Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

So, here's the low down on the Touch Pro.

I'm blown away by the tiny details on the Touch Pro that I haven't found documented anywhere else.

- The stylus is kept in the silo with a magnet. The phone is aware of when the stylus is removed and can automatically display the 'notes' section while in a call.
- The backlight is automatically controlled (can be turned off).
- The 3.2mp auto focus camera takes significantly better pictures.
- The Touch Pro includes HTC YouTube. HTC YouTube is better than Iphone YouTube. It really is.
- There is a new collection of on screen keyboards that are significantly better than the default Windows Mobile keyboard.
- The accelerometer is a nice addition. It is occasionally buggy, the phone does get confused if you hold it at certain angles - but overall, it is a nice addition. You can hold the phone sideways and browse in Opera without having to open the keyboard.
- The higher resolution VGA screen makes using programs like Remote Desktop (not included) much more pleasant...
- They included enough ram so that you can literally, open almost everything, and it is hardly noticable.
- The backlight fades up/down, and there is a new option so that while the device is 'Locked', the backlight stays faded. That way if it turns on in your pocket, the backlight isn't on full blast and it doesn't kill the battery.
- The annoying Windows Mobile sounds that you've heard for years have been replaced with new sounds that will leaving you wondering 'what was that? did I just get a text message?'...until you re-learn them.
- Added option to Alarms - 'Sound alarms even when the device is set to silent or vibrate'
- The same old Windows Mobile bugs are not fixed. Example: Keyboard buffer lag. I can still type faster than my device can keep up. This doesn't happen all of the time. Just occasionally. Also, the input box for text messages will occasionally render half way off the screen. The only fix I've seen to this is to reboot. These are both bugs on my Mogul.
- Built in Voice Command. I don't really use it, but I'm sure somebody does. I played with it, it recognized my voice well and read things back okay.
- MMS! Finally!
- 'Advanced' phone options 'Reject call with text message', 'Add new phone number to contacts at the end of call', 'Vibrate device when connection is established', 'When a call is connecting, open the notes application when the stylus is pulled out'
- The Mogul has somewhere near 15 buttons on it. This phone has MUCH LESS. For example, on the Mogul there are -3- OK buttons (front, side, and keyboard). There are -NO- OK buttons anywhere on this device. Most buttons have been eliminated. There is no Wi-fi toggle switch, for example. The functionality of most buttons has been replicated through the TouchFlo UI - but I will always miss my Internet/Mail buttons on the top of the Mogul.
- The D-PAD pulsates when you get a new message, and while it is charging (there is a light under it that illuminates around it)..
- When you plug in the phone, it asks if you want it to connect as ACTIVESYNC or as a USB DISK. When you do USB DISK, the microSD card shows up as a removable disk drive on the computer.
- The old "soft reset it after first boot before OEM customization happens' trick doesn't seem to work any more after hard reset. Every time I rebooted mine, it started all over again and I had to go through the initial set up again :-( Is there any way to avoid getting pre-loaded Sprint crap on the phone?

That is my summary after 24 hours of use.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Pretty good review, but coming from a Mogul, I don't know how people say they will ditch the Pro and stay with the Mogul.... No way!

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I had a Mogul. Got the Diamond.. and just the vga screen makes me wanna vomit when I look at the Mogul again. But now I am waiting for the PRO!

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

- The phone auto-turns on and even auto-unlocks when the keyboard is slid open. So far, I haven't mistakeningly slid it open in my pocket, but you only need to move it open 1-2cm before it 'unlocks'. If there is one thing Windows Mobile / HTC still haven't figured out, it's "lock/unlock" functionality. Iphone's "Slide to Unlock" is perfect. Slide2Unlock creates display corruption on the Touch Pro.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Funny how some ppl complained how the Mogul had to many bottons on the wrong area. Now.. theres not enough!

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Hmm... honestly, after hearing about all the crap I've heard, I'm going to give the device a try... but after hearing that the Touch HD is coming in CDMA form sometime in 09, I think I'm going to have a real dilemma. Lets see if Sprint lets me swap... if they do, I won't worry about it. But if they don't let me swap, I might just deal with the Mogul up til no later than March to see if the HD launches...

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Damn... I thought the Touch HD wasnot real? I hope it is.. that will be my nnext after the PRO!

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showpost.p...30&postcount=7

Same guy that kept us up on the Raph...

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I saw that post... but tis not the PRO HD. Its just like a DIamond but with bog screen. SO no KB

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

That's fine with me. If you honestly need a hardware keyboard with a 3.8" screen, you've got issues lol. The screen is bigger than the iPhone's screen!

