Huzzah! Verizon knows what’s up. The prices of its smartphones have been slashed, cut, and discounted down to iPhone 3G levels. Every single smartphone – expect for the new BlackBerry Tour and Samsung Saga – can be had for $99 or less on-contract. This means that the HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, and Samsung Omnia are now only $99 straight up. It’s like Verizon is talking right to those feed up with AT&T’s shenanigans.

There was one question that constantly popped up after Apple dropped the price of the iPhone 3G down to $99: Why would anyone buy a different phone? The answer of course has to do with the monthly service plan and that AT&T is notoriously a terrible wireless provider, but the question is sort of valid. The iPhone 3G is a heck of a phone for $99.

Before this price cut, the iPhone 3G ruled the $99 price point and it may still, but at least it now has competition. Both of the HTC smartphones from VZW are solid Winmo devices. The Samsung Omnia has a killer display and a 5.0MP camera. To be honest, the BlackBerry Storm isn’t half bad after the latest update. (I use one daily)

Hopefully the $99 price point isn’t just for these somewhat older phones and VZW introduces new smartphones at the same price.

I pitted the 5.1MP Casio Exilim against a 3.2MP BlackBerry Storm and 6.1MP Nikon D40. I would have to say that I’m impressed with the quality. It’s better than the Storm and almost on par with the D40 in some of the photos. Check out the pics below to see what I mean. (note: these have been resized using Picasa)

The camera has all the features we have came to expect from digital cameras these days: scene modes, flash, 9 point AF, Image stabilizer, and even a 3x optical zoom. I don’t know if I would use it as my primary camera, but it’s a mighty big upgrade for those that already use their Motorola RAZR as such.

The 9 point AF works well and does help get a better photo. There isn’t much lag from when the shutter button is pressed until it takes the photo. The flash is almost too bright, I would have to say though. But in all, the camera is almost good enough for most cases.

Hardware
The Exilim meets Military Specifications for durability, but you wouldn’t know that by just looking at it. In fact, I don’t know if I would test that certification as it doesn’t feel that solid. The only hint that it’s durable is the battery lock. The rest of the phone is your standard grade plastic.

The screen isn’t anything to rave about but it gets the job done. It’s bright enough to use in direct sunlight, which is a good thing when taking pictures. The screen rotates around for a more natural camera feel.

Operating System
What we have here is one of the most disappointing aspects of the phone. The Exilim is loaded with your standard Verizon-issue OS. I’ll have to say that it’s at least snappy and can even display some fancy animated backgrounds. To me this OS does a huge disservice to great camera phone, but some people might be satisfied with the standard OS.

Quick story: At a recent event with some of my wife’s distant family members, a couple of her cousins were ragging on an Aunt as she fumbled with her presumably new BlackBerry. These early 30 year olds kept asking her why she she uses a BlackBerry and advised that she should just get a “normal phone like everyone else”. These folks aren’t exactly…ummm…educated, so let’s not forget that there are still people out there that want need a simple OS like the one this phone uses.

What’s in the box
Remember the days when phones actually use to come with accessories? The Exilim actually comes with some stuff. Included in the box is a charging dock, cables, photo software, a lanyard, and a dumb 3.5mm adapter that’s required to use any 3.5mm headset. Greg hates those things.

Conclusion
There is a market for a high quality, simple camera phone. However, I don’t know if that market will pay $279 for such a device. Certainly some of the people that rely on their phone’s camera for special occasions like birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs will probably pony up the cash. The Exilim takes good enough pictures that it could very well be the primary camera for that lot. The rest of us will buy an iPhone or BlackBerry Tour, phones which cost less up front and take decent impromptu photos, and then rely on a standard camera for real photo-taking.

Product page

Read the rest of this entry >>

It’s not like we didn’t expect this to happen, but it sure took long enough. Starting tomorrow, Verizon will begin offering the HTC Touch Diamond in all black for a whopping $300 after a $70 MIR.

· Brilliant 2.76-inch touch screen display for navigating Web pages on the built-in Opera browser

· 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera

· microSD™ card slot that can support up to 16 GB of memory for extra storage of pictures, videos and music

· Customers can choose either the familiar Windows Mobile® home screen or the intuitive HTC TouchFLO™ 3D user interface

· Supports the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office applications

As much as we wanted HTC to announce the G2 at MWC, we knew it would be too much to ask. But if you’re into Windows Mobile (6.1) or, more importantly, TouchFlo 3D then you’re in luck. It looks like HTC took a page from Palm’s playbook on these updated Touch devices, but more on that later.

The Diamond2 (4.25 X 2.09 X 0.54 inches) features a 3.2-inch WVGA touchscreen with a touch sensitive zoom bar located across the bottom. A 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7200A proc, 512MB ROM, and 288 MB RAM handle things under the hood. The D2 comes with a 5-megapixel AF camera, 1100mAh battery and a microSD slot. It weighs 4.15 ounces.

The Pro2 (4.57 X 2.33 X 0.68 inches) has the same components under the hood, but dons a 3.6-inch TFT-LCD WVGA touchscreen and 3.2-megapixel camera. It also sports a bigger 1500mAh battery and weighs 6.17 ounces.

