I’ve been playing with this device for three days now. My initial reaction is WOW! I spent yesterday going through all of the Sprint software on the TP2 so I’ll start there.
The OS 6.1 build that HTC uses on the TP2 is responsive and fast. Touchflow 3D works well and is very intuitive. The biggest difference in the makeover from the TP is that all of the apps seem to be much more in depth. An example is the battery app in settings. It has a page that shows the date of last full charge, standby time, talk time, etc. That brings me to battery life. I charged this thing on Sept 5 and just now plugged it in two days later and it had 1/3 battery left. I used text messaging, all the apps, tether mode for about an hour, and about 20min of talk time. The battery rivals Palm devices I have had in the past. There is absolutely no comparison with the terrible battery life on the TP1. Kudos HTC! The software interface on the Touch Pro 2 is just the right balance of ease of use and function. When you click start, you get a list of apps ala iPhone but can click “all apps” at the bottom. It goes on and on like that. If you’re used to the classic WM interface and want that, you’ll be customizing the TP2. I like the new front end so far.
Ok, so you say “yea they optimized the software, I can do that myself and don’t need to spend $350.” True, but you will not have that huge screen. It is responsive and the feel is great. The on screen keyboard is very usable with the extra real estate and the slide out keyboard is excellent. Does anyone know a key combo to get “ctl?” I miss that key for cutting and pasting. I found the GPS to be quick and pull in a signal much better than the TP. On a airplane recently, where my TP would very rarely get a gps signal, the TP2 got it in about 2 min. The hardware keys a few but work well. Man I remember my Mogul had buttons everywhere. The zoom bar is cool and I like it better than that device on the TP. Oh yea, the speakers, awesome. I ran some music and just sat the TP2 down and it was very good quality being in stereo. The speaker phone is actually useable too. Last but not least, the camera. Yea I know it didn’t get an upgrade from 3mp and there is no flash, but I took a few pics in low light and they look great. The camera works the best I’ve seen in a phone. The zoom bar makes short work of zooming for photos.
To sum up here’s my impression of the pluses and minuses.
Pluses
1) Great battery life
2) Much improved software interface
3) More in-depth system software
4) Beautiful screen
5) Great camera
6) Fast
7) Speakers that are loud and clear
Bluetooth 2.1 works great
9) Big slide out KB with tilt screen
10) Standard 1/8” audio jack
11) Fast GPS
Minuses – not many but here goes
1) Less memory, but I have yet to run out
2) No flashlight. Buy a $2 keychain light. I’m good without it.
3) They didn’t release this a year ago when I bought my TP
If you guys (and girls) are not convinced of HTC innovation and the future of Windows Mobile, go to an Apple store and spend some time with the iPhone. I have twice now. Cool device and what they do they do quite well but in true Apple style they are limited in scope to incorporate ease of use. My vote is still for Windows Mobile.
Cheers!