HTC Touch Cell Phone
Introduction
To be fair, HTC was developing the Touch long before Apple's iPhone hit the market. But iPhone came to market first and quickly became the gold standard for a new breed of mobile devices marked by giant touchscreens and smartphone functionality combined with mainstream usability. As such, it's really impossible not to consider iPhone when using or reviewing Touch.
So I'll do my best to look at the Sprint-branded Touch both as a next-gen Windows Mobile smartphone built with a finger-friendly touchscreen and refined UI, and as an "iPhone alternative" in the newly burgeoning world of mainstream-friendly, multimedia-centric handsets. As the former, Touch is one of the best, easiest to use Windows Mobile devices around so long as you don't need to type on it. Touch fits easily in one hand, and the combination of a flush-mounted hard plastic touchscreen and the Sprint-enhanced TouchFlo UI makes it much easier to use without a stylus than any other WM device I've ever tried - including the GSM Touch previously released as an unlocked device by HTC. Beware, however, Touch's virtual QWERTY board. While it's better than the standard WM onscreen layout, it isn't really all that usable for thumb typing - I wound up reaching for the stylus every time I tapped out a message.
From the iPhone alternative perspective, Touch is less expensive and more extendable than iPhone but it really can't hold a candle to Apple's darling when it comes to overall hardware and software design. iPhone's multitouch screen and user interface are head and shoulders above Touch when it comes to touching, typing, flicking, and pinching your way around Web sites, Inboxes, and multimedia content. Still, Windows Mobile offers things that Apple's OS X doesn't, and Sprint's 3G network offers speed and accessibility that AT&T's Edge network can't (even backed by iPhone's WiFi capabilities). So Touch is worth a look whether you're considering an iPhone or a more user-friendly Windows Mobile experience.
And I should say, it's funny ... I've read a review or two written by folks who swear Touch bests iPhone for usability, specifically in the realm of using the touchscreen. I disagree. Wholeheartedly, even. But, hey, I mention it just to say that we all have different preferences and usage patterns - so what I prefer about iPhone's screen design and response might be exactly what draws you to Touch instead.
Design
HTC has made a name for themselves building solid smartphones with imminently usable QWERTY thumbboards and business-ready feature sets. But where their last Sprint device, the Mogul, put a button just about everywhere you could possibly want one no matter how you were using the phone, there's nary a button to be found on Touch. Departing from the tried and true formula of a touchscreen combined with a horizontal slide-out QWERTY board and softkeys everywhere, Touch instead is sleek and simple. You get a D-pad and Call/Cancel keys on the front, a couple of buttons on the edges, and that's it. No QWERTY board, and no oodles of programmable softkeys.
Measuring just 101 x 59 x 14 mm, Touch was also built with a shorter, wider, slimmer body that fits comfortably into the palm of one hand and can be used one-handed with your thumb manning either the D-Pad or touchscreen. Weighing only 114 g, Touch is also plenty light enough for extended one handed use. A side-mounted rocker switch controls volume and there's a power button along the top edge. A mini-USB port on the right edge and the camera lens and speaker on the back round out Touch's minimalist design. Unfortunately, the microSD memory card slot is hidden beneath the back panel by the battery. While you don't have to remove the battery to get to the card, a side-mounted port would have made life with Touch much easier.
The compact, rubberized body is sleek and easy to hold, and the black and dark grey color scheme definitely sets Touch apart from the pack when it comes to WM devices. Where other HTC handsets like Tilt and Mogul are all business in a high-tech executive sort of way, Touch has more of a mysterious executive bent to it. You can pull Touch out of a breast pocket and check messages or view a document with a few swipes of your thumb - advanced functionality demands two-hands and/or the stylus, but many tasks can be accomplished on the down low with a single hand.
On its own merits, Touch deserves praise for its style, innovation, and user interface (which we'll get to in a moment). And then there's the iPhone comparison. Touch's flush-mount, hard-plastic display is far more finger-friendly and scratch-proof than the standard soft-membrane touchscreen but it's not on par with iPhone's hard glass display in terms of performance or durability. Tapping and sliding work pretty well once you get used to the handset, but there's no pinching, zooming here and while two thumbed typing can be a reality on iPhone with practice, it ain't gonna happen on Touch. You'll be hunting and pecking on Touch's virtual QWERTY pad - I found typing with the stylus much less frustrating than trying to do it with my thumb, in fact.
Read full review » A purported "internal Sprint document" is floating around the InterWeb, apparently originating from HowardForums. The image shows Sprint's supposed Q3 '08 New Product roadmap, and is highlighted by the mysterious "MP6950" by HTC, which could be a Touch Dual, Touch Diamond, or even a Touch Pro. The current HTC Touch for Sprint carries the MP6900 model number, so logic would dictate that the 6950 is some sort of successor - I'm... Hot off the UPS truck it's the HTC Touch, but in white, and running on Verizon. VZW launched the XV6900 at CTIA, and it's currently available only through the online store (should be in retail outlets April 30). So if you haven't had the chance to check one out yet, don't worry - we got ya covered.
Essentially the same device as the Touch that launched on Sprint last year, the XV900 is a slim touchscreen smartphone running... IntroductionTo be fair, HTC was developing the Touch long before Apple's iPhone hit the market. But iPhone came to market first and quickly became the gold standard for a new breed of mobile devices marked by giant touchscreens and smartphone functionality combined with mainstream usability. As such, it's really impossible not to consider iPhone when using or reviewing Touch.
