Today’s product review will take a brief look at one of the more advanced Windows Mobile powered smartphones on the market. The HTC Touch Dual is a GSM/3G/HSDPA smartphone with a touch screen and sliding numeric keypad. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1.
Not everyone will have ever heard of HTC, but it’s not unlikely that many of you either own a device made by them, or know of someone who does. HTC have at least one smartphone with each of the major US operators.
On T-mobile there is the Dash and the Wing, on AT&T there is the Tilt, on Verizon there is the XV6800 and the XV6900, and on Sprint you’ll find the Touch and the Mogul.
In just a few short years, HTC have grown from a fairly small manufacturer of mobile phones for companies like Palm and HP, into one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world with their own lineup of devices. I have been carrying (at least one) HTC made phone with me for the past 5 years.
This product review will take a look at a device that has been out for several months, which in the world of mobile phones is quite long. But that does not mean it is less advanced. Inside the HTC Touch Dual is a 400MHz processor, 256MB of storage memory, a MicroSD card slot, a 2 Megapixel camera, a sliding numeric keypad and the HTC TouchFlo interface.
The phone features quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and dualband 3G (850/1900), which means you’ll be able to use it anywhere in the world with a GSM network, and on the AT&T 3G network in the US.
The phone is well designed, and is a real treat to look at; the screen is flush with the front of the phone, and the body is surrounded by a sleek chrome finish. The Touch Dual has 2 cameras; one 2 Megapixel camera on the back, and one lower resolution VGA camera on the front (for making video calls).
The HTC Touch Dual was one of the first Windows powered smartphones to come delivered with the newest version of Windows Mobile Professional; version 6.1.
The Touch Dual has just a couple of buttons; 2 call buttons and a D-pad on the front, a camera and power button on the right, and a volume rocker on the left. Thanks to the TouchFlo interface, this really is all you need. The interface has some pretty nifty animations, but it is also a simple way of accessing things like the weather, your speed dial entries and some frequently used applications like email and the web browser. To access TouchFlo, you simply drag your finger from the bottom to the top of the screen.
The sliding keypad on the Touch Dual offers a quicker way to dial numbers, but the keypad also functions as a regular text entry pad, thanks to the dual-letter entry method, not unlike the system found on the Blackberry Pearl. It takes a little getting used to, but once you master it, you’ll be able to enter stuff quicker than with the on-screen keyboard.
Because many of you are frequent travelers, I’ll focus the rest of this review on how the HTC Touch Dual can help you when you are on the road. To me, as a “roadwarrior”, there are 5 things that make this phone travel friendly:
- Long battery life
- Worldwide compatibility
- Lightweight
- Applications and connectivity
- Multimedia
Long battery life
The battery powering the HTC Touch Dual has enough power to keep the phone on standby for up to 361 hours (manufacturer rating), which is quite amazing in such a small package. The phone also has a regular Mini-USB charging port, so recharging the device is a breeze, and if you lose your charger, finding a compatible charger abroad won’t be too hard.
Worldwide compatibility
The HTC Touch Dual is equipped with a Quadband GSM radio and a dualband HSDPA 3G radio. This means it will work almost anywhere you can find a GSM or 3G network. The speed of the HSDPA service is amazing, on the AT&T 3G network in my neighborhood, I regularly reach speeds in excess of 1750kbps, which is faster than many people have at home.
Lightweight
At just 4.7oz (133 grams), the HTC Touch Dual is one of the lightest Windows powered smartphones on the market. It is small enough to fit in the tightest of carryon luggage.
Applications and connectivity
Windows Mobile devices have one of the largest assortments of mobile applications in the world. There are thousands of high quality applications for the platform, including some really powerful applications for travelers like: Worldmate, SPB Traveler and Fizz traveller. You’ll also find various translation applications, city guides, navigation packages and public transit guides.
Multimedia
To many people, their first introduction to a smartphone was probably with an iPhone or Blackberry. It may come as a surprise though, that the iPhone was not the first device to offer decent multimedia features. In fact, current Windows Mobile powered phones have even more multimedia power than an iPhone.
In addition to a far greater file format support, Windows Phones can be turned into pocket TV’s using remote viewing hardware like a Slingbox or Hava. Most Windows phones can also be expanded beyond their initial memory with cheap memory cards (current memory prices are around $40 for 8GB of storage).
Another advantage of Windows Mobile devices is that you are not tied down to just one method of getting your music on the device, and that you are free to use any MP3 file as a ringtone without having to pay extra.
Final thoughts…
All in all, I’m a great fan of Windows Mobile smartphones and the HTC Touch Dual. I’ve been using it for several weeks now with me on the road, and it has not let me down yet. Along with my Blackberry Curve, it has been a great travel companion.
There are a couple of slightly annoying things that I can’t help comment on; the charging/headset port is covered by a rubber flap, which can be quite a hassle to open. The phone also lacks a regular 3.5mm headset jack, so you will have to use the (included) HTC headphones.And finally; the phone does not have Wi-Fi or GPS. The lack of Wi-Fi hasn’t bothered me as much as I had expected; the speeds on 3G are so fast, that I have not had the need for Wi-Fi yet, but if you find yourself in an area without 3G coverage, you will drop back to the slow EDGE or GPRS speeds.
The HTC Touch Dual is not available directly from any operator in the US, which means you’ll have to pick it up “unconnected” from an online retailer like Best Buy, where it sells for $549 or on Amazon.com for $555.99. The advantage to buying an unconnected phone is of course that you do not commit to any long term contract. In closing, I’d like to point out that the 3G in the Touch Dual will not work on the slowly expanding T-mobile 3G network. Only a handful of phones currently work on their “flavor” of 3G.
As with all mobile devices, a new one is always on the horizon, and things are no different with the HTC Touch Dual. Even though this device has only been on the market for a couple of months, newer versions will be here soon.