HTC Diamond 2 Simulator

Our friends over at Wireless Data Services (www.wdsglobal.com) have created a web-based simulator detailing the key features of the new HTC Diamond 2, available from Brightpoint today.

You can view the simulator HERE

HTC Snap Simulator

Our friends over at Wireless Data Services (www.wdsglobal.com) have created a web-based simulator detailing the key features of the new HTC Snap, available from Brightpoint today.

You can view the simulator HERE

You can read the GB Tech Blog's review of the Snap here - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/introducing-htc-snap

HTC Touch Pro 2 Simulator

If you liked the simulators of the Snap and the Touch Diamond 2, then you'll love the simulator of the Touch Pro 2, once again developed by our friends over at Wireless Data Services (www.wdsglobal.com).

You can view the simulator HERE

Introducing the HTC HD2

The HD2 is the successor to the Touch HD, HTC having decided to drop the 'Touch' this time round, running Microsoft's new Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, or "Windows Phone" as Microsoft are now referring to it.
Codenamed "Leo", the HD2 is HTC's new flagship Windows Mobile PDA. To quote the HTC web site: "HTC HD2 delivers an experience your senses have been waiting for. The unprecedented 4.3-inch pixel-packed display is stunning. The world's first capacitive touch technology on a Windows phone along with 1 GHz processing power ensure a smooth and lightning-fast response to the lightest touch of your finger."

Specifications

• Operating System - Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
• Size - 11mm x 67mm x 120.5mm (0.43 x 2.64 x 4.74 inches)
• Display Type - Capacitive Touch Screen
• Display Resolution - 480 x 800 WVGA
• Weight - 157 grams (5.54 ounces) with battery
• Storage - 512MB ROM / 448MB RAM
• Expansion Slot - microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• Processor - 1GHz Snapdragon
• Network Bands
  • HSPA/WCDMA - 900/2100 MHz
  • GSM - 850/950/1800/1900 MHz
• Internet
  • 3G - Up to 7.2 Mbps download speed, Up to 2 Mbps upload speed
  • GPRS - Up to 114 kbps download speed
  • EDGE - Up to 560 kbps download speed
  • Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
• Tethering
  • Internet Sharing through USB or Bluetooth
  • WiFi Router
• Battery - Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, 1230 mAh
• Talk Time
  • WCDMA - Up to 320 mins
  • GSM - Up to 380 mins
• Standy Time
  • WCDMA - Up to 390 hours
  • GSM - Up to 490 hours
• Video playback - Up to 8 hours
• Audio playback - Up to 12 hours
• Camera - 5 Megapixel colour camera, Auto Focus, Dual LED flashlight
• Bluetooth - Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate
• Supported Bluetooth Profiles - A2DP, AVRCP, BIP, BPP, DUN, FTP, GAP, GOEP, HFP, HID, HSP, OPP, PAN, PBAP, SAP, SPP
• Connectors
  • 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
  • Standard Micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
• Sensors
  • G-Sensor
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
• Multimedia
  • Windows Media® Player
  • Albums
  • Pictures & Videos
  • FM Radio
  • Audio supported formats: .aac, .amr, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .mp4, .qcp, .wav, .wma
  • Video supported formats: .wmv, .asf, .mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .m4v, .avi
• Location
  • Internal GPS antenna
  • HTC Footprints
  • Digital Compass
  • NaviPanel (requires the HTC HD2 car kit which needs to be purchased separately)
• Social Networking
  • Facebook integration
  • Sharing photos on Facebook and Twitter
  • Sharing videos on YouTube
  • HTC Peep for twittering

You can read the full specifications on the HTC web site - http://www.htc.com/uk/product/hd2/specification.html

Getting Started

The startup wizard on the HD2 is reminiscent of the Hero and Tattoo Android-based devices.
When powered on for the first time, should the SIM card not be detected, you will be displayed an animation of how it should be inserted:

You will then be guided through how the on-screen capacitive keyboard works and be prompted to set up wireless network access:

