Digital Trends

HTC Touch Dual

March 23rd, 2008 | by Damon Brown

Setup and Use

The HTC Dual Touch comes in a durable, high-end black rectangular box that seems more fitting for a Gucci purchase (the lid doesn’t even need to be removed – it uses magnets to close). The included accoutrements are equally impressive: the phone, wall plug, mini-USB cord, iPhone-quality earbuds, an extra stylus, two software discs (one with Windows Media 6, the other with additional proprietary software) and a smattering of instruction booklets. Fortunately, one can get started by just flipping through the “What’s In The Box” brochure. (There is also an adapter plug for American outlets, so it can be used in US and European households.)

Getting around the Dual Touch is fine. The main menu screen has colorful icons representing ring preferences, applications, phone brightness, orientation (vertical or horizontal), security features and so on. Press the flat control to move along the menu… or use the stylus to double tap. In fact, the main challenge with the phone may be thinking you are missing something when, in fact, HTC is just trying really hard to satisfy your every whim. Like a stylus? Use it. Like joysticks? You can use that, too. Initially feature creep confusion becomes a lot easier once you accept that there are certain functions you’ll never use on this phone.

HTC even added a skin-sensitive touchscreen to the mix. Use your thumb to rub up from the bottom of the screen and a touch-controlled “menu cube” will appear. Rub left or right to access different menu options, such as email, SMS, Internet Explorer and phone book. This method seemed fast, intuitive, fun, and, perhaps, somewhat excessive. Again, a simple task like sending a text message can be done a dozen different ways. People not used to “open-ended” smartphones will be utterly confused.

Image Courtesy of HTC

Using Windows Media 6, the HTC Dual Touch easily uses Microsoft Outlook, but it also can access any POP 3 or IMAP4 email account. The included PC software will automatically download any Outlook messages and settings. (It will ask you to create an Outlook account if there isn’t already one.) Text messaging and emailing seemed smooth on the device, primarily because of the smartly-designed keyboard.

The Windows Media Player is the HTC Dual Touch multimedia hub. Once the phone is plugged in, Windows will ask if you want to create a folder for the phone. You can then drag and drop music, playlists and videos onto the HTC icon. The average song took a few seconds to transfer. For all the bells and whistles, playing multimedia on the Dual Touch is simple: play/pause, rewind and fast forward options, along with an onscreen volume control and music details listing. The sound quality was about average for a cell phone – heavy on the tweeter, non-existent bass – though we suspect the included earbuds were to blame.

The 2.0 Megapixel camera lacks a flash, a surprisingly omission for a phone of this caliber, but otherwise the HTC Dual Touch does the job. Press the camera button on the side – or go through the menus – and the screen turns into a viewfinder. (It should be held horizontally, like a traditional camera.) You can attach the photo, save it in memory and so on. One odd function is what may be described as a rapid-fire option: the camera will take five photos in rapid succession, allowing you to save the best ones. It’s a nice touch.

Price

As imagined, the cost of the HTC Dual Touch varies depending on where you purchase it. Since the phone is not officially available in the U.S. through a major carrier, you will be able to find it available through importers such as Dynamism.com.

Conclusion

The HTC Dual Touch is a good looking, adaptable phone that is unlike anything on the market. Practical users will be annoyed with the overbearing options and abundant functions, but hardcore phone lovers will be happy to discover all its little tricks.

Pros: 

• Lightweight
• Multimedia friendly
• Easy keyboard

Cons:

• Tricky touchscreen
• Average music capabilities
• Too many options
• Camera is missing a flash