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A Better Touch

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PCQ Bureau
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Amidst all the hoopla around Android devices, HTC quietly went and launched

the Touch2, a new Windows Mobile 6.5 phone. It has all the usual trappings of a

high-end Windows Mobile device; quadband with 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, 3.5mm

audio out, a large touchscreen and a good battery life. At the lower edge of the

screen, there is a useful zoom area. It provides a quick and easy way to zoom in

and out of images and webpages. Under the zoom area you get a brushed aluminium

panel with six buttons; answer, home, Windows key, back and end. The left side

has a volume rocker and a microSD cover that strangely, can only be opened by

first opening the battery cover.

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Windows Mobile 6.5 adds a lot of new features, but is not as big a step

forward from Windows Mobile 6.1 as we were hoping for. For all practical

purposes, the basic difference is that Windows 6.5 is friendlier for finger use;

the start menu has large icons, arranged in a hexagonal pattern. And you don't

have to squint to see items on the new default Today (Home) screen. With Windows

6.5, Market place is also new. Essentially one place to browse though and buy

new apps, modelled on the likes of the Apple App Store.

The TouchFLO interface is familiar to anyone who's used HTC Windows Mobile

phones before. It offers large icons, quick access to oft-used programs, quick

access to contacts and some nice animation. If you're a not a TouchFLO interface

fan, you can switch it off completely and go back to the default Windows Mobile

6.5 Today screen, which itself is quite finger-friendly. And if you want to

revert to the old Windows Mobile 6.1 Today screen, that's available too.

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HTC Touch2



Price: 22,490


Recommendation:


Contacts: HTC India

Specs: Quadband GSM with EDGE and 3G, Windows Mobile 6.5, 240 x
320 pixel 2.8-inch touchscreen, 3.2MP camera, 528MHz processor, 256MB RAM,

512MB ROM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, microSD slot, 3.5mm audio out, 1000mAh

Li-ion battery, 110 grams

Visit www.LD2.in for more reviews

SMS Buy 130155 to 56677



After using it for a few days, you will realize that there are several places

where costs have been cut. First, the screen: the 2.8-inch screen has a

resolution of a rather average 240 x 320 pixels. There are some jagged edges

around, more apparent when you're viewing small text or web pages. For that size

of screen, a 640 x 480 pixel screen would have been much more appreciated.

Second, the camera has only a fixed focus lens and no flash. Which this does

reduce the recycle time, it means that the images are strictly plain. Finally,

the design is completely uninspiring. It could very well pass off as any usual

HTC Windows Mobile device.

So, should you buy it? Well, if you use a device powered by Windows Mobile

6.1 already, it may make sense to hold out for something better. And if you're

planning to buy a Windows device for the first time, it's worth looking at.

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