Next you will be prompted to enable Google's Location service (which can be used to display GPS location information within applications such as Google Talk instant messaging and Google Maps), as well as set your local time zone:

Once all of these settings have been completed, you're done. Tapping Finish will take you to the default Home Screen:

The Home Screen & Start Menu

The HD2 is HTC's first Windows Mobile device to feature the Sense user interface. The default Windows Mobile 6.5 interface has little to no provision for allowing users to add content to the Home Screen making it difficult to customise the device to your personal requirements. Sense allows you to "make it mine" by adding shortcuts to frequently-accessed applications, contacts or web links as well as Widgets: Internet-enabled applications that can display real-time data such as weather information, email messages, calendar entries, etc:

The Start Menu has been changed in this version of Windows Mobile: rather than being displayed a slide-down menu that occupies part of the screen, you are instead presented with a full-screen grid of icons, which includes both applications as well as the Settings menu:

HTC's TouchFlo technology offers quick and sensible navigation between applications, which can also be customised to your personal preference. Actions are grouped logically, so that when reading an email from an individual, you can quickly select to place a call to that person. In the People application, when viewing a person's contact details, you can also view all calls made to and received from that person, email messages exchanged with them, facebook updates and so on.

The Lock Screen is improved, displaying at a glance information on missed calls, text and email messages as well as calendar entries.

Applications

The HD2 has a comprehensive list of preinstalled applications:

Available programs include:

• Messages
• Phone
• Email
• Internet Explorer
• People
• HTC Calendar
• Music
• Album
• Camera
• Footprints
• Camcorder
• Games
• Pictures & Video
• Audio Booster
• Windows Media
• FM Radio
• Streaming Media
• MP3 Trimmer
• Windows Marketplace
• Excel Mobile
• PowerPoint Mobile
• OneNote Mobile
• Word Mobile
• Tasks
• Microsoft Calendar
• Notes
• Calculator
• Comm Manager
• ActiveSync
• Internet Sharing
• Microsoft MyPhone
• Search Phone
• RSS Hub
• WorldCard Mobile
• JetCet Print 5
• JBlend
• Mobile WiFi Router
• Remote Desktop Mobile
• Adobe Reader LE
• MSN Messenger
• Windows Live
• Live Search
• File Explorer
• Facebook
• QuickGPS
• Google Maps
• Voice Recorder
• YouTube
• Teeter

I believe that's what they call 'fully-loaded'!

People

The People application acts as your Address Book and stores multiple Contact directories from your SIM card, the device's internal memory, a Microsoft Exchange account, etc.
Contacts can be assigned to Favourites and to speed dials and can have images associated with them.

Albums

The Albums application allows you to view and organise images stored on the device memory and a storage card, both photographs as well as regular image files:

Image files can be quickly sent to others via email or MMS as well as uploaded to either Facebook or YouTube:

In order to use the latter feature, you will need to be logged into your account with that service, this is done within the Accounts section of the Settings page:

Images can also be set as the default wallpaper and can be assigned to a Footprint, a form of power journal enabling events to be categorised and permanently recorded along with dates, times, GPS coordinates, images and videos:

Slideshows of all available images can also be displayed:

Windows Marketplace for Mobile

This new feature from Microsoft allows you to browse for, download and install supplementary games, applications, sounds, images, themes and utilities for your device, similar in principle to the BlackBerry App World, Google Android Market and Apple App Store.

Microsoft MyPhone

The MyPhone service from Microsoft allows you to synchronise your personal data with the cloud, effectively enabling you to securely backup your data to your personal 200MB area of Microsoft's online storage. Data can be backed up automatically on a schedule, or manually as you prefer. Once backed up, your data can be restored to any device of your choosing or accessed directly online via your web browser. Data sources that can be backed up include:

• Contacts
• Calendar
• Tasks
• Text Messages
• Photos
• Videos
• Music
• Documents

The Photos, Videos, Music and Documents options can be applied both to the device's internal storage as well as any inserted memory card.

You will need a Windows Live / Hotmail account in order to use the service. Registration is free.