Communication is key for both devices and HTC is making them both people-centric communicators. Conversations you have with friends are integrated into one view whether it be voice, text or e-mail. You can access said info from each person’s contact card or the in-call screen.

I’m not entirely sure what Push Internet technology is, but it seems like it’s just caching of Web pages. Or it’s quicker access to bookmarks. We’ll have to wait and see what Greg can dig up.

The Pro2 has something else up its sleeve called Straight Talk technology. Apparently you can transition from e-mail to single or conference calls.

In addition to the new simplified calling experience, Straight Talk includes an innovative mechanical and acoustic design that features a sophisticated speakerphone experience similar to those found in corporate boardrooms. Straight Talk delivers a high-fidelity voice and sound experience enhanced by asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression with full duplex acoustics. When the Touch Pro2 is flipped over it automatically turns into a conference room speakerphone system.

The Diamond2 will hit the European and Asian markets in early Q2. The Pro2 will hit various markets in early summer.

BARCELONA — Feb 16, 2009 — HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today unveiled two new flagship devices, the HTC Touch Diamond2ä and HTC Touch Pro2ä. Integrating innovative simplicity with unique style and an intuitive interface, the devices balance function, form and cutting-edge technology to personalize the communication and mobile Internet experience.

“The HTC Touch Pro2 and HTC Touch Diamond2 introduce a mobile communication experience that simplifies how we communicate with people in our lives whether through voice, text or email,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp. “HTC is delivering the latest, cutting-edge sophistication in a broad portfolio of mobile phones that improve how people live, work and communicate.”

HTC TouchFLO 3D Integrated with Windows Mobile

The HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 utilize HTC’s latest TouchFLO 3D interface. TouchFLO 3D has been more deeply integrated into a customized version of Windows Mobile 6.1 to deliver more consistency throughout Windows Mobile applications and menus. Focused on making navigation easier and more intuitive, TouchFLO 3D brings important information to the top-level user interface, including quick access to people, messaging, email, photos, music and weather. As part of this improved Windows Mobile integration the touch focus areas have been enlarged to be more finger-touch friendly.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

With the HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2, HTC is introducing a new people-centric communication approach, providing a single contact view that displays the individual conversation history of contacts regardless of whether voice, text or email were used. This can be viewed from the contact card or the in-call screen during a phone conversation, ensuring the latest communication contact-by-contact is always at hand.

SIMPLIFYING HOW PEOPLE ACCESS THEIR INFORMATION

Continuing its commitment to making the mobile Internet easier and more enjoyable, the HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 introduce HTC’s Push Internet technology. HTC Push Internet alleviates slow downloading and rendering of Web pages on a mobile phone. Users can preselect their favorite Websites to get immediate access to them when needed.

HTC Touch Diamond2

The HTC Touch Diamond2 is the next step in the evolution of the successful HTC Touch Diamond. Crafted to fit perfectly into the hand, the Touch Diamond2 evolves the compact design and iconic style of the original HTC Touch Diamond. It incorporates a larger 3.2-inch high-resolution wide-screen VGA display for a greater viewing area in a design just 13.7mm thick. The phone also includes a new touch sensitive zoom bar for even faster zooming of Web pages, emails, text messages, photos or documents.

Leveraging HTC’s TouchFLO 3D experience combined with a people-centric communication approach and HTC’s new Push Internet technology The Touch Diamond2 offers an advanced touch experience that is optimized for one-hand use.

With fifty-percent better battery life, a five mega-pixel auto focus camera, expandable memory, gravity sensor and an ambient light sensor, the Touch Diamond2 brings the most sophisticated capabilities to a broad consumer audience looking for the professional benefits of a smartphone without sacrificing size, looks or functionality.

HTC TOUCH PRO2

Designed for business professionals, the HTC Touch Pro2 is architected with distinct style and strength while delivering the most powerful productivity experience available on a mobile phone. Leveraging HTC’s TouchFLO 3D, people-centric communication and Push Internet technology, the Touch Pro2 features a high-resolution 3.6-inch widescreen VGA display for an expanded viewing area and large finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard. With improved battery life, expandable memory, a touch-sensitive zoom bar as well as gravity, proximity and ambient light sensors, the Touch Pro2 is optimized for touch as well as heavy email use.

Introducing HTC Straight Talkä for HTC Touch Pro2

The new HTC Touch Pro2 leverages voice in a new way to create one of the most sophisticated communication experiences found on a mobile phone. HTC’s new Straight Talk technology delivers an integrated email, voice and speakerphone experience. Users can transition seamlessly from email to single or multi-party conference calls and turn any location into a conference room.

In addition to the new simplified calling experience, Straight Talk includes an innovative mechanical and acoustic design that features a sophisticated speakerphone experience similar to those found in corporate boardrooms. Straight Talk delivers a high-fidelity voice and sound experience enhanced by asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression with full duplex acoustics. When the Touch Pro2 is flipped over it automatically turns into a conference room speakerphone system.

Availability

The HTC Touch Diamond2 will be available to customers across major European and Asian markets in early Q2 2009 with broader global availability coming later in the year. The Touch Pro2 will be available across major global markets beginning in early summer.

