HTC Touch Takes on the iPhone

Looks like the soon-to-be-released iPhone has yet another competitor. Set for release in the U.S. later this year, the HTC Touch boasts—yep, you guessed it—a roomy touch-screen display, the latest version of Windows Mobile, and Wi-Fi, although (like the iPhone) it's lacking in the 3G department.

Made by the manufacturer of the just-released T-Mobile Wing and the slim Dash smartphones, the four-ounce, half-inch thick Touch arrives with Windows Mobile 6, along with a two-megapixel camera, a tri-band GSM radio with EDGE data capability (faster than dial-up, but considerably slower than the latest 3G-ready phones), Wi-Fi for tapping into wireless networks, and Bluetooth.

Of course, the spotlight is on the Touch's 2.8-inch LCD, which comes imbued with something called TouchFlo: a technology that (according to HTC) lets you sweep your finger across the screen to launch applications and otherwise access the 3D menu system. Interesting, although it's with noting that the Touch lacks a slide-out QWERTY keypad (a la the Samsung Ultra Smart F700), and it's unclear whether the phone will feature any type of tactile feedback (such as vibration) to make tapping out messages a little easier. No word yet on U.S. carriers or pricing, but since the Touch is an EDGE-only phone, it could easily follow the Wing and the Dash to T-Mobile.

Related:
Press release [HTC]