HTC TyTN II (aka Kaiser 120, aka P4550)

After obsessing over the Samsung i600 for the longest time (here and here), I decided to give it up for a Windows Mobile 6 Pro device [touch screen], the HTC TyTN II

Quick Specs

• Windows Mobile 6 Pro OS
• Quadband GSM, Triband UMTS (including HSDPA)
• 400MHz Qualcomm processor
• 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM
• Slide out QWERTY keyboard
• 2.8" QVGA screen (tilting)
• microSD/microSDHC support (hot swappable)
• 3.15Mp main camera; secondary VGA camera
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• Wifi

How's that for connectivity??!!! ;-D

Our team leader was so impressed with the convenience of the Direct Push e-mail function of his HTC Advantage, that he decided to purchase PDA-phones for at least two of us project managers (PMs). I suggested we get them for all 4 PMs and the PM assistant. And so the canvassing began.

Only a few shops at MegaMall had the Kaiser, and we went with the shop were our TL got his Advantage. The retail package didn't include a microSD card, so we had to haggle for them and got a 1GB microSD card free for each unit we purchased (5). We got the units on 29 January 2008.

I must say, after having used WM Smartphone edition (version 5.0), the WM Pro touch screen UI is so much better. The 2.8" touch screen is huge compared to the Samsung i600's 2.3" landscape, non-touch screen.
The sliding mechanism to reveal the full QWERTY keyboard is pretty cool, too. I do miss quick, single-handed texting though, which I was only starting to get used to on the full QWERTY i600. I was able to download several alternative input methods for single digit texting (TouchPal, PocketCM, PhonePad, etc), but without some sort of feedback (haptic), none of them will replace a hardware keyboard. I've got pretty good at 2-thumb typing using the slide out keyboard, but I still miss the convenience of one-thumb SMS typing.

I've since downloaded other several programs to tweak the Kaiser's functionality, majority of which are derived from the UI of the HTC Touch/Touch Dual, including the TouchFlo Cube. Most of the programs enhance the phone's usefulness for single-handed/thumb use. Props to the geniuses at xda-forums for the software ;D

Other cons of the Kaiser versus the i600 are it's size (almost twice as thick) and weight (also almost twice). Otherwise, I'm quite happy with it's functionality and geek-coolness factor ;-)

Good thing we couldn't wait for our original choice, the HTC Touch Cruise, which doesn't have a hardware keyboard (and would only be available at the end of February).

(I handed over the i600 to a junior PM. I was contemplating on proposing to purchase the unit with a Nokia N70 [since almost no one wanted the i600 due to its complexity], but my TL said it was unlikely the office would allow such a swap).