It’s not quite the February 15th rumor from a couple weeks ago, but BGR is reporting that the Palm Pre might be launching around March 15th according to an end-of-life (EOL) list of Sprint handsets leaked from somewhere inside the company.

The February 15th phone appears to be the Treo Pro, which will replace the Palm 800w. The Palm Pre has a “target in-stock” date of 3/15 and will replace the Palm 755p if the leaked document is to be believed.

Unfortunately, the actual document hasn’t been posted anywhere so, as always, take info like this with a grain of salt. The list below shows end-of-life dates for current devices, with each device followed by the device that’ll replace it (if applicable).

Device Name – Projected Warehouse EOL – Replacement (if available)

• Sierra Compass 597 USB – Early February – Sierra 598 USB
• Motorola ic602 – Early February
• LG 160 – Mid-February – Samsung M220
• LG Rumor (blue) – Mid February – LG 265 Rumor II (target in-stock 2/15)
• Motorola i325IS – Mid February – Motorola i365IS
• LG Rumor (green) – Mid March – LG 265 Rumor II (target in-stock 2/15)
• Franklin Wireless U680 USB – Early April
• Palm 800W – April – Palm Treo Pro (target in-stock 2/15)
• LG Rumor (black) – Mid April – LG 265 Rumor II (target in-stock 2/15)
• Motorola i615 – Mid April
• Samsung M520 Lumina – Mid April – LG LX370 (slider)
• RIM BlackBerry Pearl (red) – May
• LG LX400 – Late May
• Palm 755P (blue) – Late May – Palm Pre (target in-stock 3/15)
• Sanyo 6750 Eclipse (pink) – June
• Palm Centro (berry) – June
• Motorola Q9C – Mid June
• Sierra 597E – July – Sierra 2-in-1 Aircard
• Palm Centro (green) – July
• Palm Centro refresh (black) – July
• Motorola VE20 – July
• HTC Touch Diamond – July
• RIM BlackBerry 7100i – August – RIM BlackBerry 8350i

[via BGR]

Existing somewhere between (and a sidestep or two away from) the full-touch HTC Touch Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro QWERTY slider is the S740, a non-touch, Windows Mobile 6.1 QWERTY slider. While it’s been floating around Europe for a few months now, HTC is just today announcing its US brethren: the S743.

Surprised that HTC is still making non-touch Windows Mobile 6.1 phones for the touch-obsessed US market? So are we. If the audience is out there, though, good on’em for having it covered. A shout out to the trendy-touch-tech-free days of yesteryear, the S743 sports 850/1900 HSDPA support, a full QWERTY slider, a number pad on the face, and good old softkeys. The 2.4″ screen is a relatively paltry QVGA (320×240) resolution – but if you want some HTC smartphone action but just can’t bring yourself to poke and prod just yet, maybe that can be overlooked.

A group of tinkers have been hard at work getting the Panels interface from the Sony Xperia working on the HTC Touch HD. Progress is being made at a decent rate, as evidenced by a few YouTube videos that have been released.

Why do such a thing? Well, as one of the guys says, “I like the look of this front end alot better than the TF3D.” So, rather than complain about the user interface, they adapt their own. Good on them.

Asus launched the incredibly powerful P565 just the other day and here are the first videos showing off what’s under the hood. The left is a HTC Touch Diamond with a not-to-shabby 528 MHz CPU but on the right, is the new champion, rock’n the powerhouse 800 MHz processor. To bad Windows Mobile is the OS of choice, eh?

One more video after the jump.

Short Version: The HTC Touch Pro is easily the best HTC device available from US carriers right now. If you’ve been considering a professional-level Windows Mobile phone with a QWERTY keyboard, the Touch Pro is an excellent choice.

Overview and Features:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional underneath HTC’s own TouchFLO interface
• 528MHz processor, 512MB ROM and 288MB RAM
• Gorgeous 2.8-inch 640×480 touchscreen
• Five-row slide out QWERTY keypad
• Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and stereo Bluetooth
• Memory expandable via microSD
• 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus
• HTML Opera web browser
• Sprint claims up to 4 hours talk time, AT&T claims up to 7.4 hours
• Sprint EVDO Rev. A data speed, AT&T 3G tri-band HSDPA
• $299 after two-year contract and mail-in rebate ($100 MIR on Sprint, $50 on AT&T)

The Interface

HTC’s TouchFLO interface runs on top of Windows Mobile 6.1, providing an intuitive and slick method to get from point A to point B. Once you start drilling down into menus and submenus, you’ll often find the familiar and plain Windows Mobile screens. But all the basic top-level stuff is wrapped in TouchFLO for the most part.

Moving around is relatively responsive, but it’s not quite a smooth-like-butter experience yet. There tends to be a tiny bit of lag every so often, enough that it’s noticeable without being overly frustrating. I found myself coaxing the device along rather than cursing at it, which I suppose is a good sign. HTC has a habit of patching its phones pretty aggressively during the first few months of a release, so I’d expect to see speed and stability enhancements rolling out soon and into early next year.

The Opera web browser is the same great, full HTML browser found on the Touch Diamond. It’s light years beyond most mobile browsers (though I still prefer Safari on the iPhone and iPod Touch). It’s way, way better than the mobile version of Internet Explorer, although that program is loaded on the phone if you need to use it.

