HTC Touch Pro hands-on
By Ryan Block 
posted Aug 11th 2008 5:08PM
posted Aug 11th 2008 5:08PM
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GIMME GIMME GIMME!!!!
Hmmm...where is the soft reset button?
Inside the stylus slot. if it's like the diamonds
LMFAO at the WM phones and their soft reset buttons. They are MADE knowing that they will eventually and often crash. ;-)
@booger: No, it's because sometimes you want to restart your phone after installing something or flashing a new ROM and it's nice to have that control. There are few things that require me to soft reset but occasionally a program that alters the UI or something else fundamental requires a soft reset.
Technically a soft reset button is more often called a "Power button".
and even your precious iPhone has one of those booger.
and they both have hard resets too if you were wondering, that little pin head button on most phones, and probably the touch pro, and by holding down the hold and home button on the iPhone.
@Grant, actually that's not true at all. Have you ever owned a phone before? When someone refers to a soft reset button they're referring to the tiny hole with a button typically on the back or under a battery cover. Most phones have them.
A power button is just that... a power button.......
turning off and on = a soft reset
the physical button is just to speed it up. like restarting your PC rather than shutting it down and then pressing the power button.
@ Kris
Like Pheonix said, a soft reset is a reset done by software means, such as pressing the power button on the phone to tell it to shut down.
A hard reset is when a soft reset is not working/the phone is frozen and you need to cut the power to restart. a similar effect can be achieved by just removing the battery, if possible.
The small button (i referred to as a pinhead button) you mention is a hard reset button, and is usually only used when the previously mentioned software means to shut down the phone just don't work.
So if you're ever in doubt again: Soft(ware) reset, Hard(ware) reset.
booger, you're an ass. i have an iphone, i have friends with iphones, and the apps cause the phone to crash far more frequently than i'd like. at least WM would tend to quit the program than completely fail.
for the record. i voted you up. im tired of the 2% of the marketshare loud mouthed apple fantards
nonono.
The small pinhole button is a soft reset. If the phone is frozen that's what you do. Power on and off does the same thing.
A HARD reset is a complete wipe back to factory settings. In WinMo it's does via the settings menu
Phoenix is right; a soft-reset is rebooting the phone, be it via software or removing and replacing the battery.
A hard reset is resetting the phone to its ROM or factory state; done by following a special sequence or by using the proper commands in the UI.
iphones crash a million times a second
IPHOnE IS SUPREIOT
So is your spelling abilities
Jk, of course
As annoying as DooM is he has a point. The iPhone has superior processing power. Although I think I'd rather own one of these.
A quick comparison between the 3G iPhone and the HTC Touch Pro
3G iPhone: 620 Mhz ARM CPU
HTC Touch Pro: 528 Mhz CPU
3G iPhone: 8/16 GB Shared, no-slot
HTC Touch Pro: 288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM + Micro SD slot
3G iPhone: Capacitive touchscreen
HTC: TFT touchscreen + keyboard.
3G iPhone: 320x480 3.5in 16m color display
HTC: 480x640 2.8in 65k color display
3G iPhone: 2 MP camera, 1600x1200 pixels
HTC: 3.15 MP camera, 2048x1536 pixels
Full comparison at http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone2=2424&idPhone1=2413
@Bunson
The iPhones processor runs at less than 500Mhz.
jah, the processor is underclocked
Hey, your right. Just looked it up, it ran during version 1.2 roughly 412 Mhz depending on battery and the processing load. That settles it. I'm going to get one of these as soon as they come out.
@Bunson
You forgot the most important feature, the OS.
Yeah,cause the OS can make your 400Mhz CPU runs like an 800.
So my 4...ack 5(!) year old Axim with a 624Mhz CPU is faster than an iPhone? Just like a 3.0Ghz Pentium 4 is faster than a Core 2 Duo at 1.8Ghz?
No, of course not. The CPUs are different. The only way to test is to get them running the same OS and benchmark the CPU. (And the iPhone one runs underclocked, as stated previously.)