The client application is installed by default on Windows Mobile 6.5:

When running the application for the first time you will be prompted to accept the terms and conditions of the service:

and then enter your Windows Live account details and set your synchronisation options:

as well as define which folders you wish to synchronise:

Once the initial setup wizard has been configured, you can adjust any settings by selecting the Options Menu:

Once backed up, your data is then also accessible online from any web browser:

Mobile WiFi Router

This feature of the device allows you to share its data connection to the cellular network via WiFi from any suitable device within range, be it another PDA as well as a laptop or any other WiFi-capable client device:

Meaning that you need never worry about finding a WiFi hotspot for your laptop ever again.

Web Browsing

The version of IE that ships with Windows Mobile 6.5 is based on version 6 of the desktop browser, meaning that you can view web pages 'as they were intended', with full-screen browsing, zoom and side-to-side scrolling. The desktop experience can be turned off if you prefer viewing the mobile version of web pages if they exist.

Opera is also installed on the device if you prefer.

Tools

Remote Desktop Mobile allows you to connect to a suitable desktop PC running Windows XP or later or server running Server 2003 or later:

NOTE - in order to be able to remotely access hosts then you may first need to have established a VPN connection, but otherwise this feature is ideal for IT admin staff who need to be able to remotely control servers via WiFi while in the office.

Windows Live Search allows you to access Microsoft's Bing service directly from the device without first having to load your web browser:

Facebook is included:

Domain Enroll

The Domain Enrollment feature introduced in Windows Mobile 6.1, allows client devices to connect to a Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM) Server and have Group Policy settings applied to it automatically.
The Domain Enroll feature is accessed within the Comm Manager:

Users are assigned an activation password by the administrator, which needs to be entered on the device along with their full email address:

The device then performs a DNS lookup on the domain entered in the user's email address to locate the external address of the SCMDM Gateway server, for more information on the SCMDM product view the Device Management section of the blog - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/device-management

Music Player

The Music Player application, as its name suggests, allows you to play music files stored both locally and on a storage card, as well as display album art, organise playlists, shuffle songs and adjust equalizer settings:

Email

Microsoft Exchange

As you'd expect from a device running the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system, the HD2 can synchronise mailbox data with an Exchange server (provided that it is running Exchange 2003 SP2 or later if you want to make use of the push functionality).
Once Exchange 2010 is released, not only will you be able to synchronise contacts, calendar, email and task information, but SMS text messages too:

enabling you to compose text messages directly from within Outlook Web Access (OWA) or Outlook 2010 on the desktop when it's released, and have them sent from your device remotely:

after which they will be displayed in your Sent Items folder:

Also available is the ability to display email messages by Conversation, grouping messages in a common thread together and applying rules to the whole conversation thread to help keep you organised:

Consumer Email

In addition to advanced Microsoft Exchange functionality, the HD2 naturally supports the ubiquitous POP and IMAP protocols used by consumer email provider services. The HD2 has the ability to configure common accounts quickly and easily, having the settings predefined, requiring only that you enter your email address and password:

Miscellaneous

As the HTC web site states, some design features of HTC HD2 are far better experienced than can be explained in mere words. Like the ringer volume level that immediately scales down when the phone detects that you have picked it up, or the display that automatically adjusts to the light level in your surroundings and turns off to prevent false screen touches during a call.
HTC HD2 is built for pure finger touch control. Zoom in and out of documents, web pages, pictures or emails with just a simple pinch. Type up responses faster and more accurately on the large onscreen keyboard. The capacitive touch experience combined with an interface optimized for the spacious display, lets you easily adjust the settings, set up calendar appointments, browse through photos, and navigate through menus with only the touch of a finger.
HTC HD2 has you covered when it comes to taking and viewing pictures wherever you may be. The 5 megapixel auto-focus camera is perfect for capturing the beauty of the great outdoors; combined with the dual LED flash it's also ideal for capturing images in dim conditions. And when you're ready to move from behind the lens and start sharing your collection, you'll dazzle your audience with the large beautifully displayed pictures in the new river-flow gallery.