The Keyboard

I preferred Sprint’s keyboard over AT&T’s even though both are identical from a technical standpoint. Sprint’s top row features numbers while AT&T’s has symbols (click the above image to enlarge). This will completely come down to your own preference. I preferred to be able to quickly type numbers without using a function key.

The keys themselves are small and tightly spaced, so you’re not going to bring this phone to the national texting championships or anything. It gets the job done, though, and typing gets easier and faster with time. I have pretty big fingers, too, so if you’ve got bony, pointy digits, you’ll have an easier go of it.

Thankfully, the tactile response when pressing a key is pretty good. Each key travels downward far enough that you’ll know you’ve hit your target. The Enter, Space, and left Shift keys are big, which is nice. AT&T’s keyboard includes a function-selected numeric keypad to make up for the lack of top-row numerical keys.

The simple addition of the keyboard makes the Touch Pro far easier and more enjoyable to use than the Touch Diamond. It gives the device an air of seriousness, too, as it makes quickly answering e-mail messages a far more productive experience.

Size, Weight, and Battery Life

The Touch Pro is a bit chunky, especially compared to the keyboard-less Touch Diamond. Business and power users likely won’t mind the girth and it’s not an insurmountable obstacle, but I was kind of surprised initially. The AT&T version is a bit heavier at 5.82 ounces than the Sprint version, at 5.3 ounces. Both feel very solid, though, which is a good thing to have in a phone you’ll presumably use all the time.

Both versions are the same size at 4 inches by 2 inches by .71 inches. The Sprint version has a flat, silver/grey back, while the AT&T version uses the same jagged-looking back as the HTC Touch Diamond. Again, that’ll come down to your preference.

Battery life is passable, but you won’t want to stray too far away from the charger. With frequent use, you’ll need to plug it in every night. You might be able to squeeze two full days of light-to-moderate use out of it, but the battery indicator might make you a little nervous by mid-morning on day two. Thankfully the phone can be recharged with standard mini USB cables, which are pretty easy to find in a pinch.

You’ll like it if…

…you use Windows Mobile for the functionality but don’t care for WinMo’s look and feel, you want a device that can do just about anything (HTML browser, pretty good autofocus camera, music, video, GPS) and you need an actual, physical keyboard.

If you’ve used and liked HTC devices before and you’re trying to decide whether or not to upgrade to this one, then you can safely do so without being disappointed. It’s easily the best HTC device to date (though we’ll see if the Touch HD takes that crown) and the slide-out keyboard makes a world of difference over the Touch Diamond.

I’m not too keen on comparing one company’s phones against other phones, but if I had to do so, I’d say the Touch Diamond sits squarely between the iPhone and a BlackBerry — it’s a good mix of business and fun. It doesn’t do the interface and web browser as well as the iPhone and the messaging and typing angles aren’t covered as robustly as they are on a BlackBerry. I’ve very much enjoyed using the Touch Pro, though, because it covers both areas broadly and performs most functions with ease.

But not if…

…size matters or you’re looking for an iPhone or BlackBerry killer. Like I said, the Touch Pro can perform a lot of functions and handles most of them pretty well. It’s just not likely going to appeal to either of the extreme ends of work and play. And it’s built more like an SUV than a Ferrari. It’s not ugly by any means, but it’s built for function.

Also, at $299, the price seems to be just out of reach for the casual user. Business users, though, might not be all that put off by the price tag, especially considering that you get WinMo 6.1 Professional with all the Microsoft Office features.

Recommendation:

Windows Mobile users who want to get some work done during the day followed by a little fun at night are strongly encouraged to take a closer look at this phone. The interface is unique and easy-to-use and the web browser, entertainment features, and business applications round out the best phone we’ve seen from HTC yet.

Sadly, the touchscreen is still stuck in the Palm days simply because it uses a resistive method for sensing styli, not fingers.

Like HTC’s Touch Diamond, the 5800 employs a resistive rather than capacitive touchscreen designed primarily for stylus not finger input. The result is that finger presses needs to be more defined than feels natural (it’s works best when using a finger tip or finger nail). Instead, I’d much prefer a capacitive touchscreen as used by the iPhone.

This is probably the biggest beef I have with the so-called iPhone killers: styli aren’t 2008 technology. There is no reason for me to whip out a little pen if I want to write a quick note – RIM with their Blackberry taught us that – and it is possible to build interfaces that work wonderfully with our own blood-filled digits instead of a little piece of plastic.

As I mentioned earlier, the 5800 is good idea – it looks like a great music device, it will be popular in Europe, and it’s about damn time Nokia got into touch. But as a general rule, let’s try to move towards capacative, please?

Japan’s biggest telco NTT DoCoMo today announced 4 new cell phone series (STYLE, PRIME, SMART and PRO ), which are part of the company’s fall/winter product line-up. Docomo will offer a total of 22 new handsets.

As Japanese handset makers have recently vowed to internationalize more agressively, there is a good chance at least some of the new models will become available outside Japan at some point.

Here is the complete line-up.

