HTC Touch Pro2 Windows Phone, Mocha (T-Mobile) Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent over a month reading about and researching phones before finally ultimately choosing the HTC Touch Pro 2. I considered the i-phone (although not for very long once I heard the 3Gs is currently impossible to jailbreak), the blackberry, and a few other phones like the HTC Hero. I settled on the Touch Pro 2 for many reasons, but the primary were its phenomenal feature set, well designed QWERTY keypad, and ability to run open source programs. That said, there are a few downsides to this otherwise excellent phone--I'll get into those later in this review. Also it's worth noting that this phone sells for quite a bit more if bought directly from t-mobile. Amazon has the cheapest price (as of October 2009) by far.
The build quality of this phone is excellent. It has that 'solid' feel that is hard to otherwise quantify, but that you know when you interact with it. The i-phone has the same sort of feeling to it. The phone is also pleasingly tactile, and feels great to hold and use. This is one of the difficult to quantify things about a phone, but is so important since most of us use our phones everyday for at least a year. I believe RIM understands this design principle better than anyone--Blackberry's have always been great to hold--but the Touch Pro 2 is proof that HTC has learned a thing or two about making a phone more than just another device.
Windows Mobile 6.5 is already available for the international version of the Touch Pro 2, but won't be available for the t-mobile version for another few months. However, there is little in Windows Mobile 6.5 that the Touch Pro 2 does already have with TouchFLO 3D. The TouchFLO interface makes using the touch screen easier. I find I almost never need to use the stylus except when browsing detailed web pages with a lot of text links. Scrolling from panel to panel is accomplished by using simple drag gestures from right to left or wonder-of-wonders, right to left--one of my pet peeves in menu design is when you cannot scroll both directions. Don't expect much from WM 6.5 when it is released. Bottom line: WM, regardless of version, is pretty poor, but the Touch Pro 2 and accompanying TouchFLO interface are excellent.
Multitasking is also excellent. You can answer a phone call, open your calendar and make entries, view a PDF and transition to a conference call all with a minimum of fuss. They've done a lot to make the phone intuitive to navigate, and I've found I can pretty much figure out how to do most things without referring to the manual. TouchFLO makes navigation really easy (more on TouchFLO later in the review) and makes shifting from one task to another simple.
Believe what you've read about the QWERTY key pad. It is definitively the best key pad out there. I've used quite a few, and tested even more while researching my new phone including various blackberries and the sidekick. The Touch Pro's keypad is easy to use, feels great, and gives solid tactile response at each key-tap. I can type in the range of 30 words a minute with reasonable accuracy. I think I could type even more quickly if the keypad had an 'alt' key on the right side of the keypad and not just the left. This is a surprising disappointment in an otherwise perfect keypad.
The 480x800 resolution screen is a sight for sore eyes (literally). If you're moving up from a previous generation phone, prepare to be impressed. Even if you're switching from a phone with a pretty good screen like a blackberry, this screen will still impress you. Crystal clear, excellent color accuracy, and all kinds of real estate for a mobile device. Watching videos on You Tube, playing games, reading text, ect., all benefit from the gorgeous screen.
Wifi connectivity works well and makes surfing the web or using the you tube application a joy. Some reviews have mentioned terrible frame rates when playing You Tube videos. I have not found this to be the case, even on the t-mobile 3G network. Streaming videos works just fine in my experience.
The included media player (WM 6.1 default) is a joke and should be ignored. Download one of the many free (and far superior) media players out there rather than suffering with the WM version. Sadly, the Touch Pro does not have a 3.5mm audio jack. This is probably the single most frustrating thing about the phone and a glaring omission for a phone that could otherwise also serve as a media player powerhouse if it did. The included dongle which connects to HTC's proprietary USB connection converts to a non-standard 2.5mm jack, which makes it useless: imagine using a dongle connected to a 2.5mm-3.5mm converter connected to your headphones--stupid.
The Touch Pro 2's emphasis on keeping you connected with your friends through an integration of your contacts, text messages, face book, instant messenger, etc., is a good idea in theory but with mixed results in application. Threading SMS works very well, as does integration with facebook (which lets you choose which notifications you want to receive) but tagging all your contacts with their corresponding facebook page is time consuming.
The camera is ho-hum. Not bad but not great either. It works well when there's plenty of light but not so well in dim light or at night. It's suitable for taking informal shots of friends and such, but won't really impress even by camera phone standards.
Summary:
PROs:
1) Non proprietary system that allows you to run what ever programs you feel like
2) TouchFLO interface is excellent
3) Supports up to 32gb micro SD cards (try getting that from an i-phone)
4) Build quality is great
5) 480x800 resolution screen is flawless
6) QWERTY keypad is best in class
7) Good multitasking
8) 3G coverage in most major metropolitan areas (I live in Chicago and coverage is good-excellent depending on where I am)
CONS:
1) No 3.5mm audio jack
2) No right 'alt' key on key pad
3) Expensive if bought directly from t-mobile
4) Windows Mobile 6.1 (or 6.5 for that matter) is old and outdated
ADVANTAGES over the i-phone:
1) Not proprietary and can use third party applications
2) Supports micro SD cards
3) Has a tilt screen
4) Better battery life (3-4 hours more depending on how you use the phone)
5) Is not contractually locked to AT&T
ADVANTAGES over the Blackberry 8900:
1) Support for 3G network coverage
2) Tilt screen
3) Better third party e-mail support
4) Better multi-media support
This is a great phone. The more I use it, the more I like it. If you want a rock solid smart phone that is as great looking as it functional, the Touch Pro 2 is an excellent choice and beats out the i-phone and Blackberry smart phones in my opinion.
4.5/5 Stars.

