T-Mobile Touch Pro2 review

Followers, fans, and casual observers of HTC alike all know that when the company launches a new landscape QWERTY model, it's a big deal. In fact, it's more than a big deal -- it's a Big Deal. Many describe it as the ultimate smartphone form factor, the perfect execution of everything a modern handset is capable of doing -- and realistically, no company has as much experience or know-how at making powerhouse landscape QWERTY sliders than HTC does.

That's why droves of subscribers on virtually every carrier are on the edge of their seats awaiting the Touch Pro2's release. Whether you love, hate, or feel nothing but pure, unadulterated ambivalence toward Windows Mobile, it's hard to argue that the Pro2 isn't a gorgeous smartphone at a distance, and T-Mobile USA's gently-tweaked version is no exception. Unless you're desperate for SLR-quality photography (which you're frankly not going to get regardless of what phone you buy), the spec sheet reads like a dream -- an expansive 3.6-inch WVGA display, full QWERTY, tilt-up display, all the 3G and WiFi you could ever want, and HTC's latest and greatest build of TouchFLO 3D constantly working to make sure that WinMo cleans up nice -- but is it true love or just lipstick on a pig? Let's have a look.

T-Mobile Touch Pro2 review

Hardware

It's unavoidable: your instinct is to call the Touch Pro2 huge. It's a natural thought considering the phone's capabilities and its mechanics -- the tilt-slide mechanism, for instance -- and your reaction might even still be "wow, this is chunky" when you hold it in your hand for the first time without any context. In reality, though, the phone really isn't much bigger than your average smartphone. Holding it up to a Snap seriously puts it all in perspective -- in your mind's eye, HTC's latest WinMo Standard set might be, say, three-quarters the size of the Touch Pro2, but it turns out that the height-by-width dimensions are virtually identical and the Pro2's additional girth isn't enough to throw a fit over. In fact, it's about a millimeter thinner (give or take) than your average Touch Pro of old, and it'll slip into a pocket just about as readily as an iPhone will. In that regard, the lack of soft-touch plastic on the battery cover is both a blessing and a curse -- a blessing because there's less friction, which makes it easier to stow and retrieve; a curse because... well, soft-touch plastic is pretty awesome.

That said, the Touch Pro2 is a substantial phone -- you won't quickly forget that you're carrying it. Though it does pack a 1500mAh battery from the factory, we were surprised to find that taking it out didn't make the phone much lighter; frequently, removing the battery from a phone (or even a laptop) will make the remaining husk of electronics feel like a featherweight, but with the Pro2, that's just not the case. We're not sure where that weight's going, exactly, but we're going to chalk it up to quality construction, because the thing feels like it's built to last. The slide mechanism -- while not the smoothest we've ever used -- has no play in it whatsoever, even after plenty of use and fiddling; likewise, the tilt hinge felt like it was wrought from surplus tank parts. The action on both mechanisms is a little on the heavy side, but we'd definitely rather they be too heavy than too light -- as with everything else, it contributes to the perception (and hopefully the reality) of quality construction.

Anyone concerned about the T-Mobile version's "mocha" coloration, simply shouldn't be. The brown tinge is subtle and subdued -- T-Mobile and HTC were clearly aware that this phone had boardroom aspirations from the minute it was born, and they weren't about to screw it up with some poorly-made industrial design decisions.

In fact, if anything, the phone's too businesslike. Comparing it to the unlocked GSM version, T-Mobile's variant loses the tasteful chrome ring around the face and squares off the edges more, which almost makes the phone look cheap from certain angles (and cheap is one thing the Touch Pro2 most certainly isn't). We also found that the stylus slid much easier on the unlocked Pro2, something we attribute to the totally different shape and style of the battery cover (with the T-Mobile model, the cover doesn't include the stylus hole; with the unlocked model, it does). On the plus side, the T-Mobile version gains external access to the microSD slot -- you've got to remove the battery cover if you're going unlocked. Then again, anyone frequently removing their microSD card needs to step back and take a long, hard look at why they're doing that -- but at the end of the day, we prefer the easy access.