The HD2 is available to pre-order today, contact Brightpoint for more information on 0870 849 0225

Introducing the HTC Snap

The Snap (or S521 to give it its model number) is the latest PDA from HTC. Running Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard edition (ie Smartphone rather than Pocket PC), the Snap is the successor to the incredibly popular Excalibur (S620) and has a similar form factor, but at only 12mm thick and 61.5mm wide, it is a very sleek device indeed. The rest of the specs are similarly impressive:

Technical Specifications

• Model – S521
• Processor – Qualcomm MSM 7225, 528Mhz
• Memory – ROM: 256MB, RAM: 192MB
• Dimensions – 116.5 x 61.5 x 12.0 mm (LxWxT)
• Weight – 120 grams with battery
• Display – 2.4-inch TFT LCD with LED backlight and QVGA resolution
• Network
  • HSDPA / WCDMA - 900 / 2100 MHz - Up to 7.2Mbps downlink speed
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz - (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent)
• Device control – Trackball with Enter button
• Keyboard – 4-row QWERTY keyboard
• GPS – Internal GPS antenna
• Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
  • WiFi IEEE 802.11 b/g
  • HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
• Camera – 2.0 megapixel color camera with fixed focus
• Audio supported formats – AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, AWB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI
• Video supported formats – WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, AVI
• Battery
  • Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery:
  • Capacity - 1,500 mAh
  • Talk time - Up to 300 minutes for WCDMA / Up to 510 minutes for GSM
  • Standby time - Up to 480 hours for WCDMA / Up to 380 hours for GSM
    (the above are subject to network and phone usage)
• Expansion slot – microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• AC Adapter – Voltage range / frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz DC output: 5V and 1A

What's in the box?

The Snap comes with the usual accessories you'd expect from HTC:

• Charger
• USB connection cable
• Hands-free kit
• User Guide CD
• ActiveSync / Outlook CD

Getting Started

When powered on the for first time, the Snap automatically, and correctly, detected the network I'm using from the SIM card, in this case a BT Mobile SIM, and prompted me to let it install the required Internet, WAP, SMS and MMS settings itself:

Following a quick reboot my device was then ready to connect to the Internet and send and receive text and picture messages.

Keyboard

I tend to get easily frustrated by smaller PDAs having quite large fingers, but the keyboard on the Snap is very responsive and easy to use for such a small form factor. Continuing the comparison between the Snap and the Excalibur, I'm showing my age a little, but think of the keyboard on the ZX Spectrum 128 as opposed to that of the original Spectrum.
Gone is the Joggr slide key of the Excalibur, which you will either have loved or despised with a passion!
A new feature to the Snap is the Inner Circle button which I will look at in a moment.
While I'm talking about inputs, it is perhaps a shame that the Snap does not have a separate headphone jack - the headset connecting to the single USB port, meaning that the headset cannot be used while the device is being charged, unless you opt for a Bluetooth headset.

Applications

Running Windows Mobile 6.1, the Snap has all the usual Microsoft applications you'd expect, including Office Mobile - viewers for Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint documents:

But it is the HTC-developed applications that make the Snap stand out. Emphasis has clearly been placed on the multimedia capabilities of the device: Within the Programs list is a folder called "Multimedia" containing a number of new applications:

The Album applications allows you to quickly and easily view thumbnails of the image files stored on the device as well as browse the photographs taken with the 2.0 megapixel camera:

From this application images can be set as the default home screen background, can be sent to friends via email or MMS, or can be displayed as a slideshow:

The Audio Manager application allows you to manage the sound files on the device, organising tracks by genre and arranging them into playlists:

GPS

The Snap has an integrated GPS antenna and comes with both Google Maps and QuickGPS preinstalled:

Enabling you to use the device with any compatible satellite navigation application whilst driving as well as any "geo-tagging" application compatible with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system.

