HTC Touch Cell Phone Review - Value & Comparisons
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Alfredo Padilla Published on November 07, 2007 Comment on this |
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Value (3.0)
The HTC Touch is available exclusively from Sprint in the United States, although you can purchase an unlocked version for GSM carriers from importers. Sprint is selling the Touch for $249.99 with a two-year contract. Without a contract it's available for a much more hefty $499.99. We have to say the Touch is not very compelling at its price point. We understand Sprint is probably thinking of the Touch as an iPhone competitor, and if you think of it that way it's $150 less, but compared to other Windows Mobile devices it's pretty vanilla in its feature set. In addition, a lot of Windows Mobile devices are available for around $100. Although TouchFLO is nice, it's nowhere near as good as the iPhone's touch interface, especially for text entry. When you consider you can get the Palm Centro for $99 with a contract and it has a much more usable keyboard and an easier to use interface, we would be hard pressed to recommend the Touch at $249.99. As with most phones, you can expect the price will come down within a few months, so we would suggest those who want this phone to wait.
Comparisons
Helio Ocean - The $245 Helio Ocean is a very different device than the HTC Touch. Unlike the Touch, which runs Windows Mobile Professional, the Ocean isn't a true smart phone. The Ocean also lacks a touch screen and has both a keypad and keyboard for text entry, while the Touch is almost completely reliant on its touch screen for interacting with the device. The Ocean is also significantly larger than the Touch and gets much better battery life. The biggest issue here is whether you can live with the touch screen-oriented interface of the Touch. If you can't, the Ocean is probably a better choice for you.
BlackBerry Curve 8320 - The Curve is one of the best phones we've reviewed this year. It's powerful, small, and easy to use. The Touch is also small and powerful, but because of its touch screen-oriented interface and the fact Windows Mobile requires a steeper learning curve than BlackBerry OS, it's not as easy to use. You'll also find if you do a lot of text entry you will quickly become frustrated with the Touch's text entry options, while the Curve's keyboard is very good. If you use your device to consume content more than create it and you want something new and cool go with the Touch, but if you need a rock solid device and do a lot of text entry, the Curve is for you.
HTC Mogul - The Mogul will probably be directly compared to the Touch for those who use Sprint. The two devices run the same Windows Mobile Professional interface, but when it comes to hardware they are miles apart. The $299 Mogul has a comfortable slide-out keyboard and plenty of buttons that mean you can eschew the touch screen for the most part. The Touch, by contrast requires you use the touch screen for almost everything. We found ourselves a little frustrated by the lack of controls on the Touch, as the TouchFLO interface just isn't up to snuff yet. If you want small, cute, and innovative go with the Touch, but if you need a Windows Mobile device that's more convenient to use on a daily basis, the Mogul is for you.
Palm Centro - The Centro is another Sprint smart phone that shoppers will probably compare directly to the Touch. As we pointed out above, price is probably going to be a major factor since the $99 Centro costs $150 less than the Touch. Once again, we have to say we appreciated the physical keyboard and controls on the Centro when compared with the Touch's mostly touch screen interface. Both devices are fairly small, although we think the Touch looks a little nicer. The Centro is a better deal, however, as it's much easier to use from day to day.
Apple iPhone - Probably the phone the Touch will be compared to the most is the $399 iPhone. Both devices require users to do most or all interaction with the device via the touch screen. In this area the iPhone is superior, as its touch screen is easier to use, smoother, and much better implemented. TouchFLO improves the touch screen on the Touch compared to other Windows Mobile Professional devices, but it still lags far behind the iPhone. Perhaps someday HTC will develop the TouchFLO interface to the point where this is less of an issue, but that day isn't here yet. Of course, price is going to be a factor here since the iPhone is $150 more than the Touch. The Touch is also running a much more extensible operating system, as Windows Mobile allows you to install a large number of third-party applications, which the iPhone won't let you do until early next year. The Touch is also smaller and cuter than the iPhone, but both are attractive devices. You also have to factor in that the iPhone comes with 8 GB of built-in storage, while you will have to invest in a expansion card if you get the Touch. Basically, if you're willing to go with AT&T and pay the extra we recommend the iPhone, but if you're stuck with Sprint and want a touch screen-focused device that is very open to applications, the Touch is for you.
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