HTC TyTN II
The TyTN II (AT&T Tilt) is a Windows Mobile based smartphone from HTC. It is impressively equipped and features stunning features. It competes directly against other Windows Mobile smartphones, Symbian devices such as the Nokia N95, and devices such as the Apple iPhone. However, for those who want a wide variety of features it is arguably the best phone available.
The TyTN II is equipped with a 400MHz Qualcomm processor with 256MB or ROM and 128MB of RAM. Network wise, the TyTN II supports 3G networks UMTS HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100) & Quadband GSM EDGE as well as WiFi. The Operating System is Windows Mobile 6 Professional and comes with a wide variety of software tools such as Office Mobile, various media software, tools, and games. Expanding its features is a built in GPS receiver working with most GPS aware software such as TomTom or Live Maps. Its memory can be expanded with the use of microSD which can expand the memory to 32GB when available (currently the largest microSD cards are 8GB). It also includes a 3.0 rear camera and a front VGA camera (on certain models) for video conferencing.
It’s better than the competition with a touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard. It also has available a large library of software and great community support. It is also a device that is easily ‘hacked’, allowing you to create the best device to fit your needs software wise. In addition it supports common standards such as picture messaging and full Bluetooth 2.0 support unlike the Apple iPhone.
One of my favourite features is the Tilt Screen that allows you to slide open the keyboard and tilts the screen for a more laptop look. It’s a useful feature to minimize glare. I also highly enjoy the HTC TouchFlo features that are included for easy scrolling. I also like the button placements such the camera button which allow you to take pictures easily.
What about the negatives? One of the most obvious is the size and weight. Though not much larger than the Nokia N95 or Apple iPhone it is quite heavier. Software wise, I don’t understand why HTC didn’t include the Touch Cube available on their HTC Touch & HTC Touch Cruise. Though this additional software is easily obtained and installed which allows me to use my finger more and stylus less I think it should have been included and easily a selling point though I suspect HTC is keen to push their other products that lack a keyboard with this software.
Overall I would highly recommend this phone including over the competition. I think a touchscreen is extremely useful and Nokia is working on this for the next top phone but sometimes a camera button, answering a call or typing is easier done with buttons. This is especially true with gaming where you want to see as much of the screen as possible. In addition its 3G high speed capabilities, software library for Windows Mobile and just plain customization abilities put it ahead.