Camera

The integrated 2.0 megapixel camera can be used to capture still images or record video footage at up to 352x288 resolution.
The camera application has a number of preset effects you can use to make images look more 'artistic'.
Using online services you can capture an image of a presentation, for example, upload the image and have it converted into a PDF file, which can then be emailed back to the office.

Inner Circle

Inner Circle is a new feature to the Snap that allows you to add specific contacts to your "Inner Circle" and have emails and text messages automatically prioritised from those contacts. The Inner Circle application is launched either from the Programs folder, or directly from the keyboard by pressing the new Inner Circle button in the lower right hand corner:

The application will only work once you have at least one email account successfully configured and will display a list of those contacts that you have received email from:

Select the contacts that you want to be part of your Inner Circle and add them. Email messages from those contacts only will then be displayed:

Selecting the All Email option will return you to the default Inbox view.

Internet Explorer

The HTC Snap boasts the latest version of Internet Explorer Mobile which provides advanced web site rendering, ensuring the complicated web sites are displayed on the mobile device as close to the original as possible.
A 'mobile browsing' view automatically re-sizes text columns and images so that you only need to scroll up and down to view the whole web page rather than also left ro right. The view can be returned to normal at the touch of a button. The view can also be 'zoomed' in and out via the menu.

Summary

The latest offering from HTC makes keeping on top of your 'digital life' literally, a snap! Manage email, text and picture messages quickly and easily, never miss an appointment or lose a telephone number. Using Microsoft Direct Push technology your device can be updated automatically from the corporate Exchange server over the air.
A portable digital camera, video recorder and music player, the Snap is your consumer gadget as well as your essential business tool.
Slim, sleek and competitively-priced, the Snap also won't be making a dent in your pocket.

Contact Brightpoint today for more information - +44 870 849 0225

Introducing the HTC Touch 2

The Touch 2, as its name suggests, is the successor to the hugely popular Touch, and shares its beautifully-crafted ergonomics and form factor. The Touch 2 is also one of the first devices to feature the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, including such new features as the Windows Marketplace and Microsoft's MyPhone service. To quote the HTC web site:

"HTC Touch2 is ready to help you with all the things you want to do on your phone. Stay in touch with your friends, find out what they're up to on Facebook, check your mail, or browse the web. It's all at your fingertips in a compact phone that fits nicely in your hand. Ready to do even more with HTC Touch2? You can add games and applications from the Windows Marketplace to personalize your experience. And you can keep your stuff safe when you back up to Microsoft's My Phone servers without a PC."

Specifications

• Model - T3333
• Platform - Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
• Dimensions - 104 x 55 x 12.9 mm
• Weight - 110 grams
• Network
  • HSDPA / WCDMA (900/2100 MHz)
  • GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• Display - 2.8-inch touch screen
• GPS - internal GPS antenna
• Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and A2DP
  • WiFi IEEE 802.11b/g
  • 3.5 mm audio jack
  • HTC ExtUSB
• Camera - 3.2 megapixel camera
• Expansion Slot - microSD card

You can read full specifications on the HTC web site - http://www.htc.com/uk/product/touch2/specification.html

Getting Started

When powering on the device for the first time, or following a hard reset, the device will automatically configure itself with the correct connection settings for your network provider. Should the unit not be able to determine the specific network operator your SIM card was issued by, you will be prompted to select your provider from a list:

You will then be guided through how to use the on-screen keyboard and be prompted to configure WiFi access should any wireless networks be detected:

Next you will be asked whether or not you want to enable the Google Location service which will use the device's built-in GPS capability to display information on your location online, as well as configure an email account:

I will look at the email configuration process in more detail later.

Finally you will be prompted to visit the Windows Mobile web site to download a copy of either ActiveSync (for versions of Windows prior to Vista) or the Mobile Device Center software (for Vista onwards) as well as a 60-day free trial of Microsoft Outlook:

You're done. When tapping on the Finish button you will be taken to the default Home screen:

The HTC TouchFLO banner running across the bottom of the screen provides quick and easy access to common applications.

