Tag: Windows Mobile

HTC Touch Pro Review

The long awaited HTC flagship is here; I have pestered, hounded and harassed Matt for a play on this device since we all heard about it last year. Now I have it, can it live up to the hype? Is it the ultimate device?

The HTC Touch Pro (click to enlarge)

Introduction

Following on from the release of the HTC Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro (Raphael) is as much high end as you are going to find at the moment. The price tag does match its status and to prove itself as value for money it has to be near perfect……

What’s in the Box?

• The HTC Touch Pro handset
• 1350mAh battery
• USB Sync/charge cable
• Mains charger (USB style)
• Application CD and user guide CD
• Spare stylus
• Leather slip case
• Wired headset
• Printed user guide and warranty information

Have a look at Matt’s HTC Touch Pro unboxing video for a more detailed analysis.

HTC Touch Pro specification:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Qualcomm MSM 7201A @ 528MHz
• 512MB ROM / 256MB RAM
• 7.2MB HSDPA / HSUPA
• 2.8″ VGA screen
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
• eGPS
• 3.1MP Camera with flash
• Forward facing VGA camera
• G-sensor (same as the Diamond)
• FM Radio
• TV-Out feature
• microSD card slot (thank goodness!)
• 1350mAh battery
• 51x99x17mm
• 165 grams

General

The Touch Pro has obviously been designed to keep it as uncluttered as possible, it has minimal buttons and relies on the keyboard and touchscreen to access the usual functions. For example there is no dedicated camera button and no soft keys. The Unit does feel on the heavy side but not in an unpleasant way, as it is so small, it fools you in to thinking that is not heavy at all, it is most definitely pocket friendly.

The top of the Touch Pro has the more sensitive and easier to press Power up button.

HTC Touch Pro top view (click to enlarge)

The Right hand side has only the non – telescopic stylus, being magnetised it is drawn into its housing as you insert it.

HTC Touch Pro right side (click to enlarge)

The bottom of the device is the mini USB connector, the mic and a small reset button.

HTC Touch Pro bottom view (click to enlarge)

The left of the unit has the volume up and down button.

HTC Touch Pro left side

The back of the phone has the 3.2 megapixel camera, flash light, tiny speaker grill and also a semi hidden strap holder.

HTC Touch pro back view

The flat 2.8” VGA is found the front of the device, along with a tiny forward facing camera for self portrait photos and video calls found next to the earpiece.

HTC Touch Pro front view

There is only 4 buttons at the bottom, these being the obligatory talk and end keys, which also have a long press function as well, covered shortly. There is a ‘Home’ key and a ‘back’ key featured as well. In the middle of these is the Navigation control, which is both press sensitive and touch sensitive. This acts as a 5 way directional pad and enter button, but also as a touch sensitive dial pad, for zooming in and out, on top of that it can be used to control some camera functions as well.

Hidden behind this is the slide out hardware keyboard.

HTC Touch Pro open view

The device itself appears well made, it is solid and comfortable to use. The screen is, of course, a fingerprint hoarder and wiping it clean wasn’t that easy, personally I think a screen protector is much needed in this respect, but not on the review model. It is definitely quick and responsive, both in Windows and other applications.

One point here is that for some reason, probably form HTC have decided to hide the microSD slot underneath the back casing, so you do have to remove the back to swap or remove the card, but no biggy really.

HTC Touch Pro microSD slot

Highlights

• Keyboard
• User Interface
• Screen
• Design

Lowlights

• External speaker
• In-call audio volume

Review

First off it has to be said this IS a very nice device, the screen is a pleasure at 480×640 the VGA is sharp and clear and a vast improvement to the usual 240×320. It is touch sensitive and is very responsive, I found that I had to resort to the stylus very little which is a great plus for me. Remember to tap and then drag, it works much better than drag alone.

The HTC user interface is also easy to use and covers all the practical applications that are used regularly. With quick access to menus such as People, Messages, Email, Internet etc. tap the bottom scroll bar and drag your finger sideways to access all the other application such as Photos, Music, Weather, Settings and finally a customisable Programs. For me it would be nice to be able to customise the scroll bar itself for a more personal touch.

The animated weather screen adds a nice touch, and there is also a dedicated You Tube icon as well.

The Touch Pro is Windows 6.1 professional as standard, and as such is fairly standard, programs wise there is not a great deal out of the ordinary, there is Google maps preloaded, but I could not resist downloading a Tomtom trial which worked brilliantly as was really responsive, and the screen was easier to see being clear, even in bright sunlight. Google maps of course worked equally well. By the way I am not an expert but I think it is the new pin dropping animation version, an arrow drops down anyway, maybe the clever of you can confirm this?

There is a Jetcet Print program allowing you to send and print documents, images, files etc. direct to a wireless network or Bluetooth enabled printer.

An MP3 trimmer application, which allows you to shorten songs and then save your work, as a new file or assign as a ringtone.

Opera 9.5 also installed as standard is a joy on the screen as well with added ability to automatically rotate screen from landscape to portrait, a quick double tap on the screen zooms in to the selected area in a clear and precise way.

World card mobile is also include which allows a picture to be taken of a business card and then save the information contained on the card as a contact.

Settings included as extras are G-sensor which once calibrated detects when the device is tilted and turned automatically, doing away with the need to rotate the screen manually. One small down point here is that while driving I prefer to have the screen in landscape to be able to use Tomtom and also my car holder fits better that way! Unfortunately the function to rotate the screen manually has been removed so, the only way to achieve this is to have the keyboard open, as soon as you close the keyboard it flicks back to portrait. Annoying.

Also you can assign the end key on a long key press to achieve different functions such as a quick menu, device lock, vibrate or Airplane mode at the press of a button.

I do miss a dedicated camera button, I can understand that this is done for form but maybe function would be a little better. The camera itself I found unremarkable, at 3.2 megapixel it is OK, I found the autofocus to be a bit sensitive, the idea is to touch it not press it until the autofocus has done its thing and turned green, pressing the enter button (middle d-pad button) then takes the picture. This took a bit of practice to get used to. Unlike the Diamond, the Touch Pro has a LED mobile light to illuminate subjects in the dark.

Another nice feature of the Touch pro that I haven’t seen before is, when a call comes in you can place the phone face down on a surface to mute the ring. Handy if you have forgotten to turn it off in a meeting etc.

The external speaker on the device I found not to be the best, whether it’s the fact that there is only a tiny slot or whether the quality is not as good as it could be, it does sound a little muffled and not all that loud, this could be off the back of reviewing the Zinc II which as really loud. Maybe this is something for HTC to look at in the future. But overall the earpiece sound quality was fine and worked well, I agree with Matt that the signal strength seems better than usual, I generally get a good signal wherever I am locally, but two known poor areas for me worked with 2 bars.

Battery life for me I found to be 2 days max, heavy use means charging daily, especially with Sat nav use.

Now the issues I have seen and heard about the TouchFLO 3D, for me it works fine, it is snappy and responsive, I have not tried the tweaks that claim to make it faster, as I did not find the need to. Scrolling and swiping the screen produced the appropriate responses to a more than satisfactory standard. I suppose it would be good to hear from anyone who has dabbled with the tweaks?

The Phone function on the HTC Touch Pro, is also an improvement on previous models, it is simple to use and very clear and professional looking. There is an issue with the fact that the screen dims during a call, supposedly to conserve power, also annoying I know Matt mentioned that a registry hack can stop this; a bit of a simpler answer would be to have it in settings, as an option?

The keyboard, as you may already know is not my strong point, I have used it and found it one of the best that I have used, the keys even though small as well defined and well laid out, the extra rows for dedicated numbers etc are much better and user friendly. This device has the same problem of the backlight as well as the previous units I have tested, why can’t they have an option to extend the light time? I did find that even a novice like me soon got some speed up and even hitting the wrong keys on purpose didn’t phase the applications either, as it is intuitive enough to correct even subtle errors. Overall I am very impressed with the design and the functionality. If I were being really picky I would have liked it to be a tad slimmer?

HTC Touch Pro keyboard

Conclusion

Can HTC Touch Pro live up to the hype? I think it can, it is by far the best phone I have tested; I think it is a great size, not too big or too small. It has all the functionality and speed that I need day to day.

The price tag? Well, anything worth buying is invariably not cheap, and this is no exception, it is relatively expensive in the PDA world, but it is probably the best on the market at this time.

Is it the Ultimate device? It is very close, I am sure they could get it a little thinner in time, the camera and rear speaker could do with an upgrade, in my opinion, that apart it is very impressive.

You can probably tell I like it and I don’t think there will be many people who won’t. Would I buy one? Here’s the rub, I am still not convinced that I need the keyboard that bad, can I justify paying another £200 odd for this addition over the HTC Diamond? Or would the smaller form of the Diamond prove to be more functional for me? Decisions, decisions…..perhaps I should wait and see what the Samsung and the Sony turn out like? Will it ever end?

Conclusion again – I have agreed with Matt to have a play with his Diamond, before he sells it to buy one of these Pro’s, to see which is better for me. So watch out for a Diamond and Tytn II going for sale shortly! The search continues.

Review by: Steve

HTC S730 review

So the QWERTY candybar returns.

INTRODUCTION

This is another BIG device for HTC. Perhaps not to the same scale as the TyTN II or the Touch series – but it’s got to be number 3 in line. It sounds too good to be true really – a candybar phone, a large QWERTY keyboard and the still new Windows Mobile 6, with decent connectivity via 3G.

HTC S730

What’s in the Box?

HTC have really got their act together when it comes to presentation and style. I’ve got a lot of respect for HTC. Having had the very first SPV phone, it’s amazing to see how quickly they’ve almost become a household name alongside Samsung, Nokia and the rest. If I mention HTC – people actually know what I’m talking about now!

HTC’s massive expansion of their brand has been helped by good quality stylish handsets, which they now try to push into the packaging as well. It’s a very appleish box, some might say it’s even better than apple – but if you’ve seen Matt’s unboxing video – you’ll know its a very good effort from HTC.

Inside you’ll find:

• HTC S730
• 1050mAh battery
• Mains Charger
• CD-Rom with ActiveSync etc.
• USB Sync/Charge Cable
• Handsfree headset/headphones
• Manual
• Warranty Card

HTC S730 box

HTC S730 specification:

• Windows Mobile 6 Standard (Smartphone)
• 400Mhz ARM1136EJ-S CPU
• ROM: 256MB ; RAM: 64MB SDRAM
• 2.4″ TFT LCD 240 x 320
• Quad-Band HSDPA/UMTS
• WiFi: 802.11b/g
• 2.0 Megapixel main camera
• Bluetooth version 2.0
• 1050mAh Lithium Ion battery
• MicroSD card slot
• 22-key fixed phone keypad
• Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• 50mm x 100mm x 19mm
• 120 grams

GENERAL

At 51×105.8×19.4mm it’s not the smallest of phones on offer, and although perfectly acceptable in other areas, its “fatness” is a bit cumbersome when sat in a pocket. Of course that’s the price you have to pay for the slide out keyboard – although I’m not sure why the S730 is actually even fatter than the S710?!

On the front, the large display sits recessed slightly from the plastic shell, with a VGA forward facing camera above it to the right, and the speaker + indication lights combo common to most HTC devices.

Directly below the screen, we find the main phone keypad taking up nearly every centimetre of the remaining space. Although snug, the keypad is easy to use. The keys are close together, but large in size and texting seems to be fairly easy. The Send and End keys are in a slightly unusual place – being to the left and right of the main number pad area, but again, it doesn’t have any adverse effect on usability. The two softkeys are located immediately above the Home and Back keys, in a layout that really pays tribute to the very early HTC smartphones. Between these 4 keys is the 5 way direction pad. No rocker or jog wheel here – just a flat system which is simple to operate.

HTC S730 keypad

Sliding the front of the phone to the left produces the full QWERTY keyboard – and the phone switches to landscape mode. The keyboard is very similar to HTC’s other QWERTY devices, although the keys are raised slightly and feel more rubbery in texture. The very useful Caps and Fn mode lamps are above the keyboard, as well as two more soft keys (for use in landscape mode).

HTC S730 keyboard

The bottom of the phone is standard HTC kit really – enhanced mini standard USB socket, and a lanyard loop for phone charms (Shudder) or to connect to a key ring or similar.

HTC S730 bottom

On the right hand side is the camera button – used to both activate the camera application, and take shots. There is also a microSD slot with rubber seal. The card slot mechanism is fairly well recessed away from the edge of the phone so it is quite difficult at times to remove and insert the tiny microSD cards.

HTC S730 right side

The left hand side contains the volume control buttons, and a dedicated button for the comm. manager – almost a requirement of WiFi phones.

HTC S730 left side

To the top of the phone, where there is a well defined power button – quick press for the quick menu, hold to turn off/on.

HTC S730 top

Finally on the back of the phone we find the 2mp camera, with mirror area and a speaker grille. There is no flash with this handset.

HTC S730 back

Just a final note about the side of the phone – because of the separation required, there is a little gap between the “front” and “back” of the phone. It’s a necessity but for the image conscious, it’s worth noting.

HTC S730 with keyboard open

SOFTWARE

Let’s take a quick look through the start menu then – but don’t expect many surprises from the vanilla WM6 – this is HTC after all. Internet Explorer is there, so is Windows Media Player, and the usual array of productivity built in apps such as Tasks, Calendar and Contacts.

Phone tools, including Call History and Messaging are on the first page as well, which is completed with the Settings app and Office Mobile – yep Office is there too!

On the second page of the start menu – more common Microsoft stuff with Games and Accessories subfolders, Voice Notes and the built in Pictures and Videos tool. Connectivity in the form of ActiveSync and Internet sharing appears too, and the page is completed with Windows Live and Messenger, and Adobe Reader LE.

Things get interesting on the 3rd page though – HTC have gone to town, especially in the music area. An ‘Audio Booster” app provides fairly basic Graphic Equaliser style functionality for the earphones. The HTC Audio Manager seen elsewhere is there too, and “MP3 Trimmer” which cuts out silence from the beginning and end of files – useful to get the most from your storage space.

Bluetooth Explorer is also available on the device – something missing from the early HTC phones and a very welcome addition. Internet add-ons, eJava and Flash Lite are also shown here, along with more predicable links to the Camera, Comm. Manager and File Explorer.

The 4th and final page is pretty tedious stuff – links to quick notes, speed dial setup, streaming media and Task Manager. The link to the Video Recorder is also here, along with something called “HTC Debug Tools” – I suspect this will go missing before it hits stores!

Highlights:

• QWERTY Keyboard on a candybar: Lets face it – no one else bothers with this form factor so good on HTC for making not only a success of the S710 – but on providing a worthy upgrade as well.
• HTC Xt9: This, along with the Touch Dual (review soon!) are the first devices I’ve used with the new style T9 input on HTC phones. Weirdly there are a few differences between the devices – and the S730 comes out on top in every aspect. The T9 input is so good – for speed, its sometimes faster then the qwerty keyboard
• WiFi: WiFi in a phone: very good thing.

Lowlights:

• Poor slider mechanism. Bit disappointing this one really – the phone feels robust, but the slide mechanism is rather loose – both when opening and closing, and when actually closed. It’s a shame because it renders the “unlock on open” function useless really – since I’ve found the phone sometimes opens itself in the pocket. This is a demo unit though so could have been subjected to some abuse by previous reviewers.
• Battery life: Not great in my experience here. WiFi turned off, Bluetooth off, just a few data calls, GSM calls and a lot of texts, and it was well down by the end of the day.
• General speed of the device: Maybe I was expecting too much, but the phone certainly isn’t the quickest in the world. Even its USP – the sliding keyboard suffers, and the screen doesn’t switch to landscape as quickly as I’d have liked.

REVIEW

Firstly I’d like to clear something up (or try): To the best of my knowledge, the retail HTC S730 will NOT have GPS. However, as this is a test ROM (remember the HTC Debug Folder)… there is a little app called HTCGPSTest, which most definitely finds something on COM4. The signal is terrible (I didn’t manage to get a fix), but it does search for satellites.

Having looked into this, it seems that the final retail units will 100% NOT have GPS Enabled. Whether this means the chip will be removed – I’m not sure. Whether the clever chaps over at XDA-Developers will be able to make it work – I’m not sure. And finally – will it be any use even if they do manage to enable it? – guess what – I’m not sure. Nice and clear then!

So to the device then…

It’s pretty good. The QWERTY keys are hard to get used to at first – and also seem quite stiff at first, especially compared to my older TyTN, but if this helps them to remain working beyond six months it’ll be a welcome improvement!

The S710 is a tough act to follow I guess, having both WiFi and a QWERTY keyboard already. Luckily HTC have replaced and upgraded the CPU, added extra memory and provided a shiny new OS. Oh and 3G/HSDPA as well! A decent upgrade specification wise then but in terms of design, not much has changed. It’s a little more chunky than the S710, which I put down to the added hardware.

The S730 is not overly large – certainly not when you take into account the feature set – but phones should be getting smaller right? The QWERTY keyboard has had some minor adjustments and improvements, and despite what you might, think having seen the photos above, the full stop button location isn’t as annoying as it appears.

HTC S730 vs HTC Touch Dual

In general, you have to give credit to HTC for the constant software improvements and tweaks. Things like the HTC Home screen and new Xt9 input style might seem minor – but they are the only company who seem to be willing to improve the WM6 OS.

As I mentioned above, the slider feel pretty flaky in general and a bit too loose for my liking. It clicks into place well when opening, but at other times is very ‘floppy’. A shame – and I’m not sure how this compares to the S710?

There’s not much else to complain about though – bar a few random phone issues which I’ll put down to the test ROM. The size is forgotten when you realise the power you have in what is, in the smartphone world, a small form factor. Just to continue the size theme a little more – compared to the N95, its not too dissimilar.

Oddly, in my opinion, HTC have seemingly tried to turn the S730 into a music phone. I get this from the multitude of audio enhancements and applications in the ROM, but I’d say this phone would be better suited to business users. Send texts with the keypad, reply to emails with the keyboard. I’m just not sure the youth will ditch the iPod for this phone. We shall see.

CONCLUSION

It’s a good phone. There were too many niggly pre-production buglets about to do a full scale review, but it’s a great improvement over an already impressive S710.
The styling is very reminiscent of the early SPV units sold on Orange around Europe. In my view, that’s not too bad a thing – ‘old skool’ sells after all.

The keyboard size is fantastic, and for it to be in such a small chassis is great news for any market they try to sell the unit in to.

Apologies for the slightly shorter review – it’s Christmas and I need to get drunk but the HTC S730 is definitely recommended!

Don’t forget, you can win an HTC S730 in our Christmas Comptition!

Review by: Mark

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, HTC S730, HTC]