Also the memory comparison is not valid. The 8/16GB is not RAM, it is storage memory only (iPhone has 128MB for the record). And the storage on the Touch Pro is fully upgradable and interchangable. 8GB cards are fairly inexpensive, and the cost will only go down. MicroSD is highly portable and you could even carry a few to carry more stuff. You're stuck with the iPhone's memory.
And let's see...higher resolution screen or more accurate color reproduction. Considering I'm not running Photoshop, I'd like those extra pixels to view webpages.
Resolution is great, but that thing is pushing 300 lines per inch, which is right at the edge of your ability to see detail with a viewing distance of a foot and a half or so. It's not exactly necessary for web browsing.
Either display is going to be fine. People never seem to gripe about with the iphone is the quality of the display. Part of display usability is how well text is rendered and how easy it is to move the viewing window around a document, which is an area where Apple does a damn good job.
Comparing hardware is one factor in this, but it's the software that really matters. Remember, people were still buying macs back when they were putting G3 and G4 processors up against Intels running twice as fast...not because they were (all) idiots, but because the OS experience was better.
Ideally, everyone would get to try out several phones for a few days before buying them, because I think you need to live with it for a while before you can properly evaluate it. I'd love to get my hands on one of these things for a week or two to try out.
Any speed improvements for the TouchFlo 3D UI?
... or how bout any useful information in this "hands on?" Yeah, I'd like that.
They recently released a bios update for the Touch that gave TouchFlo a big speed increase from the initial release.
Very tempting and sexy until I saw the oversized thickness. As if didn't expect it to be so.
If it is too thick, just get a touch diamond. Keyboards tend to add some girth......
Blame the QWERTY. If it didnt have the QWERTY it would be as thin as the Diamond.
Actually it's not the QWERTY that's adding all that thickness, it is the larger battery. The Touch Pro battery itself is the same thickness as the Diamond.
DO WANT NAO PLZ
sprint? pretty please?? I might have gotten an instinct, but I'd like a hard keyboard..
Sprint users:
This is coming soon in a CDMA version on Sprint, and is codenamed "HTC Herman".
http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Sprint-PCS-carrier-c_2_3.html
I still don't understand why the screen is so damn small. My crappy 3 year old Palm TX has a 4" screen, and still manages to have a 5-way navigator and 4 hard button on the bottom of the device.
To keep the DEVICE small. Not many people want a giant phone with a 4" screen as their primary phone, you have to hold it to your ear you know
I'm not following you. You can have a 4" screen and still keep the device small. 'Just lose all the wasted space at the bottom. As I mentioned, a Palm TX is roughly the same size, and yet it manages to have a 5-way navigator and 4 hard buttons at the bottom.
The non-screen portion of the Touch Pro looks to be roughly 30% of the entire front of the phone. That's a big waste of valuable real estate.
I would have to agree, the 2.8" screen is disappointing. They could have at least bumped it up a little bit...especially it being VGA and all...
Last I checked the Palm TX was neither a phone nor does it have touchscreen capabilities. You are comparing apples to oranges.
to be fair, you NEVER said in your post that that phone was the same size.
@jeremey480:sorry to prove you wrong son, but the Palm TX does INDEED have a touchscreen....just like every other Palm made device that has ever existed.
I don't mind a larger screen, it's too bad the Palm TX is equal to one and a half Touch Pros. It won't fit in my pocket.
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/15850-HTC-Touch-PRO-vs-Palm-TX
PMPhone. Mmmm.
You must have very small pockets. I carry my TX in my pocket all the time with absolutely no problems. And yes, every Palm since the original Palm Pilot has had a touchscreen.
Yes, perhaps the TX is a bit bigger than the Pro, but that doesn't mean that the Prop couldn't use a bigger screen. How about 3.5" or 3.75"? Isn't that roughly the size of the iPhone?
If you're going to have VGA, don't waste it on a dinky screen.
I guess it boils down to the question as to whether the Pro is primarily a phone, or an internet device with phone capabilities. Many of us have been waiting impatiently for a 3G VGA internet device with a decent sized touchscreen and expandable memory. Unfortunately, the wait continues.
You can't hold a phone to your ear when you're driving especially in CA it's against law...
