HTC Touch Comprehensive Review Specs & Value Analysis

Overview of HTC Touch

The HTC Touch, launched in June 2007, was a groundbreaking smartphone at its time. Acclaimed for its sleek design and innovative touch interface, the device was a major player in popularizing touchscreen technology in mobile phones. The HTC Touch was designed for consumers seeking a device that combined functionality, style, and advanced technology.

Design and Build

The HTC Touch featured a compact and elegant design. With dimensions measuring 99.9 x 58 x 13.9 mm and a weight of 112 grams, it was lightweight and easy to carry. The device was available in a variety of colors, including Soft Black, Wasabi Green, White, and Burgundy, allowing users to choose a style that suited their personal taste. The HTC Touch used a Mini-SIM and had a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 41.9%, which was considered innovative at the time.

Display

The HTC Touch was equipped with a 2.8-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. This resulted in a pixel density of around 143 ppi, which was typical for devices of that era. Although the touchscreen was resistive rather than capacitive, it still provided a satisfactory user experience with its 65K color display. Users navigated the interface either by using a stylus or their fingers, embracing the new trend in mobile technology.

Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, the HTC Touch was powered by the TI OMAP 850 chipset and featured a 200 MHz ARM926EJ-S CPU. While these specifications might seem modest by today's standards, they were adequate for running the Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional operating system which the device shipped with. The phone came with either 64MB or 128MB of RAM and 128MB or 256MB of ROM, providing sufficient capacity for basic applications and operations. Additionally, the device included a microSD card slot, with 1GB included, allowing for expandable storage, which was a significant feature at the time.

Camera

The main camera was a 2 MP unit capable of capturing images and recording videos. The camera included basic functionalities and represented a standard specification for smartphones in 2007. There was no front-facing camera on the HTC Touch, as selfies and video calls were not as predominant as today.

Battery Life

The device employed a removable Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery, which had a stand-by time of up to 200 hours and a talk time of up to 5 hours. These battery specifications, combined with the device's power management features, provided adequate life for daily use at the time, although heavy users might need to recharge more frequently.

Connectivity and Networking

The HTC Touch supported GSM technology with 2G bands available at GSM 900/1800/1900 frequencies. Internet connectivity was provided through GPRS Class 10 and EDGE, allowing users to access the web at moderate speeds. The device included Wi-Fi 802.11b/g support and Bluetooth 2.0, enabling wireless connectivity options, though positioning services and radio were not featured.

Audio and Multimedia

The HTC Touch came equipped with a loudspeaker and supported vibration alerts alongside downloadable polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. There was no 3.5mm headphone jack, a minor limitation that required users to rely on alternatives for personal audio listening.

Software and Applications

Running on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional, the HTC Touch provided users with a range of applications and features. The device's operating system supported a variety of productivity and business applications, making it appealing to professionals seeking functionality on the go. It also included a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (Pocket Internet Explorer) browser for basic internet browsing.

Legacy and Impact

The HTC Touch played a crucial role in the evolution of smartphones, introducing many users to the world of touchscreen mobile devices. Its blend of style, functionality, and relatively advanced technology made it stand out during its time, preceding the shift towards more powerful, touchscreen-dominated smartphones. Despite being discontinued, the HTC Touch remains a significant model in the history of mobile technology development.

Conclusion

Although the HTC Touch is now considered outdated, its influence on the design and development of future smartphones cannot be overstated. At its launch, it represented a bold step towards modern mobile technology, embracing the touchscreen trend and merging it with practical functionalities that consumers of the time found incredibly useful. The HTC Touch will be remembered not just for its technical specifications, but for the impact it had on the smartphone industry as a whole.