A Better Touch

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.

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.

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.