HTC Touch Pro2 (CDMA)
Phone Scoop Review
Sep 14, 2009 by Eric M. Zeman
HTC has customized its Touch Pro 2 smartphone for Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Each specific version has small advantages over the others, but all versions offer a bevy of features aimed at the business user. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
BEST PHONE EVER!
Finally! Verizon has a phone that performs as well if not better then the iphone. I've had Verizon for about 4+ years with various PDA phones but this one by far is THEEE BEST phone I've ever had!
The phone is 10X more faster then the previous model "Touch pro" especially when I text my buddies, this phone actually keeps up! It is windows based but they finally worked out the tweaks and glitches out of it to make it perform great!
So far after playing with it for two days, the only cons is that its a heavy A$$ phone! but due to the functionality and capabilities of this phone it's bound to be heavy!
Best WM Device Available!
Having owned many smartphones, I was super excited to get my hands on the Touch Pro2 through Verizon.
My Pros:
Excellent Display
Touch Screen
Touch Flo 3D
Keyboard
Battery Life
Opera Web Browser
Built-in Weather and Stock Tabs
My Cons:
Available Accesories
Application Support not as strong as Iphone or Blackberry, but with Marketplace soon to arrive, that will be largely mitigated.
A lot of people are going to try and compare this phone with an iPhone. That is a big mistake. In my opinion, this phone is not geared towards potential buyers of an iPhone. Reason being; this is not a media device. If you are looking for a device to watch movies and listed to music, this really is not your ideal choice. Yes it can do all of that, but not with the ease of an Apple iPhone.
This phone is geared towards the Business User and for that, it is arguably one of the best on the market. The graphical interface is attractive, yet functional and users have the ability to utilize HTC's skin AKA Touch Flo3D or stick with the traditional all be it aged GUI of WM 6.1. Either way, the OS provides the user with critical information at a glance including missed calls, upcoming appointments, and messages. Many smartphones out there require the user to open each individual app to access messages, appointments etc. This "Today Screen" is definitely a big strength for the device.
As a phone, the device excells. The speakephone is fantastic, the voice quality is far superior to Blackberry, and battery life is fantastic considering the capabilities of this phone (Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G).
The biggest complaint about this phone is the size. No doubt about it, this is a heavy phone and large. That being said, given the size of the screen and capabilities, it is well worth the added weight. I personally believe that if weight and size are a huge concern, you may not want to be looking at a smartphone anyways.
Overall, this is a great phone. Definitely worth a look.
Good, But Not THAT Good!
So as of this writing (02/04/10), this SmartPhone by HTC is Sprint's highest contractual price of any phone in the lineup. A hefty $349 price tag with a two-year agreement is hardly worth paying for a phone that doesn't even ship with WM 6.5!!
PROS:
> This device is definitely built with quality in mind. It feels sturdy and seems very durable.
> The TouchFLO responsiveness is actually the best I've seen to compare to Apple. (Meaning it still doesn't come close, but is the best effort I've seen so far).
> Excellent speakerphone. Loud, crisp and clear.
> Slide-out QWERTY keyboard is best in its class!
> Has many overall, customizable options. (Although you must search deep for them).
> Responds fairly quickly to Sprint's EVDO 3G network.
> Ability to sync your contact data with Facebook in just one action (as long as that name matches EXACTLY!)
> Battery life is not all too bad for a guzzling SmartPhone!
> Cool, practical features such as automatic speakerphone activation when placing the phone face down on a surface, or implementing the "notes" feature when removing the stylus during a phone call.
> Screen is simply amazing. Mine was flawless... not one dead/stuck pixel!!
CONS:
> As mentioned plenty of times, its size will take plenty of getting used to. (But I don't mind it at all!)
> Sound quality during a call is crisp, but can be overshadowed by a substantial "hiss" in the background. (Evident in all units I've tried.) Seems the internal amplifier and overall earpiece volume isn't adjusted properly. (Amplifier set too high.)
> Phone gets fairly hot with usage.
> Many of its good practical features suffer from lags no thanks to Windows!!
> Email pushing is not completely accurate. (i.e. have it set to every 2 hours but may not actually update for the entire day.)
> Too many bugs still exist.
Overall, a great effort by HTC, but hindered by the WM platform and definitely not worth the hefty $-tag of what should be the FLAGSHIP phone at that value.
Excellent phone and do-it-all device
I have had this phone for just under 2 weeks and so far it has been a pleasure to own it. It does everything you could want in a mobile device (and does them all well); phone calls, web browsing, apps, gps, etc. All the functions are quick and well though out. Only the most minor flaws can be found with this device. In addition I have found Windows mobile to be quick and intuitive. I have owned several PPC's in the past and am glad to see that Windows mobile has greatly improved from it's previous incarnations. I highly recommend this device.
Pros-
Phone quality
- Calls are loud and clear
- Phone book and contacts management
- Speaker phone is excellent quality
-Web browsing is very fast
-Phone construction is very solid
-Hardware buttons on the front and side improve use of phone
-Windows mobile is an excellent operating system and is very underrated
Cons- (all minor)
-Weight of phone (takes a week to get used to)
-Virtual phone keypad (no more dialing without looking at the phone)
-Stylus storage location on phone (should be on top)
Side note - I could do without the sliding keyboard. It is an excellent keyboard, but I have found the virtual keyboard to be just as fast and accurate. HTC should produce a version of this phone minus the full keyboard. It would significantly reduce the cost, complexity, and weight of the phone, making an even better phone in my view.
a solid device.
switched from the bb tour with verizon to the touch pro 2. first impressions where obviously that i was not use to the device at all but quickly became well acquainted. blazing fast internet it a plus and also this is the first device ive had with vzw to have wifi. i love the form factor and the keyboard is amazing.
