HTC Touch Pro

The original HTC Touch may have made a splash as one of the first touch-screen phones on the market when it debuted about a year ago, but in a field now crowded with slimmer, faster and more capable competitors, the little innovator is starting to show its age. Without 3G Internet access, a QWERTY keyboard, or flashy multi-touch interface, the original Touch barely holds a torch to the multitude of touch-screen competitors now available. But HTC will go about correcting many of those problems with the latest addition to the Touch line.

The new HTC Touch Pro and its closely related sibling, the HTC Diamond, give the Touch a much-needed makeover, inside and out. Besides ditching the old unit’s shapely riverstone styling for an exterior with some (literal) edge, the Touch Pro adds snappier Internet access, a brand new user interface, and perhaps most importantly, a full QWERTY keyboard.

At a glance, the Diamond and Pro are nearly identical. Both feature 2.8-inch touch-screen LCD screens set into slim rectangular bodies that are almost reminiscent of a Zune, with 3.2-megapixel cameras in the back. The Pro, however, has been cleaved down the side to accommodate a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard within. While the “Pro” name and HTC’s marketing team push this as a business feature that will allow the phone run with the likes of a BlackBerry or BlackJack, there’s no question that even casual texters will appreciate the tactile buttons for typing. It does add some bulk, though: the Pro gains over a quarter inch in thickness and a full 55 grams of weight, making it 66 percent heavier than the Diamond.

Image Courtesy of HTC

Inside, much has changed as well. There’s a much faster 528 MHz processor keeping things zipping along at its heart (compared to the 201MHz TI chip in the old Touch) more RAM (228MB), and the latest version of Windows Mobile (6.1) to take advantage of it all. The old TouchFlo user interface has also been replaced with TouchFlo 3D, a revamped version that allows users to slip and slide their way around menus in – you guessed it – three dimensions. From flipping through a digital rolodex of photos with your thumb to rolling through album covers, Apple style, from side to side, the newest interface adds some pizzazz to performing everyday tasks.

When it comes to connectivity, the Touch Pro keeps up with the latest cell carriers have to offer by providing 3G HSDPA Internet that can reach download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. HTC also includes a customized browser designed to give a desktop-like experience by zooming and panning, along with some Web 2.0 apps that have been tailored to the phone, like YouTube and Google Maps. Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, and GPS also come standard, rounding out the phone’s impressive wireless options.

Those in Europe, Asia and the Middle East will be able to pick up the Touch Pro late this summer, but for would-be buyers anxiously awaiting its arrival in North American and Latin America, it will be a longer wait. HTC says “later 2008,” which looks an awful lot like fall to us. As for price, that’s also up in the air. More specifics on the Touch pro, along with a full photo gallery, can be found over at HTC's website.

Key HTC Touch Pro Specifications:

Size: 102 x 51 x 18.05mm
Weight: 165 g
Connectivity: WCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
Display: 2.8-inch VGA touch screen
Camera: 3.2MP, with the second VGA camera for video calling
Internal memory: 512 MB flash, 288 MB RAM
Expansion Slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
Keyboard: Slide-out 5 row QWERTY keyboard
Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR
Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g
GPS: GPS/AGPS
Interface: HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0, audio jack, and TV out in one)
Battery: 1340 mAh
Talk time: GSM: up to 8 hours
Standby time: GSM: up to two-weeks
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz