less responsive. However, the plus point is that the phone tends to remember words typed in earlier and autofills them so that you don’t need to repeat typing the word the next time. The fact that the touch screen in the HTC Touch Dual is far more responsive than its predecessor makes web browsing even more pleasant and convenient. With the hardware keys typing in web addresses is that much easier to accomplish. The zoom functionality in the camera is a definite plus point. If you circle in clockwise direction on an image taken via the camera, the zoom features closes in around the place marked. A counterclockwise circle would zoom out. The music player is much better than the HTC Touch as in the Dual model the buttons are much larger. If you were to use the HTC Touch Dual as a tethered modem you are in for a pleasant surprise. Download speeds are more than even 2 Mbps!

Intuitive and attractive features

The HTC Touch Dual comes with a HSPDA 3G connectivity and its major feature seems to be the TouchFLO interface. The home screen has been modified to make it much more user friendly and intuitive in nature. The design is attractive and the numeric keypad makes it possible to type in text easily using just one hand. The phone is devoid of WiFi or GPS which can be a downer for many mobile phone addicts. The screen display size is around 2.6 inches which is great for viewing pictures or videos. The operating system in use is the Windows Mobile Professional version 6 and the processor used is the Qualcomm MSM 7200. The phone also comes with a microSD card and has Bluetooth 2.0 functionality.

Forecast and future outlook

Overall if WiFi isn’t a very big concern for you then the HTC Touch Dual can be a perfect choice for those who love touch screen phones. The improved TouchFLO screen mechanism as well as the sleek design and finish all make for a head turning gadget to walk around with!

The HTC Touch is available for $428.00 at ElephantCellular

The HTC Touch Dual is available for $579.89 at ElephantCellular

tagged: 3G, GPS, Keyboard, Touch Dual, Touchscreen, Keypad, TouchFLO, Windows Mobile Professional

Posted by Elin | No Comments »

With more enhanced interface features that facilitate better task management in Windows Mobile, the HTC Touch Cruise promises to be the best of the trio – the original Touch, Touch Dual and the Touch Cruise. As far as connectivity issues go the Touch Cruise makes up for the lack of features in its predecessors.

Classy and fashionable design

The exterior casing of the HTC Touch Cruise is smooth and chic with a classy design. If you had gotten used to the curvy edges of the Dual and the Touch, then the Cruise promises a surprise. The Cruise has more sharp edges and also comes with a glossy finish near the LCD region. The durability of the exterior is quite high and the coating is entirely wear resistant. The extremely small dimension of this phone coupled with its neatly designed ergonomics makes it excellent to hold. The interesting feature is that the external USB port is now placed on the bottom of the phone unlike the Dual where it was placed on the left side. This way even when the headset is plugged in, there is no interference with operability. Without the OK as well as Start buttons, there are only about 4 keys in the phone.

However if you have been overly used to these buttons, you have the option of reassigning keys. The scroll wheel comes in handy when viewing large web pages. It also allows the zoom in and out feature while viewing picture galleries in the phone. The memory expansion card slot is a great new feature that allows for swapping support in the phone. As a great alternative to the regular hardware Keyboard, the Touch Cruise also comes with a virtual keyboard. You can use the stylus to enter textual messages and also use the keypad without having to open the device. The icons in the Cruise are overall much larger which allows for better finger touch movement instead of using the stylus all the time.

Responsive optimal performance

Overall the Touch Cruise promises a good level of performance as well as responsiveness. This, inspite of having several applications opened up while navigating the device. While the Touch Cruise uses the same Qualcomm MSM 7200 processor as in the Dual, it has been rumoured to contribute to its slow performance in image-heavy pages. The battery shelf life is remarkable as with just one single charge you can normally use the phone for upto 3 days.

Improved connectivity features

While the Dual version did not come with WiFi and the Touch did not have GPS the Cruise promises both ruling out any connectivity issues. The phone has HSPDA 3G wireless connectivity. The HTC Touch Cruise comes with a QuickGPS application that automatically downloads current satellite information to facilitate easier GPS locks. The FM Tuner is another notable feature in the Touch Cruise as it does not require you to plug in a wired headset in order to listen to music. Even with available regular headphones you can listen to average quality music reception.

The modified interface called TouchFLO facilitates much better navigability and the new and improved home screen is great for finger tapping functionality. The Cruise comes with new virtual cube functionality along with the option of sorting out most common icons in every menu used. As opposed to the raised surface that you would expect out of a swiping action button, the Cruise comes with a flat screen button. You can also use the WorldCard Mobile facility in order to sort through namecards, use the CE-Star facility if you wish to input Chinese text and get accelerated access to background programs with the customized Task Manager functionality.

Predictions and outlook

If you are willing to forego a QWERTY keypad but still want all the features of a great touch screen interface, then the Touch Cruise is for you. Video playback can be a little sluggish as has been reportedly found with the Qualcomm MSM 7200 processor in it. However, on the whole it is stylish, elegant and compact with intuitive touch screen abilities.

The HTC Touch is available for $428.00 at ElephantCellular

tagged: 3G, GPS, Keyboard, QWERTY, Touch Cruise, Touchscreen, TouchFLO, HSDPA

Posted by Elin | No Comments »