The Start Menu has changed in this version of Windows Mobile: rather than being displayed with a drop-down menu, the menu now occupies the whole screen and application icons are arranged in a grid:

Email

As you'd expect from a device running Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, the Touch 2 can synchronise email, contacts, calendar and task information with a Microsoft Exchange Server. HTC's own Mail Setup wizard also has the settings for common email service providers pre-configured, removing the need to enter complicated service settings: all you need is your email address and password:

When setting up a Microsoft Exchange account (or Outlook as it is perhaps confusingly referred to in this iteration of the operating system), you will be prompted to enter your full email address and password. The device will then attempt to determine the rest of the setting to use automatically based on the domain entered in the email address using Microsoft's AutoDiscover technology.

Should the unit now be able to determine the settings, you will be prompted to enter your Active Directory username, password and domain, as well as the address of the Exchange server:

You can then specify which mailbox folders you wish to synchronise:

As this unit is running Windows Mobile 6.5, when Exchange 2010 is released next year, you will then also have the ability to synchronise text message folders between your device, the Exchange server and Outlook on your desktop:

Also available in this version of Windows Mobile is the ability to display email messages in "Conversation View", grouping similar message threads together for ease of tracking:

Which email folders you synchronise can be selected, and you can set and edit your out of office status:

Microsoft MyPhone

The MyPhone service from Microsoft allows you to synchronise your personal data with the cloud, effectively enabling you to securely backup your data to your personal 200MB area of Microsoft's online storage. Data can be backed up automatically on a schedule, or manually as you prefer. Once backed up, your data can be restored to any device of your choosing or accessed directly online via your web browser. Data sources that can be backed up include:

• Contacts
• Calendar
• Tasks
• Text Messages
• Photos
• Videos
• Music
• Documents

The Photos, Videos, Music and Documents options can be applied both to the device's internal storage as well as any inserted memory card.

You will need a Windows Live / Hotmail account in order to use the service. Registration is free.

When running the application for the first time you will be prompted to accept the terms and conditions of the service:

And enter your Windows Live details and check for updates:

Then you can specify your synchronisation schedule preferences and specify which folders you want to sync. Should you already have an Exchange account configured, you will be warned that this information cannot be synced using the MyPhone service:

Once synced, you will be taken to the main screen, which is reminiscent of the ActiveSync application:

Once synced, your preferences can be adjusted at any time by selecting the Options menu:

Once backed up, your data is then also accessible online from any web browser:

Windows MarketPlace

This new feature from Microsoft emulates the other online application repositories deployed by Goole, Apple and RIM, and allows you to search for, browse, download and install additional applications, games and utilities for your device:

Web Browsing

The version of Inter et Explorer Mobile that ships with Windows Mobile 6.5 is based on version 6 of the desktop browser, meaning that you can view web pages 'as they were intended', with full-screen browsing, zoom and side-to-side scrolling. The desktop experience can be turned off if you prefer viewing the mobile version of web pages if they exist.

Opera Mobile is also included if you prefer.

Windows Live

The Windows Live setup wizard allows you to quickly and easily configure your Live/Hotmail email account and MSN Messenger settings:

Once configured, you will be able to access MSN Messenger and your Live email:

Miscellaneous

HTC have also included a new application: MSN Money, which can display real-time stock information:

The device can be used as a USB or Bluetooth modem with your laptop using the Internet Sharing feature:

The built-in FM Radio provides access to available stations, provided that you connect the supplied 3.5mm headphones to act as an aerial:

The Task Manager can be accessed directly from the Today Screen to quickly show a list of all running applications:

Remote Desktop Mobile allows you to connect to a suitable desktop PC running Windows XP or later or server running Server 2003 or later:

NOTE - in order to be able to remotely access hosts then you may first need to have established a VPN connection, but otherwise this feature is ideal for IT admin staff who need to be able to remotely control servers via WiFi while in the office.

A Facebook client is also included:

The RSS Hub provides access to news and entertainment feeds:

A 14-day trial version of ALK Co-Pilot 7 satellite navigation software is also included:

as is a local and online Search widget, Voice Recorder, YouTune client, Google Maps, Media Streaming application and graphic equalizer, not to mention the camera and camcorder features as well as Office Mobile and Adobe Reader applications!

