The question on quite literally every WinMo fanatic's mind as we go into the second half of the year here is, "
Touch Pro or
X1?" It's not an easy question to answer, and anyone hoping to sink some cash on either one of these models in a few months is going to want to do so with a crap-ton of research and anecdotal information under their belts lest the buyer's remorse set in particularly quickly. MobileBurn scored an early look at the Touch Pro -- which won't be available at retail for a month or three yet -- and came away impressed with the all-important keyboard, saying that it was "much more" usable than the QWERTY found on Sony Ericsson's rival superphone. Closed, it's said to be virtually indistinguishable from the Touch Diamond (which we'd say is a good thing) other than being a bit thicker to accomodate they keyboard and picking up a matte-finish rear cover. Unfortunately, HTC refused to show off the Touch Pro's interface -- apparently on account of some new tricks up TouchFLO 3D's sleeve that haven't already made their way into the Touch Diamond -- but they did share that the new model will handle landscape mode with particular aplomb. So this one might have the X1 beat in the keyboard department, but the X1's WVGA display takes the crown for sheer pixel count. Decisions!
posted Jun 27th 2008 4:47AM
I think it will come down to just handling each phone in person and seeing which one you prefer. Right now though, I am leaning towards the x1 for the pixel count. I am curious to see what this new TouchFlo is about though.
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdacomparer&id1=1306&id2=1117
bear in mind, they're just preliminary specs (subject to change).
Hi E71,
Those specs at PDAdb.net list GPS and aGPS as present on the TP but not the X1. Unless something has changed, the X1 will have aGPS.
xtream,
the phone number still can be moved from phone to phone, but the carrier has to do it for you.
The HTC pro did it right with the space bar button. But I don't get it is why Xperia X1 space keyboard need to take up so much space?
I'm still leaning towards the X1. 3 phones I'm leaning towards:
Xperia X1
HTC Touch Pro
HTC Dream?
I just hope and pray that there will be a way to install android on the HTC Touch Pro or the Xperia X1.
ah. this is becoming another one of those epic questions. pirates or ninjas? Gladiator or Braveheart?
Touch Pro or X1?
I love the Idea of VGA and WVGA screens and have been waiting for them forever, but after getting an iPod Touch, I'm not really seeing the need. 480x320 in a 3.5" screen is pretty damn sharp. I'm not sure if a 800x480 3" is just plain overkill, especially considering that the more pixels you add, the more the GPU has to work to render the graphics.
loosely_coupled: as long as the extra pixels don't slow things down, theres no such thing as too many pixels. i'm waiting for the day when displays match the resolution of the human eye (of course this depends on viewing distance).
@maveric
Pixel density that reaches the physical limit of the retina is certainly a good goal, but we can't even get 200+ DPI monitors for god sakes! The most important thing Apple and Microsoft could do is to FINALLY make resolution-independent vector user interfaces. The average Joe who thinks his "text is to small" is the one buying all the 1280x800 19" monitors! For god sakes, we haven't progressed for years! I remember an old 15" laptop I had at least 5-6 years ago that had a 1600x1200 screen. Today, you can barely even FIND 15" displays that have 1600/1920x1200 screens...
We need to at least shrink the existing 2560x1600 resolution panels down to 17-20" instead of 30", and increase the 30" panels to 4K digital cinema resolution! (~3840x2400)
Where is the progress???
They are both with tiny keyboards which only 2 fingers (or thumbs) will be used max.
other than that I agree with Jacubious that X1 on th pixel count. and im curious too on the touchflo
X1 Forever
I personally would prefer this over the X1. The keyboard is pretty important to me and I seem to just prefer the overall design of this phone.
