HTC launch 'Touch Cruise'

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

HTC has today launched the latest in its Touch family of handsets, the HTC Touch Cruise... the first to feature in-built GPS for personal navigation.

The Touch Cruise is the follow up to the HTC Artemis, and adds a 400 MHz processor, 3G / HSDPA and TouchFlo to it's predecessor.

Key specs:

• Qualcomm 7200 chipset
• Built-in GPS receiver
• TomTom mapping
• 400MHz CPU
• TouchFLO UI
• 256MB/128 MB ROM/RAM
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Bluetooth 2.0
• GSM / EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA up to 3.6Mbps
• 2.8” QVGA Touch Screen
• FM Radio
• Micro SD memory card
• Windows Mobile 6.0
• HTC Home screen
  

Is it me, or is this the keyboardless Kaiser so many have been waiting for? ;)

Full press release follows...

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HTC, the world’s leading provider of Microsoft Windows Mobile® smart devices, today launched the HTC Touch Cruise™, the third member of the HTC Touch product family and the first to feature in-built GPS for personal navigation. Building on the popularity of the HTC Touch™ and the HTC Touch Dual™, the HTC Touch Cruise also includes 3G-HSDPA wireless connectivity.

Users on the move will easily be able to interact with the HTC Touch Cruise’s navigation functionality and can take advantage of HTC’s TouchFLO technology, which enhances finger touch scrolling and browsing of Web pages, documents, messages and contact lists, controlled by simply sweeping a finger across the screen. TouchFLO also offers the ability to view photos and photo slideshows using on-screen controls and to zoom and rotate images with only one hand.

Stylish and sleek in design, the HTC Touch Cruise is a further illustration of HTC’s commitment to innovation and to building a suite of touchscreen devices that cater to a variety of customer needs and styles. The HTC Home screen will provide one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for hundreds of cities around the world. Users then simply sweep their finger up the display to launch an animated, three-dimensional interface comprising three screens: Contacts, Media and Applications. The interface can be spun by swiping a finger right or left across the display, providing efficient access to the features consumers use most.

The new Touch Cruise boasts super fast HSDPA/3.5G connectivity plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it a highly connected device for consumers on the move. Its 2.8” screen is great for enjoying mobile multimedia and because it runs on Windows Mobile 6, the built-in Windows Media Player is ideal for music and movies.

Florian Seiche, VP of HTC Europe, commented, “The original HTC Touch has already been a phenomenal success, and the HTC Touch Cruise™ with fully integrated GPS adds another dimension to our leading touchscreen device family. We firmly believe in the importance of choice – one device does not fit everyone’s needs – and we’re proud to have been able to launch three HTC Touch devices since June.”

The HTC Touch Cruise utilizes mapping and navigation solutions from TomTom. This navigation software comes complete with a taster city map or the option of full maps of Western Europe. Other key features include a three megapixel auto focus camera, FM radio and Micro SD memory card slot for adding to the 128MB RAM. The device will be available form both retailers and SIM free from HTC from this month.

[Guest mandt]

Very nice ;)

:( FM Radio :D

[Guest sc0user_75]

Very nice ;)

:( FM Radio :D

ANy idea on the camera spec?

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Other key features include a three megapixel auto focus camera

;)

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[Guest sc0user_75]

:D

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LOL ;) Do you know what? I read that bloomin article THREE times just in case I stupidly missed the camera spec. I thought someone will come and quote the camera spec and embarass me :(

So, to swiftly change topic... would any of you guys consider chucking in the kaiser for this beut?

[Guest Phil Lee]

I wouldn't swap. It doesn't have Windows or OK buttons and is missing the hardware keyboard. I use all of these a lot (well maybe not the start button).

[Guest Shuflie]

Nice specs, but I'm not so keen on the looks. I think one of the big selling points of the touch was its size and looks, the whole touchflo interface is nice but it really needs the uncomplicated, curvy "one piece" looks of the original touch to show it off best. The touch cruise looks more angular by comparison, and the front looks like it just has a metal plate (with possibly a sheet of glass for the digitizer) stuck to it.

