HTC Touch2 (unlocked) – With a new OS
HTC Touch2 is not a new phone, it has been there for a while but still I am covering it here in this review since my e-mail inbox is flooded with requests for review of this gadget. HTC Touch2, when released, was one of the first smartphones to ship with Windows 6.5 OS which brought a host of new features. Hence, the new OS became an instant hit amongst the masses. Some said that is didn’t have any major updates over its predecessor but I think there were some new welcome additions. I read on the Internet that the primary reason why Microsoft released the new update was because it wanted to create a more touch friendly interface. They wanted to make it more appealing to the consumers.
HTC Touch2’s Today screen is a lot like Microsoft Zune, which is really like. There is a slide bar which lets you scroll up and down through the various apps on the phone. Sliding sideways on a particular app gives you more information about the app. For instance, if you swipe the calendar app sideways, you can see your upcoming appointments and new event.
HTC Touch2’s Start Menu is also changed; you have the new honeycomb layout which looks quite pretty owing to the big size of the screen. Nine apps fit in to a screen at a time and you have to scroll up and down to access more. The shortcuts can also be rearranged according to your preferences. For instance, if you want the music player on the top, you can keep it somewhere near the top. This will be helpful if you have a lot of shortcuts there, you won’t have to go scrolling down all the time. All you have to do is long press the icon and then drag it to where ever you want on the page.
The new feature about the HTC Touch2 is the locked screen which shows you appointments, missed calls date/time and new messages. You can press these notifications and it will take you directly to the related app; you don’t have to go digging inside every time. If you are wondering about the new features on this phone, there are three major additions to this gadget. Windows Marketplace, Microsoft MyPhone backup service, and a brand new Internet Explorer mobile. These three new apps are courtesy of the new OS. Windows Marketplace is Microsoft’s new app catalog but I haven’t checked it out fully yet. MyPhone is a backup service which saves all your contacts, e-mail, photos, etc. in case your phone gets in to trouble and the data gets erased. You have to login with your Windows Live ID and you can recover all the content from here.
The third change is the Internet Explorer app which has been improved by Microsoft. There is now FlashLite support which lets you access the Flash content right from the browser itself. You can also switch between the mobile or computer version of the Web pages.
