The HTC Touch

HTC Touch is notoriously known as the competition for Apple's iPhone. Its sleek, simple interface allows its owner to flip through a myriad of contents by touch. Rotate through your menu items in an amusing "Touch Cube" menu...make calls, store videos, MP3s, phone numbers, check the local weather, send an instant message, store your appointments and reminders; all on a very familiar Microsoft-backed operating system.

Does HTC have what it takes to be a competitor of the iPhone? Take a look for yourself, and see how the answer just might be a confident "yes". Touch screen technology is quickly becoming the new wave in cell phone and mobile media consumer electronics, and HTC Touch has already made a milestone entry into this exciting new market.

Wireless giant Sprint announced its partnership with the HTC Touch during its entry campaign, as it presently offers its Sprint Mobile Broadband network service with the device. Strangely enough, the HTC Touch had virtually no advertising campaign whatsoever in the United States, before and its inception.

The Touch Cube interface is the main screen GUI (graphical user interface) that greets you on the HTC Touch. By flicking upward on the lower/central logo, your title screen changes to menu mode. It can be best described as a "Rubik's Cube," where functions are displayed on separate "faces" of the "cube," which are easily accessible by flicking the screen up, down, left or right. Individual functions can then be accessed with a single tap. Of course, this can all be driven with a stylus, if you so choose to use one.

The screen itself is 2.8" wide, utilizing the company's own "TouchFLO" technology. If you don't want to use the touch screen, simply navigate via the five-way navigation button, located under the screen. HTC also prides the Touch as being "smaller than a business card holder" at a super-thin 13.9mm thickness.

Familiar interfaces such as the "address book" appear exactly as that of Microsoft Office - see each contact listed in column format, with all of the contact info you've inputted. Alternately, use the much more simple photo contact option, in which your caller's images can be selected, and the phone icon can be clicked for instant dialing. One call/end call button is found on the lower left (next to the navigation button). Take pictures with its built in 2.0 Mpx camera.

Using the internet is just as simple - once a page loads, use your finger much like the "hand tool" in Photoshop, and drag the website around. Use Live Messenger to check and receive new instant messages on the fly. E-mails are sent & received instantly, too.

The hardware utilizes Wi-Fi (wireless) connectivity for Internet, within 100 meters of an access point. Additionally, the Touch can act as a modem to connect your notebook computer to the internet, as well!

The HTC Touch market entry price was comparible to the iPhone, and set to an MSRP of about $500. It is generally seen from prices ranging from $400-450, although the best deals on unused, sealed HTC Touch phones can still be found on eBay: Find the HTC Touch on eBay today.

HTC Touch P3450 Black OEM
($842.53 via SHOP.COM)


HTC Touch P3450 Black OEM

($842.52 via UnbeatableSales)


HTC Touch Unlocked Smartphone

($799.99 via Cellular Blowout)


Touch Dual + Battery Offer

($694.95 via SHOP.com)


S730 + Car Value Pack

($534.95 via SHOP.com)


HTC Touch Cell Phone (Unlocked) - Soft Black

($499.99 via Best Buy)

Processor: TI's OMAP 850, 201 MHz
Operating System: Windows Mobile® 6 Professional
Memory: ROM: 128 MB; SDRAM: 64 MB DDR
Dimensions: 99.9mm (L) x 58mm (W) x 13.9mm (T)
Weight: 112g with battery
Display: 2.8" LCD touch screen with backlight
240 X 320 dots resolution with 65,536 colors
Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE Tri-band: 900, 1800, 1900 (The device will operate on frequencies available from the cellular network.)
Device Control: HTC TouchFLO, 5-Way navigation control
Connectivity: Bluetooth® 2.0; Wi-Fi® IEEE 802.11 b/g; HTC ExtUSB%u2122 (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one)
Camera: 2.0 megapixel CMOS color camera
Audio: Built-in microphone and 3-in-1 speaker; Windows Media Player supported formats: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WMA, WAV, QCELP, MPEG4, AMR-NB, AMR-WB
Battery: Rechargeable Li-lon battery; Capacity: 1100 mAh; Standby time: Up to 200 hours; Talk time: Up to 5 hours
Expansion Slot: microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
AC Adapter: Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz; DC output: 5V and 1A