[Guest FragMeister]

Nice specs, but I'm not so keen on the looks. I think one of the big selling points of the touch was its size and looks, the whole touchflo interface is nice but it really needs the uncomplicated, curvy "one piece" looks of the original touch to show it off best. The touch cruise looks more angular by comparison, and the front looks like it just has a metal plate (with possibly a sheet of glass for the digitizer) stuck to it.

Not sure if the O2 Orbit II would be the same. It seems to have similar specs (incliding TouchFlo) but does look much nicer!

www.msmobiles.com/news.php/6873.html

[Guest nuttyphilt]

I'm really torn between this and the Touch Dual. I like the hardware keyboard and the form factor of the Touch Dual but I really really like the inbuilt GPS of this. Decisions decisions!

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

No start / ok or softkeys sucks a bit, but then I suppose you're just supposed to 'touch' it ;)

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[Guest mandt]

Not sure if the O2 Orbit II would be the same. It seems to have similar specs (incliding TouchFlo) but does look much nicer!

www.msmobiles.com/news.php/6873.html

It's the same handset

[Guest zen123]

This is the phone I've been waiting for. I think the O2 version looks much much nice, but I'll probably buy this one as it will be unlocked.

[Guest rossy]

This is exactly what I have been waiting for to upgrade from my SPV M700 (Trinity). Any idea if it will be available on Orange, and if so when??

[Guest Shuflie]

Just had a look at the specs on the HTC website and the battery times are a bit confusing. According to HTC you get 450 hours standby on UTMS and 400 hours GSM standby, what's up with that? Comparing battery times with the TyTN II this is what you get according to HTC.

Touch cruise:

1350 mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion battery

Standby time:

Up to 450 hours for UMTS

Up to 400 hours for GSM

Talk time:

Up to 4 hours for UMTS

Up to 7 hours for GSM

Up to 2.3 hours for video call

TyTN II:

1,350 mAh rechargeable Li-polymer battery

Standby time:

Up to 350 hours for UMTS

Up to 365 hours for GSM

Talk time:

Up to 264 minutes for UMTS

Up to 420 minutes for GSM

Up to 120 minutes for video call

Considering that its all mostly identical hardware (give or take a keyboard and FM radio here and there), why the different run times apart from GSM talktime?

[Guest namiran]

is it just me? cause even though the icons show gps and IE, im pretty sure you've been able to change the configuration of these buttons since wm5 whithout any regtweaks or anything

[Guest Ovie]

Looks very nice, good to see WiFi too!

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Yeah, but that's just - er - wrong ;)

Buttons must do what they say on them :(

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[Guest]

Was also waiting for this one but not too sure now. I loved the Artemis looks/ size, this looks a fair bit bigger, guess I'll wait to see some side by side shots.

I also agree, the O2 version looks waaaaayyyyy nicer.

[Guest nickcornaglia]

oooooooooooo. ;)

[Guest wabre]

guys, these are some sort of unreal pictures. i am quite sure the phone will look muuuuch nicer in reality. once we have (maybe there are already) livepics, we will change our minds. but yes, if the specs of this device would have been packed into the original touch..in red or green...oh man, that would have been the perfect christmas gift!!!!

oh, i found this>

i really looks much nicer than on the pics. and the scroll wheel is amazing!!

Edited November 12, 2007 by wabre

[Guest stesa]

Was also waiting for this one but not too sure now. I loved the Artemis looks/ size, this looks a fair bit bigger, guess I'll wait to see some side by side shots.

I also agree, the O2 version looks waaaaayyyyy nicer.

a side by side ;)

[Guest J273]

I thought this was meant to have a VGA screen ;)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I can't wait till HTC finally get on the 2.8" VGA path!

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[Guest Monolithix]

Looking at the Dual and Cruise alongside each other, i still think the Dual is my next device...

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I know what you mean... the Dual makes the cruise look ugleeee and large.

Oh how I wish the Dual had WiFi and GPS! SOB! ;)

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