But yeah, none of HTC's multimedia devices (like the HD) are going to come with a keyboard... and to me, that makes sense. I don't see the need to add the extra bulk when you've got such a large screen.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

i still wouldnt base getting a phone now on something that may or may not happen 12 months from now. Realize even if these "talks" go through for CDMA, and pending Sprint picks it up, it wont be until late 2009 earliest that we see it. Carrier testing alone is a few months process past the development period.

I also think typing on the screen, even on a 3.8" screen, is still tedious at best. Theres still no tactile feedback and it doesnt type like a normal keyboard for heavy email users. Try typing landscape onscreen on a mogul/touch/diamond/pro using the diamond qwerty and thats about what the HD is portrait. Its still not ideal for heavy emailers, theres no replacement for a real keyboard.

the Pro is a good device i have the Diamond and Pro and the Diamond is probably going back.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Yup, I dont see the HD over here until maybe the end of 09

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I sent my Samsung Instinct back because the screen pissed me off because it wasn't as accurate as I am on a physical keyboard. The Diamond my GF has is a lot better, but still, you waste time going back and deleting something. The Pro is spot on and for heavy text message user and e-mailers, that's a must!

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I've already heard its slated for 1Q of 09.

Either way... We'll see. The early reviews of the Touch Pro aren't exactly encouraging. One sore point for me is the earpiece complaints... The quality of the earpiece on the Mogul is crap... if people are complaining about the earpiece on the Touch Pro, it means I'm gonna be really upset with the quality.

I'm still gonna give the TP a chance... but I'm not sure about it.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Im not sure what you have heard about the earpiece on the pro but its sounds pretty good to me after raising the volume with diamondtweaks. It always sounds great even in low coverage

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

i agree sounds fine using the audiopara in the sticky.

Also i dont see how itd be possible to see a CDMA HD in Q1 2009. Thatd be nearly impossible seeing as its already Q4 2008. It takes more than a few months to test it and get FCC/carrier approvals alone, let alone the HTC employee is still apparently in the tinkering stage with it. So they have to design a final build and assemble it, get FCC approval, get carrier approval, finalize the design and all the software for it, and then mass produce and release them- all in 4-5 months or less from a soldered mock-up by a tech at HTC? not a chance with carrier beaurocracy.

Honest guess, mid to late 2009 at best knowing how US carriers are about testing. I mean think how long we've known about the CDMA Diamond coming- since almost the begining of the year in the rumor mill and it took 9-10 months to get here, thats if they hadnt already been working on it too. Its been since mid summer when the FCC approved it, so 3-3.5 months later.

Whoever said its slated for Q1 2009 is directly contradicting the fact that theyre still supposedly in talks with CDMA carriers and its still in a tech frankenstein/mockup stage, so there couldnt possibly be a timeframe slated yet.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

FYI there IS an ok button and it is on the front of the device. The back button (a kinda backwards arrow) is really an ok button, but is labeled differently presumably to not confuse novice users.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

HTC has specifically said they are NOT going to release the HD to the US, but that they will consider future advanced phones to a higher degree since there was such an outcry for the touch HD from the US. We are almost certainly not going to get it.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

well they could always change their mind but its a different situation here than overseas. Theres a MUCH bigger market to sell to between all the other countries, and their diamond has been out for quite a while so its not biting themselves in the butt releasing 2 similar devices. Over here the Diamond is barely out on all carriers yet so itd be a dumb business move to make 2 similar phones for a much smaller market. All of the R&D and such to produce a CDMA HD model wouldnt be worth it right now when they just got done with CDMA Diamonds and can get sales on those. At least thats what it seems that they are saying, which is understandable its business.

i also dont think the outcry for the HD is nearly a fraction of what it is overseas. Id say 99.9999% of Americans dont know it even exists.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I trust critical more than I trust you. HTC is toying with the idea and I guarantee you that we will see a device based around the idea of the Touch HD. It may not be called the Touch HD but it will be very similar in specs.

Anyway, that's not what this thread is for. I didn't mean to hijack.

So you guys DON'T think the earpiece is awful? That's really the only thing that sounds annoying to me from the early reviews. Everything else is nitpicking. I don't even use the buttons I have on my Mogul right now... The two things that bother me are battery life possibilities and the earpiece. If the earpiece is fine, I can get over the battery life since I have the official HTC car charger (its sick - chrome and lights up with a blue HTC light), a charger at home, and a charger at work.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

More people would know about it if the media could get over the iPhone... The Touch HD looks to be superior to the iPhone in just about every way in terms of features (lets not jump on the OS battle train)

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

100% agree with you but were in the minority in a media dominated US. It all has to be taken in context of what part of the world were talking, Americans simply arent as tech savy as other countries overall or (overall) demand devices like the HD, were the minority here vs the majority in other places.

