Rogers first with HTC Touch GSM in North America

Canadian cell provider Rogers today became the first provider in North America to carry the GSM version of the HTC Touch, bringing the frequent iPhone rival in a version that can also roam on European networks. The handset is almost entirely driven by its 2.8-inch touchscreen and still includes HTC's custom TouchFLO interface to use some of the phone's more advanced media and Internet features with fingers rather than the supplied stylus. Unlike the CDMA version, Rogers' Touch model opts for EDGE instead of 3G but includes Wi-Fi for far quicker access at hotspots.

The handset is otherwise close to the reference model first released in Europe and runs both a 2-megapixel camera and Windows Mobile 6 Professional, which provides full touchscreen support as well as Office Mobile for basic editing on the road. Rogers sells the Touch as of today for as little as $200 with a three-year plan but will sell the phone for $400 with a much shorter one-year agreement.