STYLE series (focus on design)

1)
Fujitsu F-02A (equipped with a pedometer, waterproof, 3-inch VGA display)

2)
NEC N-02A (One-Seg digital TV with 30fps)

3)
NEC N-03A (designed with fruits as themes)

4)
Panasonic P-02A (6,000:1 contrast ratio)

5)
Panasonic P-03A (can be opened horizontally (”W Open Style”))

6)
Sharp-02A (supports specially designed fonts, 3-inch ASV display)

PRIME series (focus on features)

7)
Fujitsu F-01A (waterproof)

8)
Fujitsu F-03A (touch panel)

9)
LG L-01A (touch panel/hard glass)

10)
NEC N-01A (can be opened horizontally or vertically, also features a touch panel)

11)
Panasonic P01-A (”W Open Style”)

12)
Sharp SH-01A (features Dolby Mobile, 3.3 inch-ASV display)

13)
Sharp SH-03A (features a special touchpanel system called “Touch Cruiser”)

SMART series (focus on “productive” handsets for busy people)

14)
Fujitsu-F04A (waterproof)

15)
NEC N04-A (Amadana design)

16)
Panasonic P04-A (9.8 mm thickness)

17)
Panasonic P-05A (no camera!)

PRO series (focus on advanced handsets)

18)
HTC HT-01A (HTC Touch)

19)
HTC HT-02A (HTC Diamond)

20)
SH-04A (full keyboard, touchpanel, 3.5-inch ASV display)

21)
Blackberry Bold (CrunchGear review)

22)
Nokia E71 (CrunchGear review)

Sprint sent me a review unit on Friday and I’ve been using it for a couple days now. I’ll have a full review next week but if you’ve been waiting for this particular phone, go ahead and buy it.

It’s one of the nicer Sprint phones I’ve ever used, and the keyboard makes a world of difference over the HTC Touch Diamond. It’s definitely a bit thick, though. Kinda reminds me of having an average-sized point and shoot camera in my pocket. If you’re concerned about the size, try to find something that’s 4 x 2 x .71 inches to see what you’ll be getting into. But try not to let it be deal-breaker, it’s still a great device.

Sprint HTC Touch Pro [Sprint.com via BGR]

Today Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank unveiled their cell phone line-up for winter 2008. Starting this month, the company will roll out a total of 14 new handsets in Japan.

And since a number of Japanese phone makers announced plans to drastically expand internationalization, it’s not unthinkable to see one or the other of the Japanese models in the US or Europe sometime soon.

Sharp Fulltouch SH 931SH
(awesome 3.5-inch screen with half-XGA resolution)

Samsung Omnia 930SC
(8GB of internal memory)

HTC Touch Diamond X04HT
(smart phone)

HTC Touch Pro X05HT
(smart phone with full keyboard)

Sharp 930SH
(15.2cm thickness, 8.0-megapixel camera)

Casio 830CH
(”intelligent camera”, which is especially suitable for taking pictures of persons)

Toshiba fanfun.2 830T
(extra-cute design)

Toshiba fanfun.petit 831T
(especially designed for teenagers)

Panasonic 830P
(extra-easy operation)

Sharp NEW PANTONE 830SH
(already available in 15 different “pop” colors)

Sharp 830SH s
(especially designed for older people)

Nokia N82
(featuring wireless LAN)

Nokia E71
(slim smart phone with full keyboard)

Samsung 730SC
(simple cell phone with pre-paid option, which is rare in Japan)

Here is the SoftBank summer 2008 cell phone line-up.

Here comes the HTC Touch Pro. It’ll be available on the Sprint network with availability starting next week at “select national retailers” followed by availability in Sprint stores and on Sprint’s website starting November 2nd. So if you’re looking for one, better check places like Best Buy and Radio Shack next week because it appears that they’ll have these phones before they’re sold directly from Sprint.

The device will cost $299.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract. You’ll also have to have a $25-or-higher data plan or Sprint’s Simply Everything plan. Spending $400 just to get out the door with the device seems a bit steep but, hey, we’ll see what happens. Just don’t forget to mail in that rebate form.

Full release after the jump…

Sprint Introduces the Highly Anticipated

HTC Touch Pro

Advanced TouchFLO™ 3D interface, access to Sprint Mobile Broadband data speeds, desktop-like Web browsing, five-row sliding QWERTY keyboard and Windows Mobile 6.1 merge work and play into one device

Bellevue, Wash. — Oct. XX, 2008 — HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today launched the HTC Touch™ Pro for Sprint. Bringing a beautiful new angle to mobile business productivity, the HTC Touch Pro uses styling and functionality similar to the recently launched HTC Touch Diamond™ and introduces a variety of business-focused enhancements that make getting work done on-the-go quick and easy.

The HTC Touch Pro is priced at $299.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement, after a $100 mail-in-rebate and a $25-or-higher data add-on or Everything plan with data. Customers will be able to purchase the device in select national retailers beginning the week of Oct. 26 and in all Sprint sales channels, including online at www.sprint.com, 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint Stores, on Nov. 2.

“People have already shown a tremendous initial response to the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint, and we are pleased to also offer the HTC Touch Pro as another choice to customers,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president for HTC America. “The HTC Touch Pro is the perfect device for those who demand the ease of use of TouchFLO 3D and the styling of the HTC Touch Diamond but also crave a more powerful mobile business experience.”