I trust Crit too but as i pointed out Q1 2009 would directly contradict what he said about it being in the frankenstein/mock-up stage with CDMA talks still happening. Tehres no way it can be pushed out in under 4 months or so to hit Q1. Still final prototype, FCC, carrier approval, software, mass producing, etc. 4 months would be unheard of to get all of that done. Carrier testing after the FCC gets it and does its thing is a avg. 3 month process alone. The CDMA diamond was approved in summer and released recently on Sprint- thats all carrier testing time.

I still have a sticky feeling if were not even hearing about an unlocked GSM version, a simply band change, then CDMA chances are even more bleak. I cant think of many if at all HTC devices CDMA has gotten that wasnt already on GSM with US bands first.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

just quoting http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/1...to-the-states/

battery life is fine from what I have seen (perhaps better than the mogul) and I'm not sure what is wrong with the earpiece that can't be easily patched in Audiopara.csv?

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Everyone knows that Sprint's idea of 1Q is May... lol. I see your point. I was just repeating what I'd heard. Didn't say I truly believed it would be out by then. I have my doubts too because I know how long the FCC sits on things...

holo - the thing that I'd been hearing was just that the earpiece produced poor quality sound. One person on here said its the worst earpiece he has ever heard on a mobile. That's a turn off... So I'm obviously going to have to just try it out myself. And you're also the first to say that the Touch Pro has better battery life than the Mogul, which is intriguing.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

more like their idea of Q1 is August, but anyways....

earpiece is such a subjective thing, one person's worst is another person's best. I think its just fine honestly and the audipara sticky makes the volume a little louder if you personally need it. I think its right on par with other HTC devices- not the greatest but not bad.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Cool. That's what I really wanted to hear. I found it hard to believe that HTC would release such a high-profile device with a crappy earpiece.

Personally, I think that Sprint and HTC are going to have major cash cows between the Diamond and TP. First PocketPC I've ever heard someone non-geek call "sexy" was the Diamond... lol

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Wow, everything sounds awesome! I haven't seen the TP on sprint.com. Does anyone know when they'll be available directly through Sprint? I think it's a little odd that a retail store would have them available to sell before the Sprint. I guess that's typical?

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I agree, when this phone first came out, people were hating on it already. Now with the Pro out, people are still hating on it. I think you should look at more of the benefit an expandability of this phone really.

HOnestly I found the buttons to be an annoyance then a necessity on my mogul.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

exactly. but i dont think "ok" and "windows" button are called differently for that reason. i think its because it can fit any OS. so whenever android is ported it wont be confusing.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Well bestbuy had an exclusive deal with sprint to officially release it today. Sprint will have it available next sunday on 11/2, some people have also stated that it may even be a few days earlier so we will see but officially its 11/2.

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I've only had a couple of calls on the Pro and find it to be good. It was clear, and we heard each other fine. So i'm not sure why some are saying terrible unless its their individual phone that the issues. I'm loving this phone but I do miss the scroll wheel and camera button. The camera button I can navigate around but I did use that scroll wheel alot... I will not return this phone for the Mogul and i'll just learn to adapt to it. Its so nice to not run out of memory anymore....

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

My biggest complaint is that I cannot bypass the customizations on a hard reset.


Using the logic of some people on here, I should still be carrying a bag phone waiting for my **** Tracy watch phone due out soon....

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

I love this phone with BT!!! OMG so much clearer and no freaking distortion. Has anyone used the BT! OMG it is sweet!

I used the same BT piece as I did on the Mogul with DCD's last ROM, plus the last radio, plus the last HardSPL, and still it is not as clear as it is on my TP and it connects a lot faster too! I'm loving it!

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

the back button is definitely not a disguised OK button. for example, go to start->settings. try hitting the back button, see what happens (actually, what doesn't happen).

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

Those points are similar to the Diamond's.

Anyone have a Diamond to Pro comparison?

Like does it get hot? Picture and video comparison? Battery life?

Re: Touch Pro Review by a Mogul user
 

so for the reject call with a text message ( my box is checked by default) if I hit ignore call it will auto-send a text message? Does it have to be in the contacts or will it use a text 2 land land or is there another option on the screen that comes up to send the message when someone calls?