The keyboard is stellar, and most users will be happy to hear that T-Mobile's version of the phone retains the dedicated numeric row, unlike some versions (ahem, AT&T) that appear to be going in the direction of a numeric pad-style layout. Tactile feel is superb, key separation is perfect, and we found that we weren't typing with any errors, making the built-in auto-correction not particularly necessary. In fact, we surprised ourselves with how fast we were belting out messages.

Software

We don't want to jinx it, but we've got to say: unlike some phones in HTC's recent history, it looks like they're coming out of the gate with a great ROM here. It's not crashy, and maybe even more importantly, it's speedy. TouchFLO 3D isn't the lightest piece of coding in the world, but this particular Pro2 works it like a prizefighter. In fact, we can't even recall a single time when we noticed lagginess with TouchFLO proper -- there was some redraw lag while browsing from time to time, but we can't really fault the phone for that (Snapdragon would've helped there, possibly, but there's no use crying over spilled milk).

To know TouchFLO 3D is to know the Touch Pro2's software load, with a couple very important exceptions. First, the myFaves launcher is the default home screen, replacing TouchFLO's ubiquitous clock display; that's going to be a little upsetting to some, especially since we weren't able to find a way to get it back. Furthermore, you can't get rid of or even reorder that myFaves tab -- it's just permanently stuck there at the far left. To be fair, T-Mobile hasn't barfed its branding all over this ROM, but we would've liked a little more control here. (Update: turns out you can actually get to the classic TouchFLO home screen, but you need to go through myFaves settings, not TouchFLO settings -- a little unintuitive, but at least it's there. Thanks, Skyler L!)

As with other TouchFLO phones, HTC has done what it can to make the Pro2 finger-friendly. Inevitably, it's not possible to take that to its rightful conclusion with Windows Mobile 6.1, which is why you've still got that stylus in there -- but they've done a pretty incredible job. If you can stay within the TouchFLO ecosystem without wandering into stock WinMo -- which is easier to do than every before, we'd argue -- you might actually be able to pull it off. Sadly, the phone's still held back by a resistive display that has a little too much "give" to the touch; this is especially a problem with scrolling in lists and browsers, where the fingertip occasionally has a tendency to "bounce" across the display and inadvertently trigger a selection action. It happened frequently enough to us to be annoying, but we imagine you'd be able to spike the habit with practice.

We found it fascinating that HTC chose to launch Internet Explorer by default when selecting TouchFLO's Internet tab. Wrong choice. The ROM conveniently also includes Opera Mobile, which offers a better experience from beginning to end; in fact, we weren't even able to load the full version of engadget.com to completion with Internet Explorer, but Opera worked like a champ (as it usually does). The Touch Pro2's dedicated zoom bar beneath the display really shines here, seamlessly zooming in and out just as smoothly and effectively as an iPhone -- in fact, we even found that we preferred the bar to an iPhone-style pinch gesture in some situations because it makes browsing a more one-handed experience.

T-Mobile has taken a hands-off approach with the Touch Pro2's lauded "people-centric" add-ons, too. From a contact, you can see a unified view of emails, messages, and phone calls exchanged with that individual -- we dare you to try that with a stock WinMo device -- and it works exactly as advertised. Heavy business users will also appreciate the magnificent speakerphone, which HTC rightfully made a huge deal of back at its February announcement -- you just flip the phone over to engage it, and you've even got a dedicated mute button around back (see the video to see this in action -- it's seriously cool). It works and sounds great, and this is one of the few phones on the market that we could seriously endorse as a conference speakerphone fit for daily duty.

