HTC Touch HD

Let me start off by saying I am not a big fan of smartphones and the Windows Mobile operating system was never my first choice. Given this, naturally I struggled with the HTC Touch HD in the initial stages. However, it did pleasantly surprise me in many ways. Before we get into that, let's get a feel for the unit.

Aesthetics matters

The phone itself looks great. The screen is fantastically big, the ­largest I have ever come across on any touch-screen device. It has four buttons at the bottom of the screen which are also touch sensitive, so in effect the touch ­interface extends even beyond the 3.8in screen.
It is quite a large unit length and breadthwise, although its not the thickest phone I have ever held so it does have a sleek feel to it. The back cover is made of hard ­plastic and rubber, making it as sturdy as ­possible without adding too much weight. Also, the camera lens is protected by a thick metal sheet that surrounds it.
There are only two real buttons on the phone. I did think the on/standby button on the top could have been a little bigger and more prominent. The same goes for the volume button on the side.

Functionality

First of all, the processor for this model is supposed to be just as fast if not faster than the HTC Touch Pro.
Somehow, when ­comparing the response time with the Touch Pro, the Touch HD lags slightly behind. Honestly, I did expect the processing speed to be faster.
This model has a resistive touch-screen which seems to work much better with a stylus pen. True enough, this phone was designed to be used mostly via stylus pen, which can be annoying. For someone like me who is impatient and likes to do things quickly, having to whip out the tiny stylus is an inconvenience I could do without. Using your fingers is not as smooth as I would want it to be. I pushed many wrong icons and find it tedious to navigate this way. Some of my friends actually find it pretty ­straightforward and blame me for having long yet pudgy fingers. The model gives you a little vibration every time you push a button or make a certain choice. I thought this was very innovative and smart as it actually lets you know when you have pushed something.

Amazing graphics

Once you get used to the stylus you can appreciate what this smartphone does extremely well €” the quality of the images displayed is spectacular. Whether I am checking the weather or my non-existent stocks, it is just so easy on the eyes. The 5-megapixel camera delivers crisp pictures complimented by the resolution. However, what is curious about this model is that it has no flash for the camera! This was highly unusual considering this model's price tag. Surfing the Net was also quite interesting, the wide screen helps a lot but the zoom functions were difficult to use. I learnt that this model can only go to landscape mode whilst surfing the Internet and browsing pictures. I do not mind this too much since I am not a big fan of landscape mode generally.

Text and more

I can't say I am too pleased with the way the SMS interface was designed. When you receive an SMS, there's naught but a small green bubble at the bottom of the screen to notify you in case you did not hear the alert. Also, there are two different menus here. One is the €œTouch and flip to next message€ and the other is the €œConversations€ menu. There are shortcuts but they are not easily learnt. I felt this was just unnecessarily complicated for something that is essential to everyday life. As I said, I am not a smartphone enthusiast, but I must say that I enjoyed sending and receiving e-mail messages on this phone. For this function, the stylus comes in handy and it was fun while it lasted. After uploading some music onto the Touch HD, I could not get enough of the speakers.

They are amazingly loud and the bass is pretty impressive. The alarm gets me out of bed every morning (an achievement, let me assure you) and I do not need to share an earpiece to let my friends enjoy high quality music.

Conclusion

I think this phone will be great for people who are fans of Windows Mobile and the resistive touch technology. I can't say that I will be running to the store to get it but it does have its charm. Those looking for a practical smartphone may want a real Qwerty keypad as opposed to a virtual one which takes longer to get used to.

However, if you like a phone with a big screen, awesome resolution and great speakers, this one is for you. I do think the price tag is a little hefty even for a smartphone but it does come with enhanced features, making it a class above the others.

Pros: Excellent speakers; good camera; amazing widescreen display.

Cons: Slight lag; no flash; SMS menu ­disappointing; pricey.