I'm glad the first million comments are by people who have nothing intelligent to say. I would like a more thorough review. This really doesn't tell me half as much as I would like to know. I suppose I'll google for it, or give engadget a day or two to write something with actuall meaning about it.
Yeah, what is with the sudden increase with all the first!!!!!11!!!eleven!!!11! over the past few weeks? i know they have always been around, but there seem to be more now. It's happened on Digg a lot too....
DO WANT!
I seriously can't wait for this to hit Sprint. I'll probably upgrade to the Unlimited Plan as well when it drops.
Just saw the article though about it might coming to AT&T. Just curious...why would anyone get it on AT&T when their unlimited plan is like 30 dollars MORE? And thats without some other things that Sprint includes in their plan.
Because if you were keeping track of Sprint, you would know that they are selling off their towers like iPhone 1's on e-bay. Sprint is dying slowly.
Because, especially where I live, AT&T has MUCH better service than sprint, near my high school sprint has no service, AT&T has HSDPA
Because i want REAL MMS, ability to talk and surf at the same time, and the ability to quickly swap out to another device when i want.
Also....you can have the touch pro and have internet for the same price as the 450 everything pack on sprint. Not everyone needs text messages or early NW.
HSDPA is crap compared to Sprint's WiMAX
Because there is a huge amount of WiMax coverage in the US, and MANY fine devices capable of utilising it
@Laughing Man
Trolling fail. Bringing up the towers (when there are so many other actually good indicators of your basic point) only shows your ignorance of the industry. Good job, sir.
Awesome device. Read somewhere that someone said that the At&t code name is "Fusion?" Can't wait.
This thing is going to be WIN.
sexy..bring it 2 tmobile w/ 3g and we have a winner
I agree with bringing it to T-Mobile. i said the same thing about the touch diamond. If only T-Mobile brought both or at least one of the phones to their service, AT&T will have some still competition, especially as T-Mobile is rolling out their 3G network and most US cities already have 3G on TMo.
jeez that thing is thick. and can't charge and use headphones at the same time? i'm souring on this thing.
the front facing camera... i'm assuming that the videochat is only going to be useful if you are talking to someone else with a touch pro?
no...2 anyone who has a phone w/ a front facing camera...but it wont work in the US :(
1) it's thick cos it's powerful
2) Bluetooth headphones or a y-cable. If you're serious about headphones I'd recommend having bluetooth ones anyway
3) no... you just need someone else with a camera with video calling. You know. That thing that's kinda popular in Europe but never used in the US? MOST of out phones now have it
not alot of phones like that... probably should have been left off
There's a lot of phones like that in other countries. US networks hate the video calling for some reason. I bet the network versions have it removed anyway
The SMT5800 ( also manufactured by HTC) came with a dual mini USB chord so you could use headphones while charging. I havent read if that applies here but is a good option to have.
That is a blatant false statement about charging and using headphones at the same time.
There are a plentiful adapters that give you this capability. I have my ATT tilt (which uses the same connection) set up to charge and play through the AUX port in my car.
i'd rather not use an adapter. i'd rather have a standard headphone jack then a forward facing camera that i can't use for its intended purpose. And stop using words like blatant where they aren't warrented
this thing demands bluetooth stereo headsets...
@mathew: if it's too thick, and that's your only objection, get the HTC Touch Diamond instead. Same device without the slide-out keyboard to make it thick.
Who wants to use a wired headphone jack when you can use bluetooth headphones? I can pause, fast forward, rewind, adjust volume and answer calls while keeping my phone in my pocket or gym bag.
Why hasn't that 3G phone added the A2DP profile yet is what you really should be asking.
I can't wait to replace my tilt with this thing ! Finally VGA !!!! I've been waiting for a VGA screen since the wizard on these phones...
this is a definite buy for me.
before you wet yourself let's see how video is on the touch pro...cause if it's anything like the tilt then it's bunk
It'll be better. We KNOW they've used the acceleration for TouchFLO 3D
Do want for Verizon and no bogged downed crap.
VZW either....
Won't get it.
Will cripple the hardware.
Will cripple the software (xda can fix this of course).
Will cripple the hardware and software.
Cause that's just what they do.
