5. Touch Pro2: Design and Usability

The HTC Touch Pro2 is a big phone in a rather different sense from the TG01. The 3.8” screen only looks small next to the TG01. Although the Touch Pro2 case is a little smaller (it is the same size as the TG01’s screen, without the bezel and surround), it’s much thicker—slide out the keyboard and the screen alone is almost as thick as the TG01. It’s heavier, heftier, and feels a lot more solid, like the workhorse it proved to be (and it feels lighter in the hand than the original Touch Pro does). Smooth-rounded corners stop it from feeling like a brick in your pocket and make it very comfortable to hold, in one hand or two.

The power button is on the top and it’s large and responsive enough to find easily. The volume buttons on the left fall comfortably under your fingers (or your thumb if you hold it in your left hand) and again they’re large enough to use without having to take your eyes off the screen or pull the phone away from your ear halfway through a call. The mini USB port (again for power, syncing, and connecting a headset) is at the bottom, which is more convenient than having it on the side, and there’s no cover to get in the way. A 3.5 mm headphone socket would be more convenient still and there’s plenty of room for one, but you can plug a headphone in the rather chunky adapter (the T-Mobile model includes an adapter, which also has a 2.5 mm socket for headsets).

The bezel at the bottom of the screen has room for four buttons (call, start, back, and call end, which doubles as the home screen button) and a zoom bar, which helpfully has the magnification size printed on it and works with photos, Web pages, Google Maps, Adobe Reader, and other apps (unlike the TG01 zoom bar). The buttons and zoom bar keep the controls you’ll use the most in the same place and the bezel is wide enough for you to comfortably use these with your thumb. The Touch Pro2 holds steady in your hand, so tapping at the bottom of your screen with your thumb doesn’t send the phone tipping over backwards.

The keys are still in a convenient place and the balance is still good when you slide the screen open, whether you leave it flat or tilt it up at an angle. The hinge and the sliding mechanism are strong but perfectly balanced, so you can hold the Touch Pro2 in one hand and slide it open with your thumb or snap it shut easily. You do need both hands to tilt up the screen, but you can leave the screen at almost any angle (so glare is rarely a problem). And sliding the keyboard open turns on the screen and rotates it (with a very brief delay while the screen rotates).