PROS:
-keypad is huge
-form factor is almost perfect.
-great resolution on screen
-great menu style
CONS:
-placement of the "sleep button". i find myself htting it while texting and it shuts the screen off mid sentence.
-battery life is just okay.
-lack of d-pad (there is one sort of integrated into the keypad.
-needs dedicated home/menu button.
-have yet to realize how "touch flo 3d" improves the device.
-built in weather application needs to have more locations available for selection.
all in all i would recomment the device to a very business oriented consumer. i myself am not but still find it a very fun device full of features.
Switched from a Curve
My TP2 arrived this morning and I simply love it. I have service with Verizon and took the phone into my local retail store to activate it and to transfer numbers from my Curve. While I was waiting for assistance, I compare the TP2 to the BB Tour and I'm glad I decided to not get the Tour. Mainly due to the tiny buttons. The phone is a lot easier to navigate through than I thought. It's a bit bulky but I got used to it within an hour. Plus I can tell I have my phone with me as opposed to always checking if I had my Blackberry. Here's the pros and cons that I've noticed.
Pros:
-Large Screen is fantastic
-Mute button on the bottom for conference calls
-3.5 mm jack for headphones
-Remote pc access
-Keyboard is awesome for typing with my large hands.
-Loud speaker
-Fully customizable menu
-Verizon's version is a World phone
-Has extra stylus
-Comes with Opera browser
-Faster processor than my Curve
Cons:
-No flash on camera(not major for me since I don't use the camera feature often)
-A little bulky / heavy
-Doesn't come with case, or headphones
-Processor could be a little bit quicker but it works for me.
That's about all I've found so far. Overall I love this phone and glad I didn't get the Tour. If you're a business person you'll love this phone. If you're a tech junkie like me and love smart phones then I highly recommend this phone. I worked in the wireless world for 3 years and I'm picky with my phones and I'm glad I got the TP2.
Best Windows Mobile Phone on Verizon
Coming off my first Touch Pro, I really wanted to get this phone. Now that I have had it for some time, I can give my thoughts about how it is.
The Good:
3.8" WVGA Touchscreen: EPIC size display for a Windows phone with a mega huge resolution! This I will miss the most.
Slide-out Keyboard: This is probably the very best slideways keyboard I have ever typed on! Keys are light to press, raised enough to feel, and don't hurt your hands after literally hours of typing on it! Also, it has underscore(_)! Oh, and the screen tilts up to make seeing the screen easier!
Quad Band GSM and 3G World Roaming: Overkill much? When you unlock this baby (and you should), it can go anywhere!
528 MHz Processor: It's a good, fast CPU, and it doesn't run as hot as the first Touch Pro.
256 MB RAM: Tons of Memory, with the right ROM, you can have 140 MB of free RAM! Excellent for extended Opera Mobile browsing binges!
Modding Support: As if the first Touch Pro wasn't totally mod supported, the TP2 aka Rhodium is very popular to mod, with custom ROMs galore (including a Verizon MR2 tweak ROM that fixes the Sleep of Death problem the stock MR2 update ROM has), even including running Android 2.2 and Ubuntu 9.04 Linux from a memory card!
The Bad:
No Flash: This is a big bummer. No flash means no flashlight. Turning a white screen around is not as effective as a super bright LED.
Keyboard: The keys are too low in height, and it makes it easy to hit the key above or below the one you are typing, so you often get numbers with the top row letter5s if you are not careful.
Touch Screen: While the screen is big, it is a resistive touch display. This means screen calibration. This means trouble clicking on tiny links. At least the phone has a stylus to help those with paws touch the screen :P
Sleep of Death: The phone's hardware requires a specific startup sequence when exiting standby. Get it wrong and it goes to a coma until you battery pull. Fixing SOD is a black art few ROM makers know.
Leaves much to be desired
As an owner of this phone and a cellular salesman I have sold this phone as well as used it extensively. The Htc TP2 has much potential that never fully gets realized.
Pros:
Office Mobile..nuff said
Screen display actually looks purrty nice
slide out qwerty keyboard is one of the best ive used
sound is actually pretty decent also
Cons:
should have made the touchscreen heat sensitive..pressure sensitive screens are awful for txting
Going from messaging to any other application or vice versa usually results in the phone locking up and requiring a soft reset
General locking up of the phone and awful, awful lagging throughout most of the phones functions.
Lack of applications and how expensive some are
All in all there are some things that make this phone great but the overal lagging and crashing makes this phone a pain to own. Whenever I have to peform a soft reset on the phone by taking the battery out several times a day, its just not worth it. My advice....stay away from this phone.
Phone more usable without loading Sense.
Sprint CDMA Touch Pro 2 - WM6.5
I have pretty much gave up on HTC Sense after updating to WM6.5. Running just the stock WM6.5 without Sense is the way to go. I do miss the fancy icons and display animations from Sense, but I am no longer experiencing extreme lags, freezes, or SOD (screen of death) lockups. This phone is actually usable again.
Browser experience has improved dramatically after installing the newest version of Opera Mini. Mini comes loads up fast and is the quickest browser I came across.
Speakerphone is loud and clear.
Battery life, just like any smartphone, will barely get you through one day with casual usage. Keep a charger or extra battery handy. Nightly recharge is a must.
Can you say a NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!!
I have been a Sprint customer for almost 5 years now and now on my 3rd TP2 due to freezing problems. I got the phone in Feb. 2010. This paper wait has a pee for a processor! the more you try do with it the longer it will freeze on you. I do not recommend this phone!!! Not sure what to do now.