The Touch 2 is available to order today, contact Brightpoint for more information on 0870 849 0225

Introducing the HTC Touch Pro 2

The Touch Pro (or T7373) is HTC's latest addition to its portfolio of enterprise-class business PDAs. Featuring a slide-out 5-row qwerty keyboard, gynormous 3.6-inch WVGA screen and "Straight Talk" technology, enabling you to use the device as a speakerphone simply by turning it upside down during a call, impressive memory capacity and battery performance, this device should be able to satisfy the requirements of even the most demanding power user.

Technical Specifications

• Model - T7373
• Processor - MSM7200A, 528 MHz
• Platform - Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Memory - ROM: 512MB / RAM: 288MB
• Dimensions - 116mm(L) x 59.2mm(W) x 16.65mm(T)
• Weight - 178.5g with battery
• Display
  • 3.6-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480x800 WVGA resolution
  • Adjustable tilt screen
• Network
  • HSPA/WCDMA: 900/1200MHz (Up to 2Mbps uplink and 7.2Mbps downlink speeds)
  • Quand-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/800/1800/1900MHz (band frequency, HSPA availability and data speed are operator dependent)
• Device Control - TouchFLO 3D, Zoom bar
• Keyboard - Slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard
• GPS - Internal GPS antenna
• Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
  • WiFi IEEE 802.11 b/g
  • HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0, audio jack and TV Out in one) HTC TV Out cable needed for TV operation
• Camera
  • Main camera: 3.2 megapixel colour camera with auto focus
  • Second camera: VGA CMOS colour camera
• Audio - AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
• Video - WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, AVI
• Battery
  • Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
  • Capacity: 1500mAh
  • Standby time
    • WCDMA: Up to 750 hours
    • GSM: Up to 500 hours
  • Talk time
    • WCDMA: Up to 390 minutes
    • GSM: Up to 510 minutes
  • Video call time
    • Up to 160 minutes

    (The above are subject to network and phone usage)

• Expansion Slot - microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• AC Adapter
  • Voltage range / frequency: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz
  • DC Output: 5V and 1A
• Special Features
  • G Sensor
  • Straight Talk
  • Noice-cancelling dual microphones and speakers

What's in the box?

The Touch Pro comes with the usual accessories:

• Charger
• USB connection cable
• Hands-free kit
• Spare stylus
• Leather carry case
• User manual CD
• Outlook / ActiveSync CD

Getting Started

When powered on for the first time, the HTC Touch Pro 2 prompted me to let it automatically configure itself with Internet, WAP, SMS and MMS settings and then prompted me to confirm the network I'm using:

Following a quick reboot my device was ready for service and able to connect to the Internet.

Interface

The first thing you notice about the Touch Pro 2 is that HTC have added an additional 'skin' over the standard Windows Mobile 6.1 interface layer.
Applications and "widgets" can be accessed quickly and easily on the Today screen itself from the "slidebar" running along the bottom of the screen.
Tapping on the Start button displays a "quick launch" menu of your favourite or most commonly-used applications:

Tapping on the "All Programs" entry displays the full list of available applications, in a single vertical, alphabetically-sorted, list:

The same has been done to the Settings view. Selecting the Settings link will display commonly-accessed options, with the option to return to the default, 3-tab settings view by tapping on the "All Settings" link:

Contacts

The Contacts application has been renamed to "People", and also has a new 'layer'. When launching the application you are displayed with a Favourites screen which allows you to configure a list of up to 12 "most-used" contacts for easy access:

From the Favourites screen, selecting a contact enables you to call either the home, work or mobile number of that contact, or send a message to the contact at the touch of a button. By selecting the call log or messaging icon, all of the calls made to or received from that contact are displayed grouped together, and all messages exchanged with the contact are listed, grouped by conversation for easy reference.