Its 18mm thick.. the same exact thickness as the Sprint Mogul. It looks very fat because of the flat angles.. the inverse reason why the iphone looks thinner than it is.
I am seriously considering the Diamond over this beast because it is insanely thin.. if only it had a microSD card slot.
I want to wait though for the Xperia to come out and compare them side by side.
I hope it's thinner than it looks...plus it looks kinda dark and depressing when next to the bright lit and very colorful screen of the iPhone.
Honestly, that is what I REALLY want too. :-) The X1 and Touch Pro make me VERY excited. :-)
This phone sometimes makes me regret buying an iPhone 3G. :-/
how much u want ur iphone 3g for il buy it from you
this aint going to sprint the htc touch diamond is this is either going to verizon or tmobile i think
It took me some time to make sense out of that comment. Next time you post a comment on Engadget, remember periods are your friend!
Wow dude. Why don't you at least try and do the minimal amount of research (clicking on "Touch Pro" in the article) before making a completely ignorance-filled claim?
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/08/05/more-details-on-htcs-touch-diamond-touch-pro-for-verizon-and/
Hmmm. No TouchFLO 3D in landscape... Harder to do, I suppose. I like the replacement button thing
Looks like a great device...hopefully to hit At&t soon
Really really really really really want this or the Diamond on T-Mobile. Give me both and I just may pull my hair out trying to choose between the two!
I have HEARD the Diamond is going to Tmobile. I want this phone SO much more than the diamond. Why is it, that the latest and greatest on T-Mobile is a Wing? Hell, it was outdated when I finally broke down and bought one, LAST YEAR. As a customer that prefers smartphones, T-Mobile is about a 95% letdown... besides the price on their unlimited data plan.
The Diamond and the Pro have both been confirmed for Sprint and Verizon. (though in modified forms)
Did we ever get updates on the Touch Pro's modified hardware or was it just the Diamond?
well we aint gonna see this phone in tmobile then
i really do think if there is ever a zune phone it will look alot like this.... just imagine instead of the pad they have a squircle. i think it could work really well.
but i really like the look of this phone.... even more than the iphone even with its extra bulk because ive never liked using a touch screen keyboard (in my limited usage of friends iphones). and my friends basically tell me the same things.... they got better at it but never have gotten as good as they had on physical keyboards.
If what I see is correct in the gallery, towards the end, you compare side-by-side the full qwerty Touch Pro vs the non keyboard model. Why no side-by-side with the non-keyboard Touch Pro and the iPhone for an honest size comparison between similar models?
wait... no... they compare the Touch Pro and the iPhone.
And the "keyboardless touch pro" is the Touch Diamond, there's been comparisons with it and the iPhone before.
It's coming to Sprint... codenamed HERMAN. The Diamond is codenamed VICTOR.
This is going to totally own the iPhone.
I don't think the diamond will own the iPhone, even though the keyboard is better, it is still too small, though the interface is nicer, also, the diamond's batttery is worse than the iPhone's
the pro addresses both of those issues, it has a spacious physical keyboard, and it has a larger battery than the diamond, with a lot more minutes of talk time than the diamond and the iphone
I agree with Eli, the diamond is a cool phone, but it's a bit underpowered for the UI and has a few set backs. On the other hand, the pro seems to address these problems and could really give the iPhone a run for it's money.... that is as long as Verizon version hasn't gimped the progress that the full powered(everyone but verizon) version has.
It's a good thing AT&T has this coming for it, it will act probably as an upgrade to the tilt, even though it is from a different family of phones from HTC it is around the same size and is probably marketed towards the same user market
I doubt this comes to AT&T. It might challenge the iPhone and AT&T won't have that. Also I hear the Tilt is still selling very well so I doubt they update it with this.
Oh, I don't mind the extra thickness for extra battery life... the thing is going to last twice as long as the iPhone
its too bad that at&t screwed up the keyboard layout (if it really looks like the leaked shots posted earlier). i really prefer the pictured normal-keyboard mimicing keyboard. I sure hope at&t fixes this before release, or that the great community at xda-developers.com figures out some sort of software fix for it!
No capacitive touch screen = no buy :(