This is Phone Arena’s video review of the HTC Touch Dual; the development of touch. It combines a functionality of the Windows Mobile 6 Professional smartphone with elegant design resembling a fashion model.
In spite of the phone being a slider, it looks like its predecessor when closed. It disposes a 2.6-inch QVGA touch screen which has a mirror-like effect when inactive. The video calling camera is located over the display and the five directional D-pad accompanied by the Accept, Reject buttons are below it.
They are small but have a word express relief and are easy to press. You get access to the keyboard when you push the sliding mechanism up. Two variants are offered; one with 3x4 numeric keypad plus four shortcuts, all 20 key QWERTY one.
The model we’re using has normal keyboard. All buttons are transparent with mirror-like effects similar to the display. The keys are in relief and can’t be felt by touch but are large and easy enough to press which makes writing would then convenient.
On the silvery line following the edge of the device, you can find the Power button on top, the camera shortcuts in the right and the volume rocker on the left. The keys are not easy to feel by touch and pressing them is hard.
The universal mini-USB port and the MicroSD slot are located on the left. On the back of the phone, we find only the 2MP camera and the speaker. The overall appearance of the device is not in the usual smartphone style and can be easily mistaken by for an LG or a Samsung fashion models.
The Windows Mobile 6 Professional Operating System the phone runs on is identical to the one we’ve seen in other such mobiles. The TouchFLO idea firstly seen in the original touch is developed in this version by optimizing the interface for a better finger navigation and combination with stylus.
HTC home screen is slightly improved by adding a full tap. Here, you will find the clock with information on the calls and messages, weather application, a launcher with nine shortcuts and profile, along the fast transition between the separate modes and choosing a ringtone.
To be able to use the service icons in the upper right corner, the battery, communication manager, voice manager and phone stylus, an enlarged menu shows when they are pressed and standby the furthest to the right opens the task manager allowing you to manually close some overall applications running. In contrast to the standard one, the start menu has been enlarged also.
An interesting addition made is that when you hold the End button, a quick list opens giving you a fast access to the airplane mode, lock, terminate data and vibration mode. When we are talking about customable shortcuts, there is no way not to mention TouchFLO Cube.
For those of you who are not familiar with the function, we’ll explain in short by running your finger upwards, free page menu opens through which you can go by a similar movement along with this plate but from left to right.
The menu has access to the following options, shortcuts to email, messaging, internet, organizer, shortcuts to nine speed dial contacts and phone functions and shortcuts to music, photos, and videos.
In contrast to Touch, the surprises do not end with the personalization of the home screen only. A vertical scroll without possible symbols has replaced the old taps in the Phonebook.
They enlarge when you run your fingers through them making choosing a little easier. Viewing the pictures taken is very different from the previous model. The possibilities of the nee TouchFLO are revealed here.
Now, by running a finger stylus across the screen, you can do the following; moving left to right, previews next picture, semicircle, rotation of the image depending on the direction. Unfortunately, there are no custom angles but only a 90° one. Circle, zoom in, out, depending on the direction. What is interesting here is that the zoom in/out factor is proportionate to the size of the surface and circles. Continuous pressing, pan view allows moving across all over the image after zooming in. Double tapping fit the screen.
As with the Touch, we have the standard Windows Media Player whose main purpose is to play video and the manufacturer’s audio manager is the main audio player. Its interface allows easy control with finger. You can sort music in your playlist by Artist, Album, Genre and Composer.
Unfortunately, the sound is not one of the strengths of the HTC Touch Dual. The speaker is low quality and small. There are crackling noises when the volume is at the maximum level and it won’t be any different if you lower it today.
HTC Touch Dual remains a beautiful face of the Windows Mobile 6 professional phones. If you own the elegant smartphone with that operating system but you’re a beginner in the area or you are simply used to operating a regular phone with a real keyboard, this is a good choice.
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