Orange unpeels HTC Touch Dual
Another HTC smartphone
HTC’s Touch Dual smartphone has finally landed in the UK, slightly later than anticipated. However, it has appeared though - as expected - on Orange.
HTC's Touch Dual
The handset has cropped up on Orange’s UK website, with a lovely free price tag – provided you sign a £35-a-month contract with the network operator.
It was originally thought that the Touch Dual would go on sale across Europe at the end of October, initially through Orange.
The Dual doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity, but does provide HSDPA ‘super 3G’ high-speed download technology and Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR). It’s a tri-band GSM/GPRS/Edge handset and has a front-facing camera suitable for video calls, displayed on its 2.6in display.
COMMENTS
Still moving to T-Mobile
Whereas I just moved from Vodafone because where I live on the edge of London's prestigious Zone 1, I can't get a single bar. T-Mobile coverage is just fine. It's all swings and roundabouts, but the T-Mobile HTC XDA slidey keyboard thing with 3G and Wi-Fi is just utterly groovy, and is still better than an iPhone, IMHO.
Moving to T-Mobile??
Whereas I will be moving from T-Mobile back to Vodafone when my contract runs out in March. Maybe the data package doesn't sound as superficially attractive as T-Mobile's but things are better across all operators now than they used to be and, in the middle of Bristol, I shouldn't be having increasing difficulties with both voice and data connections from any operator. Something up with which I will not put. You get what you pay for.
Made my day.
Having recently bought a Touch, I was a little miffed when the Touch Dual shipped in the following week or so. The slidey keypad thing looked nice.
However, finding that it doesn't have WiFi (and not believing you and waffling off to the HTC website to check and finding that, blow me, it doesn't) I now feel quite smug.
While I'm sure that all this 3G stuff is full of meaty goodness to some, if your company punts you a bog 2G SIM and you have to live with it and/or you travel a lot, it's in there with the chocolate teapot in the "nice to have" feature list. WiFi is up there in the "must have" section for me (home, offices and most civilised places that you can get a coffee while you connect).
Oh, the ordinary Touch is bloody marvellous BTW. Not a fingerprint magnet at all. It wasn't a hot, sweaty day when you looked at it perchance?
Close, but no cigar
Look like a half decent 'phone, but no Wi-Fi and a crappy resolution (240x320? wake up HTC: It's 2007, not 1997!) = no sale.
From what I have heard....
.... Orange have an exclusivity deal for 4 weeks from release date on this device. Not surprising as Orange were/are HTC's first hardcore partner for their smartphones (SPV).
Waiting for this little badboy to come out on T-Mobile, although TMob haven't confirmed or denied whether they will carry it yet. I can't imagine them not carry it though, they like Orange have most of HTC's product range.