So I'll do my best to look at the Sprint-branded Touch both as a... Touch is, in some ways, the most advanced Windows Mobile 6 smartphone on the market. I say this because the extensive functionality of WM6 Professional is added to by the utility of the TouchFlo interface and the addition of Sprint's multimedia offerings. Honestly, Touch would be all the more useful if it had a physical keypad of some sort for time when the touchscreen just doesn't cut it - primarily for text input. Word is a GSM variant - the... Touch features a 2.8” touchscreen capable of 240 x 320 pixel resolution at 65,000 colors. The display has a hard plastic surface that's meant to be poked and swiped with fingers and styli alike - it's more scratch proof and durable than standard membrane-based touchscreens, if not quite on par with iPhone's hardened glass display surface.
Touch's display specs are pretty middle of the road by current smartphone standards, but I found the... Messaging on Touch was a mixed bag. While the speed of Sprint’s EV-DO network made sending and receiving Email quick and easy, writing messages on Touch wasn't quite so quick or so easy. If you're looking for a device on which to regularly write emails and texts, you might want to wait for Touch Dual and it's slider keyboard to make it to the states. At the least, try Touch out for yourself and see how you like the virtual keyboard before you... Pros: - 3G - Sliding/tilting keyboard very nice - Nice camera - Decent built in speakers - Many applications, lots of them free - Decent processor speed - Good battery life, plays music for me for 24 hours on a full charge - Best touch screen so far - Stylish - Heavy, but feels very durable and is easy to hold Cons: - Short USB cable - Microsoft Active Sync is glitchy, not so great; need to upgrade OS from XP to Vista (never!) or 7 - Texting on this keyboard takes some getting used to, it's much wider than a BB so may take a bit more dexterity - Not a standard USB cable, so have to buy additional if you need extra - No separate headphone jack, have to buy special or use clunky adapter Summary: I do love this phone, despite a few shortfalls. Some of the reviews are misleading, and were published long before the US version of the phone was even available. For example, the SD card slot is easily accessible on the side of the phone. My son received his MyTouch the same day I got this phone, and the boxing for this phone could be much MUCH better, especially for the price. Unboxing the MyTouch was like "Here is your AWESOME, new COOL PHONE!!!" While the Touch Pro 2 was like "Here's your new phone." The MyTouch came with an SD card, this phone did not, which seemed cheap on T Mobile's part. Would I buy this phone again, YES! 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful Pros: Lots of functions. Built pretty sturdily. Both physical and screen works well. Cons: Clunky. No battery life, dies before completing a days work (7hrs if you work it is all I got). Insufficient memory. Needs to remove battery cover to use SD memory card. Likes to freeze up. Bluetooth works spotty. Slow response. Scrolling and gestures poor. Many functions but no programs to use them. Summary: Not for heavy use unless you have spare battery or you can keep it plugged in. Jack of all trades but definitely masters none well. If you don't need windows for your job don't get it. Not user friendly. Needs faster cpu and more memory. Not for everyday use. Display too small. Wouldn't buy again. 0 out of 1 people found this review helpful Summary: It constantly freeze up. T-mo exchanged my phone twice and all three of them had the same problem. And the funny thing is t-mo tech support told me not to install any third-party software. Than what i am going to do with this powerful phone? 0 out of 1 people found this review helpful Pros: Setting up and adding contacts easy to do, just plug into computer and it automatically updates your contacts and your calender which is also good since you have backup files on phone and computer. Sound quality is great i could listen to music and watch movies all day on it. This phone is really light weight and easy to carry around. Easily customizable and makes this literally your own phone. the screen itself is really durable. I was working and it got dropped straight on a nail and there is Cons: Phone case cracks easily but you can send the phone in for a new one. When i receive picture messages my phone will often freeze up and I will be forced to turn the phone off then back on to look at the file. The boot up process is really slow compared to most other phones I have owned but this one is also a lot more complicated which may add to the lag. Sometimes if I send a message and one is trying to come in at the same time the messaging feature will lock up so I can access anything else Summary: Overall I believe this phone is worthwhile getting if you can look past the minor flaws that this phone contains. I would recommend purchasing screen protectors and maybe looking for like a rubber sleeve that can go over the phone so the case doesn't crack so easily. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful Pros: Display, keyboard, 3G Cons: UMA (wifi calling support from Provider) Summary: certainly a good phone but missing UMA 0 out of 2 people found this review helpful Hi everyone,I have an HTC Touch...and my friend said I should get Active Sync, but when I went to download it, it said that Active Sync isn't compatible with Vista, and that I should get Windows Mobile Media Center. Do you know if this feature is already installed on my pc...cause I can't find it?Thanks,Jeff Anyone ever done this, and if so how did you like it?Thanks While the phone does have little issues, just as any phone does, i'm currently testing the HTC Touch and i've found it to be easy to use, fun to play with, and while there is a lag, its no worse than i've seen on any other 200mhz phone thats packed full of features, not to mention the skin for the system that goes over mobile 6.0 is fun to play with. I'll write more later. I just finished watching the video review of the Touch from Phonescoop. http://www.phonescoop.com...
The phone has the right size, features and look, but its biggest drawback has to be the lack of a real keypad.
Having to use the stylus to compose text messages/emails is a real problem.
You can't text message with one hand - what happens if you lose the stylus
I guess it depends on if you have tiny fingers [:P] Buying choicesWith new service  with an U.S. Cellular plan from $70.00 With pre-paid service This item is not being sold with a pre-paid service service plan by any online merchant. Purchase phone only Accessories Purchase compatible accessories for this phone Ringtones & MediaShop for compatible mobile content for this phone
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4.8 
