Last updated on 08/06/07 : the video carried out during the evening was added to illustrate my comments.

HTC Touch Manufactures officially launched the touch this evening in Paris. This was an opportunity to try the beast for a few minutes. So Here is my first impressions.

The touch is fine with a screen of 2,8 inches which is virtually all the surface of the terminal. And it is compact, end and lightweight what is significant. We can put in a pocket of shirt.

I must confess that I have particularly sought the shortcomings of the beast because apart from the new interface touch pilot who is the finger, we find ourselves in land known with a PDAPhone under Windows Mobile to traditional functions.

The TOUCHSCREEN differs from those found in the former PDAPhones. In effect, it is much more hard. We must therefore support strongly to trigger an action. It is the same when you drag the finger and I felt a certain resistance making the shift not necessarily more pleasant but good I had perhaps a little clammy hands.

This new interface is touch a little limited. In effect, it is simply to make movements horizontal or vertical and is used primarily for the écrans more support to select an action. In the facts, we can use it especially on the home screen developed specifically for the opportunity by manufactures which will allow to navigate between several screens to access to its contacts, its emails, its videos etc with a small 3D effect sympathetic. As soon as the fate of the basic application to access the different applications of traditional Windows Mobile, there is a classic interface which mania particularly with the stylus more than with the finger. Certainly, we can do find the web pages or its list of contacts with the fingers but very often it will take out the stylus which is anything but apparently incidental. It remains a compulsory mechanism particularly when one must use the virtual keyboard which the keys are very small.

I asked if they could use a protection of screen and apparently the representative of manufactures I was not recommended. It is regrettable because we cannot protect the screen in this case.

On the home screen specific to the touch which is used with the fingers, it is sympathetic, pleasant but very limited. As well, you can forget the screens of home sold by third parties and especially we cannot virtually nothing customize. The Home screen bring a digital clock, the weather with a forecast to 4 days for hundreds of cities and a application launcher. The new home screen also provides a direct access to emails, messages, visit the timetable and contacts.

Do not even talk about widgets. Apparently the only thing that is customizable, that is the list of applications in the tab of application launcher. The rest is frozen and cannot be amended or set up. These limitations will probably be lifted in a future version I think.

Other point embarrassing, it is a terminal under Windows Mobile and with one processor to 200Mhz. During the few minutes of handling, I have therefore been right to slowdowns and even to large industries of several seconds.

Last small point, to access the memory card, you must withdraw the cache of the battery.

We must not to conclude that it is a bad PDAPhone. I have had a few minutes in a context not necessarily ideal and the updates future could correct certain points.

In conclusion

Is this a revolution? Not
Is this a innovation? Yes for a terminal under Windows Mobile but this interface style has already been presented by Apple with the iphone and LG for the Prada
Does it a better ergonomics? I am reserved because I do not have enough tested but frankly I do not think.

This first terminal is a sudden test and not a master stroke. It is the first generation who will suffer hardship. There are of improvements to make and I think that the second generation should be much more convincing. This will not prevent the touch to know an important success in my opinion. His design and its compactness takes away the votes and the new interface fuels the curiosity and fact "next-gen". If we add a price which will be aggressive in Orange, the touch should be a best-seller shortly.


Note: This video is almost complete. It lack the initial seconds during which I had not the unit in hand.