| HTC adds GPS to Windows Mobile Touch line |
Nov. 12, 2007
 HTC has announced a new member of its Windows Mobile-based Touch smartphone family. The "Touch Cruise," the latest model from this extremely prolific handheld device maker, shares many features in common with earlier Touch models but adds built-in GPS with Tom Tom navigation support, according to the company.
(Click here for a larger view of HTC's Touch Cruise)
In June, HTC launched its original Touch, the first phone to feature HTC's much-touted TouchFLO UI (user interface). TouchFLO, according to HTC, is able to distinguish whether the screen is being touched by a stylus or by fingers and respond accordingly. Finger touches allow scrolling, panning, and zooming in or out.
First available in the U.S. only as an unlocked and unsubsidized GMS/GPRS/EDGE device, the Touch later was Americanized by Sprint and other carriers. It then spawned "designer" versions such as the Ted Baker Needle.
Last month, HTC launched the Touch Dual, which doubled the Touch's processing speed courtesy of a Qualcomm MSM7200 processor clocked at 400 MHz. It also added a slide-out keyboard in a choice of two different versions -- either a 20-key QWERTY layout, or a 16-key keypad layout.
The technically similar Touch Cruise loses the keyboard but adds GPS functionality to the mix, employing navigation software and maps from Tom Tom. (Readers will get no prizes for successfully guessing what capabilities the next model in the Touch family might combine!)
Other wireless features in the device include support for European HSDPA/UMTS (2100 MHz) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900, 1800, 1900 MHz), along with WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. High-speed data downloads are rated at 3.6 Mbps for HSDPA, and 384 Kbps for UMTS downloads; upload rates for both technologies are spec'd at 384 Kbps.
Earlier Touch versions already included the ability to play back multimedia in a variety of formats, including MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB. The Touch Cruise also provides an FM radio.
According to HTC, the device offers dual cameras -- a 3 megapixel autofocus camera for photos, and a front-facing VGA (640 x 480 pixel) camera for videoconferencing.
As with the other Touch iterations, the Cruise includes all the smartphone capabilities of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Professional software platform, including Windows Media Player 10 plus mobile editions of Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Office.
Key features and specifications of the Touch Cruise, as listed by HTC, include:- Processor -- Qualcomm MSM7200, clocked at 400 MHz
- Memory -- 128 MB RAM; 256 MB flash
- Display -- 2.8-inch TFT display with LCD backlighting
- Keys -- 4-way navigation wheel with enter button
- Wireless interfaces:
- WAN:
- HSDPA/UMTS -- 2100 MHz (Europe); 850/1900 MHz (U.S.)
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE -- quad-band 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz
- WLAN -- 802.11b/g WiFi
- WPAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- Camera -- 3 megapixel camera with auto focus, plus VGA-resolution camera for videoconferencing
- Built-in GPS receiver
- Built-in FM receiver
- Other I/O -- HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one)
- Expansion -- microSD card
- Dimensions -- 4.3 x 2.3 x 0.6 inches (110 x 58 x 16 mm)
- Weight -- 4.6 ounces (130 gm) with battery
- Power:
- 1350 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Standby time -- up to 450 hours for UMTS, 400 hours for GSM
- Talk time -- up to 4 hours for UMTS, 7 hours for GSM, 2.3 hours for video calling
Florian Seiche, VP of HTC Europe, stated, "The original HTC Touch has already been a phenomenal success, and the HTC Touch Cruise with fully integrated GPS adds another dimension to our leading touchscreen device family ... we're proud to have been able to launch three HTC Touch devices since June."
According to the company, the Touch Cruise will be available starting this month, both from retailers and directly from HTC. More information is available from the company's website, here.
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