Don't matter to me...it's not like Verizon will take on either phone. I love their coverage, but detest their phone selection.
agreed.
ever thought about just buying a phone without a new contract and just putting your old sim card with your old contract in it?
most phones sold by the phone providers are branded and not in a good way so just buying it directly is the only real option anyway
xstream, verizon doesnt use sim cards. verizon is cdma which is internal. at&t and tmobile are gsm, and they use sim cards.
hmm i thought cdma requires a sim card too (cdma isn't used here in germany). if there is no sim card then that does mean your number is bound to the phone or what? sounds pretty crappy imho
xstream...
it is crappy
It's very crappy... I can drive from Iowa to Tennessee and have EVDO well over 95% of the time, but I can't get a super sweet phone. (WM anyway...) Unless I read AT&T maps wrong, they don't even have friggen 3G in Iowa, while VZW dominates (in the population centers anyway) the state.
I think that the screen is more important....I love X1....
No tilting screen? boooooooo
The Touch Pro have no Standard Jack output, this is the only negative point for me....
Until I see their screens live :P
Wow... with the X1 and Touch Pro coming out, Apple's iPhone 3G is so friggin double dead.
I think that by December, TouchFLO 3D will most likely be running on the X1 (by the guys at xda-developers or ppcgeeks) since the Diamond, X1, and Touch Pro all run the MSM7201A (MSM7501A for CDMA) chipsets.
The X1 might cost a bit more with those 200 extra pixels, but the one thing I'm still waiting to hear about is when the first Tegra phone is going to hit. If Tegra phones won't hit by Xmas, I'm going to get a Touch Pro.
Exactly! Black Xperia with TouchFLO 3D in one of the Xperias "panels" would be pretty good ;).
Another important question is if WM7 will be supported by Diamond and Xperia. (But apparently yes)
I dunno about the iPhone demise just yet. New higher-tech phones will always grab the market share of those with extra bucks who like new toys - 1st gen iPhone included. But the new iPhone p2.0 rice has dropped low enough for us who can't always afford to be bleeding edge (with the up front cost) - and there are more of us.
Unless both of these phones are launched with prices near $250, iPhone 2.0 will sell and sell and sell. Don't get me wrong though, if the HTC price-point is low enough I'd jump - that's one sweet looking phone for those of us who want some physical buttons to press.
Both the fones will also be significantly more expensive up-front than the iPhone. I can't imagine either would be much under $400 with contract, looking at pricing of previous HTC smartphones. They are more capable, sure, but will also be tres cher.
Of course you can get an iPhone 3G in two weeks, for $200. The same plans and contracts will be required for either of the above phones, so no difference there.
It may be worth it to you, but no doubt those two phones WILL be a lot more. Going by Nokia N95 8GB prices, you're going to be looking at $600+ up front in the US. Prices like those aren't going to cannibalize iPhone sales one bit.
The story may be different in other parts of the world.
@ scott,
Nah, Retail unsubsidized price might be around $500.00, but of course the carriers will also subsidize these phones. My guess is under contract you'd be able to pick one up for between $200-$300. I got an at&t Tilt for $250 back when it was released last year, I know others who get prices as low as $199 under contract.
As far as these phones eating/not eating into iPhone sales, I think its the other way around. The repeated iPhone price drops, a reflection of its diminishing perceived value, are an attempt to capture more of the BB, WinMo market share. I don't think BB, WinMo, or symbian have much to worry about.
This is a little smaller than the X1, dimensions are important too.
actually the pro is 1 mm thicker, but yes, smaller in the other dimensions.
Using the X1 keyboard with your fingernails (the only way) is equivalent to scratching a chalkboard, whereas the HTC looks nice and gummy...
I would go for the X1 as every smartphone and PDA from HTC I have used have had inferior call quality to a standard handset.
You do know that the X1 is also built by HTC right ?
well i hope you know that the X1 is made by HTC so if you're looking for better reception hopefully the X1 will have a special radio or something because i'm sure the components that they use to build the X1 will be very similar to that of the Touch Pro.
my current HTC Mogul call quality is just fine, imho...