The HTC Touch Pro is a professional workhorse that allows people to balance their professional and personal lives in ways that matter most to them. Building on the strong feature set found on the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro adds a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy data entry, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1 GB card included) and a business card scanner application to automatically capture and convert business card information to the contact list using the built-in 3.2 MP camera/camcorder. Additionally, with Windows Mobile 6.1, users have access to security and device management capabilities demanded by many business customers.

“The HTC Touch Pro marks the addition of yet another robust Windows Mobile device for our portfolio and demonstrates our commitment to delivering the best wireless technology today,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president of Product and Technology Development. “Combined with worry-free pricing and exclusive Sprint content, the HTC Touch Pro delivers an unparalleled user experience – all on Sprint’s Now Network.”

Sprint customers will have direct animated access to arrange their favorite contacts, photos, weather and music by using HTC’s intuitive TouchFLO 3D interface.  By combining a rich, dynamic presentation with integrated multi-media features, people have the ability to graphically personalize their device with 3D animated transitions.

Lightning Fast Connectivity
The HTC Touch Pro for Sprint provides a mobile Internet experience that uses the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. With EV-DO Rev. A technology access, the HTC Touch Pro provides customers with blazing fast speeds that reach more than 253 million people, 16,986 cities and 1,625 airports and brings customers instant gratification so they stay connected to life and work fast and on-the-go. With EV-DO Rev. A, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 Kbps to 500 Kbps.

Beyond this lightning-fast connectivity, customers can also interact with their device in new ways. With the new HTC Touch Pro for Sprint, users can zoom and pan Web sites and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. Using gravity-sensor technology, turning the device sideways automatically rotates the Web page view from a portrait to landscape view.

In addition to game-changing Web browsing, the HTC Touch Pro offers direct access to exclusive Sprint content, including live and on-demand programming from Sprint TV® as well as over-the-air song downloads from the Sprint Music Store^SM and even a custom YouTube application for watching a variety of user-generated video content.

Unmatched Style With Complete Productivity

Like the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro is crafted with precision to fit comfortably in a user’s hand and brings together elegant touch screen response with the direct precision of HTC’s distinctive sliding keyboard design. A new five-row QWERTY keyboard layout makes typing-intensive tasks like composing email or working on Microsoft Office® documents quick and easy. Built-in TV-out functionality means users can deliver the perfect PowerPoint® presentation from the Touch Pro.

Bursting with Innovation

The Touch Pro delivers an unrivalled combination of features and functionality. The 2.8 inch display provides near-print quality viewing that enables beautiful Web browsing and viewing of photographs. The built-in camera includes an optical auto-focus lens that ensures the photos you take will be clear and consistent. Advanced wireless and auto sensor screen pivoting are just a few of the features that make the Touch Pro experience stand out.

Unmatched Customer Experience

Customers purchasing devices at Sprint retail locations can get the most out of their phone by having it personalized just for them before they leave the store. With Ready Now, Sprint retail associates work with new or existing customers to explain, set up and demonstrate the features and applications of their new phone.

Sprint’s Ready Now program is a first in the industry – no other wireless company offers a similar customer experience. The service is available whenever the customer wants it during business hours; however, only existing Sprint customers have the option to schedule an appointment online by visiting www.sprint.com/readynow.

To take advantage of all the great features on these new phones without having to worry about additional monthly charges, Sprint customers can sign up for the $99.99 Simply Everything^SM plan, which includes unlimited domestic calling, messaging, email, Web surfing, GPS navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV^® Premier, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, Direct Connect and Group Connect on compatible phones. The Simply Everything plan is available to current customers without renewing their contract. New lines of service require a two-year agreement.

Key HTC Touch Pro Specifications

• Size: 4.17 (L) x 2.05(W) x 0.70 (D)
• Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Connectivity: CDMA 2000 1X/EVDO Rev.A/1xRTT and IS-95A/B voice or data. Dual band (800 and 1900 MHz)
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8-inch VGA touch screen
• Camera: 3.2MP, with autofocus, flash and video calling
• Internal memory: 512 MB flash, 288 MB RAM
• Expansion slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible); supports up to 16 GB
• Keyboard: Slide-out five-row QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth: v2.0 with A2DP support (Stereo Bluetooth)
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSBä (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1340 mAh
• Talk time: 250 minutes
• Chipset: Qualcomm^Ò MSM 7201Aä 528MHz

HTC Touch Diamond followed by the HTC Touch Pro; HTC Touch HD followed by the HTC Touch HD Pro? Could be.

The mockup here shows what the device could look like—the same HTC Touch HD we’ve all know and love, maybe, with a QWERTY keyboard tacked on.

Again, this rumor mainly came about because of the “Device, Device Pro” progression we’ve seen for other HTC products. That is to say it’s tenuous at best.

I will keep this review short and straight to the point, folks. You know how Google likes to keep things in Beta for years and years? Well, Android is no different. Like many of you I was excited at the prospect of a new OS to muscle it’s way in and take down the iPhone, but I’m afraid Android is not it – at least not yet. The OS actually isn’t that bad, but it does have its issues and those cannot be overlooked. Unfortunately it’s the hardware that will be Android’s folly this go around until the other manufacturers can churn out some better goods.

