Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
As a 3.5G device, the HTC Touch lets you make video calls from the front mounted camera, while a 2 megapixel camera on the back offers autofocus (but no flash) and takes pretty good photos and video clips - but Wi-Fi is not included, which is a shame.
As a Telstra specific Next-G model, you naturally get all the usual Telstra add-ons, including Sensis, Whereis, Foxtel by Mobile and more, while also getting the benefit of a much larger 3.5G footprint than competitors whose 3.5G networks are mainly limited to capital cities and some major holiday spots (like the Gold Coast in Queensland).
You also get access to Direct Push Outlook email, a standard Windows Moible feature, which when connected to a compatible MS Exchange server sends emails to your phone when they arrive, like a Blackberry, instead of waiting for you to log into your email application and pressing ‘send and receive’.
All-in-all, the HTC Touch Dual 850 is a worthy and needed upgrade to the original 2G-only and physical keyboard-less model.
As it’s based on Windows Mobile, the Touch Dual is aimed more at business users than general consumers, but the Touch FLO interface does make Windows Mobile much more ‘general consumer’ friendly, while giving business users a phone that’s a lot cooler than most.
It’s still no iPhone, but has the best finger touch interface of any Windows Mobile device so far, and promises to get even better still, while forcing other Windows Mobile device manufacturers to release new models with a plethora of new features of their own to compete.
It’s also a solid improvement on the original HTC Touch, so if you were tempted by that model but were waiting for its replacement – it has arrived and is definitely worth checking out, especially if Windows Mobile devices are what you already use.
John Featherstone, previously of O2 Australia and now the MD of HTC Australia and NZ, said that: “The HTC Touch Dual 850 will enable Telstra customers to really get the most out of the Next G network. [It] is built for speed and efficiency, letting users get what they want when they want it. Combined with the power of Telstra’s Next G network, it gives users a complete solution to their mobile needs.”
Ross Fielding, Executive Director, Telstra Product Management said that: “The higher download data speeds on Telstra's Next G network, coupled with HTC’s strong technical capabilities, mean customers can take full advantage of richer mobile content and more advanced applications with the HTC Touch Dual 850.”
Available from Telstra shops and ‘selected retailers’, it has a recommended retail price of AUD $929 inc GST and is also offered on a Telstra post-paid $80 per month plan.
David Bass
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