They are on crack if they think this is "virtually indistinguishable" from the Touch Diamond when closed. I just played with both today and they are clearly different phones. The Touch Diamond is heavier and thicker, and a more square-like proportion (the Touch Diamond is more elongated and surprisingly like a candybar form factor). The matte finish and rounded corners also make it feel very different. All in all, the Touch Diamond comes off as a fashion phone whereas the Touch Pro seems much more like a traditional smartphone.
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=200&p=360&g=364&h=9959
PhoneScoop above have a series of photos with the Touch Diamond and the Touch Pro side by side, and from my perspective, top-down they look nearly identical. Side-on the Pro is obviously quite thick, but this is in comparison with the ultra-thin Diamond.
I am worried about the graphics drivers for an 800x480 screen, and for incompatibility with existing and forthcoming 3rd party software. Plus you know that xda-devs will be all over the Touch Pro the moment it is released, meaning upgrades in the months to come. Not sure you can say the same of the X1 even if it is made by HTC. At present I'm leaning to the Touch Pro, but my mind changes every other day!
Oh Engadget... how you understand my dilemmas so.
BEar in mind at the screen size the extra 200 pixel width wont make much difference in appearence. Where it WILL make a difference is in running apps which are just gonna screw up when considering the extra pixels. Tried on a similar wide screen Toshiba G910 and 3rd party apps just didnt run :-P
BEar in mind at the screen size the extra 200 pixel width wont make much difference in appearence. Where it WILL make a difference is in running apps which are just gonna screw up when considering the extra pixels. Tried on a similar wide screen Toshiba G910 and 3rd party apps just didnt run :-P
From what I understood they were working on it together no? If it's gonna be built entirely by HTC then that's gonna make my choice a whole lot harder! lol
sony tells us that they designed and engineered it but htc manufactures it
Saying Sony Engineered that is just marketing bull. I used work just like this and all it means is there is one Engineer at Sony who reviews the designs from HTC and makes small changes and crap. The core know how is for sure HTC. Sony us fully equipped any phone it has already designed, and not stupid enough to give intellectual property to any company based in Taiwan.
Oops, sorry on the double post :-P
X1 keyboard looks easier to type on because of the little spaces between the keys.
Well... No. The actual KEYS are smaller, and therefore harder to hit. I'd rather have a larger area to press rather than a gap that does nothing.
Both PDA`s look great, but the HTC design plus TouchFlo 3D are more to my liking.
Some post above comment on the audio quality of HTC phone. I have been using the imate JASJAM for almost 2 years and the audio quality is excellent. Callers often couldn't tell if I am on the landline. And that is from an HTC phone almost 2 years old.
As for choosing between X1 and TP, that is hard choice. Differences are small. I think either choice is good. I probably goes with TP just because I like being able to get help from XDA.
The HTC P4350 and S620 I've used couldn't compare to any my previous handsets, be it Sharp, Nokia, Sony Ericsson etc, for call quality. I'm not saying that all HTC handsets have bad call quality, as BChau has had a good experience with his/her JASJAM, but based upon my experience I will be careful of what I choose when it concerns HTC.
Other than call quality though I love HTC handsets and would recommend them to anyone for their additional functionality.
Hmm.. X1 wins for being quad-band. For traveling and such!
...and that's about it.
But when it comes to us Americans of only moderate income all that really going to matter is which carrier takes which phone....so sad....so sad
I wish verizon would really get to having cool cells like this.
and i wish att would have better service like verizon.
Ya get one,ya loose another....
God that phone looks so awesome...
If it had a bigger screen and higher resolution it would be a no brainier.
However I'm still undecided about what I should get for my next phone.
Now:
1) put Android on it,
2) make it work with T-Mobile USA 3G _AND_ AT&T 3G,
3) get it out on the market, unbranded and unlocked.
Then we're in business.
1) agree
2) meh, I am a VZW user
2) AGREE
Just wish HTC would get rid of the buttons below the screen (or at leas make them smaller) then it would be perfect!
You mean like the original Touch?
No, buttons are nice, contrary to what the iPhone has you believe.
