When ’s the last clip you saw anyone make the slim turn of design on the input signal dodge for Windows Mobile ? Never ? We thought so . But that ’s just what HTC ’s done with their TouchFLO app on the new Touch smartphone . TouchFLO actually lets you use the inking pad of your fingerbreadth — not just the tip like a style — to manipulate thing on the telephone set .
First , let ’s get the inquiry everyone ’s ask out of the direction . No , this is not an iPhone killer . It ’s not even close-fitting to being an iPhone sea wolf . The TouchFLO app — which is the majority of where your touching is die to take place — is just a fancy rocket launcher app on top of the Today street . Once you get by there and into the nub of Windows Mobile 6 , there ’s not much poignant to be had . And if you hate Windows Mobile , you ’ll still hate Windows Mobile .
That ’s not to say this is n’t a step in the correct focus .
This is how TouchFLO works : you may lift your quarter round ( or any other finger ) from the bottom of the sieve toward the top in any sound to activate TouchFLO . Doing so really take a bit of pressure on the headphone , as if you were pushing down with a stylus . Once you get it working , the TouchFLO app pop up .
You now have three blind you could cabbage exit - to - right or right field - to - leftfield to transition between . The effect is somewhat much very to Apple ’s Fast User Switching square block result — though since this has only three screens , is more of a triangle than a block . Each screen door is basically a bunch of shortcut to the apps most commonly used on Windows Mobile , and assist as an improved launchpad over the Today CRT screen or the start menu . There ’s email , SMS , IE , project listing , Comm Manager , calendar , medicine , photos , video recording , call leaning , contacts and even a Brady Bunch - style board with your nine favorite impinging .
So where does the touch come in ? That was it . Swiping up to plunge TouchFLO , swiping down to unfreeze it , and swiping left and correct to transition between screens . There ’s also the large button that you could habituate your fingerbreadth to wardrobe , and the fact that you could scroll around in some apps with your fingers now as well . you may see why this is n’t a real rival to the iPhone .
And underneath all this touchy outside , you still have the same old Windows Mobile 6 . Once you get past the catapult and into the apps , if you detest WM6 you ’re still going to hate WM6 . This is really the most important note . If you ca n’t stand Windows Mobile , the Touch is n’t going to change your thinker . The specs of a 201MHz OMAP 850 processor , 128 MB ROM , 64 MB RAM , quad - lot GSM , EDGE , and Wi - Fi have been learn in many other HTC phone like theWing , and wo n’t wow you in the kingdom of performance . But it get the business done .
What is famed about this phone is the form factor . It ’s half as thick as the8525or theT - Mobile MDA , but still contains touchscreen and operate Windows Mobile 6 professional . The only thing lose is the sliding board - out keyboard , which makes this phone less a messaging and email twist and more a read - only organizer . Boy , do we miss that keyboard .
But the Touch does have the rubbery grain obtain on both theT - Mobile Wingand theT - Mobile Dash , which still experience peachy . It ’s essentially a Dash if it scarper WM6 Professional instead of WM6 Gimped , and you made the screen prominent and select out almost all the buttons bring through for call and ending , a intensity shift , the photographic camera , the D - stamp pad , camera and the on / off switch .
The call quality ( include speakerphone ) was excellent , just like it is all HTC phones we ’ve used late . The screen is flush with the eternal sleep of the earphone , which is nice , and feels a bit harder to press than other HTC earphone . That ’s probably due to the fact that you ’re going to be jam your quarter round into it for TouchFLO .
So in the end , what does the Touch institute to the table ? A fancy rocket launcher , somewhat available touchscreen features , fancy graphic and even a revised menage concealment with a enceinte clock , weather and another launcher . Do you need to grease one’s palms an entirely unexampled telephone set to get this ? No , there are like launcher on the market place now , but none with the TouchFLO technology . But do you require to buy this headphone if you want the thinnest Windows Mobile 6 Professional phone usable ? Yes .
It ’s uncommitted now in the UK , and will be come to the US later this year .
Product Page[HTC Touch ]
hand - onreviewWindows MobileWindows Mobile 6
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