Verizon's XV6900 Touch, now with more focus

Just admit it: even if you don't have Verizon service, even if you have absolutely no interest in Windows Mobile devices whatsoever, you're just a little bit curious to know what a snow white HTC Touch looks like. We suppose we blew that surprise with the picture here... but whatever, just click on over to Engadget Mobile to see s'more shots, alright?

[Bubba @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:21AM]

I can now get "unlimted" EVDO data, go VZW Nazis

[Daniel @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:45AM]

The Engadget Mobile link seems to be broken?

[Carbonize @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:47AM]

They typoed and put 21 instead of 22

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/01/22/verizons-xv6900-touch-in-all-its-shockingly-white-glory/

[Sirius @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:20AM]

Engad's comments system really is broken...

[OneLove @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:34AM]

I know! Please fix it! -> crying

[Sirius @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:22AM]

http://s12.divshare.com/files/2008/01/22/3566146/shocking-white-htc-touch.png

Very shocking... and very white... DARPA needs to get in contact with HTC about the Touch's perfect camouflaging abilities!

[brian @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:34AM]

LMAO!

[Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:33AM]

I like it better in black...

but no color can hide the ugly, clunky winmo just beneath the surface.

[chadvavra @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:40AM]

just install PointUI http://pointui.com/ and all will be happy in your 'looks matter more' world.

My unlocked HTC Kaiser is hands down better than this thing. Soft-keyboards are not always usable and my 3MP camera takes better pics of your frowny faces.

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:17AM]

SPB PocketPlus does a nice job of improving the Win6 - I also install some freebies
Flash player - if not preinstalled (I don't think the iphone does flash pages but it does a better job with other web pages IMHO)
adobe reader - if not preinstalled
Live Search
SMS threaded texting
WM6 Remote desktop

[ViagraFiend @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:34AM]

@ Jeff

WinMo is actually pretty awesome. Just ask these guys:

www.xda-developers.com

You're just ignorant to what a Windows Mobile 6 device can do.

[Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2008 8:02PM]

that's just the point: you have to make WinMo worthwhile. manually. yourself.

try selling that idea to your mechanic buddy (which is exactly who bought this and hates it.)

I do appreciate the links, maybe i can help my buddy make his phone NOT a clunky piece of crap, but that's hardly a selling point for me. (you guys sound exactly like linux users defending their OS, by the way.)

[Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2008 8:14PM]

oh, and @ chadvavra

"[...] all will be happy in your 'looks matter more' world."

You've really missed the point. Go spend a minute with an iPhone and you might realize that simply "looking good" is not the same thing as a beautiful, intuitive, responsive interface. Anything can look good (in theory) but i'd like something that actually *is* good.

...and my experience with any stock flavor of winmo has been pretty uninspired. (though maybe there is a third party out there making winmo suck less. i've yet to see it move from sucking-less to being-good.)

[JerryA @ Jan 23rd 2008 3:05PM]

I dunno. I run WinMo 6 on my Titan and I can skin it to look however I want. I'm not sure what's "clunky" about it. If you mean everything isn't animated and flashy, well then maybe, but it's certainly functional as I've been learning since I got the device. I love both form and function but while I can deal with all function and little form, I can't deal with all form and little function. So far I haven't found any device that does as much as my Titan for as little cost and effort. When it comes out, if it's a sizable difference I will probably upgrade.

[OneLove @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:36AM]

Does it have GPS? (no...doom...blend...blah!)

[OneLove @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:39AM]

see.

[OneLove @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:38AM]

Does it have GPS? (no...doom...blend...blah!) who broke the comment code? veronica?

[[e-mail] @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:12PM]

i thought it was just me clicking the add button a thousand times..

[JSM @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:00AM]

so, does this thing have a stylus i can take handwritten notes with? Exactly how long are we going to have to wait for a full upgrade to the xv6700 (and not a .1 upgrade like the 6800)

[Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2008 8:05PM]

yeah, it does have a stylus, and you need it for many common functions.

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:08AM]

While no PDA phone is perfect, I like this phone. I think out of all my pda phones I've had the least issues with this. Some people won't like it if they can't get used to using the touch screen for the keypad but I'm fine with that.

Things I would change
1. Improve the BT - This is probably MS's fault - free phones have better BT distance and sound quality.
2. more physical buttons - only two - on off and one side - should put one in the center on the other side.
3. Micro drive requires taking the phone apart - not exactly ideal.
4. Increase screen resolution to VGA - not sure why we still are making QVGA screens unless you are giving away the phone.
5. Better battery life - Hopefully inovations such as new battery technology, faster and more efficient CPUSs, BT 2.1, OLED etc will help us soon. Seido makes a replacement battery of nearly the same physical size that some claim is signficantly better than the stock battery - I haven't tried it so I don't know - I'm waiting for a scientific comparison.

