HTC Touch review

HTC Touch comes to challenge the PDA landscape and prove that Pocket PCs can compete with what some would call 'fashion phones'. The main advantages of the device are its stylish design and interface and the innovatory TouchFlo technology which simplifies finger-based operation and tries to make the use of the stylus only a matter of choice. The HTC Touch is also known under the names P3450 and Elf, the latter suiting it well if we consider its diminutive size. Several operators are offering rebranded versions of the PDA under different names, such as MDA Touch from T-Mobile and XDA Nova from O2. The HTC Touch can be purchased at a price of about $500, or less if bought with a mobile operator contract.

Of course, one can not overlook the context in which the Touch appeared: the near launch of the iPhone. According to HTC, the Touch spent more than two years in development, so the eventual similarities between the two devices are simple coincidences. The matter is not that important though, as the devices address different segments of the market, with the Touch probably being favored by those looking for a productivity tool, while the iPhone is a multimedia phone (at least until Apple decides to make 3rd party applications available for the iPhone).