Wrap-up

For T-Mobile customers in the WinMo ecosystem, the Touch Pro2 is a dream come true if for no other reason than the fact that it replaces the ancient Wing, a phone that heroically served the retail lineup well past its prime. Beyond that, though, the Touch Pro2 could very well represent the greatest Windows Mobile device available on an American carrier today -- even original Touch Pro and Fuze owners have good reason to cast an envious eye in the direction of this thing as it hits shelves today. Don't fret, though; carriers love this phone like they love a high ARPU, and regardless of whom you pledge your allegiance and your monthly payment to, odds are very high it's coming to a lineup near you within a few weeks' time.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:43AM]

Nice! (and i just got the touch pro)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 14th 2009 9:58PM]

iphone there's an app for that! VS. WinMobile there's a hack for that!

To each his own! I love my touch pro and I will upgrade to the TP2 when sprint offers it.

What's an iPhone? 14.3m Windows Mobile phones sold in the past six months alone

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/whats-an-iphone-14-3m-windows-mobile-phones-sold-in-the-past-s/

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:49AM]

ZOMG
I have a friend at Tmobile who is letting me upgrade my shitty iphone 2g to the Touch Pro2 at 2 year contract price even though my contract is only 3 months old :)
Going in tomorrow (today) to pick it up SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 7:49AM]

You have a 3 month old contract with the iPhone 2G? A phone from 2007...?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 8:55AM]

He's probably using the iPhone on the T-mobile network, hence the talk of modifying his T-mobile contract. I imagine there's a fairly cheap phone sitting in a drawer somewhere that came with the contract.

[One Love Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:58AM]

Wait, winmo 6.1 and no 3.5mm headphone jack? say it aint so.

[One Love Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:15AM]

I would blur out that voicemail number, if possible. :)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:26AM]

It's the same number for anyone on T-Mobile.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:35AM]

Strange the T-Mo went with the model that excludes it. Some other versions of this same phone have the 3.5mm jack (unlocked, Verizon, and AT&T is still unknown). At least HTC is finally going to start including it more often. I don't even care that much because I typically use A2DP headphones (mostly podcasts, not music) but the times I wanted to use wired headphones I have just said screw it because I had to go fish out the big clunky adapter which is awkward as hell taking it in and out of the pocket. If you pull on it just too hard trying to pull out of your pocket, it pulls the adapter out of the phone and then the phone's speaker starts broadcasting your audio to the room.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 8:54AM]

ALL GSM/UMTS variations don't have 3.5 jack I'm afraid to say
CDMA hardware has it

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:24PM]

I can't believe he didn't show the keyboard in action.
Like Noah from PhoneDog, he shows off each phones keyboard.
I need to know if this thing has smooth messaging. Gosh.!!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 3:33AM]

T-Mobile screwed the pooch on the 3.5 jack. Sprint and Verizon both will have them. A lot of Touch Pro owners, however, are already accustomed to not having it. I use the A2DP connection with a device that plugs into my car and have headphones that connect over it as well so I don't use wired headphones anymore anyway.

The 6.1 thing will be resolved when 6.5 launches. The Touch Pro 2 is one of the devices that Microsoft has been using to show of the OS so you know it's going to be one of the first to get the ROM. It will be up to the carrier to get it out in a timely manner, but, when 6.5 is done TP2 owners will get it.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:35AM]

The TP2 at Telus has a 3.5mm headphone jack, and you can upgrade to 6.5 easily on XDA.

That said, I went into the store and checked it out. It's a little too big for my liking, and a little too slow. The same proc that is in my tp1. The 'zoom bar' was sure interesting, I like it but don't love it. The touch aspect of the screen was very responsive, and bigger. It is a very nice display indeed.

If it was snapdragon, or thinner I would have went for it. As of now I'm goingt o wait in till January - telus is said to hopefully be launching their 4G / LTE network which will have a bunch of new phones with it.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 6:12AM]

This comment is going to carry alot of flak behind it but i am willing to state that SPRINT (big yellow) will carry the best touch pro 2 model hands down............all considered i do live in washington dc metro area ( one of sprints best coverage areas)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 8:56AM]

The Sprint looks better for the non-business type, but the recent shots of the AT&T model look pretty sharp too. Depends on coverage in your area, but Sprint wins in the price per month category.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:42PM]

