HTC T7272 Touch Pro Unlocked Full Keyboard Touch Screen Quad Band Phone (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The following review is for the XDA Serra, O2's UK version of the HTC Touch Pro (also known as the Raphael, T Mobile MDA Vario IV, AT&T Fuze and Sprint Touch Pro).
This is my third O2 XDA model. I`d previously used the XDA Mini S (aka HTC Wizard). I'd grown fond of the XDA Mini S but recall that the phone was a dog until O2 issued a major ROM upgrade about 6 months after its release.
In looking for a replacement for the XDA Mini S, I had the following criteria in mind;
* 3G (HSDPA) capable
* Good touch screen quality
* Single-handed operation
* Decent QWERTY keyboard - for me a must-have
* Preferably Windows Mobile 6.1 based (I'm wedded to a number of Windows Mobile applications including Outlook & Excel mobile, Ilium eWallet, Memory Map and Tom Tom Navigator)
* Good camera quality a nice-to-have but not paramount
* Available on an O2 UK Tariff (I wasn't prepared to pay a SIM-free price).
Candidates included the HTC Touch Pro, Sony Xperia X1, Nokia E71 and Samsung Omnia i900. I must confess to a (possibly irrational) antipathy to all things Apple so didn't consider the iPhone 3G, though I have no doubt that the iPhone is probably more user-friendly. It's the proprietary lock-ins with Apple that get me. The HTC Touch Pro is categorically not an "iPhone killer" (though the newer HTC Touch HD may well be).
The truth is, all of HTC's smartphone offerings have been exercises in managed expectation. They promise so much on paper but so often fail to deliver in terms of practicality. I often wonder if the professional reviewers who rave about HTC phones have actually used them in anger or are simply beguiled by the impressive specifications.
The Touch Pro is, along with the Touch HD, by far the best phone HTC have ever produced, but it is not without its flaws. I will admit that in the first few days of having received the XDA Serra I found the Touch Flo interface and GPS performance so frustrating that I seriously considered returning it to O2, but having persevered for a fortnight or so I am now much happier. So far, this is how the pros and cons stack up for me:
Pros:
1. Size, form factor and build quality.
2. Excellent screen resolution (640x480) and quality. Visibility in sunshine is very good.
3. Excellent slide out keyboard - far and away the best available.
4. Excellent phone sound quality.
5. Good 3G (HSDPA), Bluetooth and FM Radio performance.
6. Touch Flo interface makes single-handed operation feasible but the gestures take some getting used to. Helps to have small fingers.
7. Accepts up to 16GB microSD SDHC cards (though the need to remove the back cover to insert the memory card is seen by some as a disadvantage - personally I prefer it this way)
8. Magnetic stylus is less likely to drop out and get lost.
9. Uses standard mini USB connector for sync and charge.
10. Can charge from PC USB connection.
11. As with all Windows Mobile devices, syncing with PC via Activesync is very easy.
12. Huge variety of freeware and shareware available for the Windows Mobile platform, including some alternatives to the Touch Flo interface (mainly still in beta but very promising).
13. Teeter game - which uses the phone's built-in G-sensor - is great fun.
14. Very chic, for those who care about such things.
Cons:
1. Very expensive SIM-free.
2. "Joystick" functionality on central Navigation button is almost completely unusable and is - in my opinion - a significant design flaw.
3. Endurance with standard 1340mAh battery not great (especially if all radio options are enabled) but probably no worse than other phones in this class. Higher capacity (but bulkier) 1800mAh battery packs are available. I personally haven't found battery life to be an issue.
4. 3.2MP autofocus camera is a big improvement over earlier HTC models but is outclassed by the latest Sony, Nokia and Samsung camera phones. The LED camera flash is barely adequate in low light. If you're looking for a digital compact camera replacement this is not the phone for you.
5. Flaky Wi-Fi - needs to be set to `maximum performance' (at the expense of battery life) to get decent reception.
6. Built-in GPS is very temperamental. Initial lock can take anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes, though once lock is acquired, performance is OK in open ground. Urban reception is poor and the Assisted GPS function (which is disabled by default on the XDA Serra) doesn't appear to improve matters significantly. There are some performance enhancing tweaks recommended on various HTC forums, but the phone will never be a match for a dedicated handheld SiRF GPS and I imagine many people will find the internal GPS unusable in practice.
Note that you can always use an external Bluetooth GPS adapter such as the excellent Emtac BTGPS II or the one provided with some versions of Tom Tom Navigator.
7. Touch Flo interface a bit sluggish at times, but can be improved with some registry tweaking (Google the XDA Developers Forum). People who are happy to use a stylus will probably wish to disable the Touch Flo interface altogether.
8. Touch Flo interface cannot be customised, at least not without registry hacks.
9. Pressure needed for some touch screen gestures means a screen protector is advisable (one is provided in the box).
10. No built in headphone socket - needs special USB-to-jack adapter (a handy remote-control adapter with a standard 3.5mm jack is provided in the box).
11. Cannot sync/charge and use headphone adapter at the same time using the adapter provided, though it is possible to buy third party adapters for around £20 which do allow this.
12. Some relatively minor stability issues - expect to have to perform a soft-reset at least once a month.
I expect many of these issues will improve with the next ROM upgrade, though I have my doubts about the internal GPS.
Another reviewer has reported problems with accidental call answering. In fairness this is a hazard with many touch screen phones (I used to find this incredibly annoying with the XDA Mini S) but can generally be easily resolved by installing a freeware screen lock utility. I've found SU2U 1.35 (Slide To Unlock) works very well on the Touch Pro.
If you like Windows Mobile and need a slide-out keyboard, this is undoubtedly the best phone on the market. If you don't need the keyboard, you might want to consider the HTC Touch HD (which has recently tipped the Nokia E71 off the top of PC Pro's smartphone A-List).


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HTC S710 Vox Unlocked Smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.0, 2 MP Camera, Wi-Fi, MP3/Video Player, MicroSD Slot--U.S. Version with Warranty (Black/Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the S710 a few weeks ago and I have been very happy with it so far. I had previously been using a Sony Ericsson W810i which was a great phone for personal use and as an MP3 player, but I needed a smartphone for work. I didn't want something as large as a Blackberry and wanted to avoid a touchscreen and stylus. The S710 was the perfect compromise.
I've never used a smartphone or Windows Mobile before so I can't say if WM6 is any improvement. I was surprised to find while editing my contacts that there is no copy and paste function. I was able to find an add on application but it seems a rather strange thing not to include in a smartphone. The S710 comes with HTC's homescreen and green color scheme which is a color that most closely resembles vomit. This can be removed using a debranding app. On such a beautiful looking device it's a shame that HTC chose such a nauseating interface.
And this is a beautiful phone. The all chrome face is a bit much for my taste, but isn't as prone to fingerprints as I expected and it contrasts nicely with the matte keys and the flat black. The sides and back are rubberized plastic which feels soft but durable in your hand. The QVGA screen is clear and bright even in sunlight.
The phone feels solid and rugged and is surprisingly heavy for it's size. But considering all that's packed into so small a space and the long battery life it's an extra weight I can handle. The slide out keyboard doesn't lock when closed and has a slight wiggle. It hasn't opened accidentally but it's a strange contrast to an otherwise sturdy phone. The keys on the keyboard are small but nicely spaced and give good tactile response. But if you have large primate hands, this is not the phone for you.
The earpiece is loud, which is great for talking on NYC streets, but has noticeable distortion. It bothered me at first since my old Sony Ericsson was so clear but I have gotten used to it now. The vibrate mode is rather weak, and I don't always feel it vibrate especially when I am walking.
The lack of 3G doesn't bother me since I mainly use the data connection for email which EDGE is fine for. The smaller sized screen isn't that great for viewing web pages anyway. WiFi works well and connects to my home access point faster than my laptop. AT&T made a surprising effort at helping me get it set up for data but ultimately I had to find the configuration posted in a forum and enter it manually.
PROS:
Keypad, QWERTY keyboard, smartphone in a small package; I haven't found any other phone like it.
CONS:
Keyboard wiggle
Sound distortion

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The HTC S710 smartphone is the most compact smartphone with semi auto-sliding full keyboard, and it's one of the first phones to offer the power of the Windows Mobile 6 Standard operating system (for non-touchscreen phones). Practical and versatile, the HTC S710 is ideal for today's business traveler on the go. The sliding QWERTY keyboard will help you type emails quickly and stay on top of your most important documents, and the screen automatically adjusts from portrait to landscape orientation. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and stereo headphones, a 2-megapixel camera, and a bright 2.4-inch LCD screen. It communicates over GSM/GPRS networks and offers data service via the EDGE network as well as via Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) networks. This unlocked phone does not come with service or a SIM card.
This new platform provides genuine mobile Office Outlook experience, greater control of Outlook Mobile Calendar, and an improved Internet Explorer Mobile browsing experience. It also offers greater interoperability with Exchange Server 2007, providing you with improved e-mail management (such as Fetch Mail and Set Flags), Out-of-Office assistant, and HTML e-mail viewing capabilities (see more on Windows Mobile 6 below).
The S710's 2.4-inch QVGA TFT LCD screen has a white LED backlighting, 240 x 320-pixel resolution, and 65,000 colors. It comes with a built-in memory of 128 MB of ROM and 64 MB of RAM, and it's expandable via MicroSD memory cards (which currently offer up to a 2 GB capacity). Other features include voice dial and command, loudspeaker for hands-free operation, an external antenna connector, and an 11-pin USB 2.0 port that doubles as an audio jack. And don't forget the S710's Wi-Fi capability, which makes high-speed data access a breeze via an 802.11g hotspot.
The Windows Media Player is compatible with a wide variety of digital audio formats (AMR/AAC/WAV/WMA/MP3). It also offers Bluetooth stereo audio support, enabling you to enjoy your music without any wires. The 2-megapixel digital camera captures still images up to 1600 x 1200 pixels--great for 8 x 10-inch prints, and other photo features include video capture, multi-shot stills, self-timer, and white balance controls.
Vital Statistics The HTC S710 weighs 4.94 ounces and measures 4 x 1.97 x 0.73 inches. Its 1050 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of talk time, and up to 175 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.
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, youÕre 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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HTC Touch Diamond P3700 Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the European version of the Diamond for use in the US on ATT. I have not had any problems so far with voice service. Data service is slower than I had on my Blackjack, but I knew that would happen. The Diamond has Wifi and it has been easy to connect to my home network and to hot spots to get broadband internet service.
The Diamond was designed to be a one hand device. It really is possible to do everything with one hand, even use the camera. (I recommend using two hands when using any camera for better stability.) The 3.2 megapixel camera isn't bad for a mobile phone, certainly better than many I've used before- when there is sufficient light. There is no flash, so your indoor photography will be disappointing.
The Touch Flo interface which seemed almost like frosting on top of plain old Windows Mobile in other HTC touch devices, is very much a fully intergrated part of the system on the Diamond. It runs very well and is every bit as intuitive as other touch oriented devices. You can turn Touch Flo off, but I don't know why you'd want to.
Diamond's good looks demonstrate that Windows Mobile devices can be great looking as well as powerful. The phone is attractive off or on, but it also great to look at when you're working on it because of the VGA screen. After several days, it still startles me how much clearer text and graphics are on this phone.
Thanks HTC for including the Opera browser. You can still browse the web using pages for mobile units if you'd like with IE, but you will want to step up to the real internet with Opera. Scroll, pan, zoom if you need to, but with that VGA screen, you may not even need to do so.
Battery life on the Diamond is as advertised unless you make heavy use of Wifi or the music player or camera. These will significantly diminish your time between charges.
A few final points: yes, the phone collects fingerprints. So do all touch devices. Sound quality on calls has been good in my experience. Sound quality on the music player is not as good as on a dedicated MP3 device. The FM radio is a great feature. I hadn't come close to filling a 2Gb micro SD card on my Blackjack so the 4Gb internal storage on the Diamond should be sufficient. Will you master every touch move immediately? No. Within a day or so? Yes.
If you live in Europe or Asia or live in the US but don't need 3G service, the Diamond is a great phone. It's pretty darn close to great even with its present US limitation.

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