Selecting the "All People" link displays the full contacts list:

When launching the People application for the first time, you are prompted to create your personal contact card, which once created can be sent via SMS by selecting its entry within the People application:

If you have a Facebook account, your profile details can be downloaded automatically and used to populate the contact card.

Push Email

Setting up Server ActiveSync Exchange-based push email on the Touch Pro 2 is a quick and simple process, provided that you know your account details and the Exchange server is using a root-trusted SSL certificate.
Launching the "Mail Setup" option within Settings displays the Add New Email Account wizard:

As the device is running Windows Mobile 6.1, you can add a POP or IMAP email account, or if using Microsoft Exchange 2003 SP2 or later, you can tick the option to create an "Exchange Email" account:

You will need to know your username, password, domain and the external address of the Exchange Server to complete the setup, as per usual.

If you are more comfortable setting up Server ActiveSync within the ActiveSync application itself, the process remains the same.

Straight Talk

The Straight Talk feature of the Touch Pro 2 turns your PDA into a conferencing tool simply by turning the device over during a call. A mute button is provided (below the camera aperture). Thanks to its dual microphones and dual speakers, noise cancelling technology ensures that background sounds are eliminated as much as possible and voices are presented free from distortion.
Conferences can be dialled into quickly and easily directly from calendar entries or pop-up reminder notifications simply by selecting the number in the appointment entry.
It is even possible to initiate a conference from the device itself by dialling contacts in turn and adding them to the conference when they answer the call (network services permitting).

Zoom Bar

The Zoom Bar is located at the base of the screen, above the left and right soft keys, and as its name suggests, can be used within applications that support 'zooming', such as Google Maps, Opera Mobile and the Photo Album.

Office Mobile

The Touch Pro 2 comes preloaded with the mobile versions of Microsoft Excel, Word, OneNote and PowerPoint, enabling you to view, edit and create office documents on the move.

RSS Feeds

The Touch Pro 2 has a built-in RSS feed reader application, allowing you to stay up to date with your favourite sources of news and entertainment (including the Brightpoint GB Tech Blog, obviously!):

Remote Desktop Mobile

Also included in this release is the Microsoft Remote Desktop client for Windows Mobile (or Terminal Services as you may know it by), providing remote access to a Windows-based PC or server that has the remote desktop feature enabled:

Album

The Touch Pro 2 has the same Album application that we saw on the Snap (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/introducing-htc-snap), displaying thumbnail images of your image files and camera photos and enabling you to send pictures via email or MMS at the touch of a button, set up a slideshow or make the selected image your default Today screen background.

JetCet Presenter 5

JetCet is a Powerpoint presenting application, that provides additional features over PowerPoint Mobile, enabling you to preview the next slide and optionally skip it or re-order it if desired on the fly.

I haven't had the opportunity to test the TV Out capabilities of the Touch Pro 2, but when used in conjunction with JetCet, a compatible projector or external monitor could be used to present your magnum opus there and then, without the need to get your laptop out, or copy your presentation onto a USB stick and use someone else's PC.

WorldCard Mobile

The Worldcard application has long been available as a separate, purchasable download, but is now included as standard on the Touch pro 2. This handy utility allows you to use the device's camera to scan a contact's business card and save the information on it to a new contact entry within the Contacts application. It's not always perfect, but it can be quicker to edit the errors than entering all the information manually.

GPS

The Touch Pro 2 has an integrated GPS antenna and comes with both Google Maps and QuickGPS preinstalled:

Enabling you to use the device with any compatible satellite navigation application whilst driving as well as any "geo-tagging" application compatible with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system.

Web browsing

The award-winning Opera Mobile browser is preinstalled on the Touch Pro 2, facilitating mobile web browsing with the incorporation of such features as "tap to zoom", widescreen viewing, automatic text reformatting and password management.

Summary

This post has only been intended to give an overview of the features available in the Touch Pro 2. More information can be found on the Touch Pro 2 Simulator, or on the HTC web site - http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchpro2/overview.html
Or naturally, you can ring Brightpoint today on +44 870 849 0225