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:18AM]

Dang - I forgot Two VERY Important things

1. FLASH - while I don't use it for pictures as most cameraphone's cameras suck - I use the flash as a flashlight at least once a week - several free programs for pdaphones to turn the camera flash to a steady flashlight - LED doesn't really drain the battery either! Very handy - missing it a lot on this phone.

2. SIRFIII GPS - not sure why they insist on giving us these crappy assisted GPS chips - I understand that they might make money by getting us to use their telenav monthly service but I think few will get it - not enough to offset their service capital investment. Further they'll tick off their clients who know about the european phones with VGA screens and full GPS chips.

[JerryA @ Jan 23rd 2008 3:11PM]

Yeah, that's why I went with the Titan over the Touch.

-I don't really use BT so it hasn't been an issue for me.
-Sufficient buttons and a slider QWERTY. I understand that is a matter of preference.
-Access to the Micro slot is easy
-Yeah, I couldn't find a device I wanted with VGA so I guess I will deal
-Battery is OK. I charge every night so I never notice.
-Flash is there
-GPS should be out for the Titan soon although I have no idea what that entails.

I think the Touch is a decent device but I found the Titan to be just a little bit more appropriate for my needs.

[theregoesdave @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:08AM]

The new colors look sweet, though I still miss the slide-out keyboard. The Touch interface has almost completely redone the standard Windows Mobile tools to create a slick and finger-friendly device.

dave
http://theregoesdave.com

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:16AM]

It has a small stylus in the bottom right hand corner

[uofirob @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:38AM]

It's the top right corner. The cap for the stylus is white.

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:59AM]

Whoops - you are right -I'm all upside down today :)

[wud_e @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:43AM]

Like I said before. This thing is Ugly in white. I can't wait to get the black one from Sprint.

[Tone @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:46AM]

Too bad it's on verizon.

[[e-mail] @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:10PM]

having owned a k610i that stupid mirror thing is an utterly useless scratch magnet.
but at least it's got a camera...

[Frankenstein Black @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:15PM]

MEH!

[RevAaron @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:33PM]

OK, I have to ask- what's the big deal about the Touch? I mean, I have a WM6 phone, a Mogul on Qwest, and like it quite a bit. I wouldn't mind have a Touch-ish phone, in the sense of a not-recessed glass screen like the iPhone and the HTC Touch, but with the HTC Touch it just seems like a gimmick. Unless there is some drastically better new ROM that the Sprint store hadn't installed yet, it seemed like it aped various iPhone functionality in a poor way. Things like scrolling, using my finger, was clumsy as hell, just as bad (or good?) as using the utility meant to duplicate it for other WM6 devices. It certainly didn't have the kind of usefulness in that regard as the iPhone or using Picsel or Opera on a WM6 device.

What gives?

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:08PM]

The touch and mogul have a lot of similarities but some differences - it isn't the end all solution but it is a nice option/alternative for some. Some will prefer the physical keyboard available on the Mogul. The Touch has a little more memory than the mogul. The mogul had a horrible BT issue in the first 3 roms for WM6. The latest seems to help a lot. Some will like the cube flash menu system for the touch - I prefer SPB pocket plus but it does give you some similar features for free.

The Touch isn't the next gen of the mogul but an alternative to it with a few updates. The mogul has a flash which I miss dearly on my touch.

[boe @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:34PM]

PS the Touch feels a lot smaller than the mogul. It is about the size of the mogul without the top sliding area. The Mogul has many more external buttons and an easy to access micro SD drive. Again - just a matter of choice/taste. I prefer the touch enough to stick with it over the mogul but the mogul has some features I'll miss.

[wud_e @ Jan 22nd 2008 2:21PM]

HTC Touch came out before iphone did. So it's not trying to "Be the iphone"

[Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2008 8:04PM]

yeah, it does have a stylus, and you need it for many common functions.

[Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2008 8:05PM]

i hate it when my "reply" gets posted as a new comment. :\

[peSHIr @ Jan 24th 2008 7:25AM]

Avoid this thing like the plague, like any recent HTC device, even if you like how it looks!

Just check out http://www.htcclassaction.org/ and all the other media-attention about the issues with newer HTC devices that make 'em all but unusable.

Until these display issues are resolved (if ever), I regret ever buying my TyTN II...

[Robert @ Jan 25th 2008 10:33PM]

I bought the Sprint Touch and I regret it too.
Again Check out the htcclassaction.org site.

[babiiehazel @ Mar 17th 2008 7:40AM]

hey... i'm from singapore.. can anyone care to tell me where and how can i get a verison xv6900 phone. I'll appreciate it if u could reply me. thanks

[Gaines @ Apr 18th 2008 12:09AM]

Verizon now has these on their site. I have this same phone with Sprint and LOVE it! Let me know if you have any questions about it I might be able to help with.

http://www.VerizonXV6900.com