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Simplify your communication and mobile Internet browsing while staying connected, informed and in control of both work and life with the HTC Touch Pro2 from T-Mobile. Enabled for T-Mobile's expanding high-speed 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), the Touch Pro2 offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience that lets you connect to social networking sites and stream videos more quickly. And in addition to the high-resolution 3.6-inch widescreen WVGA touch-enabled display, the Touch Pro2 also offers a large finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the side.
HTC's latest TouchFLO 3D interface combines with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system to make navigation easier and more intuitive. And you'll stay easily connected to your business and personal data on the go with support for a wide variety of e-mail accounts as well as the ability to edit Microsoft Office documents.

With the integrated GPS, you can load optional navigation software or use Google Maps to track your current location, view real-time traffic situations, receive detailed directions, or locate places of interest. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto focus and video capture capabilities, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, Windows Media Player 10 for music and video playback, microSD memory expansion (up to 32 GB), easy synchronization with Microsoft Outlook, and up to 8.5 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service The HTC Touch Pro2 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and is compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile Web2go content portal. T-Mobile is currently rolling out its 3G network, and it expects by year's end that its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.

While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:

Email, instant messaging, and texting
Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging
Activities that work best on a 3G network:
Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

Phone Features The HTC Touch Pro2 offers an efficient way for you to manage your daily life, whether at work or play. Featuring a 3.6-inch color WVGA touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels, 65K colors) that slides back and tilts up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, the screen is perfectly positioned for reading and creating e-mail, browsing the Web, using Mobile Office applications, and playing videos and games.

With the TouchFLO 3D interface deeply integrated into a customized version of Windows Mobile 6.1, Windows Mobile applications and menus are consistently intuitive throughout, making it easy to view, edit and update Microsoft documents as well as access calendars and manage to-do lists. The Microsoft Voice Command also simplifies locating contacts in the address book, making phone calls, getting calendar information, playing music and starting programs.

A single contact view displays the individual conversation history regardless of whether voice, text or e-mail was used. The HTC Touch Pro2 also includes Straight Talk technology, an integrated e-mail, voice and speakerphone experience that provides a simple way to respond to e-mail via a call and allows organizing conference calls from group e-mail.. Simply place the phone face down on the table, and the asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression with full-duplex acoustics makes it easy to turn any location into a conference room.

This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. Additionally, the Touch Pro2 includes integrated Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), enabling you to connect to home and corporate wireless networks as well as hotspots in airports and coffee shops while on the go.

Other features include:

Threaded text messaging you communicate in a conversational style by viewing both sent and received messages.
3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, digital zoom, and panorama capture capabilities; video capture up to CIF resolution (352 x 288 pixels)
Windows Media Player compatible with MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, and WAV file formats
512 MB of ROM, 288 MB of RAM; microSD memory expansion using optional cards up to 32 GB in size
Compatible with ActiveSync 4.5 and Windows Mobile Device Center
Phone book capacity: up to 10,000 entries
Mini USB connector with USB mass storage capabilities
Voice dialing: Call someone with simple voice commands to keep your hands free for activities like driving.

Vital Statistics The HTC Touch Pro2 weighs 6.6 ounces and measures 2.4 x 4.6 x 0.7 inches. Its 1500 mAh lithium-polymer battery is rated at up to 8.5 hours of GSM talk time (6.5 hours of 3G talk time), and up to 480 hours (20 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 offers a number of handy features that make searching through e-mail, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.

With Windows Mobile 6.1, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then e-mail comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6.1 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

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