Let’s start with the hardware.

The Good

The variety of input mechanisms is superb. The keyboard is quite responsive and laid out very well. It’s almost on par with the Sidekick keyboards and we all know those are the gold standard. The trackball has a nice tactile feel to it and I especially like that it’s dark grey, so it won’t show dirt and grime over time. But it remains to be seen whether dust, dirt and anything else that can get into it will affect its performance. The touch-screen is nice and bright and quite responsive. It’s not as big as the iPhone screen, but it gets the job done.

The camera works great and takes decent photos when there’s enough light, but in low light situations it stinks and that’s to be expected. It fires up rather quickly when you tap the hard key firmly, but a quick tap won’t do anything for you, so make sure you give it a good push.

I wasn’t keen on the placement of the speaker when I first saw the G1, but it’s a heck of a lot better than being placed along the bottom of the phone like the iPhone. Being super loud isn’t always a good thing but audio quality on the G1 doesn’t deteriorate when it’s at full volume. It’s still just a speaker on a phone, but it’s loud and crisp. Even when it’s placed speaker side down on a table the audio doesn’t get muffled. I’m actually listening to Bob Marley’s Legend while writing this review and it sounds great (speaker side down).

Call quality is relatively clear on both ends and does pretty well out on the streets. It’s par for the course. Nothing great but not terribly bad.

The screen’s hinge is rather strange, but it works. Greg and I are both heavy users of the Helio Ocean, so we know a good hinge when we see one and HTC did very well with this. It slides open and out and does not “fold” like most smartphones. It’s much more similar to the TK than anything else.

The Bad

My biggest gripe with the G1 is that the GPS does not work. I thought maybe it was because I lived in Manhattan, but my iPhone never has a problem finding me within seconds and neither does my T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve (no GPS but at least I’m within a few hundred yards based on cell tower triangulation). Regardless of whether or not I enable the GPS satellites, I’m never where I’m supposed to be. And if it does manage to find me, it immediately drops me off two or three blocks away. Even on my way to JFK earlier in the week, I thought there would be enough exposed sky for it to accurately locate me. No dice. It stinks and turning on the GPS satellites drain the battery like nobody’s business, which brings me to my next point.

If you thought the battery life on the iPhone 3G was bad then you haven’t had to deal with a G1. The first day I had it I managed to kill it within six hours and I was just cruising the Web (medium heavy), sending/receiving e-mails and getting used to the device. I figured it needed a drain and a full charge overnight to cure itself, but I woke up the next day and did some light Web browsing, checked a few e-mails and attempted to locate myself via GPS for 10-15 minutes and the battery drained down to 7x percent within an hour. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I used it as much as I do my BlackBerry or iP3G. The battery life is atrocious. It drops 5-10 percent after 30 minutes of unplugging it and not even doing anything.

While the keyboard rocks that hip with the hard buttons makes it extremely awkward on your right hand and I still haven’t found a comfortable way to hold the device and type on it. I’m sure with time it’s something I could get used to, but I shouldn’t have to. Seriously, who gave this design the green light? It reminds of the Wing and Tilt, but a fugly mishmash of the two. It’s huge and that section with the hard keys is angled up making it uncomfortable to put in the front pocket of my jeans. And I’m no hipster wearing skinny jeans. I see the Touch series and wonder why something like that wasn’t used for the G1.

And last but not least, no 3.5mm jack. That’s right, you’re forced to use the headphones that come with the G1 and connect via USB. Weak sauce.

Now on to Android.

The overall UI is clean and easy to figure out. I hate making comparisons to the iPhone, but Android does a good job in this area. The layout is similar, but with smaller icons, which could look a lot better. I can’t really say that Android is good or bad, but my initial reaction was that it seemed to be slapped together last second and held together by duct tape. It’s not as buggy as the iPhone first was but it looks and feels archaic.

Before I go on a rampage I will point out the few little gems that Android has to offer. The notifications bar is a nice touch and keeps me up to date on what’s going on and it’s easy enough to access by swiping from the top of the screen down. The variety of inputs can be confusing at times and I barely remembered that the menu hard key was there, but it’s something you just have to get used to. It gets much easier and you can whip through the device rather quickly once that happens.

The ability to add things to the home screen was also a nice touch like shortcuts. Having folders that I can dump certain apps like games into is convenient and takes up less real estate.

A minute detail that many might overlook that I found quite useful was the status menu for the device to see vitals like battery level and signal strength. I just wish I could make a shortcut for it to put on my home screen.

Now here’s the bad (and good)

Gmail
-Inability to have more than one Gmail account linked to the device. I know it would throw off everything else linked to it like the calendar and contacts, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have the option of switching back and forth.
-Surprisingly not as polished as the BlackBerry Gmail app, but everything is more streamlined. Depends on the user, I suppose.
-Digging through menus isn’t fun when you just want to spam an email. Not being able to trash your entire spam folder is also a negative.
-Despite the aforementioned quibbles Gmail on Android works and it works well.

