Details of HTC Touch Cruise

The HTC Touch Cruise is latest release in the region and is more of a PDA than a smart phone, as is evident by the lack of a keypad.

With a name like Touch Cruise expect the HTC to be smooth and easy to use and on both counts, the HTC delivers. The front of the device is dominated by a large 2.8" LCD and just below this sit four buttons and a circular control wheel. The wheel is somewhat similar to the ring integrated into the HP keypad but HTC has done a much better job with it. With the HP, once you had highlighted what you were after, you have to move your finger elsewhere on the keypad to execute it.

With the Touch Cruise however, a single button sits at the center of the wheel and it this button that you have to hit to launch or run a program or feature. This is not only more intuitive but also more natural, so getting used to the Cruise takes no time at all.

The Touch provides crisp, clear voice quality, as do all the other devices in this exam and we found the device battery life was quite decent, the phone worked diligently for nearly four days after being fully charged.

Stylish and sleek in design, the HTC Touch Cruise comes in Black Sapphire and is a further illustration of HTC commitment to innovation and to building a suite of touch screen devices that cater to a variety of customer needs and styles. The HTC Home screen provides one touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for many cities around the world. The new Touch Cruise boasts of super fast HSDPA connectivity plus WiFi and Bluetooth, making it a highly connected device for consumers on the move. Its 2.8" screen is great for enjoying mobile multimedia and because it runs on Windows Mobile 6 Professional, the built in Windows Media Player is ideal for music and movies.

Specifications:

OS provided: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional
Installed RAM: 128 MB
Processor: QUALCOMM 400 MHzMSM7200

The good: The HTC Touch Cruise features integrated GPS and comes preloaded with Tom-tom navigation software. The Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone also has Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G support.

The bottom line: While the integrated GPS and Tom navigation software makes the HTC Touch Cruise very enticing, there are some limitations, not to mention a high price tag that turned us off to the Smartphone. For more details www.phoneandbeyond.com