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>> Bonnie Cha: Hi, I'm Bonnie Cha, Senior Editor at cnet.com, and today we're taking a first look at the HTC Touch Pro 2 for Sprint. We've already seen this smartphone from T-Mobile, but now it's available from Sprint. The two smartphones have a lot of similarities, but there are also a few differences, starting with the design. The Sprint Touch Pro 2 is a little more like the unlocked version since it has these tapered edges. I think it makes the phone look a little less blocky and attractive and, but it's still a very bulky phone. Of course, there are advantages to having a bigger phone, though; for one thing, you've got an extra large touch screen on front. It supports 262,000 colors at a 480 by 800 resolution. So photos, web pages, whatever you're looking at, it's gonna look really great on this screen. Another benefit of the phone's bigger size is the spacious QUERTY keyboard. It's really probably one of the best keyboards I've used on a smartphone. The buttons are nice and wide, and there's a good amount of space between them. So I don't imagine anyone really having a problem with it. Also, you can tilt the screen at an angle to get a better view when typing. One final design element that I wanted to point out was the addition of a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. The T-Mobile and unlocked versions didn't have this, and I know some of you might not think this is a big deal, but I think it's great since you can now just plug in your favorite pair of headphones without having to use an audio adapter or use the uncomfortable headsets that are included in the box. HTC has also said it will include 3.5 millimeter jacks on more of its device, so kudos to them. Moving onto the features, the Touch Pro 2 for Sprint is a dual-mode world phone and chips with a SIM card. Basically means that here in the states, the phone works on Sprint's network, just like usual, but since it also supports quad-band GSM networks, you'll be able to make calls and receive data when you travel overseas. It's really great for those who travel a lot and don't wanna deal with switching phones or numbers. The Touch Pro 2 continues to run Windows Mobile 6.1, and when I asked whether they would offer an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5, Sprint didn't officially tell me that they would but did say that the phone has the hardware and software requirements to support an upgrade and that it wouldn't be completely unthinkable that they would deliver a software upgrade in the near future. So I'm thinking that means yes, they will. For now, you get the usual Mobile Office Suite and email capabilities as well as some extras, including Opera Mobile 9.5 and Facebook app with contact integration. The phone also supports a number of Sprint services, including Sprint Navigation, which you can use with the phone's GPS. Sprint TV and the Sprint Music Store. But I have to say that Sprint TV didn't look all that great on this smartphone. It's hard to navigate through the channels, and then the video clips took a little while to buffer, and it was kinda choppy. Also, the phone's GPS receiver took a little bit to find our location. I waited about 10 minutes before it finally locked onto my position, but once it did, it was fine and Sprint Navigation provided accurate directions. The rest of the phone's performance was good. The Touch Pro 2 was generally pretty responsive and call quality was excellent on our side of the conversation. My friends did mention that they could hear an echo occasionally, but it was nothing that prevented us from having a conversation. But otherwise, that is the Touch Pro 2. It's definitely not a phone for everyone, especially since it costs a very pricey $349.99 with a two-year contract. But for Sprint's business customers, I think it's definitely the way to go. I'm Bonnie Cha, and this has been your first look at the HTC Touch Pro 2 for Sprint.
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