Google Maps

-If the GPS would actually work I might shower Maps with flowers, puppies and praise, but it doesn’t so I won’t.
-Street View is phenomenal, but it shows me locations that are nowhere near where I am or where I want to go. Maybe it’s because the GPS doesn’t work, I don’t know.
-The compass (you have to download the app Spare Parts to even get it) in Maps that I thought would kick ass was underwhelming and it’s hard to tell which direction it’s pointing you.
-The entire app is underwhelming due to the non-working GPS and when it is able to locate me it’s slow to update.

Google Calendar
-It works, but it takes a while for things to sync.
-The home screen icon should reflect the actual day.
-I’d like to see the calendar on the notification bar but when the keyboard is closed that wouldn’t leave too much for notification icons. It does show up when you pull the notification bar down though.

Google Search
-It works. No problems here.

Browser
-After using the iPhone’s Safari browser I’m spoiled, but the Android browser can firmly rest in second place among mobile browsers.
-Zooming in and out is a smidge painful when you’re having to tap the + and – icons, but like I said, it’s way better than every other browser on the market except for the iPhone.
-Eight separate browsers should be enough for anyone.

YouTube
-It’s not as polished as the iPhone’s YouTube app, which is appalling, but it works.
-You can also comment on each video’s direct page, but do we really care about that?
-No dedicated video player other than this. That’s rough.

MP3 Player
-No equalizer.
-Longpressing on an album, song title or artist will bring up links to search the Amazon MP3 store, Google and YouTube.

The Market
-I cannot give this a fair review because the apps that are currently available are not very good. But Namco’s Pac Man is FREE! Rejoice!
-The whole barcode scanner app is lame. Comparing the price of items doesn’t locate local pricing for me and I don’t care how much a bottle of Jack costs online. Maybe it’s because my GPS wasn’t working. Who knows?
-Deleting applications is far more difficult than it needs to be. When you hold down on an icon from the home screen the tab at the bottom displays a trash can which you would think is actually a trash can, but it’s not. It’s a receptacle where all your apps are stored. You must delete apps from inside the Market. Fail.
-I’m sure with time the Market will get better, but right now it’s nothing to swoon over.

The Network
T-Mobile’s 3G network is strong in the markets that it is currently deployed in. I’ve had great coverage in NYC, SF and Chicago thus far and have had less switching between EDGE and 3G than on the iPhone 3G. Download speeds are comparable to that of AT&T’s network and I didn’t drop any calls. Oh, and the actual phone works great.

Other gripes
Did they choose black as a background just because the iPhone uses white (grey/blue)? From the home page everything looks vibrant but once you jump into settings or IM or anything then it turns dark and dreary. At least let us change the themes or something. Beyond the home page it’s an ugly and unpleasant experience.

Conclusion
If you’ve been waiting for Android then I suggest you keep waiting. The overall OS seems to be held together by duct tape and needs a lot of work. Apple focuses on the minute details to enrich the overall experience for iPhone users and Android could learn a lesson or ten from it. The hardware design is dated and while the touch-screen and keyboard are great you can’t just forget about the wretched battery life, horrible GPS and the overall ergonomics of it. I wish the G1 were better in every respect because I don’t think the iPhone is that great, but I find myself wishing it were more like it. It’s the best alternative to the iPhone, but it’s just not there yet.

There are some sweet mobile phones coming out over the next few months and a BGR crony turned up release dates for Best Buy’s hotest upcoming phones. The info comes off of a PowerPoint slide and reveals quite a bit.

 

Coming October 26th:

• Sprint – Samsung M540 “Rant”, available in black, purple and red
• Sprint – HTC Touch Pro
• Verizon – Blitz
• AT&T – BlackBerry Bold 9000 (date obscured on image)
• T-Mobile – BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220

Coming November 16th:

• Verizon – BlackBerry Storm

 

Granted, wireless carries and manufacturers alike tend to push release dates around a bit, but this should give you a general idea when you can use your Best Buy Reward Zone points on one of these new phones.

CNET Asia has some photos of the HTC Touch HD as compared to the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro handsets. While the Touch HD may look monstrous, keep in mind that the Diamond is almost deceptively small. Same for the Pro, except that its slide-out keyboard gives it a fair amount of extra thickness.

That, my friends, is a pretty gorgeous looking screen at 800×480. That’s the same screen resolution as the 7-inch Eee PC! The Touch HD’s screen, though, is 3.8 inches diagonally. Yum.

And here’s an in-hand shot. I’m hoping that the guy who took the photo has small hands. The Touch HD’s dimensions at 4.35 x 2.5 x .47 inches. I just measured my iPod Touch and it has almost the exact same dimensions except that it’s thinner at .25 inches. It doesn’t look quite as unwieldy in my hand. Example:

So there you have it. More photos over at CNET Asia.

[via SlashPhone]

Not reading MobileCrunch yet? Why the heck not? While a MobileCrunch post or two might make the jump over to CrunchGear each day, there’s a ton of good stuff each day that you’ll only see on that side of the fence.

Here’s some stuff you may have missed on MobileCrunch today:

• Rumor: Verizon’s HTC Touch Diamond may launch in October
• QuickPwn 2.1 released for Windows
• Analysts predict 4% Q4 marketshare for Android
• Shots of the HTC Dream G1 handset in the wild
• Helio Ocean II (Oz2) gets the FCC photo treatment
• Nokia E72 and E75 promo video leaked, quickly pulled