I don't mean get rid of the keyboard, this is a must for me; I just don't like on my TyTn II that the screen is all squished to the left when in landscape--give me a bigger screen and fewer buttons below it. Maybe just a answer/end button and the nav pad?
Having a Sprint Touch right now, I can tell you I'm actually glad they put those buttons at the bottom. Plus you know the circle acts as a zoom in and zoom out wheel right?
Third try at a reply!
I like the keyboard, currently have a TyTn II; just don't like the screen is small in comparison to the whole unit. I don't like apple as much as the next guy, but I do like the Iphone front--add a keyboard and think it would be perfect. Keyboard and WinMo that is.
it looks to me like you prefer the X1. i was kinda thinking the same thing, its awkward having the screen squished to the left, also feels like you're missing screen.
The real questions for me are which one is at&t getting, and how much? With the iPhone being $199/$299 I hope this puts some downward pressure on the price of these handsets.
The X1 still looks like a better candidate for me, especially once TouchFlo3D is ported on to it. More Pixels.
The Omnia also looks good except for the lower res screen the specs look killer-5mpxl camera with smile detection, TV out, native DivX support, FM radio, 16gigs on board plus SD card slot.
So of the 3 (or 4 if you include the Touch Diamond) which one is coming to at&t? I’m not looking to pay an unsubsidized retail price.
Hopefully they AT&T gets ANY of these, with them pushing the iPhone so hard, I wouldn't be surprised if they dont get anything NICE any time soon.
I think there is enough cellphone love and money to go around, but I wonder. Could they be using a classic retail strategy and using the heavily marketed iPhone as a loss leader? After all, it’s been said that at&t won’t make any money on this phone for a couple of years.
Once a buyer is in the store, some of the iPhone’s short comings might be deal breakers for some. It would be easy to push an item that could turn a profit sooner for at&t, like something form SE or LG as a feature/fashion phone or a real smartphone like the Touch Pro, X1, or Omnia or even something from Palm or BB.
Crazy, you say? Crazy enough to work!
i wonder how these will compare to the htc ralhpaiel that sprint is getting?
HTC Raphael = HTC Touch Pro
HTC Diamond = HTC Touch Diamond
Does anyway care that HTC is actually making both of these phones?
Sony is just branding the X1 with there name.
Much of the internals will be the same.
I just see the X1 not having the HTC TouchFlo interface, but you could easily download the mod and have it do the same thing.
I have my Kaiser running the TouchFlo interface from HTC's Touch.
anyway should be anyone
I think that I would buy this one... and keep it untill the PSPhone comes out
Can it be possible that Sony Ericsson gets it together with the X1's keyboard before launch?
I know no one cares, but for me, the decision will be based on carrier and price. I know most people hates AT&T, but is the only one that has decent coverage at the field I work in. So if any of this two is AT&T and less than 100 dollars more the price of the 16GB iPhone, I will be getting one.
The soon to be King of all Phones.
*oh* *my* *god*
love the keyboard!
looks exactly like the ones on a normal desktop computer wow!
Listen, my whole life I've used phones with a QVGA resolution or smaller.
VGA is a huge upgrade already, I'll take the keyboard and TouchFLO 3D over a mere additonal 20% bump in resolution.
Just a note for all the fellow decision-makers, the X1 isn't 16:9, you will still get letterbarring on widescreen video.
Seeing a keyboard as beautiful and complete as this one (on the Touch Pro), makes me more and more eager to see HTC's effort with the Android Dream which has been in development for 2 years.
It's gonna be great.... It's the first Android phone and it has to be great.
X1 vs Raphael:
I used to prefer X1 because of the widescreen. But if it's gonna be slow and buggy (till now it is) then I'd rather have TouchFLO. Nine running start-up screens seemed so far-fetched. It's WM, not Android or OSX.
And the beautiful keyboard won't hurt either.
To me the extra pixels aren't for videos, they're for web browsing. 800 pixels means much less side scrolling..
The extra width of the Sony will make a big difference if you want to use software to control your phone with a laptop/tablet. (Eg when there is no wifi available, and you want to use the phone to remote desktop to a full PC)
But the Touch Pro is supposed to have TV Out...
But isn't the HTC touch supposed to be on all major carriers?
This phone is very sexy, and much better than the TD thanks to the keyboard.
But as I don't like the design of the X1, i'm lost between the TP and the Omnia....
Hope engadget will make a comparison between iphone 3G, TP, X1 and Omnia, this would be perfect :)
But all those phones remebered my Archos PMA430 times...it was like an iPod, but so much in advance....
Unless something significant changes, I'm rolling with Touch Pro.
/nergasm
The question isn't "Am I going to interface with the screen more than the keyboard (in terms of the added lines of resolution on the X1 as opposed to the Diamond Pro)?"
The question is, "Am I going to be interfacing with the extra 160 lines of resolution than I will with the keyboard?" And to me, the answer is, "No!"
They both offer VGA screens. At the end of the day, the extra 160 lines of res on the X1 isn't going to matter, because both screens have the same pixel density, and VGA is good enough on a screen approx. 3". It's four times the res of my current Tytn II QVGA, and that alone is going to wow me. The usability factor will not be impeded just because I don't have an extra 160 lines somewhere. That's not enough to make me sulk, but I AM going to be using the keyboard all the time. Whether taking notes, entering contact info, browsing online, or texting someone - the keyboard will get much use, and if it's crap, that WILL make me sulk. And the Diamond Pro just looks better overall than the X1 - at least to me.
So bottom line? It's the Diamond Pro for me. Maybe.
I say "maybe", because the only place where HTC screwed up with the Diamonds, was with the cellular radios. If they really are only going to stick with Tri-GSM/EDGE and dual-3.5G, that'll be the biggest mistake of their careers. They'll lose a lot of sales because of that, because that's really going to reduce the connectivity of the phones. My older Tytn II has better cellular than that. Successor models are not supposed to take steps back, they're supposed to take steps forward. I would expect MORE cellular bands, not fewer. Dumb move on their part.
Please for the love of god tell me this comes in a CDMA version. I really am tired of seeing all these great phones in GSM.
Yeah yeah... I know... everyone will say GSM is better and 3G is better than EVDO and that GSM works around the world. That's of no matter to me, becasue it does not have much coverage anywhere near I live and absolutely no high speed coverage within 100 miles of me.
God, please I hope this is not going to skip over CDMA.
I think I need to move :-(
its already been confirmed for sprint and theres a rumor that verizon may get it, so yes there is a cdma version
Let's not forget TV out on the Touch Pro. This could finally replace my Archos Gemini 402. Think about it. At a friends house nothing to do, plug your cell phone in and watch a movie. THAT is what I want.
I was all set to get the touch pro until someone here mentioned "Tegra", a quick Google search of the word now has me drooling and wondering if maybe I should wait a bit longer!
Could someone please explain to me about GSM and CDMA. from what I've studied CDMA has a wider coverage area and a lot faster internet download. Since most of the other features are pretty much the same wouldn't the Touch Pro be better since it will also have CDMA and the X1 won't?
GSM and CDMA are the two competing forms of cellular technology.
An easy example:
AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM carriers. You're probably familiar with SIM cards. SIM cards = GSM.
Sprint and Verizon are CDMA. No SIM cards. Connecting the phone to the network is all done through the interface of the phone.
GSM fans like that they can switch their SIM cards back and forth between different handsets at their every whim. Many international markets primarily use GSM as well. CDMA fans enjoy the increased coverage and download speeds associated with most domestic CDMA networks. However, if they want to switch their number to a different handset, they'll be making a trip to their provider.
Hope that helps (as it is far from a comprehensive overview).
costs 699,- Euros in Germany and around $1000,- in US without contract
f.e.:
http://www.negrielectronics.com/product_info.php?products_id=1530?osCsid=e4f0adb6645a0a40c98a9ab50f8ef2d8