IMO, the Sprint TP2 is the ugliest of the bunch!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 2:19AM]

As a T-Mobile rep, we have gotten to use this phone and you CAN turn off the myFaves and get the "flip clock". Not sure why they said you couldn't in the review. From what I remember, it was in Settings and than myFaves settings, I believe, but I know it can be turned off.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 2:29AM]

I wish the Telus version came in the sweet mocha color. :(

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 8:00AM]

Ha ha ha ha ha. Sorry I could help myself when I saw that T Mobile didn't have the 3.5mm headset jack.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 8:59AM]

What's the big deal with no 3.5mm jack? It's been a looong time since I've used any sort of 3.5mm audio...bluetooth headphones and car stereo is the way to go!

[000000 Posted Aug 12th 2009 9:27AM]

There are many many more audio scenarios than what is in you world. And most of them accommodate a 3.5 jack.

[PSIREX Posted Aug 12th 2009 9:35AM]

once they stop making wired headphones then and only then should it be removed

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 10:18AM]

Headphones act as an antenna for listening to the radio. Plus, I have a high end pair of Grados that sound much better than any bluetooth headset can.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 12:22AM]

Reason: A2DP eats batteries for breakfast AND the sounds quality is worse. Some of us like our 24 audio playback on a single charge.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 8:53AM]

I called T-Mobile today and they are upgrading my contract early so I can get it!

The 349.99 is worth it. I am so stoked!

A little nervous, thats like another round trip ticket to Rochester but it is okay :)

Oh, I cannot wait!

[apparitionman Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:21PM]

Of course they're letting you upgrade early. They get to rip you off big-time. Why wouldn't they want more money?

[tym Posted Aug 12th 2009 9:30AM]

why is this not on main page?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 12:02AM]

+1!!

[where u at Posted Aug 12th 2009 10:45AM]

Will you be reviewing the TP2 for the other carriers?
Or just compare the four in one engadget battle thingy?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 10:52AM]

Hurry up Verizon, I'm getting antsy.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 11:44AM]

i'm not a fan of how t-mobile tweeked this tp2.
they removes the silver lining, lowered the ear opening on the top as well as pushed up the buttons on the bottom.

I'm ok with the color as well as the back of the phone.
but those 3 things defenately take away the UMPH that everyone was expecting in this baby months ago.

though to be honest...I'm really glad T-Mo is getting so many great phones in one year.
I just hope that the more customers they get doesn't make them into OVER-PRICING monsters as AT&T and VZW.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:40PM]

im glad the tmobile version doesnt have the chrome plastic. every htc phone i have owned with the chrome on has faded to plastic look anyway so i avoid any htc phone with the chrome plastic haha. last one i had was the att tilt which had the chrome on the buttons and after a couple months the symbol were gone and the chrome just chips away making the phone look like shit. and you 3.5mm jack people who make like thats a big deal who cares it comes with an adapter so in the end it doesnt matter.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:06PM]

Great to see the TP2 out at last in the US. Like most of you on here I have been waiting for ages. I haven't seen any details of the 3G bands covered by this phone. Is it only supporting the T-Mobile 3G band or will it cover those of AT&T (think it's 850/1900)?

[terryjohnson16 Posted Aug 12th 2009 3:46PM]

T-Mobile's 3G phones only support their 3G band for use here in the US, and it also supports Euro 2100 3G.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 12:30PM]

How's the battery life? Will it go 2 days with medium to heavy usage?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 1:41PM]

The MyFavs can be disabled in order to get the HTC homescreen. I just did it!

Those of you who said that Sprint will have the BEST one. Who are you kidding. They already released notes saying that the resolution will be lower and it will not use VGA for video. Sounds GIMPED to me!!!!!! Stop being FanBoys

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 3:55PM]

Please provide links to support your statement regarding Sprint TP2 being gimped, or as they say, CFR.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 6:14PM]

Here's your link! http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=6627

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 9:17PM]

That spec is for the video capture mode resolution, NOT the screen resolution. Not only that the table even marked this info in bold as an "unconfirmed rumor". You need to read the comment thread for your own source, man.

