View this article at: http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/06/05/htc.touch/

Tuesday, Jun 05, 2007 8:20am

HTC Touch challenges iPhone

HTC today unveiled the Touch, a new smartphone directly aimed at the iPhone's audience. Previously known as the Elf, the Touch earns its name through its natural input: owners control calls, media playback, and programs solely through the 2.8-inch touchscreen. Also similar to the Apple device is an intuitive navigation method that lets users swipe through media libraries and provides scrolling for web pages or documents. HTC's phone, however, relies on Windows Mobile 6 Professional and includes Office Mobile for bulit-in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word editing.

The touch relies primarily on its microSD card slot for storage and ships with a bundled 1GB card for storing media, including photos snapped from the phone's 2-megapixel camera. Wireless networking is provided through 802.11b/g Wi-Fi on local networks and through EDGE for cellular-only access.

Availability will vary by region. Currently only a 900/1800/1900MHz device, the Touch is shipping today in black and green to UK providers and will be available to Asia and Europe by the end of June. A version for the Americas with the requisite 850MHz support is planned for the second half of the year and should receive its pricing through individual carriers.