HTC Touch2 review: Beyond the basics

OK retail package, could've been better

The moderately-sized retail box is not exactly brimming with content but it has the basics. The wall charger, a software CD and a miniUSB cable to use with the charger or connect to a computer. In the box you'll also find a one-piece headset which isn't your only option though since the Touch2 is kind enough to offer a 3.5 mm jack.

The Touch2 unboxed

The only letdown here is the lack of a memory card in the package. HTC didn't bother enclose even a 1GB microSD so all you get for starters is what's left free of the 512MB system memory.

HTC Touch2 360-degree spin

The friendly size was one of the key assets of the original HTC Touch and the Touch2 follows suit, staying almost as compact as its predecessor. The biggest difference is in height. At 104mm, the Touch2 is visibly taller but it's thinner and narrower.

Anyway, it's a pocketable yet powerful handset, which weighs only 110g. And we shouldn't forget the added zoom bar and the couple of new buttons which are a boost to comfort and usability.

Design and construction

In terms of design, the Touch2 is really hard to call a sequel. So much has changed since the original Touch. The D-pad has been removed, new buttons have been added but the most noticeable difference is the touch-sensitive zoom bar, which debuted in another pair of sequels: the higher-ranking Diamond2 and Touch Pro2. The zoom bar can be used on images, web pages, messages, and doubles as a music control as well.

The new Touch looks much sharper than its predecessor

The new Touch2 will be available in three color versions - silver, black and brown. The variety of color combos may as well suggest HTC are preparing for a solid demand for this entry level in PocketPC.terms device.

The front panel does look like it could've accommodated a larger screen but the zoom bar and handy hardware buttons didn't leave much room for growth. Again, a 2.8" QVGA resistive touchscreen made sense on the original Touch but is quite a letdown some two years later.

The display could've been bigger

The poor sunlight legibility doesn't make things any better. Customary for a PocketPC, the Touch2 hardly is the best device to work with in the bright sun.

Above the display we find the earpiece and the LED status indicator. The phone has no secondary camera for video calls but we don't think it will be badly missed.

The Touch2 has a status light and earpiece atop of the display

The five keys and the touch-sensitive zoom bar below the screen do make for comfortable handling. Just like on the Touch Diamond2 and the Touch Pro2, the hardware controls and the zoom bar make up quite well for the missing D-pad.

The keys are well defined and solid to press, and this time there's even a dedicated Home key. On the Diamond2 and Touch Pro2, the end button served as a Home key too. The End key on the Touch2 is in charge of screen lock.

Unlocking on the other hand takes after the moves of a well-known handset by a company called Apple. Sliding the on-screen padlock icon does it here, while a tap displays a dropdown with missed events or incoming messages. Well done - iPhone owners would have to jailbreak their device to get the secondary functionality on the lockscreen.

The five keys and the touch-sensitive zoom bar are nice to use • the Touch2 lockscreen

The back key is a handy control that takes you a screen back wherever you are in the Touch2 interface. Simple though it might sound it's another boost to user-friendliness.

The zoom bar can be used on images, web pages, messages, and doubles as a music control. We are delighted with its response when it comes to the actual zooming in and out, which works like a charm in the image gallery.

The right side of the handset is completely bare. It would've been nice to find a camera key there. Not essential perhaps given the fixed-focus camera, but wouldn't have hurt.

The Touch2 has no shutter key

On the left side of the Touch2 we find the volume rocker, which is very prominent and nice to press. Next to it is the microSD card slot and that's where we couldn't quite get the point. The thing is you can't lift the cap unless the battery cover is off.

Still it's a hot-swappable slot, so you don't have to remove the battery or restart the device, but it couldn't have been too hard to make it easier to access. Anyway, the phone worked fine with a reasonably full 16GB microSD card. It's only that you have to buy a card by yourself as HTC didn't enclose one in the retail package in an attempt to keep the price of the thing down.

Not the most comfortable card slot solution