Also, if you'll notice, the spec table listed doesn't even acknowledge the Sprint TP2s 3.5mm jack. It was posted on the 7th of August and they didn't bother to update the specs? Hmmm...

The SCREEN resolution is the same for all TP2 models. Just so you know, and don't go spreading bad data.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 10:52PM]

It's still gimped being that all other TP2's can capture video in VGA.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 5:03PM]

myFavs can be turned off and the standard touchflo home screen can be enabled via the myfavs settings (not via touchflo settings)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 5:17PM]

pocketnow has reported that if you click on the MyFaves tab in Settings, you can disable it from being the display for the home screen and have the regular one instead.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 12:00AM]

"The Touch Pro2's dedicated zoom bar beneath the display really shines here, seamlessly zooming in and out just as smoothly and effectively as an iPhone -- in fact, we even found that we preferred the bar to an iPhone-style pinch gesture in some situations because it makes browsing a more one-handed experience."

A lot of one-handed browsing going on at engadget?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 8:30AM]

I got my Touch Pro exactly a week ago on Telus. I LOVE it! I've had the Touch Pro, the P4000, and by far this is of course the best.. I love these devices. :D

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 26th 2009 2:55PM]

Gosh... I was so in love with this phone. that i went to the ATM got 660 Dollars out since i was planning to buy it full price but when i went to see it. some inside of me
die... seriously. they had the displayment with myfave. no no no big mistake, i luv this phn /bc the bkgroud withthe clock. another big mistake the looks the phone was perfect. WTF T-mobile was thinkin in re-disign the damn phone. seriously I almost cried. b/c i waited for the store to open @9am. i was there at 8:30. with cash on hand seriously the guy at the store was so happy that he was "about" to make a sell. but when i saw it... nope look so cheap so ugly that I almost cried.. i might has to buy it directly from HTC. Can someone please TELL ME why T-mobile would change the phone looks??? when are they going to understand that one of the BIG things about a phone is THE LOOKS>????? damn it

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 15th 2009 4:53AM]

Why can't they build an android phone like this?!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 15th 2009 6:28PM]

Can anyone please tell me if the TP battery will fit/work with the TP2? TP's battery life was poor, so I actually have 2 spares....

thanks.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 16th 2009 1:56PM]

Wish they never removed the front facing camera that was on the original HTC TP2 or change the original color and design. I bought the T-Mobile version because it was $250 cheaper and the original doesn't have 1700 network for 3G in the US.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 18th 2009 2:17AM]

I was one of the customers to purchase the new HTC Touch pro2 and i was SADLY disappointed. This units needs a lot of work. It appears to be running two operating systems (window mobile and HTC system). The window system is very boring and less attractive than the HTC menu. The HTC menus are slick and creative. The HTC menus are used as a type of front face but opens with windows.....boring!!!! Either be a MAC or a PC!!!

Pros: attractive phone with great key board and speaker phone.
Cons: Poor battery life (GPS drains your battery fast), very complicated with windows mobile software and very heavy to carry in your pocket.

My suggestion is DON'T BUY THIS UNIT.....

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 18th 2009 1:23PM]

Uh, if you had done any bit of research, you would know that TouchFlo3D is an interface on top of Windows Mobile. It's not an OS, it's just a front end. Yes, WinMo 6.1 tends to be a bit boring without a front end. There are plenty of alternatives out there (SPB mobile shell, throttlelauncher, etc). They were made for those that don't like plain 6.1. Me, I don't mind TouchFlo3D -- if anything, I can wait until 6.5 finalizes.

GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G -- all of these things tend to drain your battery fast. Not really a CON, it's more of a trivial thing if you've done your research on different phones.

If you really think Windows Mobile is complicated, maybe you are better off with an iPhone. Those are for people who don't put much thought into using a phone with features. It really sounds like you've never operated a phone with Windows Mobile, so I (along with others) would probably suggest you do some testing before buying a phone with a more advanced OS.