HTC Touch Cruise Unboxing and First Impressions Video

[Jason Dunn]

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the <a href="http://www.expansys-usa.com/p.aspx?i=165588&amp;partner=pthoughts" target="_blank">HTC Touch Cruise</a> [affiliate], a Windows Mobile 6 Professional smartphone. With a 400MHz CPU, 256 MB of ROM, 128 MB of RAM, a 2.8 inch QVGA (320 x 240) LCD touch screen, GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA/UMTS for communications (oh, and 802.11 b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0), and a GPS chip in it, it's a capable device. Watch me have fun trying to find the power button (never having seen one in person prior to this). ;-)<br /><br /><embed width="425" height="349" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I34TwfcEmY0&amp;hl=en&amp;border=1"></embed><br /><br />If you have a YouTube account, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I34TwfcEmY0">please rate the video</a>, comment, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ThoughtsMedia">subscribe to our channel</a>. Thanks for your support!

[randalllewis]

I did my own unboxing of the Cruise just two weeks ago. While I was able to find the power button right away :), I otherwise shared your experience. And after two weeks of use of the phone, I really enjoy it. It works very well as a phone and I have had no issues with battery life or dropped calls or poor signals or needing to reset or any such annoyances.

If there is any frustration with the Cruise it is with Touch Flo. I love this interface. It is intuitive, attractive and makes using the phone fun. Yet because it is so good where it exists, I get frustrated where it doesn't. It is like HTC has sprinkled Touch Flo on top of Windows Mobile and in some places, it seeped in deeper than in others. Where it exists, the Cruise is excellent and where it doesn't, the Cruise is just another WM touch phone.

I was able to download a calculator replacement that replaces the standard WM program with a Touch Flo style. Why didn't HTC do that? Why does the helpful scrolling alphabet bar in Contacts only appear when you call Contacts from the home screen? Why can I change the default programs from the home screen launcher but not the Cube? These are not major issues, but because Touch Flo is so good where it is, it makes you notice where it isn't.

One more thing, the camera is pretty good. It needs good lighting, but I have been impressed with the photos and there is a surprising amount of user adjustments available.

As much as I like the Cruise, Touch Flo has spoiled me and I will be buying a Diamond when a North American version is available.

[Tony Rylow]

Looking forward to watching this when I get home from work. My company blocks YouTube. I have been interested in this phone since it was first announced, but so far the price has been way too high for me to justify. Hopefully it will drop soon and I can get rid of this Blackberry and get back to Windows Mobile.

[Jason Dunn]

I did my own unboxing of the Cruise just two weeks ago. While I was able to find the power button right away :)

Heh. Yeah, that was a bit embarrassing - but on the same day I did the Shadow unboxing (to be published tomorrow) and I was hard-coded to look for that button to power it on. :rolleyes: