HTC Touch Phone (Sprint) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am often seeking new toys, electronics that is. And my recent purchase of the touch is something I definably will not be regretting three to six months later when something newer comes out. After doing some research on specs and capabilities on this phone, the I-Phone, Tilt, and some other smart phones that were cheaper but offered similar capabilities, I must say this is the one I would recommend everyone. I've been a long subscriber of Sprint, and was never impressed on how their phones ranked with other service providers, specially since sprint tends to be slightly more expensive than others.
However, after one week of owning this phone I must say that this phone is hands down better than the iphone. I can do much more with this device, and I am able to purchase anything else I might need for whatever I may want to do or need to do. The software is somewhat complex for those who may lack the technical knowledge (no offense), but if you sit down and read the instructions throughly you will find out that it is not that bad, and once you get the hang of it you can actually function around the phone without any restraints.
The camera is adequate, and I say this because I have a digital camera and I did not purchase a phone simply to take picture. But overall, it performs well, and the fact that I can take panoramic pictures and stitch them together is really something I did not expect from this phone. The sports setting which takes 5 shots in a row is extremely useful if you're dealing with kids. The browser is nothing fancy to brag, but I acquired a software to search and view videos on the web (mostly youtube), and I am able to save, bookmark, etc. Most popular websites are now joining the mobile web requirements, enough said on that.
The phone is bluetooth, and the media player actually plays the music much louder than my previous phone through my bluetooth Motorola HT820 stereo headset. The sync function is extremely easy to set up. The touch screen feature is really nice, specially since you can write on the screen with the stylus and the software will type the words for you; this alone speeds up your typing speed if in IM or perhaps typing a memo on the mobile Microsoft word software.
Email accounts are easily set up (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, work email, school, etc) I have them all, and they are sync periodically as I set them.. again this is soo easy once you get the hang of it. Google maps is quite nice, if you're upgrading from a regular phone to a smart phone. The built in memory on the device is adequate, but you can expand it with a micro SD card (up to 4GB), and I recommend you do this and set up the phone to use only that memory (install all the software that did not come with the phone on the memory card instead of the device).Feb 2009 update:
After using this phone for over a year, I was starting to find it out of style and lacking some functionality in comparison to the newer phones that are going on sale. And just as I was getting to upgrade again, I found a way to flash the operating system and upgrade everything on the phone to the point that I was amazed by the capabilities of the device. GPS locked so much faster, I installed a different browser to compete with the safari of the IPHONE, and added so many other applications that are extremely useful, not to mention that I also changed the interface so that it looks just like the newer model from HTC (Diamond). Believe me when I say this, this phone can have soo much potential for those of us who like to tweak electronics and find out what else can we do with it. The fact that is a windows mobile device allows you to do all this stuff, so keep that in mind. But I still want to point out that this device is by far not meant for somebody that is not savvy with electronics.

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Melding the power of Windows Mobile 6 with an innovative touchscreen navigation interface, HTC's Touch is a deceptively small and stylish mobile phone that brings together email and other essential business applications with Sprint's exclusive multimedia content including over-the-air music downloads, live TV and more. Leveraging the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for touchscreens), the HTC Touch includes Outlook Mobile, Office Mobile and the capabilities to run thousands of third-party applications. It also allows you to surf the web with Internet Explorer, send and receive emails, chat on Messenger, and send files to your own web space through Windows Live. Nicely compact at just 0.6 inches thin and 4 ounces, the HTC Touch also features a 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder, fast Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR with stereo music streaming profile, MicroSD expansion, digital audio and video player, and speedy downloads via Sprint's EV-DO network.
Sprint Service Supporting the EV-DO high-speed data standard, this phone is fully compatible with Sprint's Power Vision service (additional charges applicable). With Power Vision, you can download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Enjoy full-color video clips or live TV of the latest news, sports, and entertainment from brands you know, like CNN, Fox, The Weather Channel, NFL Mobile, and more. Power Vision also serves as a portal for enhanced games. Where coverage is available, EV-DO connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps.
The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song--one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you.
With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including the NFL Network, ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.
The Sprint Software Store, powered by Handmark, offers a wide selection of software, games, ringtones, graphics and other Windows Mobile applications to purchase and download right to your phone.
Phone Features With a nearly 3-inch display, the HTC Touch's navigation is powered by TouchFLO technology--new underlying touch screen technology developed by HTC--which provides smooth navigation through menus with a finger swipe. Simply sweep your finger up the display to launch an animated, three-dimensional interface comprising three screens: Contacts, Media and Applications. In addition, the innovative TouchFLO cube brings a 3D cube interface allowing quick access to entertainment, communication tools and a "dial-by-picture" photo caller ID screen. It is intelligent enough to distinguish between finger and input via the included stylus and then respond accordingly. The new HTC-designed home screen provides one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for hundreds of cities around the world. Since you'll be accessing most functions via the touchscreen, it includes only buttons for a cursor pad, send and end, camera, and volume rocker.
In addition to real-time synchronization with Microsoft Exchange via Windows Mobile's Direct Push Technology, the HTC Touch also supports Sprint Mobile Email for access to up to three email accounts. It's also loaded with instant messaging capabilities for AIM, Yahoo, and Windows Live. The Touch also enables sending of SMS and MMS messages, and it includes XT9 predictive text entry (the new version of the T9), with Key features including a word prediction list and spelling correction which spots transposed letters and missed keys, as well as instant integration into all applications on the device. The phone's contact list is limited only by available memory, and you can store up to 12 numbers per entry as well as home/work addresses, email, IM name, birthday, and more.
You can load up your MP3 files on optional MicroSD cards (up to 4 GB in size) via a USB connection from your PC, or download music from the Sprint Music Store. The integrated Windows Media Player Mobile allows you to play your favorite music, videos and more while you're on the go, and it synchs music seamlessly with Windows Media Player on a Windows-based computer.
This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 + EDR (enhanced data rate) wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, object push, file transfer, audio/video remote control, and basic printing. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. Send contacts, calendar events, and pictures/videos/voice memos wirelessly.
The 2.0-megapixel camera on the back of the HTC Touch has a 5x digital zoom and includes a choice of five resolutions and four quality settings. Other imaging features include white balance controls, night mode, image effects, and self-timer. You can also capture video clips in either MPEG4 or H.263 format, and record video for as long as you have available memory. Other features include:
E911 Emergency Location Enabled: This phone features an embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) chip, necessary for utilizing the E911 emergency location services, where available.
Sprint's On-Demand service with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, money and more customized by zip code
Voice activated dialing
Voice memo recorder
Streaming music access to Sprint Radio, Pandora, SIRIUS, VH1, and MTV

Vital Statistics The HTC Touch weighs 4 ounces and measures 4 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its 1100 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 CDMA frequencies and is compatible with the EV-DO data network.
Powered by Windows Mobile 6 Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 updates the Windows Mobile 5 platform with a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.
With Windows Mobile 6, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.
Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

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