HTC Touch Pro 2 is here!

Writing a word document on the Word Mobile application for the Touch Pro 2 feels absolutely amazing...AMAZING! I am really taken aback by the typing experience on this qwerty that certainly trumps EVERY single device I had ever owned previously! Words cannot describe just how wonderful it feels to finally have my fingers typing on the offset layout of this phone! The XT9 works great for predictive text and automatic inclusion of key punctuation marks, and I have a control key again!!

Now that I have gotten past the excitement of the qwerty keypad, I shall now move on to sharing my first impressions of this device:

So far, I am thoroughly impressed with the build quality of this model and the improved stability of Windows Mobile. HTC certainly gave this qwerty slider a more upscale appearance in comparison to past HTC models I had previously owned, for the glossy and reflective surfaces seem to be paramount throughout the entire body of this phone. The plastics do not feel cheap and have been polished to the point where I feel as if I'm holding a jewel. The bulk has only increased from the N97 in terms of width, and the length seems to be shorter by a tiny margin. Weight has definitely been increased with this HTC, and it is immediately noticeable upon first picking it up in my hand. The slider feels like it has a bit more resistance than the N97, and the tilting mechanism requires a good amount of force to initiate...but there is a presence of solid craftsmanship nonetheless. At this point, switching from the N97 to the Touch Pro 2 is like going from an accessible Volkswagen to a more refined Audi.

There was some apprehension in first turning on the unit, for I was reminded of the unstable nature of the TouchFLO interface from the first generation Touch Pro. Navigation through the updated version has been relatively painless and MUCH faster than the Symbian 5th edition on the N97. and mulit-tasking is FINALLY doable in the most efficient manner!! No worries here of running out of memory! Lack of support for US 3G has not really become a hindrance in my usage at this point in time, but it may end up being a necessary evil since upcoming models for US carriers will probably have qwerty keys changed from the international offset layout.

Bluetooth setup with my MacBook was trouble-free and Missing Sync performed flawlessly as expected. One HUGE surprise comes from the power of the speakers at the back of the phone! The stereo feedback of this Touch Pro 2 is WORLDS away from any other Windows Mobile device known for mediocre audio output (except the Motorola Q9), and listening to music is about as pleasing as an NSeries device. The speakerphone is more than suitable for necessary volume and is worthy of the highest rating amidst every phone I had ever owned. Another welcomed surprise was the support of all the video files transferred from the N97! Each movie and TV episode shows up on the screen in a comparable fashion to the Nokia, although the touch controls aren't as detailed.

This move ultimately meant sacrificing the 32GB storage of the N97, but having a comfortable qwerty and reliable office suite is more important to me than multimedia consumption. At the end of the day, I do have gadgets dedicated for my multimedia creation and enjoyment. Freeing up my smartphone of unreasonably high expectations to be an all-in-one device helps me to understand that there are limits to what a mobile device is capable of doing. In addition, I have also learned to not take my other devices for granted.

As the coming weeks continue, I shall be keeping a journal of my findings on the HTC Touch Pro 2 and make a future post on TRENT SENSE. Having this doc editing ability already has me relieved to have left the Nokia N97, and I am hoping that I won't end up regretting my decision.

TRENT
Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com
youtube.com/absolon3